882 On Genius. 
Take any acknowledged man of Genius 
then; take the greatest of painters, of mu- 
sical composers, of dramatists, orators or 
poets ;—consider what are the qualities of 
mind, as expressed in their works, which 
have raised them to this high distinction 
amongst men; and see, whether it be not to 
a certain force of conception, to an origin- 
ality and variety of sentiment—and, more 
than all, to an indescribable spirit of enthu- 
siasm, which reigns through their productions, 
and marks them for the spontaneous over- 
flowings of a redundant fancy—whether it be 
not to some or to all of these qualities that 
they are indebted for the high and honourable 
title of men of Genius. There may, it is 
true, be unknown wonders in the bosoms of 
these highly gifted beings—those .penetralia 
of the soul, “where no profaner eye may 
look ;”” but the qualities, which I have enu- 
merated, must strike the observation of every 
one, and enter essentially into the meaning of 
the word Genius. . 
It has sometimes occurred to me, that 
these peculiarities, which are indicative of 
Genius, when we consider the almost infi- 
nitely diversified influences of association, 
conception the Literature of Elizabeth’s age derived its wild, luxuriant 
and imaginative character. But the reign of Elizabeth is almost pro- 
verbially the age of English Genius. 
