fal of learning.* Not but that fome of thofe works are good in their kind, and would be very useful, if we knew how to reftrict the use of them to their true purpofe; but from an abufe which becomes more general every day, they are taken for the boundary where we may stop our course, while they are at best but the roads that conduct us to it. I fay nothing of an infinite number of writings, of which the leaft mifchievous, are thofe cenfured only for being trifling, and of which fome will for ever be the disgrace of reafon and morals, the pernicious fruits of the corruption of tafte, which neceffarily draws along with it the downfal of literature; for a depravity of morals affects that of tafte more nearly than is generally imagined.. Hift. Roy. Acad. Juf. & B. Lett. tom. 16. But : : But to return more immediately to the fubject that true and genuine tafle which is the foundation for júft criticifm, is in the poffeffion of but few and I am perfuaded that the generality of men are more led by the judgment of men of learning and tafte, than fome may imagine the multitude are wretched judges of works of genius, and if the opinion of particular men was not very much regarded, we fhould not fee the true merit of almost every author (who has been dead feveral years) fo well known. It is true, the bulk of readers make a tolerable judgment enough upon works of wit, taken in the grofs; but then they judge wretchedly upon the detail; and whilft a majority among them fhall agree to fay, a work is good upon the whole, there fhall not be any agreement in their judgments upon the feveral parts of it, upon upon this or that particular paffage in it.* The judgment of the multitude on new books resembles, in fome measure, that of the Greeks on a ftatue of Phidias. Alcamanes and he were commanded to make each a statue of Minerva, that the most beautiful of the two might be placed upon a very high pillar. The statues were made, and exposed to the judgment of the publick. The Minerva of Alcamenes appeared exceeding beautiful, when it was feen near, and was preferred by the univerfal voice to all the reft. The Minerva of Phidias, on the contrary, at fo little a distance from the eye, seemed hideous; it had a large gaping mouth, noftrils which appeared to Trublet. fhrink and be drawn back; and had I know not what coarseness of features in the face: Phidias was laughed at, and his work defpifed. Place it, faid he, where it is defigned to be put: they did: and the admired ftatue of Alcamanes appeared nothing at all whereas that of Phidias ftruck with an air of grandeur and majefty, that they could not enough gaze at and admire. Upon which the approbation was given maturely to Phidias, which his rival had surprised; and the poor Alcamenes retired ashamed and confounded: not but Alcamenes was an excellent fculptor, but he was not acquainted with the rules of opticks. In like manner our tribe of little critics and readers want fomebody to point out in what light they fhould confider many books. As much as the philofophical fpirit has been ridiculed, it is the grand foundation on which the fabric of criticism ought to be reared. It is a talent acquired by labour, art, and long habit, and enables us to judge correctly of every thing in the world.*-It is an underftanding which overlooks nothing; an union of just reafonings that nothing can overturn; a fure and judicious tafte of whatever is excellent or vicious in nature. It is the fole rule of the true and the beautiful; nothing then is perfect in the different productions of genius, but what is animated by this fpirit; upon it particularly depends the glory of the Belles Lettres. However, as this rare talent is the fruit of confummate learning, and falls to the fhare of very few learned men, it is neither poffible nor ne * See M. de la Nauze. ceffary |