Letter from Manasseh Cutler to Georg Forster, November 24, 1787

Copy Professor Foster or Forster Wilna, Poland

This Day is Printed, and to be Sold, by ROBERT AITKEN, near the Coffee-House, Market-Street, Philadelphia,

A neat and correct Edition of Dr. BLAIR'S LECTURES ON RHETORIC AND BELLES LETTRES, In a beautiful Quarto Volume, on a very fine Paper, and new scabbarded Type

DR. BLAIR's character in the literary world is too well known to require any thing to be said of it. His sermons, some time ago published, have, for elegance of composition and beauty of style been universally admired: and the Lectures now ofered to the Public, have been delivered by him in the University of Edinburgh for many years past, to a very respectable and crouded attendance. The importance of their subjects to the Gentleman and the Scholar, must at once be perceived upon glancing over their contents, and the knowledge, ability, and the taste, displayed in their execution, have been acknowledged and admired by the first learned characters. The London copy of this Work is selling in New-York at Four Pounds, and the present Edition will be sold for One Guinea only. A few copies on common paper, to accommodate youth, at Twenty-five Shillings.

Contents of the Work

INTRODUCTION. Taste. Criticism--Genius--Pleasures of Taste--Sublimity in Objects. The Sublime in Writing. Beauty, and other Pleasures of Taste. Rise and Progress of Language. Rise Progress of Language, and of Writing. Structure of Language. Structure of Language--English Tongue. Style--Perspicuity and Precision. Structure of Sentences. Structure of Sentences--Harmony. Origin and Nature of Figurative Language. Metaphor. Hyperbole--Personification--Apostrophe. Comparison, Antithesis, Interrogation, Exclamation, and other Figures of Speech. Figurative Language--General Characters of Style--Diffuse, Concise--Feeble, Nervous--Dry, Plain, Neat, Elegant, Flowery. General Characters of Style--Simple, Affected, Vehement--Directions for forming a proper Style. Critical Examination of the Style of Mr. Addison, in No. 411 of the Spectator. Critical Examination of the Style in No. 412 of the Spectator. Critical Examination of the Style in No. 413 of the Spectator. Critical Examination of the Style in No. 414 of the Spectator. Critical Examination of the Style in a Passage of Dean Swift's Writings. Eloquence, or Public Speaking--History of Eloquence--Grecian Eloquence--Demosthenes. History of Eloquence continued--Roman Eloquence--Cicero--Modern Eloquence. Different Kinds of Public Speaking--Eloquence of Popular Assemblies--Extracts from Demosthenes. Eloquence of the Bar--Analysis of Cicero's Oration for Cluentius. Eloquence of the Pulpit. Critical Examination of a Sermon of Bishop Atterbury's. Conduct of a Discourse in all its Parts--Introduction--Division--Narration and Explication. Conduct of a Discourse-- The Argumentative Part--The Pathetic Part--The Peroration. Pronunciation, or Delivery. Means of improving in Eloquence. Comparative Merit of the Antients and the Moderns--Historical Writing. Historical Writing. Philosophical Writing--Dialogue--Epistoiary Writing--Fictitious History. Nature of Poetry--its Origin and Progrefs--Verification. Pastoral Poetry--Lyric Poetry. Didactic Poetry--Descriptive Poetry. The Poetry of the Hebrews. Epic Poetry. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey--Virgil's Aeneid. Lucan's Pharsalia--Taffo's Jerusalem--Camoen's Lusiad--Fenelon's Telemachus--Voltaire's Henriade--Milton's Paradise Loft. Dramatic Poetry--Tragedy. Tragedy--Greek--French--English Tragedy. Comedy--Greek and Roman--French--English Comedy.

Extract from the Monthly Review for June 1783, Page 489, Article 5.

ALTHOUGH Criticism has received much improvement from the philosophical spirit of the present age, it still remains in a slate of greater imperfection that most other branches of science. Its flow progress cannot be justly ascribed to neglect and inattention; for few subjects have received a more minute and patient discussion; neither can it be considered as the effect of that servile deference to authority, which retarded the advancement of the human mind for many generations; for it is a long time since the arbitrary dictates of that despot have been disregarded, and since reason and nature have triumphed over prejudice and example, in criticism as well as in the other sciences.

Perhaps the methods which have been pursued in investigating the principles of taste, and analsing the productions of genius, may, in some measure, account: for the flow progress of criticism. The writers who have treated this subject, have either employed themselves in fabricating refined metaphysical theories, with a view to raise the science to its highest perfection, or have been contended with illustrating particular instances between teh rules which such illustration may have suggested, or to rise to those general principles by which the boundaries of science are determined.

Writers of the first class have been, in general, distinguished rather by acuteness of penetration than by refinement of taste, or delicacy of fen0 timent. The variety of abstract metaphysical theories of the principles of taste which they have fabricated, have contributed only to perplex and involve the subject which they were intended to explain, and to bring before the bar of reason, circumstances concerning which sentiment and taste alone are intitled to pronounce any decision. In theories of this kind, the sentiments of beauty have been referred to principles with which they have no connection; and the pleasures of the fine arts have been ascribed to causes which had no influence in their production. Such too, is the fascinating nature of theories which we oursevles have formed, that when a system of principles has been contrived to account for the pleasures which the fine arts afford, particular examples of excellence and defect have been collected, chiefly with a view to illustrate preconceived opinions, and to add strength and consistence to that splendid fabric, which the vanity of the philosophical architect engages him so strongly to support.

Writers of the second class, who have been more distinguished by taste than by acuteness, although they have carefully avoided that metaphysical refinement which, instead of enlightening, bewildersand confounds, have fallen into the opposite extreme of unphilosophical diffuseness. Instead of investigating general principles, with a view to form criticism onto a regular science, they have exhibited only detached and unconnected observations on particular beauties and blemishes, which can only be considered, like particular facts in natural history and in medicine, as materials on which science may operate. Altho' these partial criticisims have been so greatly multiplied by the labours of ingenious men, as to furnish perhaps a more copious store of legitimate materials for erecting a systematic fabric than any other part of the moral sciences affords; yet, in the insulated and unconnected state in which they appear, they exhibit no general rules, or fixed principles, by which the decisions of taste can be regulated, or the excursions of genius directed.

To unite the precision of the theorist with the delicacy and sensibility of the man of taste, and to preserve the just medium between the two extremes of metaphysical refinement and unphilosophical [?dissuseness?], appear to be the only effectual means of conducting criticism to perfection. A body of critical rules, formed on this comprehensive and liberal plan, and uniting the advantages of each of these extremes, without its inconveniencies, has long been a great desideratum in English literature.

We congratulate the Public on the appearance of the Work now before us, which, by the extensiveness of its plan, and the manner of its execution, is better calculated to supply this deficiency in literature than any production which has hitherto made its appearance. The author seems to have been more studious of truth than of novelty or paradox, and more desirous of conveying instruction, than of distinguishing himself by the invention of refined theories, and dazzling by the display of useless splendor. But although he does not allow his acuteness to betray him into effective refinement, he does not content himself with forming confused and unarranged collections of critical observations. Without losing himself in the mazes of metaphysical subtlety, he has connected the different parts of his subject in a well-digested system of practical rules, derived from the reason and feelings of mankind, and illustrated by examples of their observance, and their violation, from teh most finished productions of human ingenuity. By this happy and singular union of taste and philosophy, he has supplied a great defect in the science of criticism, and has made a valuable addition to the polite literature of the present age. In this view we recommend these Lectures to all who make the improvement of taste an object of their attention; being fully satisfied, that the expectations of the public from them, though no doubt greatly raised by the literary reputation of the Author, will not be disappointed.

They are divided into five parts. The first contains some introductory dissertations on Taste, Genius, and Criticism; on the sources of the pleasures of Taste, Sublimity, Beauty, Novelty, Imitation, and Description. In the second part, the rise and progress of Language and Writing are traced, the principles of Universal Grammar are investigated, and these principles are particularly applied to the English tongue.--The third part has for its subject Style, which is treated under the two heads of Perspicuity and Ornament. Perspicuity is considered as it relates to the choice of single words and phrases, in which case it requires the qualities of purity, propriety, and precision; and as it respects the structure of sentences, which require the qualities of clearness, unity, strength, and harmony. Under the article Ornament, are considered the origin and nature of figurative language. The general characters of style are then explained, and directions are given for forming style; and this subject is concluded by the practical application of the principles which have been investigated, in a critical analysis of the style of some papers of the Spectator, and of a passage from the writings of Swift.--The fourth part treats of eloquence, properly so called, or public speaking, in its different kinds. Here the eloquence of the bar, that of the pulpit, and that of popular assemblies, are illustrated at ample length--The last part, which to many readers will appear the most interesting, contains a critical examination of the most distinguished species of composition both in prose and verse.

Such are the various subjects of this very useful and interesting publication. On each of them the reader will find new, ingenious, and pertinent observations, expressed in a clear, manly, and elegant style. We know, indeed, of no publication so well calculated to form the taste of youth for writing and composition, both by example and by precept.