On Genius. 377 
Spirit.(c) Sometimes, but more rarely, 
without reference to the idea of a deity, the 
strong inclination of an individual for any 
pursuit, ‘and the characteristic qualities by 
which he was strikingly distinguished from 
others, were called his genius. This latter sig- 
nification the word still retains with us, who 
have borrowed it from the Romans. It de- 
notes the strong bent of the mind. Whena 
person discovers an ardent passion for some 
art or science, and a consequent aptness to 
excel in it, he is said to have a genius for it. 
Hence it is used, by an obvious extension of 
meaning, to signify that natural quickness 
and vigour of intellect which enables its pos- 
sessor to surpass other men in any pursuit to 
which he may devote himself. Such is a 
loose description of the word Genius, and of 
the way in which it seems to have acquired 
its present general meaning: and we must 
now briefly enquire what are some of those 
characteristic qualities of mind, which ap- 
pear generally to be implied whenever the 
term is used. 
(ec) Scit Genius, natale comes qui temperat astrum, 
Nature deus humane, mortalis in unum 
Quodque caput, vultu mutabilis, albus et ater. , 
2, Epist, If. 187, 
Very nearly the same sentiment is expressed in a fragment of Menander 
quoted by Cooper in his Life of Socrates, p. 90. 
3B 
