Chap, 17.] [ 497 



CHAP. XVII, 



OF GENIUS. 



General Obfervations on what conjlitutts Genius. Of the Parietits /< 

 Genius. Genius oppvfed to Dulnefs. -Different Caft of Genius. 



SOME men, it is well known, feel more acutely 

 impreflions on their fenfes than others, and thefe 

 impreffions probably remain longer vivid on fome than 

 on others. It Teems not unlikely, therefore, that this 

 faculty of feeling more acutely, and the impreffions on 

 the fenfes dwelling longer vivid in fome men than in 

 others, enables them to form more extenfive combi- 

 nations, and connecting together more effectually their 

 ideas, may conftitute what is called genius, in oppo- 

 lition to ftupidity or dulnefs *. Such a faculty will 

 enable men to acquire knowledge more eafily, by more 

 readily admitting perceptions ; to retain it better by 

 the frequent repetitions, which fo many afibciated ideas 

 muft produce j and to exprefs it more readily from the 

 connexion of ideas, which will recal each other in a 



more complete and regular feries. Men -of this de- 



i 



* Genius on thefe principles feems to be an active power of 

 quickly combining fimple ideas, or of difcovering their combina- 

 tions. Dulnefs to be no more than a fluggilhnefs of mind, which 

 is incapable of following the combinations of notes in a fine piece 

 of mufic, or of the colours in a good landfcape, though the fimpltf 

 ideas may be obvious enough. 



VOL. III*. K k fcriptioo 



