and Paffions , upon the Undemanding. 389 
fancy, there will be little difficulty in proving 
our point with refpedt to thofe provinces, which 
lie nearer to its confines. And, in its own pro- 
vince y in all that extenfive and beautiful domain, 
in which the pleajures of the imagination grow, 
as in their native foil, it would be ridiculous 
to afk, whether imagination be not conducive 
to exadtnefs of judgment. It would be juft 
the fame, 'as to inquire, whether a man muft 
have eyes , to judge of vifihle obje&s j or ears, to 
judge of founds. Through all the wide empire 
of criticifm, of tafle, of poetry, of painting, of 
mufic, of arts, fancy reigns with almoft fovereign 
fway. A poet, or an artift, without imagination, 
might as well be without ideas. Mr. Hayley 
has very juftly obferved, “ That three things 
cc are neceftary to conftitute a found critic— 
“ Good underfunding —lively imagination —refined 
“ fenfibility” * In general to judge well upon any 
fubjedt, you muft have a kindred fpirit. If the 
poet muft be " alive to fancy,” a reader of poetry 
muft inherit a portion of the fame infpiration. 
Let us fuppofe a critic, fuch as, pehaps, the 
world has fometimes feen aftuming the name, to 
pafs fentence upon Milton’s Paradife Loft. Does 
he reliffi and enjoy this divine performance ? 
Does he tafte its exquifite beauties ? Does his 
imagination glow with its defcriptions ? Does 
* Hayjey’s Eflay on. Epic Poetry. Notes to the firft Book. 
he 
