,,thirty ,,letters ,,on ,,various ,,subjects4 ,,in ,,two ,,volumes4 ,,vol4 ,i4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,printed for ,t4 ,,cadell1 and ,t4 ,,evans1 in the ,strand2 and ,b4 ,,thorn and ,,son1 in ,,exeter4 ,,mdcclxxxiii4 ,,contents ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,volume4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,letter ,,page ,i4 ,the ,force of ,custom #a ,,ii4 ,on ,riches1 ,cards1 and ,duelling #e ,,iii4 ,on ,languages #af ,,iv4 ,on judging by the ,perceptions of others #bi ,v4 ,on ,painting #cb ,,vi4 ,on ,painting #ci ,,vii4 ,on temporary ,taste #df ,,viii4 ,on musical ,expression #di ,,ix4 ,on the ,parenthesis1 and ,anticipation #ef ,x4 ,on ,catches #fc ,,xi4 ,on the ,english ,language #gh ,,xii4 ,on ,homer's ,scale of ,heroes #ia ,,xiii4 ,on the different ,manners of ,reading #id ,,xiv4 ,on ,shakespeare #ii ,,xv4 ,on ,writing-hand #ajc ,,xvi4 ,on the want of accurate ,views #ajh ,,xvii4 ,on the ,analogy of the ,arts #aad ,,xviii4 ,on bad ,association #abj ,,advertisement4 ,whether these are real letters1 or whether the author chose to throw his observations into the epistolary form1 is a point of no great consequence4 ,the invention of a story to shew how they came into the editor's hands is by no means difficult4--,a parcel of papers rescued from the trunk-maker or pastry-cook1 has saved many an author from perishing4 ,,cervantes and ,,sterne were not above such shifts2 but they have served so often1 that now1 even the truth1 tho' without the least mixture of the marvellous1 passes for invention4 ,should these little volumes contain any new and useful observations on men and things1 it is a sufficient reason for their publication--if the physic be wholesome1 it is no matter under what form it is administered4 ,,letters4 ,,letter ,i4 ,since you request that our correspondence should be out of the beaten track1 be it so4 ,my retirement from the world will naturally give an air of peculiarity to my sentiments1 which perhaps may entertain where it does not convince4 ,in justice to myself1 let me observe1 that truth sometimes does not strike us without the assistance of custom2 but so great is the force of custom1 that1 unassisted by truth1 it has worked the greatest miracles4 ,need ,i bring for proof the quantity of nonsense in all the arts1 sciences1 and even religion itself1 which it has sanctified8 ,as possibly in the course of my letters to you ,i may attack some received doctrines on each of these subjects1 let not what ,i advance be instantly rejected1 because contrary to an opinion founded on prejudice2 but1 as much as possible1 divest yourself of the partiality acquired by habit1 and if at last you should not agree with me1 ,i shall suspect my sentiments to be peculiar and not just4 ,tho' truth may want the assistance of use before we feel its force1 yet when it is really felt1 we detest what custom only made us like4 ,the difficulty is to procure for truth a fair examination4 ,the multitude is always against it4 ,the first discovery in any thing is considered as an encroachment upon property1 a property become sacred by possession4 ,discoverers are accordingly treated as criminals1 and must have good luck to escape execution4 ,i mean not to rank myself with such bold adventurers2 ,i am neither ambitious of the honour1 or the danger1 of enlightening the world1 but1 if ,i can soften prejudices which ,i cannot remove--if ,i can loosen the fetters of custom where ,i cannot altogether unbind them1 and engage you to think for yourself--my end will be answered1 and my trouble fully repaid4 ,adieu6 c4 ,,letter ,,ii4 ,it is natural to suppose1 that people originally judged of things by their senses and immediate perceptions4 ,by degrees they found that their senses were not infallible1 and that things frequently contradicted their first appearance4 ,this1 at last1 was pushed to an extravagance2 and certain philosophers endeavoured to persuade mankind1 that the senses deceive us so often1 that we can never depend on them--that we cannot tell whether we are in motion or at rest1 asleep or awake1 with many other such absurdities4 ,they used the same ingenuity with the mental sense4 ,some ancient sage was asked1 8,who is the richest man80 if he had replied 8,he that has most money10 the answer would have been natural and just--what he did say1 every one knows4 ,we have suffered ourselves to be imposed on so long1 that at last we begin to impose on ourselves4 ,riches1 cards1 and duelling1 have been constantly abused1 written1 and preached against2 and yet men will still hoard1 play1 and fight4 ,why should they8 ,all universal passions we may fairly pronounce to be natural1 and should be treated with respect4 ,the gratification of our passions are our greatest pleasures1 and he that has most gratifications is of course the happiest man4 ,this1 as a general assertion1 is true1 and it is true also in particulars1 provided we pay no more for pleasure than it is worth4 ,every man should endeavour to be rich4 ,he that has money may possess every thing that is transferable--this is a sufficient inducement to procure it4 ,nay1 if he possesses nothing but his money1 if he considers it as the end1 as well as the means1 it is still right to be rich3 for1 knowing that he has it in his power to procure every thing1 he is as well satisfied as is the thing itself was in his possession4 ,this is the true source of the miser's pleasure2 and a great pleasure it is6 ,a moral philosopher may tell him1 8that man does not live for himself alone1 and that he hurts the community by withholding what would be of use to it0--this he thinks to be weak reasoning4 ,the sneers of wits signify as little2 for he knows they would be glad to be rich if they could4 ,he feels that the pleasure arising from the possession of riches1 whether used or not1 is too great to be given up for all the wit1 or even the strongest arguments that can be brought against it4 ,it seems to be agreed1 that card-playing proceeds entirely from avarice--tho' this may sometimes be the motive1 yet it may with more probability be derived from other1 and more general principles4 ,the mind of man naturally requires employment1 and that employment is most agreeable1 which engages1 without fatiguing the attention4 ,there is nothing for this purpose of such universal attraction as cards4 ,the fine arts and belles lettres can only be enjoyed by those who have a genius for them--other studies and amusements have their particular charm1 but cards are the universal amusement in every country where they are known4 ,the alternate changes in the play1 the hope upon the taking up a new hand1 and the triumph of getting a game1 made more compleat from the fear of losing it1 keep the mind in a perpetual agitation1 which is found by experience to be too agreeable to be quitted for any other consideration4 ,the stake played for is a quickener of these sensations1 but not the cause4 ,children who play for nothing feel what ,i have been describing perhaps in a more exquisite degree than he who engages for thousands4 ,a state of inaction is of all others the most dreadful6 and it is to avoid this inaction that we seek employment1 though at the expence of health1 temper1 and fortune4 ,this subject is finely touched by ,abb du ,bos1 in his reflexions upon poetry1 c4 indeed he carries it so far as to say1 that the pleasure arising from an extraordinary agitation of the mind1 is frequently so great as to stifle humanity2 and from hence arises the entertainment of the common people at executions1 and of the better sort at tragedies4 ,tho' in this last instance he may be mistaken2 yet1 the delight we feel in reading the actions of a hero may be referred to this cause4 ,the moralist censures the taste of those who can be pleased with the actions of an ,alexander or a ,nadir ,shah--the ,truth is1 we do not approve the actions2 but the relation of them causes that agitation of the mind which we find to be pleasant4 ,the reign of ,henry the seventh1 tho' of the greatest consequence to this nation1 does not interest us like the contentions of ,york and ,lancaster by which the kingdom was ruined4--,it is in vain that we are told that scenes of war and bloodshed can give no pleasure to a good mind1 and that the true hero is he who cultivates the arts of peace1 he by whom men are benefited not he by whom they are destroyed--it is to no purpose--we sleep over the actions of quiet goodness1 while aspiring1 destroying greatness1 claims and commands our attention4 ,duelling has in many countries a law against it--but can never be prevented4 ,the law can inflict no greater penalty for any breach of it than death2 which the duellist contemns4--,there are also some cases of injury which the law cannot prevent1 nor punish when committed--these must be redressed by the man who suffers1 and by him only4 ,he is prompted to do this by something antecedent1 and superior to all law1 and by a desire as eager as hunger or lust2 so that it is as easy for law to prevent or restrain the two latter as the former4 ,very luckily for us1 occasions for the gratifications of this passion occur but seldom3 and tho' a man may be restrained from a duel by personal fear1 which is its only counteractor1 there are very few instances1 perhaps none1 of its being prevented by considering it so a breach of the law4 ,in the beginning of the last century duels were as frequent1 particularly in ,france1 as to occasion a severe edict to prevent them--indeed by their frequency1 they were by degrees improved into combats of two1 three1 and sometimes more of a side4--,in those days a ,french nobleman was making up his party to decide a quarrel with another man of equal rank1 it came to the ,king's ears1 who sent to him one of the most rising men at court with a command to desist1 assuring him of the strict execution of the edict in case of disobedience4--,every one knows the attachment of the ,french to their sovereign1 but yet it proved weak when set against this all-powerful passion4 ,the nobleman not only refused to obey the king1 but actually engaged the messenger to be one of his party4 ,the above seem to be the principal reasons why riches1 cards1 and duelling have so deep a root in the mind of man--but there are others which come in aid4 ,the desire of superiority is of itself almost sufficient to produce this great effect4 ,believe me ever yours1 c4 ,,letter ,,iii4 ,i ,cannot comply with your desire--a regular dissertation is above me----but if you will take my thoughts as they occur1 the honour of methodizing them shall be yours4 ,languages are termed rough and smooth1 weak or expressive1 frequently without reason4--,as these are comparative terms1 they change their application according to circumstances4 ,the ,french is said to be a smooth or rough language1 when compared with the ,german or ,italian4 ,perhaps this is true1 and yet we should not determine too hastily4 ,in appearance1 there are more vowels in the ,italian language than in the ,french2 but in pronunciation the ,french lose many ,consonants1 and the ,italians none3 and yet in ,french1 so great is the irregularity of that language1 many consonants are pronounced which are not written----smoothness or roughness must therefore depend on the ear alone1 yet how far a ,language is weak or expressive1 may be treated of and determined with precision4 ,every sentence may be considered as the picture of an idea2 the quicker that picture is presented to the mind1 the stronger is its ,impression4 ,that language then which is shortest1 is the most expressive4 ,if we should fix on any language as being in general the most concise1 yet1 if in some instances it is more diffuse than another1 then1 in those instances the latter is most expressive4 ,this1 ,i believe1 is an universal rule1 and without exception4 ,let us for the present suppose ,latin to be more expressive1 because shorter1 than any modern language1 and compare it with ,english in some examples1 just as they occur4 ,captus oculis and ccus--are used for the same thing--the last is more expressive than the first1 and both less so than blind3 a single syllable does the office of many4 ,how much more forcibly does it strike us to be told that our friend is dead1 than mortuus est1 or ,mors continuo ipsum occupavit8 ,this last is indeed poetical1 if we suppose death a person4 ,tho' ,i just now said that ,latin was closer in its expression than any modern language1 it was only in compliance with common opinion2 for ,i have great reason to believe that it yields in this respect to ,english3 ,the latin hexameter and ,terence's line being with ease included in our heroic verse1 which is not so long by many syllables4 ,there have been many pieces of ,english poetry translated into ,latin1 and1 in general nothing can read more dead and unanimated4 ,in the eighth volume of the ,spectator is a translation of the famous soliloquy in the ,play of ,cato--compare it with the original1 and observe how the same thought is strong in ,english and weak in ,latin1 occasioned entirely by its being close in one language1 and diffuse in the other3 for1 as much as one sentence exceeds another in length1 in the same proportion does it fail in expression4 ,translations1 most commonly1 are more verbose than their original1 which is one reason for their weakness2 whenever they are less so1 they are stronger4 ,suppose we should find in a ,french author these phrases1 ,un ,canon de neuf livres de ,balle--,un ,vaisseau du ,roi du quatre vingt dix ,pieces du ,canon2 and they were rendered into ,english by a nine-pounder--,a ninety-gun ship--is not the translation more spirited than the original8 ,i purposely chose a phrase with as little matter in it as possible1 where the meaning could not be mistaken1 and in which there was no variety of expression1 that the trial might be fairer4 ,i have heard that the ,german is an expressive language--it may be so1 ,i do not understand it2 but ,i can perceive that1 for the most part1 the words are very long1 which makes against its being so4 ,french1 and ,italian particularly1 are much more diffuse than ,english4 ,translations from these languages have often a force that the originals wanted2 and this not owing to the ,english being a stronger language in sound1 as some have imagined1 but to strength occasioned by brevity4 ,perhaps it may be imagined1 that those words which carry their signification with them should be most expressive1 whether long or short2 that is1 when they are derived from1 or compounded of known words1 which express that signification4 ,but this is not so4 ,when we say adieu1 farewell--we mean no more than a ceremony at parting4--,no one considers adieu as a recommendation to ,god1 or farewell as a wish for happiness4--,frequent use destroys all idea of derivation4 ,but if we speak a compound or self-significative word that is not common1 we perceive the derivation of it4 ,thus if a ,londoner says butter-milk1 he has an idea of something compounded of butter and milk2 but to an ,irishman or ,hollander1 it is as simple an idea as either of the words taken separately1 is to us4 ,it is but late that our orthography was fixed even in the most common words4 ,two hundred years ago1 every person spelt as he liked3 a privilege enjoyed still later than that period by 8royal and noble authors10 who seem1 in this instance1 to claim the liberty enjoyed by their ancestors4 ,since the time orthography has been thought of some consequence1 we have attended partly to pronunciation1 tho' chiefly to derivation4 ,but1 in some cases1 where we should altogether have spelt according to derivation1 we have taken pronunciation for our guide4 ,and this has occasioned some confusion2 for instance naught is bad--nought is nothing2 these terms were long confounded1 and even now are not kept perfectly distinct1 which has occasioned ought to be written aught4 ,wrapt is envelloped--rapt is hurried away1 or totally possessed3 the first of these is frequently used for the last1 by some of our modern poets4 ,marry is an asseveration--marry1 to give in marriage--the spelling these words the same1 confounds them together2 we should have preserved for the first1 the real word mary4 ,it was a common thing formerly to swear by ,mary1 the a in which was pronounced broad1 as the ,priests of that time did the ,latin ,maria1 from whom the common people took the pronunciation4 ,in one of the pieces in the first volume of the collection of old plays1 it frequently occurs1 and is spelt as a proper name1 ,marie4 ,permit me to observe1 that the ,editor1 by modernizing the spelling in the other volumes1 has prevented their being made this use of1 as they might have shewed the progress of orthography as well as of dramatic poetry4 ,in the reign of ,james the first were many attempts to reduce orthography altogether to pronunciation4 ,in our time we have seen some attempts to bring it altogether from derivation--but surely both were wrong4 ,whoever reads ,howel's letters1 or ,dr4 ,newton's ,milton1 will see1 that by a partial principle too generally adopted1 they have made of the ,english language 8a very fantastical banquet--just so many strange dishes60 ,there are many inversions of phrases used in poetry which are contrary to the genius of our language4 ,in the translation of the ,iliad there frequently occurs 8thunders the sky0----8totters the ground10 meaning that 8the sky thunders0 and 8the ground totters40 ,this change of position has the authority of some of our best poets1 tho' it frequently obscures the sense1 and sometimes makes it directly contrary to what is intended to be expressed4 ,our language does not1 with ease1 admit of the nominative after the verb4 ,if we read1 tho' in poetry1 8shakes the ground0 we do not readily understand that 8the ground shakes10 but rather refer to some antecedent nominative that has produced this effect4 ,to adopt the construction of the ancient languages is as awkward as to adopt their measures4 ,you will understand this to be meant as a general observation1 the truth of which is not destroyed by a few exceptions where the inversion may be happily used4 ,the sense in these verses of ,pope 8halts0 as much by ,roman construction1 as the ,rhythmus in ,sidney does by 8,roman feet40 ,in reading ,latin and ,greek we are obliged to keep the sense suspended until we come to the end of the period1 but it is not so in any modern language that ,i know of1 except now and then in ,italian poetry2 so that there is a sameness of construction in all of them when compared with the ancient languages4 ,now1 this suspension of the sense is surely no advantage1 therefore if it were possible to make ,english like ,latin and ,greek in this respect1 it would hurt the language4 ,in another letter ,i may possibly resume this subject4 ,i am1 c4 ,,letter ,,iv4 ,our greatest mistake in the pursuit of happiness as well as of science1 is to judge by the perceptions of others1 and not by our own4 ,this perversion is admirably ridiculed in some comedy1 in which a young fellow naturally sober1 gives into debaucheries merely because they are fashionable4 8,i am horrid sick0--says he--8,i am tired to death--,i hate cards--but it is life for all that60 ,my friend1 examine your heart--,you yourself are the best judge of what contributes to your own happiness4 ,is the pleasure of shooting equal to the fatigue8444 ,put down the gun4 ,is the cry of the hounds a sufficient charm to remove the fear of breaking your neck8444 ,come off your horse4--,and in pure charity let me advise the 8impatient fisher0 to convert his rod into a walking stick1 jemmy1 and switch4 8,for what8 ,do not gentlemen love country diversions80 ,but if you do not1 why should you be governed by their inclinations8 ,mr4 ,connoisseur1 do not pretend raptures at music1 you know you have no ear4--,stare not at that picture1 you are sensible you have no eye4--,close that book1 let others weep2 you have no heart4 8,sir1 it is the taste to admire music1 painting1 and fine writing40--,i am very glad of it4--,but it is not your taste1 here --------hinc ,vos1 ,vos hinc1 mutatis discedite partibus-- ,now confess honestly ,mr4 ,sportsman1 that you have more pleasure in ,snyder's pictures1 than from hunting in propri person--that the ,french horns at a concert have more harmony than in a wood4 ,and1 ,mr4 ,connoisseur1 you are now in your element4--,is it not better to 8join the jovial chace0 than the insipid crew of the dilettanti8 ,let us remember and practice the old maxim4 --------trahit sua quemque ,voluptas4 ,,letter ,v4 ,dear ,sir1 ,i am glad you go on with your painting4 ,though you should never arrive at any great degree of excellence yourself1 it will infallibly make you a better judge of the excellencies of others4 ,you tell me1 what indeed every ,connoisseur says by rote1 that the great painters painted above1 beyond nature6 ,that they painted beyond nature ,i grant1 but not above1 if by above we are to understand something more excellent than what we find in nature4 ,i have long been sick of the cant of writers and talkers upon this subject4 ,if it be possible1 let us speak a little common-sense--endeavour to shew what seems by our feelings to be the truth1 and then prevent a wrong application of it4 ,the great painters1 it is agreed1 painted beyond nature--but how8 ,why1 if ,i may venture to say it1 by drawing and colouring extravagantly4 ,but were they right or wrong in doing so8 ,this depends upon circumstances4 ,i remember seeing at a ,painter's a head taken from nature1 another copied from ,hans ,holbein1 and a third from ,giulio ,romano--upon which the artist made a dissertation4--,he first produced the portrait from nature1 and asked me how ,i liked it8 ,i told him that there appeared to me great simplicity and elegance in it1 and an excellence which ,i thought essential to a good picture--a proper ballance between the light and shade of every part4 7,i meant that the shade of the white was lighter than that of blue--of blue fainter than of black1 c4 so that each colour was as perceivable in the shadows as lights47 ,ay1 says he1 that is true1 but ,i will shew you a style preferable to it--,upon which he produced the copy from ,holbein4--,i agreed1 that it was stronger1 and such as nature might appear in many instances4----,but here1 says he1 is something beyond nature2 this ,i call the sublime style of painting1 and this ,i will try to bring my heads to4--,then he discovered the copy from ,giulio--there is strength1 says he--see how faint the others are4--,now1 acknowledge that the picture ,i painted from nature is nothing to it4 ,it must be confessed1 ,i replied1 that the extravagance of the last picture does for a moment dazzle our eyes--yours seems weak by the comparison1 it is like looking upon white paper after staring at the sun4--,on the contrary1 if ,i pass from yours to this1 ,i am hurt at seeing every thing so extravagant1 and so far beyond the modesty of nature6--8,it is not intended to be strictly natural1 it is the fine ideal1 it is something above1 beyond nature60 8,i must own that ,i have no idea of any beauty beyond what may be found in nature--indeed1 whence is the idea to be taken8 ,but do not think ,i rate ,giulio or any of the sublime painters lightly2 ,i am so sensible of their merit1 that1 contrary perhaps to your expectation1 ,i am about to defend their practice4 ,they generally painted for churches1 where the picture is seen in a bad light1 or at a distance2 so that it could not be seen at all if the manner was not violent3 both the drawing and colouring must be extravagant to strike--for which reason1 they overcharged their attitudes1 blackened their shadows1 reddened their carnations1 and whitened their lights2 and all this with the greatest propriety4 ,but if you apply this practice to closet or portrait painting1 what is an excellence in them1 becomes a defect in you4 ,this picture which you have copied with so much success1 ,i dare say has an admirable effect where it hangs2 but near the eye or in a strong light1 it is hard and over-done4 ,on the other hand1 if your portrait was to be hung at a great distance1 or in an obscure place1 the delicate touches ,i now admire would escape the sight4 ,the style proper for the church is improper for the closet1 and the contrary4 ,the great painters were in the right then1 in painting beyond nature2 but let us not imagine that such figures and characters are therefore the most beautiful4 ,no painter can invent a figure surpassing the finest of nature3 for character and form1 nature is the just and only standard4 ,he shews his genius more by properly associating natural objects1 and expressing natural characters1 than by exaggerating them or by inventing new ones40 ,when ,i receive the picture you have promised me1 ,i will criticise it with as much sincerity as ,i am your ,friend1 c4 ,,letter ,,vi4 ,you have turned my thoughts much towards painting of late--,i have been trying to solve this question4 ,what is the reason that those objects which displease us1 or at best1 that pass unnoticed1 in nature1 please us most in painting8 ,a deep road1 a puddle of water1 a bank covered with docks and briars1 and an old tree or two1 are all the circumstances in many a fine landscape4 ,as clowns and half starved cattle are the figures a landscape-painter chuses for his pictures2 so1 rough-looking fellows wrapt up in sheets and blankets1 are chosen by the history-painter1 to express the greatest personages1 and in the most dignified actions of their lives4 ,let the following observations have what weight they may--tho' they do not clearly answer1 they seem to throw some light on this difficult question4 #a4 ,while we are uncultivated1 like the ,irish ,oscar1 if we are to be awakened1 it must be by having a great stone thrown against our heads4 ,the man of the utmost elegance and refinement may remember the time when1 in reading1 nothing moved him but the marvellous1 and in painting1 nothing pleased him but the glaring4 ,while he was in this state1 he delighted in books of chivalry and ,chinese pictures--these gave place to less extravagant representations of life2 and at last by much converse with men of taste1 reading purer authors1 and seeing better pictures1 he is taught how to feel1 and finds a perfect revolution even in his sensations4 ,those objects which once delighted him1 he now despises--these1 on the contrary1 he formerly took no notice of1 he now sees with rapture2 and even goes so far as to admire the objects in nature1 he has learnt to like in representation4--,now1 it is this improved1 tho' artificial state of the mind that constitutes the judge of painting--and it is the judge the painter is sollicitous to please4--,he is to attain this end then1 by departing as much as possible from what is our natural barbarous taste1 and by conforming to that we have acquired4 #b4 ,it is most certain that in all the arts we make difficulties in order to shew our skill in conquering them4--,some ,french writer calls this principle la difficult vaincue2 and this conquest is the source of much pleasure4 ,what is it but this that induces the novellist and play-writer to embarrass their characters with difficulties and troubles8 ,what is there but this that can make a musical canon to be thought fine in composition1 or extravagant execution in performance agreeable1 when the mind cannot comprehend the one1 nor the ear follow the other8 and1 to bring it to the present subject--what is it but this that induces the painter to make use of the most unpromising objects1 and produce beauty where you might expect nothing but deformity8 #c4 ,it is necessary that a painter should chuse such objects as are capable of variety either from shape or arrangement4 ,regular formal objects admit but little1 especially those where art has the greatest share in their production1 unless they are capable of motion1 as ships1 windmills1 c4 and then they become pictoresque by a proper choice of attitude4 ,it is curious to observe the shifts to which artists are reduced1 when they are obliged to paint such objects as are in themselves unpictoresque--suppose a fine house with avenues of trees4 ,they will vary the tint of the stones in the one1 and of the leaves in the other1 or by throwing in accidental shades and lights produce a variety4 ,in like manner1 portrait-painters undress the hair1 loosen the coat1 and wrinkle the stockings that they may produce a variety in the manner of treating a subject which wanted it in form4 ,those objects which have no set form have of course most variety4 ,a road or river may wind in any direction--trees are of all sizes and shapes1 may stand here or there--loose drapery admits of a thousand folds and dispositions which the stiff modern dress is incapable of4 ,so that the painter by taking these has ample materials for shewing his judgment in form1 or skill in arrangement----for making1 and overcoming difficulties--and lastly1 by the uniting both these he conforms to the principles by which the cultivated taste is pleased--the ultimate end of all the fine arts4 ,if you are not satisfied with this solution1 help me to a better--but give a fair reading to this of ,your sincere friend1 c4 ,,letter ,,vii4 ,i do not admit your excuse4--,a genius should never comply with local or temporary taste--instead of debasing himself to the people1 he should elevate the people to him4 ,when ,milton subtilizes divinity1 and ,shakespeare 8cracks the wind of a poor phrase20 who but wishes that those great poets had not descended from their sphere8 ,your allusions to incidents which must soon be forgot1 are only worthy of a writer who expects but a short existence4 ,it is true our plays abound with such allusions4 ,when ,foigard1 in the ,beaux ,stratagem1 says he is a subject of the ,king of ,spain--they ask him in a fury 8which ,king of ,spain80 ,this did very well at the time2 but these two ,kings of ,spain are now of much less consequence than their brother monarchs of ,brentford4 ,i think it is in the same play where one of the characters is asked 8when he was at church last80 he should answer 8at the coronation20 but it is a point to give a reply that shall suit the time when the play is performed1 forgetting that there are many expressions which remove you back into the last century when the play was written4 ,i remember in the late ,king's reign the reply used to be 8at the installation20 at the accession of his present ,majesty an actor thought he had a good opportunity of returning to 8coronation10 but unluckily it was before the ,king was crowned4 ,allusions of this sort soon become obscure1 and yet they will not bear being altered4 8,pray you avoid them40 ,adieu1 c4 ,,letter ,,viii4 ,true1 my friend1 musicians do commit strange absurdities by way of expression--but fanciful people make them commit others which they never thought of4 ,the most common mistake of composers is to express words and not ideas4 ,this is generally the case with ,purcel1 and frequently with ,handel4 ,i believe there is not a single piece existing of the former1 if it has a word to be played upon1 but will prove my assertion3 and the latter1 if the impetuosity of the musical subject will give him leave1 will at any time quit it for a pun4 ,there is no trap so likely to catch composers as the words high and low1 down and up4 8,by ,g-- 7as ,quin says7 they must bite40 ,in what raptures was ,purcel when he set 8,they that go down to the sea in ships40 ,how lucky a circumstance1 that there was a singer at that time1 who could go down to ,,dd1 and go up two ,octaves above8 for there is in other parts of the anthem a going up as well as down4 ,the whole is a constellation of beauties of this kind4 ,handel had leisure1 at the conclusion of an excellent movement1 to endeavour at an imitation of the rocking of a cradle 7,see the end of the anthem 8,my heart is inditing071 and has his ups and downs too in plenty4 ,if many examples of this may be found in these great geniuses1 it would be endless to enumerate the instances in those of the lower order4 ,let it suffice to observe1 that all operas without exception1 the greatest part of church-music1 and particularly ,marcello's psalms1 abound in this ridiculous imitative expression4 ,this is trifling with the words and neglecting the sentiment2 but the fault is much increased when a word is expressed in contradiction to the sentiment4 ,a most flagrant instance of this is in ,boyce's ,solomon1 in the song of 8,arise my ,fair ,one come away40--,the hero of the piece is inviting his mistress to come to him1 and to tempt her the more1 in describing the beauty of the spring1 he tells her that 8,stern winter's gone with all its train 8,of chilling frosts and dropping rain10 but it is come in the music--the unlucky words of winter1 frost1 and rain1 made the composer set the lover a shivering1 when he was full of the feelings of the 8genial ray60 ,but sometimes expression of the sentiment is blameable1 if such expression is improper for the general subject of the piece4 ,religious solemnity should not appear at the theatre1 nor theatrical levity at the church4 ,in the ,stabat ,mater of ,pergolesi1 and in the ,messiah of ,handel1 there is an expression of whipping attempted1 which1 if it is understood at all1 conveys either a ludicrous or prophane idea1 according to the disposition of the hearer4 ,permit me to suspend my subject a moment just to observe1 that there is sometimes mention made in plays1 of providence1 ,god1 and other subjects1 which are as incompatible with a place of public entertainment1 as the common sentiments of plays are with the church4 ,if we are disgusted at a theatrical preacher1 we are not less offended when an actor heightens all these ill-placed sentiments--forcing them upon your notice by an affectation of a deep sense of religion1 and most solemnly preaching the sermon which the poet so improperly wrote4 ,all these1 and many more1 are faults which musicians really commit2 but a connoisseur will make them guilty of others1 by way of compliment1 which the composers never dreamt of4 ,the introduction of the ,coronation anthem1 ,zadok the ,priest1 is an arpeggio1 which ,handel probably took from his own performance at the harpsichord2 but a great judge says1 it is to express the murmurs of the people assembled in the abbey4 8,all we like sheep are gone astray0 in the ,messiah is considered as most excellently expressing the breaking out of sheep from a field4---- ,but out of pity to the connoisseurs1 virtuosi1 and the most respectable ,conoscenti1 ,i will not increase my instances--,god forbid ,i should rob any man of his criticism6 ,lest ,i should encroach upon your premises1 ,i will quit such dangerous ground1 and leave you with more celerity than ceremony4 ,,letter ,,ix4 ,i like every part of your poem except the parenthesis towards the conclusion4 ,in the midst of a rapid description1 or tender sentiment2 or any thing that commands the attention1 or attaches the heart2 what is more disgustful than to have the image cut in two1 for the sake of explaining a word1 or removing an objection1 which the reader may possibly make8 ,milton and ,shakespeare frequently interrupt the most lively and ardent passages--take some instances as they occur4 ,their arms away they threw1 and to the hills 7,for earth hath this variety from heav'n ,of pleasure situate in hill or dale7 ,light as the lightning's glimpse they ran1 they flew4 ,,par4 ,,lost4 ,b4 ,,vi4 --------when on a day 7,for time1 though in eternity1 apply'd ,to motion1 measures all things durable ,by present1 past1 and future7 on such a day ,as heaven's great year brings forth4 ,,par4 ,,lost4 ,b4 ,v4 --------evening now approach'd 7,for we have also our evening and our morn1 ,we ours for change delectable1 not need7 ,forthwith from dance to sweet repast they turn ,desirous2 c4 ,upon the mention of hills in the first quotation1 and of day and evening in the second and last--he knew that he had some objections to answer1 and accordingly set about doing it for fear of the consequences--,i wish they had remained in their full force4 ,you have often read the ,midsummer ,night's ,dream--do you recollect this passage8 ,lys4 ,hermia1 for ought that ever ,i could read1 ,could ever hear by tale or history1 ,the course of true love never did run smooth2 ,but1 either it was different in blood---- ,her4 ,o cross6 too high1 to be enthrall'd to low6---- ,lys4 ,or else misgrafted in respect of years-- ,her4 ,o spite6 too old1 to be engag'd to young6 ,lys4 ,or else it stood upon the choice of friends-- ,her4 ,o hell6 to chuse love by another's eye6 ,lys4 ,or if there were a sympathy in choice-- ,war1 death1 or sickness did lay siege to it4 ,read it without ,hermia's interruptions and it becomes one of the finest parts of the author--but it is miserably mangled as it stands4 ,you will remember that it is the improper use of the parenthesis ,i object to and not to the thing itself4 8,this figure of composition10 says a late ingenious author1 8which is hardly ever used in common discourse1 is much employed by the best writers of antiquity1 in order to give a cast and colour to their style different from common idiom1 and by ,demosthenes particularly2 and not only by the orators1 but the poets40 ,i would recommend to your consideration whether you had not better avoid giving any hint how the story of your poem is to conclude8 ,anticipation frequently spoils a fine incident4 ,when neas is reciting to ,dido what past at ,troy1 says he1 ,arduus armatos mediis in mnibus astans ,fundit equus4 ,n4 ,,ii4 ,the first mention of the ,horse's having armed men within1 should have been reserved for this place4 ,there is something truly terrible and sublime in neas's being waked by such a variety of horrid sounds1 and ignorant of the cause2 the reader also should have been ignorant until ,pantheus explained the mystery4 ,see the whole passage in n4 ,,ii4 beginning at the #bihth verse1 and if possible1 forget that this went before4 ,delecta virum fortiti corpora furtim ,includunt cco lateri1 c4 ,one of the finest parts of ,don ,quixote is also spoiled by mentioning a circumstance which should have been delayed4 ,the ,knight and his ',squire1 at the close of the day1 hear the clank of chains1 and dreadful blows1 which would have puzzled the reader as much as it frightened them1 had not the author unluckily said 8that the strokes were in time and measure10 which is telling us very plainly that it was a mill4 ,the whole scene is highly pictoresque and beautiful4 ,if these hints will be of any service to you it will be a great pleasure to ,yours1 c4 ,,letter ,x4 ,the productions of genius require some ages to be brought to perfection4 ,the liberal arts have their infancy1 youth and manhood2 and1 to carry on the allusion1 continue sometime in a state of strength1 and then verge by degrees to a decline1 which at last ends in a total extinction4 ,the ,english language1 poetry1 and music1 exhibit proofs of this observation1 as far as they have as yet gone3 with the two former ,i have at present nothing to do1 but shall confine what ,i have to say on this subject to the latter4 ,what the music of the times preceding ,harry the eighth was1 ,i confess myself ignorant1 nor indeed is the knowledge of it necessary3 we may conclude that it was more barbarous than that of the sixteenth century1 as the times in which it was used were less enlightened4 ,some masses1 mottets1 and madrigals are what have reached us4 ,the whole consists of a succession of chords without art or meaning1 and perfectly destitute of air4 ,in ,elizabeth's reign appeared some composers1 ,tallis1 ,bird1 ,morley1 and ,farrant1 which improved the barren style of their predecessors3 they had more choice in their harmony1 and made some little advances in melody4 ,there are some pieces of instrumental music composed at this time which still exist3 particularly a book of lessons1 for the virginals1 which was the ,queen's4--,whether the composers thought that her sacred ,majesty excelled in musical abilities as much as in rank1 or as she wished to do in beauty1 ,i know not2 but this is certain1 that these pieces are so crowded with parts1 and so aukwardly barbarous1 as to render the performance of them impossible--so natural is it1 even in the infancy of art1 to mistake difficulty for beauty4 ,i do not recollect any composer that really improved music for the first half of the seventeenth century1 except ,orlando ,gibbons2 of whom1 a service for the church1 and two or three anthems remain1 the harmony of which is good1 and the melody pleasing4 ,in the ,gloria ,patri of the ,nunc ,dimittis is the best canon1 in my judgment1 that was ever made4 ,gibbons was also a composer for the virginals1 but in no respect better than his predecessors4 ,i believe it was about this time that the species of canon called the catch1 was produced4 ,the intent of my making this short recapitulation of the former state of music is purely prefatory to what ,i have to say upon the subject of catches4 ,this odd species of composition1 whenever invented1 was brought to its perfection by ,purcel4 ,real music was as yet in its childhood2 but the reign of ,charles the second carried every kind of vulgar debauchery to its height4 ,the proper ra for the birth of such pieces as 8when quartered1 have ever three parts obscenity1 and one part music40 ,the definition of a catch is a piece for three or more voices1 one of which leads1 and the others follow in the same notes4 ,it must be so contrived1 that rests 7which are made for that purpose7 in the music of one line be filled up with a word or two from another line2 these form a cross-purpose or catch1 from whence the name4 ,now1 this piece of wit is not judged perfect1 if the result be not the rankest indecency4 ,perhaps this definition may be objected to1 and ,i may be told that there are catches perfectly harmless4 ,it is true that some pieces are called catches that have nothing to offend1 and others that may justly pretend to please2 but they want what is absolutely necessary for a catch--the break1 and cross-purpose4 ,it may also be said that the result of the break1 is not always indecency4 ,i confess there are catches upon other subjects1 drunkenness is a favourite one2 which1 though good1 is not so very good as the other3 and there may possibly be found one or two upon other topicks which might be heard without disgust2 but these are not sufficient to contradict a general rule1 or make me retract what ,i have advanced4 ,i will next examine their musical merit4--,and this as compositions must consist either in their harmony1 or melody2 or their effect in performance4 ,the harmony of a catch is nothing more than the common result of filling up a chord4--,there is not contrivance enough to make it esteemed as a piece of ingenuity4 8,what6 they are all canons60 ,so is every tune in the world1 if you will set it in three or more parts1 and sing those parts in succession as a catch--but a real canon is not so easily produced3 it is one of those difficult trifles which costs an infinite deal of labour1 and after all is worth nothing4 ,i do not except the famous ,non nobis of ,bird1 in which are some passages not to be endured4 ,the excellence in the composition of a catch consists in making the breaks1 and filling them up properly4 ,the melody is1 for the most part1 the unimproved vulgar drawl of the times of ignorance4 ,let us next attend to the manner of performance4 ,one voice leads1 a second follows1 and a third1 c4 succeeds1 unaccompanied with any instrument to keep them in tune together4 ,the consequence is1 that the voices are always sinking1 but not equally1 for the best singer will keep nearest the pitch1 and the others depart farthest from it4 ,if the parts are doubled1 which is sometimes the case1 all these defects are multiplied4 ,to this let there be added the imperfect scale of an uncultivated voice1 the departing from the real sound by way of humour1 the noise of so many people striving to outsing each other1 the confusion of speaking different words at the same time1 and all this heightened by the laughing and other accompaniments of the audience--it presents such a scene of savage folly as would not disgrace the ,hottentots indeed1 but is not much to the credit of a company of civilized people4 ,as the catch in a manner owed its existence to a drunken club1 of which some musicians were members2 upon their dying1 it languished for years1 and was scarce known except among choir-men1 who now and then kept up the spirit of their forefathers4 ,as the age grew more polished1 a better style of music appeared4 ,corelli gave a new turn to instrumental music1 and was successfully followed by ,geminiani and ,handel2 the last excelled in vocal as well as instrumental music4 ,there have been refinements and confessed improvements upon all these great men since2 and no doubt but at this time there are much better performers1 and more elegant1 tho' less solid composers4 ,this is the united effect of the labours of the whole together1 for there is no one man to be compared with either of the above-mentioned4 ,now1 if this were speculation only1 is it credible that taste should revert to barbarism8 ,its natural death is1 to be frittered away in false refinement2 and yet1 contrary to experience in every other instance1 we have gone back a century1 and catches flourish in the reign of ,george the third4 ,there is a club composed of some of the first people in the kingdom which meet professedly to hear this species of composition3 they cultivate it and encourage it with premiums4 ,to obtain which1 many composers1 who ought to be above such nonsense1 become candidates1 and produce such things ----8one knows not what to call1 8,their generation's so equivocal40 ,sometimes a piece makes its appearance that was lately found by accident after a concealment of a hundred and fifty years4 ,when it is approved1 and declared too excellent for these degenerate days1 the author smiles and owns it4 ,i scarce ever saw one of these things that did not betray itself1 within three bars1 to be modern4 ,it is as difficult to imitate ancient music as ancient poetry2 a few square notes are not sufficient for the one1 nor will two or three whiloms and ekes do for the other4 ,and yet in this last instance a few affected antiquated spellings have been thought by one half of the world1 sufficient to weigh against modern phraseology1 modern manners1 and even modern facts4 ,surely it requires no great discernment to discover that what has existed may be imitated1 but nothing less than the gift of ,prescience can dive into futurity4 ,if it is improbable that an uneducated boy should be able to produce what are called ,rowley's ,poems1 it is impossible that ,rowley could write in a style and allude to facts of after times4 ,forgive me this digression1 but indeed ,i have nearly finished my subject and letter4 ,i profess that ,i never heard a catch sung1 but ,i felt more ashamed than ,i can express4 ,i pretend to no more delicacy than that of the age ,i live in1 which is very properly too refined to endure such barbarisms--,i was ashamed for myself--for my company--and if a foreigner was present--for my country4 ,it has just occurred to me that you like catches1 and frequently help to sing them--revenge yourself for the liberties ,i have taken1 by compelling me to hear some of these pleasant ditties1 when perhaps ,i may be forced to sing in my own defence4 ,adieu4 ,p4 ,s4 ,if you should have a design to convert me--take me to the catch-club4--,i confess1 and honour1 the superior excellence of its performance1 while ,i lament that so noble a subscription should be lavished for so poor a purpose as keeping alive musical false-wit1 when it might so powerfully support and encourage the best style of composition2 and rather advance our taste by anticipating the improvements of the coming age1 than force it back to times of barbarism1 from which it has cost us such pains to emerge4 ,,letter ,,xi4 ,i know that you are one of those who consider our language as past its meridian4 ,some think it was in its highest lustre in the age of ,sidney2 others1 in that of ,addison4 ,perhaps1 upon an impartial review of it1 we shall find it more perfect now than ever4 ,in the authors before the reign of ,elizabeth1 there seems not the least pretence to a simple1 natural style4 ,a man was held unfit to write1 who could not express his thoughts out of the common language2 so that it is possible1 there was as much difficulty in understanding them at the time they lived1 as now4 ,if we are to judge of the ,english they spoke1 by that they writ1 we have no reason to complain of the fluctuation of our tongue4 ,but it is very probable that conversation-language was much the same two hundred years ago as at present2 there are proofs of this in private letters still existing--,i mean from such people as had no ambition to be thought learned1 or from such as felt too much for affectation4 ,the famous letter of ,ann ,boleyn to ,henry the eighth1 is of this last sort1 in which there is scarce an obsolete expression4----,i hope you make a distinction between expression and spelling--for as ,i once observed to you1 it is but of late that our orthography has been fixed4 ,in the ,state-tryals in ,elizabeth and ,james's reign1 we find near the same language we use at present1 and this was taken immediately from the mouth4 ,in those passages where ,shakespeare's genius had not its full scope1 may be observed his attempts to be thought learned1 and refined2 but where the subject was too impetuous to brook restraint1 the language is as perfect as the idea4 ,upon the whole1 tho' the colloquial ,english was much the same as at present1 we may safely pronounce the style of the authors of this period to be barbarous4 ,the disputes between ,charles the first and the ,parliament1 were of great use in polishing the language2 and tho' the ,king's papers are thought to be most elegant1 yet it is evident that both parties endeavoured at strength for the good of their cause1 and at perspicuity for the sake of being universally understood--and these two principles go near towards making a perfect style4 ,milton's prose is in general very nervous1 but it is not free from stiffness and affectation4 ,the other period is that of ,addison4 ,he was undoubtedly one of our smoothest and best writers3 he had the skill of uniting ease1 strength1 and correctness1 and did more towards improving the language than the united labours of fifty years before him4 ,but yet there were some little remains of barbarism still left1 which are evident enough in his contemporaries1 and may be discovered even in him1 by attending to the style and not to the matter4 ,will you believe that so elegant a writer has used authenticalness for authenticity8----,you may find this horrid word in his ,dialogues on ,medals4 ,political disputes have produced1 among many bad effects1 the same good1 now1 as formerly--they have improved our language4 ,those in the ,administration of ,sir ,robert ,walpole1 but more particularly these in our own times1 have occasioned some of the most perfect pieces of writing we have in our tongue4 ,though1 from the nature of the subject1 the pieces themselves can scarce exist longer than the dispute which gave them being2 yet certainly their effect upon the language will be felt when the quarrel itself is no more1 and every thing relating to it forgotten4 ,tho' ,i have affirmed that our language is more perfect now than in any past period--yet there is still much left in it to be corrected4--,indeed there are some defects in all languages1 which have crept in by degrees1 and are so sanctified by custom1 that they can never be corrected4 ,in ,english there is no difference in writing1 tho' there is in pronouncing1 the present1 and preterperfect tenses of the verbs read1 and eat1 and some others4 ,some unsuccessful attempts have been made to distinguish them by writing redde and ate4 ,there are more words in ,latin of contrary significations which are written the same1 than1 ,i believe1 in any other language4 ,it is a defect if the pronunciation of different words be alike1 and a great fault if such a pronunciation be the consequence of a refinement4 ,we now pronounce fore and four1 the same2 which sometimes makes an odd confusion4 8,i will come to you at three1 ,i can't come before0--and 8,i will come to you at three1 ,i can't come by four0--are pronounced just the same way4 ,this we get by affectedly dropping the u4 ,in ,french au dessous and au dessus are too much alike for contrary significations4 ,nature dictates a difference of sound for different meanings3 the adverbs of negation and assent1 bear no resemblance to each other in any language2 and almost all languages agree in some such sound as no for denial4 ,the ,london dialect is the cause of many improprieties1 which1 if they were only used in conversation1 would not much signify2 but as they have begun to make part of our written language1 they deserve some animadversion4 ,to mention a few4 ,the custom among the common people of adding an s to many words1 has1 ,i believe1 occasioned its being fixed to some1 by writers of rank1 who on account of their residence in ,london did not perceive the impropriety4 ,they speak1 and write1 chickens--coals--acquaintances--assistan ces1 c4 ,chicken is itself the plural of chick1 as oxen is of ox1 kine 7cowen7 is of cow1 and many others4 ,coal1 acquaintance1 being aggregate nouns1 admit of no plural termination1 nor does assistance4 ,if ,i were to say a bag of shots1 or sands1 the impropriety would be instantly perceived2 and yet one is full as good ,english as the other4 ,a certain author of great credit1 who has taken a strict1 nay1 a verbal review of the ,english language1 uses them as often as they occur4 ,as the ,londoners speak1 so they also write learn for teach1 this is a very old mistake1 and occurs frequently in the psalms1 do for does 7and the contrary71 set for sit1 see for saw1 tin for latten 7which are two different things as well as words71 sulky for sullen1 c4 c4 ',change and 'sample have been long admitted denizens4----,even in a dictionary you may find million explained to be a fruit well known--as perhaps in a future edition we shall be told that a fly signifies a coach1 and dilly a chaise4 ,the ,london phraseology has also been too hard for ,english4 ,i got me up--he sets him down--,i got no sleep--,i slept none--such a thing is a doing--a going--a coming--live lobsters--live-cattle--,i will call of you--do not tell on it4 ,all these are writ without scruple4 ,our modern comedies1 and the ,london news-papers1 abound so much in this language1 that they are scarce intelligible to one who has never been in the capital4 ,nay in books for the use of schools1 the ,london dialect is so predominant1 that many of the sentences are not to be understood by a country boy1 and impossible to be rendered into ,latin even by those who do understand them4 8,i will go and fetch a walk in the ,green ,park0--8,i will go get me my dinner10 and such jargon is perpetually occurring4 ,english has also been corrupted by ,london emphasis and accent--,i will not tire you by quoting examples1 of which a long list might be made to prove the great propensity of the common people to those defects2 and would be a farther confirmation of what ,i just now advanced1 that men of learning really commit improprieties1 because their ear is familiarized to them4 ,i have yet something to add on this subject--but ,i must caution you from imagining that because ,i find out the faults of others1 ,i pretend to perfection myself4 ,hogarth says very properly in his ,analysis of ,beauty1 8do not look for good drawing in those examples which ,i bring of grace and beauty--they are purposely neglected--attend to the precept40 ,,letter ,,xii4 ,i sometimes provoke you by sporting with what you deem sacred matters4 ,homer ,i know is one of your divinities--may ,i venture to tell you that ,i never could find that scale of heroes in the ,iliad which critics admire as such a beauty8 ,hector is supposed in valour superior to all but ,achilles--upon what authority8 ,ajax certainly beat him in the single combat between them2 and there are some instances1 tho' ,i cannot recollect the passages1 of his inferiority to others of the ,greeks4 ,it is surely a blindness worse than ,homerican1 not to see many inconsistencies in the ,iliad1 and it is ridiculous to attempt to make beauties of them4 ,from many which might easily be pointed out1 take one or two as they occur to my memory4 ,after describing ,mars as the most terrible of beings1 and to whom whole armies are as nothing2 what poetical belief is strong enough to suppose he could be made to retire by ,diomed8 ,if ,minerva's shield is so vast 7the shell of a ,kraken1 ,i suppose71 can one help wondering why she does not use it as the ,king of ,laputa does his island1 when his subjects on ,terra-firma rebel8 ,i do not recollect parallel instances in ,milton4 ,,letter ,,xiii4 ,you have not done me justice--read the memoirs ,i sent you properly before they are condemned3--what is any book if it be not read in that manner by which it may best be understood8 ,a novel1 whose merit lies chiefly in the story1 should be quickly passed through2 for the closer you can bring the several circumstances together1 the better4 ,if its merit consists in character and sentiment1 it should be read much slower2 for the least obvious parts of a character are frequently the most beautiful1 and the propriety of a sentiment may easily escape in a hasty perusal4 ,detached thoughts ought to be dwelt on longer than any other manner of writing2 for different subjects following close1 do rather confound than instruct2 but if we allowed ourselves time to reflect1 we should understand the author and perhaps improve ourselves4 ,each thought should be considered as a text1 upon which we ought to make a commentary4 ,bayle's manner of writing by text and note is generally decried1 but without reason4 ,when there is a necessity of proving the assertion by quotation1 which was his case1 no other way can be taken equally perspicuous4 ,the authorities must be produced somewhere--they cannot be in the text1 and if they are put at the end of the book1 which is the modern fashion1 how much more troublesome are they for referring to1 than by being at the bottom of the page8 ,the truth is1 this is another instance of ignorance in the method of reading4 ,bayle1 ,harris1 and other writers of this class1 should have the text read first1 which is quickly dispatched2 then1 begin again and take in the notes4 ,by this means you preserve a connection1 and judge of the proofs of what is asserted4 ,i might in other respects complain of your treating me rather unfairly2 indeed1 none judge less favourably of an author than his intimate friends----their personal knowledge of him as a man1 destroys a hundred delusions to his advantage as an author4--8,who is a hero to his ,valet de ,chambre80 said the great ,cond1 and he might have added1 8or to his friends80 ,besides the obvious reason for this1 it is most likely that an author has in his common conversation made his friends acquainted with his sentiments long before they are communicated to the public4 ,the consequence is1 that to them his work is not new2 and it is possible that they may take to themselves part of his merit2 for ,i have known many instances1 where a person has been told something by way of information1 which he himself told to the informer4 ,i know you will take this to yourself4--,do so1 but still think me ,yours1 c4 ,,letter ,,xiv4 ,we are got into a custom of mentioning ,shakespeare and ,jonson together1 and many think them of equal merit1 tho' in different ways4 ,in my opinion1 ,jonson is one of the dullest writers ,i ever read1 and his plays1 with some few exceptions1 the most unentertaining ,i ever saw4 ,he has some shining passages now and then1 but not enough to make up for his deficiencies4 ,shakespeare1 on the contrary1 abundantly recompenses for being sometimes low and trifling4 ,one of his commentators much admires his great art in the construction of his verses--,i dare say they are very perfect2 but it is as much out of my power to think upon the art of verse-making when ,i am reading this divine poet1 as it is to consider of the best way of making fiddle-strings at a concert4 ,i am not master of myself sufficiently to do any thing that requires deliberation3 ,i am taken up like a leaf in a whirlwind1 and dropped at ,thebes or ,athens1 as the poet pleases6 ,i have seldom any pleasure from the representation of ,shakespeare's plays1 unless it be from some scenes of conversation merely1 without passion4 ,the speeches which have any thing violent in the expression1 are generally so over-acted as to cease to be the 8mirror of nature0--but this was always the case--8,oh6 it offends me to the soul1 to see a robustious perriwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters30--'tho' this is a 8lamentable thing10 yet it appears to be without remedy4 ,an actor1 in a large theatre1 is like a picture hung at a distance1 if the touches are delicate1 they escape the sight3 both must be extravagant to be seen at all1 and hence the custom of the ancients to make use of the ,persona and ,buskin4 ,acting has a very different effect in the stage-box from what it has in the back of the gallery4 ,in the one1 every thing appears rough and rude1 like a picture of ,spagnolet's near the eye2 in the other1 it is with difficulty that the play can be made out4 ,perhaps1 the best place is the front of the first gallery2 as being sufficiently removed to soften these hardnesses1 yet near enough to see and hear with advantage4 ,but there is no place can alter the impropriety of rant and turgid declamation1 which the performer naturally runs into by endeavouring to be strong enough to be heard--so that1 as ,i observed1 the evil seems to be incurable4 ,,letter ,,xv4 ,an acquaintance of ours has corresponded with a writing-master many years1 not from any regard to the man1 but for the pleasure he takes in seeing fine writing4 ,he preserves his letters carefully1 and though he reads them to none1 7perhaps they are still unread by himself7 he shews them to all who can relish the excellence of a flourish 8long drawn out40----,our friend's taste may be ridiculed by those who 8hold it a baseness to write fair10 but yet it is certain1 that the true form of letters1 in writing1 is understood no where but in ,england4 ,i never saw a specimen of a correct hand either written or engraved1 from any other country1 that was upon a right principle4 ,perhaps it may be objected1 that every nation1 prejudiced in favour of their own particular manner1 will say the same thing4 ,let us examine this4 ,modern writing-hand had its rise from an endeavour to form the true letters as they are printed1 with expedition4 ,the first variation from the original1 must be an oblique instead of a perpendicular situation1 this naturally arises from the position of the hand--the next1 a joining of the letters2 these two necessarily produce a third1 an alteration of the form4 ,so that writing hand differs from printing in this1 that the former is an arrangement of connected characters1 the latter of distinct ones4 ,the slit in the pen makes the down-strokes full1 and the up-strokes slight1 so that the body of the letter is strong1 and the joinings weak2 as they should be4 ,it is most natural and easy also to hold the pen always in the same position1 by which means1 the full and hair-strokes are always in their right places4 ,so far seems the necessary consequence of endeavouring to make the letters expeditiously with a pen4 ,this being granted1 the ornamental part comes next to be considered4 ,for this1 it is requisite that the letters should be of the same size and distance1 that their leaning should be in the same direction1 that the joining be as much as possible uniform1 and1 lastly1 that the superadded ornament of flourishing1 should be continued in the same position of the pen in which it was first begun1 7generally the reverse of the usual way of holding it71 and that the forms be distinct1 flowing1 and graceful4 ,these appear to me to be the true principles of writing4 ,examine the ,italian and ,french hands by these rules1 7some of the best specimens are the titles of prints1 c47 and the hand which they use will be found to be unconnected1 full of unmeaning twists and curlings generally produced by altering the position of the pen1 and upon the whole awkward1 stiff1 and ungraceful4 ,as they now write1 we did1 about seventy or eighty years since2 so that our present beautiful hand is a new one1 and by its being used no where but in ,england1 ,i must conclude it to be an ,english invention4 ,believe me1 in my best writing1 and with my best wishes1 ever ,yours1 c4 ,,letter ,,xvi4 ,i ,have often reflected with great grief1 that there is scarce any remarkable natural object in the sublime style1 of which we have a draught1 to be depended on4 ,the cataract of ,niagara4--,the peak of ,teneriffe1 we know nothing of but that the one is the greatest waterfall1 and the other the highest single mountain in the world4 ,it is true1 ,condamine says1 that the ,andes far surpass the peak of ,teneriffe2 more than a third--but1 it should be considered1 that the valley of ,quito is #afjj fathoms above the sea1 and that it is from the foot of the mountain that the eye judges of its height4 ,the peak of ,teneriffe rises at once1 and has1 comparatively1 but a small base--so that1 in appearance1 ,teneriffe is the highest of mountains4 ,the cataract of ,niagara1 indeed1 is most excellently described by ,mr4 ,kalm2 but all descriptions of visible objects comes so short of a representation1 and is necessarily so imperfect1 that if ten different painters were to read ,mr4 ,kalm's account of this amazing fall1 and to draw it from his description1 we should have as many different draughts as painters4 ,the peak of ,teneriffe has been ascended by many1 but described by none1 for ,i cannot call those accounts descriptions1 which would suit any other high mountain as well4 ,some travellers give views of what they apprehend to be curious1 but all that we can find from them is1 that they cannot possibly be like the object described4 ,there must be some amazing scenes in ,norway by ,pontoppidan's ,descriptions1 and in the ,alps by ,schuchtzer's1 but their draughts cannot bear the least resemblance to what they describe4 ,nay1 those objects which lie in the common road of travellers have just the same fate4--,the view of ,lombardy from the ,alps--the bay of ,naples--the appearance of ,genoa1 from the sea1 c4 c4 are much talked of1 but never drawn3 or if drawn1 not published4 ,from this general censure ,i should except a view of ,vesuvius taken by a pupil of ,vernet's1 and two views of the ,giant's causeway in ,ireland1 but above all ,gaspar ,poussin's drawings from ,tivoli4 ,these have something so characteristic1 that we may be sure that they give a proper idea of the scenes from whence they were taken4 ,of the many thousands that are constantly going to the ,east-,indies1 not one has published a drawing of the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 nor of ,adam's peak in ,ceylon1 nor fifty other remarkable objects which are seen in that voyage4----,even the rock of ,gibraltar is as yet undrawn4 ,what ,i mean by a drawing is a pictoresque view1 not a meer outline for the use of navigators1 nor the unmeaning marks of a pencil directed by ignorance4 ,i greatly suspect the so much commended draughts in ,anson's voyage to be nothing but outlines filled up at random2 and more than suspect1 that many designs in a late publication of this sort1 are mere inventions at home4 ,i have been led into this subject by the two admirable descriptions of tna by ,sir ,w4 ,hamilton and ,brydone--as much as words can realize objects1 they are realized4-- ,but yet1 a dozen different views taken by real artists1 would have done more in an instant1 than any effect within the power of description4 ,,letter ,,xvii4 ,is there not something very fanciful in the analogy which some people have discovered between the arts8 ,i do not deny the commune quoddam vinculum1 but would keep the principle within its proper bounds4 ,poetry and painting1 ,i believe1 are only allied to music and to each other2 but music1 besides having the above-named ladies for sisters1 has also astronomy and geometry for brothers1 and grammar--for a cousin1 at least4 ,i am sure ,i have left out many of the family1 though1 if ,i could enumerate what seems at present the whole1 it is odds1 but there would be a new relation discovered soon by an adept in this business4--,why should not ,i find out one or two8--,i will try4 ,let me see--what is there near me8 ,oh6 a standish--music then shall be like my standish4 ,any thing else8--,yes--like the grate--or like that shirt now hanging by the fire1 which makes so excellent a screen4 8,how prove you this in your great wisdom80 ,marry6 thus--music bears great analogy to my standish2 because there is one bottle for the ink1 another for the sand1 and the third for wafers--these are evidently the unison1 third1 and fifth1 which make a compleat chord2 and those three a compleat standish4--,the pen is so evidently the plectrum1 that it is insulting you to mention it4 8,but why like the grate80 ,bless me6 did you never see a testudo1--a lyre8 ,the bars are the strings1 the back is the belly--need ,i enlarge8 ,what is the fire but the vis musica8--and here1 the poker is the plectrum4 8,but how can it possibly be like the shirt80 ,pho6 any thing in analogy is possible4--,like my shirt8--,why1 the body is the bass1 the sleeves are two trebles--the ruffles are shakes and flourishes--the three buttons of the collar are evidently the common chord4--,but1 a truce with such nonsense4--,there are scarce any two things in the world but may be made to resemble each other4 ,permit me to shew the slightness of another received opinion concerning music4 8,what passion cannot music raise or quell80 says ,dryden1 or ,pope1 ,i forget which3 and the same thought is so often expressed by other poets1 and so generally adopted by all authors upon this subject1 that it would be a bold attempt to contradict it1 were there not an immediate appeal to general feeling1 which ,i hope is superior to all authority4 ,thus supported then1 ,i ask in my turn--8,what passion can music raise or quell80 ,who ever felt himself affected1 otherwise than with pleasure1 at those strains which are supposed to inspire grief--rage--joy--or pity8 and this1 in a degree1 equal to the goodness of the composition and performance4 ,the effect of music1 in this instance1 is just the same as of poetry4 ,we attend--are pleased--delighted--transported--and when the heart can bear no more1 8glow1 tremble1 and weep40 ,all these are but different degrees of pure pleasure4 ,when a poet or musician has produced this last effect1 he has attained the utmost in the power of poetry or music4 ,tears being a general expression of grief1 pain1 and pity2 and music1 when in its perfection1 producing them1 has occasioned the mistake1 of its raising the passions of grief1 c4 ,but tears1 in fact1 are nothing but the mechanical effect of every strong affection of the heart1 and produced by all the passions2 even joy and rage4 ,it is this effect1 and the pleasurable sensation together1 which ,offian 7whether ancient or modern ,i care not7 calls the 8joy of grief40----,it is this effect1 when produced by some grand image1 which ,dr4 ,blair1 his ,critic1 styles the 8sublime pathetic40 ,i have chosen to illustrate these observations from poetry rather than from music1 because it is more generally understood1 and easier to quote--but the principle is equal in both the arts4 ,adieu4 ,,letter ,,xviii4 ,your pictures came safe--my opinion of them you will in part know from the following observations1 which1 though made on another occasion1 are equally applicable to this4 ,there is in landscape-painting and novel-writing a fault committed by some of the best artists and authors1 which is as yet unnamed1 because perhaps unnoticed1 permit me to call it a bad association4 ,in a landscape1 it is not sufficient that all the objects are such as may well be found together4--,in a story1 it is not enough that the incidents are such as may well happen--it is necessary in both1 that all the circumstances should be of the same family4 ,suppose a landscape had for its subject one of ,gaspar ,poussin's ,views of ,tivoli--now1 tho' there is nothing more natural than to find mills by running water1 yet a mill is not an object that can possibly agree with the other parts of the picture4 ,suppose in a landscape of ,ruysdale there were introduced the ruins of a temple2 tho' a temple may be properly placed in a wood near water1 yet it does not suit the rustic simplicity of the pictures of this artist4--,give the mill to ,ruysdale and the temple to ,gaspar--all will be right4 ,these two painters were the most perfect in their different styles that ever existed4 ,both formed themselves upon the study of nature1 both were correct1 both excellent2 and yet so totally different from each other1 that there are scarce any parts of the pictures of one1 that will bear being introduced into those of the other4 ,claude's magnificent ideas frequently betrayed him into a bad association4----,large grand masses of trees agree but ill with sea and ships1 unless they are removed to a distance4--,an ,english painter1 who formed himself upon the study of ,gaspar1 took his trees1 rocks1 and other circumstances from that master1 but his buildings from the ,gardiner's huts at ,newington4 ,a story which proceeds upon a regular circumscribed plan1 chiefly consisting of dialogue and sentiment1 where the scene is laid in ,london1 and the characters such as are natural to the place2 has a bad association if the author goes to ,africa in quest of adventures4 ,on the other hand1 a novel which sets out upon the principle of variety1 and where a frequent change of place is necessary to the execution of the design1 has a bad association if the author in any part of it quits adventure for sentiment or satire4 ,and yet1 this has been done by ,fielding and ,smollet1 the two best novel-writers of the age4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,volume4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 - ,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 - ,text enclosed by equals is in gesperrt 7gesperrt74 - ,blank pages have been removed4 - ,silently corrected typographical errors4 - ,spelling and hyphenation variations made consistent4 - ,asterisk rows at the start or end of some letters have been removed as ,i could not determine any purpose or consistency4