- See Edward's History Of Jamaica, 2d Vol.]; Never See Even An Elementary Trait Of Painting, Or Sculpture.

In music they are more generally gifted than the whites with accurate ears for tune, and time; and they have been found capable of imagining a small catch[Footnote:

"The instrument proper to them is the _banjore_, which they brought here from Africa, and which is the origin of the guitar, it's chords being precisely the four lower chords of that instrument." J - - N.]. Whether they will be equal to the composition of a more extensive run of melody, or of complicated harmony[Footnote: From this circumstance, I conceive our author's _catch_ was improperly so called.], is yet to be proved. Misery is often the parent of the most affecting touches in poetry. Among the blacks is misery enough, God knows, but no poetry. Love is the peculiar oestrum of the poet: their love is ardent; but it kindles the senses only, not the imagination. Religion, or rather fanaticism, has produced a _Phyllis Wheatly_; but it could not produce a poet. Ignatius Sancho has approached nearer to merit in composition; yet his letters do more credit to the heart than the head; supposing them to have been genuine, and to have received amendment from no other hand; points which would not be easy of investigation. The improvement of the blacks in body and mind, in the first instance of their mixture with the whites, has been observed by every one, and proves their inferiority is not the effect merely of their condition in life.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 114 of 128
Words from 31092 to 31352 of 35016