while the Body was confuming: herein they prais'd the Deceas'd, and ftirr'd up the People who stood by to Weeping and Mourning.

EPITAPH is a fort of epigrammatic Poem Epitaph. or Speech, which at first used to be pronounced at the Tomb of the interr'd Body; but fince it is taken only for the Infcription on the Tomb, relating the Name, Sex, Age, State, Merits, Honours, Praifes both of Perfon and Mind, the Kind of Death; and calling upon Passengers and Spectators to a ferious Reflection on Mortality, and the lubricous State of Life they are now in, and themselves taken from.

CENTO was a kind of Poem made up of fe- Cento. veral Sentences and Pieces taken from the Works of others; thus Aufonius made an Epicedium or Nuptial Song out of Virgil's Writings, and the History of our Saviour has been compos'd of Sentences taken from Homer's Poems.

ECHO is a jocofe and merry Epigram, where- Echo. in the Verses return the Sound of the laft Syllables of many Words in a different Senfe.

Of CRITICIS M.

RITICISM, or, as it is other- Of Criticism.
wife call'd, Critics, is a Word of
Greek Original, the Theme where-
of fignifies to judge or cenfure or
give one's Opinion of any Thing;
agreeable to which, thefe Words

have been appropriated to that Art, Skill or
Science, which confifts in a learned, exact and cu- Definition
rious Examination of the Words, Writings, and thereof.
Actions of Men, distinguishing what is good, just,
beautiful and Praife-worthy in them; and pointing
out the Faults, Errors, Defects, and whatever is in-
confiftent with the Rules of true and polite Learning,
and good Senfe; cenfuring each Particular with its
proper Character and Epithet, and duly expreffing
the Nature thereof.

A Critic, then, is one well skill'd in judging, A Critic, wha cenfuring and characterizing, the Actions, Words and Writings of Men; and capable of discovering their more fecret Beauties and Defects, which he knows are really fuch according to the Nature of Things, which he makes his grand Criterion, or Rule of Judgment. And fuch a Perfon, when he exerciseth his Art, is faid to criticize upon a Man, his Words, or Writings, &c.

a Critic.

IF this Definition of a Critic and his Art Great Abilibe well confidered, it will appear that no fmall ties requifite to Stock of Abilities is requifite to entitle a Man to juft Claim to this excellent Character; notwithstanding so many make Pretenfions thereto. T3

Both

A Punfter no
Critic.

Good Critics

Both Art and Nature must confpire to make a good Critic, as well as a good Poet: As Mr. Pope has excellently well obferv'd in the following Lines.

They both alike from Heav'n derive their

[Light, These Born to judge, as well as thofe to write.

HENCE We observe, that 'tis an equal Abfurdity to pretend to be thought a Critic for the fake of a few low and quibbling Cenfures, Puns, and Witticisms, upon an Author, as to be esteem'd a Poet for fcribbling a few dull Lines on any notable Subject. For,

In Poets as true Genius is but rare,

True Tafte as feldom is the Critic's Share.

THE fame great Perfon begins his Effay on more rare than Criticifm with an Obfervation of a like Nature;

good Authors.

Good Authors

'Tis hard to fay if greater want of Skill
Appear in writing or in judging ill:
But of the two lefs dangerous is th' Offence
To tire our Patience than mislead our Senfe.
Some few in that, but Numbers err in this;
Ten cenfure wrong, for one who writes amifs.

AGAIN, 'tis reasonable to imagine that thofe the beft Critics only are fit to be Judges of Authors, and their Writings, who themfelves are capable of compofing, and writing well, and in a good Tafte; and therefore the Poet's Admonition is very feafonable:

Let fuch teach others who themfelves excel,
And cenfure freely who have written well.

THAT

tic's Character

THAT of a Critic is no partial, but an univer- The true Crifal Character; for confidering Criticism as an Art, is an univerthough Men may be exceeding good Judges in fal one. fome particular Matters relating to their Business and Profeffion, they will never merit the Title of Critics, unless they are profoundly skill'd in the Knowledge of all Things requifite to qualify them to judge and determine of all Things, fo far as to diftinguish their Beauties and Perfections, and their Faults and Imperfections, which is the proper Province of the Art of Criticifm: Tho' it must be allow'd that Men may criticize beft on fuch Subjects as are most familiar to their Studies, and most practised by them. 'Tis impoffible we fhould be equally capable of Judging concerning all Things indifferently; and can only pretend to a perfect Mastery in one Art or Faculty at moft, and fometimes we may come fhort of that: Since

One Science only will one Genius fit,
So vaft is Art, fo narrow human Wit
Not only bounded to peculiar Arts,
But oft in thofe confin'd to fingle Parts.

In order then to define and establish the Cha- The feveral racter of an univerfal Critic, 'tis neceffary to con- Sourcesthereof. fider the conftituent Parts, and the Sources whence they are derived; thefe are two, viz. Nature and Art. Nature lays the Foundation, and Art raifes thereon and embellishes the Superftructure.

Unerring Nature ftill divinely bright,

One clear unchang'd and univerfal Light,
Life, Force, and Beauty, muft to all impart,
At once the Source, the End, and Test of Art.
T 4

Art