AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM.

WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1709.

Si quid novisti rectius istis,

Candidus imperti; si non, his utere mecum.'

Horat.

:

CONTENTS.

PART I.

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 Taste is as rare to be found, as a true Genius, ver. 9 to 18.-That most men are born with some Taste, but spoiled by false Education, ver. 19 to 25.-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 it, ver. 46 to 67.-Nature the best guide of Judgment, ver. 68 to 87.-Improved by Art and Rules, which are but methodised Nature, ver. 88.-Rules derived from the practice of the Ancient Poets, ver. 92 to 117.-That therefore the Ancients are necessary to be studied by a Critic, particularly Homer and Virgil, ver. 118 to 140.-Of Licences, and the use of them by the Ancients, ver. 141 to 180.-Reverence due to the Ancients and praise of them, ver. 181, &c.

PART II. Ver. 201, &c.

Causes hindering a true Judgment.-1. Pride, ver. 204.-2. Imperfect 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, 337, &c.—4. Being too hard to please, or too apt to admire, ver. 384.-5. Partiality: too much love to a Sect, to the Ancients or Moderns, ver. 394. -6. Prejudice or Prevention, ver. 408.-7. Singularity, ver. 424.-8. 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 chiefly to be used by Critics, ver. 526, &c.

PART III. Ver. 560, &c.

Rules for the Conduct of Manners in a Critic.1. Candour, ver. 563.-Modesty, ver. 566.-Goodbreeding, ver. 572.-Sincerity and Freedom of Ad

vice, ver. 578.-2. When one's Counsel is to be restrained, ver. 584.-Character of an incorrigible Poet, ver. 600.—And of an impertinent Critic, ver. 610, &c. -Character of a good Critic, ver. 631.-The History of Criticism, and Characters of the best Critics: Aristotle, ver. 645.-Horace, ver. 653.-Dionysius, ver. 665.-Petronius, ver. 667.—Quintilian, ver. 669. -Longinus, ver. 675.-Of the Decay of Criticism and its Revival: Erasmus, ver. 693.—Vida, ver. 705.Boileau, ver. 714.-Lord Roscommon, &c., ver. 725. - Conclusion.

AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM.1

IS hard to say, if greater want of skill

Appear in writing or in judging ill; But, of the two, less dangerous is the offence

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To tire our patience, than mislead our sense.
Some few in that, but numbers err in this,
Ten censure wrong for one who writes amiss;
A fool might once himself alone expose,
Now one in verse makes many more in prose.
'Tis with our judgments as our watches,

none

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Go just alike, yet each believes his own.
In poets as true genius is but rare,
True taste as seldom is the critic's share;
Both must alike from Heaven derive their light,
These born to judge, as well as those to write.
Let such teach others who themselves excel,2 15
And censure freely who have written well.
Authors are partial to their wit, 'tis true,
But are not critics to their judgment too?
Yet, if we look more closely, we shall find

1 Published in 1711. See the Memoir, p. xiii. 2 66 Qui scribit artificiose, ab aliis commode scripta facile intelligere poterit." Cic. ad Herenn. lib. iv. "De pictore, sculptore, fictore, nisi artifex, judicare non potest."-Pliny.-P.