An Essay on Criticism

John Oldmixon's 1728 treatise arrives at a moment when English literary criticism still wobbles between imitation of French elegance and homegrown intuition. Oldmixon, no shrinking violet himself, mounts a sustained argument that English critics have too long lacked the tools to judge their own literature with any consistency. He promises practical wisdom over academic abstraction: no dry philosophy of poetry, but rather concrete observations on design, thought, and expression across recognizable works. The essay opens with the expected ritual modesty, yet quickly turns to exposing the errors that plague both writers and readers who lack proper critical judgment. Oldmixon draws examples from history and his own moment, skewering critics who judge by fashion, faction, or superficial elegance rather than inherent quality. Though lesser-known than Pope's satirical poem of the same title, this prose work offers a fascinating window into early 18th-century debates about what constitutes legitimate judgment in the arts, and how English letters might mature beyond dependence on French models.