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fame object for the fake of variety. But perfpicuity ..ought never to be facrificed to any other beauty, which leads me to think that the paffage may be improved as follows: "and degenerating from the cuftoms of their own nation, they were gradually affimilated to the natives, inftead of reclaiming them from their uncultivated manners."

The next rule in order, because next in importance, is, That the language ought to correfpond to the fubject heroic actions or fentiments require elevated language; tender fentiments ought to be expreffed in words foft and flowing; and plain language void of ornament, is adapted to fubjects grave. and didactic. Language may be confidered as the 'drefs of thought; and where the one is not fuited to the other, we are fenfible of incongruity, in the fame manner as where a judge is dreffed like a fop, or a peafant like a man of quality. Where the impreffion made by the words refembles the impreffion made by the thought, the fimilar emotions mix fweetly in the mind and double the pleasure ;* but where the impreffions made by the thought and the words are diffimilar, the unnatural union they are forced into is difagreeable.†

This concordance between the thought and the words has been obferved by every critic, and is fo well understood as not to require any illuftration.

But there is a concordance of a peculiar kind, that has fcarcely been touched in works of criticism, though it contributes to neatnefs of compofition. It is what follows. In a thought of any extent, we commonly find fome parts intimately united, fome flightly, fome disjoined, and fome directly oppofed to each other. To find thefe conjunctions and dif junctions

* Chap. 2. part 4a

† Ibid.

junctions imitated in the expreffion, is a beauty; becaufe fuch imitation makes the words concordant with the fenfe. This doctrine may be illuftrated by a familiar example. When we have occafion to mention the intimate connection that the foul hath with the body, the expreflion ought to be, the foul and body; because the particle the, relative to both, makes a connection in the expreffion, refembling in fome degree the connection in the thought: but when the foul is diftinguished from the body, it is better to fay the foul and the body; because the dif junction in the words refembles the disjunction in the thought. I proceed to other examples, beginning with conjunctions.

Conftituit agmen ; et expedire tela animofque, equiti bus juffis, &c. Livy, 1. 38. § 25.

Here the words that exprefs the connected ideas are artificially connected by fubjecting them both to the regimen of one verb. And the two following are of the fame kind.

Quum ex paucis quotidie aliqui eorum caderent aut vulnerarentur, et qui fuperarent, felli et corporibus et animis. effent, &c.

Livy, 1. 33. § 29.

Poft acer Mneftheus adducto conftitit arcu,
Alta petens, pariterque oculos telumque tetendit.
Eneid, v. 507.

But to juftify this artificial connection among the words, the ideas they exprefs ought to be intimately connected; for otherwife that concordance which is required between the fenfe and the expreffion will be impaired. In that view, a paffage from Tacitus

is exceptionable; where words that fignify ideas little connected, are however forced into an artificial union. Here is the paffage:

veryTM

Germania omnis a Galliis, Rhætiifque, et Pannoniis, Rheno et Danubio fluminibus; a Sarinatis Dacifque, mutuo metu aut montibus feparatur.

De moribus Germanorum.

Upon the fame account, I efteem the following paffage equally exceptionable.

-The fiend look'd up and knew

His mounted scale aloft ; nor more, but fied
Murm'ring, and with him fled the thades of night.
Paradife Loft, b. 4. at the end.

There is no natural connection between a perfon's flying or retiring, and the fucceffion of day-light to darknefs; and therefore to connect artificially the terms that fignify thefe things cannot have a sweet 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, in order 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; buť the neglect of it is remarkably difagreeable For example, "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 pleafant to find a connection in the words that exprefs thefe ideas, were it even fo flight as were both begin with the fame letter:

B 3

The

The peacock in all his pride, does not difplay half the colour that appears in the garments of a Britith lady, when fhe is either dreffed for a ball or a birth day.

Spectator, No. 265.

Had not my dog of a steward run away as he did, without making up his accounts, I had ftill been emerfed in fin and fea-coal.

Ibid. No. 530.

My life's companion and my bosom-friend,
One faith, one fame, one fate fhall both attend.

Dryden, Tranflation of Eneid.

There is fenfibly a defect in neatnefs when uniformity in this cafe is totally neglected ;* witnefs the following example, where the conftruction of two members connected by a copulative is unneceffarily

varied.

For it is confidently reported, that two young gentlemen of real hopes, bright wit, and profound judgment, who upon a thorough examination of caufes and effects, and by the mere force of natural abilities, without the least tincture of learning, have made a difcovery that there was no God, and generously communicating their thoughts for the good of the public, were fome time ago, by an unparalleled feverity, and upon I know not what obfolete law, broke for blafphemy.t [Better thus:]-having made a discovery that there was no God, and having generously communicated their thoughts for the good of the public, were some time ago, &c.

He had been guilty of a fault for which his mafter would have put him to death, had he not found an opportunity to efcape out of his hands, and fled into the defarts of Numidia. Guardian, No. 139.

If

* See Girard's French Grammar, discourse 12.

+ An argument against abolishing Chriftianity. Swift.

: If all the ends of the Revolution are already obtained, it is not only impertinent to argue for obtaining any of them, but factious defigns might be imputed, and the name of incendiary be applied with fome colour, perhaps, to any one who fhould perfift in preffing this point.

Differtation upon parties, Dedication.

Next as to examples of disjunction and oppofition in the parts of the thought, imitated in the expreffion ; an imitation that is diftinguifhed by the name of antithefis.

Speaking of Coriolanus foliciting the people to be made confu! :

With a proud heart he wore his humble weeds.

Coriolanus.

Had you rather Cæfar were living, and die all flaves, than that Cæfar were dead, to live all free men ?

Julius Cæfar

He hath cool'd my friends and heated mine enemies. Shakespear.

An artificial connection among the words, is undoubtedly a beauty when it reprefents any peculiar connection among the conftituent parts of the thought; but where there is no fuch connection, it is a pofitive deformity, as above obferved, because it makes a difcordance between the thought and expreffion. For the fame reafon, we ought alfo to avoid every 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 compofition, to cheat the reader, and to make him expect a con B4 traft

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