Pathetic, Imagination. He proceedeth accordingly. IF his Subject be a complex one, he weighs the feveral Parts of it diftinctly; here he expounds, there argues, again affects; in another Place, foftens the Rigour of Reason and Tumult of Paffion with the gayer Colours of Fancy. He is always pure, clear, and harmonious in his Style; and is more especially attentive to fuit it to the Occafion: It feems to fpring from his Subject, and the Words wait ready, without his Industry, to cloath his Thoughts, as faft as they rife in his Mind. He is plain and modeft in propofing; distinct and accurate in unfolding; weighty and preffing in confirming; in the Application touching, warming, penetrating. He is clofe, connected; full of Dignity and Energy in Reasoning; clear and diftinct in explaining; lively and short in relating; exact, though concife, in describing; quick, rapid, animated in Paffion. HE mingles the Fire of the Poet with the Simplicity of the Philofopher, and the grave Majefty of the Hiftorian; is fparing of Digreffions, eafy in Transitions, accurate in Comparisons, weighty in Reflexions. Never more artful than in concealing Art. Seeming most natural, where most skilful; most easy, where he laboureth most; correct with Spirit; entertaining with Solidity; with feeming Liberty observing always ftrict Method; never appearing to wander, but in order to make his Return more effectual; nor feeking to please, but with a View to perfuade. Still gratifying your Curiofity with somewhat new, yet ftill keeping it up by a Profpect of more; ever rewarding your Attention, at the fame Time redoubling it. At every Step, as in afcending a high Hill, he prefents to you a new Profpect, with a Glimpfe of more, opening behind. Thus, still fatisfied, ftill unfatisfied, you are led on from Expectation to Expectation, and remain in Sufpenfe until you arrive at the Summit, the Clofe and winding up of all; from whence you fee the Scheme compleat, one juft, well-conducted Whole; and the Mind entirely acquiefceth in it. LECTURE the Fourteenth. Of COMPOSITION. HE feveral Parts of Rhetorick are fo TH fible to treat of one Branch, without anticipating, in fome Measure, what is to be explained afterwards, or repeating what hath been faid before. The fame Objects recur, although in different Points of View. I take Notice of this, because, in fpeaking of Ornament in general, I was obliged to mention fome Articles, which I proceed now to discourse of more fully: And I am willing to hope, that fuch former imperfect Mention will not caufe to appear fuperfluous, or to prove tiresome, what I now propofe to confider more at large. Some Figures are grouped, of which you get a partial Glympfe; but this preventeth not your beholding the fame afterwards with Pleafure, when drawn out fingle and at full Length. THERE are many Ways of expreffing the fame Thought; arifing from hence, that different Words convey the fame Notions, and the Manner of difpofing thefe Words may be various. Yet among thefe, generally speaking, there there is but one perfect, one that renders the Thought with all poffible Compleatness: As in viewing a Picture there is one Point, in which the Whole appears exact in every Lineament, from whence the Light and Shade are seen justly diftributed; beyond, or short of which, there is always fomewhat of Confufion. FROM hence it is manifeft, that to chufe the best Expreffion is a Work of Skill, even in a fhort Course of Thought; but, where the Chain is long, as in a confiderable Performance, in a whole Difcourfe, the Variety being greatly increased, renders it a Work of mighty Difficulty. This Reflexion leadeth to the Confideration of that Branch of Eloquence, which we name COMPOSITION; by which is meant, "The due Arrangement of Words with Regard to Signification and Sound." WITH refpect to the former, Signification, they are to be placed in fuch Manner, that their Senfe may appear distinct and clear; concerning which Part, I have nothing material to add to what hath been already faid. The latter, the Arrangement of Words with refpect to Sound, I fhall now proceed to enlarge upon. ISUPPOSE that you have chofen the most proper Words for expreffing your Thoughts, which requireth a perfect Knowledge of the Language you write in; and that I affume as granted, in the prefent Cafe, to be your native one, holding it not poffible to be compleatly Mafter, fo as to vary Expreffion at Will and always properly, of a dead Language. Q 2 YOUR YOUR next Care must be to place these Words in fuch Order, that they may in no Cafe offend, fhould, in general, please the Ear. I make this Diftinction, becaufe in Matters of meer Argument or Inftruction it is requifite that Language fhould have the Grace of Harmony, and please in order to perfuade. THE Greeks very early applied themselves to cultivate this Art, and attained to a Degree of Perfection in it which no other People, not all the Industry of the Romans, who from Imitators became Rivals, could equal. Dionyfius of Halicarnaffus hath left a Treatife [a], which fhews with what wonderful Attention they ftudied, and to what Nicety, fcarcely conceivable, they carried their Cenfures in this Point. The Work itfelf, as being of moderate Length, and containing many curious Remarks, I fhall not attempt to abridge; but recommend it to your Perufal. INDEED the Study of the Greek, Originals is useful to us, not only in the Article we now treat of, as they afford the beft Models in this Way, in the Art of Compofition; but also, because their Language bears a peculiar Refemblance to our own. Whofoever hath attempted to render a Greek Claffick into English, muft have obferved a Similitude between the Idioms of the two Tongues, and that the one floweth oftentimes naturally into the other. And in comparing fome Latin Interpretations with thofe in our own Tongue, I think, that I have [] Of the Compofition of Words. perceived |