'5

td'b'a· e
" '

t

i

rs.011

A FATHER TO HIS SON,
OH TAR.IOUS TOPICS
&llLATITS. TO

LITERATURE AND THE CONDUCT OF LIFE.

'!

Bibliographical

note: ~

VOL. IL
Written ln the Ye.an 179s and 1799.

This f acsimilJ has been made: from a
copy .in the Yale University Library
(Im Ai44 793 Ld)

B1

Z·

AIKIN. M. D.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-112064

r•J:fTID

Printed in U.S.A.

f\i1f'

G!FT
;'UBWSH.ffl

roa ). Jo•1nos,

.... T.

11.lO~n,

sT. rAv&.'s cavu:K•TAS.P,

aoLT COV&T, rl.ll't ns.a&T.

50
I. I T T S k
111.
in in'j'·bpinion, more ·calculated to ileprefs
and paralyze tbc -mind through defpair,
than to roufe it ;to generous -emulation.
An aCl:ual Ariftidcs 'or \Vafhington an:
abundantly more animating d1an the ·v i..
fionary -anq impoffiblc w!fe tililn of dio

Stoics.

(

51 )

LETTER IV.

.

Adieu!

".Y0t1 muO: frequently, I doubt not, have
(de equal furprife and ditguft .at the dog:matifm with which the moll oppofite opinions relative to the comparative meri~ of .
authors are laid 'down in writing and con·verfarion; and you muft have wifhed for
Come pofitive criterion to apply to th~
opinions, in o~er ·to afcertain their folidicy, at leaft your own facisfaCl:ion, .'if
noc to .the convittion of the difputants
thc~felves. Attempts halic been oficn
made, in the walks both of literature and .
die fine arts, to ·efiablifh. fuch a criterion!
and co E2£ 2 $!2Liil IMS lilt

to

6£2!1!

. .l!'tthc
L'ltTT.i ..

wide

52

1.ZTTZa.

53 .
be examined upon this principle ; but I
fhall at prefent con~ne myfelf to the nobleft of all, · that of writing, or littra,.,
P!.llFECTIOK JN WIUTINO.

IY.

wide differences {\ill fubfiffing amoog
thofe who lay claim to this qualiey, fuffi.
ciently prove the ill fuccdS of thefc efforts. Senfib]e ·as .I am, that divcrfttics
either in original conformation, or in early
aifociatio~ muft evcr·prcveot mankind
.from feeling exaruy alike with rcfpcB: to
the obje8:s prefcntcd to them, I havt no
0

fanguine apcfutions of a ntar approach
to uniformity in their judgments; yet I
conceive it poffib]e that a train of thought
may be fuggdled by which- a tolerably
unprejudiced mind may make fomc progrdS towards the attainment ol rational
principles .in matters hitherto left to the
decifion of vague fcntiment. I c!o not
fee why it fbQuld be lcfs praBlcable to
ftatc the grounds of our preference of one
work of genius to ano~, than of one
moral a.aion to another; and I ronccivc
the f..u:ne gencnl method _may be applied
in both cafcs; · namely, to confider what
was the u.J in view, and bow f.u the mea111
employed have accomplilhcd their purpofe. All the works of human an may

be

tompojition.

..
•

-------.- -

:..

·--:-~~1

' .

.

~-

'

•

-

. '.

. "'?-~
"""
_~~..

- <'!"

.

··}·
-

_!..,

efFett . is abfoh:itely iridifpenfable l and
therefore .eyery . failure arifing ·from the
· feeble, the. inadequate, the embamll"ed1
the iU-ar~angcd cxpreffion of thoughts, is
abfolutcly contrary to the pcrfeClion of a
writing. . I will not ftop to particularize
· in~ance~ of this defect:; yet I cannot forbear obferv~ng that many works which
bear ~- high char_aCler, if judged of by
th~ difficulty found in developing their
m~ning, the ambiguities and perplexicl~s
remaining
· after every
effort of Iea;ni~a
.
.
.0
~n~ fagacity to elucidate them, and the
feeblene~ with .which they .at laft ftrike
the_ mind_ of the ~~er, muft be very
jhort of that perfetlion which prejudiced
admiren ai:rribute to them. Great allowvE 3
ances,

54

LZTTEJt

ahccs, cloubtlefs, ought

PJUlFECrION IN. WB.ITINGo

IT.

to be made

m

. favour of works compofed in a language
Jong extin8:, and referring to modes · o(
thinking or living long obliterated• . Yet
fame of the works to which I allude arc
known to have preft:nted thefe difficulties
from the time of their firft appearance J
and a comparifon with others of the fame
period will lhow that the faults.bel011gcd
to ~he individual, not to the age.
Vv"hat- has been faid above refers to
fly!4 ·in its moft confined fenfe, or the
mann_er in which a writer gives. enunciation to his ideas; and the point of perfection thus far is
·
~
one me es , many of · e
qualities of writing. It fuppofcs in the
writer a pcrfcCl: knowledge of the value
and import <>fall the words ·he ufes, ai
well fingly as in combin;:.tion ; a kiiolV'Jedge which forms no mean part of.philofophy, a~d cannot be -attained without
much refleilion and rc:fearch. It fuppofc:S
him rnafter of thc•art gf combinina
.
0 claufcs
and

SS

and fentcnces fo as to exhibit in the clearcft manner the dependence of ideas 'one.
upon another, and the train or fucceffion
in which the proccfs of argumentation
EODfifu. k requires him to have at hand
a fufficicnt ftore of cxprcffions, and yet to
be poffi:.ff'ed of judgment enough ·not to
run into prolixity; to know how long ~c
may dwell upon an idea with advantage,
and when its furth'er repetition would be
wearifome tautology. It may likewife be
qrended to include that fcnfe
w 1c prevents an au or rom oc_ mg
his reader by vulgarifms, or difgufting

)>im by fingularities. By thcfe, which I
chink are intelligible and pofitive rcqui-:
.lites, a criterion may · be ellabli!hed of
writing, as fat as i~ is the dre(s or image

of thought.
But the merit ofthe..thoughts theinfelves
cannot be feparated from our notion of
good writing; and many of its qualities
muft have a reference to the pqwers of
~eptim in_the mind whenc¢ the ideas
E -4·proceed.

56

L E. T T :I K

PERFECTION IN WRITING.

JY.

proceed. Here, it muft be confe.ff'cd,
our criterion becomes more vague; and
we arc in danger of being thrown into all
the fluctuation of Dpinio.I\ attendant upon
fubjcCl:s of mere tafte. . .Our only rcfource
in this cafe is a comparifOn between the
effects apparently intended to be produced
by the writer, and thofe really produced;
·-in oth~r words, what he has attempted,..
and what he has done.
The attempt in fom'e cafes is· fo fimple
that it is not difficult to pronoqnce concerning its fuccefs. The enunciation of
a trutl?, and the ftatement of a plain argument, as in fcientific topics, are complete·with refpeCl: both to ·conC:cption and
expreffioh, wheri all th~t is wanted,· and
no more, is communicated to the r~der
in its moft prccife and intelligible form.
Clear notions, in fubjeCls of th~ kind,
almoft neceffarily clothe themfelves -in
proper language; and no one, while receiving the whole inftruttion he feek.s for.
feels a wan_t of any, thing more perfea.
Mathematical demonfirations, and didac-

tic

57

tic leffons of art or fcience, arc of this
kind. In thefe,. if the writer is methodi- ·
cal, clear, and concife, he has done his

part.
The narration of a matter of fat\: perhaps comes next in point of fimplicity ;
but here; diverfity of conception has a
much wider fcopc. Circumftances fl:rikc
different perfons fo differently, that two
are rarely found to agree in their account
of the fame tranfaClion, if in any degree
complicated. Independently of the propcnfity to alter and exaggerate, the felection of incidents varies much in different
relators.
Some dwell rpinutely upon
what to others would appear frivolous
and unintercfting.
Some dramatife a
ll:ory by affigning to each actor his own
peculiar language,i others relate the whole
in their own words. In general, he is
the moft perfeC\: narrator, who puts his
reader moft completely in the fl:ate of a
fpet\:ator; who tranfports him to the very
fpot, marks out to him all the perfonages
by their charactcrifiic features, and fills
the

; ,J

.58

L~TTIR.

S9
logy, unfc:afonab1e digreffions, and impertinent remarks, he caQ fcarcdy f.Ul, with
· a teleaion of ftriking incidents, to produce the defircd effe&
The.·ncxt in order of fimpftcity fccms
PERFECTION'

lV.;

the fcene with manners ·and· action. For
fuccefs in fuch an attempt_, not,hing is fo
neccffary as an imagination capable of
receiving and retaining {hong impreffi~ns..
Where this exifts, and the fubjeCt: of de. fcription is an interefting one, no great
artifice of language IS requifire for pr.oducing a complete effeCt:; and frequently,
the moft perfect fimplicity, and the .alJfence of all defign, prove ~oft fucce1Sful.
The ftory of Joftph in the Old Teftament is manifeftly written without the
leaft art or effort, yet a more affc:c1ing
one is perhaps no where to be met with~
Many other narrations in · the jewi1hfcriptures arc equally unpretending and
equally excellent; and it is a r-emarkable
circumftancc, that the oriental tlyle, fo
ftrained and .figurative in lyrical, prophetic, and even didactic compofitions, fhouki
be fo fimple in the defcription of fa&;.
But this kind of negative merit is a1moit
all that is wanted in the (pecies of writing
in queftion ; and if the relator has tafte
enough to abftain from affeeted· phrafeo-

logy,.

m

WR~TINO.

a

be, an attempt to convince by proccfS.
argumentation addretred t<>. the
reafon. \Vhen a perfon is mafter of his
fubjcCt, and has it .laid up in his mind in
its proper ordonnar:.ce of gradation, protccding from the fimpldt propofitions ro
the more comp1ex, and efublilhing a
regular feries -of deduction till he arrives
at the intended concluuon, it m1y be
thought th:it his power of commu!licating
to

of

others the noti.-:>n~ he himfelf entertains, will follo\V alrr~oft of courfe. ~er,
I believe,, experience has fhewn that men
of ·undoubted intellel1ual fagacity have
not always been happy in attempts of this
kind ; a.~d on refleB:ion it will be feen t~at:
literary talents,, if not of the higheft clafs,
yet rare and ~fpelCable, are required for
0
attatnina
.
c the firft rank as a lo oical or ar~
~mentative writer. Gr~t ptccifion in

to

the

· .ii

60

LETTER

I~

the ufe of words, clear .arrangement of all
the members of a fentence> clofcnefs of
mctho'd, firength ' arid concifcnetS of apreffion without harlhhefs or ~bfcurity,
are elfential to perfection . in this department of writing; and if fomewhat of the
grace and amenity of language b~ added>
which is not incompatib1e with the ~ther
reqtiifites, the effect of conviction may be
promoted, by leading on th~ reader pleafantly through a topic perhaps naturally
dry and unalluring. I conceive. Cicero
and Hume to be examples of this union
of every ufeful and agreeable quality in
difcuffions purely phiJofophical.
·
If the manner of the former of thcfe
writers in his ftriCl:er philofophical works
be · compared with that in his popular
ethical pieces, a_nd his <;t"ations, a juft idea
may be formed of the progrefs from an
addrefs to the r~afon alone, to an attempt
to perfuade by addreffing the affeCl:ions
likewife. · This combination is oratory or
eloqumce,; and there are few occafions of
importance in· human life in which the
poffeffion

PElllECTION JN' WRITING.

61

poffeffion of this q'uality, either i~ fpeefh
or ·writing; is not felt as- a high degree of
fuperiority. Its "field, too, is fo large,
that its point of abfolute perfc:Ctio_n is
fcarccly affignable; and genius, that celbf.
rlal faculty, _to the powers of which no
limits i::in be affigticd, finds in it fufficient
play for all ·its energies. Rhetoric ha$
long ago been defined "µie art-of perfuaJion ;" its end, therefore, is fufficiently ·
obvious; and it may be faid, in a general
way, to. be perfect when it attains that
end. But there will. commonly be room
ro afk, would not fomething more excellent have anfwe red it better? might
not a more fkilful orator gain over conviB:ion to the oppofite fide o~ the quef·
tion? R~afon, .. by itfelf, is a principle of
tolerably equal op.era.tion in minds pro·
perly .difpofed to _receive it; b!-lt ' where
the paffions are of the p:irty, no on~ can
be fure of the event. Tafte alfo affumes
great f way where appeals are made to
the imagination or to the finer feelings;
and admiration may contribute to bfas
the

6~

L :ITT .E 1'.

IV.

63
nft:>ning-and ·by .a . ftylc of language
Pl.R.Fl'CTIO'N IN WlUTING.

the deci6ons of the judgment. The per. fcaion of oratory, then, .will be fcen to be
a very complicated confideration, refer~
ring pot only to tl}e .fubjefr treated o(,
but . to the perfons to whom it is · ad·
dre.lfed. Let us, however,. limit the. cafc
to an addrefs to perfons ·prcpan:d by a
certain degree of refinement in manners,
and of acquaintance with the beauties of
literature; to perfons, alfo, of .frnfe and
knowledge of the world, and under no
immediate impreffion of cnthufiafm. In
thefe circumftanccs, I conceive that argument fhould be the ftaple, the main
body, .of the difcourfe; and that the ap.
pearance of. a declamatory effi.Jfion. of
.-common-place rhetoric Jhould by all
·means be avoided~, But .argument may
be greatly affifted by the variety of lights
in which it is placed-by ftrong defcriptions, pathetic
humorous~ r(:fulring
from real or hypothetical confequences of
the matter in debate-by drawing -to a
luminous point <>r focus all the inferences
and -dedufrions flowing from the train of

or

reafoning

1micilated with ·~ergeric cxpreffions and
lively ~- . 'In thefe particulars
tiR:s che true art -of dratorf, an art which
-idS: in ~~n to teach by' fo~l rules, cn;-

eon-

joiniog

or ~

certii~ · ~ivifions a~ ,_<ubdivi~~~

f ubje&, md dirccbng :th~ . orator
6c warm, itnd when to' be ·coo);
-heft ·.tirriplc,-··aOO: :when metiphoriC:al.
·Sudh lfyftcmatical l'hccoric produces nO-thing but · ~daritic oand . tedious h:rwh~n to

iaiigties; which . w~ary the patience ·of
evtiry ·hearer, :·an'd though .they' :may be
il?Ptauded ·;n the fchools, are of· no ufe
t">r effc:Cl: in real lit~, . The otatot who
willies to perfuade, muit take his rules
from 'his . fubject, his audience, his .own .
, feelings, and his. own peculiar: talents.;
'for talents of very qiffercnt kinds may by
ipropcr' management be made 'equally to
-c:oncur in clie grand eff'~ct of perfuafion.
-ln fotn~, a rapid ftrai~. of argument,
.(lri8:ly · deduced f.rom the matter in debate, .del.ivered in eameft, glowing, ·bu~
pot choice or 'ornamented language, ·an4

6

qwelling

r. .

64

L .B T T I It.

JV.

P!ltFECTIOK J1f WllITING•

dwelling Jong and fully upon the fame
topics, has proved highly fuccefSful. Such
appears ~o have been the . eloquence of
the Grecian- Demofthenes ; and . fuch is
.that of a fpe'aker, .certainly not his inferior in powers of mind, the Englilh Fox.
This fpedes, however, feems bctte~
adapted for oral delivery, than for writing. To the hearer its effed: is enhanced
by the accompaniments of voice and action; nor is he liable to be offended with
negligeni:ies . or tautologies· which might
give difguft in the lcifurely furvey of a
reader. On the contrary, the wide reach
and compafs of thought, tlic fplendour
anc;l copioufncfs of illuflration, the profufe
imagery and ·poetical conceptions of a
Burke (a man whom I know not where
to par~lcl), might ·often bewilder: ~~d
fatigue the hearer, while to the reader
they have afforded the higheft gnttification, and often proved irrcfiftibly convincing. The ftrong, pointed, . homely
fenfe of a Paine, how!ver, has not been
inferior in efficacy to his antagonift's ·p ro-

fufion

(;S

fulion of excellencies ; and thus every different mode of oratOry, .if pnttnfCd by a
mafter, may produce in its (avour.the cri·~crion of perfection. This is, to con~.
vince the reafoit in the very face of prcpoflcffio.n; to wield at will the paffiom;
to. cairn the furious arid roufe the torpid;
in lhott,, to cffetl: by the mere power of
~rf~fion; ab that Cari He.done bf brutt:
force· or all-fubduing gold.
The perfet:Uon of hifioricai cdmpofition demands a ffill greater aff'emblage oC
literary qualiflcatlons. ·Oratory, in the
dirca form of ha.rangues, once conftituted
a part of it J and fome of the be ft fpeci.;.
mens of CJoqilerice of this kind are to be
found in hiftories. •But though thi~ P,rac~ce is now abolilhed (I think, judicioufly., a5 it injured the moft cffcnti:tl of all
i~preffions, that of veracity ) 1 ~et occafions
contini.JaJly occur in ari interefi:ing narrative in wbiCh fcopc is given for the moff
genuine eloquence. . And notwithftandiog it may be true, that authentic hiO:ory,
however wriuen,, is capable of giving
VoL.
F
plcafurc,

n.

66

LETT

ra. iv~

pleafure, . yet I prefume there arc · few
readers to whom it would be indifferent
whet)tcr they took the relation of Agrippina's landing at Brundufium, of the trial
of Strafford, of the death of ·Mary queen
of Scots, from a Tacitus, Hume, or Robertfon, or from one of the vulgar chroniclers of the time. Moreover, ·we expeCl: from the complete hiftorian a lucid
arrangement and ikilful developemcnt of
fa&, often involved .and perplexed with
con~r~d~Ctions; fagacity to trace the corinexion of caufes and effeCl:s;. penetration
to deteCl: the motives and true charaB:ers
of men, ~owever difguifed by artifice;
together with that philofophical fpirit
freedom from preju~ice which cntidc the
writer to afi"ume the office o.f an inftrufrorF
and point the great leffon of human events..
Poffeffed of thefc requifrtcs, the hiftorian
.may be allowed confiderable btirud~ in
his ftyle. - If he is merely perfpicuou5>
Correa, and elegant, he will avoid blame;
but he will not attain the praifc of a fine
writer without the power of enriching his

and

S·

67
language, when "the _fubjeet .fay-o\J~s .him)
with every figure that. can . give . it !Orce-,
m~jcfty, and beauty. · Hifl:orical writing
is,in"profe, what the epic is. ln verfc-a
field .for every varied ~exertion of ·which
. the compofer~s mind may be' CaPabJt.
This obfcrvatlon leads me "to . the fpe•
cies compofitlon with which I mean to
conclude ; Poctry~the tn}Jft difticuk · o(
all ca reduce to the laws of_.critical judgment. The dHlinguifhing purpofe of
poetry has often been ftatcd tO be that o(
pkafing'; but various explanatio"ns feem
ncceffary before chis principle can be
adapted to ufe. Perhaps . the .whole bufincfs ·of "lltrfification may' at. ~nee be. referred ·to the. ple1!fure it is by experience
found . capable of gi ~ing to the ear ; an
idea I fhou~d willingly admit, as it would
cftablilh an eafy ·difcrimination · between
. poetry and pro(e by a ftngle charaCl:eriftic,·
which otherwife is not to be found. But
in .order to efttma:te the -value of the other
ingredients of which poetry is compofed,
we ought, .I conceive, to procred beyond
PIRFlCTioN IN tlUTINO.

language~

of

F

1

the

,8

L E T T E R.

tY'.

the fimple notion of plcaftng, and expand
our idea of the art to the comprehenfion
of 1111 thal in writing is capahle ·of imparting
lo the mind every impref/ion in its mojJ uguifite tltgru. It would .lead me too fat
were I to enµmcrate the various figures
of poetry_, and attempt to fbow how each
contributes to ~e augmentation of impreffon. It is obviou~ however> that the
figures of comparifon illuftrate and enforce
the original idea; and that profopopreia
and perfonification bring the fccne direatr
before the eye;. and bellow on it life and
a.aion. That the peculiarities of poetical
lal\,auage alfo give pll~ure I mean not to
deny; and perhaps poets have in fome·
cafes more attended to the amufemcnt o(
their readers> than to the enforcement .of
a particular fubjea. This feems cfpecially to be with fome writers the lntclltion offimiie;' which.; if purfued to minutc.nefs; as many of Homer;s; fubftitutc a
hew piChtrc to the imagination; ofren to
the temporary obliteration of the original
one. But thi' is really a fault when it
interrupt&

·PERJECTIOH lK WllfTlNO.

69

or

interrupts ~e coll!'fe of .a narrative
itfclf highly intercfting.
'The poetry of d~ription and of fen.timcnt is no other than. tlogumce in 'Vtrfl 1
and the advantage of this form over thac
·o( prok arifes &o~ the· pleafure, and in.deed> in fame cd'cs, th~ · confo~ce oC
dfcet, obt.iincd by · meafured ·harmony;
~thcr ·with the 'licence of u11ng without
reftriUnt ·tliofe figures which ·give ·glow
and animation · ta language. . One of the
~ft pcrfcB: examples of the efficacy of
thefe means is Pope's ·cpiftle of Eloila to
Abelard, of- whiCh the . though~ are al- .
moR: all to be found in the . real correfpondence between thofe · celebrated charat!crs·: but how are they heightened,
how adorned, how animated by the rich
'melody and vivid cxpreffion of.that great
nuftcr l Compare> too, the fkctch given
by Virgil of the battle of Aaium with
any profc relation of the · fame · event•
With how much more force and diftintl:edi js the fcene brought to view I how is
k. aggrandized by a fele~Hon of great inl" J
cideqts,

'JO
L 1t T T E I. JV.
cidcnts, and the ·fupprt.ffion of every thing
petty and trivial ! above all.1 : what dignit)'
is thrown about it by · ~- introduCl:ion. of
fifficious perfonage5> (upaior ·to human·!
.. tis this ufc_.of .f.l/~11 that. Jnany aitics
have regarded as "tl;c priµcipal ~araderif­
tic of true ~uyi and douhtlefs.. !fhajt
contributes 'tO enhance the de.fired imp~­
uon»·:it~ the nobldl ~xcr:tion t>f poetical
genius. ._But. _how frcquentlf is it found
wt ~ :-intrqdµaion of cddlial.: beings
only tends to dc~::the hu,man; aod
that the mixture -of P-~m~_ ~veots
Fea!i::::.es - (if I . may ufe the cxpreffioo)
the natural part of; thc_fablc? The ~
produaion of wonder and furprife.. which
fome ha"ve rcprcfcntcd ~ the moft ·elf~
tja1 bufiocfs Of ·poei:ry.. .·.is-bfitn ancmpt~
,.ith at : leaft as grcu fUc:ecfs in profe;
-r.·itnefs the Arabiaa Nights,~ the wbolc
dafS of novels ana romances. On the
other hand, fame of die findl: pocms211:
limited to 'llrhat is ftriaiy natural in defcr1ption, i>nly b~ightcned by a fdcffion

cf the moil fuik.ing circUmllanccs .'2IX1
the

PERFECTION IN WR.ITINOe

71

the moft pcrfe8: (pcc1mcns, and rct off
with all the glow and relief ·or Lhong colouring.
I return then.to the criterion ~( perfeB:
poetry,
venture to fuggeft that ic
confi(l:s in ·the foret with V(hich it impre.fl"es the heart' or the imagination, joined tCi the plet!furt it. affords by. the artifice
its' 'numbed, an~ by the v~ety and
fplendour of its diaion. · · The number of
fubjctl:s ·-0~ whic~ poetry is employed,
and ·the: different forms .it is made to affume~ ivill ~~er allow a .wide fcopc to the
di~erlitics ~r taftc in fclcaing ics favourit~s ; ..
any general rules controul ·
the e.ffe8: of' .partial ~ociations. It .is,
however, · dcfirablc that the mind 1hould
excellence of 'as
acquire a. fenfibilicy'
many kinds as poffible; · and he is the
happieft reader of poetry who can· enjoy
the mafterpieces of every age
country, and in every· fpecies of poetical com- ·
pofition. · There feems to be a greater
propcnfity.to make cbmparifons of merit
in ·this, · than in any oth~r department of
F4.
· literature.;

and .

ot

nor can

to.

and

LETT Ea.

PERF!eTIOW IN WRITINC.

.JV.

literature; a~ in none docs eogm:nif01
flf opinion fo much prevail. It is an
ufual thing for thofe who arc the moft
J!1pturous admirers of one author> ·to af~
r~q. the profoundeft contempt for an<~­
thcr, perhaps his rival in general fame.
Y ct l imagine the · criterion ·above mentioned, if fairly applied, will afford ~
cecikve a teft ~f poetical merit, as cxifis
for many other kinds of literary excel~
Jenee. One exception, however, muft
be admitted. It is impoffib)c for. any
one to acquire an adequate feeling of the

beauties of -cerj'ificati,11 in a foreign JaD.
guage; and therefore he 1hould dceline
~ co111~ons in this point except be...
rwecp Jhe writers in his ow~
Frpm _the notion above given · Qf the
perfetlion of poetry, I think it will follow
.as a corollary,· that true Une ~ot approve any of thofe . devices for making. it
the compofer . which have becll
Jatdy prailifed, confifting of loofe vcrfificarion, the a~fe~ce of rhyme "·here cx~er tQ

r-eaed1 profaic fimpµci9' of language, and
·
·
the

73

die like ; for) that the . real purpofc or
fucb liberties· is to favour the lazinef5 0£
th~ wri~ers1
not to add an agrccablct
:variety to tlleir pcrformanees, I am well
tonVinced. As poetry is · a luxury and
not ~ neccftary_, 'its multiplication ·is not
o'bjea .to be ftudicd_ at the cxpence_ of
its excellence; .and a ' little' . of it, of the
fiil~ft: kimf
richeft flavour, anfwers ics
purp6fe much· l:>c::tter than an abundance
of ordinary growth.
Wha~ ·then~ ·- after . thefct particular inquiries, fiian · ~e fay confiirutes the general pcrfeffiorJ pf writing ? I can difcover no· other univ~rfal principle in this
cafe, · than tha.t: which is applicable to
every.effort of art-the degree ·in which
it accompfifhcs the · purpofe ~tended.
This confideration will, no doubt, ever
leave room for fome diverfity of judg:..
ment i fincc neither the purpofe, nor its
attainment,_ · 'Will appear cxaflly in the
fame light to all. · Y ct I cannot but
think that it offers a more promifing ac~tfS to uniformitr, than might be · con.
· ceivcd

and

an

and

I
I't

'
r ,

i

'

''
i .

!~ '

i

!

'.
I
'

t' i

I

!

74

I'
L Z T T X g

ttiv~d by one

JV'.

( · 7S )

who had never fcriouOy

dwelt upon it. Erro~ous. }~dgmcnu,
(fpecially of the unfavourable_ kind, arc
often made from the unre~(onable . cxpcll:ation of · what was nev~r : ~efigned-of
what was impoffible·to be effctl:ed.
Let the critic then begin wjth obtaining a clear idea ~f what he ought to look
for in a ~ork of literature, and. not pronounce its condemnation : beca~fc he ~oes
not find what ignorance alone could have
l~ hi~ .to expctl:. With _aj~dgm.ent fo
prepared, and a miQd fr!!~ from ordinary
prejudices. and . partiali~ies~ . he will probably feldom fail of dec~d~ng rightly con.cerning tJ1at approach to perfell:ion, which
is all that .the conditfon o( .human nature
:will permit io the moft exalted genius.

Farewell!

LETTER

I

I.
l
j

'

LETTER V.
ON AUTHORITY IN .MATTER OF OPINIOll.

· DEAR SON>

I How mean to fulfil an apeCl:ation I
formerly raifCd, of making the important
topic of authority the fuhjcCl: of a letter.
It is the authority cxercifcd over the underftanding, to which I fhall confine my
difcuffiori; a fpccies, concerning which it
may ·afi"umcd, that man has given up
none of his rights on entering into fociety, and therefore thatit is at all times
fully ·open to inquiry. There have been
ages, indeed, in 'Yhich fubmiffion to authority was confiderid as one of the moft
facrcd duties·; and no arguments were
allowed to be adduced againft the diCl:ates
of thofc who bad obtained> no one cxattly
knew

oe

316

l.~TT.ER.

:XVII.

then judge of the encouragement fuch an
employment of the faculties affords.
ldow eafy woul~ it be to multiply examples to this effect, were it ne~dfary I
Another divifion of ftudies may be
formed (not, indeed, with Chict accuracy
of arrangement,· but fufficient for the prcfent purpofc) upon a view of what 11w1r
.lJas dcne, confidered .as 'a creator in art
and fcience. A multiplicity of objeCls
here opens upon. the mind, of which I.
fhall content myfelf with feleaing two or
three for particular confideration.
As. the nobleft
diftina.ion of a human
'
being is the ufe of language, that ar~ which
teaches _to ufe it in the heft manner; ot
the art of compo.fitirm, may take the lead
under this divifion. By fiudying its prin~.
cipl~s, fo as to be _able to enter into all
the. beauties and delicades of fine writing,
a fource of entertainment of the highcft
kind is provided, i~dependently of the
power acquired of imitating what we admire. I have already tou~hed upon this
fubjetl: in i;ny -letter on the advahtages
refulting

ON' DIFFERENT STUDIES.

317

a

ttfulting .from tafte for poetry' but k is
capable of great extenfion 'by comprehending · the art . of criticifm in all ics
branches•.. This. comprizes- an accurate
refearc;f\ into t.h~ natur~ of. language in
general,. and ·the genius Qf thofe particula'
laoguag~ in whic;h the ftudent is coriver...
fan~;. -a_~ a.~q~aj!:Jt~ce with the character
of fiyle in aU_ its ·diverfities, .and th~ various.figures of fpeech employed to adorn
or invigorate it; a knowledge of the effcntial dillinftions between the different
fpecies. or' c~mpofitlon; and a familiaritj
with all the principal works of different
ages. and countries, in "order to trace imitations and form e~Cl: ideas of comparalive merit. The .number of capital produftions in yerfe :rnd profe to which the
ancient and a few of the modern languages
give accefS, is fo great, that ·the cricical
ftudy -of them will furnifh employment
for all the leifure any fcholar can command; and. fo fcductive is this branch of
literature, that pcrfons claffically edu~ated

arc. often feen to make it almoft the fole
. occupation

