Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

fenfitive part of our nature is a delightful fpeculation. What the author hath difcovered or collected upon that fubject, he chufes to impart in the gay and agreeable form of criticism; because he imagines, that this form will be more relished, and perhaps be not less inftructive, than a regular and laboured difquifition. His plan is, to afcend gradually to principles, from facts and experiments, inftead of beginning with the former, handled abftractly, and descending to the latter. But though criticism be thus his only declared aim, he will not disown, that all along he had it in view, to explain the nature of man, confidered as a fenfitive being, capable of pleafure and pain. And though he flatters himself with having made fome progrefs in that important fcience, he is however too fenfible of its extent and difficulty, to undertake it profeffedly, or to avow it as the chief purpose of the present work.

To cenfure works, not men, is the juft prerogative of criticism; and accordingly all perfonal cenfure is here avoided, unless where neceffary to illuftrate fome general propofition.

: VOL. I.

C

propofition. No praise is claimed on that account, because cenfuring with a view merely to find fault, is an entertainment that humanity never relishes. Writers, one would imagine, fhould, above all others, be referved upon that article, when they lie fo open to retaliation. The author of this treatise, far from being confident of meriting no cenfure, entertains not even the flightest hope of fuch perfection. Amusement was at first the fole aim of his inquiries. Proceeding from one particular to another, the subject grew under his hand; and he was far advanced before the thought struck him, that his private meditations might be publicly useful. In public, however, he would not appear in a flovenly drefs; and therefore he pretends not otherwife to apologise for his errors, than by obferving, that, in a new subject, not lefs nice than extenfive, errors are in some measure unavoidable. Neither pretends he to justify his tafte in every particular. That point must be extremely clear, which admits not variety of opinion; and in fome matters fufceptible of

great refine

ment,

[ocr errors]

ment, time is perhaps the only infallible touch-stone of taste. To this he appeals, and to this he chearfully fubmits.

N. B. THE ELEMENTS OF CRITICISM, meaning the whole, is a title too affuming for this work. A number of thefe elements or principles are here evolved: but as the author is far from imagining, that he has completed the lift, a more humble title is proper, fuch as may express any undetermined number of parts less than the whole. This he thinks is fignified by the title he has chofen, viz. ELEMENTS OF CRITICISM.

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors][ocr errors]

ELEMENTS

O F

CRITICISM.

CHAPTER I.

Perceptions and ideas in a train.

A

MAN while awake is fenfible of a continued train of objects paffing in his mind. It requires no activity on his part to carry on the train;

nor has he power to vary it by calling up an object at will*. At the fame time we

learn

*For how should this be done? What object is it that we are to call up? If this question can be answered, the object is already in the mind, and there is no occafion to exert the power. If the question cannot be answered, I next demand, how it is poffible that a voluntary power can be exerted without any view of an object to exert it upon ?

We

« AnteriorContinua »