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difcernment, and no author's vocabulary has ever equalled his 

 in a copious affortment of forcible and definite expreffions. 

 Thus, in liis comparifon of Blackmore's attack on the dramatic 

 writers v/ith Collier's, " Blackmore's cenfure," he fays, " was 

 " cold and general, Collier's was perfonal and ardent : Black- 

 " more taught his readers to diflike, what Collier incited them 

 " to abhor." But it is ufelefs to multiply inftances of that 

 which all muft have perceived, fince all his contrafts and com- 

 parifons pofTefs the fame high degree of accuracy and perfedion. 

 From the fame caufe may be inferred the excellence of his pa- 

 rallel fentences, where praife-worthy qualities are feparated from 

 their concomitant faults, or kindred efFeds are difunited : as 

 where he calls Goldfmith " a man who had the art of being 

 " minute without tedioufnefs, and general without confufion ; 

 " whofe language was copious without exuberance, exadi with- 

 " out conftraint, and eafy without weaknefs." But Johnfon's 

 triods occur fo frequently, that I find myfelf always led afide to 

 wonder, that all the effeds from the fame caufe ftiould be fo 

 often difcovercd reducible to the myftical number three: I 

 torment myfelf to find a reafon for that particular order in 

 which the efFeds are recited, and I am involuntarily delayed 

 to confider, whether fome arc not omitted which have a right 

 to be inferted, or fome enumerated which due difcretion would 

 have fuppreffed. Surely I muft be Angular in my turn of thought, 

 or this art of attention, which thus leads away from the main 

 fubjed, cannot be an happy one. 



His defire of harmony has led him to feek even for the mi- 

 nute ornament of alliteration. Thus, he fays, " they toil with- 

 " out profped of praife, and pillage without hope of profit." — 



Shakefpeare 



J 



