3. John Oldmixon, _The Arts of Logic and Rhetorick_ (London, 1728), pp. 416-17. 4. Cf. _Dunciad_ A, II, ll. 271-78, and _Dunciad_ B, II, ll. 283-90, in James Sutherland, ed., _The Dunciad_ in _The Poems of Alexander Pope_, Vol. V, 2nd ed. (London, 1953). Oldmixon was less prominent in the 1728 edition (Dunciad A, II, ll. 199-202); when he was elevated to a higher level of dullness he was succeeded in his original place by Leonard Welstead (Dunciad B, II, ll. 207-10). AN ESSAY ON _CRITICISM_ As it regards Design, Thought, and Expression, In PROSE and VERSE. _By the AUTHOR of the Critical History of_ ENGLAND. [Illustration] _LONDON:_ Printed for J. PEMBERTON, at the _Golden-Buck_ in _Fleet-Street_. MDCCXXVIII. 1_s._ 6_d._ [Illustration] AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM; As it regards _Design, Thought, and Expression, in Prose and Verse._ I am very far from any Conceit of my own Ability, to treat of so nice a Subject as this, in a Manner worthy of it; but having frequently observed what Errors have been committed by both Writers and Readers for want of a right Judgement, I could not help collecting some loose Hints I had by me, and putting them into a little Form, to shew rather what I would do than what I can do; and to excite some happier Genius, to give us better Lights than we have hitherto been led by, which is said with great Sincerity, and without the least Mixture of Vanity or Affectation. I shall not, in this _Essay_, enter into the philosophical Part of Criticism which _Corneille_ complains of, and that _Aristotle_ and his Commentators have treated of Poetry, rather as _Philosophers_ than _Poets_. I shall not attempt to give Reasons why Thoughts are _sublime_, _noble_, _delicate_, _agreeable_, and the like, but content my self with producing Examples of every Kind of right Thinking, and leave it to Authors of more Capacity and Leisure, to treat the Matter a _Fond_, and teach us to imitate our selves what we admire in others.