DR. DARWIN. 38$ 



lefs, that he became difgufted by the plan- 

 lefs wanderings of Cowper's Mufe, in her 

 principal work, and by the occafional 

 roughnefs and profaicifm of it's ftyle. 

 Another prejudice in the minds of each 

 was likely to have operated in producing 

 this injuftice to Cowper. Previous to the 

 Tafk he had publifhed poems in rhyme, 

 into which they had probably looked. In 

 thofe poems, whatever flrength of thought 

 may be found, the poetic effentials cer- 

 tainly are not, inharmonious as is their 

 verification ; barren as they are of landfcape 

 and picture, metaphor and imagery. 



The author of the Tafk was morejuftto 



Darwin than he had been to that fpirited, 



that interefting, that often fublime, though 



not faultlefs compofition. About the year 



1793, Mr. Cowper fent Dr. Darwin a lively 



and pleafing encomium in verfe upon the 



Botanic Garden. This agreeable eulogy 



juitly fays, no Poet who can refufe to 



2 o beftovr 



