"Si quid novifti rectius iftis,

"Candidus imperti; fi non, his utere mecum."

HORA

* Mr. Pope told me himself, that the "Efay on Criticism” was indeed written in 1707, though, faid 1709 by mistake.

J. RICHARDSON.

THE Poem is in one book, but divided into three principal parts or members. The first [to ver. 201.] gives rules for the Study of the Art of Criticism; the fecond [from thence to ver. 560.] expofes the Caufes of wrong Judgment; and the third [from thence to the end] marks out the Morals of the Critic. When the Reader hath well confidered the whole, and hath obferved the regularity of the plan, the mafterly conduct of the feveral parts, the penetration into Nature, and the compafs of learning fo confpicuous throughout, he should then be told that it was the work of an Author who had not attained the twentieth year of his age.-A very learned Critic has fhewn, that Horace had the fame attention to method in his Art of Poetry.

CONTENTS

OF THE

ESSAY ON CRITICISM.

PART I.

INT

NTRODUCTION. 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 Ge-

nius, ver. 9 to 18.

That most men are born with fome Tafte, but spoiled

by falfe Education, ver. 19 to 25.

The multitude of Critics and caufes of them, ver. 26

to 45.

That we are to study our own Tafte, 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 methodized

Nature, ver. 88.

Rules derived from the practice of the Ancient Poets,

ver. 88 to 110.

That therefore the Ancients are neceffary to be ftudied

by a Critic, particularly Homer and Virgil, ver. 120

to 138.

Of Licences, and the ufe of them by the Ancients, ver.

140 to 180.

Reverence due to the Ancients, and praise of them,

ver. 181, &c.

I 3

PART

PART II. Ver. 203, &c.

Caufes hindering a true Judgment. 1. Pride, ver. 208. 2. Imperfect Learning, ver. 215. 3. Judging by parts, and not by the whole, ver. 233 to 288. Critics in Wit, Language, Verfification, only, 288, 305, 339, &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. Inconftancy, 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. Can

dour, ver. 563.

ing, ver. 572.

Modesty, ver. 556. Good-breedSincerity and Freedom of Advice, ver. 578. 2. When one's Counfel 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. 629. The History of Criticism, and Characters of the beft Critics: Aristotle, ver. 645. Horace, ver. 653. Dionyfius, ver. 665. Petronius, ver. 667. Quintilian, ver. 670. Longinus, ver. 675. Of the Decay of Criticifm, and its Revival. Erafmus, ver. 693. Vida, ver. 705. Boileau, ver. 714. Lord Rofcommon, &c. ver. 725. Conclufion.

AN

A N

ESSAY

CRIT

'T

IS hard to fay, if greater want of skill
Appear in writing or in judging ill;
But of the two, lefs dangerous is th' offence
To tire our patience, than mislead our sense.
Some few in that, but numbers err in this,
Ten cenfure wrong for one who writes amifs;
A fool might once himself alone expose,
Now one in verfe makes many more in profe.
'Tis with our judgments as our watches; none
Go juft alike, yet each believes his own.

In Poets as true genius is but rare,

True taste as feldom is the Critic's fhare;

Both muft alike from Heaven derive their light,
These born to judge, as well as those to write.
Let fuch teach others who themfelves excel,
And cenfure 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
Moft have the feeds of judgment in their mind:

I 4

5

10

15

20

Nature