1797+] 
faften on their affedtions, they fee grofl- 
er defeéts, and the very images and al- 
lufions which fhocked their tafte; yet 
they do not appear as puerile or extrinfic 
in one as the other. Why? Becaufe 
they did not appear {o to the author, - 
It may found paradoxical, after ob- 
ferving that thofe produétions want vi- 
four that are the work of imitation, in 
which the underftanding violently di- 
reéted, if not extinguifhed, the blaze of 
fancy, to affert, that though genius be 
allowed to be only another word fora 
itrong imagination, the firft obfervers of 
nature exercifed their judgment much 
more than their imitators. But they ex- 
ercifed it to difcriminate things, whilft 
their followers were bufy borrowing fen- 
timents and arranging words. 
Boys who have received a claffical edu- 
cation load their memory with words, 
and the correfpondent ideas are, perhaps, 
never diftinétly comprehended. As a 
proof of this affertion 1 muft mention as 
a faét, that I have known many young 
people who could write tolerably {mooth 
verfes, and ftring epitkets prettily toge- 
ther, when their profe themes fhowed 
the barrennefs cof their minds ; or, more 
juftly {peaking, how fuperficial the cul- 
‘tivation mufi have been, which their 
underftanding had received. 
Dr. Johnfon, I know, has taken fome 
pains to prove, that a ftrong mind, ac- 
cidentally led co fome particular ftudy in 
which it excels, is a genius. Not to 
ftop to inveltigate the caufes which pro- 
duced this happy firength of mind, 1t 1s 
fufhcient to remark, thar the world has 
agreed to denominate thofe men of ge- 
mius, who have purfued a particular art 
or {cience, after the bent of nature has 
been difplayed in obftinate perfeverance 
or fond attachment to a favourite ftudy. 
Dr. Johnfon, in faét, appears fometimes 
to be of the fame opmion; efpecially 
when he obferves “ that Thomfon looked 
on nature with the eye which fhe only 
gives to a poet.” 
But though it fhould be allowed that 
books conned at fchool may lead fome 
youths to write poetry, I fear they will 
never be the poets who charm our cares 
to fleep, or extort admiration. They 
may diffufe tafte, and polifh the language, 
but [ am aptto conclude that they will 
feldom have the energy to roufe the 
paffions which amend the heart. 
And, to return to the firft object of 
difcuffion, the reafon why moft people 
are more interefted by a fcene defcribed 
by a poet than by a view of nature, pro- 
On Artificial Tafte. 
281 
bably arifes from the want of a lively 
imagination. The poet contrafts the 
profpect, and feleéting the moft piétu- 
re{que parts in his camera, the judgment 
is dire€ted, and the whole attention of 
the languid faculty turned towards the 
objeéts which excited the moft forci- 
ble emotions in the poet’s heart, firing 
his imagination; the reader confequent- 
ly feels the enlivened defcription, though 
he was not able to receive a firft im- 
preffion from the operations of his own 
mind. 
Befides, it may be farther obferved, 
that uncultivated minds are only to 
be moved by forcible reprefentations. 
To roufe the thoughtlefs, objets muft 
be contrafted, calculated to excite tu- 
multuous emotions. The unfubftantial 
picturefque forms which a contemplative 
man gazes on, and often follows with 
ardour till mocked by a glimpfe of un- 
attainable excellence, appear to them the 
light vapours of a dreaming enthufialt, 
who gives up the fubftance for the fha- 
dow. It is not within that they feek 
amufement, their eyes are rarely turned 
back on themftclves’ of courie, their 
emotions, though tometimes fervid, are 
always tranfient, and the nicer percep- 
tions which diftinguifh the man of tatte 
are not felt, or make fucha flight im- 
preflion as fcarcely to excite any plea- 
furable fenfations. Is it furprifing, then, 
that fine fcenery is often overlooked, b 
thofe who yet may be delighted by the 
fame imagery concentrated and contraft- 
ed by the poet? But even th’s numej 
tous clafs is exceeded by witlings, who, 
anxious to appear to have wit and tafie, 
de not allow their underflandiggs, or 
feelings, any liberty: for inftead of cul- 
tivating their faculties and refleéting on 
their operations, they are bufy colleéting 
prejudices, and are pre-determined to 
admire what the fuffrage of time an- 
nounces excellent ; not to ftore up a fund 
ef amufement for themfelves, but to 
enable them to talk. 
Thefe hints will affift the reader to 
trace fome of the caufes why the beau- 
ties of nature are not forcibly felt, when 
civilization and its canker-worm, luxury, 
have made confiderable advances. Thole 
calm emotions are not fufficiently lively 
to ferve asarelaxation to the voluptu- 
ary, or even for the moderate purtuers 
of artificial picafures. In the prefent 
fiate of fociety, the underftanding muft 
bring back the feelings to nature, or the 
{enfibility muft have attained fuch 
firength, as rather ta be fharpened than 
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