THE principal ufes of reading may, perhaps not improperly, be referred to two objects, the improvement of the understanding, and the exercise of imagination: whence books may be diftinguished by two leading characters, Inftructive and Interelling; and will be divided into two claffes, Works of Knowledge, and Works of Tafte.

BETWEEN the two kinds of reading, which books, thus claffed, afford, there is one characteristic difference. In works which are merely intended to communicate knowledge, writing is made ufe of only as a vehicle of inftruction; and therefore nothing further is neceffary, or per haps defirable, than that they should exprefs the facts, or truths, which they are intended to teach, with perfect perfpicuity of conception, arrangement, and diction. But in works of tafle, the writing itself becomes a principal object of attention, as a reprefentation of nature, more or lefs accurate, according to the powers which the writer pofeffes of expreffing in language the conceptions of his own imagination. This reprefentation cannot, indeed, be called an imitation of nature, in the fame ftrict and literal fenfe in which the term is applied to a picture; because words are not natural copies, Lut arbitrary figns of things: but it produces an effect upon the imagination and feelings of the reader, fimilar to that which is produced by the art of painting. It was doubtlefs for this reafon, that Ariftotle defined poetry an imitative art.

THESE Circumftances render THE READING OF WORKS OF TASTE a subject of difquifition, or of precept, not fs extenfive than that of writings intended for the communication of knowledge; and on account of its influence upon the state of the mind, it may perhaps be jusly afferted to be not lefs important. It is the defign of this Effay, briefly to reprefent the BENEFITS which are to be expected from this kind of reading; and to fuggest certain RULES for conducting it in the most advantageous manner.

THE agreeable EMPLOYMENT which reading works of tafte affords the active faculties of the mind, is its first and moft obvious effect.

THE productions of genius, whether written in narrative, de criptive, or dramatic form, agree in the gene-. ral character, of prefenting before the mind of the reader certain objects which awaken his attention, exercise his fancy, and intereft his feelings. Those scenes in nature, that, from caufes which it is the bufinefs of philosophy to explore, are adapted to excite in the fpectator agreeable perceptions and emotions, may, by the aid of language, be exhibited in. colours lefs vivid indeed than thofe of nature, but fufficiently bright, to make a ftrong impreffion upon the imagination.. A fimilar effect will be produced by the reprefentation of human characters and actions, but with a fuperior degree of force, on account of the fuperiority of animated to inanimate nature, and on account of the peculiar intereft, which men naturally take in whatever concerns their own fpecies. Thefe are rich and fpacious fields, from which genius may collect materials for its various productions, without hazard of exhaufting their treasures. The ancients, numerous as their works of fancy are, were capable of enriching them with an endless variety of imagery, fentiment, and language. That ftrict adherence to nature, which good fenfe and correct taste obliged them to ob. ferve, produced indeed fuch a general resemblance, as must always be found among difciples of the fame fchool and fometimes we find them copying, with too much fervility, the works of other artifts. But there were few among them, who were not able to collect, from the common magazine of nature, ftores before unnoticed, and to adorn their works, not only with new decorations of language, but with original conceptions. And, twithstanding the complaint of indolence and dulnefs,

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that the topics of defcription, and even of fiction, are exhanted; genius ftill fometimes afferts her claims, and proves that the variety of her productions, like that of the operations of nature, is without limit.

- HENCE, they who are converfant with works of genius and tafte, find a variety in their fources of entertainment, in fume measure proportioned to the extent of their acquaintance with languages. The induftrious fcholar, who has, with many a weary slep, so far won his way through the rugged path of grammatical studies, as to have acquired a competent knowledge of the ancient Greek and Roman languages, is arrived at a fertile and well-cultivated plain, every where adorned with the fairest flowers, and enriched with the choiceft fruits.

THE writings of the ancients abound with excellent productions in every interefting kind of compofition. There is no pleafing affection of the mind, which may not, in these invaluable remains of antiquity, find ample fcope for gratification. The Epic Mufe, whether the appears in the majeftic fimplicity of Homer, or in the finished elegance of Virgil, presents before the delighted imagination an endless variety of grand and beautiful objects, interesting actions, and characters strongly marked, which it is impoffible to contemplate without a perpetual fucceffion of agreeable emotions. Tragedy, whether the rages with Efchylus, or weeps with Sophocles, or moralizes with Euripides, never ceases to wear a dignified and interefting afpect. Comedy, in the natural and eafy dress, in which, after the best Greek models, she is clothed by Terence, can never fail to please. Lyric poetry, whilft it rolls on, like an impetuous torrent, in the lofty strains, and the wild and varied numbers of Pindar, or flows in a placid and tranfparent ftream along the channel of Horatian verfe, or glides brifkly through the bowers of love and joy in the fportive lays of Anacreon, by turns aftonishes, foothes,

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foothes, and delights. Elegy, through the foft and plaintive notes of Bion or Tibullus, melts the foul in pleafing fympathy whilft Paftoral Song, in the artlefs notes of Theocritus, or in the fweet melody of the Mantuan pipe, plays gently about the fancy and the heart. Satire, in the mean time, provides entertainment for those who are difpofed to laugh at folly, or indulge an honeft indignation against vice, in the fmile of Horace, the grin of Lucian, and the frown of Juvenal. So rich and various are the treasures with which the Greek and Roman writers furnish thefe, who have enjoyed the advantage of a claffical education.

BUT, without having recourse to the ancients, it is poffible to find in modern languages valuable specimens of every fpecies of polite literature. The English language, in particular, abounds with writings addreffed to the imagination and feelings, and calculated for the improvement of tafte. No one, who is not fo far blinded by prejudice in favour of antiquity as to be incapable of relishing any thing modern, can doubt, that excellent examples of every kind of literary merit are to be found among the British writers. The inventive powers of Shakspeare, the fublime conceptions of Milton, the verfatile genius of Dryden, the wit of Butler, the eafy gayety of Prior, the ftrength and harmony of Pope, the defcriptive powers of Thomson, the delicate humour of Addison, the pathetic fimplicity of Sterne, and the finished correctnefs of Gray, might, with fome degree of confidence, be respectively brought into comparison with any examples of fimilar excellence among the ancients.

FOR minds capable of the pleafures of imagination and fentiment, fuch writings as thefe provide a kind of entertainment, which is in its nature elegant and refined, and which admits of endlefs diverfity. By exhibiting images induftriously collected and judiciously difpofed,

they

they produce impreffions upon the reader's fancy, fcarcely lefs vivid, than thofe which would refult from the actual contemplation of natural objects. By combining incidents and characters of various kinds, and reprefenting them as affociated in new and interefting relations, they keep curiofity perpetually awake, and touch in fucceffon every affection and paffion of the heart. Whatever is grand or beautiful in nature; whatever is noble, lovely, or fingular, in character; whatever is furprifing or affecting in fituation, is by the magic power of genius brought at pleasure into view, in the manner best adapted to excite correfpondent emotions. A rich field of elegant pleasure is hereby laid open before the reader who is poffeffed of a true taste for polite literature, which diftinguishes him from the vulgar, at least as much as the man who enjoys an affluent fortune is diftinguished by the luxuries of his table.

BESIDES the immediate gratification which this kind of reading affords, it is attended with feveral COLLATERAL ADVANTAGES, which are perhaps of equal value. The exercife, which it gives to the imagination and feelings, improves the vigour and fenfibility of the mind. It is the natural tendency of an intimate acquaintance with images of grandeur, beauty, and excellence, as they are exhibited in works of talle, to produce a general habit of dignity and elegance, which will feldom fail to tineture a man's general character, and diffuse a graceful air over his whole converfation and manners. It is not unreasonable even to expect, that they who are habitually converfant with beautiful forms in nature and art, and are frequently employed in contemplating excellent characters in the pages of history and fiction, will learn to admire whatever is noble or becoming in conduct.