and Paflions, ufon the Underflanding. 393 
rational, and alone competent to judge of that 
excellence, which is fitted to cheer and captivate 
the heart ? 
But it has been the hard fate of imagination 
to be,, in general, fpoken of, in its excejs. We 
feldom hear it mentioned, by thole who declaim 
againft it, without hearing of the flights of fancy, 
the extravagance, the agitation, the wildnefs, the 
J'allies, the fervours , the excentricitics, of a heated 
imagination. The fervour, the glow, however, 
belong rather to paffion, than to, imagination. 
The imagination indeed may excite the palTion ; 
and thus they afcribe the attributes of the effedl to 
the caufe. 
That imagination may, that it often does 
tranfgrefs its proper bounds, we moll readily 
acknowledge. That it is neceffary to hold it in 
with a tight rein, that it may not run away with 
the undemanding, and lead to conclufions 
fanciful and groundlefs, we allow, in us fulled: 
extent. We contend only for that degree, which 
will confift with the exadtnefs of judgment. 
The vivacity and ftrength of imagination, in 
children, is aftonilhing. Their knowledge of 
objedls being very flight and fuperficial, a few 
faint refemblances are fufficient to realize and 
embody them. By degrees, as their knowledge 
becomes more extenfive and exad, their power 
of imagining declines, the power of judging is 
improved, and when thefe two powers have 
attained 
