Chap. 1 8.] Standard of Tafte. 505 



point of perfection, they are called polite or ruftic, ci- 

 vilized or barbarous j and though the point itfelf has 

 never, perhaps, been attained, nor ever will be attained 

 by any, yet men there will be in every age who ap- 

 proach nearer to it than the great mafs of mankind, 

 and in fome ages they will abound more than in others ; 

 from the number of thefe we are to form our judg- 

 ment of the tafte of any given period ; thefe, in fad, it 

 is who lead the faihion in thinking ; and although there 

 are degrees in this intellectual excellence, yet all men 

 will be admirers and judges of perfection in arts or in 

 morals, in an exact proportion as they approach per- 

 fection themfelves, provided only they have made 

 themfelves perfectly acquainted with the principles of 

 that art of which they prefume to judge. 



