offer to the philosopher a more unbounded field of novelty. CONTENTS. PART I. INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver. 1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver. 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver. 19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver. 26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver. 46 to 67--Nature the best guide of judgment, ver. 68 to 87--Improved by art and rules, which are but methodised nature, ver. 88--Rules derived from the practice of the ancient poets, ver. 88 to 110--That therefore the ancients are necessary to be studied by a critic, particularly Homer and Virgil, ver. 120 to 138--Of licenses, and the use of them by the ancients, ver. 142 to 180--Reverence due to the ancients, and praise of them, ver. 181, &c. PART II. VER. 201, &C. Causes hindering a true judgment--1. Pride, ver. 208--2. Imperfect learning, ver. 215--3. Judging by parts, and not by the whole, ver. 233 to 288--Critics in wit, language, versification, only, ver. 288, 305, 339, &c.--4. Being too hard to please, or too apt to admire, ver. 384--5. Partiality, too much love to a sect, to the ancients or moderns, ver. 394--6. Prejudice or prevention, ver. 408--7. Singularity, ver. 424--8. Inconstancy, ver. 430--9. Party spirit, ver. 452, &c.--10. Envy, ver. 466--Against envy and in praise of good nature, ver. 508, &c.--When severity is chiefly to be used by critics, ver. 526, &c. PART III. VER. 560, &C. Rules for the conduct of manners in a critic--1. Candour, ver. 563--Modesty, ver. 566--Good breeding, ver. 572--Sincerity and freedom of advice, ver. 578--2. When one's counsel is to be restrained, ver. 584--Character of an incorrigible poet, ver. 600--And of an impertinent critic, ver. 610--Character of a good critic, ver. 629--The history of criticism, and characters of the best critics, Aristotle, ver. 645--Horace, ver. 653--Dionysius, ver. 665--Petronius, ver. 667--Quintilian, ver. 670--Longinus, ver. 675--Of the decay of criticism, and its revival. Erasmus, ver. 693--Vida, ver. 705--Boileau, ver. 714--Lord Roscommon, &c. ver. 725--Conclusion. AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM.