Criticism, Taste, Conversation

J. Swift, Hints towards an Essay on Conversation (c. 1710)

Te worst conversation ! ever re"e"#er to ave eard in "y $ife was tat at %i$$&s coffee'
o(se, were te wits, as tey were ca$$ed, (sed for"er$y to asse"#$e) tat is to say, five or si*
"en wo ad written +$ays, or at $east +ro$o,(es, or ad sare in a "isce$$any, ca"e titer, and
entertained one anoter wit teir trif$in, co"+os(res in so i"+ortant an air, as if tey ad #een
te no#$est efforts of ("an nat(re, or tat te fate of -in,do"s de+ended on te") and tey
were (s(a$$y attended wit a ("#$e a(dience of yo(n, st(dents fro" te inns of co(rts, or te
(niversities, wo, at d(e distance, $istened to tese orac$es, and ret(rned o"e wit ,reat
conte"+t for teir $aw and +i$oso+y, teir eads fi$$ed wit tras (nder te na"e of
+o$iteness, criticis", and #e$$es $etters.
ta$-in, too "(c) ta$-in, of onese$f) #ein, c$ever at a$$ costs) dictatin, and +residin,)
+edantry (.too fre/(ent and (nseasona#$e o#tr(din, o(r own -now$ed,e in co""on disco(rse,
and +$acin, too ,reat a va$(e (+on it0)) #ad rai$$ery) interr(+tin, oters i"+atient$y) not #earin,
to #e interr(+ted) r(de fa"i$iarity) re'te$$in, te sa"e story too often
Terefore it see"et to "e tat te tr(est way to (nderstand conversation is to -now te fa($ts
and errors to wic it is s(#1ect, and fro" tence every "an to for" "a*i"s to i"se$f
were#y it "ay #e re,($ated, #eca(se it re/(iret few ta$ents to wic "ost "en are not #orn,
or at $east "ay not ac/(ire wito(t any ,reat ,eni(s or st(dy. 2or nat(re #at $eft every "an a
ca+acity of #ein, a,reea#$e, to(, not of sinin, in co"+any) and tere are a (ndred "en
s(fficient$y /(a$ified for #ot, wo, #y a very few fa($ts tat tey "i,t correct in a$f an o(r,
are not so "(c as to$era#$e.
Jon 3oc-e, 4f St(dy (1577)
6eadin,, "etin-s, is #(t co$$ectin, te ro(, "ateria$s, a"on,st wic a ,reat dea$ "(st #e $aid
aside as (se$ess. 7editation is, as it were, coosin, and fittin, te "ateria$s, fra"in, te ti"#er,
s/(arin, and $ayin, te stones, and raisin, te #(i$din,. 8nd disco(rse wit a friend (for wran,$in, in a
dis+(te is of $itt$e (se) is, as it were, s(rveyin, te str(ct(re, wa$-in, in te roo"s, and o#servin, te
sy""etry and a,ree"ent of te +arts, ta-in, notice of te so$idity or defects of te wor-, and te #est
way to find o(t and correct wat is a"iss.
Literature and Criticism in the Eighteenth Century
3ettered, c($tivated +(#$ic
2or(" for +o$ite conversation on a wide ran,e of socia$, +o$itica$, +i$oso+ica$, $iterary,
re$i,io(s iss(es
+o$ite, ,ent$e"an$y disco(rse, civi$ity
conversation, co""erce, co"+anionsi+, friendsi+
infor"a$ +(#$ic sites (sa$ons, coffee'o(ses, acade"ies)
new ,enres of +(#$ication (te +eriodica$ essay) te S+ectator +ro1ect)
Centra$ iss(es9
Te /(a$ifications of a critic : ("ora$) +ortrait over ri,id r($es) or9 te critical persona
Te ed(cation of taste
8$e*ander ;o+e, 8n Essay on Criticis" (1711)
3earn ten wat 74683S Critic-s o(,t to sow,
2or &tis #(t half a Judge's Task, to Know.
&Tis not eno(,, Taste, J(d,"ent, 3earnin,, 1oin)
!n a$$ yo( s+ea-, $et Tr(t and Candor sine9
Tat not a$one wat to yo(r Sense is d(e,
8$$ "ay a$$ow) #(t see- yo(r Friendship too.
<e silent a$ways wen yo( doubt yo(r Sense)
8nd speak, to& sure, wit seeming Diffidence9
&Tis not eno(, yo(r Co(nse$ sti$$ #e true,
Blunt Truths "ore 7iscief tan nice Falsehood do)
7en "(st #e taught as if yo( ta(,t te" not)
8nd Tin,s unknown +ro+os&d as Tin,s forgot9
%ito(t Good Breeding, Truth is disa++rov&d)
That on$y "a-es Superior Sense belov'd.
Popes critical persona: a moral persona
Te #ad critic
+ride
i,norance) +artia$ity) s(+erficia$ity
affectation) se$f'i"+ortance
inconsistency, y+ocrisy, inconstancy
envy and s+ite) se$f'$ove
Te ,ood critic
tr(t and candor
"odesty
,ood #reedin,
sincerity, ,enerosity
restraint
<(t were&s te 7an, wo Co(nse$ can #estow,
Sti$$ pleas'd to teach, and not proud to know=
>n#iass&d, or #y Favour or #y Spite)
?ot dull prepossest, nor blindl right)
To& 3earn&d we$$'#red) and to& we$$'#red, sincere)
7odest$y #o$d, and H("an$y severe=
%o to a Friend is 2a($ts can free$y sow,
8nd ,$ad$y +raise te 7erit of a Foe=
<$est wit a Taste e*act, yet (nconfin&d)
8 Knowledge #ot of Books and !umankind)
Gen'rous "onverse) a Sound e*e"+t fro" #ride)
8nd $ove to #raise, wit %eason on is Side=
TASTE
Jose+ 8ddison, 4n Taste (171@)
<(t notwitstandin, tis 2ac($ty "(st in so"e "eas(re #e #orn wit (s, tere are severa$
7etods for C($tivatin, and !"+rovin, it, and wito(t wic it wi$$ #e very (ncertain, and of
$itt$e (se to te ;erson tat +ossesses it. Te "ost nat(ra$ 7etod for tis ;(r+ose is to #e
conversant a"on, te %ritin,s of te "ost ;o$ite 8(tors. 8 7an wo as any 6e$is for fine
%ritin,, eiter discovers new <ea(ties, or receives stron,er !"+ressions fro" te 7aster$y
Stro-es of a ,reat 8(tor every ti"e e +er(ses i") <esides tat e nat(ra$$y wears i"se$f
into te sa"e "anner of S+ea-in, and Tin-in,.
Conversation wit 7en of a ;o$ite Aeni(s is anoter 7etod for i"+rovin, o(r ?at(ra$ Taste.
!t is i"+ossi#$e for a 7an of te ,reatest ;arts to consider anytin, in its wo$e E*tent, and in
a$$ its Bariety of 3i,ts. Every 7an, #esides tose Aenera$ 4#servations wic are to #e "ade
(+on an 8(tor, for"s severa$ 6ef$ections tat are +ec($iar to is own 7anner of Tin-in,) so
tat Conversation wi$$ nat(ra$$y f(rnis (s wit Hints wic we did not attend to, and "a-e (s
en1oy oter 7en0s ;arts and 6ef$ections as we$$ as o(r own.
Cavid H("e, 4f te Standard of Taste (17D7)
Te +ro#$e" of te diversity of tastes (as of o+inions, or of "ora$ nor"s)) a sce+tica$ +ro#$e".
<(t see-in, a standard of taste is a nat(ra$ ("an +ro+ensity.
;oetry9 r($es of artEcriticis" (rater tan a +riori +rinci+$es)
' te .discri"inatin, "ind0) te .finer e"otions of te "ind0
How do ! -now ! ave so(nd taste=
' te test of confrontation wit esta#$ised wor-s
How do ! -now a wor- as va$(e=
' te test of ti"e
Tere is a so(nd taste and a defective taste (of te +a$ate as of te "ind)
' defects9 $ac- of de$icacy of i"a,ination, $ac- of ,ood 1(d,"ent F cf. te #ad critic
' /(a$ities (o(t of i"+rove"ent #y +ractice)9 c$ear and distinct .senti"ent0 (: e"otion G
1(d,"ent) F cf. te ,ood critic
.<(t were are s(c critics to #e fo(nd=0
8 "an of taste is "ore easi$y reco,nised tan defined.