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1、ThePrefacetoShakespeareSamuelJohnson(1765)THATpraisesarewithoutreasonlavishedonthedead,andthatthehonoursdueonlyto1excellencearepaidtoantiquity,isacomplaintlikelytobealwayscontinuedbythose,who,beingabletoaddnothingtotruth,hopeforeminencefromtheheresiesofparadox;orthose,who,beingforcedbydisappointmen
2、tuponconsolatoryexpedients,arewillingtohopefromposteritywhatthepresentagerefuses,andflatterthemselvesthattheregardwhichisyetdeniedbyenvy,willbeatlastbestowedbytime.Antiquity,likeeveryotherqualitythatattractsthenoticeofmankind,hasundoubtedly2votariesthatreverenceit,notfromreason,butfromprejudice.Som
3、eseemtoadmireindiscriminatelywhateverhasbeenlongpreserved,withoutconsideringthattimehassometimesco-operatedwithchance;allperhapsaremorewillingtohonourpastthanpresentexcellence;andthemindcontemplatesgeniusthroughtheshadesofage,astheeyesurveysthesunthroughartificialopacity.Thegreatcontentionofcritici
4、smistofindthefaultsofthemoderns,andthebeautiesoftheancients.Whileanauthorisyetlivingweestimatehispowersbyhisworstperformance,andwhenheisdead,weratethembyhisbest.Toworks,however,ofwhichtheexcellenceisnotabsoluteanddefinite,butgradual3andcomparative;toworksnotraiseduponprinciplesdemonstrativeandscien
5、tifick,butappealingwhollytoobservationandexperience,noothertestcanbeappliedthanlengthofdurationandcontinuanceofesteem.Whatmankindhavelongpossessedtheyhaveoftenexaminedandcompared;andiftheypersisttovaluethepossession,itisbecausefrequentcomparisonshaveconfirmedopinioninitsfavour.Asamongtheworksofnatu
6、renomancanproperlycallariverdeep,oramountainhigh,withouttheknowledgeofmanymountains,andmanyrivers;sointheproductionsofgenius,nothingcanbestiledexcellenttillithasbeencomparedwithotherworksofthesamekind.Demonstrationimmediatelydisplaysitspower,andhasnothingtohopeorfearfromthefluxofyears;butworkstenta
7、tiveandexperimentalmustbeestimatedbytheirproportiontothegeneralandcollectiveabilityofman,asitisdiscoveredinalongsuccessionofendeavours.ofthefirstbuildingthatwasraised,itmightbewithcertaintydeterminedthatitw