The prose writings of the Latin authors, taken as a whole, betray a higher order of genius and cultivation than the works of the poets. In this department, the pre eminence belongs to Cicero, whose vari ous productions in eloquence, philosophy, and criticism, are among the most valu able treasures of antiquity. In history, Cesar, Sallust, and Livy, are the most prominent names, who, each in his own peculiar style, have left models of his torical composition, which have been the admiration of every subsequent age. The literature of the Augustan period partook of the general character of the Roman people. Devoted to the realiza tion of practical objects, with slight ten dencies to the ideal aspect of things, and absorbed in the exciting game of politics mid war, the Romans had little t. Iste either for abstract speculation or fur the loftiest flights of poetical fancy. hence DO new system of philosophy was pro duced in their literature; their best poets were essentially imitative; and of all branches of study, those connected with popular eloquence were held in the greatest esteem.
With the death of Augustus com menced the decline of Roman Mel eture. Among the poets of this period, are Ph:e strus, an ingenious fabulist, the satirists, Juvenal and Persius, whose works are more important Ibr their illustrations of the manners of the than for their poetical merit, and Lucan, who describes the wars of Cesar and Pompey in an in sipid historical epic. In prose, we have the sombre, but condensed and powerful histories of Tacit us, and the quaint and artificial treat ises on ethics and philosophy by Seneca. Subsequent to the reign of Trajan, we meet with no writers, who have any claim upon our attention, and the literature of Rouse, after a brief in terval of splendor, during the golden age between Cicero and Augustus, passes into unimportance and obscurity.
Sunscrit Litcrature.--“ntil the close of the last century, the Sanscrit literature was almost wholly unknown to the learned of Europe. The Roman Catholic mis sionaries in India., had, to a certain ex tent, engaged in the study of the lan guage at an earlier period, but it is only since the year 1790, that it has attracted the attention of eminent scholars. Among those who have given an impulse to the study of Sanscrit, and who have them selves pursued it with distinguished suc cess, are Sir William Jones, Wilkins, Forster, Colebrook°, Wilson, Ifaughtan, Rosen, Chezy, Burnout, A. W. Schlegel, and Bopp. We are indebted to their labors for a knowledge of this rich and curions literature, which, on many ac counts, may be considered as one of the most remarkable products in the history of intellectual culture.
The Sanserit language is a branch of the Indo-Germanic family of languages, and is supposed to bear the greatest re semblance to the primitive type. In its construction, it is in the highest degree ingenious and elaborate, and the variety and beauty of its forms are well adapted to illustrate the laws of the formation of language. It is the sacred language of the Bramins, and contains the Vedas:, the oldest records of their religion. The last century before the Christian era, was the period of its richest blessouning. although it extends hack to a for more remote antiquity. It appears io its most ancient form in the Vedas, which date front the thirteenth century before Christ, and in that state exhibits many striking analo gies with the &mil, the ancient language of Persia. These writings are the foun dation of Sanserit literature, and diffuse their influence through the whole course of its development.
The Vedas arc divided into four classes, the first being in poetry, the second in prase, the third consisting of lyrical prayers, and the fourth ef devotional pieces, intended to he used in sacrifices and ether religious 'three. Each Veda is composed Iwo parts, the prayers and the commandments. The Sanserit pos sesses a variety of other works in sacred literature, which contain not only a en pious exposition of religious doctrines, but numerous discussions of philosophi cal and A eientifie subjects, and nn sive collection of poetical legends.
The two oldest and most interesting epic poems are "The Ramayana," de scribing the seventh great incarnation of Vishnu, and "The tlahabltarata," deco teil to the wars of two rival lines descend ed from the ancient Indian monarch, Bharata. An episode from this work called "Elise-seat Oita" has been trans Wed by Wilkins, Herder, Schlegel and others, end has excited no small interest as an illustration of the early Oriental philosophy.
A new character was given to Sansc•it poetry about one hundred years before the Christian era, by the introduction of themes connected with courts and princes. It lost the popular and national ten dency which appears in the two great. epics, alluded to above, and assumed ut more artificial form. With a manifest impriwentent in the mere externals style, the new poetry shows a degeneracy in point of thought, and an entire ab sence of original invention. In the principal works of this class we find la bored descriptions of natural objects, and many curious artifices of composition, but they aro destitute both of brilliancy of imagination and depth of reflection. The most fertile author of the new school is undeuhtedly Calidasa, who attempted almost every species of poetical eomposi tion, and whose epic, lyric, and dramatic prodnetione, must he allowed to possess considerable. merit. His best descriptive poem, entitled " Meghadma," is a model of simplicity and elegance. It exhibits a highly ideal character, tracing out the spiritual significance of visible phenome no, and striving to penetrate into the hid lea life of the universe. The drama calk Saeontala" or the "Fatal Ring," by this Author, has received the warm est commendation from modern critics. " All its scenes," says the genial Herder, "are connected by flowery bands, each grows out of the subject as naturally as a beautiful plant. A multitude of sub lime as well as tender ideas are found in it, which we should look for in vain, in a Grecian drama." A valuable translation of this poem has been made by Sir \VII. limn Jones.
The influenee of religions speculation in India early gave birth to numerous philosophical writings. With the love of contemplation, to which the natives are so strongly inclined, and the progress or thought in opposition to the doctrines of the Vedas, at variety of philosophical systems was the natural consequence. The oldest of these is celled the "Sank bye." It teaches the duality of matter and which are essentially different in their nature, though found in each intimate union. The problem of life, is the emancipation of the soul from the do minion of the senses, and the attainment of blessedness by the supremacy of the in tellect. Atrother system of transcenden tal speculation is named the " Nyaya.'' This is constructed from strict logical deductions, which it applies to the inter pretation of nature, emit arrives at a theory of materialism, the reverse of the Sankhya i.lcality. The Nyaya school has produced a multitude of writings. Opposed to each of these systems is the " Mitnansa," which maintains the doc trines of the Vedas in their original strictness, and strives to reconcile them with the suggestions of philosophy.
The Sanserit literature, !sorcerer, abounds in works on various other branches of learning. Its philological treatises, especially, are of great value. The Indian grammarians surpass those of any other ancient people. No less important arc the Sanserit works on rhetoric, criticism, muses, astronomy, end jurisprudence. They well deserve the attention of the scholar, not only on account of their intrinsic character, but as precious memorials of the early de velopment of the intellect, and significant illustrations of the history of the race.