arelineswhichhavedonemuchmischief。Asregardsthegreatertruths，menoftenererrbyseekingthematthebottomthanatthetop；Truthliesinthehugeabysseswherewisdomissought-notinthepalpablepalaceswheresheisfound。Theancientswerenotalwaysrightinhiding-thegoddessinawell；witnessthelightwhichBaconhasthrownuponphilosophy；witnesstheprinciplesofourdivinefaith-thatmoralmechanismbywhichthesimplicityofachildmayoverbalancethewisdomofaman。
“WeseeaninstanceofColeridge’sliabilitytoerr，inhis’BiographiaLiteraria’professedlyhisliterarylifeandopinions，but，infact，atreatise_deomniscibilietquibusdamaliis。_Hegoeswrongbyreasonofhisveryprofundity，andofhiserrorwehaveanaturaltypeinthecontemplationofastar。Hewhoregardsitdirectlyandintenselysees，itistrue，thestar，butitisthestarwithoutaray-whilehewhosurveysitlessinquisitivelyisconsciousofallforwhichthestarisusefultousbelow-itsbrilliancyanditsbeauty。
“AstoWordsworth，Ihavenofaithinhim。ThathehadinyouththefeelingsofapoetIbelieve-forthereareglimpsesofextremedelicacyinhiswritings-anddelicacyisthepoet’sownkingdom-his_ElDorado-butthey_havetheappearanceofabetterdayrecollected；andglimpses，atbest，arelittleevidenceofpresentpoeticfire；weknowthatafewstragglingflowersspringupdailyinthecrevicesoftheglacier。
“Hewastoblameinwearingawayhisyouthincontemplationwiththeendofpoetizinginhismanhood。Withtheincreaseofhisjudgmentthelightwhichshouldmakeitapparenthasfadedaway。Hisjudgmentconsequentlyistoocorrect。Thismaynotbeunderstood-buttheoldGothsofGermanywouldhaveunderstoodit，whousedtodebatemattersofimportancetotheirStatetwice，oncewhendrunk，andoncewhensober-soberthattheymightnotbedeficientinformalitydrunklesttheyshouldbedestituteofvigor。
“Thelongwordydiscussionsbywhichhetriestoreasonusintoadmirationofhispoetry，speakverylittleinhisfavor：theyarefullofsuchassertionsasthisIhaveopenedoneofhisvolumesatrandom-“Ofgeniustheonlyproofistheactofdoingwellwhatisworthytobedone，andwhatwasneverdonebefore；’-indeed？thenitfollowsthatindoingwhatisunworthytobedone，orwhat_has_beendonebefore，nogeniuscanbeevinced；yetthepickingofpocketsisanunworthyact，pocketshavebeenpickedtimeimmemorial，andBarrington，thepickpocket，inpointofgenius，wouldhavethoughthardofacomparisonwithWilliamWordsworth，thepoet。
“Again，inestimatingthemeritofcertainpoems，whethertheybeOssian’sorMacpherson’scansurelybeoflittleconsequence，yet，inordertoprovetheirworthlessness，Mr。W。hasexpendedmanypagesinthecontroversy。_Tantaeneanimis？_Cangreatmindsdescendtosuchabsurdity？
Butworsestill：thathemaybeardowneveryargumentinfavorofthesepoems，hetriumphantlydragsforwardapassage，inhisabominationwithwhichheexpectsthereadertosympathize。Itisthebeginningoftheepicpoem’Temora。’’ThebluewavesofUllinrollinlight；thegreenhillsarecoveredwithday；treesshaketheirdustyheadsinthebreeze。’Andthisthisgorgeous，yetsimpleimagery，whereallisaliveandpantingwithimmortality-this，WilliamWordsworth，theauthorof’PeterBell，’has_selected_forhiscontempt。Weshallseewhatbetterhe，inhisownperson，hastooffer。Imprimis：
“’Andnowshe’satthepony’stail，Andnowshe’satthepony’shead，Onthatsidenow，andnowonthis；
And，almoststifledwithherbliss，AfewsadtearsdoesBettyshed……
Shepatsthepony，whereorwhenSheknowsnot……happyBettyFoy！
Oh，Johnny，nevermindthedoctor！’
Secondly：
“’Thedewwasfallingfast，the-starsbegantoblink；
Iheardavoice：itsaid-“Drink，prettycreature，drink！”
And，lookingo’erthehedge，be-foremeIespiedAsnow-whitemountainlamb，witha-maidenatitsside。
Noothersheepwasnear，thelambwasallalone，Andbyaslendercordwas-tether’dtoastone。’
“Now，wehavenodoubtthisisalltrue：wewillbelieveit，indeedwewill，Mr。W。Isitsympathyforthesheepyouwishtoexcite？Iloveasheepfromthebottomofmyheart。
“Butthereareoccasions，dearB-，thereareoccasionswhenevenWordsworthisreasonable。EvenStamboul，itissaid，shallhaveanend，andthemostunluckyblundersmustcometoaconclusion。Hereisanextractfromhispreface：-
“’Thosewhohavebeenaccustomedtothephraseologyofmodemwriters，iftheypersistinreadingthisbooktoaconclusion_impossible！will，_nodoubt，havetostrugglewithfeelingsofawkwardness；ha！ha！ha！theywilllookroundforpoetryha！ha！ha！ha！，andwillbeinducedtoinquirebywhatspeciesofcourtesytheseattemptshavebeenpermittedtoassumethattitle。’Ha！ha！ha！ha！ha！
“Yet，letnotMr。W。despair；hehasgivenimmortalitytoawagon，andthebeeSophocleshastransmittedtoeternityasoretoe，anddignifiedatragedywithachorusofturkeys。
“OfColeridge，Icannotspeakbutwithreverence。Histoweringintellect！
hisgiganticpower！Touseanauthorquotedbyhimself，_’Taitrouv？
souventquelaplupartdessectesontraisondansunebonnepartiedecequ’ellesavancent，maisnonpasencequ’ellesnient，’and_toemployhisownlanguage，hehasimprisonedhisownconceptionsbythebarrierhehaserectedagainstthoseofothers。Itislamentabletothinkthatsuchamindshouldbeburiedinmetaphysics，and，liketheNyctanthes，wasteitsperfumeuponthenightalone。Inreadingthatman’spoetry，Itremblelikeonewhostandsuponavolcano，consciousfromtheverydarknessburstingfromthecrater，ofthefireandthelightthatarewelteringbelow。
“Whatispoetry？-Poetry！thatProteus-likeidea，withasmanyappellationsasthenine-titledCorcyra！’Giveme，’Idemandedofascholarsometimeago，’givemeadefinitionofpoetry。’_’Tr鑣volontiers；’_andheproceededtohislibrary，broughtmeaDr。Johnson，andoverwhelmedmewithadefinition。ShadeoftheimmortalShakespeare！IimaginetomyselfthescowlofyourspiritualeyeupontheprofanityofthatscurrilousUrsaMajor。Thinkofpoetry，dearB-，thinkofpoetry，andthenthinkofDr。
SamuelJohnson！Thinkofallthatisairyandfairy-like，andthenofallthatishideousandunwieldy；thinkofhishugebulk，theElephant！andthen-andthenthinkofthe’Tempest’-the’Midsummer-Night’sDream’-
ProsperoOberon-andTitania！
“Apoem，inmyopinion，isopposedtoaworkofsciencebyhaving，forits_immediate_object，pleasure，nottruth；toromance，byhaving，foritsobject，an_indefinite_insteadofa_definite_pleasure，beingapoemonlysofarasthisobjectisattained；romancepresentingperceptibleimageswithdefinite，poetrywithindefinitesensations，towhichendmusicisan_essential，since_thecomprehensionofsweetsoundisourmostindefiniteconception。Music，whencombinedwithapleasurableidea，ispoetry；music，withouttheidea，issimplymusic；theidea，withoutthemusic，isprose，fromitsverydefinitiveness。
“Whatwasmeantbytheinvectiveagainsthimwhohadnomusicinhissoul？
“Tosumupthislongrigmarole，Ihave，dearB-，whatyou，nodoubt，perceive，forthemetaphysicalpoetsaspoets，themostsovereigncontempt。Thattheyhavefollowersprovesnothing-
“’NoIndianprincehastohispalaceMorefollowersthanathieftothegallows。
SCIENCE！truedaughterofOldTimethouart！
Whoalterestallthingswiththypeeringeyes。
Whypreyestthouthusuponthepoet’sheart，Vulture，whosewingsaredullrealities？
Howshouldhelovethee？orhowdeemtheewise，WhowouldstnotleavehiminhiswanderingToseekfortreasureinthejewelledskiesAlbeithesoaredwithanundauntedwing？
HastthounotdraggedDianafromhercar？
AnddriventheHamadryadfromthewoodToseekashelterinsomehappierstar？
HastthousnottorntheNaiadfromherflood，TheElfinfromthegreengrass，andfrommeThesummerdreambeneaththetamarindtree？
O！NOTHINGearthlysavetherayThrownbackfromflowersofBeauty’seye，AsinthosegardenswherethedaySpringsfromthegemsofCircassy-
O！nothingearthlysavethethrillOfmelodyinwoodlandrill-
Ormusicofthepassion-hearted
Joy’svoicesopeacefullydepartedThatlikethemurmurintheshell，Itsechodwellethandwilldwell-
Oh，nothingofthedrossofours-
Yetallthebeauty-alltheflowersThatlistourLove，anddeckourbowers-
Adornyonworldafar，afar-
Thewanderingstar。
’TwasasweettimeforNesace-forthereHerworldlaylollingonthegoldenair，Nearfourbrightsuns-atemporaryrest-
Anoasisindesertoftheblest。
*AstarwasdiscoveredbyTychoBrahewhichappearedsuddenlyintheheavens-attained，inafewdays，abrilliancysurpassingthatofJupiter-thenassuddenlydisappeared，andhasneverbeenseensince。
Away-away-’midseasofraysthatrollEmpyreansplendoro’erth’unchainedsoul-
Thesoulthatscarcethebillowsaresodense
Canstruggletoitsdestin’deminence-
Todistantspheres，fromtimetotime，sherode，Andlatetoours，thefavour’doneofGod-
But，now，therulerofananchor’drealm，Shethrowsasidethesceptre-leavesthehelm，And，amidincenseandhighspiritualhymns，Lavesinquadruplelightherangellimbs。
Nowhappiest，loveliestinyonlovelyEarth，Whencesprangthe“IdeaofBeauty“intobirth，Fallinginwreathsthro’manyastartledstar，Likewoman’shair’midpearls，until，afar，ItlitonhillsAchaian，andtheredwelt
Shelook’dintoInfinity-andknelt。
Richclouds，forcanopies，abouthercurled-
Fitemblemsofthemodelofherworld-
Seenbutinbeauty-notimpedingsightOfotherbeautyglitteringthro’thelight-
Awreaththattwinedeachstarryformaround，Andalltheopal’dairincolorbound。
AllhurriedlyshekneltuponabedOfflowers：ofliliessuchasrear’dthehead*OnthefairCapoDeucato，andsprangSoeagerlyaroundabouttohangUpontheflyingfootstepsofdeeppride-
哋fherwholov’damortal-andsodied。
TheSephalica，buddingwithyoungbees，Uprear’ditspurplestemaroundherknees：
*OnSantaMaura-olimDeucadia。？Sappho。
*Andgemmyflower，ofTrebizondmisnam’d-
Inmateofhigheststars，whereerstitsham’dAllotherloveliness：itshonieddewThefablednectarthattheheathenknew
Deliriouslysweet，wasdropp’dfromHeaven，AndfellongardensoftheunforgivenInTrebizond-andonasunnyflowerSolikeitsownabovethat，tothishour，Itstillremaineth，torturingthebeeWithmadness，andunwontedreverie：
InHeaven，andallitsenvirons，theleafAndblossomofthefairyplant，ingriefDisconsolatelinger-griefthathangsherhead，Repentingfolliesthatfulllonghavefled，Heavingherwhitebreasttothebalmyair，Likeguiltybeauty，chasten’d，andmorefair：
Nyctanthestoo，assacredasthelightShefearstoperfume，perfumingthenight：
咥ndClytiaponderingbetweenmanyasun，Whilepettishtearsadownherpetalsrun：
嘇ndthataspiringflowerthatsprangonEarth-
Anddied，erescarceexaltedintobirth，BurstingitsodorousheartinspirittowingItswaytoHeaven，fromgardenofaking：
*ThisflowerismuchnoticedbyLewenhoeckandTournefort。Thebee，feedinguponitsblossom，becomesintoxicated。？Clytia-TheChrysanthemumPeruvianum，or，toemployabetter-knownterm，theturnsol-whichcontinuallyturnstowardsthesun，coversitself，likePeru，thecountryfromwhichitcomes，withdewycloudswhichcoolandrefreshitsflowersduringthemostviolentheatoftheday-
_B。deSt。Pierre_。？Thereiscultivatedintheking’sgardenatParis，aspeciesofserpentinealoeswithoutprickles，whoselargeandbeautifulflowerexhalesastrongodourofthevanilla，duringthetimeofitsexpansion，whichisveryshort。ItdoesnotblowtilltowardsthemonthofJuly-youthenperceiveitgraduallyopenitspetals-expandthem-fadeanddie-
_St。Pierre_。
*AndValisnerianlotusthitherflownFromstrugglingwiththewatersoftheRhone：
咥ndthymostlovelypurpleperfume，Zante！
Isolad’oro！-FiordiLevante！
嘇ndtheNelumbobudthatfloatsforeverWithIndianCupiddowntheholyriver-
Fairflowers，andfairy！towhosecareisgiven？TobeartheGoddess’song，inodors，uptoHeaven：
“Spirit！thatdwellestwhere，Inthedeepsky，Theterribleandfair，Inbeautyvie！