JOHNSON. 69 



learned, more judicious. Nor can we, when hurried on by 

 admiration of so much excellence and such just remarks, 

 pause upon the strange error with which the life of a 

 metaphysical poet sets out, in defining genius to be the 

 " mind's propensity to some certain science or employ- 

 ment," as if the will and the power were one and the 

 same thing. 



In speculative or argumentative writing, the life of Pope 

 is not equal to that of Cowley ; yet while its critical merits 

 are fully equal, it excels that and all Johnson's other works, 

 in the skilful narrative and happy selection of particulars 

 to describe personal character and habits. His admiration 

 of Pope's poetry, its fine sense, its sustained propriety of 

 diction, its unbroken smoothness of versification, was great ; 

 it was natural to the similarity of his own tastes. Nor 

 was he ever patient of the affectation or the paradox 

 which denied Pope to be a poet. But he appears to 

 have had very little respect for his person, and he has 

 painted him in a manner to lower him almost without 

 any relief. It would be difficult to fancy a greater as- 

 semblage of small matters calculated to make their subject 

 look paltry, than we find in the eight or nine pages de- 

 voted to a description of him, as his being "protuberant 

 behind and before;" " comparing himself to a spider;" 

 " being so low of stature, that he must be brought to a 

 level with the table by raising his seat ;" " being dressed 

 by the maid, and with difficulty kept clean." "Sometimes 

 he used to dine with Lord Oxford privately, in a velvet 

 cap. His dress of ceremony was black, with a tie wig 

 and a little sword. When he wanted to sleep, he nodded 

 in company, and once slumbered at his own table, while 

 the Prince of Wales was talking of poetry." 



