that did not strong connexions draw me elsewhere, I believe Scotland would be the country I should choose to spend the remainder of my days in.-I have the honour to be, with the sincerest esteem and affection, my dear Lord, &c. &c.

ོ་

B. FRANKLIN."

In the conversations alluded to in the foregoing letter, the subject of the relative interests of Britain and her American colonies had been frequently discussed; and Lord Kames, impressed with some of the sentiments which he had heard his friend deliver, had requested him to digest them in order, and give them to the public.

In a letter, dated London 3d May 1760, Dr Franklin thus writes to him:

"MY DEAR LORD,

"I have endeavoured to comply with your request in writing something on the present situation of our affairs in America, in order to give more correct notions of the British interest with regard to the colonies, than those I found many sensible men possessed of. Inclosed you have the production, such as it is. I wish it may in any degree be of service to the public. I shall at least hope this from it, for my own part, that you will consider it as a letter from me to

you,

you, and take its length as some excuse for its being so long a-coming *.

"I am now reading with great pleasure and improvement your excellent work, The Principles of Equity. It will be of the greatest advantage to the Judges in our colonies, not only in those which have Courts of Chancery, but also in those which, having no such courts, are obliged to mix equity with the common law. It will be of the more service to the colony Judges, as few of them have been bred to the law. I have sent a book to a particular friend, one of the Judges of the Supreme Court in Pennsylvania.

5

"I will shortly send you a copy of the chapter you are pleased to mention in so obliging a manner; and shall be extremely obliged in receiving a copy of the Collection of Maxims for the Conduct of Life, which you are preparing for the use of your children. I purpose likewise a little work for the benefit of youth, to be called the Art of Virtue. From the title I think you will hardly conjecture what the nature of such a book may be. I must therefore explain it a little. Many people lead bad lives that would gladly lead good ones, but know not how to make the change. They have frequently resolved and endeavoured it; but in vain, because their

СНАР НЬ

The Remarks here alluded to, are printed in the late edition of Dr Franklin's works, vol. iii. p. 89.

BOOK II.

their endeavours have not been properly conducted. To exhort people to be good, to be just, to be temperate, &c. without shewing them how they shall become so, seems like the ineffectual charity mentioned by the Apostle, which consisted in saying to the hungry, the cold, and the naked, Be ye fed, be ye warmed, be ye clothed, without shewing them how they should get food, fire, or clothing. Most people have naturally some virtues, but none have naturally all the virtues. To acquire those that are wanting, and secure what we acquire, as well as those we have naturally, is the subject of an art. It is as properly an art as painting, navigation, or architecture. If a man would become a painter, navigator, or architect, it is not enough that he is advised to be one, that he is convinced by the arguments of his adviser, that it would be for his advantage to be one, and that he resolves to be one, but he must also be taught the principles of the art, be shewn all the methods of working, and how to acquire the habits of using properly all the instruments ; and thus regularly and gradually he arrives by practice at some perfection in the art. If he does not proceed thus, he is apt to meet with difficulties that discourage him, and make him drop the pursuit. My Art of Virtue has also its instruments, and teaches the manner of using them. Christians are directed to have faith in CHRIST as the effectual means of obtaining the change they desire. It may, when sufficiently strong, be effectual with many: for a full opinion, that a Teacher is infinitely wise, good, and powerful, and that he

will certainly reward and punish the obedient and disobe-
dient, must give great weight to his precepts, and make
them much more attended to by his disciples. But many
have this faith in so weak a degree, that it does not produce
the effect. Our Art of Virtue may, therefore, be of great
service to those whose faith is unhappily not so strong, and
may come in aid of its weakness. Such as are naturally
well-disposed, and have been carefully educated, so that
good habits have been early established, and bad ones pre-
vented, have less need of this art; but all may be more or
less benefited by it. It is, in short, to be adapted for uni-
versal use. I imagine what I have now been writing will
seem to savour of great presumption: I must therefore
speedily finish my little piece, and communicate the manu-
script to you, that you may judge whether it is possible to
make good such pretensions. I shall at the same time hope
for the benefit of your corrections *.
-I am, &c.

CHAP. III.

B. FRANKLIN.".

CHAP.

It does not appear that the little work here mentioned was ever given to

the public.

BOOK II.

Elements of
Criticism.

CHAPTER IV.

66

-

"Elements of Criticism.”—Origin and Progress of Criticism.— Mr Harris's notions on that subject examined.—Aristotle's Critical and Rhetorical Writings.-His Art of Poetry.— His Art of Rhetoric.-Demetrius Phalereus on Elocution.Longinus.-Lord Kames's plan original, but the way paved by former writers.-Dr Hutcheson's Essay on Beauty and Virtue.—Akenside's Pleasures of Imagination.—Other writers, Gerard, Burke, &c.—Scope and Object of “ Elements of Criticism."-Advantages of such Disquisitions.—The Author's method of Discussion.—Examples.-Utility of the work, independent of the rectitude of its theoretical Opinions.-Certain disadvantages of this sort of Criticism.-Nature of the Author's Taste.—Works proceeding from the school of Lord Kames.-Campbell's Philosophy of Rhetoric.-Mr Alison's Essay on Taste.-Other works in Philosophic Criticism.

Ir appears from the letters of several of Lord Kames's correspondents, and in particular from those of Dr Franklin and Mr Hans Stanley, that he had for several years meditated an extensive work on the Principles of Criticism. In

treating