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obfervations on flyle to expreflion and language, have omitted the 

 mofk dignified and important confideration of their fubjecl. 

 They have begun at the v^Tong end, and appUed themfelves 

 folely to examine the effedl, in the hope of being able to corredl 

 its faults, without any attention to that which is their caufe. The 

 confequence muft be extremely injurious to literature : authors 

 negledl the cultivation of their minds for the polifhing of fen- 

 tences, and never having formed a true eflimate of their powers 

 raflily engage in works ill fulted to their habits, and derogatory 

 to their fame. Criticifm becomes verbal inftead of rational ; and 

 men begin to write and to publifh, who have never once em- 

 ployed themfelves in learning to think. 



Besides the critical ufes which may be derived from fpecula- 

 tions of the fort here pointed out, fuch fpeculations may be yet far- 

 ther recommended by the general pleafure with which they would 

 be received by every defcription of readers. The developing of 

 charad;er is an univerfal and favourite employment : every perfon 

 conceives himfelf an adept in the art, and thinks he pofTeffes a 

 knowledge of criticifm which give pec\iliar certainty to his con- 

 je(5lures. Lavater obferves, in commendation of his art, that 

 every man is in fome degree a phyfiognomifl : and I believe very 

 few perfons ever I'ead a book, at leafl a book of fancy, without 

 forming fome ideas of the author's charadler. If this be fo iini- 

 verfally done, it is defirable that fome affiflance be given by 

 which it may be done with judgment ; by which it may be regu- 

 lated to greater certainty, and direcled to fome advantage. 



To 



