ON TASTE, GENIUS, 



not of fancy or imagination in its proper and simple capacity, but of tancy 

 or imagination under the guidance of taste and genius ; and that, conse- 

 quently, he confounds these three faculties, different as they are from each 

 other, under one common name. In like manner Mr. Allison commences 

 the second edition of his " Essays on the Nature and Principles of Taste," 

 with the following passage : " The emotions of sublimity and beauty are 

 uniformly ascribed, both in popular and philosophical language, to the 

 imagination. The fine arts are considered as the arts which are addressed 

 to the imagination, and the pleasures they afford are described, by way of 

 distinction, as the pleasures of the imagination." Now this may be popular 

 language, but it is by no means philosophical. The poet as a poet may 

 talk of the pleasures of imagination, because he limits his ideas to 

 pleasurable objects ; and submits them to the selective hand of genius and 

 taste ; but will the madman, or even at all times the lover, talk also of its 

 pleasures ? Shakspeare tells us, no ; and in proof hereof gives us irt his 

 Midsummer Night's Dream an exquisite picture of the different subjects 

 on which their respective imaginations are exercised : 



Lovers and madmen Lave such seething brains, 



Such shaping phantasies that apprehend 



More than cool reason ever comprehends. 



The lunatic, the lover, and the poet. 



Are of Imagination all compact. 



One sees more devils than vast hell'c'an hold ; 



That is the madman. The lover, all as frantic. 



Sees Helen's heauty in a brow of Egypt. 



The poet's eye in a fine phrenzy rolling, 



Both glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven. 



And as imagination bodies forth 



The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen 



Turns them to shapes, and gives fo airy nothing 



A local habitation and a name. 



This indeed is the language of philosophy though put into verse. The 

 madman, the lover, and the poet, are described as being joint subjects to 

 the dominion of imagination ; while the general current of their ideas, from 

 its vehemence, abruptness, and audacity, is denominated a phrenzy. But 

 the phrenzy of the poet, is distinctly stated to be of a superior kind to that 

 of the rest, and is distinguished by the epithet Jine^ delicate, refined, po- 

 lished ; and consequently imports skill or regulation ; taste, genius, or both 

 together. It necessarily implies a something besides the simple imagina- 

 tion, that unites with and controls it ; and hence accurately accords with 

 the view of the subject now taken. 



Let us proceed to the faculty of genius. This I liave defined to be that" 

 power of the mind which calls forth and combines ideas with great rapidity 

 and vivacity, and with an intuitive perception of their congruity or incon- 

 gruity. 



Genius is, therefore, in few words, imagination with intuitive judgments 

 It distinguishes the man of fine phrenzy, as Shakspeare expresses it, 

 from the man of mere phrenzy. It is a sort of instantaneous insight, 

 that gives us knowledge without going to school for it. Sometimes it is 

 directed to one subject, sometimes to another ; but under whatever form 

 it exhibits itself, it enables the individual who possesses it to make a won- 

 derful and almost miraculous progress in the line of his pursuit. Some- 

 times it attaches itself to the sweet harmony of sounds, and we then behold 

 an infant of eight or ten years of age evincing the science and execution 

 of an adult and finished musician. Sometimes it rejects the science of 



