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justly afferted to be not lefs important. It is the defign of this Effay, briefly to represent the BENEFITS which are to be expected from this kind of reading; and to fuggeft certain RULES for conducting it in the most advantageous manner.

THE agreeable EMPLOYMENT which reading works of taste affords the active faculties of the mind, is its firft and moft obvious effect.

THE productions of genius, whether written in the narrative, defcriptive, or dramatic form, agree in the general character, of prefenting before the mind of the reader certain objects which awaken his attention, exercise his fancy, and intereft his feelings. Those scenes in nature, which, from caufes which it is the business of philosophy to explore, are adapted to excite in the fpectator agreeable perceptions and emotions, may, by the aid of language, be exhibited in colours, lefs vivid indeed than those of nature, but fufficiently bright, to make a ftrong impreffion upon the imagination. A fimilar effect will be produced by the representation of human characters and actions, but with a fuperior degree of force, on account of the fuperiority of animated, to inanimate nature, and on account of the peculiar intereft, which men naturally take in whatever concerns their own species. These are rich and fpacious fields, from which genius may collect materials for its various productions, without hazard of exhaufting their treasures.. The ancients, numerous as their works of fancy are, were capable of enriching them with an endless variety of imagery, fentiment and language. That ftrict adherence

to

to nature, which good-fense, and correct taste obliged them to observe, produced indeed fuch a general refemblance, as must always be found among difciples of the fame school; and fometimes we find them copying, with too much fervility, the works of other artists. But there were few among them, who were not able to collect, from the common magazine of nature, ftores before unnoticed, and to adorn their works, not only with new decorations of language, but with original conceptions. And, notwithstanding the complaint of indolence and dulnefs, that the topics of defcription, and even of fictions are exhaufted; genius ftill fometimes afferts her claims, and proves that the variety of her productions, like that of the operations of nature, is without limit.

HENCE, they who are converfant with works of genius and tafte, find a variety in their fources of entertainment, in fome measure proportioned to the extent of their acquaintance with languages. The industrious scholar, who has, with many a weary step, so far won his way through the rugged path of grammatical ftudies, as to have acquired a competent knowledge of the antient Greek and Roman languages, is arrived at a fertile and well-cultivated plain, every where adorned with the faireft flowers, and enriched with the choiceft fruits.

THE writings of the ancients abound with excellent productions in every interesting kind of compofition. There is no pleafing affection of the mind, which may not, in these invaluable remains of antiquity, find ample scope for gratification. The Epic Muse, whether the

appears

appears in the majeftic fimplicity of Homer, or in the finished elegance of Virgil, prefents before the delighted imagination an endless variety of grand and beautiful objects, interefting actions, and characters ftrongly marked, which it is impoffible to contemplate without a perpetual fucceffion of agreeable emotions. Tragedy, whether the rages with Æfchylus, or weeps with Sophocles, or moralizes with Euripides, never ceases to wear a dignified and interefting afpect. Comedy, in the natural and easy dress, in which, after the best Greek models, fhe is clothed by Terence, can never fail to please. Lyric poetry, whilft it rolls on, like an impetuous torrent, in the lofty ftrains, and the wild and varied numbers of Pindar, or flows in a placid and tranfparent ftream along the channel of Horatian verfe, or glides brifkly through the bowers of love and joy in the fportive lays of Anacreon, by turns affonithes, fooths, and delights. Elegy, through the foft and plaintive notes of Bion or Tibullus, melts the foul in pleasing fympathy: whilst Pastoral Song, in the artlefs notes of Theocritus, or in the fweet melody of the Mantuan pipe, plays gently about the fancy and the heart. Satire, in the mean time, provides entertainment for those who are difpofed to laugh at folly, or indulge an honeft indignation against vice, in the fmile of Horace, the grin of Lucian, and the frown of Juvenal. So rich and various are the treasures, with which the Greek and Roman writers furnish thofe, who have enjoyed the advantage of a claffical education.

BUT, without having recourfe to the ancients, it is poffible to find in modern languages valuable fpecimens

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of every species of polite literature. The English language, in particular, abounds with writings addreffed to the imagination and feelings, and calculated for the improvement of tafte. No bne, who is not fo far blinded by prejudice in favour of antiquity as to be incapable of relishing any thing modern, can doubt, that excellent examples of every kind of literary merit are to be found among the British writers. The inventive powers of Shakspeare, the fublime conceptions of Milton, the versatile genius of Dryden, the wit of Butler, the eafy gaiety of Prior, the strength and harmony of Pope, the defcriptive powers of Thomfon, the delicate humour of Addison, the pathetic fimplicity of Sterne, and the finished correctness of Gray, might, with fome degree of confidence, be respectively brought into comparison with any examples of fimilar excellence among the ancients.

FOR minds capable of the pleafures of imagination and fentiment, fuch writings as these provide a kind of entertainment, which is in its nature elegant and refined, and which admits of endless diverfity. By exhibiting images industriously collected and judiciously disposed, they produce impreffions upon the reader's fancy, fcarcely lefs vivid, than those which would refult from the actual contemplation of natural objects. By combining incidents and characters of various kinds, and representing them as afiociated in new and interefting relations, they keep curiofity perpctually awake, and touch in fucceffion every affection and paffion of the heart. Whatever is grand or beautiful in nature; whatever is noble, lovely, or fingular in character; whatever is fur

prifing

prifing or affecting in fituation, is by the magic power · of genius brought at pleasure into view, in the manner best adapted to excite correspondent emotions. A rich field of elegant pleafure is hereby laid open before the reader who is poffeffed of a true tafte for polite literature, which diftinguishes him from the vulgar, at least as much as the man who enjoys an affluent fortune is diftinguished by the luxuries of his table.

BESIDES the immediate gratification which this kind of reading affords, it is attended with feveral COLLATERAL ADVANTAGES, which are perhaps of equal value. The exercise, which it gives to the imagination and feelings, improves the vigour and fenfibility of the mind. It is the natural tendency of an intimate acquaintance with images of grandeur, beauty and excellence, as they are exhibited in works of tafte, to produce a general habit of dignity and elegance, which will feldom fail to tincture a man's general character, and diffufe a graceful air over his whole converfation and manners. It is not unreasonable even to expect, that they who are habitually converfant with beautiful forms in nature and art, and are frequently employed in contemplating excellent characters in the pages of hiftory and fiction, will learn. to admire whatever is noble, or becoming, in conduct..

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