tion, may, from having taken another road, so neglect its
cultivation as to show less of its powers in his latter life. But I am
persuaded that scarce a poet is to be found, from Homer down to Dryden,
who preserved a sound mind in a sound body, and continued practising his
profession to the very last, whose later works are not as replete with
the fire of imagination as those which were produced in his more youthful
days.

To understand literally these metaphors or ideas expressed in poetical
language, seems to be equally absurd as to conclude that because painters
sometimes represent poets writing from the dictates of a little winged
boy or genius, that this same genius did really inform him in a whisper
what he was to write, and that he is himself but a mere machine,
unconscious of the operations of his own mind.

Opinions generally received and floating in the world, whether true or
false, we naturally adopt and make our own; they may be considered as a
kind of inheritance to which we succeed and are tenants for life, and
which we leave to our posterity very near in the condition in which we
received it; not much being in any one man's power either to impair or
improve it.

The greatest part of these opinions, like current coin in its
circulation, we are obliged to take without weighing or examining; but by
this inevitable inattention, many adulterated pieces are received, which,
when we seriously estimate our wealth, we must throw away. So the
collector of popular opinions, when he embodies his knowledge, and forms
a system, must separate those which are true from those which are only
plausible. But it becomes more peculiarly a duty to the professors of
art not to let any opinions relating to that art pass unexamined. The
caution and circumspection required in such examination we shall
presently have an opportunity of explaining.

Genius and taste, in their common acceptation, appear to be very nearly
related; the difference lies only in this, that genius has superadded to
it a habit or power of execution. Or we may say, that taste, when this
power is added, changes its name, and is called genius. They both, in
the popular opinion, pretend to an entire exemption from the restraint of
rules. It is supposed that their powers are intuitive; that under the
name of genius great works are produced, and under the name of taste an
exact judgment is given, without our knowing why, and without being under
the least