DR. DARWIN. 265 



mind has little effiorefcence after middle 

 life ; that, however the judgment may 

 ftrengthen, the vivid luxuriance of the 

 imagination abates. Milton's Paradife Loft, 

 Darwin's Botanic Garden, and Cowper's 

 Talk, each began after life had many years 

 declined from it's meridian, confute the 

 dogma. Dr. Johnfon has combated it's 

 fallacy, and with more truth obierved, that 

 fo long as the understanding retains it's 

 ftrength, the fancy, from time to time, 

 acquires added vigor and new ftores of 

 imagery. Nor does the extreme poetic 

 inferiority of the Paradife Ptegained to the 

 Paradife Loft, at all difprove the converfe 

 proportion. We are to look for that in- 

 feriority in the fo much more reftraining 

 nature of the Jubje? t for poetry, above all 

 others, improper. Poetry ! to whofe very 

 exiftence, if it is to deferve it's name, an 

 infinitely larger portion of inventive and * 

 figurative ornament is neceffary than the 



hallowed 



