1

OF

CRITICISM.

BY THE HONOURABLE

HENRY HOME OF KAMES,

ONE OF THE SENATORS OF THE COLLEGE OF JUSTICE, AND ONE OF THE
LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF JUSTICIARY IN SCOTLAND.

THE EIGHTH EDITION.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

EDINBURGH:

PRINTED BY NEILL AND COMPANY,

FOR BELL & BRADFUTE, AND WILLIAM CREECH;
AND T. CADELL AND W. DAVIES,

TO THE

KING.

SIR,

HE Fine Arts have ever been en

THE

couraged by wife Princes, not fingly for private amusement, but for their beneficial influence in fociety. By uniting different ranks in the fame elegant pleasures, they promote benevolence: by cherishing love of order, they enforce fubmiffion to government: and by inspiring delicacy of feeling, they make regular government a double bleffing.

THESE Confiderations embolden me to hope for your Majefty's patronage in behalf of the following work, which

treats of the Fine Arts, and attempts to form a standard of tafte, by unfolding those principles that ought to govern the taste of every individual.

IT is rare to find one born with fuch delicacy of feeling, as not to need inftruction: it is equally rare to find one fo low in feeling, as not to be capable of inftruction. And yet, to refine our taste with respect to beauties of art or of nature, is fcarce endeavoured in any feminary of learning; a lamentable defect, confidering how early in life tafte is fufceptible of culture, and how difficult to reform it if unhappily perverted. To

furnish