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lished and learned nations, and those of people in a 

 more early stage of society. The productions of the lat- 

 ter may, perhaps, shew more genius, but excellence in 

 them is more rare; and they seldom exhibit accuracy and 

 correctness. In reducing excellence to principle, consists 

 the utility of criticism, and systems of rules, for exercis- 

 ing the fine arts. In some stages of society, certain feel- 

 ings will peculiarly predominate: these will call for some 

 displays of the ^"hc arts, in preference to others; and will 

 also enable men to exercise those arfs more successfully. 

 Thus, poetry and music may be more cultivated, and 

 with greater success, in one stage of society than in ano- 

 ther. Heroic poetry, and the graver lyric, may be the fa- 

 vourites and the ornaments of one stage of society; love- 

 poetry, the drama, and satire, of another. But, in a gene- 

 ral view, and abstracting from particular and local circum- 

 stances, all the Jijie arts will be most valued, most culti- 

 vated, and carried to the greatest perfection, where hu- 

 man society is in the most advanced and perfect state: 

 that is to say, where man is in the fullest and freest en- 

 joyment of the exercise of all his faculties; and where 

 those faculties are improved and cultivated, in the highest 

 degree, by a course of education. Man will not apply 

 much to the gratification of artificial wants, while he is 

 besieged by those which are natural and real. He will 

 not pursue, or even understand, the refined luxuries and 

 gratifications of the mind, while he is sunk, and engrossed 

 by those which are merely sensual. He cannot cultivate 

 VOL. X. B the 



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