a Character will
naturally strike us more forcibly, the more the Images, which it
consists of, are lively and natural; because the Object is then most
present to our Mind.

Since every Feature must be drawn exactly to the Life, great Care must
be taken, that the Strokes be not too faint, nor yet too strong: For
Characteristic-Justice is to be observ'd as strictly by the Writers of
this Kind, as Poetic-Justice is to be by Poets. That Medium must be
copied, which Nature it self has mark'd out; whatever falls short of
it is poor and insipid, whatever is above it is Rant and
Extravagance.

[E] _Quodcunque ostendis mihi sic, incredulus odi._

And whatsoever contradicts my Sense,
I hate to see, and never can believe.
Ld. _Roscommon_.

[E: Horat. Art. Poet. _v._ 188.]

A consummate Delicacy of Sentiments, and an exquisite Judgment are the
very Soul of _Characteristic-Writing_; for every particular Stroke, as
well as the whole Character, has a proper Degree of Perfection. To
attain this Point, and to bring the several Parts, as well as the
Whole, exactly to this Pitch, is the Work of a sagacious Head, and
of a perfect Judgment.--An Author, in this Kind, must not dwell too
long upon one Idea: As soon as the masterly Stroke is given, he must
immediately pass on to another Idea. This will give Life to the Work,
and serve to keep up the Spirit of the Writing, and of the Reader too:
Forif, after the masterly Stroke is given, the Author shou'd, in a
paraphrastical Manner, still insist upon the same Idea, the Work will
immediately flag, the Character grow languid, and the Person
characteris'd will insensibly vanish from the Eyes of the
Reader.

An honest Writer, who has the Profit as well as the Pleasure of his
Reader in View, ought always to tell the Truth. But as he is at
Liberty to chuse his manner of telling it, so that Method of
Instruction ought to be observ'd in _Characteristic-Writings_,
which will keep up the good Humour of the Reader, altho' he is, at
the same Time, made sensible of his Errors. And this Artifice ought
industriously to be pursu'd, since the proper Management of it is so
necessary to the Success of _Characteristic-Writings_. For those who
love and admire Truth themselves, must yet be sensible that 'tis
generally unwelcome, both to themselves and to others, when the Point
of Self-Interest is concern'd. And the Reason of it is, not because
Truth is really ugly and deform'd, but becau