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the final fyllable ed may be apoftrophized without making the word harsh. Examples, betray'd, carry'd, deftroy'd, employ'd.

The article next in order, is to confider the music of words as united in a period. And as the arrangement of words in fucceffion fo as to afford the greatest pleasure to the ear, depends on principles pretty remote from common view, it will be necefsary to premise some general obfervations upon the effect that a number of objects have upon the mind when they are placed în an increasing or decreafing feries. The effect of fuch a feries will be very different, according as resemblance or contrast prevails. Where the members of a feries vary by small differences, refemblance prevails; which, in afcending, makes us conceive the second object of no greater fize than the first, the third of no greater fize than the second, and fo of the reft. This diminisheth in appearance the fize of the whole. Again, when beginning at the largeft object, we proceed gradually to the leaft, resemblance makes us imagine the fecond as large as the firft, and the third as VOL. II. I i large

large as the fecond; which in appearance magnifies every object of the feries except the firft. On the other hand, in a feries varying by great differences, where contrast prevails, the effects are directly oppofite. A large object fucceeding a small one of the fame kind, appears by the oppofition larger than ufual and a fmall object, for the fame reafon, fucceeding one that is large, appears lefs than usual *. Hence a remarkable pleasure in viewing a feries ascending by large intervals; directly oppofite to what we feel when the intervals are fmall. Beginning at the smallest object of a feries where contraft prevails, this object has the fame effect upon the mind as if it stood fingle without making a part of the series, But this is not the cafe of the fecond object, which by means of contraft makes a much greater figure than when viewed fingly and apart; and the fame effect is perceived in afcending progreffively, till we arrive at the laft object. The direct contrary effect is produced in defcending; for in this direc

See the reafon, chap. 8.

tion, every object, except the first, makes a lefs figure than when viewed feparately and independent of the feries. We may then lay down as a maxim, which will hold in the compofition of language as well as of other fubjects, That a strong impulse fucceeding a weak, makes a double impreffion on the mind; and that a weak impulse fucceeding a strong, makes scarce any impreffion.

After establishing this maxim, we can be at no lofs about its application to the subject in hand. The following rule is laid down by Diomedes *. In verbis obfer"vandum eft, ne a majoribus ad minora "defcendat oratio; melius enim dicitur, "Vir eft optimus, quam, Vir optimus eft." This rule is applicable not only to fingle words, but equally to entire members of a period, which, according to our author's expreffion, ought not more than fingle words to proceed from the greater to the lefs, but from the less to the greater. In arranging the members of a period, no wri

De ftructura perfectæ orationis, 1. 2.

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ter equals Cicero. The beauty of the following examples out of many, will not fuf fer me to flur them over by a reference.

Quicum quæftor fueram,

Quicum me fors confuetudoque majorum, Quicum me Deorum hominumque judicium conjunxerat.

Again:

Habet honorem quem petimus,

Habet fpem quam præpofitam nobis habemus, Habet exiftimationem, multo fudore, labore, vigiliifque, collectam.

Again:

Eripite nos ex miferiis,

Eripite nos ex faucibus eorum,

Quorum crudelitas, noftro fanguine non poteft

expleri.

De oratore, l. 1. § 52.

This order of words or members gradually increafing in length, may, fo far as concerns the pleasure of found fingly, be denominated a climax in found.

The

The last article is the music of periods as united in a discourse; which shall be dif patched in a very few words. By no other human means is it poffible to present to the mind, fuch a number of objects and in so swift a fucceffion, as by speaking or writing. And for that reafon, variety ought more to be studied in these, than in any other fort of compofition. Hence a rule regarding the arrangement of the members of different periods with relation to each other, That to avoid a tedious uniformity of found and cadence, the arrangement, the cadence, and the length of these members, ought to be diversified as much as poffible. And if the members of different periods be fufficiently diverfified, the periods themfelves will be equally fo.

SECT.

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