WE

E have now pointed out fome fixt and permanent qualities of the imagination, which are fufficient for the production of a great variety of genius: but before we leave this part of the subject, it will be proper to observe, that imagination has a certain. pliableness or flexibility, by means of which ftill greater variety is introduced.

ANY particular turn of imagination does not lie in a mere point; it admits fome latitude without lofing its characteristical peculiarity. The predominant principle of affociation may continue the fame in the main, and yet lead into tracks of thought confiderably different: the proportions which the several principles of affociation bear to one another, may be altered without being wholly destroyed; just as the configuration of the features. may be altered in a face by different paffions or different states of health, and yet that face be acknowleged the fame, and remain clearly distinguishable from every other. In confequence of this flexibility, the difcoveries of the fame person, on the same subject, will be

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different at different times. If a person write his thoughts on a fubject at different periods, the fentiments, the imagery, the compofition, the order, will be far from being the very fame. In fome cafes the difference is fo great, as to show that different affociating principles, at least very different modifications of the fame principle, have been predominant at these different periods.

A TEMPORARY variation in the turn of a man's imagination, or in the form of his genius, fometimes arifes from caufes as far beyond the reach of our investigation, as many of those which produce an alteration in the conftitution of the body, or of those which make one fummer to differ from another. But fuch variation may often be accounted for from the influence which habit has upon the operations of fancy.

HABIT difpofes men to be eafily affected by a relation which they have for fome time been accustomed to follow; and it often difposes them so strongly to this, as to make fome other associating principle to prevail for a while, above that which is naturally predominant. To this effect of habit it is owing, that a man, by applying for fome time to a fubject which he could fcarce force himself to

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study at first, comes to enter into it with ease. From the fame effect of habit, will arife a very great degree of that diverfity which has been mentioned, in the productions of one man on the fame subject.

/ HABIT may contribute to this diversity in another way, and that even without making any alteration in the predominant principle of affociation. Habit makes fuch ideas as are at the time most familiar to us, rufh more readily into the mind, than fuch as are less familiar, though these latter be equally or even more strongly related to the prefent perception. Many caufes render different ideas. moft familiar to a perfon at different times: and as a perception may be connected, by means of any one affociating quality, with a thousand others, that perception will naturally fuggeft any of these which is at prefent most familiar, provided it be connected with it by the relation which has greatcft influence on that particular perfon. Other ideas may be more strongly connected with it by the fame relation, and would be more readily fuggefted to a person who was not under the power of that habit; but with this perfon, the familiarity of the former idea gains it the preference to all others. When on the first concep

tion of a subject, certain ideas belonging to it occur in this manner, by reafon of their familiarity to us, they lead us to fuch other ideas as have the strongest relation to them. But if the ideas which were first suggested, had been different, they would have led us, by the fame principles, into a very different train of thinking, and the whole work would have born a very dissimilar aspect. Thus when a perfon fets out from a place where several roads terminate, a very few steps decide which of them he takes; and by going on in it, he arrives at a place very diftant from that to which he should have been brought by another of the roads iffuing from the same point.

THIS flexibility of imagination takes place in all men, in fome degree; but it takes place in fome men, in a much greater degree than in others. No man has an imagination fo dull, or an imagination fo invariably fixt in one form, as to be nowife affected by habit or other occafional caufes: but there are two forts of perfons, who are difpofed to be most affected by these. First, they whofe genius is not very great, nor ftrongly marked with any peculiarity. It is on this account easily turned out of its direction by accidental causes, and cagerly lays hold of the affiftance which may

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PART II. be derived from their operation. Secondly, they whose genius is uncommonly strong and lively. In these the fame effect is produced, by a very different caufe: the vigour and activity of their affociating powers, bestows great delicacy and fenfibility upon their imaginations, and renders them fufceptible of ftrong impreffions from any temporary causes; they feel the force of every such cause, and receive a tranfient form or tincture from it. The productions of thefe two different forts of perfons, bear marks of the different causes from which the flexibility of their fancies fprings. The works of the former have no common character, but are almost as unlike to one another as to the works of a different perfon; but through all the works of the latter, notwithstanding their varieties, there runs a certain peculiarity, which fhows that they had the fame author.

IT has been often obferved, that the different works of men of genius fometimes differ very much in the degree of their perfection. This may fometimes arise from the • fubjects not being equally adapted to their abilities. But in many cases it happens, ́that a person will at one time very successfully profecute a fubject which he has often attempted

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