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testimony of one of the most celebrated, who ever honoured that noble art, the refined HoHe informs us, that the original Roman poets displayed great fire, great copiousness, an abundant fund of thought; but, that they were irregular, and uncouth. He acknowledges how much he is indebted to the copiousness of Lucilius, though he tells us, at the same time, how tedious and defective were that author's compositions. He bestows high encomiums on his genius, but greatly reprehends its want of refinement.

In like manner, when he speaks of Ennius, and his vigorous powers of imagination, he acknowledges that poet's merit, and passes upon him a singularly fine eulogium. He says, that, were Lucilius's verses, or his own to be transposed, no symptom of poetry would remain; but were a passage of Ennius equally 'dissected, we should find traces of poetry still subsisting; as he has happily expressed it, "Invenies etiam disjecti membra poetæ."

In other parts of his works, he lavishes great praise on the energetic genius of that father of the Roman poets; at the same time, he informs us, from the authority of Lucilius, that his verses wanted, notwithstanding, great correction. Now, he says, speaking of Lucilius's opinion of Ennius's poetry, in 1 Sat. c. 10. v. 54. "Non ridet versus Enni gravitate minores."

The same state of Genius we know to be also exhibited in the first growth of oratory. This information we may learn from Cicero, in his remarks on the compositions of the first Roman orators. He allows them to abound with strong sense, vigorous expression, genuine effusions of fancy, and passion; but avers, nevertheless, that their productions were rude, and Asperum, et horridum genus

uncultivated. dicendi."

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We find the like truth exemplified in the old writers in every country. ·

So far, then, as it has hitherto been considered, Genius appears to be the sole offspring of sensibility. This copiousness, this vigorous animation, which we have seen to be its only properties in its infant state, bespeak its entire derivation from that principle.

As the culture of Genius advances, we find it grow more correct. This Horace, again, observes, in the professors of his art and takes notice how soon all these most notorious defects disappeared after an acquaintance with better authors. His countrymen, he tells us, no sooner became acquainted with the Grecian models, than they banished the principal remnants of their rudeness.

"Græcia capta ferum victorem cepit, et artes

"Intulit agresti Latio; sic horridus ille

"Defluxit numerus Saturnius, et grave virus

Munditiæ pepulere."

They afterwards advanced rapidly in refinement. By seeing more, their genius became better acquainted with its excesses, collected systems for its regulation, improved them daily, followed them attentively, till, at last, it learned to retrench all redundancies, and pruned itself into the compass of due precision. This it attained in the period in which he flourished, and himself was one of the best models of the attainment. He knew, and observed, the exact mean between negligence and excess of refinement. Other poets, his contemporaries, give proofs of the same discern

ment.

It was then, that Virgil polished his celebrated Georgics; that Ovid gave the last touches to some of his finished Metamorphoses; in a word, that a refinement of genius was attained, which, perhaps, was never before, and has, never since, been equalled.

The same progress have we known in our country, from Chaucer, down to Pope. Happy, if we never emasculate, by excessive delicacy, that due vigour, which we have attained.

But, is the nature of Genius altered, by being thus improved? Certainly not. Its last state must, intrinsically, be the same as its first: culture can make the only difference. Genius, in the former state, is the offspring of sensibility unrestrained in the latter, of sensibility

:

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moderated. It must, equally, subsist in the most ancient author, as, in the most modern. It shews more vehement animation in the one : more tempered animation in the other.

To its nature under the latter character, Mr. Pope has well applied his comparison of the horse, which, he observes,

"Shews most true mettle, when you check its course." Genius, therefore, when refined, must take its rise in the same origin, as when uncultivated. It must still be the offspring of sensibility.

Thus, does Genius, surveyed in its whole progress, display its derivation from this principle. Its only variance proceeds from the modification of this source by the discretionary controul of Taste. The definition of Genius, which I have presumed to propose, seems, therefore, to have pretensions to be just.

CHAP. III.

On Genius, relatively to its acquisition of

IT

Taste.

may be observed, that Genius is, according to its extent, more or less susceptible of acquiring Taste. Thus, the greater the genius, the more refined taste can it attain. This truth, experience demonstrates: for, we find in each age, the greatest geniuses, the greatest models. of taste: Homer in his style, Virgil in his, and Pope in his.

Genius is, also, usually, later in acquiring its full taste. This, too, the concurrent testimony of all ages, almost universally, evinces. Accordingly, we see that the greater works are, usually, the last brought to perfection. How it happens that Genius is more susceptible of acquiring Taste, and why it is later in acquiring its full perfection of Taste, I shall now endeavour to explain.

Taste is, as I shall remark in the next treatise, a compound of sensibility and judgment; or, a faculty, the exertion of which results from such a compound; and it is formed by comparison. The reason is, therefore, obvious, why Genius should, according to its extent, be more capable of the acquisition of Taste. If