EDITOR'S PREFACE. THE Editor of the present edition of Dr. Blair's Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, has endeavoured to present the work to the public, in a style which he thinks will meet with entire approbation. The plates irom which it is printed, were originally cast for Mr. George F. Hopkins, from a late London copy, and were, in general, found to be very correct; a few errors were, however, on critical examination, detected; but these having been carefully removed, the Editor has now no hesitation in saying, that this is as perfect an edition of the work, as any previously issued from the press, either in this country or in Great Britain. In addition to its correctness, this edition has to recommend it, a copious collection of questions, which were prepared with the greatest care and attention. The Editor is, however, aware, that this method of teaching has, by some gentlemen of science, been objected to; and considering the manner in which questions have almost uniformly been written, the objection is certainly not without foundations But that:re student may be preserved from the disadvantages arising from using questions unskilfully prepared, and, at the same time, be relieved from the tediousness of studying the work without them, the Editor has been careful, so to construct these questions, that the answers which they require, necessarily include every sentence of the work itself; thus effecting the double purpose of greatly facilitating the recitations of classes; and, at the same time, of compelling cach scholar to learn every word of the author. To the lectures that require them, the Editor has also affixed analyses, which are principally designed to facilitate the studies of young gentlemen at college, and of young ladies at school, who may be sufficiently advanced to pursue this course; and it affords the Editor peculiar pleasure here to state, that they have been used by a number of classes of young ladies, educated by himself, in this city, with entire success. In preparing these analyses, the Editor has generally followed the natural divisions of the lectures, as they are laid down by the author himself; but from the necessity of making each one of nearly the same length, he has, perhaps, in a few instances, extended the number of his subdivisions beyond their natural length: he presumes, however, that no inconvenience will result to the student from the course which he has pursued. as the omission of such subdivisions as may appear unnecessary, will be attended with no material consequences. NEW-YORK, August, 1929. 4 CONTENTS. VII. Rise and progress of language and of writing, VIII. Structure of language,................ IX. Structure of language-English tongue,. 226 XVIII. Figurative Language-General Characters of Style-Diffuse, Concise -Feeble, Nervous-Dry, Plain, Neat, Elegant, Flowery,.... XIX. General characters of Style-Simple, Affected, Vehement-Directions for forming a proper style,... XX. Critical Examination of the Style of Mr. Addison, in No. 411 of the XXI. Critical Examination of the Style in No. 412 of the Spectator,.. XXII. Critical Examination of the Style in No. 413 of the Spectator,.. XXIII. Critical Examin-n of the Style in No. 414 of the Spectator,.. 242 XXIV. Critical Examinaɩon of the Style in a Passage of Dean Swift's writ- XXV. Eloquence, or Public Speaking-History of Eloquence-Grecian Elo- XXVII. Different kinds of Public Speaking-Eloquence of Popular Assemblies 260 XXVIII. Eloquence of the Bar-Analysis of Cicero's Oration for Cluentius,... 298 XXIX. Eloquence of the Pulpit,....... XXX. Critical Examination of a Sermon of Bishop Atterbury's,........... 326 XXXI. Conduct of a Discourse in all its Parts-Introduction-Division-Nar- XXXIV. Means of improving in Eloquence,, 877 XXXV. Comparative Merit of the Ancients and the Moderns-Historical Writing,.... 387 XXXVI. Historical Writing, 398 XXXVII. Philosophical Writing-Dialogue-Epistolary Writing-Fictitious History,... 410 ....... XLV. Dramatic Poetry-Tragedy,........ XXXVIII. Nature of Poetry-Its Origin and Progress-Versification,. XXXIX. Pastoral Poetry-Lyric Poetry,.... XL. Didactic Poetry-Descriptive Poetry, XLIII. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey—Virgil's Æneid,............ XLIV. Lucan's Pharsalia-Tasso's Jerusalem-Camoen's Lusiad-Fenelon's Telemachus-Voltaire's Henriade-Milton's Paradise Lost,.. XLVI. Tragedy-Greek, French, English Tragedy,. XLVII. Comedy-Greek and Roman-French-English Comedy,... 423 433 447 459 471 481 ...... RECOMMENDATIONS TO G. & C. & H. CARVILL'S STEREOTYPE EDITION OF BLAIR'S LECTURES ON RHETORIC AND BELLES LETTRES. From the New York Evening Post, September || many more, some of which, it is obvious, must have 25th, 1829. rendered the sense doubtful, have been correctel ir this edition. But, although it is important to have the work freed from inaccuracies of these kinds, yet the edi tion which the Messrs. Carvill are about to publish, has a still stronger recommendation. To every lec ture, Mr. Mills has affixed a list of questions, which Blair's Lectures.-The excellence of Dr. Blair's Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, has been so long and generally acknowledged, that the work has acquired the authority of a standard, and is the one most used in our colleges and principal seminaries. The best and most correct edition of this work hitherto before the American public, is one that was pub-embrace the whole subject matter, and to be able to lished about three years ago, by Mr. G. F. Hopkins,quaintance with the author. It is remarked in the answer which necessarily implies a sufficient acfrom stereotype plates, the proofs from which were editor's preface, that this method of forwarding the revised by several distinguished literary gentlemen, end of tuition by questions, has been objected to by with an especial view to the correction of whatever errors might have occurred in the quotations from some well informed gentlemen; but we are inclined the Latin and Greek. From these plates the brothers to think, that their objections must have had refe Carvill are now about to publish another edition; but interrogatories, with which many excellent books on rence to the numerous interpolations, notes, and in order to render it still inore deserving of patronage, education have been encumbered by quacks in litethan any previons cne, they have not only been at greater cost with regard to the quality of paper, &c. rature, desirou, the reputation of authorship, but have procured the entire work to be carefully part, we are wel, convinced that the questions which without possessing the ability to write. For our own read by Mr. Abraham Mills, teacher of Rhetoric and Mr. Mills has added to the lectures, cannot but have Belles Lettres, whose edition of Burke on the Subme and Beautiful, our readers may remember that a tendency to fix the topics of discussion more firmly on the mind of the student. In addition to the ques we mentioned with deserved approbation. In the course of his examination, Mr. Mills has discovered ions, an analysis, or brief of the contents of each a very great number of errors, (not less than eighteen lecture has been read, all its topics, and in their prolecture, is given, by a perusal of which, after the hundred in all,) of greater or less moment, but all of sufficient magnitude to require correction. We have per order, are brought at once to mind. In every rea copy before us containing his annotations, and in spect, both as regards the additions and corrections looking over it, have remarked a great number of in-graphy, this edition of Blair's Lectures, more than of the editor, and the quality of the paper and typo any other we have seen, is worthy of public patron stances where verbal inaccuracies had occurred, and where, by the substitution of a word that had been omitted, or the restoration of the one intended by the author, for the improper one that had crept into its place, and been hitherto overlooked, the sense, from being obscure in some cases, and in others unintelligible, has been rendered perfectly plain. Besides) these important alterations and aniendments, the punctuation, which was before very imperfect, has undergone careful revision: and a good number of merely literal errors of the press, such as passing instead of passion, seeks instead of speaks, and edition heretofore published. Mr. Mills has made an immense number of corrections in typography and punctuation, we should suppose nearly two thousand. At the end of each lecture, Mr. Mills gives a list of questions, so worded as to call upon the recollection of the learner, without putting the answer into his mouth. He also appends to each lecture a summary analysis, arranged with great care and judgment. This edition is decidedly superior to any other that we have ever seen, English or American. From the New-York American, September 30th, 1829. Blair's Lectures, by Mills.-We have looked over this new edition of Blair, published under the direction of Mr. Mills, of this city, well known as a successful teacher; and, upon comparing it with the best previous American edition, are satisfied a its superior accuracy in typograpny and punctuation. Indeed, but for the evidence this comparison has furnished of the fact, we should have hardly thought it possible, that a book so constantly used as a stan dard work in education, and printed with great apparent care too, could have been so faulty. Mr. Mills has appended to each chapter a series of questions, the answers to which embrace, of necessity, every sentence in the chapter, so as to require the student to master the whole. This is followed by an analysis of each topic treated in the chapter. The two together will both aid and test the scholar's profi ciency. From the Mercantile Advertiser, October 1st, 1829. Blair's Lectures.-We observed a few days since, a notice of a new edition of this standard work on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, in which high praise was awarded to Mr. Abraham Mills, for the detection of numerous errors in a late American edition-for an analysis of each lecture, and copious questions arising from them. This praise was awarded on what was said to be a careful comparison of the two editions; and, as we were struck with the strength of the remarks, and wondered not a little at the boldness which had attempted the emendation of Blair, we took the trouble to call on the publishers, Messrs. Carvill, to examine and compare for ourselves. The result has been, that although Mr. Mills may have, in one or two instances, been too fastidious in his correc tions, yet, in the main, they are judicious, and, whether the errors arose from inadvertence in the learned author, or the carelessness or ignorance of some of his editors, the present corrections are invaluable to those for whom the work was intended. The correc tions in punctuation are very numerous, and almost invariably unexceptionable. The analysis is such as could not have been made but by one who, like Mr. Mills, has been in the long and daily practice of instructing by means of these lectures; and the questions which he has arranged at the close of ali the ectures admitting of lustration ov question, are aise the results of cheque and entram unviarling of the aut ix_h ?! ′et in t of our most votar female, and one of cur best male seminaries. We hope is work may xanpensrə fɔr the labour bestowed upon it, and remunerate the publishers for insir enterprise, aryline atanlant expense of a ban sa bu From the New-York Daily Advertiser, October 2d, 1829. Corrected Stereotyped Edition of Blair's Lec tures.-Messrs. Carvill have just published an edi. tion of Blair's Lectures, from the stereotype plates of Hopkins, after making numerous corrections, and introducing many additional pages of matter, peculiarly well calculated to make the work still more useful in the study of rhetoric. It is a well known fact, to all persons familiar with the highly popular and useful lectures of Dr. Blair, that numerous cases occur, in different parts of the work, in which the very faults of style which the author criticises and condemns, repeatedly occur. surprising, even to learners themselves, that they These faults are so obvious, that it must have seemed editions, even the most recent, as well as our own. In should have been allowed to disfigure all the English addition to this, there were almost innumerable irregularities in punctuation, calculated to confuse and the defects of the work had become intimately known, mislead the reader or pupil; and Mr. Mills, to whom of rhetoric in some of the most respectable academies through a long course of professional use, as a teacher of this city, was very judiciously engaged to make the necessary corrections. We have had an opportu. nity to judge of the extent and importance of the la bour he had to perform. About two thousand correc. tions were made in the plates; and, in addition to closely connected with the ..ject, and requiring in these, a series of questions follows every lecture, the pupil a thorough knowlege of the lesson. These questions amount to five thousand seven hundred and fifty in all; and each lecture is also furnished with a brief analysis, of great convenience and use. shall expect to see this improved work.blished in England. We From the New-York Commercial Advertiser, Oc tober 3d, 1829. The Messrs. Carvills have just issued a new edi. tion of Blair's Lectures, the text for which is perhap entitled to be called immaculate. A few years ago an edition was printed with extraordinary care, from stereotype plates. Nearly two thousand errors have however, been detected by Mr. Abraham Mills, web known as a teacher in this city. Some few of these may, by possibility, have escaped Dr. Blair himself, though they are violations of his own rules. The bulk of them, however, had been accumulating through the successive editions of the work, as they were published in Great Britain and this country. Many were of a serious character, deforming the sense; while all were important in a work expressly treating of accuracy in style. The punctuation in the former editions was very slovenly. It has, as we have ascertained by an examination of the copy sent to us, and by comparing it with that imprinted from the old plates, been judiciously corrected by Mr. Mills. The questions ani analysis annexed to each lecture, are calculated to be of much practical use in schools, and even in colleges, according to the present standard of education in this country. The questions comprehend the literal whole of each lecture; the analysis, the whole of each of them in sub |