of the Sciences and Arts. 255 



out degrading itfelf, mull ever ftand high in our 

 eftimation ; and by being intcrnaingled with our 

 more ferious labours, will afford a degree of 

 cheerfulnefs, vigour, and aftivity which will 

 tend more than any other means to infure fuccefs 

 in higher purfuits. 



Of an endeavour to fix the comparative excel- 

 lence of the polite arts with each other, the refulc 

 would be of little ufe, nor is the fubjefl fufcep- 

 tible of novelty. There is no great difficulty in 

 influencing the judgment to the purfuit of any 

 particular ftudy ; but the fentimental faculty 

 choofes its own objeds, and feldom makes a pro- 

 ficiency in any branch of art which it has not 

 fpontaneoufly adopted. 



I have thus made a faint attempt to elucidate 

 an idea, which I conceived to be of confiderable 

 importance] and though I pretend not to have 

 balanced with an accurate hand the comparative 

 merit of the fciences, it is enough for my pur- 

 pofe, if I induce others to refleft, that there 

 is a very confiderable difference in the degree of 

 attention that ought to be paid to them. And 

 it will, I hope, fufficiently appear, that the cul- 

 tivation of the moral fenfe ought to be the 

 grand objedl of our endeavours, and that even 

 the improvement of our intelled is laudable, 

 principally, as it promotes this great end. 



Let it however be permitted me to remark, 



that throughout this effay, I have confidered 



S 1 every 



