 Power and assume the Dignity of his Master. The Laws of Writing were no
longer founded on the Practice of the Author, but on the Dictates of the Critic.
The Clerk became the Legislator, and those very peremptorily gave Laws, whose
Business it was, at first, only to transcribe them.
    Hence arose an obvious, and, perhaps, an unavoidable Error: For these
Critics being Men of shallow Capacities, very easily mistook mere Form for
Substance. They acted as a Judge would, who should adhere to the lifeless Letter
of Law, and reject the Spirit. Little Circumstances which were, perhaps,
accidental in a great Author, were, by these Critics, considered to constitute
his chief Merit, and transmitted as Essentials to be observed by all his
Successors. To these Encroachments, Time and Ignorance, the two great Supporters
of Imposture, gave Authority; and thus, many Rules for good Writing have been
established, which have not the least Foundation in Truth or Nature; and which
commonly serve for no other Purpose than to curb and restrain Genius, in the
same Manner, as it would have restrained the Dancing-master, had the many
excellent Treatises on that Art, laid it down as an essential Rule, that every
Man must dance in Chains.
    To avoid, therefore, all Imputation of laying down a Rule for Posterity,
founded only on the Authority of ipse dixit; for which, to say the Truth, we
have not the profoundest Veneration; we shall here wave the Privilege above
contended for, and proceed to lay before the Reader, the Reasons which have
induced us, to intersperse these several digressive Essays, in the Course of
this Work.
    And here we shall of Necessity be led to open a new Vein of Knowledge,
which, if it hath been discovered, hath not, to our Remembrance, been wrought on
by any antient or modern Writer. This Vein is no other than that of Contrast,
which runs through all the Works of the Creation, and may probably have a large
Share in constituting in us the Idea of all Beauty, as well natural as
artificial: For what demonstrates the Beauty and Excellence of any thing, but
its Reverse? Thus the Beauty of Day, and that of Summer, is set off by the
Horrors of Night and Winter. And I believe, if it was possible for a Man to have
seen only the two former, he would have a very imperfect Idea of their Beauty.
    But to avoid too serious an Air: Can it be doubted, but that the finest
Woman in the World would lose all Benefit of her
