A Critical Essay on Characteristic-Writings From his translation of The Moral Characters of Theophrastus (1725)

"A Critical Essay on Characteristic-Writings" by Henry Gally is a study from the 1700s analyzing characteristic writing, a common type of literature at the time. The essay, which introduces Gally's translation of "The Moral Characters of Theophrastus," looks at how character writing started and changed over time. Gally talks about what makes good writing, particularly when describing moral characters. He argues that good characters need to show human nature in a realistic and interesting way, and that focusing too much on small or overdone details makes the writing seem fake. He also critiques writers like de la Bruyère for moving away from the basic rules he believes are important for character writing. Gally stresses the need for writing that is simple and real, saying that understanding the small differences in how people act is key to making this type of writing work. Gally encourages people to better understand why people do what they do, pushing for a return to clearly showing reality as Theophrastus did.