troduction, fettled the notion of thofe pleafures of the imagination, which are the fubject of my prefent undertaking; and endeavoured, by feveral confiderations, to recommend to my readers the pursuit of thofe pleasures; I fhall, in my next paper, examine the feveral fources from whence thefe pleasures are derived, These two concluding fentences furnifh examples of the proper collocation of circumstances in a period. We have formerly fhewed, that a judicious collocation of them is a matter of difficulty. Had the following incidental circumftances by way of introductionby feveral confiderations-in this paperin the next paper-been placed in any other fituation, the fentence would neither have been fo neat nor fo clear as it is by the present conftruction." - ELOQUENCE. ELOQUENCE. ORIGIN OF ELOQUENCE, GRECIAN ELOQUENCE; DEMOSTHENES. ELOQUENCE is the art of perfua fion. Its most effential requifites are, folid argument, clear method, an appearance of fincerity in the speaker, joined with fuch graces of ftyle and utterance, as fhall invite and command attention. Good fenfe must be its foundation. Without this, no man can be truly eloquent ; fince fools can perfuade none but fools. Before we can perfuade a man of fenfe, we must convince him. Convincing and perfuading, though fometimes confounded, are of very different import. Conviction affects the understanding only; perfuafion, the will and the practice. It It is the bufinefs of the philofopher to convince us of truth; it is that of the orator to perfuade us to act conformably to it, by engaging our affections in its favour. Conviction is, however, one avenue to the heart; and it is that which an orator must first attempt to gain; for no perfuafion can be ftable, which is not founded on conviction. But the orator must not be fatisfied with con vincing; he muft addrefs himself to the paffions; he must paint to the fancy, and touch the heart; and hence, befide folid argument and clear method, all the captivating and interefting arts, both of compofition and pronunciation, enter into the idea of eloquence. Eloquence may be confidered as confifting of three kinds, or degrees. The firft, and moft inferior, is that which endeavours only to please the hearers. Such, in general, is the eloquence of panegyricks, inaugural orations, ad dreffes dreffes to great men, and other harangues of this kind. This ornamental fort of compofition may innocently amuse and entertain the mind; and may be connected, at the fame time, with very useful fentiments. But it must be acknowledged, that where the speaker intends only to fhine and to please, there is no small danger of art being strained into oftentation, and of the compofition becoming tiresome and infipid. A second, and a fuperior degree of eloquence is, when the fpeaker propofes, not merely to please, but likewise to inform, to inftruct, to convince; when his art is employed in removing prejudices against himself and his cause; in felecting the most proper arguments, ftating them with the greatest force, difpofing of them in the best order, expreffing and delivering them with propriety and beauty; and thereby preparing us to pafs that judgment, or fa vour that fide of the cause, to which he defires to bring us. Within this degree, chiefly, is employed the eloquence. of the bar. Yet there remains a third, and still higher degree of eloquence, by which we are not only convinced, but are interested, agitated, and carried along with the fpeaker; our paffions rife with his; we fhare all his emotions; we love, we hate, we refent, as he inspires us; and are prepared to refolve, or to act, with vigour and warmth. Debate, in popular affemblies, opens the most extenfive field for the exercise of this fpecies of eloquence; and the pulpit likewife admits it. It is neceffary to remark, that this high fpecies of eloquence is always the offspring of paffion. By paffion, we mean that state of the mind in which t is agitated and fired by fome object it has in view. Hence the univerfally acknowledged |