WOEDSWOKTH. 93 



of such lads as Shelley and Lord Byron tend — as they 

 certainly must and ought to do — to diminish the pleasure 

 derived even from their better works, so, on the other 

 hand, should the noble faith and the pure practice of such 

 a man as Wordsworth, render our delight the greater in 

 studying even the least important of his. So read them, 

 cousin, at your leisure, without disinclination to be 

 pleased. Judge for yourself, and take no heed of those 

 who sit in the chair of the scorner, combating a phantom 

 of childishness and insipidity, which their own obtuse and 

 imbecile ignorance has created. Should you at any time 

 meet with what you cannot understand, be humble, and 

 attribute such a misfortune to your own weakness rather 

 than to his, and you will find your reward ; for he is one 

 of the master spirits, and there is reason in all his 

 thoughts. 



" My only fear now is, that I may have written some- 

 what too much of this, and that you may be disappointed. 

 However, I trust to time and your own reflections. Don't 

 rely upon first impressions where these are unfavourable, 

 but rather wait : the light will break in by degrees. For 

 I believe that the exercise of the creative faculty is not 

 confined to the works alone of any original genius ; he 

 must, in a great degree, create the taste itself, especially 

 where, as in modern poetry, there is much that is false 

 and unstable. At least, the perception and relish of what 



