"I may plead the example" appears to me a somewhat pompous expression to signify that you have (very properly) adopted one doctrine of one of the wisest, and another of one of the ablest of men. But he does not seem to know that d'Alembert might have "pleaded the example" of Aristotle in "including painting, sculpture," &c. "Poetry," says the Stagyrite, "consists in imitation, and the imitation may be by pictures, sculpture, and the like." It is ®mimêsis®--and it is Man's nature to rejoice in imitation--®chairein tois mimêmasin®. But a singular and illustrative trait in Mr Stewart's treatment of the subject is, that though he thus, at the outset, enlarges the Poet into the Painter, the Sculptor, &c., yet throughout the whole composition, (I know not if an incidental word may anywhere occur as an exception,) every point of the argument regards the Poet in words and verse! In what frame of understanding could--did he put this Head to these fragments of limbs? BULLER. In the name of the Prophet--FIGS! NORTH. I am more than half disposed to hint an objection to the use of the words "sway over the other powers." We should have said--and we do say, "predominance amongst the other powers." I see in "sway" two meanings: first, a right meaning, or truth, not well expressed; to wit, in thinking poetically--for his art, whatever it may be--or out of his art--the Poet's other faculties minister to his Imagination. She reigns. They _conform_ their operations to hers. This manner of intellectual action happens in all men, more or less, oftener or seldomer; in the Poet--of what Art soever--upon each occasion, with much more decision and eminence, and more habitually. But secondly, a wrong meaning, or error, is better expressed by the word "sway," to wit, that Imagination in the Poet _illegitimately overbears_ the other intellectual powers, as judgment, attention, reflection, memory, prudence. Now, you may say that every power that is given in great strength, _tends_ to overbear unduly the other powers. The syllogistic faculty does--the faculty of observation does--memory does--and so a power _unbalanced_ may appear as a weakness--as wealth ruins a fool. But in the just dispensation of nature every power is a power, and to the mind which she constitutes for greatness she gives _balanced_ powers. Giving one in large measure--say Imagination--she gives as large the directly antagonistic power--say the Intellective, the Logical; or she balances by a mass of powers. I suspect that the undue over-swaying was in Stewart's mind, and has probably distorted his language. I know that Genius is the combination of ten faculties. SEWARD.