CRITICS AND WRITERS.

No sort of readers are more prone to criticise, or more rash and unjust in their censures, than they who write nothing. An author has more reason to promise himself some support and equity amongst authors, than amongst such as know not by experience, the difficulties of writing. Provided only there be no emulation in the case, as sometimes there is not; for authors do not always take the same road; the reputation of one, not being of the same kind with that of another; and, in this case, it is better to be judged by a laborious author, than by lazy readers. A man who has been employed many years upon one kind of work, knows better

than another what are the properties of it. He has not, if you will, so good a taste and judgment as another, generally speaking; but since he has studied certain subjects, and applied himself to them for a long time, we ought to believe, that he judges better of their nature, and the ornaments which belong to them, than they who have not made them their particular study. And therefore we ought not to imagine, that certain authors act imprudently, when on several occasions, they prefer their own judgment, before that of their friends, or their enemies, though otherwise more knowing than themselves. A writer less intelligent, generally speaking, than his readers, will yet have more views than they upon the subject he treats of; and whilst they know not whether he had reason to say such or such things, he will know that he was induced to it by many reasonable motives, grounded upon the character of his work. Hence arise infinitely ill-grounded censures, and hence we also see how requisite it is to study well the rules, before we pronounce whether a work be good or bad. For example, to judge well of this history, with a commentary annexed, which I call an historical and critical dictionary, a man must have studied the rights and privileges of an historical commentator; and hereupon I might say, with Du Haillan, I know better what I write, than such a one knows how to judge of my writings. I have studied the nature and properties of compilations; if they every where please one kind of people, they would not be good. They who know not the character of them want to find in them only what pleases their own palate.—Art,Haillan.