Itissurelytimethatancientliteratureshouldbeexaminedinadifferentmanner，withoutpedanticalprepossessions，butwithajustallowance，atthesametime，forthedifferenceofcircumstancesandmanners。Iamfarfrompretendingtotheknowledgeorabilitywhichsuchataskwouldrequire。AllthatI
meantoofferisacollectionofdesultoryremarksuponamostinterestingportionofGreekliterature。
ItmaybedoubtedwhetheranycompositionswhichhaveeverbeenproducedintheworldareequallyperfectintheirkindwiththegreatAthenianorations。Geniusissubjecttothesamelawswhichregulatetheproductionofcottonandmolasses。Thesupplyadjustsitselftothedemand。Thequantitymaybediminishedbyrestrictions，andmultipliedbybounties。ThesingularexcellencetowhicheloquenceattainedatAthensistobemainlyattributedtotheinfluencewhichitexertedthere。Inturbulenttimes，underaconstitutionpurelydemocratic，amongapeopleeducatedexactlytothatpointatwhichmenaremostsusceptibleofstrongandsuddenimpressions，acute，butnotsoundreasoners，warmintheirfeelings，unfixedintheirprinciples，andpassionateadmirersoffinecomposition，oratoryreceivedsuchencouragementasithasneversinceobtained。
ThetasteandknowledgeoftheAthenianpeoplewasafavouriteobjectofthecontemptuousderisionofSamuelJohnson;amanwhoknewnothingofGreekliteraturebeyondthecommonschool—books，andwhoseemstohavebroughttowhathehadreadscarcelymorethanthediscernmentofacommonschool—boy。Heusedtoassert，withthatarrogantabsurditywhich，inspiteofhisgreatabilitiesandvirtues，rendershim，perhapsthemostridiculouscharacterinliteraryhistory，thatDemosthenesspoketoapeopleofbrutes;——toabarbarouspeople;——thattherecouldhavebeennocivilisationbeforetheinventionofprinting。Johnsonwasakeenbutaverynarrow—mindedobserverofmankind。Heperpetuallyconfoundedtheirgeneralnaturewiththeirparticularcircumstances。HeknewLondonintimately。Thesagacityofhisremarksonitssocietyisperfectlyastonishing。ButFleetStreetwastheworldtohim。HesawthatLondonerswhodidnotreadwereprofoundlyignorant;andheinferredthataGreek，whohadfewornobooks，musthavebeenasuninformedasoneofMrThrale’sdraymen。
Thereseemstobe，onthecontrary，everyreasontobelieve，that，ingeneralintelligence，theAthenianpopulacefarsurpassedthelowerordersofanycommunitythathaseverexisted。Itmustbeconsidered，thattobeacitizenwastobealegislator，——asoldier，——ajudge，——oneuponwhosevoicemightdependthefateofthewealthiesttributarystate，ofthemosteminentpublicman。Thelowestoffices，bothofagricultureandoftrade，were，incommon，performedbyslaves。Thecommonwealthsupplieditsmeanestmemberswiththesupportoflife，theopportunityofleisure，andthemeansofamusement。Bookswereindeedfew:buttheywereexcellent;andtheywereaccuratelyknown。Itisnotbyturningoverlibraries，butbyrepeatedlyperusingandintentlycontemplatingafewgreatmodels，thatthemindisbestdisciplined。Amanoflettersmustnowreadmuchthathesoonforgets，andmuchfromwhichhelearnsnothingworthytoberemembered。Thebestworksemploy，ingeneral，butasmallportionofhistime。DemosthenesissaidtohavetranscribedsixtimesthehistoryofThucydides。Ifhehadbeenayoungpoliticianofthepresentage，hemightinthesamespaceoftimehaveskimmedinnumerablenewspapersandpamphlets。Idonotcondemnthatdesultorymodeofstudywhichthestateofthings，inourday，rendersamatterofnecessity。ButImaybeallowedtodoubtwhetherthechangesonwhichtheadmirersofmoderninstitutionsdelighttodwellhaveimprovedourconditionsomuchinrealityasinappearance。Rumford，itissaid，proposedtotheElectorofBavariaaschemeforfeedinghissoldiersatamuchcheaperratethanformerly。Hisplanwassimplytocompelthemtomasticatetheirfoodthoroughly。A