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ELEMENTS OF

140

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poets of more polished times, we are to look for
the graces of correct writing, for just proportion of
parts, and skilfully conducted narration. In the
midst of smiling scenery, and pleasurable themes,
. the gay and the beautiful will appear undoubtedly
to more advantage. But amidst the rude scenes of
nature and of society, such as Ossian <le scribes ;
amidst rocks, and torrents, and whirlwinds, and
battles, dwells the sublime; and naturally associates
itseif with that grave and solemn spirit which distinguishes the author of Fingal.
Virgil, Milton, and Shakespeare, have been already mentioned.

CHAP'rEn
Of lhe

.Jlleth~ci

xr.

of attaining;

a Goo cl 81.ylc.

Q: Can the art of fine writing be taught Ly a
series of mechanical rules ?
.Jl. To ptetend to teach the art of fine writing
by a se.ries of mechanical rules, would be highly
absurd. The young student may, however, be assisted by a few plain directions concerning the proper method of attaining a correct and elegant style.
· ti· To how many heads may these directions
be reduced? :
.Jl•. They have been recl_u ced to seven~
~

Which is

th~

first ?

Chap. XI.

IlHETORICK AND BEI.LES LETTHES.

.i41 . .

.Jl. In the first place, we ~~gh~ ·~lways to_ e~dea~· ~ .
vour to obtain a clear and prc::c1se 1.de~ of every c~~~.: · ·
eject of which we. propo.se; t~~-~reat.::_This. is a d.i ~.ef7 .
tion which may at first appear to hav,e littl~. relatioµ, . ,
to style. · Its relatio11,, .to it., ,how~v.er;is .. ~xti;~~.~.1.(
dose. The foupd~tip11· 0( fin,e 1~riting~- ~~ ·goo_~;~epse ·:
accompanied with a lively_imagifi~ti~·~·::;'l;>tThe_ styl~·
an cl thoughts of a writer are so intim_ately connect~·.
ed, that it is frequently a difficult task to distinguish ·
what depends upon the'· one, -~nd :.:what upon . th~
other. Whenever the impressions_.9.f. obJ~cts,,':1P.0!1 ·
the mind are faint and indistinct, ,~t: perpiexed,~p~'
confused, our styl.e , in J reating of: sucl;l· s~~j~c.t~;~,an · .
never be hqninous . or.b~autiful• • :~het.eM;.,W.h~~ .w~
conceive clearly and feel strongly~ .~e shall ,n'\turak
ly express with clearness and. :with. strengtp• ~<:112~~
then, we may be assured;·..i.s an-. importan~~~ru,~~:;'·iJO
think closely of the, subject,...tilJ ,,w:e' lta.v,e 5at,t_a,in~~
a full and distinct - v,ie.w. ~f .the· matt~~; '. W~~ch: w_e,~t~ :
to clothe in. ~vords~ t~ll. w~,. bec~m~ · 'Y~i:m~~1.1cf jti~t:..
l'ested in it:: then., · and ~ not..till tl!e.n,..•. ~hal.!~ ~~~'9~~d :· ·
expression begin ·to, flo~v;~ .,.~en~r~ily, i;;pe~¥.~.ngf_t~;-:...-:
best and most propei: , expre'ssio1.1s: ;:ire,~hq.~e 1'.;'\!Qic.J:i. · / ·
a clear v.i ew of t~~ subje~t. sqggests ~.:'fh~.9~~,i~~c~. ;~ .. "
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labour or enquiry.' i. !"~.:)-: :,~·• ,,\, ' j <. .• :,{"<· L"t;•;r. .Jr-;,
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tl~e frequen~ pr~c;t~ce o{, c~mp9~~~g J1~~~~~~~~e~~~~~~· ~'.~ ..

nec.e~sary~ JM~ny~ ruJ~.~ -f~D~~rn~.~-g '~!YJ.~~~~~7~.I,~ ~

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delivered;. bu~.. µo_rule;s, '\~.~!h ,answ~~::J.,~ ~~"tl~~~f:l~~~~~~~'. ,
out exercise and ~4abit.:. ·\, 4r·the ..s~p\~ .~-~~,;l~~:·~ ··
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142

ELEMENTS OF

Part II. ,

not every mode of composing that will improve
style. This is so far from being the case, that, by ·
careless and hasty composition, we shall inevitably
acquire a very bad style ; we shall have more trouble afterwards in unlearning faults and correcting
negligences, · than if we had been totally unaccustomed to composition. At first, therefore, we ought
to write slowly and with much c'are. Let the facility and speed of writing be the fruit of longer
practice. · " I enjoin," says Quintilian, " that such
us are beginning the practice of composition, write
slowly and with anxious deliberation. Their great
object, at first, should be, to write as well as possible;
practice will enable them to write speedily. By de·
grees, matter will offer itself still more readily;
words will be at hand ; composition will flow; every
thing, as in the arrangement of a well ordered family,
present itself in its proper place." The sum
of the whole is this, that, by hasty composition, we
sh~ll. never acquire the art of con:iposing '~e~1 ; by
\vntmg well, we shall come to write speedily. \
"' ·· We must not, however, be too anxious about
,\rords : we must not retard the course of thought,
nor cool the heat of imagination, by pausing too long
on every word which we employ. There is, on
certain occasions, a glow of composition which
should be kept up, if we hope to express ourselves
happily, though at the expense of allowing some in- ·
aclvertencies to . pass. · These must afterwards be
scrutinized with a critical' eye. If the practice of
composition · be useful, the laborious work of cor·

will

Cl1a.p. Xi. RlIETORICK AND,DEWS LETTRES.

. 143

.
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recting is no le s's · so ; · it is:~ absolutel,1 ·n.e~essa;f t(f.
our reaping any benefit from' the habir.of i::omp~s1~g:
What we have .written,' should be laid . a~ide till~he
ardour of composition: be past,' till· our fondness; for.'
the expreSSiOOS W'.hich ,We have Used be ~~Ofll ()ff~ an~~- I
the expressions ·therhselyes_be forgotten. ' By'. rev1ie.W ~ ·_
.ing our work with a cool 'and critical eye,' as ifit \Vere'
the performance of another, ·,ve s.hall ,discern inanyl
imperfections, which at first escaped6ur observation1
It is then the season for pruning redundanc~e~:; .1 for..
· examining the · arrangement', of sent.e nces ; . ·;and1.f0£-'.
bringing style into a regular:, ,correct;·.and:s'uppo.rtetl · ·
form. To this labom··:of.corr(!_ction· all· those must ·
' submit, who· would. comltiunic~te 1their cihoughts·::to · .
others with proper advantage;-anci _so~e:pr~ctice: in .
it will sharpen ·the ·eye ·to th~'. most necessary;object~.·
of attention' and render. the task · muclt : more~ea~}~ ·
and practicable than, n1ight at first' be. irilagin.ed .. ··~.'~
({: ·What'is · the .third1direction :c~n-aetning the" ·:
propei· method of /lit-u~ining'a. g?'~<l :sty~e:~.i:~~lij,kf~ff~~::. ·
· .11.. In the third place; witli ·respecti.t6 '. tbe.1'a~ifist~ "·
ance ·which is to 'be derived '·frotti the .:Wtitings<of ....
others, it is obvious;, that we ought to 'render
selves well acquainted -with .the ·styhr of the:b~s~ !~~~' : ,·
thors. This .. is req~isite >.both to' form "aijlist 'taste ' _

ou;?·'. .

in ·style, ahd to , soppl~ U~ ~f.th ;~ fu~'.~,stoo~. of\ ~V_d:t~ ~"/ ·
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o·n ·e v e ry sub.Je ot
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,.fl. In ·the 'fourth place;>wemust' be,var~·: of'. fal~~;· ,
ing into a se~vile imitation of any authot Wn~~e~~r;·'
Imitation is alwai~ :;dangerohs."~; . Jtl f~ttei! gbrti~s>
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and is likely to produce a stiff manner. Those who
are addi cted to close imitation, generally imitate an
author's faults as well as his beauties. No man will
'ever become a good writer or speaker, who bas not
some' degree of confidence to follow his own genius.
We ought to beware, in · particular, of adopting any
author's noted phrases, or transcribing passages from
him. · Such a habit will prove fatal to all genuine
compos1t10n. It is much better to have something
tha.t is our own, though of moderate beauty, than
to affect to shine in borrowed ornaments, which will
at last betray the utter poverty of our genius. · On
these heads of composing, reading, and imitating,
I would advise every student of oratory to consult
what Quintilian has delivered in the tenth ·book
of his institutions, where he will find a variety of
excellent ob~ervations and instructions.
~ "Vhich is the fifth direction ?
J.l.. In the fifth place they who are arn?1itious ,Pf
obtaining a beautiful style ought to study with attention the works of the rnost eminent poets. From
this source is often derived a more delicate and elevated mode of expression, as well as of thinking. We
find; that the most excellent prose writers both of an~
cient and modern times are tho~e, who, during some
part of theirlife,have applied themselve.s to the study.
of poetry. It will be sufficient to mention the names
of Plato, Cicero, Temple, Dryden, Pope, Addison, .
Melmoth, Johnson, Goldsmith, Hamilton, Fenelon,
and V, oltaire •
.'t .'Vhich is the sixth direction ?

/

·146

EJ..E?llENTS OF ,·; '· ) . , . :
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- <()p; ~IIE' DIFFERENT .KINDS OF PROSE COl\iPOSITION"
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't / How!are ·the different kinds;oh:op1 position
;divided ? ·"1; ~-:-:i :.-. ... · "~: .; · ,;~ .:'i' ··~d.' .:·; '. . ' 1!. ·:, " . , .: · •
.. "' . .fl.. 'The- mo;t_~i~eral divisio~ of · the different
,.kinds of composition, is~ into those written in prose,
·and those written in verse.
.,
•.,;'-_ ({. ·To begin with those · written in :prose·: ho~v
.are: prose compositions divided ? " :·
· ' · ·Jl.. Prose Compositions seem to be chiefly these;
-.. :. ·Historical Writing, Philosophical ·· Writing; · Dia"-Iogue Writing;i Epistolary:Writing' Fictitious His ·t.ory
;·-The· popular
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OJ Historical .1Vi.ZU11g.
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'l· "\Vhat is ' the proper object and end of his ..
tory? ' ·
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.fl.• •The proper object and end of history is to
. ' record truth for the instruction of mankind.
·How. many kinds of hist.o ry are there ?

q...

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