791. LITERARY INTELLIGENCER- 259 



cernment of judgment, and coolnefs of attention; and thefe 

 qualites are not to be often expected united among man- 

 kind. An accomplillicd critic is tlien a higher, and 

 more refpeftable character than that of a poet ; he mult 

 have the imagination of the poet, and that judgment 

 which diftinguilhes hinifelf. 



Completelj to relifli the beauties of poetry, is then 

 the lot of a few ; but to view them at a dillance, to 

 have a glimmering profpeft, is dirTnfed through a multi- 

 tude ; and thofe who have this incomplete icnowledge, 

 are generally of that clafs, denominated people of tafte ; 

 though incapable of difcerning what is high in inven- 

 tion, or all that is beautiful in execution, they fee enough 

 to pleafe ; part they can entirely comprehend, part faint- 

 ly Jind dimly ; and for what is beyond their reach, they 

 are compenfated with the pleafure of being fuppoied ca- 

 pable of following the opinion of the few who can de- 

 cide with precifion, on thefe high fubjefts 



Thefe obfervations cannot apply to Itatuary and paint- 

 ing, as a great ihare of the merit in thefe arts, depends 

 upon mechanical operation. 



Towards the latter part o£ this effay, the ingenious writer feems not to have 

 been fufficicntly guarded in the life of his terms : Other fubjefts than 

 thofc of tafte, may be the objeifls of citicifm; and in judging of thefe, or 

 ia other wrrds, projierly criticifing them, thofc faculties tbat have been 

 fu|)j)ofcd to conftitiite a fine tafte, feem as little required in the critic, 

 as in the writer whofe works he examines. Edit. 



"To the Editor of the Bee. 

 Sir, 

 Amidst the multiplicity of applications fimilar to tlie 

 prefent, ihould you tliink, the following wortiiy a place in 

 your milccllany, an infertion of it will oblige a reader. 

 Havingfometime ago, projected ahiftory of the lives ofthe 

 niiniflers of Hate, from the revolution to the prefent time, 

 I find that my progrcfs has been but fmall, as I am 

 too frequently attracted by other and indifpenlible avo- 



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