MEMOIRS OF 



inexperienced and ardent fancy is full as 

 liable to adopt the faults as to attain the 

 merits of the author it emulates. 



By unprejudiced inveftigation, that fickly, 

 partial, and faftidious tafte which confines 

 it's attention and it's praife to a few chofen 

 and darling writers, may be induced to 

 reflect, that if, after a juft balance of beauty 

 and defect, the firft outweighs the latter in 

 immenfe degree, then attention, love, and 

 applaufe is due to that work as an whole, 

 in which fuch preponderance is found. 



Pofterity, if not always, yet generally acts 

 upon that fair principle in the meafure of 

 fame it allots, when the mifts of preju- 

 dice, from caufes foreign to the intrinfic 

 claims of an author, lhall difperfe. Thofc 

 compofitions which, with a confiderable 

 degree of genius, are yet level to the com- 

 prehenfion of ordinary minds, immediately 

 attain their full meafure of celebration ; 

 but it is feldom that poetry of the higher 



orders 



