C

1

riod, requiring more attention, makes an impreffion grave and folemn. In general, a writer ought to ftudy a mixture of long and fhort periods, which prevents an irkfome uniformity, and entertains the mind with variety of impreffions. In particular, long periods ought to be avoided till the reader's attention be thoroughly engaged; and therefore a difcourfe, especially of the familiar kind, ought never to be introduced with a long period. For that reason, the commencement of a letter to a very young lady on her marriage is faulty.

Madam, The hurry and impertinence of recei

ving and paying vifits on account of your marriage, being now over, you are beginning to enter into a courfe of life, where you will want much advice *to divert you from falling into many errors, foppe ries, and follies, to which your fex is fubject.

Swift.

See a ftronger example in the commencement of Cicero's oration, Pro Archia poeta.

Before we proceed farther, it proper to take a review of the T t

VOL. II.

may be

rules laid

down

down in this and the preceding fection, in order to make fome general observations. The natural order of the words and members of a period, is undoubtedly the fame with the natural order of the ideas that compose the thought. The tendency of many of the foregoing rules, is to substitute an artificial arrangement, in order to reach fome beauty either of found or meaning that cannot be reached in the natural order. But feldom it happens, that in the fame period there is place for a plurality of thefe rules. If one beauty can be catched, another must be relinquished. The only question is, Which ought to be preferred? This is a queftion that cannot be refolved by any general rule. But practice, fupported by a good tafte, will in most instances make the choice eafy. The component words and members of a period, are afcertained by the subject. If the natural order be not relished, a few trials will discover that artificial order which has the best effect. All that can be faid in general is, that in making a choice, found ought to yield to fignification.

The

The tranfpofing words and members out of their natural order, fo remarkable in the learned languages, has been the subject of much speculation. It is agreed on all hands, that such transposition or inversion bestows upon a period a very fenfible degree of force and elevation; and yet writers seem to be at a lofs in what manner to account for this effect. Cerçeau* afcribes fo much power to inverfion, as to make it the characteristic of French verfe, and the single circumstance which in that language diftinguishes verfe from profe. And yet he pretends not to say, that it hath any other power but to raise surprise; he must mean curiofity; which is done by fufpending the thought during the period, and bringing it out entire at the close. This indeed is one power of inverfion; but neither its fole power, nor even that which is the most remarkable, as is made plain above. But waving cenfure, which is not an agreeable task, I enter into the matter. And I begin with observing, that if a conformity betwixt words and their

Reflections fur la poefie Françoise.

Tt 2

meaning

meaning be agreeable, it must of course be agreeable to find the fame order or ar rangement in both. Hence the beauty of a plain or natural ftyle, where the order of the words correfponds precifely to the order of the ideas. Nor is this the fingle beauty of a natural style: it is alfo agreeable upon account of its fimplicity and perfpicuity. This obfervation throws light upon- the fubject. For if a natural ftyle be in itself agreeable, a tranfpofed ftyle cannot be fo And therefore, it cannot otherwife be agreeable, but as contributing to fome pofitive beauty which is excluded in a natural ftyle. To be confirmed in this opinion, we need but reflect upon fome of the foregoing rules, which make it evident, that language, by means of inverfion, is fufceptible of many beauties that are totally excluded in a natural arrangement of words. From these premiffes it clearly follows, that inverfion ought not to be indulged, unlefs in order to reach fome beauty fuperior to that of a natural ftyle. It may with great certainty be pronounced, that every inverfion which is not governed by

this rule, will appear harsh and strained, and be difrelished by every one of tafte, Hence the beauty of inverfion when happily conducted; the beauty, not of an end, but of means, as furnishing opportunity for numberless ornaments that find no place in a natural style. Hence the force, the elevation, the harmony, the cadence, of some compositions. Hence the manifold beauties of the Greek and Roman tongues, of which li ving languages afford but faint imitations.

SE CT, III.

Beauty of language from a refemblance betwixt found and fignification.

THE refemblance betwixt the found and fignification of certain words, is a beauty, which has escaped no critical writer, and yet is not handled with accuracy by any of them. They have probably been erroneously of opinion, that a beauty fo obvious in the feeling, requires no explanation