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their minds are subdued. The love of the public, and respect to its laws, are the points on which mankind are bound to agree; but if, in matters of controversy, the sense of any individual or party is in. variably pursued, the cause of freedom is already betrayed.-Fer, guson's Hist. of Civil Society.

This is the more pompous, musical, and oratorical mode of composition.

In the style coupé, the sense is expressed in short independent propositions, each complete within itself,

ness.

care.

The women, in their turn, learned to be more vain, more gay, and more alluring. They grew studious to please and to conquer. They lost somewhat of the intrepidity and fierceness which before were characteristic of them. They were to affect a delicacy and a weak

Their education was to be an object of greater attention and

A finer sense of beauty was to arise. They were to abandon all the employments which hurt the shape and deform the body. They were to exert a fancy in dress and ornament. They were to be more secluded from observation. A greater play was to be given to sentiment and anticipation. Greater reserve was to accompany the commerce of the sexes. Modesty was to take the alarm sooner. Gallantry, in all its fashions, and in all its charms, was to unfold itself.- Stuart's View of Society.

But how can these considerations consist with pride and insolence, which are repugnant to every social and virtuous sentiment ? Do you, proud man! look back with complacency on the illustrious merits of your ancestors ? Show yourself worthy of them by imitating their virtues, and disgrace not the name you bear by a conduct unbecoming a man. Were your progenitors such as you are fond to represent them, be assured that, if they rose from the grave, they would be ashamed of you. If they resembled yourself, you have no reason to boast of them; and wisdom will dictate to you to cultivate those manners which alone can dignify your family. Nothing can be conceived more inconsistent than to exult in illustrious ancestry, and to do what must disgrace it ; than to mention with ostentation the distinguished merits of progenitors, and to exhibit a melancholy contrast to them in character. Will you maintain that, because your forefathers were good and brave men, you are autho

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rised to abandon the pursuit of all that is decent or respectable ? For, to this sentiment, the pride of family, whenever it forms a characteristical feature, never fails to lead the mind. In a word, consi. dered in its specific nature, and carried to its utmost extent, it lays down this maxim, “ That ancestry gives a right to dishonour and degrade itself.”

After all, what is high birth? Does it bestow a nature different from that of the rest of mankind ? Has not the man of ancient line human blood in his veins? Does he not experience hunger and thirst? Is he not subject to disease, to accidents, and to death ; and must not his body moulder in the grave as well as that of the beggar ? Can he or any of his race, “redeem his brother by any means, or give God a ransom for him ?” Go back only a few generations, of which the number is much smaller than you imagine it to be, and you arrive at Adam, the progenitor of us all. Brown's Sermons.

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This mode of writing generally suits gay and easy subjects. It is more lively and striking than the style périodique. According to the nature of the composition, and the general character which it ought to bear, the one or other of these may be predominant; but in every species of composition they ought to be blended with each other. By a proper mixture of short and long periods, the ear is gratified, and a certain sprightliness is joined with majesty ; but when a regular compass of phrases is employed, the reader soon becomes fatigued with the monotony.

A train of sentences, constructed in the same manner, and with the same number of members, whether long or short, should never be allowed to follow each other in close uninterrupted succession. Nothing is so tiresome as perpetual uniformity.

In the construction and distribution of his sentences, Lord Shaftesbury has shewn great art. It has already been hinted, that he is often guilty of sacrificing precision of style to pomp of expression ; and that his whole manner is strongly marked with a stiffness and affectation which render him very unfit to be considered ·as a general model. But, as his ear was fine, and as he was extremely attentive to every species of elegance, he was more studious and successful than any other English author in producing a proper intermixture of long and short sentences, with variety and harmony in their structure.

Having offered these observations with regard to sentences in general, I shall now enter upon a particular consideration of the most essential properties of a perfect sentence. These seem to be clearness and precision, unity, strength, and harmony.

CHAP. VII.

OF CLEARNESS AND PRECISION IN THE STRUC

TURE OF SENTENCES.

In the arrangement of a period, as well as in the choice of words, the chief object which ought to be kept in view is perspicuity. This should never be sacrificed to any other beauty. The least degree of ambiguity ought to be avoided with the greatest care : it is a fault almost sufficient to counterbalance every beauty which an author may happen to possess. Ambiguity arises

from two causes; from an improper choice of words, or an improper collocation of them.* The first of these causes has already been fully considered.

In the collocation of words, the first object of our attention is a rigid conformity to the rules of grammar, so far as these can guide us. But an ambiguous ar. rangement of words may frequently be observed where we cannot discover a transgression of any grammatical rule. The relation which the words or members of a period bear to each other, cannot be pointed out in English, as in Greek and Latin, by means of their terminations; it must be ascertained by the position in which they stand. Hence an important rule in the structure of a sentence is, that the words or members most intimately connected, should be placed as near to each other as is consistent with elegance and harmony, so that their mutual relation may be plainly perceived.

1. Ambiguities are frequently occasioned by the improper use of the adverb. This part of speech, as its name implies, is generally placed close or near to the word which it modifies or affects ; and its propriety and

; force depend on its position. By neglecting to advert to this circumstance, writers frequently convey a different meaning from what they intend.

Sixtus the Fourth was, if I mistake not, a great collector of books at least.-Bolingbroke on the Study of History. At least, should not be connected with books, but with collector.

* The reader will find this subject treated by Condillac, Trailé de l'Art d'écrire, liv. i. chap. xi.

The Romans understood liberty, at least, as well as we..Swift on the Adv. of Religion. These words are susceptible of two different interpretations, according as the emphasis, in reading them, is laid upon liberly or at least. In the former case they will signify, that whatever other things we may understand better than the Romans, liberty at least was one thing which they understood as well as we. In the latter they will import, that liberty was understood, at least as well by them as by us.

If this last was the author's meaning, the ambiguity would have been avoided, and the sense rendered independent of the manner of pronouncing, by arranging the words thus : “ The Romans understood liberty, as well at least as

we.”

By greatness, I do not only mean the bulk of any single object, but the largeness of a whole view.--Addison, Spectator.

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Here the position of the adverb only, renders it a limitation of the word mean; as if the author intended to say that he did something besides meaning. The am: biguity may be removed by the following arrangement :

• By greatness, I do not mean the bulk of any single object only, but the largeness of a whole view."

In common conversation, the tone and emphasis which we use in pronouncing such words as only, wholly, at least, generally serve to shew their reference, and to render the meaning clear and obvious ; and hence we acquire a habit of introducing them loosely in the course of a period. But in written discourses, which address the eye, and not the ear, greater accuracy is requisite : these adverbs should be so connected with the words

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