CONTENTS

OF THE

ESSAY on CRITICISM.

PART I.

INtroduction. That 'tis as great a fault to judge ill,
as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the

public, v. I.

That a true Tafte is as rare to be found, as a true Ge-

nius, v. 9 to 18.

That most men are born with fome Tafte, but spoil'd by

falfe Education, v. 19 to 25.

The Multitude of Critics, and causes of them, v. 26

to 45:

That we are to ftudy our own Taste, and know the Li-

mits of it, v. 46 to 67.

rment,

Nature the best guide of Judgment, v, 68 to 87.

Improv'd by Art and Rules, which are but methodis'd

Nature, v. 88.

Rules deriv'd from the Practice of the Ancient Poets,

v. id. to 110.

That therefore the Ancients are neceffary to be fludy'd

by a Critic, particularly Homer and Virgil, v. 120

to 138.

Of Licenfes, and the use of them by the Ancients,

V. 140 to 180.

Reverence due to the Ancients, and praise of them,

y. 181, etc.

G 4

PART

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. Cri-
tics 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
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 praise of Good-nature, v. 508,

When Severity is chiefly to be used by Critics,

v. 526, etc.

etc.

PART III. Ver. 560, etc.

Rules for the Conduct of Manners in a Critic. I. Can-

dour, v. 563. Modefty, v. 566. Good-breed-

ing, v. 572. Sincerity, and Freedom of advice,

v. 578. 2. When one's Caunfel is to be reftrained,

v. 584. Character of an incorrigible Poet, v. 600.

And of an impertinent Critic, v. 610, etc.
Cha-

racter of a good Critic, v. 629. The Hiftory of

Criticifm, and Character of the beft Critics, Ari-

ftotle, 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.

AN

A N

ESSAY

ON

CRITICISM.

IS hard to fay, if greater want of skill
Appear in writing or in judging ill;
But, of the two, lefs dang'rous is th' offence
To tire our patience, than mislead our sense.
Some few in that, but numbers err in this,
Ten cenfure wrong, for one who writes amifs;
A fool might once himself alone expofe,
Now one in verfe makes many more in prose.

'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;

Both must alike from Heav'n derive their light,
These born to judge, as well as thofe to write.

5

Let

Let fuch teach others who themfelves excel,
And cenfure freely who have written well.
Authors are partial to their wit, 'tis true,
But are not Critics to their judgment too?

15

Yet if we look more closely, we shall find Moft have the feeds of judgment in their mind: 20 Nature affords at least a glimm'ring light;

}

The lines, tho' touch'd but faintly, are drawn right,
But as the slightest sketch, if justly trac❜d,
Įs by ill-colouring but the more difgrac'd,
So by falfe learning is good fenfe defac'd:
Some are bewilder'd in the maze of schools,
And fome made coxcombs Nature meant but fools.
In fearch of wit these lose their common sense,
And then turn Critics in their own defence:

26

Each

VER. 15. Let fuch teach others.] Qui fcribit artificiofe, ab aliis commode fcripta facile intelligere poterit. Cic. ad Herenn. lib. 4. De pittore, fculptore, fillore, 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 do&rina prudenția, quam fine prudentia valet doctrina. Quint. P.

VARIATIONS.

Between v. 25 and 26 were these lines, fince omitted by the author:

Many are fpoil'd by that pedantic throng,
Who with great pains teach youth to reafon
Tutors, like Virtuofo's, oft inclin'd

wrong.

By frange transfufion to improve the mind,
Draw off the fenfe we have, to pour in new;
Which yet, with all their skill, they ne'er could do. P.

Each burns alike, who can, or cannot write,
Or with a Rival's, or an Eunuch's fpite.
All fools have still an itching to deride,
And fain would be upon the laughing fide,
If Mævius fcribble in Apollo's fpight,

39

There are, who judge ftill worse than he can write.
Some have at firft for Wits, then Poets paft, 36
Turn'd Critics next, and prov'd plain fools at laft.
Some neither can for Wits nor Critics pass,
As heavy mules are neither horse nor ass.
Those half-learn'd witlings, num'rous in our ifle,
As half-form'd infects on the banks of Nile;
Unfinish'd things, one knows not what to call,
Their geoeration's fo equivocal:

41

45TM

To tell 'em, would a hundred tongues require,
Or one vain wit's, that might a hundred tire.
But you who feek to give and merit fame,
And justly bear a Critic's noble name,
Be sure yourself and your own reach to know,
How far your genius, tafte, and learning go;
Launch not beyond your depth, but be discreet, 50
And mark that point where fenfe and dullness meet.
Nature to all things fix'd the limits fit,

And wifely curb'd proud man's pretending wit.

As

VER. 51. And mark that point 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 thould leave off; for it arifes either thro' our fmall acquaintance with the fubject, or the incomprehenfibility of its nature. In which circumftances a genius will always write as heavily as a dunce. An obfervation well worth the attention of all profound writers.