among the sources of the primary pleasures of the imagina- 

 tion, but Addison lived in the infancy of criticism when the 

 philosophy of ta»te was as yet unknown, and Akenside, in 

 the revival of his celebrated poem, has omitted it altogether, 

 comprehending all in that twofold division sanctioned by the 

 authorities of Burke and Alison. The real value of novelty 

 Dr. Reid has thus happily expressed. " When novelty is 

 altogether separated- from the consideration of worth and 

 utility,, it. makes but a slight impression upon a truly correct 

 taste. Every discovery in nature, in the arts and sciences 

 has a real value, and gives a rational pleasure to a good taste. 

 But things that have no other recommendation but novelty, 

 are fit only to entertain children,, or those who are distressed 

 from a vacuity of thought. This quality of objects may 

 therefore be compared to a cypher in arithmetic, which adds 

 greatly to the value of significant figures,, but when put by 

 itself, signifies nothing at all." 



Mathematical studies, therefore, though they in a great 

 measure remove that sensibility to novelty which is generally 

 supposed essential to a poetical character, are not on that ac- 

 count alone to be considered inimical to the imagination. 

 The exercise and improvement of reason, whatever effect it 

 may have in regulating and directing the passions, neither 

 seeks nor tends entirely to suppress them. In the present 

 state of criticism, we should be much more inclined to doubt 

 the soundness of a man's taste, than admire the delicacy of 

 his feeling, Avho could exspatiate with rapture on the charms- 



