DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48954#0030
14 1 N T R O D U C T I O N.
lion, Whether, and how far, do these rules agree
with human nature. It could not surely be his
opinion , that these poets, however eminent for
genius, were entitled to give law to mankind ; and
that nothing now remains , but blind obedience to
their arbitrary will: is in writing they followed no
rule, why shouldthey be imitated ? if theystudied
nature and were obsequious to rational principles,
why should these be concealed srom us ?
With respecft to the present undertaking, it is
not the author's intention to compose a regular
treatise upon each of the fine arts ; but only , in
general , to exhibit their fundamental principles,
drawn from human nature , the true source of cri-
ticism. The fine arts are intended to entertain us ,
by making plealant impressions ; and, by that cir-
cumstance, are diftinguished from the useful arts:
but in order to make pleasant impressions, we
ought, as above hinted , to know what objeefts are
naturally agreeable , and what naturally disagree-
able. That subjeft is here attempted , as far as
necessary for unfolding the genuine principles of
the fine arts; and the author assumes no merit
from his performance, but that os evincing, perhaps
more distin&ly than hitherto has been done , that
these principles , as wrell as every just rule of criticism,
are founded upon the sensitive part of our nature.
lion, Whether, and how far, do these rules agree
with human nature. It could not surely be his
opinion , that these poets, however eminent for
genius, were entitled to give law to mankind ; and
that nothing now remains , but blind obedience to
their arbitrary will: is in writing they followed no
rule, why shouldthey be imitated ? if theystudied
nature and were obsequious to rational principles,
why should these be concealed srom us ?
With respecft to the present undertaking, it is
not the author's intention to compose a regular
treatise upon each of the fine arts ; but only , in
general , to exhibit their fundamental principles,
drawn from human nature , the true source of cri-
ticism. The fine arts are intended to entertain us ,
by making plealant impressions ; and, by that cir-
cumstance, are diftinguished from the useful arts:
but in order to make pleasant impressions, we
ought, as above hinted , to know what objeefts are
naturally agreeable , and what naturally disagree-
able. That subjeft is here attempted , as far as
necessary for unfolding the genuine principles of
the fine arts; and the author assumes no merit
from his performance, but that os evincing, perhaps
more distin&ly than hitherto has been done , that
these principles , as wrell as every just rule of criticism,
are founded upon the sensitive part of our nature.