spectively a strong and a slight impression on the reader or hearer.

They are by some considered synonymous with the diffuse and the concise, but not properly; for, however much the latter qualities may contribute to produce the former, there are instances of a feeble brevity as well as a nervous copiousness. When considering the essential properties of style, we shall have occasion to treat of strength, and it will then appear in what that quality consists. Meanwhile, we may say that unmeaning epithets, vague expressions, and improper arrangements of words and clauses, are to be avoided, as inevitable sources of weakness.

LESSON LV.

EXERCISE ON THE VARIETIES OF STYLE.

BRIEF examples of the principal styles described in the last lesson are presented below. The judicious writer aims at variety in his compositions; and hence, though a work, as a whole, may have a prevailing tone or manner, it does not follow that successive sentences are so distinguished. We can therefore better exemplify the different styles by short passages than by lengthy extracts. Besides pointing out the peculiarities which lead us to characterize these extracts as dry, elegant, florid, &c., show what figures occur, and name them; also, supply the omitted points.

DRY STYLE

Cer

The Sceptic. Whether the principles of Christians or infidels are truest may be made a question but which are safest can be none. tainly if you doubt of all opinions you must doubt of your own and then for aught you know the Christian may be true. The more doubt the more room there is for faith a sceptic of all men having the least right to demand evidence. But whatever uncertainty there may be in other points thus much is certain either there is or is not a God there is or is

851. What styles remain to be considered? With what are they by some considered synonymous? Show why this is not a correct view. What are to be avoided, as inevitable sources of weakness?

not a revelation man either is or is not an agent the soul is or is not immortal. If the negatives are not sure the affirmatives are possible. If the negatives are improbable the affirmatives are probable. In proportion as any of your ingenious men finds himself unable to prove any one of these negatives he hath grounds to suspect he may be mistaken. A minute philosopher therefore that would act a consistent part should have the diffidence the modesty and the timidity as well as the doubts of a sceptic.-BERKLEY.

ELEGANT STYLE

Reflections in Westminster Abbey.—When I look upon the tombs of the great every emotion of envy dies in me when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful every inordinate desire goes out when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone my heart melts with compassion when I see the tomb of the parents themselves I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow. When I see kings lying by those who deposed them when I consider rival wits placed side by side or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions factions and debates of mankind. When I read the several dates of the tombs of some that died yesterday and some six hundred years ago I consider that great day when we shall all of us be contemporaries and make our appearance together.-ADDISON.

FLORID STYLE

The Flowery Creation.-The snowdrop foremost of the lovely train breaks her way through the frozen soil in order to present her early compliments to her lord dressed in the robe of innocency she steps forth fearless of danger long before the trees have ventured to unfold their leaves even while the icicles are pendent on our houses.-Next peeps out the crocus but cautiously and with an air of timidity. She hears the howling blasts avd skulks close to her low situation. Afraid she seems to make large excursions from her root while so many ruffian winds are abroad and scouring along the æther.-Nor is the violet last in this shining embassy of the year which with all the embellishments that would grace a royal garden condescends to line our hedges and grow at the feet of briers. Freely and without any solicitations she distributes the bounty of her emissive sweets while herself with an exemplary humility retires from sight seeking rather to administer pleasure than to win admiration emblem expressive emblem of those modest virtues which delight to bloom in obscurity which extend a cheering influence to multitudes who are scarce acquainted with the source of their comforts motive engaging motive to that ever-active beneficence which stays not for the importunity of the distressed but anticipates their suit and prevents them with the blessings of its goodness!—HERVEY

SIMPLE STYLE

The Village Schoolmaster.

Beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way
With blossomed furze unprofitably gay

There in his noisy mansion skilled to rule

The village master taught his little school

A man severe he was and stern to view
I knew him well and every truant knew.
Well had the boding tremblers learned to trace
The day's disasters in his morning's face
Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee
At all his jokes for many a joke had he
Full well the busy whisper circling round
Conveyed the dismal tidings when he frowned
Yet he was kind or if severe in aught
The love he bore to learning was a fault.
The village all declared how much he knew
'Twas certain he could write and cipher too
Lands he could measure terms and tides presage
And e'en the story ran that he could gauge
In arguing too the parson owned his skill
For e'en though vanquished he could argue still
While words of learned length and thundering sound
Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around
And still they gazed and still the wonder grew
That one small head could carry all he knew.
But past is all his fame the very spot

Where many a time he triumphed is forgot.-GOLDSMITH.

LABORED STYLE

The Good Housewife.-Next unto her sanctity and holiness of life it is meet that our English housewife be a woman of great modesty and temperance as well inwardly as outwardly inwardly as in her behavior and carriage towards her husband wherein she shall shun all violence of rage passion and humor coveting less to direct than to be directed appearing ever unto him pleasant amiable and delightful and though occasion of mishaps or the misgovernment of his will may induce her to contrary thoughts yet virtuously to suppress them and with a mild sufferance rather to call him home from his error than with the strength of anger to abate the least spark of his evil calling into her mind that evil and uncomely language is deformed though uttered even to servants but most monstrous and ugly when it appears before the presence of a husband outwardly as ir her apparel and diet both which she shall proportion according to the competency of her husband's estate and calling making her circle rather straight than large for it is a rule if we extend to the uttermost we take away increase if we go a hair's breadth beyond we enter into consumption but if we preserve any part we build strong forts against the adversaries of fortune provided that such preservation be honest and conscionable.-MARKHAM.

CONCISE STYLE.

Studies. Some books are to be tasted others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested that is some books are to be read only in parts others to be read but not curiously and some few to be read wholly and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy and extracts made of them by others but that would be only in the less important arguments and the meaner sort of books else distilled books are like common distilled waters flashy things.

Reading maketh a full man conference a ready man and writing an ex act man and therefore if a man write little he had need have a great memory if he confer little he had need have a present wit and if he read little he had need have much cunning to seem to know what he doth not.-BACON.

NERVOUS STYLE.

On the Impeachment of Warren Hastings.-In the course of all this proceeding your lordships will not fail to observe he is never corrupt but he is cruel he never dines with comfort but where he is sure to cro ate a famine. He never robs from the loose superfluity of standing greatness he devours the fallen the indigent the necessitous. His extortion is not like the generous rapacity of the princely eagle who snatches away the living struggling prey he is a vulture who feeds upon the prostrate the dying and the dead. As his cruelty is more shocking than his corruption so his hypocrisy has something more frightful than his cruelty. For whilst his bloody and rapacious hand signs proscriptions and sweeps away the food of the widow and the orphan his eye overflow with tears and he converts the healing balm that bleeds from wounded humanity into a rancorous and deadly poison to the race of man.-BURKE,

LESSON LVI.

ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF STYLE.-PURITY.-PROPRIETY.

§ 352. Ir has been observed that the peculiarities of individual minds, appearing in their respective styles of composition, give rise to the varieties enumerated in the last lesson. In some, this peculiarity of manner is so decided that the author, even when he writes anonymously, is easily recognized. Such marked individuality of style, adhered to by an author throughout his compositions, is known as mannerism. While these peculiarities of diction are by no means forbidden by the rules of composition, there are certain properties which every style ought to possess. These are seven in number; Purity, Propriety, Precision, Clearness, Strength, Harmony and Unity.

352. From what do the varieties of style take their rise? What is Mannorism? What is meant by the essential properties of style? Mention them.

§ 353. PURITY consists in the use of such words and constructions as properly belong to the genius of the language. It may be violated, therefore, in two ways: first, by the Bar. barism, or use of an impure word; and, secondly, by the Solecism, or use of an impure construction. Of these faults there are several varieties.

use.

§354. Barbarisms.-These consist of,

I. Obsolete words; that is, such as have gone out of

Among these we may mention the following, sometimes employed by affected writers ::

Whatever these and similar words may have been in the days of our forefathers, they cannot now be regarded as pure English. They are sometimes used in poetry, in burlesques, and in narratives of ancient times, to which, being in keeping with the characters and objects described, they are peculiarly appropriate; but in all other varieties of composition they should be carefully avoided. Analogous to this fault is that of employing a word in good use with an obsolete signification. Thus in the days of Shakspeare the verb owe often had the meaning of

own:

"Thou dost here usurp

The name thou owest [ownest] not."

The writer who should, at the present day, use owe in this sense would be guilty of a barbarism.

II. Newly-coined words; or such as find their way into conversation and newspapers, but are not authorized by good usage; as obligate, for oblige; deputize, for commission, &c.

What we are to regard as good usage will be explained hereafter.

§ 353. In what does purity consist? In how many ways may it be violated? What is the barbarism? What, the solecism?

354. What is the first variety of barbarism? Mention some of the obsolete words occasionally used by affected writers, and give their modern equivalents. In what varieties of writing are they sometimes used with propriety? What fault is analogous to this? Illustrate this with the verb orce, as used in Shakspeare. What is the second species of barbarism? What writers are at liberty to coin words? How must the