hout fear of contradiction, that
critical art has improved rapidly during the last twenty years in this
country, where a man is free to start a critical review, and to write
about anybody, or anything, and in any manner, provided he keeps within
the law. He is only restrained by the competition of others, and by the
public taste, which are both constantly increasing. No doubt an author
will write with greater spirit, and with greater decorum, if he knows
that his merits are sure to be fairly acknowledged, and his faults
certain to be accurately noted. But this object may be attained, I
believe, without an academy. On the other hand, what danger there is in
an academy becoming cliquey, nay even corrupt. We have an academy here
in the painting art, but except that it collects within its walls every
year a vaster number of daubs than it is possible for any one ever to see
with any degree of comfort, I don't know what particular use it is of. As
a school or college it may be of use, but as a critical academy it does
very little.

I have thus endeavoured to show what I mean by my six divisions of
criticism, and I have no doubt you will all of you have divined that my
six divisions are capable of being expressed in one word, Criticism must
be _true_. To be true, it must be appreciative, or understanding, it
must be in due proportion, it must be appropriate, it must be strong, it
must be natural, it must be _bona fide_. There is nothing which an
Englishman hates so much as being false. Our great modern poet, in one
of his strongest lines, says--

"This is a shameful thing for men to lie."

And he speaks of Wellington--

"Truth teller was our England's Alfred named,
Truth lover was our English Duke."

Emerson notices that many of our phrases turn upon this love of truth,
such as "The English of this is," "Honour bright," "His word is as good
as his bond."

"'Tis not enough taste, learning, judgment join;
In all you speak let truth, and candour shine."

I am certain that if men and women would believe that it is important
that they should form a true judgment upon things, and that they should
speak or write it when required, we should get rid of a great deal of bad
art, bad books, bad pictures, bad buildings, bad music, and bad morals. I
am further certain that by constantly uttering false criticisms we
perpetuate such things. And what harm we are doing to our own selves in
the meantime! How h