323 
GEN 
Pifpofition of nature by wliich any one is qualified for 
fome peculiar employment.—A happy genius is the gift 
of nature. Dry den. 
One fcience only will one genius fit; 
So vail is art, fo narrow human wit. Pope. 
Nature ; difpofition.—Anotherand difpofition im¬ 
proper for philofophical contemplations, is not fo much 
from the narrownefs of their underfianding, as becaufe 
they will not take time to extend them. Burnet, 
Studious to pleafe the genius of the tintes, 
With periods, points, and tropes, he flurs his crimes. 
Dry den. 
The two great ornaments of the human cliarafler, 
tajie and genius, are corre6tly drawn, and happily con- 
trafted, by Dr. Blair, in his “ Lectures on Rhetoric and 
the Belles Lettres.” His remarks are as follow : “Tafte 
and genius are two words frequently joined together ; 
and therefore, by inaccurate thinkers, confounded. 
They fignify however two quite different things. The 
difference between them can be clearly pointed out ; 
and it is of importance to remember it, Tajle confifls 
in the power of judging: genius, in the power of ex¬ 
ecuting. One may have a confiderable degree of tafte 
in poetry, eloquence, or any of the fine arts, who has 
little or hardly any genius for compolition or execution 
in any of thefe arts ; but genius cannot be found without 
including tafte alfo. Genius, therefore, deferves to be 
confidered as a higher power of the mind than tafte. 
Genius always imports fometliing inventive or creative; 
which does not reft in mere fenftbility to beauty where 
it is perceived, but which can, moreover, produce new 
beauties, and exhibit them in fuch a manner as ftrongly 
to imprefs the minds of others. Refined tafte forms a 
good critic ; but genius is farther neceffary to form the 
poet, or the orator. 
“ It is proper alfo to obferve, that genius is a word, 
which, in common acceptation, extends much fart.her 
than to the objefts of tafte. It is ufed to fignify that 
talent or aptitude which we receive from nature, for 
excelling in any one thing whatever. Thus we fpeak 
of a genius for mathematics, as well as a genius for po¬ 
etry ; of a genius for war, for politics, or for any me¬ 
chanical employment. Tfiis talent or aptitude for ex¬ 
celling in fome one particular, is, what we receive from 
nature. By art and ftudy, no doubt, it may be greatly 
improved ; but by them alone it can never be acquired. 
As genius is a higher faculty than tafte, it is, according 
to the frugality of nature, more limited in the fphere of 
its operations. It is not uncommon to meet with per- 
fons who have an excellent tafte in feveral of the polite 
arts, fuch as mufic, poetry, painting, and eloquence, all 
together : but, to find one who is an excellent performer 
in all thefe arts, is mucli more rare ; or rather, indeed, 
fuch an one is not to be looked for. A fort of univerfal 
genius, or one who is equally and indifferently turned to¬ 
wards feveral different profefiions and arts, is not likely 
to excel in any. Althougli there may be fome few ex¬ 
ceptions, yet in general it holds, that when the bent of 
the mind is wholly diredted towards fome one objedf, 
exclufive, in a manner, of others, there is the faireft 
p.rofpeil of eminence in that,, whatever it be. The rays 
muft converge to. a point, in order to glow intenfely. 
This remark is ofgreaj importance to young people ; in 
leading them to examine with care, and to purfue tvith 
ardour, the current and pointing of nature towards thofe 
exertions of genius in which they are moft likely to 
excel. 
“A geniusfor any of the fine arts, alwaysmfers or fup- 
pofes tafte ; and it is clear, that the improvement of tafte 
will ferve both to forward and to corredt the operations 
of genius. In proportion as the tafte of a poet, or 
arator, becomes more refined with refpedt to the beau¬ 
ties of compolition, it will certainly afiift him to produce 
3 . 
I u s. 
the more finifiied beauties in his work. Genius, how¬ 
ever, in a poet or orator, may fometimes exift in a higher 
degree than tafte ; that is, genius may be bold and ftrong, 
when tafte is neither very delicate nor very corredt. 
This is often the cafe in the infancy of arts; a period 
when genius frequently exerts itfelf with great vigour, 
and executes with much warmth ; while tafte, which re¬ 
quires experience, and improves by flower degrees, hath 
not yet attained to its full growth. Homer and Shake- 
fpeare are proofs of this fadt, in whole admirable writings 
are found inftances of rudenefs and indelicacy, which 
the more refined tafte of later writers, who had far in¬ 
ferior genius to tltem, would have taught them to avoid. 
As all human perfeftion is limited, this may very pro¬ 
bably be the law of our nature, that it is not given to 
one man to e.xecute with vigour and fire, and, at the 
fame time, to attend to all the refined graces that belong 
to theexadl perfedtion of his v/ork : while, on the other 
hand, a thorough tafte for thofe inferior graces, is, for 
the moft part, accompanied with a diminution of fub- 
limity and mental power.” 
The manners and literary charadter of thofe who are 
iifually termed men of genius, cannot be more forcibly 
depidted than in the “Eff.iys” recently publiflied by 
J. D’lfraeli. He juftly obferves that ‘ the modes of life 
of a man of genius are often tindtured with eccentricity 
and enthufiafm. Thefe are in an eternal conflict with 
the ufages of common life. His occupations, his amufe- 
ments, and his ardour, are difeordant to daily purfuits, 
and prudential habits. It is the charadteriftic of genius 
to difplay no talent to ordinary men; and it is unjuft to 
cenfure the latter when they confider him as born for no 
human purpofe. Their plcafures and their forrows are 
not his pleafures and his forrows. He often appears to 
flumberin difhonourable eafe, while his days are palfed 
in labours, more conftant and more painful than thofe 
of tlie manufadlurer. The world is not always aware 
tJiat to meditate, to compofe, and even to converfe with 
fome, are great labours: and as Hawkefworth obferves, 
“ that wearinefs may be contradted in an arm chair.” 
‘ Such men are alfo often cenfured for an irritability 
of difpofition. Many reafons miglit apologize for thel'e 
unhappy variations of humour. The occupation of 
making a great name, is, perhaps, more anxious and pre¬ 
carious than that of making a great fortune. We tym- 
pathife w’ith the merchant when he communicates me¬ 
lancholy to the focial circle in confequence of a bank¬ 
ruptcy, or when he feels the elation of profperity at the 
fuccefs of a vaft fpeculation. Tiie author, how great 
foever his genius, is not lels immerfed in cares, or agi¬ 
tated by fuccefs; for literature has its bankruptcies and 
its fpeculations. The anxieties and difappointments 
of an author, even of the moft fuccefsful, are incalcula¬ 
ble. If he is learned, learning is the torment of un¬ 
quenchable thirft, and his elaborate work is expofed to 
the accidental recolledtion of an inferior mind, as well 
as the fatal omiftions of wearied vigilance. If he excels 
in the magic of diction, and the graces of fancy, his path 
is ftrewed with rofes, but his feet bleed on invifible yet 
piercing thorns. Rouffeau has given a glowing deferip- 
tion of the cealelels inquietudes by which he acquired 
fkill in the arts of compofition ; and has faid, that with, 
whatever talent a man may be born, the art of writing' 
is not eafily obtained.’— 
‘ It is obferved by M. La Harpe, that as it h.as been 
proved there are fome nraladies peculiar to artifts, there 
are alfo forrows which are peculiar to them; and which 
the world can neither pity nor foften, becaufe it cannot 
have their conceptions. V/e read not without a me¬ 
lancholy emotion, the querulous expreflions of men of 
genius. We have a little catalogue de calamitate littera- 
torum ; we might add a volume by the addition of moft 
of our own authors.—The votaries of the arts and fei- 
ences are called by Cicero, Heroes of Peace; their la- 
boursj their dangers, and their intrepidity,, make them 
lieroes y 
