DIGRESSONS on CRITICISM, &c. 



V. But the bed, and perhaps the only 

 acquiring a true knowledge of a book, is to read 

 it ourlelvcs. Books are to a man of letters what 

 tools or inftruments are to an artid. What is 

 it that produces io great a degree of perfection 

 in the works of art and indudry in England and 

 and France, but the goodnefs of their tools ? 

 What is there that concurs more to the perfec- 

 tion of the works of the mind in all countries, 

 than the abundance of valuable writings ? Even 

 the moft ingenious poets would produce infipid 

 and trifling verfes only, mere trafh, if found 

 learning did not appear in their works, amidft 

 all the brilliancy of exprefllon. The dunce and 

 coxcomb may therefore defpife books, but the 

 man of fenfe is convinced, that there is no im- 

 portant knowledge to be acquired without them : 

 he knows at the fame time, however, that every 

 thing in this world has its bounds, and that there 

 are collections of books of neceflity, utility 

 oftentation, and that the latter are ridiculous. 



VI. Libraries are either public or private. 

 The former are collected and fupported by fo- 

 vereigns or dates. Thefe cannot be too numc- 

 rou? , they form, fo to fay, the archives of the 

 human mind of all ages -, and they fhould Jurnifli 

 every man of letters with all the indrudion 

 which he may have occafion. They concur very 

 efficacioufly in the encouragement and improve- 

 ment of the arts and Iciences in eacli country : 

 and wherever there is a good public library, the 



people 



