traft in the thought, which upon examination is not found there. A light wife doth make a heavy husband. Merchant of Venice. Here is ftudied oppofition in the words, not only without any oppofition in the fenfe, but even where there is a very intimate connection, that of caufe and effect; for it is the levity of the wife that torments the hufband. Will maintain Upon his bad life to make all this good. King Richard II. aết 1. fc. 3 Lucetta. What, fhall these papers lie like tell-tales here Julia. If thou refpect them, beft to take them up. Lucetta. Nay, I was taken up for laying them down. Two Gentlemen of Verona, act 1. fc. 3. A fault directly oppofite to that laft mentioned, is to conjoin artificially words that exprefs ideas oppofed to each other. This is a fault too grofs to be in common practice; and yet writers are guilty of it in fome degree, when they conjoin by a copulative, things tranfacted at different periods of time. Hence a want of neatnefs 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 fcale which began already too much to preponderate. Hiftory of G. Britain, vol. i. p. 250. In periods of this kind, it appears more neat to exprefs the past time by the participle paffive, thus: The The nobility having been feized with the general difcontent, unwarily threw themfelves, &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: Nec excitatur claffico miles truci, Forumque vitat, et fuperba civium Potentiorum limina. Horace, Epod. 2. 1. 5. If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, Shakespear. 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 the Fourth 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 exprefs 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 neatnefs, to crowd into one period 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. Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea pleafant; alfo our bed is green. Cæfar, Cæfar, defcribing the Suevi: Atque in eam fe confuetudinem adduxerunt, ut locis frigidillimis, neque vellitus, præter pelles, habeant quidquam, quarum propter exiguitatem, magna eft corporis pars aperta, et laventur in fluminibus. Commentaria, 1. 4. prin. Burnet, in the hiftory of his own times, giving Lord Sunderland's character, fays, His own notions were always good; but he was a man of great expenfe. I have seen a woman's face break out in heats as he has been talking against a great lord, whom the had never feen in her life; and indeed never knew a party-woman that kept her beauty for a twelvemonth. Spectator, No. 57. Lord Bolingbroke fpeaking of Strada: I fingle him cut among the moderns, becaufe he had the foolith prefumption to cenfure Tacitus, and to write hiftory himself; and your Lordship will torgive this fhort excurfion in honour of a favourite writer. Letters on hiftory, vol. i. let. 5. It feems to me, that in order to maintain the moral fyftem of the world at a certain point, far below that of idcal perfection, (for we are made capable of conceiving what we, are incapable of attaining,) but however fufficient upon the whole to conflitute a flate cafy and happy, or at the worst tolerable: I fay, it feems to me, that the Author of nature. has thought fit to mingle from time to time, among the focieties of men, a few, and but a few of thofe on whom he is gracioutly plcafed to bestow a larger proportion of the etherial fpirit than is given in the ordinary courfe of his providence to the fons of men. Bolingbroke on the spirit of patriotifm, let: 1. Τα To crowd into a fingle member of a period different fubjects, is ftill worse than to crowd them into one period : Trojam, genitore Adamsto Paupere (manfiffetque utinam fortuna) profectus. From conjunctions and disjunctions in general, we proceed to comparisons, which make one 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 illuftrate the rule in this cafe, I fhall give various examples of deviations from it; beginning with refemblances expreffed in words that have no refemblance. I have obferved of late, the ftyle of fome great minifters very much to exceed that of any other productions. Letter to the Lord High Treafurer. Swift. This, instead of studying the refemblance of words in a period that expreffes a comparison, is going out of one's road to avoid it. Instead of productions, which refemble not minifters great nor fmall, the proper word is writers or authors. If men of eminence are expofed to cenfure on the one hand, they are as much liable to flattery on the other. If they receive reproaches which are not due to them, they likewife receive praifes which they do not deferve. Spectator. Here the fubject plainly demands uniformity in expreffion instead of variety; and therefore it is fub mitted, mitted, whether the period would not do better in the following manner: If men of eminence be expofed to cenfure on the one hand, they are as much exposed to flattery on the other. If they receive reproaches that are not due, they likewife receive praises that are not due. I cannot but fancy, however, that this imitation, which palles fo currently with other judgments, muft at fome time or other have ftuck a little with your Lordship.* [Better thus:] I cannot but fancy, however, that this imitation which paffes fo currently with others, muft at fome time or other have stuck a little with your Lordfhip. A glutton or mere fenfualist is as ridiculous as the other two characters. Shaftesbury, vol. i. p. 129. They wifely prefer the generous efforts of good-will and affection, to the reluctant compliances of Juch as obey by force. Remarks on the hiftory of England, letter 5. Bolingbroke. Titus Livius, mentioning a demand made by the people of Enna of the keys from the Roman governor, makes him say, Quas fimul tradiderimus, Carthaginienfium extemplo Enna erit, tædiufque hic trucidabimur, quam Murgantia præfidium interfe&um eft. 1. 24. § 38. Quintus Curtius, fpeaking of Porus mounted on an Elephant, and leading his army to battle: * Letter concerning enthufiafm. Shaftesbur Magnitudini |
