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On the POETICAL CHARACTER o/" DOCTOR 

 GOLDSMITH. By the Rev. ARCHDEACON 

 B U R R O W E S, late Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, 

 and M. R. L A. 



13 O C T O R Johnfon's lives of the Englifh Poets, however Read AprU 

 his decifions may in feme inftances be controverted, contain ^^^ '''^^' 

 a body of the moft found and valuable criticifm. Regular 

 treatifes of elementary principles on the fubjed at large are 

 more difficult and lefs entertaining than a colledion of judi- 

 cious obfervations on particular works or particular authors. 

 The latter lie within a narrower compafs, and require little 

 antecedent preparation in the reader, while the former appear in 

 an abftradl form, and being ufually conclufions by indudion 

 pre-fuppofe a knowledge of the particulars from which they are 

 inferred, or being dedudlions from metaphyfical principles in 

 human nature are abftrufe and technical. General truths are 

 perhaps beft taught by their fpecific application, where grow- 

 ing naturally from the inftance they partake of its familiarity 

 and are developed by its explication. 



Vol. VI. ( K ) The 



