quire elevated language; tender fentiments ought to be expreffed in words foft and flowing; and plain language void of ornament, is adapted to fubjects grave and didactic. Language may be confidered as the drefs of thought; and where the one is not suited to the other, we are fenfible of incongruity, in the fame manner as where a judge is dreffed like a fop, or a peasant like a man of quality. Where the impreffion made by the words resembles the impreffion made by the thought, the fimilar emotions mix fweetly in the mind, and double the pleasure *; but where the impreffions made by the thought and the words are diffimilar, the unnatural union they are forced into is disagreeable †.

This concordance betweeen the thought and the words has been obferved by every critic, and is fo well understood as not to require any illustration. But there is a concordance of a peculiar kind, that has scarcely been touched in works of criticifm, though it contributes to neatness of compofition. It is what follows. In a thought of any extent, we commonly find fome parts intimately united, fome flightly, fome disjoined, and fome directly opposed to each other. To find these conjunctions and disjunctions imitated in the expreffion, is a beauty; because such imitation makes the words concordant with the fenfe.

This doctrine may be illuftrated by a familiar example. When we have occafion to mention the intimate connection that the foul hath with the body, the expreffion ought to be, the foul and body; because the particle the, relative to. both, makes a connection in the expreffion, refembling in fome degree the connection in the thought: but when the foul is distinguished from the body, it is better to say the foul and the body; because the disjunction in the words refembles the disjunction in the thought. I proceed to other examples, beginning with conjunctions.

Conftituit agmen ; et expedire tela animosque, equitibus juffis, &c.

Livy, l. 38. § 25.

Here the words that exprefs the connected ideas are artificially connected by fubjecting them both to the regimen of one verb. And the two following are of the fame kind.

Quum ex paucis quotidie aliqui eorum caderent aut vulnerarentur, et qui fuperarent, feffi et corporibus et animis effent, &c.

Livy, l. 38. § 29.

Poft acer Mneftheus adducto conftitit arcu,

Alta petens, pariterque oculos telumque tetendit.

Eneid, v. 507.

But to juftify this artificial connection among the

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words,

words, the ideas they exprefs ought to be intimately connected; for otherwife that concordance which is required between the fenfe and the expreffion will be impaired. In that view, a paffage from Tacitus is exceptionable; where words that fignify ideas very little connected, are however forced into an artificial union. Here is the paffage :

Germania omnis a Galliis, Rhætiisque, et Pannoniis, Rheno et Danubio fluminibus; a Sarmatis Dacisque, mutuo metu aut montibus feparatur.

De Moribus Germanorum.

Upon the fame account, I esteem the following paffage equally exceptionable.

The fiend look'd up, and knew

His mounted fcale aloft; nor more, but fled
Murm'ring, and with him fled the shades of night.
Paradife Loft, b. 4. at the end.

There is no natural connection between a perfon's flying or retiring, and the fucceffion of daylight to darknefs; and therefore to connect artificially the terms that fignify these things cannot have a fweet effect.

Two members of a thought connected by their relation to the fame action, will naturally be expreffed by two members of the period governed by the fame verb; in which case these members,

in order to improve their connection, ought to be conftructed in the fame manner. This beauty is fo common among good writers, as to have been little attended to; but the neglect of it is remarkably disagreeable: For example, "He did "not mention Leonora, nor that her father was "dead." Better thus: "He did not mention Leonora, nor her father's death."

Where two ideas are fo connected, as to require but a copulative, it is pleasant to find a connection in the words that exprefs thefe ideas, were it even fo flight as where both begin with the fame letter:

The peacock, in all his pride; does not difplay half the colour that appears in the garments of a British lady, when the is either dreffed for a ball or a birth-day. Spectator, No. 265.

Had not my dog of a steward run away as he did, without making up his accounts, I had ftill been immerfed in fin and fea-coal.

Ibid. No. $30.

My life's companion, and my bofom-friend,
One faith, one fame, one fate fhall both attend.
Dryden, Tranflation of Æneid.

There is fenfibly a defect in neatnefs when uniformity in this cafe is totally neglected*; witness the following example, where the conftruction of

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two

* See Girard's French Grammar, Discourse 12.

two members connected by a copulative is unneceffarily varied.

For it is confidently reported, that two young gentlemen of real hopes, bright wit, and profound judgment, who, upon a thorough examination of caufes and effects, and by the mere force of natural abilities, without the leaft tincture of learning, have made a discovery that there was no God, and generously communicating their thoughts for the good of the public, were fome time ago, by an unparalleled severity, and upon I know not what obfolete law, broke for blafphemy. [Better thus:]having made a discovery that there was no God, and having generously communicated their thoughts for the good of the public, were fome time ago, &c.

1

He had been guilty of a fault, for which his master would have put him to death, had he not found an opportunity to escape out of his hands, and fled into the deferts of Numidia.

If all the ends of the Revolution are already obtained, it is not only impertinent to argue for obtaining any of them, but factious defigns might be imputed, and the name of incendiary be applied with fome colour, perhaps, to any one who should perfift in preffing this point.

Differtation upon Parties, Dedication.

Next

An argument against abolishing Chriftianity. Swift.