AN ESSAY ON CRITICIS M. Written in the Year MDCCIX*, • First advertised in the Spectator, No 65. May 15, 1711. INTRODUCTION. That 'tis as great a fault to judge ill as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver. 1. That a true Tafte is as rare to be found, as a true Genius, That most men are born with fome Taste, but spoiled by false The Multitude of Critics, and causes of them, ver. 26 to 45. That we are to study our own Taste, and know the Limits of Nature the best guide of Judgment, ver. 68 to 87. Improved by Art and Rules, which are but methodis'd Nature, Rules derived from the practice of the Ancient Poets, ver. 88 That therefore the Ancients are necesary to be studied by Critic, particularly Homer and Virgil, ver. 120 to 138. Of Licenfes, and the use of them by the Ancients, ver. 140 Reverence due to the Ancients, and praise of them, ver. 181, &c. Causes hindering a true Judgment, 1. Pride, ver. 208. 2. Im- perfect Learning, ver. 215. 3. Judging by parts, and not by the whole, ver. 233 to 288. Critics in Wit, Language, Versification, only, ver. 288. 305. 339, &c. 4. Being to hard to please, or too apt to admire, ver. 3844. 5. Partiality- too much love to a Sect, -to the Ancients or Moderns, ver. 324. 6. Prejudice or Prevention, ver. 408. 7. Singularity, ver. 424. 3. Inconstancy, ver. 430. 9. Party Spirit, ver. 452, &c. 10. Envy, ver. 466. Against Envy and in praise of Good-nature, ver, 508, &c. When Severity is PART III. Ver. 560, &c. ver. 563. Modesty, ver. 566. Good-breeding, ver. 572. AN ESSAY ON CRITICIS M. 'T's is hard to say, if greater want of skill Appear in writing or in judging ill; But, of the two, less dang’rous is th' offence To tire our patience, than mislead our sense. Some COMMENTARY. An Efay] The poem is in one book, but divided into three principal parts or numbers. The first [to ver. 201.] gives rules for the Study of the Art of Criticism : the second [from thence to ver. 560.] exposes the Causes of wrong Judgment; and the third [from thence to the end] marks out the Morals of the Critic. In order to a right conception of this poem, it will be necessary to observe, that though it be intitled simply An Esay on Criticism, yet several of the precepts relate equally to the good writing as well as the true judging of a poem. This is so far from violating the Unity of the subject, that it preserves and completes it: or from disordering the regularity of the Form, that it adds beauty to it, as will appear by the following confiderations : 1. It was impossible NOTES. An Elay] For a person of only twenty years old to have produced such an Essay, so replete with a knowledge of life and manners, such accurate observations on men and books, such variety of literature, such strong good sense, and refined taste and judg ment, VOL. I. |
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