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account of the help which it gives to the memory。 A man who can invent
or embellish an interesting story； and put it into a form which others may
easily retain in their recollection； will always be highly esteemed by a
people eager for amusement and information； but destitute of libraries。
Such is the origin of ballad…poetry； a species of composition which
scarcely ever fails to spring up and flourish in every society； at a certain
point in the progress towards refinement。 Tacitus informs us that songs
were the only memorials of the past which the ancient Germans possessed。
We learn from Lucan and from Ammianus Marcellinus that the brave
actions of the ancient Gauls were commemorated in the verses of Bards。
During many ages； and through many revolution； minstrelsy retained its
influence over both the Teutonic and the Celtic race。 The vengeance
exacted by the spouse of Attila for the murder of Siegfried was celebrated
in rhymes； of which Germany is still justly proud。 The exploits of
Athelstane were commemorated by the Anglo…Saxons and those of Canute
by the Danes； in rude poems； of which a few fragments have come down
to us。 The chants of the Welsh harpers preserved； through ages of darkness；
a faint and doubtful memory of Arthur。 In the Highlands of Scotland may
still be gleaned some relics of the old songs about Cuthullin and Fingal。
The long struggle of the Servians against the Ottoman power was recorded
in lays full of martial spirit。 We learn from Herrera that； when a Peruvian
Inca died； men of skill were appointed to celebrate him in verses； which
all the people learned by heart； and sang in public on days of festival。 The
feats of Kurroglou； the great freebooter of Turkistan； recounted in ballads
composed by himself； are known in every village of northern Persia。
Captain Beechey heard the bards of the Sandwich Islands recite the heroic
achievements of Tamehameha； the most illustrious of their kings。 Mungo
Park found in the heart of Africa a class of singing men； the only annalists
of their rude tribes； and heard them tell the story of the victory which
Damel； the negro prince of the Jaloffs； won over Abdulkader； the
Mussulman tyrant of Foota Torra。 This species of poetry attained a high
degree of excellence among the Castilians； before they began to copy
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Tuscan patterns。 It attained a still higher degree of excellence among the
English and the Lowland Scotch； during the fourteenth； fifteenth； and
sixteenth centuries。 But it reached its full perfection in ancient Greece； for
there can be no doubt that the great Homeric poems are generically ballads；
though widely distinguished from all other ballads； and indeed from
almost all other human composition； by transcendent sublimity and
beauty。
As it is agreeable to general experience that； at a certain stage in the
progress of society； ballad…poetry should flourish； so is it also agreeable to
general experience that； at a subsequent stage in the progress of society；
ballad…poetry should be undervalued and neglected。 Knowledge advances；
manners change； great foreign models of composition are studied and
imitated。 The phraseology of the old minstrels becomes obsolete。 Their
versification； which； having received its laws only from the ear； abounds
in irregularities； seems licentious and uncouth。 Their simplicity appears
beggarly when compared with the quaint forms and gaudy coloring of
such artists as Cowley and Gongora。 The ancient lays； unjustly despised
by the learned and polite； linger for a time in the memory of the vulgar；
and are at length too often irretrievably lost。 We cannot wonder that the
ballads of Rome should have altogether disappeared； when we remember
how very narrowly； in spite of the invention of printing； those of our own
country and those of Spain escaped the same fate。 There is indeed little
doubt that oblivion covers many English songs equal to any that were
published by Bishop Percy； and many Spanish songs as good as the best of
those which have been so happily translated by Mr。 Lockhart。 Eighty years
ago England possessed only one tattered copy of Childe Waters and Sir
Cauline； and Spain only one tattered copy of the noble poem of the Cid。
The snuff of a candle； or a mischievous dog； might in a moment have
deprived the world forever of any of those fine compositions。 Sir Walter
Scott； who united to the fire of a great poet the minute curiosity and
patient diligence of a great antiquary； was but just in time to save the
precious relics of the Minstrelsy of the Border。 In Germany； the lay of the
Nibelungs had been long utterly forgotten； when； in the eighteenth century；
it was； for the first time； printed from a manuscript in the old library of a
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noble family。 In truth； the only people who； through their whole passage
from simplicity to the highest civilization； never for a moment ceased to
love and admire their old ballads； were the Greeks。
That the early Romans should have had ballad…poetry； and that this
poetry should have perished； is therefore not strange。 It would； on the
contrary； have been strange if these things had not come to pass； and we
should be justified in pronouncing them highly probable even if we had no
direct evidence on the subject。 But we have direct evidence of
unquestionable authority。
Ennius； who flourished in the time of the Second Punic War； was
regarded in the Augustan age as the father of Latin poetry。 He was； in truth；
the father of the second school of Latin poetry； the only school of which
the works have descended to us。 But from Ennius himself we learn that
there were poets who stood to him in the same relation in which the author
of the romance of Count Alarcos stood to Garcilaso； or the author of the
Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode to Lord Surrey。 Ennius speaks of verses
which the Fauns and the Bards were wont to chant in the old time； when
none had yet studied the graces of speech； when none had yet climbed the
peaks sacred to the Goddesses of Grecian song。 ‘‘Where；'' Cicero
mournfully asks； ‘‘are those old verses now？''
Contemporary with Ennius was Quintus Fabius Pactor； the earliest of
the Roman annalists。 His account of the infancy and youth of Romulus
and Remus has been preserved by Dionysius； and contains a very
remarkable reference to the ancient Latin poetry。 Fabius says that； in his
time； his countrymen were still in the habit of singing ballads about the
Twins。 ‘‘Even in the hut of Faustulus；''so these old lays appear to have
run；‘‘the children of Rhea and Mars were； in port and in spirit； not like
unto swineherds or cowherds； but such that men might well guess them to
be of the blood of kings and gods。''
Cato the Censor； who also lived in the days of he Second Punic War；
mentioned this lost literature in his lost work on the antiquities of his
country。 Many ages； he said； before his time； there were ballads in praise
of illustrious men； and these ballads it was the fashion for the guests at
banquets to sing in turn while the piper played。 ‘‘Would；'' exclaims Cicero；
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‘‘that we still had the old ballads of which Cato speaks！''
Valerius Maximus gives us exactly similar information； without
mentioning his authority； and observes that the ancient Roman ballads
were probably of more benefit to the young than all the lectures of the
Athenian schools； and that to the influence of the national poetry were to
be ascribed the virtues of such men as Camillus and Fabricus。
Varro； whose authority on all questions connected with the antiquities
of his country is entitled to the greatest respe