mark of a gentleman; for let a man's birth be ever so high, his station ever so exalted, or his fortune ever so large, yet if he is not free from national and other prejudices, I should make bold to tell him, that he had a low and vulgar mind, and had no just claim to the character of a gentleman. And in fact you will always find, that those are most apt to boast of national merit, who have little or no merit of their own to depend on; than which to be sure nothing is more natural: the slender vine twists around the sturdy oak for no other reason in the world, but because it has not strength sufficient to support itself.

Should it be alleged in defence of national prejudice, that it is the natural and necessary growth of love to our country, and that therefore the former cannot be destroyed without hurting the latter, I answer, that this is a gross fallacy and delusion. That it is the growth of love to our country, I will allow; but that it is the natural and necessary growth of it, I absolutely deny. Superstition and enthusiasm too are the growth of religion; but who ever took it in his head to affirm, that they are the necessary growth of this noble principle? They are, if you will, the bastard sprouts of this heavenly plant, but not its natural and genuine branches, and may safely enough be lopt off, without doing any harm to the parent stock: nay, perhaps, till once they are lopt off, this goodly tree can never flourish in perfect health and vigour.

Is it not very possible that I may love my own country, without hating the natives of other countries? that I may exert the most heroic bravery, the most undaunted resolution, in defending its laws and liberty, without despising all the rest of the world as cowards and poltroons? Most certainly it is; and if it were not-But what need I suppose what is ab

solutely impossible?-But if it were not, I must own, I should prefer the title of the ancient philosopher, viz. a Citizen of the World, to that of an Englishman, a Frenchman, an European, or to any other appellation whatever.

ESSAY XII.

AMIDST the frivolous pursuits and pernicious dissipations of the present age, a respect for the qualities of the understanding still prevails to such a degree, that almost every individual pretends to have a Taste for the Belles Lettres. The spruce prentice sets up for a critic, and the puny beau piques himself upon being a connoisseur. Without assigning causes for this universal presumption, we shall proceed to observe, that if it was attended with no other inconvenience than that of exposing the pretender to the ridicule of those few who can sift his pretensions, it might be unnecessary to undeceive the publick, or to endeavour at the reformation of innocent folly, productive of no evil to the commonwealth. But in reality this folly is productive of manifold evils to the community. If the reputation of taste can be acquired, without the least assistance of literature, by reading modern poems, and seeing modern plays, what person will deny himself the pleasure of such an easy qualification? Hence the

youth of both sexes are debauched to diversion, and seduced from much more profitable occupations into idle endeavours after literary fame; and a superficial false Taste, founded on ignorance and conceit, takes

possession of the publick. The acquisition of learning, the study of nature, is neglected as superfluous labour and the best faculties of the mind remain unexercised, and indeed unopened, by the power of thought and reflection. False Taste will not only diffuse itself through all our amusements, but even influence our moral and political conduct: for what is false Taste, but want of perception to discern propriety and distinguish beauty?

It has been often alleged, that Taste is a natural talent, as independent of Art as strong eyes, or a delicate sense of smelling: and without all doubt, the principal ingredient in the composition of Taste is a natural sensibility, without which it cannot exist; but it differs from the senses in this particular, that they are finished by Nature; whereas Taste cannot be brought to perfection without proper cultivation for Taste pretends to judge not only of Nature, but also of Art; and that judgment is founded upon observation and comparison.

What Horace has said of Genius is still more applicable to Taste:

Naturâ fieret laudabile carmen, an arte,

Quæsitum est. Ego nec studium sine divite venâ,
Nec rude quid prosit video ingenium: alterius sic
Altera poscit opem res, & conjurat amicè.

HOR. ART. POET.

"Tis long disputed, whether poets claim

From Art or Nature their best right to fame;
But Art, if not enrich'd by Nature's vein,
And a rude Genius of uncultur'd strain,

Are useless both; but when in friendship join'd,
A mutual succour in each other find.

FRANCIS.

We have seen Genius shine without the help of Art, but Taste must be cultivated by Art, before it will produce agreeable fruit. This, however, we must

still inculcate with Quintilian, that study, precept, and observation, will nought avail, without the assistance of Nature:

Illud tamen imprimis testandum est, nihil præcepta atque artes valere, nisi adjuvante naturâ.

Yet even though Nature has done her part, by implanting the seeds of Taste, great pains must be taken, and great skill exerted, in raising them to a proper pitch of vegetation. The judicious tutor must gradually and tenderly unfold the mental faculties of the youth committed to his charge. He must cherish his delicate perception; store his mind with proper ideas; point out the different channels of observation; teach him to compare objects; to establish the limits of right and wrong, of truth and falsehood; to distinguish beauty from tinsel, and grace from affectation; in a word, to strengthen and improve by culture, experience, and instruction, those natural powers of feeling and sagacity, which constitute the faculty called Taste, and enable the professor to enjoy the delights of the Belles Lettres.

We cannot agree in opinion with those who imagine that Nature has been equally favourable to all men, in conferring upon them a fundamental capacity, which may be improved to all the refinement of Taste and Criticism. Every day's experience convinces us of the contrary. Of two youths educated under the same preceptor, instructed with the same care, and cultivated with the same assiduity, one shall not only comprehend, but even anticipate, the lessons of his master, by dint of natural discernment; while the other toils in vain to imbibe the least tincture of instruction. Such, indeed, is the distinction between Genius and Stupidity, which every man has an opportunity of seeing among his friends and acquaintance. Not that we ought too hastily to

decide upon the natural capacities of children, before we have maturely considered the peculiarity of disposition, and the bias by which Genius may be strangely warped from the common path of education. A youth incapable of retaining one rule of grammar, or of acquiring the least knowledge of the classics, may nevertheless make great progress in mathematics; nay, he may have a strong genius for the mathematics, without being able to comprehend a demonstration of Euclid; because his mind conceives in a peculiar manner, and is so intent upon contemplating the object in one particular point of view, that it cannot perceive it in any other. We have known an instance of a boy, who, while his master complained that he had not capacity to comprehend the properties of a right-angled triangle, had actually, in private, by the power of his genius, formed a mathematical system of his own, discovered a series of curious theorems, and even applied his deductions to practical machines of surprising construction. Besides, in the education of youth, we ought to remember, that some capacities are like the pyra præcocia; they soon blow, and soon attain to all that degree of maturity which they are capable of acquiring; while on the other hand, there are geniuses of slow growth, that are late in bursting the bud, and long in ripening. Yet the first shall yield a faint blossom and insipid fruit; whereas the produce of the other shall be distinguished and admired for its well-concocted juice and exquisite flavour. We have known a boy of five years of age surprise every body by playing on the violin in such a manner as seemed to promise a prodigy in music, He had all the assistance that art could afford; by the age of ten his genius was at the axun; yet, after that period, notwithstanding the most intense application, he never gave the least signs of improvement.