Mean tho' I am, not wholly so,
Since quicken'd by thy breath;
O lead me, wheresoe'er I go,
Thro' this day's life or death!

This day be bread and peace my lot;
All else beneath the sun

Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not,
And let thy will be done.

To Thee, whose temple is all space,
Whose altar earth, sea, skies!
One chorus let all Being raise!
All Nature's incense rise!

[Written in the Year 1709.]

CONTENTS.

PART I.

INTRODUCTION. That it is 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, v. 9,—18. That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, v. 19,-25. The multitude of critics, and causes of them, v. 26,-45. That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, v. 46,-67. Nature the best guide of judgment, v. 68,—87; improved by art and rules, which are but methodized Nature, v. 88. Rules derived from the practice of the ancient poets, v. 88,-110; that therefore the ancients are necessary to be studied by a critic, particularly Homer and Virgil, v. 118,-138. Of licenses, and the use of them, by the ancients, v. 141,-180. Reverence due to the ancients, and praise of them, v. 181, &c.

PART II.

Causes hindering a true judgment. 1. Pride, v. 209. 2. Imperfect learning, v. 215. 3. Judging by parts, and not by the whole, v. 233,-288. Critics in wit, language, versification only, v. 289, 305, 337, &c. 4. Being too hard to please, or too apt to admire, v. 384. 5. Partiality,-too much love to a sect, -to the ancients or moderns, v. 394. 6. Prejudice or prevention, v. 408. 7. Singularity, v. 424. 8. Inconstancy, v. 430. 9. Party spirit, v. 452, &c. 10. Envy, v. 466. Against envy, and in praise of goodnature, v, 508, &c. When severity is chiefly to be used by critics, v. 526, &c.

PART III.

Rules for the conduct of manners

in a critic. 1.

Good breeding,

Candour, v. 563. Modesty, v. 566. v. 572. Sincerity and freedom of advice, 578. Character of an incorrigible poet, v. 600; and of an impertinent critic, v. 610, &c. Character of a good critic, v. 631. The history of criticism, and characters of the best critics. Aristotle, v. 645. Horace, v. 653. Dionysius, v. 665. Petronius, v. 667. Quintilian, v. 669. Longinus, v. 675. Of the decay of criticism, and its revival. Erasmus, v. 693. Vida, v.705. Boileau, v. 714. Lord Roscommon, &c. v. 725. Conclusion.

AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM.

PART I.

'Tis hard to say if greater want of skill
Appear in writing or in judging ill;
But of the two less dang'rous is th' offence
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
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 Heav'n derive their light,
These born to judge as well as those to write.
Let such teach others who themselves excel,
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
Most have the seeds of judgment in their mind:
Nature affords at least a glimmʼring light;

The lines tho' touch'd but faintly are drawn right: