which conftitute the merit of fine writing in general, or to delineate the peculiar features by which excellence is marked in, the several species of compofition. may, however, be of fome use to enumerate several of the leading objects of attention in criticism.

It

CRITICISM examines the merit of literary productions under the three general heads of Thought, Arrangement, and Expreffion.

THE ESSENTIAL characters of good writing, refpecting the THOUGHTS, ideas, or fentiments, are that they be confonant to nature, clearly conceived, agreeably diverfified, regularly connected, and adapted to fome good

end.

CONFORMITY TO NATURE is a quality, without which no writing, whatever other excellence it may poffess, can obtain approbation in the court of good-sense,-the court, to which the ultimate appeal must lie, in all difputes concerning literary merit*. A writer may be allowed to rife above the ufual appearances of nature, by combining things which are not commonly affociated; but he muft adinit nothing which contradicts common sense and experience, or of which a real archetype cannot even be fuppofed to exift. The boldeft flights of poetic fiction must not pafs the boundaries of nature and probability. It is upon this principle that Dr. Johnfon defines poetry, "the art of uniting pleasure "with truth, by calling imagination to the help of "reafon."

Scribendi rectè fapere eft et principium et fens.

I

HOR.

PERFECT

PERFECT and DISTINCT CONCEPTION-a fecond character of thought in good writing-is the bafis of perfpicuity. A writer, whose feeble ́mind produces only half formed embrios of thought, or whofe impetuofity will not permit him to separate his ideas from one another before he cloaths them in language, must be obfcure. The image reflected from the mirror cannot be more perfect than the original object. He who does . not himself clearly understand his own meaning, can have no right to expect that his reader will understand it. Those writers are most liable to this fault, whose ambition, or vanity, outruns their genius. Affecting a degree of novelty and originality which they are not able to attain; they fink into the profound, and become unintelligible.

To juftness and clearness, must be added VARIETY, of conception. It is this quality chiefly, which raises a writer of true genius above one of mean, or moderate abilities. The field of nature lies equally open to all men: but it is only the man whofe powers are vigorous and commanding, who can combine them with that diversity which is neceffary to produce a strong impreffion ; upon the imagination. To difcern, not only the obvious properties of things, but their more hidden qualities and relations; to perceive resemblances which are not commonly perceived; to combine images, or fentiments, which are not commonly combined; to exhibit, in defcription, perfons and things, with all the interesting varieties of form or action of which they are capable, are the offices of genius: and it is only in the degree in

which these marks of genius appear in any literary production, that it can be pronounced excellent.

PERFECTLY Consistent with that variety, which characterizes genius, is another effential quality of thought in good writing, UNITY OF DESIGN. In every piece, the writer fhould have one leading defign; every part fhould have some relation to the reft; and all should unite to produce one regular whole.

Denique fit quidvis fimplex duntaxat et unum.

A thought may be just; a description may be beautiful; a fentiment may be pathetic; and yet, not naturally arifing from the subject, it may be nothing better than a cenfurable excrefcence.

Sed nunc non erat his locus.

Whatever has no tendency to illuftrate the subject, interrupts the reader's attention, and weakens the general effect. This rule muft not, however, be understood to preclude, especially in long works, fuch incidental excurfions, as having fome relation to the main subject, afford the reader an agreeable relief, without destroying the unity of the piece. Epifodes of this kind may compared to the ivy twining about the oak; which," without concealing the form, or leffening the grandeur of the main object, gratifies the eye with a sense of variety.

be

To complete the merit of any literary work as far as thought is concerned, it is neceffary to add to every other excellence that of UTILITY. In writing, as in

life, this ultimate end fhould never be forgotten. Whatever tends to enlighten the understanding, to enlarge the conceptions, to imprefs the heart with the right feelings, or to afford innocent and rational amufement, may be pronounced ufeful. All beyond this is either trifling or pernicious. No ftrength of genius, or vivacity of wit, can dignify folly, or excufe immorality.

BESIDES these effential properties of the Thoughts, which are common to all good writing, there are others, which occur only in certain connections, according to the nature of the fubject, or the genius and inclination of the writer, and which may therefore be called INCIDENTAL. From thefe, which are very numerous, we fhall felect, as a specimen, Sublimity, Beauty, and Novelty.

THOSE Conceptions, expreffed in writing, which are adapted to excite in the mind of the reader that kind of emotion, which arifes from the contemplation of grand and noble objects in nature, are faid to be SUBLIME. The emotion of fublimity is doubtless first produced by means of the powers of vifion. Whatever, is lofty, vaft, or profound, whilft it fills the eye, expands the imagination, and dilates the heart, and thus becomes a fource of pleasure.

Who that, from Alpine heights, his lab'ring eye

Shoots round the wide horizon, to furvey.

Nilus, or Ganges, rolling his bright wave

Through mountains, plains, through empires black with shade,

And continents of fand, will turn his gaze,

To mark the windings of a fcanty rill
That murmurs at his feet?

FROM the fimilarity between the emctions, excited by greatnefs in objects of fight, and by certain other objects which affect the rest of the fenses; and from the analogy which thefe bear to several other feelings excited by different caufes, the term Sublimity is applied to various other fubjects, as dignity of rank, extent of power, and eminence of merit. Hence thofe writers who most successfully exhibit objects or characters of this kind before the imagination of their readers, are faid to be fublime.

IN like manner, because certain objects of fight are distinguished by characters of beauty, and are adapted to excite emotions of complacence, those writers, who represent these fair forms, whether natural or moral, with the most lively colouring, are faid to excel in the

BEAUTIFUL.

MOREOVER, fince there is in human nature a principle of curiofity, which leads us to contemplate unusual objects with the pleasing emotion which is called wonder, NOVELTY becomes another fource of pleasure in works of taste, which affords ample fcope for the display of genius, to those who are indued by nature with an imagination, which can "body forth the forms of "things unknown;" whence their pen

Turns them to fhape, and gives to airy nothing

A local habitation and a name.