CONTENTS OF THE ESSAY on CRITICISM. PART I. Ntroduction. That 'tis as great a fault to judge ill It to brite ill, and a more dangerous one to the par lic, 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 fome Tafste, but spoiled by falfe Education, ver. 19 to 25. The Multitude of Critics, and causes 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. Improv'd by Art and Rules, which are but methodis'd Nature, ver. 88. Rules derived from the practice of the Ancient Poets, ver. id. to 110. That therefore the Ancients are neceffary to be fudy'd by a Critic, particularly Homer and Virgil, ver. 120 to 138. Of Licenfes, and the use of them by the Ancients, ver. 140 to 180. Reverence due to the Ancients, and praise of them, ver. 181, etc. PART II. Ver. 203, etc. Caufes hindring 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, ver. 288. 305. 339, etc. 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, etc. 10. Envy, ver. 466. Against Envy and in praise of Good-nature, ver. 508, etc. When Severity is chiefly to be used by Critics, ver. 526, etc. PART III. Ver. 560, etc. Rules for the Conduct of Manners in a Critic, 1. Candour, ver. 563. Modefty, ver. 566. Goodbreeding, ver. 572. Sincerity and Freedom of advice, ver. 578. 2. When one's Counsel is to be refrained, ver. 584. Character of an incorrigible Poet, ver. 600. And of an impertinent Critic, ver. 610, etc. Character of a good Critic, ver. 629. The Hiftory of Criticism, and Characters of the beft Critics, Ariftotle, 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, etc. ver, 725. Conclufion. Plate II Vol.I facing pa. 89. He stood convinc'd twas fit, Who conquerd Nature should preside oer Wit. Essay on Crit. AN ESSAY ΟΝ CRITICIS M. 'TIS hard to fay, if greater want of skill Appear in writing or in judging ill; But of the two, lefs dang'rous is th' offence COMMENTARY. An Eay.] The Poem is in one book, but divided into three principal parts or members. The firft [to ver. 201.] gives rules for the Study of the Art of Criticism: the fecond [from thence to ver. 560.] expofes 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 neceffary to obferve, that tho' it be intitled fimply An Effay on Criticifm, yet feveral of the precepts relate equally to the good writing as well as to the true judging of a poem. This is fo far from violating the Unity of the Subject, that it preferves and completes it; or from difordering the regularity of the Form, that it adds beauty to it, as will appear by the following confiderations: 1. It was impoffible to give a full and exact idea of the Art of Poetical Criticifm, without confidering at the fame time the Art of Po |