1889 CRITICAL DISSERTATIONS, REVEREND MR. H'U R D. VOL. II. THE FOURTH EDITION, LONDON, PRINTED FOR A. MILLAR, IN THE STRAND; AT CAMBRIDGE, MDCCLXVI TO THE REVEREND MR. WARBURTON. REVEREND SIR, GT IVE me leave to present to you the following Effay on the Epiftle to Auguftus; which, whatever other merit it may want, is fecure of this, that it hath been planned upon the best model. For I know not what fhould hinder me from declaring to you in this public manner, that it was the early pleasure I received from what you had written of this fort, which firft engaged me in the province of criticism. And, if I have taken upon me to illuftrate another of the fineft pieces of antiquity after the fame method, it is because I find myself encouraged to do fo by higher confiderations, than even the Authority of your example. CRITICISM, confidered in its antient and nobleft office of doing juftice to the merits of great writers, more efpecially in works of poetry and invention, demands, to its perfect execution, thefe two qualities: a philofophic fpirit, capable of penetrating the fundamental reafons of excellence in every different fpecies of compofition; and a strong imagination, the parent of what we call true tafte, enabling the critic to feel the full force of his author's excellence himself, and to imprefs a lively sense of it upon others. Each of these abilities is neceffary. For by means of philofophy, criticifm, which were otherwise a vague and fuperficial thing, acquires |