In this book, the leading idea of which was hieroglyphically thrown out in a frontispiece to his works in 1745, he acknowledges himself indebted to his friends for assistance, and particularly to one gentleman for his corrections and amendments of at least a third part of the _wording_. This friend, I am assured, was Dr. _Benjamin Hoadly_ the physician, who carried on the work to about a _third_ part, Chap. IX. and then, through indisposition, declined the friendly office with regret. Mr. _Hogarth_ applied to his neighbour, Mr. _Ralph_; but it was impossible for two such persons to agree, both alike vain and positive. He proceeded no farther than about a sheet, and they then parted friends, and seem to have continued such. In the _Estimate of the Manners and Principles of the Times_, vol. I. p. 47, published in 1757 by Dr. _Brown_, that author pays a compliment to Mr. _Hogarth's_ genius. Mr. _Ralph_, animadverting on the work, amongst other things, says, "It is happy for Mr. _Hogarth_, in my humble opinion, that he is brought upon the stage in such company, rather for the sake of fastening some additional abuse upon the public, than of bestowing any special grace upon him. 'Neither the comic pencil, nor the serious pen of our ingenious countrymen (so the Estimator or Appraiser's Patent of Allowance runs) have been able to keep alive the taste of Nature or of Beauty.' For where he has chosen to be a niggard of his acknowledgements, every other man would chuse to be a prodigal: Nature had played the _Proteus_ with us, had invited us to pursue her in every shape, but had never suffered us to overtake her: Beauty all had been smitten with, but nobody had been able to assign us a rule by which it might be defined: This was Mr. _Hogarth's_ task; this is what he has succeeded in; composition is at last become a science; the student knows what he is in search of; the connoisseur what to praise; and fancy or fashion, or prescription, will usurp the hacknied name of taste no more. So that, whatever may be said in disparagement of the age on other accounts, it has more merit and honour to claim on this, than any which preceded it. And I will venture for once to prophesy, from the improvements already manifested, that we shall have the arts of designing to value ourselves upon, when all our ancient virtues are worn out." The office of finishing the work, and superintending the publication, was lastly taken up by Dr. _Morell_, who went through the remainder of the book.[40] The preface was in like manner corrected by the Rev. Mr. _Townley_. The family of _Hogarth_ rejoiced when the last sheet of the _Analysis_ was printed off; as the frequent disputes he had with his coadjutors, in the progress of the work, did not much harmonize his disposition.