BOOK II. navigator, or architect, it is not enough that he is advised to be one, that he is convinced by the arguments of his adviser, that it would be for his advantage to be one, and that he resolves to be one, but he must also be taught the principles of the art, be shewn all the methods of working, and how to acquire the habits of using properly all the instruments; and thus regularly and gradually he arrives by practice at some perfection in the art. If he does not proceed thus, he is apt to meet with difficulties that discourage him, and make him drop the pursuit. My Art of Virtue has also its instruments, and teaches the manner of using them. Christians are directed to have faith in CHRIST as the effectual means of obtaining the change they desire. It It may, when sufficiently strong, be effectual with many : for a full opinion, that a Teacher is infinite

entitled Protagoras. Plutarch has likewise a short Essay to prove Ὅτι διδακτον ἡ ἀρετη. And Cicero seems to convey the same opinion when he says Consuetudo exercitatioque capienda, ut boni ratiocinatores officiorum esse possimus: And indeed the whole of his Treatise de Officiis is nothing but an Art of Virtue.

ly wise, good, and powerful, and that he will
certainly reward and punish the obedient
and disobedient, must give great weight to
his precepts, and make them much more
attended to by his disciples.
But many

have this faith in so weak a degree, that it
does not produce the effect. Our Art of
Virtue may, therefore, be of great service to
those whose faith is unhappily not so strong,
and may come in aid of its weakness. Such
as are naturally well-disposed, and have been
carefully educated, so that good habits have
been early established, and bad ones pre-
vented, have less need of this art; but all
may be more or less benefited by it. It is,
in short, to be adapted for universal use.
I imagine what I have now been writing
will seem to savour of great presumption:
I must therefore speedily finish my little
piece, and communicate the manuscript to
you, that
you may judge whether it is pos-
sible to make good such pretensions.
shall at the same time

I

hope for the benefit

of your corrections *.

A a 4

-I am &c.

B. FRANKLIN,

It does not appear that the little work here mentioned

was ever given to the public.

CHAP.

III.

BOOK II.

Elements of
Criticism.

CHAPTER IV.

"Elements of Criticism."—Origin and Progress of Cri
ticism.-Mr Harris's notions on that subject examined.
-Aristotle's Critical and Rhetorical Writings.-His
Art of Poetry-His Art of Rhetoric.-Demetrias
Phalereus on Elocution.-Longinus.-Lord Kames's
plan original, but the way paved by former writers.—
Dr Hutcheson's Essay on Beauty and Virtue.-Aken-
side's Pleasures of Imagination.-Other writers, Ger-
ard, Burke, &c.—Scope and Object of "Elements of
“ Criticism.”—Advantages of such Disquisitions.—The
Author's method of Discussion.—Examples.-Utility of
the work, independent of the rectitude of its theoretical
Opinions.-Certain disadvantages of this sort of Criti-
cism.-Nature of the Author's Taste.—Works proceed-
ing from the school of Lord Kames.-Campbell's Phi-
losophy of Rhetoric.-Mr Alison's Essay on Taste.-
Other works in Philosophic Criticism.

Ir appears from the letters of several of
Lord Kames's correspondents, and in parti-
cular from those of Dr Franklin and Mr
Hans Stanley, that he had for several years

meditated an extensive work on the Principles of Criticism. In treating this subject, it was his design to proceed altogether on a new plan, and to adopt a mode of investigation different from that which had been followed by any preceding writers, either among the ancients or moderns: a design, therefore, in which, I think, he has the merit of originality, and is justly entitled to the praise of being the inventor of a science; I mean that which has been with propriety termed Philosophical Criticism. As this may at first sight appear a bold assertion, it is necessary to be at some pains in illustrating and supporting it.

In speculating on the moral and intellectual nature of man, a subject which seems to have been the favourite study of Lord Kames in every period of his life, and in reflecting on the various sources of our enjoyments, it had often occurred to him as a matter of surprise, that ingenious and able men had never turned their attention to investigate, in a truly philosophical manner, the causes of that pleasure which is derived from the productions of the fine arts of

СНАР.

IV.

BOOK II. Poetry, Painting, Sculpture, Music, and Architecture in other words, to trace the rules of criticism to their true principles in the constitution of the human mind, and the nature of the passions and affections.

Origin and progress of Criticism.

It is an obvious remark, that works of genius in the fine arts existed before the knowledge or the discovery of any rules for the formation of such works, and that the first critics drew the laws of their art from a nice examination of the productions of the poets, painters, sculptors, musicians and architects, which were found to have given pleasure to the general taste. But it is an observation equally worthy of notice, though perhaps it will not be so readily assented to, that not only those first critics, but all who have followed them in the same department, down to modern times, had, till very lately, founded their rules of criticism on no other basis than authority, or the practice of the poets, painters and other artists; and that not one of those critics had ever thought of ascending but a single step higher in the inquiry, by putting the following question, Whether those rules are agreeable to human