An army, especially a defenfive army, multiplies itself. The contagion of enter prize spreads from one heart to another; zeal for a native, or deteftation for a foreign fovereign; hope of fudden greatnefs or riches, friendship or emulation between particular men, or what are perhaps more general and powerful, defire of novelty, and impatience of inactivity, fill a camp with adventurers, add rank to rank, and fquadron to fquadron.

Memoirs of the K. of Pruffia, p. 118.

AUTHOR.

The task of an author is either to teach what is not known, or to recommend known truths by his manner of adorning them; either to let new light upon the mind, and open new frenes to the profpect, or vary the drefs and fituation of common objects, fo as to give them fresh grace and more powerful attractions. To spread fuch flowers over the regions through which the intellect has already made its progrefs, as may tempt it to return, and take a fecond view of things

lily paffed over, or negligently regarded.

Rambler, v. 1, p. 13.

Whilft

Whilft an author is yet living, we estimate his powers by the worst performance. When he is dead, we rate them by his best.

Preface to Shakespear, p. 1.

An author who facrifices virtue to conve nience, and feems to write without any moral purpose, even the barbarity of his age cannot extenuate; for it is always a writer's duty to make the world better, and justice is a virtue independant on time and place.

Ditto, p. 19 & 20.

It is feldom that authors rife much above the standard of their own age. To add a little to what is beft will always be fufficient for prefent praise; and those who find themselves exalted into fame, are willing to credit their encomiafts, and to fpare the labour of contending with themselves.

Ditto, p. 44.

He that miffes his end, will never be as much pleafed as he that attains it, even when he can impute no part of his failure to himself; and when the end is to pleafe the multitude, no man perhaps has a right, in things admitting of gradation and comparifon, to throw the whole blame upon his judges, and totally to exclude diffidence and € 2

Lame

fhame by a haughty consciousness of his own

excellence.

Johnfon's Life of Cowley.

Many causes may vitiate a writer's judgement of his own works. On that which has coft him much labour he fets a high value, because he is unwilling to think he has been diligent in vain; what has been produced without toilfome efforts is confidered with delight, as a proof of vigorous faculties and fertile invention; and the last work, whatever it be, has neceffarily most of the grace of novelty.

Johnfon's Life of Milton.

A writer who obtains his full purpose lofes himself in his own luftre. Of an opinion which is no longer doubted, the evidence ceases to be examined. Of an art univerfally practifed the teacher is forgotten. Learning once made popular is no longer learning; it has the appearance of fomething which we have bestowed upon ourfelves, as the dew appears to rife from the field which it refreshes.

Johnson's Life of Dryden.

There is a species of writers, who without much labour have attained high reputation, and who are mentioned with reverence, rather for the poffeffion than the exertion of uncomn abilities.

Johnfon's Life of Smith.

Tediousness, in an author, is the most fatal of all faults. Negligence or errors are fingle and local, but tedioufnefs pervades the whole; other faults are cenfured and forgotten, but the power of tediousness propagates itfelf. He that is weary the first hour is more weary the fecond, as bodies. formed into motion, contrary to their tendency, pafs more and more flowly through every fucceffive interval of fpace.

Johnfon's Life of Prior.

An author who afks a fubfcription foon finds that he has enemies. All who do not encourage him, defame him. He that wants money will rather be thought angry than poor, and he that wishes to fave his money, conceals his avarice by his malice.

Johnson's Life of Pope.

An author bustling in the world, fhewing himself in public, and emerging occafionally from time to time into notice, might keep his works alive by his personal influence; but that which conveys little information, and gives no great pleasure, muft foon give way, as the fucceffion of things produces. new topics of conversation, and other modes of amufement."

Johnfon's Life of Mallet.

He that expects flights of wit, and fallies of pleasantry, from a successful writer, will be often difappointed. A man of letters, for the most part, fpends in the privacies of study, that season of life in which the manners are to be softened into ease, and polished into elegance; and when he has gained knowledge enough to be respected, has neglected the minuter arts by which he might have pleased.

Rambler, v. 1, p. 85.

He by whofe writings the heart is rectified, the appetites counteracted, and the paffions repreffed, may be confidered as not unprofitable to the great republic of humanity, even though his own behaviour should not always exemplify his rules. His inftructions may diffuse their in uence to regions in which it will not be enquired, whether the author be good, or bad; to times when all his faults, and all his follies fhall be loft in forgetfulness among things of no concern or importance to the world; and he may kindle in thoufands, and ten thousands that flame which burnt but dimly in himself, through the fumes of paffion, or the damps of cowardice. The vicious moralift may be confidered as a taper by which we are lighted through the laby

rinth