But for my part, I desire to be tried by the laws of my own country;
for it seems unjust to me, that the French should prescribe here,
till they have conquered. Our little sonneteers, who follow them,
have too narrow souls to judge of poetry. Poets themselves are the
most proper, though I conclude not the only critics. But till some
genius, as universal as Aristotle, shall arise, one who can penetrate
into all arts and sciences, without the practice of them, I shall
think it reasonable, that the judgment of an artificer in his own art
should be preferable to the opinion of another man; at least where he
is not bribed by interest, or prejudiced by malice. And this,
I suppose, is manifest by plain inductions: For, first, the crowd
cannot be presumed to have more than a gross instinct of what pleases
or displeases them: Every man will grant me this; but then, by a
particular kindness to himself, he draws his own stake first, and
will be distinguished from the multitude, of which other men may
think him one. But, if I come closer to those who are allowed for
witty men, either by the advantage of their quality, or by common
fame, and affirm that neither are they qualified to decide
sovereignly concerning poetry, I shall yet have a strong party of my
opinion; for most of them severally will exclude the rest, either
from the number of witty men, or at least of able judges.
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