...laboured particularities, the prospects of nature or the scenes of life, than he who dissects a sun-beam with a prism, can exhibit the wide effulgence of a...could not be credited, but could not be imagined. To write on their plan it was at least necessary to read and think. No man could be born a metaphysical...

...unexpected and surprising." " Their wish was only to say what they hoped had been never said before." They " produced combinations of confused magnificence that...could not be credited, but could not be imagined." How similar are the criticisms of other enemies of the Baroque, who are surprised, almost impressed,...

...laboured particularities, the prospects of nature, or the scenes of life, than he who dissects a sunbeam with a prism can exhibit the wide effulgence of a summer noon." "Up to the last sentence," alleges Tate, we have about "half of the ghost of Longinus." But the whole...