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them out at their first appearance, and in good time therefore delivered us from them; though she properly spared whatever merit from a slight turn to theory might have involuntarily encouraged them. I trust, therefore, a force of reason 'equal to fitness in works of fancy, will be in future deemed requisite; and, that though true poetry is superior to wit and satire, yet that authors must, like Milton and Pope, excel equally in their respective arts, to let the preference we give to either of their arts, make any difference between them.

I shall add here what I have farther to say upon the present state of the drama; that we may determine how far Corneille, Racine, and their scholars, adherents also of fitness, or their cotemporaries in this country, have forfeited to living dramatists any rank as standard authors.

The issue of the controversy thirty years ago, concerning Shakspeare, being what every body knows, the enemies of genuine freedom in poetry, finding that they failed to crush it as partizans of tyranny, have become anarchists; and produced evils more to be deprecated, than any they had before occasioned. Burke, ever true to philosophy,

and superior to prejudice, as, in the passages last quoted from him, he shewed himself a friend to reason in criticism, so in other parts of his work, particularly his introduction, has appeared equally favourable to sentiment; indeed so much so, that he has perhaps involuntarily contributed to the tendency of works of fancy towards the extreme, at present prevailing, and which, was he now alive, he certainly would discountenance. Superficial reading might shew him, in one part of his introduction, inclined almost to have Mother Goose's Tales substituted for Milton, in the libraries of the learned. We need not, however, from the context, suppose him friendly to childish composition; nor need we any more imagine he would encourage a revolting want of fitness in works of art; they being, according to him," the proper sphere of its power." I have described the perfect statesman, as one in whom every quality was united, in a superior degree, but fitness or judgment predominated: I should describe the perfect poet, as one who had as much of novelty as the statesman, and just as much more of the sublime and beautiful, as he had less of fitness. But a conspicuous command of this is inseparable from genius; while that perfect dislocation of the parts of

composition, produced by modern licentiousness in literature, may suggest to us the idea of infidelity, through the authors she influences, revenging herself on nature by the lex talionis, and persuading them to tear her limb from limb, in return for a similar punishment inflicted formerly upon her own votary, Mettius.*

We have been informed by one, whose business it more particularly is, to observe equally what passes in every part of the nation, and who has eloquently, as usual, delivered his opinion in the House of Commons, that what is chiefly at present to be deplored, is the general ascendancy obtained by the passions over the understanding. A proof of this is seen in the descriptions I have been giving of the state of poetry and criticism; though, as in poetry, sentiment ought to predominate over reason, their error is more venial than that of morals and politics. However extremes are naturally connected, as we shall see, in now proceeding to the consideration of censure, when severely or imaginarily levelled against defect and deformity. The

*I wish, however, it could be said of the theatrical and other witnesses of the retribution, « Avertere omnes a tantâ fæœditate spectaculi oculos."-All turned away their eyes from the disgustful sight. Liv, lib. i.

I

French philosophers many years ago, too much absorbed by science and letters, or too confident of them, to know, like experienced statesmen, what was beneficial for mankind, occasioned great mischief by the imaginary fitness their writings recommended to the credulous; and they encouraged in reading persons, an attachment, which has been since spreading among all, not to that which was most fit, but to that which had most strongly impressed upon it the character of fitness, and was an example of it of a bad kind. I have observed, in my account of fitness, that fortunately, characters very conspicuous for a reforming spirit were not, for some reason or other, the most easily met with in this country: yet there is a great deal of it diffused with science and literature, through this as well as other nations; which is not the less dangerous for operating in small and imperceptible portions. Hence we see virtuous, ingenious, and even loyal, people too readily obey the dictates of of their own reason, in forming opinions either of private or public measures, as thinking it uncandid and irrational to make up their minds, when they are in the way of hearing arguments against them. They are often therefore seen canvassing them, in

Conversation, by no means more cautiously, as they are more important; and if any happen to light upon a skilful reasoner who confutes him, he proclaims his own defeat, from admiration of the light of truth, while he as precipitately takes up his new opinion as he did his old. Such persons ought to know and reflect, that judgment, which exhibits a mode of fitness different from ratiocination, is much more worthy of confidence where material interests are concerned, in their determination on the propriety of measures. It may consist even with the same natural and acquired abilities, as the other supposes in any one person engaged in conversation. It is not therefore the plausible point of view in which objections to public conduct may be placed, which ought to influence us to assent to them. If the rectitude of the standard from which it deviates is only ideal, the love of rule and reason, which inclines to it, will be only an encouragement to indulgences they were intended to restrain; and if that superior discretion is thwarted, for which any set of men are called to the government of a country, principle and passion will be hindered from co-operating for the public good, and produce