whether the sense which they affix to any word, is the most pertinent, or adopted by the most accurate judges. Even authors frequently assign their own meaning to their words, without inquiring scrupulously, whether it is the most classical, or the most proper. They generally infer, that the reader's opinion will coincide with their own, or that he will easily perceive the difference; so that no ambiguity shall arise.

4. For these reasons, synonymous words are supposed more numerous than they are, and much more so than nicety of criticism will admit. Authors, on one hand, are careless in the meanings which they affix to words. The critics, on the other, are too refined, in establishing meanings, which even accurate authors neither remember nor apply. The labours of the critic may excite aftention, and diminish improprieties; but they cannot expect that practice will realize in any language, the nice distinctions, or refined varieties, which they may have endeavoured to introduce.

124. The instances which are given in the following illustrations, may themselves be of use; and they will serve to shew the necessity of attending, with care and strictness, to the exact import of words, if ever we would write with propriety or precision.

Illus. 1. Austerity, severity, rigour. Austerity relates to the manner of living; severity, of thinking; rigour, of punishing, To austerity, is opposed effeminacy; to severity, relaxation; to rigour, clemency. A hermit is austere in his life; a casuist, severe in his application of religion or law; a judge, rigorous in his sentences.

2. Custom, habit. Custom, respects the action; habit, the actor. By custom, we mean the frequent repetition of the same act; by habit, the effect which that repetition produces on the mind or body. By the custom of walking often in the streets, one acquires a habit of idleness.

3. Surprised, astonished, amazed, confounded. I am surprised, with what is new or unexpected; I am astonished, at what is vast or great; I am amazed, with what is incomprehensible; I am co!:founded, by what is shocking or terrible. *ed

4. Desist, renounce, quit, leave off. Each of these words implies, some pursuit or object relinquished; but from different motives. We desist, from the difficulty of accomplishing. We renounce, on account of the disagreeableness of the object or pursuit. We quit, for the sake of some other thing which interests us more; and we leave off, because we are weary of the design. A politician desists from his designs, when he finds they are impracticable; he renounces the court, because he has been affronted by it; he quits ambi tion for study or retirement; and leaves off his attendance on the great, as he becomes old and weary of it.

5. Pride, vanity. Pride, makes us esteem ourselves; vanity, makes us desire the esteem of others. It is just to say, as Dean Swift has done, that a man is too proud to be vain.

6. Haughtiness, disdain. Haughtiness, is founded on the high opinion we entertain of ourselves; disdain, on the low opinion we have of others.

7. To distinguish, to separate. We distinguish, what we do not want to confound with another thing; we separate, what we want to remove from it. Objects are distinguished from one another, by their qualities. They are separated, by the distance of time or place.

8. To weary, to fatigue. The continuance of the same thing wearies us; labour fatigues us. I am weary with standing; I am fatigued with walking. A suitor wearies us by his perseverance; fatigues us by his importunity.

9. To abhor, to detest. To abhor, imports, simply, strong dislike; to detest, imports also, strong disapprobation. One abhors being in debt; he detests treachery.

10 To invent, to discover. We invent things that are new; we discover what was before hidden. Galileo invented the telescope; Harvey discovered the circulation of the blood.

An

11. Only, alone. Only, imports that there is no other of the same kind; alone, imports being accompanied by no other. only child, is one who has neither brother nor sister; a child alone, is one who is left by itself. There is a difference, therefore, in precise language, betwixt these two phrases, "virtue only makes us happy;" and, "virtue alone makes us happy." Virtue only makes us happy, imports, that nothing else can do it. Virtue alone makes us happy, imports, that virtue, by itself, or unaccompanied with other advantages, is sufficient to do it. (Corol. Art. 150')

12. Entire, complete. A thing is entire, by wanting none of its parts; complete, by wanting none of the appendages that belong to it. A man may have an entire house to himself; and yet not have one complete apartment.

13. Tranquillity, peace, calm. Tranquillity, respects a situation free from trouble, considered in itself; peace, the same situation with respect to any causes that might interrupt it; calm, with regard to a disturbed situation going before, or following it. A good man enjoys tranquility, in himself; peace, with others; and calm, after the storm.

14. A difficulty, an obstacle. A difficulty, embarrasses; an obstacle, stops us. We remove the one; we surmount the other. Generally, the first, expresses somewhat arising from the nature and circumstances of the affair; the second somewhat arising from a foreign cause. Philip found difficulty in managing the Athenians, from the nature of their dispositions; but the eloquence of Demosthenes was the greatest obstacle to his designs.

15. Wisdom prudence. Wisdom, leads us to speak and act what is most proper. Prudence, prevents our speaking or acting improperly. A wise man employs the most proper means for success; a prudent man, the safest means for not being brought into danger.

16. Enough, sufficient. Enough, relates to the quantity which one wishes to have of any thing; sufficient, relates to the use that is to be made of it. Hence, enough, generally imports a greater quantity than sufficient does. The covetous man never has enough; although he has what is sufficient for nature. (VII. p. 65.)

17. To avow, to acknowledge, to confess. Each of these words imports the affirmation of a fact, but in very different circumstances. To avow, supposes the person to glory in it; to acknowledge, supposes a small degree of faultiness, which the acknowledgement compensates; to confess, supposes a higher degree of crime. A patriot avows his opposition to a bad minister, and is applauded; a gentleman acknowledges his mistake, and is forgiven; a prisoner confesses the crime he is accused of, and is punished.

18. To remark, to observe. We remark, in the way of attention, in order to remember; we observe, in the way of examination, in order to judge. A traveller remarks the most objects he sees; a general observes all the motions of his ememy. ( I. p. 65.)

19. Equivocal, ambiguous. An equivocal expression is one which has one sense open, and designed to be understood; another sense concealed, and understood only by the person who uses it. An ambiguous expression is one which has apparently two senses, and leaves us at a loss which of them to give it. An equivocal expression is used with an intention to deceive; an ambiguous one, when it is used with design, is, with an intention not to give full information. An honest man will never employ an equivocal expression; a confused man may often utter ambiguous ones, without any design. I shall give only one instance more. (Art. 113.)

20. With, by. Both these particles express the connexion between some instrument, or means of effecting an end, and the agent who employs it; but with, expresses a more close and immediate connexion; by, a more remote one. We kill a man with a sword; he dies by violence. The criminal is bound with ropes by the exe

cutioner.

The proper distinction in the use of these particles, is elegantly marked in a passage of Dr. Robertson's History of Scotland. When one of the old Scottish kings was making an inquiry into the tenure by which his nobles held their lands, they started up, and drew their swords: "By these," said they, "we acquired our lands, and with these we will defend them."-"By these we acquired our lands," signifies the more remote means of acquisition by force and martial deed; and," with these we will defend them," signifies the immediate direct instrument, the sword, which they would employ in their defence. (VIII. p. 64.)

Obs. These are instances of words in our language, which, by

careless writers, are apt to be employed as perfectly synonymous, and yet are not so. Their significations approach, but are not precisely the same. The more the distinction in the meaning of such words is weighed, and attended to, the more clearly and forcibly shall we speak or write*.

* The Abbé Girard's Synonymes Francoises, contains a large collection of such apparent Synonymes in the language. The Abbé shews, with much accuracy, the difference in their signification. Nothing would contribute more to precise and elegant writing, than attention to the force of words; and to the several distinctions betwixt terms accounted synonymous in our own language.

H

BOOK III.

ON THE NATURE AND STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES, THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF PERSPICUITY, AND THE HARMONY OF PERIODS.

CHAPTER I.

OF THE NATURE OF SENTENCES AND PERIODS.

125. HITHERTO we have investigated the nature of words detached and unconnected, in the same manner as an architect selects and prepares the materials of an edifice. We are now, like the same artist, to delineate the plan of execution, or to point out the most proper conjunction and adaptation of the materials to accomplish the end in view.

Obs. As the best materials for building will not form a convenient and elegant habitation, unless they are adjusted on a proper plan, so the purest and best chosen words will not constitute a perspicuous and beautiful sentence, unless they are properly arranged. But before we take up this branch of the subject, it is requisite to premise some observations on the nature of sentences and periods, and to unfold the principles which should regulate their composition. (IX. Cor. p. 59.)

126. The terms sentence and period are nearly synonimous, both denoting the quantity of words or members comprehended between two full points, in writing or printing; and conveying a complete sense of themselves, independent of the words that either precede or follow them. Illus. 2. Art. 130. and 139.)

Illus. 1. Both the sentence and the period may consist of subdivisions, clauses, or members; which are commonly separated rom one another; these more closely connected, by commas, those more slightly, by semicolons.