DR. DAKWIN. 173 



When Dr. Darwin defcribes the glow- 

 worm, fuppofing it's light to be phofphoric, 

 he thus exhorts his allegoric perfonages* 

 the nymphs of fire, meaning the ele&rical 

 powers. 



Warm, on her morTy couch, the radiant worm, 

 Guard from cold dews her love-illumin'd form,' 

 From leaf to leaf condud the virgin light, 

 Star of the earth, and diamond of the night ! 



Nothing can be more poetic, more bril- 

 liant than this pi&ure; yet, when Shake- 



fpear fays, 

 i 



" The glow-worm fliows the morning to be near, 

 " And 'gins to pale his ineffectual fire," 



we feel fenfation which the more refplen- 

 dent pidture of this infeft had failed to in- 

 fpire, notwithftanding the pleafure it had 

 given us, the admiration it had excited. 

 Probably the reafon why Dr. Darwin's 



poetry, 



