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its place, content themselves with mete 

 breadth, and propose that as the final ob- 

 ject of attainment — their productions, and 

 the interest excited by them, will be, in 

 comparison of the styles I have mentioned, 

 what a metaphysical treatise is to Shak- 

 speare or Fielding; they will be rather 

 illustrations of a principle, than represen- 

 tations of what is real ; a sort of abstract 

 idea of nature, not very unlike Crambe's 

 abstract idea of a lord mayor. 



As nothing is more flattering to the 

 vanity and indolence of mankind, than the 

 being able to produce a pleasing general 

 effect with little labour or study ; so no- 

 thing more obstructs the progress of the 

 art, than such a facility. Yet still these 

 abstracts are by no means without their 

 comparative merit, and they have their use 

 as well as their danger; they shew how 

 much may be effected by the mere naked 

 principle, and the great superiority which 

 that alone can give to whatever is formed 

 upon it, over those things which are done 

 on no principle at all ; where the separate 



