The PREFACE.
their Excellencies and Failures. They must first be Masters of the foremention'd Qualities, and then they may begin to Criticise and Reflect upon what they read and thorowly understand. Then they will be able to separate the Dross from the Or, to discern the false glittering of the Tinsel from the true Lustre of the Jewel, and to know what is praise-worthy and what is not.
How Synonymous soever the words may seem at first hearing, yet unquestionably there is as much difference between Censuring and Criticising, as there is between a corrupted, ill-natur'd, and a fair impartial Judge. A little Wit, arm'd with a great deal of Malice, will go a great way towards the composing a Censurer: Such a one, I mean, that Carps at ev'ry thing he meets with, that would find faults where there are none, and take some sort of Complacency and Delight in magnifying the smallest slips of an Author. But now the true Critick is quite another thing; he brings all he reads and reflects on to the Criterion of right Reason, and to the Standard of Truth. What is excellent and beautiful, he not only acquits, but highly applauds and commends: What is weak he does all he can in justice to conceal or defend; and like a compassionate Judge, 'tis with some sort of Reluctance and Regret that he is forc'd at last to pass a Black Sentence upon the most Criminal Pieces. Such a Critick as this is of vast use to the Commonwealth of Learning, not only for encouraging and countenancing the Good, but likewise for discouraing and deterring the Bad Writers: Since the Excellencies of the one will be sure to meet with a due esteem; and the Faults of the other will in spite of the Criticks good Nature, fall under a just and severe Censure. This is that Notion I have of a true and accomplish'd Critick: All others may be term'd Censurers, Carpers, Momus's, or by what other Name of ignominy you please to give them, but are by no means to beallow'd
