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The PRESENT STATE
CHAP. VI.
A parallel between the decline of ancient and modern learning.
The similitude between the rise and decline of ancient and modern learning is so obvious, that it scarcely requires an illustration. We may have seen, that wherever the poet was permitted to improve his native language, polite learning flourished; where the critic undertook the same task, it never rose to any degree of perfection. We have seen the genius of every country make more feeble advances to excellence in proportion, as the number of critics was great, and learning become more loquacious as it was less improving.
An encrease of criticism is, however, the natural consequence of learning's be-coming
