402 On Genius. 
them—as when the thoughts are thrown, by 
some powerful association of pleasure or 
pain, into a particular channel, and the at- 
tention is perpetually brooding on one ex- 
clusive theme? Let us suppose this strong 
excitement, which occasionally gives such 
preternatural acateness to the faculties of or- 
dinary men, to be continually present to the 
mind; and we have a key, if If mistake not, 
to some of the mysterious operations of ‘Ge- 
nius, 
When some predominant association has 
taken possession of the mind, it turns the 
thoughts into one direction, awakens the at- 
tention, and gives an air of originality to the 
views and feelings. It is this central associ- 
‘ation, if [may so eall it, ruling all the thoughts 
and infusing a peculiar tinge into all the sen- 
timents, whichstamps its character upon’ Ge- 
ius; it isthis, which delivers its possessor from 
the trammels of an artificial education;— 
‘which lifts him'to an eminence above the ordi- 
nary level of society ;—which changes to his 
view albthe common-place appearances of na- 
‘ture and society, and enables him to take his 
own coup d@’ ail of their wonders. ‘It is from this 
same enthusiasm and susceptibility of tempe- 
rament—this eager devotion of’ his mind to 
some darling pursuit—that he discovers rela- 
