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our language in the fucceeding reigns. The public tafte was im- 

 proved by ingrafting the light beauties of French literature on 

 the folid ftock of Englifli learning ; and then by a happy concur- 

 rence of circumftances our language came to unite copioufnefs and 

 ftrength with grace and elegance. 



So wide was the variation of the ftyle of Addifon and his 

 cotemporaries from that of the period of 1788, that no fub- 

 fequent variation wasfo great or fo obvious. His found judgment 

 and fine tafte raifed the language in which he wrote, at one effort, 

 as much above its former level as the continued improvements 

 of fucceeding writers raifed it above that at which he left it. Im- 

 provement, however, it did receive, and among thofe who con- 

 tributed to that improvement the amiable Goldfmith holds, 

 perhaps, the highefl place. Pofleffing all the qualities which 

 eonftitute a fine writer, intellect, erudition, and above all, tafte 

 in compofition, diftinguifhed equally by the mild fertility of his 

 imagination, and the corred copioufnefs of his language, he feems 

 to have carried the improvements of Addifon's ftyle almoft as far 

 as they could be carried. But even in this its higheft ftate of 

 excellence it was ftill the ftyle of Addifon, diftinguifhed by 

 nothing but a greater degree of thofe qualities for which the writ- 

 ings of Addifon were remarkable. As it would, therefore, be 

 improper, perhaps, to call thofe improvements variations in ftyle, 

 it will be permitted in an efTay of this nature to pafs them over 

 without more particular notice, and come at once to thofe 

 changes which have been introduced by Dr. Johnfon — the 

 coloifus of Englifli literature— the multiplicity and excellence of 



whofc 



