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in various languages, at diftant ages and in different fpccies 

 of compofition : it would require alfo a perfedl infight into 

 character, national and individual : a fagacity which could not 

 be impofed on by affumed difguife in the writings it would 

 examine, and a refolute underftanding, which could fet alide 

 all deception of internal prejudice, and reprefs the forvvardnefs 

 of its own vanity in forming its judgments. To aid and 

 dirc(5t fuch qualities in making the enquiry, an accurate bio- 

 graphical account of various authors would be effentially ne- 

 ceffary ; for general obfervations on the fubjeft could reft their 

 veracity only on an induftion of many particulars confirmed 

 bv adlual fadt. As to the antient authors, fo little can at this 

 diftance of time be known of their perfonal habits and private 

 chara<5lers, that any critic who would found his theories on 

 them could at beft entertain us with probable conje(5lure. 

 Nearly the fame objecflion holds with refpedl: to foreign writers. 

 It muft therefore be from works of a later date only, and 

 chiefly from the works of our own countrymen, that any fuch 

 theories are to feek ftabllity : and we know how much the 

 pre-difpofitions and paffions of more modern biographers tend 

 to prejudice the mind of the reader, and mifreprefent the cha- 

 racfler of him whofe life they write : we know how difficult 

 it is to develope the truth from the contradiilory reports of 

 authors under imprefllons of oppofite affedlions, and to form a 

 a juil notion of the features of the original from the pidures 

 drawn by enemies or by admirers. 



National 



