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defcribing the fame identical fcene in nature have been obferved 

 often to make a different feledion of its circumftances. When 

 the objed then to be defcribed is general, of an intelledual na- 

 ture, or of extended influence, poetic fancy in various minds 

 muft be expedled to vary the defcription. The Allegro and II 

 Penferofo of our great poet are beautiful illuftrations of the 

 variety of feledions made from the great flore-houfe of nature by 

 men under the influence of different habits and difpofitions. 



After the fentiments the language naturally comes to be con- 

 fidered ; and if the former indicate the author's powers of mind, 

 the latter, diredtly conneded with them, muft give correfponding 

 information. Verbaque prov'ifam rem baud invita fcqmintur. A wri- 

 ter's language may fometimes be had from imitation, but, as has 

 been mentioned, it muft be either fome predifpofition in favour 

 of a particular author's habits of thinking, which induces the 

 imitation of his ftyle of words, or fome ftriking peculiarities in his 

 language, which by a natural aflTociation would infmuate alfo and 

 imprefs his ftyle of thought ; fo that the author's language is the 

 offspring of antecedent difpofitions of mind direding him to 

 models fiiitable, or by reflex influence of words on the under- 

 ftanding it generates kindred habits of thinking, of v/hich it is 

 therefore indicative. Every writer's vocabulary is made up of 

 the words he has learned in converfation or in reading ; converfing 

 with thofe who have regulated the mode of his thinking, or 

 reading the works of thofe authors who are his favourites. Col- 

 location, arrangement and connexion he learns in the very fame 



manner. 



