To the Memory of Mr. H*** M***. An Elegy To the Memory of the late pious and ingenious Mr. HERVEY and } The Third Chapter of HABAKKUK paraphrafed Written extempore, on feeing a young Lady To i pany with a Coxcomb, just after fhe bad loft a Monkey An EPIGRAM from CLAUDIAN To the Memory of the late Right Ho- nourable JAMES, Earl of FINDLATER 141 143 $48- 152 1 8 163 THE PREFACE. Ο greateft to Cri all the various fpecies of Compofition, that which seems to have which feems to have the greatest licence allowed to it, and whose abuse it is most difficult (at least in many cafes) either to detect, or to rectify, is the A ticism. This difficulty arifeth partly from that series of objects, almost perpetually diverfified, which the various researches of this Art present to the mind; partly from the complicated ingredients, of which particular objects are found to confift when examined separately; but principally, no doubt, from the degrees of excellence and defect exhibited, not merely in fome performances, but appearing in every one, as indicating (in all cafes whatever) imperfection of that mind from which it derived its origin, It is the natural effect of these causes, that as a discourse, whofe parts in general are disproportioned, may be fhewn in a favourable point of view, VOL. I. a where where the most unexceptionable paffages are selected for this purpose; fo, where the contrary is really the cafe, the Reader may receive an unfavourable prepoffeffion from having fuch objects only placed before him, in a connection likewife foreign to their original state, as tend to mislead and impofe upon his judgment. In order therefore to remove, at leaft fome part of this difficulty in the prefent cafe, I fhall here, by way of introduction to the following pieces, tried, as these have been, by standards of Criticism extremely different, throw together a few observations on the Art, which may enable an impartial Reader to diftinguish betwixt weakness and malevolence in a Critic in the various spheres of his profeffion, particularly in that where an extenfive field and diverfified fcenery render, his errors leaft fufceptible of immediate detection. CRITICISM, Confidered in general as an Art, extends its influence to every subject on which the mind is converfant. In the Sciences it judgeth of the precifion, importance, and difpofition of fentiment, character or events, as in what we denominate the Fine Arts, it decides principally of imitative beauty, arifing from the conformity betwixt an Original and a Copy. In both the spheres above-mentioned, we may obferve with truth as general criterions, that an underftanding 2 ftanding either naturally weak, or inadequate in fome particular inftance to its fubject, will be rendered confpicuous, not only from a theory obviously deficient in fome effential requifites; but, principally, from the examples by which certain principles are to be confirmed, as either selected improperly to give an adequate view of the subject, as applied without fimilarity to the purpose of illuftration, as confifting of circumftances comparatively infignificant; or, finally, as containing a vein of sentiment or description wholly diverfified, when the Author ought to have adapted his example wholly to some particular object.—A Critic is chargeable with the first of these principally in the provinces of Philosophy and History, when, in order to exemplify fome general obfervations, perhaps in themselves not foreign to the purpose, a weight appears to be laid in the former case upon fentiments the most fimple and confpicuous, rather than upon fuch as difcover the Writer's difcernment and perfpicuity:-in the latter, when, amidst the infinite va-. riety of events and of characters, those are selected, as, exhibiting a compleat specimen of an Author equal to every part of his subject, which tend only by their greatness to excite admiration, without displaying such at the fame time as, being clearly developed from many intricate combinations, discover a penetration equal to the most perplexing researches. In both these cafes we would naturally pronounce the mind of the Writer to be unequal to its work. ANOTHER, and not perhaps lefs decifive, test of incompetent Understanding in the sphere of Criticism is when vague examples, and fuch as are at best remotely fimilar, are applied to illuftrate particular obfervations. A Critic, who falls into errors of this kind, is evidently in the fame plight with the blind man, who judged fcarlet to be like the found of a trumpet. They fuppofed Strength of the Colour conftituted probably in the latter case some remote Point of Refemblance; while, with regard to the real nature of the theme, both are equally incapable of receiving proper impreffions. From the fame caufe is likewife derived that propenfity, which Authors of this clafs always difcover to felect loose and disjointed fhreds of a difcourfe as characteristical of its ultimate fcope, or to prefent a few inferior members as displaying a figure at full length. This, if any thing can be called fo, is undoubtedly judging from the " difjecta membra Poeta," and is a proceeding just as abfurd as his would be who fhould exhibit a fingle limb, or (as it might happen) a particular countenance in any of the Cartoons of Raphael, as a compleat fpecimen of a work distinguished by the most striking and diversified expreffions. The Strength of the Painter's imagination |