TOLUCASTA
ColonelRichardLovelace，anenchantingpoet，ishardlyread，exceptfortwopoemswhichareasfamousasanyinourlanguage。
Perhapstherumourofhisconceitshasfrightenedhisreader。Itmustbegrantedtheyarenowandthendaunting；thereisapoemon\"PrincessLouisaDrawing\"whichisaverymaze；thelittlepathsofverseandfancyturninupononeanother，andtheturnsarepointedwithartificialshoutsofjoyandsurprise。But，again，whatareaderunusedtoacertainlivingsymbolismwillbeapttotakeforacarefulandcoldconceitis，intruth，arapture——nonegraver，nonemorefieryormoreluminous。Buteventonamethepoemwheretheseoccurmightbetodeliverdelicateandardentpoetryovertothegeneralsenseofhumour，whichonedistrusts。NorisLovelaceeasyreadingatanytime（thetwoorthreefamouspoemsexcepted）。
Theageheadornedlivedinconstantreadinessforthefiddler。
Eleveno’clockinthemorningwasasgoodanhourasanotherforadance，andpoetry，too，wasgaybetimes，butintricatewithfigures。Itistheveryorder，theperspective，asitwere，ofthemovementthatseemstobaffletheeye，butthegamewasafreeimpulse。Sincethefirstdaydancedwiththefirstnight，nodancingwasmorenatural——atleasttoadancerofgenius。True，thedancecouldbetyrannous。Itwasanimportunatefashion。WhentheBishopofHereford，compelledbyRobinHood，inmerryBarnsdale，dancedinhisboots（\"andgladhecouldsogetaway\"），hewashardlyinworseheartortrimthanaseventeenthcenturyauthorhereandtherewhoseoriginalseriousnessorwork—a—daypietywouldhavebeencontenttogoploddingflat—footorhalting，asthemusemightnaturallyinclinewithhim，butwhomthetune，thegrace，andgallantryofthetimebeckonedtotreadaperpetualmeasure。Lovelacewasadancerofgenius；nay，hedancedtoresthiswings，forhewaswinged，capandheel。Thefictionofflighthaslostitscharmlongsince。Modernartgrewtiredoftheidea，nowturnedtocommonplace，andpaintingtookleaveofthebuoyanturchins——naughtycherubandCupidtogether；buttheseventeenthcenturywasinlovewiththatoldfancy——moreinlove，perhaps，thananycenturyinthepast。Itslatepainters，whosehumanfigureshadnolackofweightuponthecomfortableground，yetkeptasenseofbuoyancyforthishoveringchildhood，andkepttheangelsandthelovesaloft，asthoughtheyshookatreetomakeaflockofbirdsflutterup。