e
can crowd into his canvas. And I could with as much zeal exert myself
against the modern system of English historical art, as I have in favor
of our school of landscape, but that it is an ungrateful and painful
task to attack the works of living painters, struggling with adverse
circumstances of every kind, and especially with the false taste of a
nation which regards matters of art either with the ticklishness of an
infant, or the stolidity of a Megatherium.

I have been accused, in the execution of this first portion of my work,
of irreverent and scurrile expression towards the works which I have
depreciated. Possibly I may have been in some degree infected by reading
those criticisms of our periodicals, which consist of nothing else; but
I believe in general that my words will be found to have sufficient
truth in them to excuse their familiarity; and that no other weapons
could have been used to pierce the superstitious prejudice with which
the works of certain painters are shielded from the attacks of reason.
My answer is that given long ago to a similar complaint, uttered under
the same circumstances by the foiled sophist:--"[Greek: (Hos d'estin ho
anthropos; hos apaideutos tis, os ouio phaula onomata onomazein tolma en
semno pragmati.) Toioutos tis, o Hippia, ouden allo phrontizon e to
alethes]."

It is with more surprise that I have heard myself accused of thoughtless
severity with respect to the works of contemporary painters, for I fully
believe that whenever I attack them, I give myself far more pain than I
can possibly inflict; and, in many instances, I have withheld
reprobation which I considered necessary to the full understanding of my
work, in the fear of grieving or injuring men of whose feelings and
circumstances I was ignorant. Indeed, the apparently false and
exaggerated bias of the whole book in favor of modern art, is in great
degree dependent on my withholding the animadversions which would have
given it balance, and keeping silence where I cannot praise. But I had
rather be a year or two longer in effecting my purposes, than reach them
by trampling on men's hearts and hearths; and I have permitted myself to
express unfavorable opinions only where the popularity and favor of the
artist are so great as to render the opinion of an individual a matter
of indifference to him.

And now--but one word more. For many a year we have heard nothing with
respect to the works of Turner but accusations of t