the body, it is better to say, the foul and the body; because the disjunction in the words resembles the disjunction in the thought. Conftituit agmen ; et expedire tela animofque, equitibus juffis," &c. Livy, l. 38, § 25. Here the words that exprefs the connected ideas are artificially connected by fubjecting them both to the regimen of one verb. But to justify this artificial connection among the words, the ideas they exprefs ought to be intimately connected; for other wife that concordance which is required between the fenfe and the expreffion will be impaired. In that view, the following paffage from Milton is exceptionable; where words that fignify ideas very little connected, are, however, forced into an artificial union: -The fiend look'd up, and knew His mounted scale aloft; nor more, but fled Murm'ring, and with him fled the fhades of night. Paradife Loft, B. iv. at the end. There is no natural connection between a perfon's flying or retiring, and the fucceffion of day-light to darkness; and therefore, to connect artificially the terms that fignify these things cannot have a fweet effect. Two members of a thought connected by their relation to the fame action, will naturally be expreffed by two members of the period governed by the fame verb; in which cafe thefe members, to improve their connection, ought to be conftructed in the fame manner. This beauty is fo common among good writers as to have been little attended to; but the neglect of it is remarkably disagreeable: E. G. "He did not mention Leonora, nor that her father was dead." Better thus: "He did not mention Leonora, nor her father's death." Where two ideas are fo connected as to require but a copulative, it is pleasant to find a connection in the words that exprefs thefe ideas, were it even fo flight as where both begin with the fame letter. Thus, "The peacock, in all his pride, does not difplay half the colour that appears in the garments of a British lady, when she is either dreffed for a ball or a birthday." Spect. "Had not my dog of a steward run away as he did, without making up his accounts, I had ftill been immersed in fin and fea-coal." Ib. My life's companion, and my bosom friend, One faith, one fame, one fate, fhall both attend. Dryden, Tranflation of Eneid. Next, as to examples of disjunction and oppofition in the parts of the thought, imitated in the expreffion; an imitation that is diftinguished by the name of antithefis. Speaking of Coriolanus foliciting the people to be made conful: With a proud heart he wore his humble weeds. "Had you rather Cæfar were living, and die all flaves, than that Cæfar were dead, to live all free men?" Julius Cafar. He hath cool'd my friends, and heated mine enemies. Shak. An artificial connection among the words, is undoubtedly a beauty, when it reprefents any pe culiar connection among the constituent parts of the thought; but where there is no fuch conneczion, it is a pofitive deformity, because it makes a difcordance between the thought and expreffion For the fame reason, we ought also to avoid eve ry artificial oppofition of words where there is none in the thought. This laft, termed verbal antithefis, is ftudied by low writers, because of a certain degree of livelinefs in it. They do not confider how incongruous it is, in a grave com position, to cheat the reader, and to make him expect a contraft in the thought, which upon examination is not found there. A fault directly oppofite to this is to conjoin artificially words that exprefs ideas oppofed to each other. This is a fault too grofs to be com mon, yet writers are guilty of it in fome degree, when they conjoin by a copulative things tran acted at different periods of times. Hence a want of neatness in the following expreffion: "The nobility too, whom the king had no means of retaining by fuitable offices and preferments, had been feized with the general difcontent, and unwarily threw themselves into the scale which be gan already too much to preponderate." Hume. In periods of this kind, it is more elegant to ex prefs the past time by the participle paffive, thus: "The nobility too, having been seized with the general discontent, unwarily threw themselves,” &c. or, "The nobility, who had been seized, &c. unwarily threw themselves," &c. It is unpleasant to find even a negative and affirmative propofition connected by a copulative: If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, Deadly divorce ftep between me and you. Shak. In mirth and drollery it may have a good effect to connect verbally things that are oppofite to each other in the thought. Example; Henry IV. of France introducing the Marefchal Biron to fome of his friends," Here, gentlemen (fays he), is the Marefchal Biron, whom I freely prefent both to my friends and enemies." This rule of ftudying uniformity between the thought and expreffion may be extended to the conftruction of fentences or periods. A fentence or period ought to express one entire thought or mental propofition; and different thoughts ought to be feparated in the expreffion, by placing them in different fentences or periods. It is therefore offending against neatness, to crowd into one pe riod entire thoughts requiring more than one; which is joining in language things that are feparated in reality. Of errors against this rule take the following examples: Burnet, in the History of his own Times, giving Lord Sutherland's character, fays, “His own notions were always good; but he was a man of great expense." Lord Bolingbroke, speaking of Strada: "I finge him out among the moderns, because he had the foolish prefumption to cenfure Tacitus, and to write hiftory himself; and your lordship will forgive this thort excurfion in honour of a favourite writer." To crowd into a fingle member of a period di ferent fubjects, is ftill worse than to crowd them into one period: tus -Trojam genitore Adamafto Paupere (manfiffetque utinam fortuna) profecEneid, i. 614 From conjunctions and disjunctions in genera we proceed to comparifons, which make 1 fpecies of them, beginning with fimiles. And here alfo the intimate connection that words have with their meaning requires, that in defcribing two refembling objects, a refemblance in the two members of the period ought to be ftudied. To begin with examples of refemblances expreffed in words that have n⚫ refemblance. "have obferved of late, the ftyle of fome great ministers very much to exceed that of any other productions." Swift. Here, inftead of ftudying the refemblance of words in a period that ex-、 prelles a comparison, the Dean goes out of his road to avoid it. Instead of productions, which resemble no minifters great or small, the proper word is writers or authors. "I cannot but fancy, however, that this imitation, which passes fo currently with other judgments, must at some time or other have ftuck a little with your lordship." Shatftefb. Better thus: "I cannot but fancy, however, that this imitation, which paffes fo currently with others, mult at fome time or other have stuck a little with your lordship." It is a ftill greater deviation from congruity, to affect not only variety in the words, but also in the conftruction. HUME fpeaking of Shakespeare: "There may remain a fufpicion that we overrate the greatness of his genius, in the fame manner as bodies appear more gigantic on account of their being difproportioned and misshapen." This is ftudying variety in a period where the beauty lies in uniformity. Better thus: "There may remain a fufpicion that we overrate the greatness of his genius, in the fame manner as we Overrate the greatnefs of bodies that are difproportioned and misshapen.” Next, of comparison where things are oppofed to each other. And here it must be obvious, that if refemblance ought to be ftudied in the words which exprefs two refembling objects, there is equal reafon for ftudying oppofition in the words which exprefs contrafted objects. Examples of deviations from this rule: "A friend exaggerates a man's virtues; an enemy inflames his crimes." Spect. Here the oppofition in the thought is neglected in the words; which at first view feem to import that the friend and enemy are employed in different matters, without any relation to each other, whether of refemblance or of oppofition: and therefore the the contraft or oppofition will be better marked by expreffing the thought as follows: "A friend exaggerates a man's virtues, an enemy his crimes." "The wife man is happy when he gains his own approbation; the fool when he recommends himself to the applause of thofe about him." Ib. Better: "The wife man is happy when he gains, his own approbation, the fool when he gains that of others." We proceed to a rule of a different kind. During the courfe of a period, the fcene ought to be continued without variation; the changing from person to perfon, from subject to fubject, or from perfon to fubject, within the bounds of a fingle period, diftracts the mind, and affords no time for a folid impreffion. Hook, in his Roman History, speaking of Eumenes, who had been beat to the ground with a VOL. XII. PART İL ftone, fays, "After a fhort time he came to himfelf; and the next day they put him on board his fhip, which conveyed him firft to Corinth, and thence to the inland of Ægina." The following period is unpleafant, even by a very flight deviation from the rule: "That fort of inftruction which is acquired by inculcating an important moral truth," &c. This expreffion includes two perfons, one acquiring, and one in culcating; and the scene is changed without neceffity. To avoid this blemish, the thought may be expreffed thus: "That fort of inftruction which is afforded by inculcating," &c. The bad effect of fuch a change of perfon is remarkable in the following paffage: "The Britons, daily haraffed by cruel inroads from the Picts, were forced to call in the Saxons for their defence, who confequently reduced the greatest part of the inland to their own power, drove the Britons into the moft remote and mountainous parts, and the rest of the country, in customs, religion, and language, became wholly Saxon." Swift. The following paffage has a change from fubject to perfon: This proflitution of praife is not only a deceit upon the grofs of mankind, who take their notion of characters from the learned; but alfo the better fort muft by this means lofe fome part at least of that defire of fame which is the incentive to generous actions, when they find it promifcuously bestowed on the meritorious and undeferving." Guardian, N° 4. The following rule relates to the ufe of copu latives. Longinus obferves, that it animates a period to drop the copulatives; and he gives the following example from Xenophon; Clofing their fhields together, they were pufh'd, they fought, they flew, they were flain." The reafon may be this: A continued found, if not loud, tends to lay us afleep; an interrupted found rou fes and animates by its repeated impulfes: Thus feet compofed of fyllables, being pronounced with a fenfible interval between each, make more lively impreffions than can be made by a continu ed found. A period of which the members are connected by copulatives, produceth an effect upon the mind approaching to that of a continued found; and therefore the fuppreffing copulatives muft animate a defcription. It produces a different effect, akin to that mentioned: the members of a period connected by proper copulatives, glide fmoothly and gently along; and are a proof of fedatenefs and leifure in the fpeaker: on the other hand, one in the hurry of paffion, neglecting copulatives and other particles, expreffes the prin cipal image only; and for that reafon, hurry or quick action is beft expreffed without copulatives: Veni, vidi, vici. Cafar.. Ferte citi ferrum, date tela, fcandite muros, Hoftis adeft, eja. Eneid. ix. 37 In this view Longinus justly compares copulatives in a period to firait tying, which in a race obftructs the freedom of motion. It follows that a plura lity of copulatives in the fame period ought to be avoided; for, if the laying afide copulatives give force and livelinefs, a redundancy of them muft render the period languid. The following infance may be appealed to, though there are but Jiii two two copulatives : " Upon looking over the letters tion of words intimately connected, it recedes farof my female correspondents, I find several from ther from a natural style. But this licence has de. women complaining of jealous husbands; and at grees; for the disjunction is more violent in some the same time protesting their own innocence, and cafes than in others. defiring my advice upon this occasion.” Spe&. In nature, though a subject cannot exist with But where the words are intended to express out its qualities, nor a quality without a subject; the coldness of the speaker, the redundancy of co- yet in our conception of theli, a material differpulatives is a beauty: ence may be remarked. We cannot conceive a “ Dining one day at an alderman's in the city, quality but as belonging to some fubject; it makes Peter observed him expatiating after the manner indeed a part of the idea which is formed of the of his brethren, in the praises of his firloin of beef. fubject. But the opposite holds not ; for though • Beef (faid the sage magistrate) is the king of we cannot form a conception of a subjeđ void of meat: beef comprehends in it the quintessence of all qualities, a partial conception may be formei partridge, and quail, and venison, and pheasant, of it, abftracting from any particular quality: we and plum-pudding, and custard.” Tale of a Tub, can, for example, form the idea of a fine Arabian $ 4. And the author shows great delicacy of taste horse without regard to his colour, or of a white by varying the expression in the mouth of Peter, horse without regard to his fize. Such partial who is represented as more animated : “ Bread conception of a fubject is still more easy with re(says he), dear brothers, is the faff of life: in fpect to action or motion, which is an occafional which bread is contained, inclusive, the quintef attribute only, and has not the same permanency fence of beef, mutton, veal, venison, partridge, with colour or figure: we cannot form an idea of plum-pudding, and custard." motion independent of a body; but there is no Copulatives have also a good effect, where the thing more easy than to form an idea of a body a intention is to give an impreffion of a great multi- reft. Hence it appears, that the degree of invertude consisting of many divisions; e. g. « The army fion depends greatly on the order in which the rewas composed of Grecians, and Carians, and Ly- lated words are placed: when a fubftantive occo. cians, and Pamphylians, and Phrygians.” The pies the first place, the idea it suggefts muft fut. reason is, that a leisurely furvey, which is expreif- fift in the mind at least for a moment, independent ed by the copulatives, makes the parts appear of the relative words afterwards introduced; and more numerous than they would do by a hally that moment may without difficulty be prolonged turvey: in the latter cafe, the army appears in one by interjecting a circumftance between the subgroup; in the former, we take, as it were, an accu. ftantive and its connections. This liberty, there rate survey of each nation, and of each division. fore, however frequent, will scarce alone be fuf. 2. To pave the way for the rules of arrange- ficient to denominate'a ftyle inverted. The case ment, it will be here necessary to explain the dif- is very different, where the word that occupies ference between a natural style, and that where the first place denotes a quality or an a&tion ; for, transposition or inversion prevails. In a natural as these cannot be conceived without a subject, ftyle, relative words are, by juxtapofition, connect they cannot, without greater violence be separated ed with those to which they relate, going before from the subject that follows; and for that reason, or after, according to the peculiar genius of the every such feparation, by means of an interjected language. Again, a circumftance connected by a circumstance, belongs to an inverted style. preposition, follows naturally the word with which To illustrate this doctrine, examples are necef it is connected. But this arrangement may be fary. In the following, the word firft introduced varied, when a different order is more beautiful: does not imply a relation : a circumftance may be placed before the word -Nor Eve to iterate with which it is connected by a prepofition; and Her former trespass fear'd. may be interjected even between a relative word -Hunger and thirst at once, and that to which it relates. When such liberties Powerful persuaders, quicken'd at the feent are frequently taken, the style becomes inverted Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me so keen, or transposed. Where the word first introduced imports a re. But as the liberty of inversion is a capital point lation, the disjunction will be found more violent: in the present subject, it will be neceffary to ex. -Upon the firm opacous globe amine it more narrowly, and to trace the several Of this round world, whose first convex divides degrees in which an inverter style recedes more The luminous inferior orbs inclos'd and more from that which is natural. And first, From chaos and th' inroad of darkness old, as to the placing a circumstance before the word Satan alighted walks. with which it is connected, this is the easiest of all -Wherein remain'd, inversion, even so easy as to be consistent with a For what could else? to our almighty foc style that is properly termed natural: witness the Clear victory, to our part lofs and rout. following examples. Language would have no great power, were it “ In the fincerity of my heart, I profefs,” &c. confined to the natural order of ideas: By inver “At St-Bride's church in Fleetftreet, Mr Wool. fion a thoufand beauties may be compassed, wbich Aton (who writ against the miracles of our Saviour), must be relinquished in a natural prrangement. in the utmost terrors of confcience, made a pub- RULES. In the arrangement of a period, as hic recantation." well as in a right choice of words, the rule above The interjecting a circumstance between a rela. laid down, that perspicuity ought not to be facritive word and that to which it relates, is more liced to any other beauty, holds equally in boti. properly termed inverfion; because, by a disjunc. Ambiguities occasioned by a wrong arrangement are of two forts: one where the arrangement leads to a wrong fenfe, and one where the fenfe is lefs doubtful. Examples of words put in a wrong place: "How much the imagination of fuch a prefence muft exalt a genius, we may observe merely from the influence which an ordinary prefence has over men." Shafte. This arrangement leads to a wrong fenfe: the adverb merely feems, by its pofition, to affect the preceding word; whereas it is intended to affect the following words, an ordinary prefence; and therefore the arrangement ought to be thus: "How much the imagination of fuch a prefence muft exalt a genius, we may obferve from the influence which an ordinary prefence merely. has over men." [Or better]," which even an ordinary prefence has over men.' "The knight, feeing his habitation reduced to fo fmall a compafs, and himself in a manner thut out of his own houfe, ordered, upon the death of his mother, all the apartments to be flung open." Speaking of fome indecencies in converfation: "As it is impoffible for such an irrational way of converfation to laft long among a people that make any profeffion of religion, or how of modefty, if the country gentlemen get into it, they will certainly be left in the lurch." Ib. The ambiguity vanishes in the following arrangement:"the country gentlemen, if they get into it, will certainly be left in the lurch." From thefe examples, the following rule arifes: That a circumftance ought never to be placed between two capital members of a period; for by fuch fituation it must always be doubtful, fo far as we gather from the arrangement, to which of the two members it belongs: where it is interjected, as it ought to be, between parts of the mem "Sixtus IV. was, if I mistake not, a great col. lector of books at leaft." Boling. The expreffion here leads evidently to a wrong fenfe; the adverb, at least, ought not to be connected with the fubber to which it belongs, the ambiguity is removed, ftantive books, but with collector, thus: "Sixtus the IV. was a great collector, at leaft of books." The following are examples of a wrong arrange ment of members: "I have confined myfelf to those methods for the advancement of piety, which re in the power of a prince limited, like ours, by a ftrict execution of the laws." Swift. The ftruc. ture of this period leads to a meaning which is not the author's, viz. power limited by a ftrict excution of the laws. That wrong fenfe is removed by the following arrangement: "I have confined myfelf to thofe methods for the advancement of pety, which, by a strict execution of the laws, are in the power of a prince limited like ours." "A great ftone that I happened to find after a long fearch by the fea-fhore, ferved me for an an coor." Swift. One would, think that the search was confined to the fea-fore; but as the meaning , that the great stone was found by the fea-fhore, the period ought to be arranged thus: "A great tone that, after a long fearch, I happened to find by the fea-fhore, ferved me for an anchor.". Next, of a wrong arrangement where the fenfe is left doubtful; beginning with examples of a wrong arrangement of words in a member. "Thefe forms of conversation by degrees multiplied and grew troublefome," Spell. Here it is left doubtful whether the modification by degrees relates to the preceding member or to what follows: it fhould be, "Thefe forms of converfa Lon multiplied by degrees." "The empire of Blefufcu is an island fituated to the NE. fide of Lilliput, from whence it is parted only by a channel of 800 yards wide." Savift. The ambiguity may be removed thus:from whence it is parted by a channel of 800 yards wide only." In the following examples the fenfe is left doubt ful, by a wrong arrangement of members. Speaking of the fuperftitious practice of locking up the room where a perfon of diftinction dies: "The knight, feeing his habitation reduced to fo Imall a compass, and himself in a manner fhut out of his own house, upon the death of his mother, ordered all the apartments to be flung open, and exreifed by his chaplain," Sped. Better thus: and the capital members are kept diftinct, which is a great beauty in compofition. In general, to preferve members diftin&t that fignify things dif tinguished in the thought, the best method is, to place firft in the confequent member, fome word that cannot connect with what precedes it. If it be thought, that the objections here are too fcrupulous, and that the defect of perfpicuity is eafily fupplied by accurate punctuation; the answer is, That punctuation may remove an ambiguity, but will never produce that peculiar beauty which is perceived when the fenfe cones out clearly and distinctly by means of a happy arrangement. Such influence has this beauty, that, by a natural tranfition of perception, it is communicated to the very found of the words, fo as apparently to improve the mufic of the period. A period, fo arranged as to bring out the sense clear, seems always more mufical than where the fenfe is left any way doubtful. Words, expreffing things connected in the thought, ought to be placed as near together as poffible. This rule is derived immediately from human nature, prone in every inftance to place together things in any manner connected. Where things are arranged according to their connections,, we have a fenfe of order, otherwife we have a fenfe of diforder, as of things placed by chance: and we naturally place words in the fame order in which we would place the things they fignify. The bad effect of a violent feparation of words or members, thus intimately connected, will appear from the following examples: "For the English are naturally fanciful, and very often difpofed, by that gloominefs and me lancholy of temper which is fo frequent in our na tion, to many wild notions and vitions, to which others are not fo liable." Spec. Here the verb or afiertion is, by a pretty long circumftance, violently feparated from the fubject to which it refers; this makes a harsh arrangement; the lefs excufable that the fault is easily prevented by placing the circumftance before the verb, after the following manner: "For the English are naturally fanciful, and by that gloominefs and melancholy of temper which is fo frequent in our nation, are often difpofed to many wild notions," &c. Numberless inftances inftances of this blemish in compofition may be found in the works of Bolingbroke. A pronoun, which faves the naming a perfon or thing a fecond time, ought to be placed as near as poffible to the name of that perfon or thing. This is a branch of the foregoing rule; and with the reason there given, another occurs, viz. That if other ideas intervene, it is difficult to recal the perfon or thing by reference. "There being a round million of creatures in human figure, throughout this kingdom, whofe whole fubfiftence," &c. Swift. Better thus: "There being, throughout this kingdom, a round million of creatures in human figure, whofe whole fubfiftence," &c. The following rule depends on the communica. tion of emotions to related objects; a principle in human nature that hath an extenfive operation: and we find this operation, even where the objects are not otherwife related than by juxtapofition of the words that express them. Hence, to elevate or depress an object, one method is, to join it in the expreffion with another that is naturally high or low: witness the following fpeech of Eumenes to the Roman fenate: "Caufam veniendi fibi Romam fuiffe, præter cupiditatem vifendi deos hominefque, quorum beneficio in ea fortuna effet, fupra quam ne optare qui dem auderet, etiam ut coram moneret fenatum ut Perfei conatus obviam iret." Livy. To join the Romans with the gods in the fame enunciation, is an artful stroke of flattery, because it tacitly puts them on a level. On the other hand, the degrading or vilifying an object, is done fuccefsfully by ranking it with one that is really low: "I hope to have this entertainment in readinefs for the next winter; and doubt not but it will please more than the opera or puppet-show." Spect. Sooner let earth, air, fea, to chaos fall, Men, monkeys, lap-dogs, parrots, perifh all. Rape of the Lock. "But on condition it might pafs into a law, I would gladly exempt both lawyers of all ages, fubaltern and field officers, young heirs, dancing mafters, pick-pockets, and players." Swift. Here, by the by, we cannot help remarking, that SWIFT, in this quotation, ufes the word both very improperly, by applying what, in ftrict propriety of language, is ufed only of two perfons or things, to no fewer than seven. Circumftances in a period refemble small sftones in a building, employed to fill up vacuities among thofe of a larger fize. In the arrangement of a period, fuch under parts crowded together make a poor figure; and never are graceful but when interfperfed among the capital parts. "It is likewife urged, that there are, by com. putation, in this kingdom, above 10,000 parfons, whofe revenues, added to thofe of my lords the bishops, would fuffice to maintain," &c. Swift. Here two circumftances, viz. by computation, and in this kingdom, are crowded together unneceffaily. They make a better appearance feparated in the following manner: "It is likewife urged, that in this kingdom there are by computation above 10,coo parfons," &c. If there be room for a choice, the fooner a cir cumftance is introduced, the better; becaule cr cumftances are proper for that coolness of mid with which we begin a period as well as a volum. in the progrefs, the mind warms, and has a great. er relish for matters of importance. When a ce cumftance is placed at the beginning of the pe riod, or near the beginning, the tranfition from t to the principal subject is agreeable: it is te afcending, or going upward. On the other hand, to place it late in the period has a bad effect; far after being engaged in the principal fubject, ore is with reluctance brought down to give attentie to a circumftance. For this reaton the following period is exceptionable in point of arrangement I have confidered formerly, with a good deal f attention, the subject upon which you command me to communicate my thoughts to you:" Beling, Which, with a flight alteration, may be improved thus; "I have formerly, with,a good deal of attention, confidered the fubject," &c. In arranging a period, it is of importance to determine in what part of it a word makes the great eft figure, whether at the beginning, during th. courfe, or at the clofe. The breaking filence routes the attention, and prepares for a deep impreffio at the beginning: the beginning, however, muf yield to the clofe; which being fucceeded by a pause, affords time for a word to make its deeper impreffion. Hence the following rule, That to give the utmost force to a period, it ought, poffible, to be closed with that word which makes the greateft figure. The opportunity of a pavis fhould not be thrown away upon acceffories, bet referved for the principal object, that it may mat: a full impreffion; which is an additional reafes against clofing a period without a circumftance. There are, however, periods that admit not fuck a ftructure; and in that cafe the capital word ought, if poffible, to be placed in front, which next to the clofe is the most advantageous for making an inpreffion. Hence, in directing our difcourfe to a man of figure, we ought to begin with his name; and one will be fenfible of a degradation when this rule is neglected, as it frequently is for the fake of verfe. We give the following examples: Integer vitæ, fcelerisque purus, Fufce, pharetra. Hor. Carm. l. 1, ode 22. Je crains Dieu, cher Abner, et n'ai point d'autre crainte. In thefe examples, the name of the perfon addreffed to, makes a mean figure, being like a circumftanee nipt into a corner. That this criticifra is well founded, we need no other proof than Addifon's tranflation of the laft example: him. O Abner! I fear my God, and I fear none but Guardian, no 117. O father, what intends thy hand, the cry'd, Againft thy only fon? What fury, O fon, Poffeffes thee to bend that mortal dart Against thy father's head? Par. Left. . 127Every one must be fenfible of a dignity in the invocation at the beginning, which is not attained by that in the middle. It is not meant, however, it ap to cenfure this paffage: on the contrary, pears beautiful, by diftinguifhing the refpect due to a father from that which is due to a for. The |