Itshouldnotbedoubtedthatatleastone-thirdoftheaffectionwithwhichweregardtheelderpoetsofGreatBritainshouldbeattributedtowhatis, initself, athingapartfrompoetry—wemeantothesimpleloveoftheantique—andthat, again, athirdofeventheproperpoeticsentimentinspiredbytheirwritings, shouldbeascribedtoafactwhich, whileithasstrictconnectionwithpoetryintheabstract, andwiththeoldBritishpoemsthemselves, , ifdemandedhisopinionoftheirproductions, wouldmentionvaguely, yetwithperfectsincerity, asenseofdreamy, wild, indefinite, andhewouldperhapssay, indefinabledelight; onbeingrequiredtopointoutthesourceofthissoshadowypleasure, , infact, averypowerfuladjuncttoideality, butinthecaseinquestionitarisesindependentlyoftheauthor'swill, -daywithavividdelight, andwhichdelight, inmanyinstances, maybetracedtotheonesource, quaintness, , ofcourse, noargumentagainstthepoemsnow—, guileless, sincereandalthoughverylearned, — "Creation" wished, byhighlyartificialverse, toinculcatewhathesupposedtobemoraltruth—thepoetofthe "AncientMariner" ; theother, byapathwhichcouldnotpossiblyleadhimastray, "metaphysicalverse" —forwemayaswelldesignateinthiswaytheentireclassofwriterswhosepoemsareboundupinthevolumebeforeus, —andpartookintenselyofthatsoul'—toelevateimmeasurablyalltheenergiesofmind—but, again, sotominglethegreatestpossiblefire, force, delicacy, andallgoodthings, withthelowestpossiblebathos, baldness, andimbecility, astorenderitnotamatterofdoubtthattheaverageresultsofmindinsuchaschoolwillbefoundinferiortothoseresultsinone (ceterisparibus) moreartificial.
