66

appropriate place. Every one has observed the powerful effect produced in the sentence, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians," by commencing with the adjective. "Thus," says Pope, on whatever side we contemplate Homer, what principally strikes us is his wonderful invention." Here the principal word is placed at the end.

IV. Attend to the climax of a sentence when the subject naturally admits of it. The members of the period should go on rising and growing in importance above one another. In the following beautiful passage from Addison we find the sentence thus arranged without affectation or unseasonable pomp: "If we rise yet higher, and consider the fixed stars as so many oceans of flame that are each of them attended with a different set of planets, and still discover new firmaments and new lights, that are sunk farther in those unfathomable depths of ether, we are lost in such a labyrinth of suns and worlds, and confounded with the magnificence and immensity of nature."

V. Avoid concluding a sentence with an adverb, a preposition, or any inconsiderable word. For instance, it is much better to say: 66 Avarice is a crime of which wise men are often guilty," than, "Avarice is a crime which wise men are often guilty of." In the following sentence from the Spectator, which otherwise is abundantly noble, the bad effect of the close is sensible: "There is not, in my opinion, a more pleasing and triumphant consideration in religion than this, of the perpetual progress which the soul makes towards the perfection of its nature, without ever arriving at a period in it."

When however the stress of the voice and the significancy of the sentence rest on words of this kind, they are then not to be considered as mere circumstances, but as the capital figures, and ought, in propriety, to have the principal place allotted them. Thus the following sentence from Bolingbroke is correct: In their prosperity my friends shall never hear of me ; in their adversity, always."

VI. When either a resemblance or an opposition is intended to be expressed, some resemblance in the language and con.

struction should be preserved. When the things themselves correspond to each other, we naturally expect to find a similar correspondence in the words. Thus, when it is said: "The wise man is happy when he gains his own approbation; the fool, when he recommends himself to the applause of those about him," the opposition would have been more complete if it had been expressed thus: "The wise man is happy when he gains his own approbation; the fool, when he gains that of others." Again: "A friend exaggerates a man's virtues; an enemy inflames his crimes," would stand better thus: "A friend exaggerates a man's virtues ; an enemy, his crimes."

The following passage from Pope's Preface to his Homer, fully exemplifies the observance of this rule: "Homer was the greater genius; Virgil, the better artist: in the one, we most admire the man; in the other, the work. Homer hurries 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." This regular and artificial mode of constructing sentences must not however be carried too far. If it be employed too often, it leads to a disagreeable uniformity, produces a regularly returning clink in the period, which tires the ear, and plainly discovers affectation.

II. ORNAMENT.

Literary compositions should be framed with a due regard not only to perspicuity, but also to elegance and harmony. A composition which is graced with beautiful language, constructed in harmonious periods, and set off by ornaments chosen with good taste and really illustrating the subject, finds its way to the mind of the reader much more readily than one which, however correct in itself, is clothed in dry and harsh language, and repels rather than attracts those to whom it is addressed

Many of the rules we have already given in relation to perspicuity apply also to this part of the subject. As we have already observed, clearness is a positive beauty in itself. Purity, propriety, and precision in words, and clearness, unity, and strength in sentences, not only render a composition perspicuous; they tend very greatly to make it elegant and pleasing.

The rules which relate more immediately to ornament in style range themselves naturally under two heads: those which refer to :

(1) The Use of the Figures of Speech.

(2) Harmony of Sentences.

We shall treat the first of these divisions of the subject in a separate chapter. The remarks which we make here relate to the second division.

HARMONY OF SENTENCES. Sound is a quality much inferior to sense, yet such as must not be disregarded. As long as sounds are the vehicle of our ideas, there will be a considerable connection between the idea which is conveyed and the nature of the sound which conveys it. Pleasing ideas and forcible reasoning can hardly be transmitted to the mind by means of harsh and disagreeable sounds.

In the Harmony of Periods the following points must be considered :

(a) The choice of words. The ear alone is the correct guide. As a rule, words which are difficult to pronounce are, in the same proportion, harsh and painful to the ear. Vowels give softness, consonants strength, to the sound of words. melody of language requires a due proportion of each. Long words are usually more agreeable than short ones.

The

Such words as the following are to be avoided :—(1) Such as are composed of words already compounded, as: unsuccessfulness, wrongheadedness, tenderheartedness. In these the

several parts do not easily or closely unite. (2) Such as have the syllables which immediately follow the accented syllable crowded with consonants that do not easily coalesce, as: questionless, chroniclers. (3) Such as have too many syllables

following the accented syllable, as: prímarily, cúrsorily, súmmarily, peremptoriness. (4) Such as have a short or unaccented syllable repeated or followed by another short or unaccented syllable very much resembling, as: holily, sillily, farriery.

(6) The arrangement of words. This is a point of greater nicety. For, let the words be chosen ever so well, yet, if they be ill disposed, the melody of the sentence is lost or impaired. The following is an example of a musical sentence from Milton: "We shall conduct you to a hill-side, laborious, indeed, at the first ascent; but else so smooth, so green, so full of goodly prospects and melodious sounds on every side, that the harp of Orpheus was not more charming." Everything here conspires to promote the harmony. The words are well chosen, and arranged with so much art that were we to alter the position of any one of them, we should mar the effect of the whole. We now give examples of sentences faulty in this respect :

66

Office or rank may be the recompense of intrigue, versatility, or flattery." “Pleasures simple and moderate always are the best." "A great recommendation of the guidance offered by integrity to us is, that it is by all men easily understood." These sentences would run better thus: “Rank or office may be the recompense of flattery, versatility, or intrigue." "Simple and moderate pleasures are always the best." "It is a great recommendation of the guidance offered to us by integrity, that it is easily understood by all men.”

The various members of the sentence should be distributed in such a manner that it may glide easily along, without harshness or perplexity, and the whole should terminate in an agreeable cadence, or fall. The following is an example of a well modulated sentence from Addison: "It (sight) fills the mind with the largest variety of ideas; converses with its objects at the greatest distance; and continues the longest in action, without being tired or satiated with its proper enjoyments." On the other hand, another author, speaking of the Trinity, says: "It is a mystery which we firmly believe the truth of, and

humbly adore the depth of." How easily might this sentence be improved, thus: "It is a mystery, the truth of which we firmly believe, and the depth of which we humbly adore."

It may here be well to remark that the length and construction of sentences should be sufficiently varied. The ear tires of a number of sentences of similar construction following each other with monotonous regularity. Long and short sentences should be agreeably interspersed. Modern authors, as a rule, write shorter sentences than their predecessors. Lord Macauiay, in particular, often presents us with a long series of short, sharp sentences. Thus: "It was the depth of winter. The country was mountainous. The roads were impassable. The men were ill clothed. The horses were knocked up. The retreating army was far more numerous than the pursuing army. But difficulties and dangers vanished before the energy of Peterborough. He pushed on, driving Las Torres before him." This kind of writing is clear and vigorous, but it is wanting in harmony and dignity, especially when employed by writers inferior to Lord Macaulay, who was a master of style, and could venture on courses which his imitators would do well to avoid.

(c) The sound should be adapted to the sense. The writer should consider the kind of composition on which he is engaged, whether light or serious, narrative, declamatory, or conversational. Each kind should be written in that style of language which is best suited for it. The choice of words and the construction and modulation of the sentences should agree with the subject treated of. We may here again refer to the “Pilgrim's Progress” as a work written in the style suited to a simple subject. If a weighty historical work were composed in the same artless manner, the effect would be ridiculous. The simple style and familiar language used in Robinson Crusoe would be ill-adapted for such a work as "Locke's Essay on the Human Understanding."