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 as dull as a Drawing-Room? Upon all thee Occaions, the World eems to have embraced a Maxim of our Law, viz. Cuicunq; in Arte ua perito credendum et: For it eems, perhaps, difficult to conceive that any one hould have had enough of Impudence, to lay down dogmatical Rules in any Art or Science without the leat Foundation. In uch Caes, therefore, we are apt to conclude there are ound and good Reaons at the Bottom, tho’ we are unfortunately not able to ee o far.

Now, in Reality, the World have paid too great a Compliment to Critics, and have imagined them Men of much greater Profundity than they really are. From this Complaiance, the Critics have been emboldened to aume a Dictatorial Power, and have o far ucceeded that they are now become the Maters, and have the Aurance to give Laws to thoe Authors, from whoe Predeceors they originally received them.

The Critic, rightly conidered, is no more than the Clerk, whoe Office is to trancribe the Rules and Laws laid down by thoe great Judges, whoe vat Strength of Genius hath placed them in the Light of