On Genius. Al7 
many instances occur, in which we can clearly 
trace the peculiar bias of the Genius to 
some affecting event of early life, which left 
a lasting impression on the mind and turned 
all the thoughts and studies into one direc- 
tion, that we may perhaps, without any 
great presumption, suppose that such circum- 
stances are always the real occasion of the 
development of Genius, though they may often 
escape our notice. In an Essay, which is, I 
fear, already too long, it can hardly be ex- 
pected, we should quote many examples. I 
shall only specify one or two, that are rather 
remarkable. Cowley’s taste for poetry, as 
we learn from himself, was first excited by 
reading Spenser’s Fairy Queen, which lay in 
the window of his mother’s apartment: a 
circumstance, which has drawn from his bio- 
grapher Johnson. the celebrated definition of 
Genius quoted above. We are informed too, 
that this poet’s mother was extremely anxious 
to procure him a literary education, and 
would doubtless encourage, by every means 
in her power, his growing taste for letters. 
The circumstances, which gave so fortunate a 
direction to the mighty genius of our Shak- 
speare, were his running away from home 
and attaching himself, from the want of a 
bare subsistence, to the players. Had not 
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