On Genius and Tafte. From Reynold's Academical Dif

courses,

T has been the fate of arts to be enveloped in myfterious and incomprehenfible language, as if it was thought neceffary that even the terms fhould correfpond to thei dea entertained of the inftability and uncertainty of the rules which they expreffed. To speak of Genius and Tane, as any way connected with reafon or common fente, would be in the opinion of fome towering talkers, to fpeak like a man who poffeffed nither, who had never felt that enthufiafm, or, to use their own inflated language, was never warmed by that Promethean fire, which animates the Canvafs and vivifies the marble. If, in order tobe intelligible,I appear to degrade art, by bringing her downfrom her vifionary fituation in the clouds, it is only to give her a more folid manfion upon the earth. It is necef

fary that at fome time or other we fhould fee things as they really are, and not impofe on ourfelves by that falle magnitude with which obje&s appear, when viewed indiftin&tly as through a mift. We will allow a poet to exprefs his meaning, when it is not well known to himself, with a certain degree of obfcurity; as it is one fource of the fublime. But when, in plain profe, we gravely talk of court. ing the mufe in fhady bowers; wait ing the call and inspiration of Genius, finding out where he inhabits, and where he is to be invoked with the greateft fuccefs; of attending to times and feafons when the imagination fhoots with the greateft vigour, whe ther at the fummer folftice or the equinox fagaciously obferving how much the wild freedom and liberty of imagination is cramped by attention to eftablished rules; and how this fame imagination begins to grow dim in advanced age, Imoothered and deadned by too much judgment. When

the more nice difcriminations which a deep inveftigation may discover. A great deal however, of this difference vanishes, when each opinion it tolerably explained and understood by con

terms. We apply the term Tafte to that at of the mind by which we like or diflike, whatever be the subject. Our judgment upon an airy nothing,

fancy which has no foundation, is called by the fame name which we give to our determination concerning those truths which refer to the most general and moft unalterable principles of human nature, to works which are only to be produced by the greatest efforts of the human understanding. However inconvenient this may be, we areobliged to take words as we find them; all we can do is to diftinguish the things to which they are applied. We may let thofe things pafs which are at once subjects of taste and sense, and which having as much certainty as the fenfes themselves, give no occafion to enquire or difpute. The natural appetite or tafte of the human mind, is for truth, whether that refults from the real argument or equality of original ideas among themfelves, from the agreement of the thing represented, or from the cor. refpondence of the feveral parts of any arrangement with each other. It is the very fame tafte which relishes a demonfiration in geometry, that is pleased with the refemblance of a picture to an original, and touched with the harmony of mufic. All thefe have: unalterable and fixed foundations in nature, and are therefore equally inveftigated by reason, and known by Audy; fome with more fome with lefs clearness, but all exactly in the fame way.

A picture that is unlike is falle. Difproportionate ordonnance of parts is not right because it cannot be true, until it ceases to be a contradiction to affert, that the parts have no relation to the whole. Colouring is true where it is naturally adapted to the eye, from brightness, from foftnefs,from harmony,from resemblance, because these agree with their object NATURE, and therefore are true, as

Snakes found in the Southern States. From a late publication entitled Letters from an American Farmer.

THE fouthern

of

are the countries where nature has formed the greateft variety of alligators, fnakes, ferpents, and scorpions, from the smallest size up to the PINE BARREN ; the largeft fpecies known here. We have but two whofe ftings are mortal, which de ferve to be mentioned. As for the black one, it is remarkable for nothing but its induftry, agility, beauty and the art of enticing birds by the power of its eyes. The most dangerous is the PILOT or COPPERHEAD, for the poifon of which no remedy has been difcovered. It bears the firft name, because it always precedes the rattle-fnake; that is, quits ita. torpidity in the fpring a week before the other. It bears the fecond name on account of its head, and being adorned with many copper coloured fpots. It lurks in rocks near the water. Let man beware of it! I have heard only of one perfon who was ftung by a copper-head in this country. The poor wretch inftantly fwelled in a moft dreadful manner. A multitude of fpots alternately appeared and vanished, on different parts of his body. His eyes were filled with madnefs and rage, he caft. them on all prefent with the moft vindictive looks. He thruft out his tongue as the fnakes do; he hiffed through his teeth with inconceivable Atrength, and became an object of terror to all by-ftanders. To the lividnefs of a corpfe, he united the desperate force of a maniac. And after the space of two hours, death relieved the poor wretch from his firuggles, and the fpectators from their fears.

The

The poifon of the rattle faake is not mortal in fo fhort a space, and hence there is more time to provide relief. There are feveral antidotes with which almost every family is provided. They are extremely inactive, and if not touched are perfectly inoffenfive. I once faw, as I was travelling, a great cliff which was full of them. I handled feveral, and they appeared to be dead; they were all entwined together, and thus they remain until the return of the fun. I found them out by the track of fome wild hogs which had fed on them; and even the Indians often regale on them. When they find them asleep, they put a small forked flick over their necks, which they keep immovably fixed on the ground, giving the fnake a piece of leather to bite. This they pull back feveral times with great force, untill they obferve their two poisonous fangs torn out. Then they cut off the head, skin the body, and cook it as we do eels ; and their flesh is extremely fweet and white... I once faw a TAMED ONE, as gentle as you can poffibly conceive a reptile to be. It took to the water, and fwam whenever it pleafed. And when the boys to whom it belonged Called it back, their fummons was readily obeyed. It had been depri ved of its fangs by the preceeding method; they often ftroked it with a foft bruth, and this friction feemed to Caufe the most pleasing fenfation,

The black faake always diverts me because it excites no idea of danger. Their fwiftnefs is aftonishing. They will fometimes equal that of a horse ; at other times they will climb up trees in queft of tree-toads, or glide on the ground at full length. On fome occafions, they prefent themfelves half in the reptile ftate, half erect. Their eyes and their heads in the ere& pofture, appear to great advantage. The former display a fire which I have often admired, and it is by these they are enabled to fafcinate birds and fquirrels. When they have fixed their eyes on an animal, they become immovable; only turning their head fometimes to the right

and fometimes to the left, but Aill with their fight invariably directed to the object. The diftra&ted viðim, inftead of Aying its enemy, feems to be arrefted by fome invincible power; it fcreams; now approaches,and then recedes. And after skipping about with unaccountable agitation, finally ruflies into the jaws of the fnake, and is (wallowed as foon as it is covered with a flime or glue to make it flide eafily down the throat of the devourer.

One anecdote I muft relate, the circumftances of which are as true as they are fingular. As I was one day fitting in an arbour, my attention was engaged by a strange fort of ruftling no fe at fome paces diftance. I looked all around without diftinguishing any thing, until I climbed one of my great hemp ftalks; when to my aftonishment, I beheld two (nakes of confiderable length, the one purfuing the other with great celerity, through a hemp ftubble field. The aggreffor was of a black kind, fix feet long : the fugitive was a water-fnake, nearly of equal dimenfions. They foon met, and in the fury of their firft encounter, they appeared in an inftant firmly twifted together; and whilft their united tails beat the ground, they mutually tried with open jaws to lacerate each other. What a fell

afpect did they prefent! Their heads were compressed to a very small size, their eyes flashed fire; and after this conflict had lafted about five minutes, the fecond found means to difengage itself from the firft, and hurried towards the ditch. Its antagonift inftantly affumed a new posture, and half creeping and half erect, with a majestic mein, overtook and attacked the other again, which placed it felf in the fame attitude, and prepared to refift. The fcene was uncommon and beautiful; for thus oppofed they fought with their jaws, biting each other with the utmost rage; but notwithstanding this appearance of mutual courage and fury, the waterfnake ftill feemed desirous of retreating towards the ditch, its natural element. This was no fooner perceived

by

by the keen-eyed black one, than twifting its tail twice round a ftalk of Hemp,and (eising its adversary by the throat, not by means of its jaws, but by twifting its own neck twice round that of the water fnake, pulled it back from the ditch. To prevent a defeat, the latter took hold likewife of a ftalk on the bank, and by the acquifition of that point of refiftance, became a match for its fierce ant gonift. Strange was this to behold; two great fnakes ftrongly adhearing to the ground, mutually faftened together by means of the writhings that Jafhed them to each other, and firetched at their full length, they pulled,but pulled in vain; and in the moment of their greateft exertions, that part of their bodies which was entwined feemed extremely small, while the reft, appeared inflated, and now and then convulfed with Arong undulations, rapidly following each other. Their eyes feemed on fire, and ready to start out of their heads; at one time the confia feemed decided; the waterfnake bent itself into two great folds, and by that operation rendered the other more than commonly outAretched; next minute the Aruggles of the black one gained an unexpected fuperiority, it acquired two great felds likewife, which neceffarily extended the body of its adversary in proportion as it had contracted its own. Thefe efforts were alternate; victory feemed doubtful, inclicing fometimes to the one fide and fometimes to the other; untill at laft the ftalks to which the blackfnake faftened, fuddenly gave way, and in confequence of this accident they both plunged into the ditch. The water did not extinguish their vindictive rage; for by their agitations I could trace, though not diftinguith their mutual attacks. They foon re-appeared on the surface twifted together, as in their firft onfet; but the black fnake feemed to retain its wonted fuperiority, for its head was exactly fixed above that of the

new

other, which it inceffaptly preffed down under the water, until it was ftifled and funk. The victor no fooner perceived its enemy incapable of further reftance, than abandoning it to the current, it returned on fhore and difappeared.

The following paragraph of an address to our late illuftrious General, from the three learned profeffiona in Philadelphia, on his returning to the Southward in December laft, we cannot forbear inferting, though it appears fomewhat late.

ET others, fir, recount your draw the honourable comparifon between them and the deeds of thofe ther heroes whofe names adorn the records of time. It is our's to view you in another light, and to see your character furrounded with a glorious Cæfar or an Alexander muft hide its fplendour, before which the ftar of a diminished head. The mad ambition af unlimited conquefts was not your incentive to action; your aim was not to exalt yourfelf upon the ruime of your fellow-citizens. It was the voice of your country that called--it was the genius of freedom that led you to the field. In the defence of

liberty, property, and the rights of mankind, your fword was drawn. It was confecrated by religion, by law, and by humanity_; it was revered as their guardian. The pureft principles directed the management of the war. Undiffembled piety, without the fear of offending Heaven, could implore its affiftance to your arms. Virtue, philofophy and the fciences, condered their caufe as involved in that which you have fo illuftrioufy fupported. Heaven has fmilled upon the glorious fruggle. Our freedom is eftablished--the fciences Alourish--and the gates of happiness are thrown open to mankind.”

Anecdote