Some few in that, but numbers err in this, 5 "Tis with our judgments as our watches, none Go just alike, yet each believes his own. COMMENTARY. IO cepts of each reciprocally thro' his whole poem. 2. As the rules of the ancient Critics were taken from Poets who copied nature, this is another reason why every Poet should be a Critic: Therefore, as the subject is poetical Criticism, it is frequently addreffed to the critical Foet. And 3dly, the Art of Criticifm is as properly, and much more usefully exercised in writing than in judging. But readers have been misled by the modesty of the Title, which only promifes an Art of Criticifm, to expect little, where they will find a great deal; a treatife, and that no incomplete one, of the Art both of Criticifm and Poetry. This, and the not attending to the confiderations offered above, was what, perhaps, mifled a very candid writer, after having given the ESSAY ON CRITICISM all the praises on the fide of genius and poetry which his true tafte could not refufe it, to fay, that the obfervations follow one another like thofe in Horace's Art of Poetry, without that methodical regularity which would have been requifite in a profe writer. Spec. No 235. I do not fee how method can hurt any one grace of Poetry; or what prerogative there is in Verfe to difpenfe with regularity. The remark is falfe in every part of it. Mr. Pope's Effay on Criticifm, the Reader will foon fee, is a regular piece: And a very learned Critic has lately fhewn, that Horace had the fame attention to method in his Art of Poetry. See Mr. Hurd's Com-ment on the Epistle to the Pifos. VER. 1. 'Tis hard to fay, etc.] The Poem opens [from ver. I to 9.] with fhewing the ufe and feasonableness of the fubject. Its ufe, from the greater mifchief in wrong Criticism than in ill Poetry; this only tiring, that misleading the reader: Its fea fonableness, from the growing number of bad Critics, which now vaftly exceeds that of bad Poets. VER. 9.] 'Tis with our Judgments, etc.] The author having In Poets as true genius is but rare, True Tafte as feldom is the Critic's share ; COMMENTARY. fhewn us the expediency of his fubject, the Art of Criticifm, inquires next [from ver. 8 to 15] into the proper Qualities of a true Critic and obferves firft, that JUDGMENT alone, is not fufficient to conftitute this character, because Judgment, like the artificial measures of Time, goes different, and yet each relies upon his own. The reasoning is conclufive; and the fimilitude extremely juft. For Judgment, when it goes alone, is generally regulated, or at least much influenced, by cuftom, fashion, and habit; and never certain and constant but when founded upon TASTE: which is the fame in the Critic, as GENIUS in the Poet: both are derived from Heaven, and like the Sun, the natural measure of Time, always conftant and equable. Nor need we wonder that Judgment alone, will not make a Critic in poetry, when we fee that it will not make a Poet. And on examination we shall find, that Genius and Taste are but one and the fame faculty, differently exerting itself under different names, in the two profeffions of Poetry and Criticism. For the Art of Poetry confifts in felecting, out of all those images which prefent themselves to the fancy, fuch of them as are truly beautiful. And the Art of Criticism in difcerning, and fully relishing what it finds fo felected. 'Tis an exertion of the fame faculty of the mind in both cafes, and by almoft the fame operation. The main difference is, that in the POET, this faculty is eminently joined to a bright imagina-. tion, and extenfive comprehenfion, which provide ftores for the felection, and can form that felection, by proportioned parts, into a regular whole: In the CRITIC, to a folid judgment and accurate difcernment, which penetrate into the causes of an excellence, and fo, can display that excellence in all its variety of lights. Longinus had tafte in an eminent degree; therefore, this quality, which all true Critics have in common, our Author makes his diftinguishing character, Thee, bold Longinus! all the Nine inspire, i. e. with tafle or genius. Let fuch teach others who themselves excel, 15 COMMENTARY. VER. 15. Let fuch teach others, etc.] But it is not enough that the Critic hath these natural endowments of judgment and taste, to entitle him to exercise his Art; he ought, as our author fhews us [from ver. 14 to 19] to give a further test of his qualification, by fome acquired talents: And this, on two accounts: I. Because the office of a Critic is an exercife of Authority. 2. Because he being naturally as partial to his Judgment as the Poet is to his Wit, his partiality would have nothing to correct it, as that of the perfon judged hath, by the very terms. Therefore fome teft is neceffary; and the best, and most unexceptionable, is his having written well himfelf; an approved remedy against Critical partiality; and the fureft means of maturing the Judgment, as to reap with glory what Longinus calls "the last and most perfect fruits of "much study and experience." H гAP TÓN AOÒËN KPIΣΙΣ ΠΟΛΛΗΣ ΕΣΤΙ ΠΕΙΡΑΣ ΤΕΛΕΥΤΑΙΟΝ ΕΠΙΓΕΝNHMA. VER. 19. Yet if we look, etc.] But the Author having been fo free with this fundamental quality of Criticism, Judg ment, as to charge it with inconftancy and partiality, and to be often warped by custom and affection; that he may not be mifunderstood, he next explains [from ver. 18 to 36.] the nature NOTES. VER. 15. Let fuch teach others] " Qui fcribit artificiofe, ab "aliis commode fcripta facile intelligere poterit." Cic. ad Herenn. lib. iv. "De pictore, fculptore, fictore, nifi artifex, ju"dicare non poteft." Pliny. P. VER. 20. Most have the feeds] "Omnes tacito quodam fen"fu, fine ulla arte, aut ratione, quæ fint in artibus ac ratio. "nibus recta et prava dijudicant." Cic. de Orat. lib. iii. P. Nature affords at least a glimm'ring light; VARIATIONS. Between ver. 25 and 26 were these lines, fince omitted by the author: Many are spoil'd by that pedantic throng, Who with great pains teach youth to reason wrong. By ftrange transfufion to improve the mind, COMMENTARY. of Judgment, and the accidents occafioning those miscarriages before objected to it. He owns, that the feeds of Judgment are indeed fown in the minds of most men, but by ill culture, as it springs up, it generally runs wild: either on the one hand, by FALSE LEARNING, which pedants call Philology; or by FALSE REASONING, which Philofophers call School learning : Or, on the other, by FALSE WIT, which is not regulated by fenfe; or by FALSE POLITENESS, which is folely regulated by the fashion. Both these forts, who have each their Judgment thus doubly depraved, the poet obferves, are naturally turned to cenfure and abuse; only with this difference, that the NOTES. VER. 25. So by falfe learning]" Plus fine doctrina pruden"tia, quam fine prudentia valet doctrina." Quint. P. In fearch of wit these lofe their common fenfe, COMMENTARY. Dunce always affects to be on the reafoning, and the Fool on the laughing fide.-And thus, at the fame time, our author proves the truth of his introductory observation, that the number of bad Critics is vastly fuperior to that of bad Poets. VER. 36. Some have at firft for Wits, etc.] The poet having enumerated, in this account of the nature of Judgment and its NOTES. VER. 28. In fearch of wit thefe lofe their common fenfe,] This obfervation is extremely juft. Search of Wit is not only the occafion, but the efficient caufe of the loss of common fenfe. For Wit confifting in chufing out, and fetting together fuch Ideas from whofe affemblage pleasant pictures may be drawn on the Fancy; the Judgment thro' an habitual search of Wit, lofes, by degrees, its faculty of feeing the true relation of things; in which confifts the exercise of common fenfe. VER. 32. All fools have fill an itching to deride, And fain would be upon the laughing fide.] The fentiment is juft. And if Hobbes's account of Laughter be true, that it arifes from a filly pride, we see the reason of it. The expreffion too is fine; it alludes to the condition of Idiots and natural fools, who are obferved to be ever on the grin. |