1000000030

e o

wcnt before uso

Hopc we, from

pl:tr,i~rifm, ~ny

d!)",i–

nion in lit«mnre

th~t

Rome rolí: from

nefl of

thicvcs 1

Rome

w~s ~

pOlVerflll

~lIy

m~ny

tlalf's; anci,nt an·

Iho"

~re

our powerflll allies

bu( we mnJl

I~b'

hled,

Ihat they do nOI flle.o'" lill they inO.IVe, .fltr the

manner of Rome. Too formid.ble an idea of Iheir fu –

perioril)', like a fpeltre, would fright

liS

out of a proper

ufe of our lVits;

~nd dw~rf

our undernanding, b)' maktng

a giant of theirs. Too

gre~1 ~we

for thcm

I~ys

genius

under

reflr~int,

and denies it Iha( free feope,

Ih~t

{ull

elbolV.room, whieh is requifite for IIriking ils moJI ma–

flcrly Orokes. Geni"s is a maJlcr-workman, learning is

bUI an inO'lIment,

~nd

an inllrument, Ihough 01011 va–

luable, yet not

~Iways

indifpenlable. He.ven will not

admil of a partner in Ihe aecompliO,menl of fome favon·

rite fpirils; hut rejelling all buman mcans, aflumes the

whole glory10 ilfdf. Have not fome, though nOI famed

for crudilion, /_ \Vriuen, as almotl to perfuade ,is, that

they fllOne brighter, and

fo~red

higher, for efcaping the

bo~JI~d

aid of Ihal prolld ally 1

Nor is it flrange; for what, for the mofl part, mean

we by genius, bUI the power of accomplifl,ing great

things lVithout Ihe mean' gtnerally repUled neceflary to

thal end 1 A

!!wiul

differs {rom a

underjlonJing,

as a magieian from a good archilell;

/ho/

raifes hi.

Ilrullure hy Olean. invifible;

1;';'

by the fkilful ufe of

common 1001s. Henee genius has

ever

been fuppofed to

pmake of fom<lhing divine.

Learning, detlitute of Ihis fuperior aid, is.fund, and

proud of what has coll it much paiDs; is agre31lol'er of

rules, and boaller of famed exampl" . As beaulies lefs

perfeél, who owe half their cbarms to cautious an,

learning inveigbs apinn naiural unnndied graces, and

fmall harmlefs inaccuracies. and fm rigid bounds to that

liberty to which gtnius afIen OlVes ils fupreme glory

but lhe no genius its frequent ruin. For uoprefcribed

"eauties, and nnexampled excellence, which are cha–

eriOics of

K,niu/,

lie lVilhoUI the pale of

I,orning's

,ulhorilies, and lalVs

which pale, genius mun leap to

come a Ihem: bUI by that leap, if genius is waming,

\Ve

bre~k

our necks; we lofe Ihallilllecredit, which pof–

fibly we might have enjoyed befare. For rules, like

crulChes, are a needrul ,id la lhe lame, though ao im–

pedimenl 10 the IIrong. A Homer cans them away

and, like his Achilles,

Jllro n'gal jibi nall, nihil non orroga/,

by nati,e force or mind. There is fomething in poetry

beyond profe-reafon

lhere are myneries in it nOI to be

expl.ined, bUl

~dlOired;

which render mere profe·men

infidels 10 Iheir di.,nilY. And hm may be ofrered a re–

cond paradox: viz.

"Cmi"J

afIen lhen deferv<s mo(J to

be praifed, \Vhen it is mon fure 10 be condemned; tha!

is, \Vhen ilS exccllence, from mouOling high, to weak

eyes is quile out of fight."

If ue

mi~hl

fpeak f...her of le,rning and genius, we

u'ould compare genius la virtue, and le.rning la riches.

I'.s

riches are mon wdnled where lhere is I.,JI vi¡cue;

fa lenning where lhere is leall geniu!. As ,'irtue with–

out much riches can give happineCs;

genius WilhoUl

lDuch learoing can givc reoolVo.

il is

f~id

Ter oce,

e o

pec!Jl.i.!II:

r.t.;/~l't''''f JI1I~rdfl'"

mmdmulIJ

rJI

f,1r'tIIlJ:

fo to

nrAlc~t

uf le.rning, I:cnius fomelimes owe, it.

greater

~Iury.

Genius, Iheldore, leaves bUl tl,e fct'ond

pl.cc,

amllng men uf lene,', 10 the le!!rned.

is their

n~eril ,

and

.ambilio~,

10 Il,nc lir,ht no 11,,: work, of ge.

mus, and I'",nt oUlllscharms. \Ve moJI inllly le"erence

Iheir inr.,rming radius for th,t fal'our; bUl we muJl

much more admire Ihe radiant lIal'S poimed out by

them.

A nar nf the firn mar,nitude among lhe moderns lVas

Sh.kerpeare; among the a"cilOl', rindar; ",ho,

(35

Vo¡],us lells us) hoailtrl (,f his "" Imning, "lIing him–

felf the e.'gle, for his flight abo,'e il. And fueh genii

as Ihefe may, indeed, have much rcliance on their olvn

native powers. For

~enius

may be .compared 10 the na–

tural nrenglh of Ihe body; Imning 10 lhe luperinduced

aCCOllnmmenlS of anns: if the "di is equal lO Ihe pro·

pofed exrloil, the lauer rather encumbm, than alliJls

ralher relard" than promoles, the

vi~lory.

SOC" no.

biJ illifl DtllI,

fays Sen<ca. Wilh regard lO the ola–

rll world,

cOI/fcien",

ith regard 10 the iOlelleélual,

gmitll,

is dlJl god wilhin. Genins can' fel us righl in

comrOfilion, wilhout Ihe ruJes of lhe le.roed ; as con–

fcience

us right in life, wilhollt the laws of lhe

land:

,thil,

fingly, can make ns good, as men :

/hal,

fingl y, as IVriters, can, fomelÍmes, make us great.

As too greal admirer, of Ihe fathcrs of thechurch have

fomelimes fel up lheir aUlhorily againn the true CenCe of

fcriplUre

fa 100 greal admirers of lhe chllic" f.thCl5

hare fomeliOles fCl up Iheir authority, or example, a·

gainn reafon.

N,v,

//Iinor,

"'1/

jil quinl' p"dufli" afllljaDo la.

So fays Horace. fa fays aneient example. HUI reafon

has nOL fubfcribed. We know bUI one book that

c~n

junify OUr implicil aeq?iefcence in it: and (by the way)

on Ihal book a noble d,fd"n oc. undue

def~rence

'o prior

opinion has Im ly caU, and is Jlill caning, a

new

and in–

eUimable ligh\.

BUl, fupernilÍon for Ollr predecell'ors fet afide, the

c1affics are for ever our righlful and revered manm

CDnlpo/

ili.lI;

and our underllandings bow befare them.

But when 1 When a maner is wanled ; whieh fometimes

is not lhe cafc. Some are rupils of nature only, nor go

fanher to fchool. From fuch we reapoftenadouble ad–

vantage ; they not only ri"al the repumion of the great

ancienl authors, but al

reduce thenumber of mean ones

among the maderos. For when they enter on fubj ells

whi~h h~ye

been in former hands, fllCh is tbm fupenori–

ty, thal, like a lenth wafe, they overuhelm, and bury

~blivion

all thal went befare: and lhus not only en–

rich and adorn, bUI remo

a load, aod lell'<n lhe I.bour,

of lhe lelIer'o ",orld.

.. HUI, il ma)' be faid, fince

origina/¡

can arife from ge–

nius only, and fince genius is fa "eryrare, il isfcaree uorth

\Vhile la labour a point ro much, from which IVe can rca–

Conably expcél fa liule." To fl\ow lhal genius is nOl fo

"ery rare as you imagine, we Ihall poinl OUI nrong io–

Ilances of it, in

fu dillant quarter froll! lh.. mcnlioneJ

abofe. The minds of lhe fchoolmen were

alO\~n

much c10inered as their bodies; they had but little Imn·

iag, and

books

yet

mar

Ihe molllcaroed be Ilrutk

\\!lh