s father, and his father saying it
was roughly and carelessly done, he said, "No, but, father, look; it
looks better if I hold it further off." "Yes, Charlie, the further you
hold it off the better it looks." That was severe, but strong and just.
The young man had no real genius for painting, and his father knew it.

It must be remembered that criticism cannot be strong unless it be the
real opinion of the writer. If the critic is hampered by endeavouring to
make his own views square with those of the writer, or the publisher, or
the public, he cannot speak out his mind, but is half-hearted in his
work.

5. _Natural_.

Criticism should be natural, that is, not too artificial. This is a
somewhat difficult matter upon which to lay down any rules; but one often
feels what a terrible thing it is when one wants to admire something to
be told, "Oh, but the unities are not preserved," or this or that is
quite inadmissible by all the rules of art.

"Hallo! you chairman, here's sixpence; do step into that bookseller's
shop, and call me a day-tall critic. I am very willing to give any of
them a crown to help me with his tackling to get my father and my uncle
Toby off the stairs, and to put them to bed."

"And how did Garrick speak the soliloquy last night?" "Oh, against all
rule, my lord, most ungrammatically! Betwixt the substantive and the
adjective, which should agree together in number, case, and gender, he
made a breach thus--stopping as if the point wanted settling; and betwixt
the nominative case, which your lordship knows should govern the verb, he
suspended his voice a dozen times, three seconds, and three fifths, by a
stop watch, my lord, each time." Admirable grammarian! "But, in
suspending his voice, was the sense suspended likewise? Did no
expression of attitude or countenance fill up the chasm? Was the eye
silent? Did you narrowly look?" "I looked only at the stop watch, my
lord." Excellent observer!" And what about this new book that the whole
world makes such a rout about?" "Oh, it is out of all plumb, my lord,
quite an irregular thing! Not one of the angles at the four corners was
a right angle. I had my rule and compasses, my lord, in my pocket."
Excellent critic! "And for the epic poem your lordship bid me look at;
upon taking the length, breadth, height, and depth of it, and trying them
at home upon an exact scale of Bossu's, 'tis out, my lord, in every one
of its dimensions." Admirab