Je crains Dieu, cher Abner, et n'ai point d'autre crainte. In these examples, the name of the perfon addreffed to, makes a mean figure, being like a circumftance flipt into a corner. That this criticism is well found ed, we need no other proof than Addison's tranflation of the last example : O Abner! I fear my God, and I fear none but him. Guardian, No. 117. O father, what intends thy hand, the cry'd, Against thy father's head? Paradife loft, book 2. 1. 727. Every one must be fenfible of a dignity in the invocation at the beginning, which is not attained by that in the middle. I mean not however to cenfure this paffage on the contrary, it appears beautiful, by distinguishing the respect that is due to a father from that which is due to à fon. The fubftance of what is faid in this and the foregoing fection, upon the method of arranging words in a period, fo as to make the deepest impreffion with refpect to found as well as fignification, is comprehended in the following obfervation: That order of words in a period will always be the moft agreeable, where, without obfcuring the fenfe, the moft important images, the moft fonorous words, and the longest members, bring up the rear. Hitherto of arranging fingle words, fingle members, and fingle circumftances. But the enumeration of many particulars in the fame period is often neceflary and the question is, In what order they fhould fhould be placed? It does not feem easy, at first view, to bring a fubject apparently fo loofe under any general rule but luckily, reflecting upon what is faid in the first chapter about order, we find rules laid down to our hand, which leave us no talk but that of applying them to the prefent queftion. And, first, with refpect to the enumerating particulars of equal rank, it is laid down in the place quoted, that as there is no caufe for preferring any one before the reft, it is indifferent to the mind in what order they be viewed. And it is only neceffary to be added here, that for the fame reafon, it is indifferent in what order they be named. 2dly, If a number of objects of the fame kind, differing only in fize, are to be ranged along a ftraight line, the moft agreeable order to the eye is that of an increafing feries. In furveying a number of fuch objects, beginning at the leaft, and proceeding to greater and greater, the mind fwells gradually with the fucceffive objects, and in its progrefs has a very fenfible pleafure. Precifely for the fame reafon, words expreffive of fuch objec&s ought to be placed in the fame order. The beauty of this figure, which may be termed a climax in fenfe, has efcaped lord Bolingbroke in the firft member of the following period. Let but one great, brave, difinterested, active man arife, and he will be received, followed, and alinoft adored. The following arrangement has fenfibly a better effect: Let but one brave, great, active, difinterefted man arife, &c. Whether the fame rule ought to be followed in enumerating men of different ranks, feems doubtful: on the one hand, a number of perfons prefented to the the eye in form of an increafing feries, is undoubt edly the most agreeable order: on the other hand, in every lift of names, we fet the perfon of the greateft dignity at the top, and defcend gradually through his inferiors. Where the purpose is to honour the perfons named according to their rank, the latter order ought to be followed; but every one who regards himself only, or his reader, will choose the former order. 3dly, As the fenfe of order directs the eye to defcend from the principal to its greatelt acceffory, and from the whole to its greatest part, and in the fame order through all the parts and accef fories till we arrive at the minuteft; the fame order ought to be followed in the enumeration of fuch particulars. I fhall give one familiar example. Talking of the parts of a column, the bafe, the fhaft, the capital, thefe are capable of fix different arrangements, and the question is, Which is the best? When we have in view the erecting a column, we are naturally led to exprefs the parts in the order above mentioned; which at the fame time is agreeable by afcending. But confidering the column as it ftands, without reference to its erection the fense of order, as obferved above, requires the chief part to be named first: for that reafon we begin with the fhaft; and the bale comes next in order, that we may afcend from it to the capital. Laftly, In tracing the particulars of any natural operation, order requires that we follow the courfe of nature : hiftorical facts are related in the order of time: we begin at the founder of a family, and proceed from him to his defcendants: but in defcribing a lofty oak, we begin with the trunk, and afcend to the branches. When force and liveliness of expreflion are demanded, the rule is, to fufpend the thought as long as pofiible, and to bring it out full and entire at the clofe:, clofe which cannot be done but by inverting the natural arrangement. By introducing a word or member before its time, curiofity is raifed about what is to follow; and it is agreeable to have our curiofity gratified at the clofe of the period: the pleasure we feel resembles that of seeing a stroke exerted upon a body by the whole collected force of the agent. On the other hand, where a period is fo conftructed as to admit more than one complete clofe in the fenfe, the curiofity of the reader is exhaufted at the first clofe, and what follows appears languid or fuperfluous his disappointment contributes alfo to that appearance, when he finds, contrary to expectation, that the period is not yet finished. Cicero, and after him Quintilian, recommend the verb to the last place. This method evidently tends to fufpend the fenfe till the close of the period; for without the verb the fenfe cannot be complete and when the verb happens to be the capital word, which it frequently is, it ought at any rate to be the laft, according to another rule, above laid down. I proceed as ufual to illuftrate this rule by examples. The following period is placed in its natural order. Were inftruction an effential circumftance in epic poetry, I doubt whether a single inftance could be given of this fpecies of compofition, in any language. The period thus arranged admits a full close upon the word compofition; after which it goes on languidly, and clofes without force. This blemish will be avoided by the following arrangement. Were inftruction an effential circumstance in epic poetry, I doubt whether, in any language, a single instance could be given of this fpecies of compofition. Some Some of our most eminent divines have made use of this Platonic notion, as far as it regards the fubfiftence of our paffions after death, with great beauty and ftrength of reason. Better thus: Spectator, No. 9o. Some of our moft eminent divines have with great beauty and ftrength of reafon, made ufe of this Platonic notion, &c. Men of the beft fenfe have been touched, more or lefs, with thefe groundless horrors and prefages of futurity, upon furveying the most indifferent works of nature. Spectator, No. 505 Better, Upon furveying the moft indifferent works of nature, men of the beft fenfe, &c. She foon informed him of the place he was in, which, notwithstanding all its horrors, appeared to him more sweet than the bower of Mahomet, in the company of his Balfora. Guardian, No. 167. Better, She foon, &c. appeared to him, in the company of his Balfora, more sweet, &c. The Emperor was fo intent on the establishment of his abfolute power in Hungary, that he expofed the Empire doubly to defolation and ruin for the fake of it. Better, Letters on hiftory, vol. 1. let. 7. Bolingbroke. -that for the fake of it he exposed the empire doubly to defolation and ruin. None |