i68 On the Mystical Poetry 



** cannot fix our eyes upon infinite beauty, we-e^nnot talte infinite fweetnefs^ 

 " we cannot cleave to infinite felicity, without alfo perpetually rejoicing 

 " in the firir. daughter of Love to God, Chanty toward men; which, in 

 " complexion : and careful difpolition, doth much ^referrtble her mother j 



45 for me doth rid us from all thofe gloomy, keen, turbulent imaginations 



46 and paffions, which cloud our mind, which fret our heart, which dif- 

 M compofe the frame of our foul; from burning anger, from ftorming con- 

 44 tention, from gnawing envy, from rankling fpite, from racking fufpi- 

 '* cion, from diftradting ambition and avarice * and ccnfeq.uently doth: 

 il fettle our mind in an even temper, in a fedafe humour, in an harmonious 

 ee order, in that pleafant {late of tranquillity, which naturally doth refultfrom 

 ie the voidance of irregular paffions." Now this pafTage from Barrow 

 (which borders, I admit, on quietifm and enthufiaftick devotion) differs 

 only from the myitieal theology of the Sufis and Yogis, as the flowers and. 

 fruits of Europe differ in fcent and flavour from thofe of A fa, or as Euro- 

 pean differs from Afialick eloquente :. the fame ftrain, in poetical mea- 

 fure, would rife up to the odes of Spenser on Divine Love and Beauty , and 9 

 in a higher key with richer embellilhments, to the fongs of Hafiz and: 

 Jayade'va, the raptures of the Mafiavl, and themyfleries of the Bkagavat- 



Before we come to the Perfians and Indians, let me produce another fpe- 

 cimen of European theology, collected from a late excellent work of the il- 

 lurtrious M. Necker: " Were men animated,, fays he, with fublime 

 44 thoughts, did they refpect the intellectual power, with which they are 

 " adorned, and take an intereft in the dignity of their nature, they would. 

 " embrace with tranfport that fenfe of religion, which ennobles their facul- 

 4< ties, keeps their minds in full ftrength, and unites them in idea with 

 41 him, whofe immenlity overwhelms them with aftoniihment : conjidering 



