Blame is safer than praise.

Blame is safer than praise.

A servile race
Who, in mere want of fault, all merit place;
Who blind obedience pay to read more

A servile race
Who, in mere want of fault, all merit place;
Who blind obedience pay to ancient schools,
Bigots to Greece, and slaves to musty rules.

Be not the first by whom the new are tried, Nor yet the last to lay the old aside.

Be not the first by whom the new are tried, Nor yet the last to lay the old aside.

Even the lion has to defend himself against flies.

Even the lion has to defend himself against flies.

Too nicely Jonson knew the critic's part,
Nature in him was almost lost in art.

Too nicely Jonson knew the critic's part,
Nature in him was almost lost in art.

When I read the rules of criticism, I immediately inquire after
the works of the author who has written read more

When I read the rules of criticism, I immediately inquire after
the works of the author who has written them, and by that means
discover what it is he likes in a composition.

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.

He was in Logic, a great critic,
Profoundly skill'd in Analytic;
He could distinguish, and divide
read more

He was in Logic, a great critic,
Profoundly skill'd in Analytic;
He could distinguish, and divide
A hair 'twixt south and south-west side.

Those who do not read criticism will rarely merit to be
criticised.

Those who do not read criticism will rarely merit to be
criticised.