Dr. Currie's Memoirs of the late Br, Bell. 407 



fituations of difficulty or danger; and had his 

 lot been caft differently, the enthufiafm of his 

 fpirit, and the ftrength of his faculties, might 

 have enrolled his name in the lift of thofe which 

 go down, to future ages, with honour a-d ap- 

 plaufe. It was his misfortune, that his fitj.ition 

 did not always prefent objeds of fuiScient 

 importance to excite his attention, and call 

 forth his faculties; and that, like many other 

 men of genius, he was often unable to originate 

 thofe literary exertions, which fometimes bring 

 fame, and which generally bring happinefs. 

 His fpirits indeed were not equal. He was often 

 lively, chearful, and familiar, and fometimes 

 grave, inattentive and referved. Circumftances, 

 which it would be painful and improper to relate, 

 contributed to throw fome degree of gloom over 

 his latter days. But he was naturally fubjeift, 

 at times, to thofe ebbings of the mind, as an 

 admired writer expreffes himfclf, which generally 

 accompany great fenfibilityi a ftate, from which 

 the tranfition is fometimes more eafy to levity 

 and mirth, than to the fober exercifes of reafon. 



It is common to expect, even in the more 

 minute parts of the condudl of men of allowed 

 fuperiority of talents, fome marks of intention 

 and defign, by which fuch fuperiority might 

 be indicated. But this is, I think, an error. 

 The charaeieriftic of genius is fimplicity. A lofty 

 fpirit fybmits, with difficulty, to reftraint or dif- 



I^ '^ 4 guifep 



