stream to be comprehended within the precise marks of former precepts. It is a vigorous principle in the soul, which opens and expands all her virtues far beyond those which are only the forced and unnatural productions of a timid obedience. The man who is influenced singly by motives of the latter kind, aims no higher than at certain authoritative standards ; without even attempting to reach those glorious elevations, which constitute the only true heroism of the social character. Religion, without this sovereign principle, degenerates into a slavish fear, and wisdom into a specious cunning; learning is but the avarice of the mind, and wit its more pleasing kind of madness. In a word, generosity sanctifies every passion, and adds grace to every acquisition of the soul ; and if it does not necessarily include, at least it reflects a lustre upon the whole circle of moral and intellectual qualities.—Melmoth's Letters of Filzosborne.

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CHAP. XXIV.

OF THE FLORID STYLE.

QUINCTILIAN regards it as a favourable presage in

a juvenile writers, that their compositions display a redundancy of fancy. * We must however beware of mistak

“ Audeat hæc ætas plura, et inveniat, et inventis gaudeat, sint licet illa non satis interim sicca et severa. Facile remedium est ubertatis ; sterilia nullo labore vincuntur. Illa mihi in pueris na. tura minimum spei dederit, in qua ingenium judicio præsumitur. Materiam esse primum volo vel abundantiorem, atque ultra quam oporteat fusam. Multum inde decoquent anni, multum ratio lima. bit, aliquid velut usu ipso deteretur, sit modo unde excidi possit, et quod exsculpi : erit autem, si non ab initio tenuem nimium laminam duxerimus, et quam cælatura altior rumpat. Quod me de bis ætatibus sentire minus mirabitur, qui apud Ciceronem legerit, Volo enim se efferat in adolescente fecunditas.” (Quinctilian. de Institut. Orator. ib. ii. cap. iv. p. 273. edit. Spalding.)

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ing pomp of expression for luxuriance of imagination. The former is of easy access, but the latter is more rarely to be attained. It is in the power of every one to load his style with high-sounding words and phrases ; but to embellish a discourse with the glowing colours of fancy, requires the aid of inventive genius.

A certain degree of chaste ornament can never be unseasonable ; though gaudy and meretricious ornaments are always disgusting. The over florid style therefore cannot be agreeable to a reader of taste. Although it may be allowed to youth in their first essays, it must not receive the same indulgence when employed by writers of maturer years. We may reasonably expect, that judgment, as it ripens, should chasten imagination, and reject as juvenile all such ornaments as are redundant or unsuitable. Nothing can be more contemptible than that tinsel splendour of language which some writers perpetually affect. It were well if this could be ascribed to the overflowing of a rich imagination ; for, in that case, we should at least find something to amuse our fancy, if we found nothing to instruct our understanding. But it is luxuriancy of words, not of thought, that is exhibited by these frothy writers: we see a laboured attempt to rise to a splendour of composition, of which they have formed some kind of loose idea ; but not possessing sufficient strength of genius to attain the desired object, they endeavour to supply the defect by the use of poetical words, cold exclamations, and common-place figures. While they

2 are so solicitous about every thing which has the appearance of pomp and magnificence, it has escaped these writers that sobriety in ornament is one great secret for

rendering it pleasing; and that, without a foundation of good sense and solid thought, the most florid style is but a childish imposition on the public. The public however is but too apt to be dazzled by a false lustre. I cannot help thinking, that it reflects more honour on the religious and benevolent disposition of the present age, than on the correctness of its taste, that the works of Mr. Hervey have been so generally admired. The pious and benevolent heart which is always displayed in them, and the lively fancy which appears on some occasions, justly merit applause; but the perpetual glitter of expression, the swoln imagery, and strained description, with which they abound, are ornaments of a false kind. The following passage may be produced as a specimen.

It was early in a summer morning, when the air was cool, the earth moist, the whole face of the creation fresh and gay. The noisy world was scarce awake. Business had not quite shook off his sound sleep, and Riot had but just reclined his giddy head. All was serene; all was still; every thing tended to inspire tranquillity of mind, and invite to serious thought.-Only the wakeful lark had left her nest, and was mounting on high, to salute the opening day. Elevated in air, she seemed to call the laborious husbandman to his toil, and her fellow-songsters to their notes.-Earliest of birds, said I, companion of the dawn, may I always rise at thy voice! rise to offer the matin-song, and adore that beneficent Being, "who maketh the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice."-How charming to rove abroad, at this sweet hour of prime! to enjoy the calm of nature, to tread the dewy lawns, and taste the unrifled freshness of the air!-The greyness of the dawn decays gradually. Abundance of ruddy streaks tinge the fleeces of the firmament; 'till, at length, the dappled aspect of the East is lost in one ardent and boundless blush.-Is it the surmise of imagination, or do the skies really redden with shame, to see so many supinely stretched on their drowsy pillows?—Hervey's Reflections on a Flower-Garden.

There is a certain degree of elevation to which prose may be permitted to rise. Its elevation however must not be perpetual : when the writer affects unvaried magnificence, it is probable that his reader will at length be seized with satiety. Ornament loses its effect when every page is crowded with embellishments.

CHAP. XXV.

OF THE SIMPLE AND THE AFFECTED STYLE.

SIMPLICITY, applied to writing, is a term very frequently used; but, like other critical terms, it is often used in a very loose and vague manner.

This circumstance has chiefly arisen from the variety of meanings attached to the word. It will therefore be necessary to distinguish these different significations, and to shew in what sense the term is properly applicable to style. We may remark four different acceptations of which it is susceptible.

The first is simplicity of composition, as opposed to a great variety of parts. This is the simplicity of plan in dramatic or epic poetry, as distinguished from double plots, and crowded incidents. Thus we term the plan of Home's Douglas simple, and that of Dryden's Spanish Friar complicated; we speak of the simplicity of Homer's Iliad, in opposition to the digressions of Lu

can's Pharsalia. In this sense, simplicity is the same with unity.

The second sense is simplicity of thought, as opposed to refinement. Simple thoughts are what arise

. naturally, what the subject or the occasion suggests unsought, and what, when once suggested, are easily apprehended. Refinement in writing expresses a less natural and obvious train of thought, which it requires a peculiar bent of genius to pursue. Thus we say, that Parnell and Goldsmith exhibit greater simplicity of thought than Donne and Cowley ; Cicero's thoughts on moral subjects are natural, Seneca's too refined and farfetched. In these two senses of simplicity, when it is opposed either to variety of parts or to refinement of thought, it bears no proper relation to style.

In the third place, simplicity stands opposed to superfluous ornament, or pomp of language. Thus Jortin is termed a simple, and Gibbon a florid writer. In this sense, the simple coincides with the plain or with the neat style, which, as it has already been treated of, requires no further illustration.

To the term simplicity there is also another signification attached : this does not refer to the degree of ornament employed, so much as to the easy and natural manner in which our language expresses our thoughts. In this sense, simplicity is compatible with the highest ornament; it stands opposed, not to ornament, but to affectation. Thus Homer possesses this degree of simplicity in the greatest perfection ; and yet no poet has more ornament and beauty.

A writer of simplicity expresses himself in a manner

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