Some Eyes are doubtless of as superior quality as these Ears. But the other extreme is more common, of the ears being so dull and badly provided with defining powers, that their owners can hardly distinguish "OH THE ROAST BEEF OF OLD ENGLAND" from " Buttered Pease;"—and are more delighted with the discordant screams of their Pet Parroquet, the snarling of their Darling Dog-or some such Barbarous Uproar - than with the sweetest Melody or the sublimest Harmony - Arne or Handel ever imagined. Sound passes through the Paste-board Party Walls of modern houses with such unfortunate facility that the majority of the DogsParrots- · Piano-fortes, &c. in this Metropolis are Actionable Nuisances!!! I believe that many of those imperfect performances, and erroneous opinions, which are usually ascribed to the want of Skill, or the want of Industry, or Good Sense - would be more justly, and will be, set down to the want of Good Senses by those who adjust the Microscope of Criticism with Good-nature. When I have heard the works of various Artists, of Painters, Engravers, &c. found fault with for either bad drawing, or bad colouring, or finishing, I have often thought that such defects, in construction or arrangement, have been owing more to the Eyes of the Artists not being capable of shewing them how to do better than to the carelessness, &c. which they have been inconsiderately censured for by those who had a sharper Sight. A Good Eye, is unhappy, till every part of its work is as perfect as it can make it: the gratification which it then receives is so superior to all other considerations, that to obtain it-Labour becomes Pleasure. We find persons of profoundly Good Sense, have imperfect notions on some subjects, to a degree which is quite surprising until explained on these principles. Few men are "framed so in the prodigality of Nature," as to have all their Senses in perfection very few have a single One, that approximates within many degrees of it - the Eye of Raphael, the ear of Handel, or the sensitive Touch of the Blind Girl who could feel Colours are pancratic faculties which are seldom produced." The peculiar Genius and Character of each Individual originates either in the exquisite sensibility or in the extreme obtuseness of some single Sense: this makes one man a Painter, - another a Musician,-in opposition to all the influence which can be set up against it. Many eminent Painters and Musicians were originally self-taught, and unable to resist the fascination of their Eye or Ear, but were so overcome by their love of their Art- that they have overcome all Obstacles, which were placed in their way to prevent them pursuing it. I have met with Persons in whom the sense of Seeing or Hearing was so absolutely predominant, that-the other Four appeared to be totally eclipsed: "And hence one MASTER PASSION in the breast, Like Aaron's serpent, swallows up the rest." POPE. Where Nature has given an extremely sensible faculty to a man, the employment thereof is more delightful and easy to him than the employment of any other, and the cultivation of it, an irresistible enjoyment. This is Genius in the proper sense of the word, whether in Mind or Body- and is the super-eminent faculty which is born in man. The possession of extraordinarily Perfect Senses, is by no means so enviable as people ordinarily imagine, the works which they enable the possessors to produce can only be fully appreciated by faculties equally perfect and equally cultivated. The purblind "Undelighted, gaze on all delight." The Sagacity to comprehend, and estimate the importance of any uncontemplated improvement is confined to the very few, on whom Nature has bestowed a sufficient degree of perfection of the sense which is to measure it; the candour to make a fair report of it, is still more uncommon and the kindness to encourage it cannot often be expected from those, whose most vital interest it is, to prevent the developement of that, by which their own importance-perhaps their only means of existence may be for ever eclipsed; and as POPE says— How many are Condemned in Business or in Arts to drudge Without an Equal- or without a Judge." Thus, the Inferiority of the Senses of others— prevents their deriving much advantage from the Superiority of their own. When Ability and Industry have overcome the difficulties always attending the perfect execution of exquisite works, they have still to contend with the obfuscated imaginations of the Ignorant, and the malicious misrepresentations of the Idle, the Interested, — and the Envious, and are seldom repaid for their exertions, unless they are content to reckon with POPE, that "One self-approving hour whole years outweighs РОРЕ. Persons who have Bad Senses, i. e. only just enough Ear and Eye to hear a Dinner Bell, and find a Spoon-often appear to be gifted with Good Sense in a very superior degree, and seem to think deeper than those who have the |