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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 respect； tells us that at banquets it
was once the fashion for boys to sing； sometimes with and sometimes
without instrumental music； ancient ballads in praise of men of former
times。 These young performers； he observes； were of unblemished
character； a circumstance which he probably mentioned because； among
the Greeks； and indeed； in his time among the Romans also； the morals of
singing boys were in no high repute。
The testimony of Horace； though given incidentally； confirms the
statements of Cato； Valerius Maximus； and Varro。 The poet predicts that；
under the peaceful administration of Augustus； the Romans will； over their
full goblets； sing to the pipe； after the fashion of their fathers； the deeds of
brave captains； and the ancient legends touching the origin of the city。
The proposition； then； that Rome had ballad…poetry is not merely in
itself highly probable； but is fully proved by direct evidence of the greatest
weight。
This proposition being established； it becomes easy to understand why
the early history of the city is unlike almost everything else in Latin
literature； native where almost everything else is borrowed； imaginative
where almost everything else is prosaic。 We can scarcely hesitate to
pronounce that the magnificent； pathetic； and truly national legends； which
present so striking a contrast to all that surrounds them； are broken and
defaced fragments of that early poetry which； even in the age of Cato the
Censor； had become antiquated； and of which Tully had never heard a line。
That this poetry should have been suffered to perish will not appear
strange when we consider how complete was the triumph of the Greek
genius over the public mind of Italy。 It is probable that； at an early period；
Homer and Herodotus furnished some hints to the Latin Minstrels； but it
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was not till after the war with Pyrrhus that the poetry of Rome began to
put off its old Ausonian character。 The transformation was soon
consummated。 The conquered； says Horace； led captive the conquerors。 It
was precisely at the time at which the Roman people rose to unrivalled
political ascendency that they stooped to pass under the intellectual yoke。
It was precisely at the time at which the sceptre departed from Greece that
the empire of her language and of her arts became universal and despotic。
The revolution indeed was not effected without a struggle。 Naevius seems
to have been the last of the ancient line of poets。 Ennius was the founder
of a new dynasty。 Naevius celebrated the First Punic War in Saturnian
verse； the old national verse of Italy。 Ennius sang the Second Punic War in
numbers borrowed from the Iliad。 The elder poet； in the epitaph which he
wrote for himself； and which is a fine specimen of the early Roman diction
and versification； plaintively boasted that the Latin language had died with
him。 Thus what to Horace appeared to be the first faint dawn of Roman
literature appeared to Naevius to be its hopeless setting。 In truth； one
literature was setting； and another dawning。
The victory of the foreign taste was decisive； and indeed we can
hardly blame the Romans for turning away with contempt from the rude
lays which had delighted their fathers； and giving their whole admiration
to the immortal productions of Greece。 The national romances； neglected
by the great and the refined whose education had been finished at Rhodes
or Athens； continued； it may be supposed； during some generations to
delight the vulgar。 While Virgil； in hexameters of exquisite modulation；
described the sports of rustics； those rustics were still singing their wild
Saturnian ballads。 It is not improbable that； at the time when Cicero
lamented the irreparable loss of the poems mentioned by Cato； a search
among the nooks of the Appenines； as active as the search which Sir
Walter Scott made among the descendents of the mosstroopers of
Liddesdale； might have brought to light many fine remains of ancient
minstrelsy。 No such search was made。 The Latin ballads perished forever。
Yet discerning critics have thought that they could still perceive in the
early history of Rome numerous fragments of this lost poetry； as the
traveller on classic ground sometimes finds； built into the heavy wall of a
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fort or convent； a pillar rich with acanthus leaves； or a frieze where the
Amazons and Bacchanals seem to live。 The theatres and temples of the
Greek and the Roman were degraded into the quarries of the Turk and the
Goth。 Even so did the ancient Saturnian poetry become the quarry in
which a crowd of orators and annalists found the materials for their prose。
It is not difficult to trace the process by which the old songs were
transmuted into the form which they now wear。 Funeral panegyric and
chronicle appear to have been the intermediate links which connected the
lost ballads with the histories now