PART II. Ver. 203, etc. Caufes hindering a true Judgment. 1. Pride, v. 208. 2. Imperfect Learning, v. 215. 3. Judging by parts, and not by the whole, v. 233 to 288. Critics in Wit, Language, Verfification, only, v. 288. 305. 339, etc. 4. Being too hard to pleafe, or too apt to admire, v. 384. 5. Partiality-too much Love to a Sect,-to the Ancients or Moderns, v. 394. 6. Prejudice or Prevention, v. 408, 7. Singularity, v. 424. 8. Inconftancy, v. 430: 9. Party Spirit, v. 452, etc. 10. Envy, v. 466. Against Envy, and in praife of Good-nature, v. 508, When Severity is chiefly to be used by Critics, etc. v. 526, etc. PART III. Ver. 560, etc. Rules for the Conduct of Manners in a Critic. 1. Candour, v. 563. Modefty, v. 566. Good-breeding, v. 572. Sincerity, and Freedom of advice, v. 578. 2. When one's Counsel is to be reftrained, v. 584. Character of an incorrigible Poet, v. 600. And of an impertinent Critic, v. 610, etc. Character of a good Critic, v. 629. The Hiftory of Criticifm, and Character of the best Critics, Ariftotle, v. 645. Horace, v. 653. Dionyfius, v. 665. Petronius, v. 667. Quintilian, v. 670. Longinus, v. 675. Of the Decay of Criticism, and its Revival. Erafmus, v. 693. Vida, v. 705. Boileau, v. 714. Lord Rofcommon, etc. v. 725. Conclufion. ΑΝ A N ESSA. Y O N CRITICISM. "T" IS hard to fay, if greater want of skill 'Tis with our judgments as our watches, none Go juft alike, yet each believes his own. In Poets as true genius is but rare, True Taste as feldom is the Critic's fhare; 5 ΙΟ Let Let fuch teach others who themselves excel, Yet if we look more closely, we shall find The lines, tho' touch'd but faintly, are drawn right. 26 Each VER. 15. Let fuch teach others.] Qui fcribit artificiofe, ab aliis commode fcripta facile intelligere poterit. Cic. ad Herenn. lib. 4. De pictore, fculptore, ficlore, nifi artifex, judicare non poteft. Pliny. P. VER. 20. Moft have the feeds] Omnes tacito quodam fenfu, fine ulla arte, aut ratione, quæ fint in artibus ac rationibus recta et prava dijudicant. Cic. de Orat. lib. iii. P. VER. 25. So by falfe learning] Plus fine doctrina prudentia, quam fine prudentia valet doctrina. Quint. P. VARIATIONS. Between v. 25 and 26 were thefe lines, fince omitted by the author: Many are spoil'd by that pedantic throng, Who with great pains teach youth to reason wrong. By Arange transfufion to improve the mind, Each burns alike, who can, or cannot write, 30 There are, who judge still worse than he can write. To tell 'em, would a hundred tongues require, 41 45 Launch not beyond your depth, but be discreet, 50 And mark that point where sense and dullness meet. Nature to all things fix'd the limits fit, 1 And wifely curb'd proud man's pretending wit. As VER. 51. And mark that paint where fenfe and dullness meet.] This precept cautions us against going on, when our Ideas begin to grow obfcure; as we are apt to do, tho' that obfcurity is a monition that we should leave off; for it arises either thro' our small acquaintance with the fubject, or the incomprehenfibility of its nature. In which circumstances a genius will always write as heavily as a dunce. An obfervation well worth the attention of all profound writers. 55 60 65 As on the land while here the ocean gains, 70 76 Some, VER. 67. Would all but stoop to what they understand.] The expreffion is delicate, and implies what is very true, that most men think it a degradation of their genius to employ it in cultivating what lies level to their comprehenfion, but had rather exercise their ambition in fubduing what is placed above it. 3 |