But it is absurd to think of judging either Ariosto or Spenser by precepts which they did not attend to.– Warton's Observations on Spenser.

No one pretends to be a judge in poetry or the fine arts, who has not both a natural and cultivated relish for them; and shall the narrow-minded children of the earth, absorbed in low pursuits, dare to treat as visionary, objects which they have never made themselves ucquainted with ?-Barbauld on the Devotional Taste.

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The pronoun it ought as seldom as possible to be placed at the close of a sentence. When it immediately succeeds a verb, its effect is not so disagreeable ; but when joined with a preposition, it is intolerable.

When you are pinched with any former, and yet unrepealed act of parliament, you declare that, in some cases, you will not be obliged by it.-Dryden's Epistle to the Whiys.

I would humbly offer an amendment, that instead of the word Christianity, may be put religion in general; which, I conceive, will much better answer all the good ends proposed by the projectors of it.— Swift's Argument against Abolishing Christianity.

Every nature, you perceive, is either too excellent to want it, or too base to be capable of it.-Harris's Dialogue concerning Art."

Although it is not always necessary that every thing advanced by the speaker, should convey information to the hearer, it is necessary that he should believe himself informed by what is said, ere he can be convinced or persuaded by it.- Campbell's Philosophy of Rhetoric.

It is surprising that writers who have paid the smallest attention to elegance, should allow the word it to conclude two successive periods. Yet instances of this kind sometimes occur.

In like manner, if a person in broad day-light were falling asleep, to introduce a sudden darkness would prevent his sleep for that time, though silence and darkness in themselves, and not suddenly introduced are very favourable to it. This I knew only by conjec

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ture on the analogy of the senses when I first digested these obsertations; but I have since experienced it. Burke on the Sublime and Beautiful.

The general idea of good or bad fortune, therefore, creates some concern for the person who has met with it; but the general idea of provocation excites no sympathy with the anger of the man who has received it. Nature, it seems, teaches us to be more averse to enter into this passion, and, till informed of its cause, to be disposed rather to take part against it.— Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments.

VI. In the members of a sentence where two objects are either compared or contrasted, some resemblance in the language and construction should be preserved. To illustrate this rule, I shall produce various instances of deviations from it; beginning with resemblances expressed in words which have no resemblance.

I have observed of late, the style of some great ministers very much to exceed that of any other productions.-Swift on the English Tongue.

Instead of productions, which bear no resemblance to ministers great or small, the author ought to have employed the word writers.

I cannot but fancy, however, that this imitation, which passes so currently with other judgments, must at some time or other have stuck a little with your lordship.—Shaftesbury on Enthusiasm. This sentence ought to have stood thus: “I cannot but fancy, however, that this imitation, which passes so currently with others, must at some time or other have stuck with your lordship

.” Force was resisted by force, valour opposed by valour, and art encountered or eluded by similar address. ---Gillies's Hist. of Greece.

This period is evidently marred by an injudicious at

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tempt to vary the phraseology. 6 Force was resisted by force, valour opposed by valour, and art encountered or eluded by art.”

It is a still greater deviation from congruity, to affect not only variety in the words, but also in the construction. There is a fault of this kind in the following sentence, in which the author is speaking of Shakspeare.

There may remain a suspicion that we over-rate the greatness of bis genius, in the same manner as bodies appear more gigantic on account of their being disproportioned and mis-shapen.-Hume's Hist. of England. This is studying variety where the beauty lies in uniformity. The sentence might have been constructed in this manner : 6. There

may remain a suspicion that we over-rate the greatness of his genius, in the same manner as we over-rate the greatness of bodies that are disproportioned and mis-shapen.'

Attention should also be paid to the length of members which signify the resembling objects. To produee a resemblance between such members, they ought not only to be constructed in the same manner, but also to be as nearly as possible of the same length. By neglecting this circumstance, the subsequent example is rendered liable to exception.

As the performance of all other religious duties will not avail in the sight of God, without charity ; so neither will the discharge of all other ministerial duties avail in the sight of men, without a faithful discharge of this principal duty.-Bolingbroke's Dissertation on Parties.

In the following passage, all the errors are accumulated which a period expressing a resemblance can well admit.

Ministers are answerable for every thing done to the prejudice of the constitution, in the same proportion as the preservation of the constitution, in its purity and vigour, or the perverting and weaken. ing it, are of greater consequence to the nation, than any other instances of good or bad government.-Bolingbroke's Dissertation on Parties.

As resemblance ought to be studied in the words which express two resembling objects, so opposition ought to be studied in the words which express two contrasted objects. The following examples contain deviations from this rule.

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A friend exaggerates a man's virtues, an enemy inflames his crimes.-Addison, Spectator. Here the opposition in the thought is neglected in the words, which at first view seem to import that the friend and the enemy are employed in different matters, without any relation to each other, whether of resemblance or of opposition. The contrast will be better marked by expressing the idea as follows : “ A friend exaggerates a man's virtues, an enemy his crimes.”

The wise man is happy when he gains his own approbation ; the fool when he recommends himself to the applause of them about him.--Spectator. This sentence might have stood thus: “ The wise man is happy when he gains his own approbation ; the fool when he gains that of others.”

The laughers will be for those who have most wit; the serious part of mankind for those who have most reason on their side. Bolingbroke's Dissertation on Parties. The opposition would have been more completely expressed in this manner : “ The laughers will be for

those who have most wit; the serious, for those who have most reason on their side."

In the following passage, we find two great poets very skilfully contrasted with each other.

Homer was the greater genius, rgil the better artist; in the one, we most admire the man, in the other the work. Homer hur. ries us with a commanding impetuosity ; Virgil leads us with an attractive majesty. Homer scatters with a generous profusion ; Virgil bestows with a careful magnificence. Homer, like the Nile, pours out his riches with a sudden overflow; Virgil, like a river in its banks, with a constant stream.- Pope's Preface to Homer. This picture however would have been more finished, if to the Nile some particular river had been opposed.

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CHAP. X.

OF HARMONY IN THE STRUCTURE OF

SENTENCES.

ALTHOUGH sound is a quality of much less importance than sense, yet it must not be altogether disregarded ; for as sounds are the vehicle of our ideas, there must always be a pretty intimate connexion between the idea which is conveyed, and the sound employed in its conveyance. Pleasing ideas can hardly be transmitted to the mind by means of harsh and disagreeable sounds. At these the mind immediately revolts. Nothing can enter into the affections which stumbles at the threshold by offending the ear. Music has naturally a great