Senfibility and, of confequence, there must be a difference of Sentiment upon fubjects of taste and feeling.

Some may find it reputable to have a fenfe of what is excellent in compofition, and may affect to discover grandeur, where the most diftinguishing real tafte cannot perceive it. Others will acknowledge themfelves unaffected, but impute a coldness, which really proceeds from a want of fenfibility, to the correctness of their judgment. Some, from custom or temper, acquire a partiality for one particular fpecies of compofition, and are indifferent to others of equal or greater value. They have been accustomed, for inftance, to delight in neatness, fluent ease, and elegance; and attend with reluctance to those objects which are not diftinguished by their favourite qualities, and, of confequence, are lefs affected by them. Other men acquire a fondness for whatever is ridiculous and burlesque, and may be indifferent to fuch performances as do not gratify their mirth or their malignity. But in these and all fuch cafes, the real grandeur of compofition is by no means altered. Juft as in the external fenfes, the taste, the hearing, the fight may be vitiated or impaired, or loft. But the qualities fitted to affect them, cannot be loft or changed, but with the nature and properties of bodies. The eye may be long habituated to minute objects, and may deem thofe great which exceeds them but a little: or, upon a general furvey of the works of nature, may dwell with most pleasure on those to which it hath been moft accustomed. Philofophy may proceed to the important difcovery, that nothing is great or small, but by comparison. But this discovery doth not at all affect the differences of magnitude or quantity. The Mathematician

K 2

fill

still proceeds to measure and determine thefe. In the case of metaphorical greatness, indeed, or the fublimity of compofition, there are not fuch accurate methods of ascertaining every precife degree of excefs or difference. Yet there are striking differences and distinctions at once perceptible, so as to warrant an appeal against the most pofitive decifions of fashion, custom, or prejudice, and to establish general principles of RATIONAL CRITICISM.

CHAP. XIII

CHA P. XIII.

F then PURITY and ELEGANCE of compofition have their

Ifected and

settled rules and principles, by which all ages and nations have been, and must be invariably directed; if SUBLIMITY be not capricious, vague, and cafual, either in the form of expreffion, or in the images, fentiments, or affections conveyed to the mind; and if all the several constituent qualities of Eloquence have a real and intrinfic value independent on fashion or custom: in a word, if not only fome but all the substantial principles of Eloquence are common to all languages; it seems to follow, that the compound of these qualities, the forms of speech framed and directed by these principles, cannot be variable, capricious, or fantastical; nor can all the various modes of elocution, which have ever prevailed, be fo intirely indifferent, that reason can give no preference; or so exactly equal in point of real value, that any one may be as good and perfect a model as any other whatsoever.

Different

Different degrees of understanding and judgment, different paffions, habits, tempers, and occupations, must of neceffity prevail among men, and must produce different forms and manners of elocution. The value of these, that is, their influence and perfuafive power, or (which is the fame thing) their difference with refpect to eloquence, depends on the information which they convey, and the clearness and strength with which it is enforced, the characters and moral qualities which they difplay, and the paffions which they tend to excite this difference then can be no more nominal or local, than the distinction between thefe mental and intellectual qualities.

An ingenious writer, who, in treating this fubject, fometimes concurs in Sentiment with the Bishop of G, afcribes the various modes of elocution, which have prevailed in different countries, to another caufe; the arbitrary nature of words as figns of our ideas. Language," faith Doctor BROwne, being the voluntary application of arbitrary figns, according to the confent of different men and nations, there is no HENCE, fingle uniform model of nature to be followed.

Gracefulness or Strength of Style, Harmony or Softness, copious expreffion, terfe brevity, or contrafted periods, have by "turns gained the approbation of particular countries *.". Had then mankind formed their fpeech by one univerfal model, and the fame ideas were every where invariably expreffed by the fame founds, clearness of apprehenfion, extent of knowledge, warmth of conception, elegance of manners, could have no distinction of ftyle or language. The poetic genius

+

On the Characteristics, Eflay 3. P. 376. Ed. Lond. 1741.

and

and the fevere philofopher, the recluse and the politician, the modeft Spartan and the conceited fophift of Athens, the lively French and the Saturnine English, men of letters and men of business, must have all spoken and written exactly in the fame manner.

LETTERS are also the arbitrary signs of words: and different nations shape them differently, without copying from one univerfal model. HENCE it is, (according to the reasoning of this author) that the unpractised hand writes with most difficulty and leaft exactnefs; the man of bufinefs with lefs fcrupulous care, than he who means to display the beauty of his performance; that in epiftolary correfpondence, with our equals, we are lefs attentive to fair writing; with our fuperiors, more respectfully exact: that the idle monk traced every single character in his miffal with fuch nicety, and emblazoned it with fo much adventitious ornament; while we, of this age, have no leifure for acquiring fuch frivolous fkill, but are contented with writing legibly.

But we must remind this author (for I am confident he is not to be informed) that this variety of elocution, which he affects to deduce from the difference of languages, prevailed at different periods, among thofe who fpoke the very fame language. It may not be useless or impertinent, to produce fome inftances of this: as they fhew, how faulty, or imperfect modes of elocution are neceffarily corrected and improved by experience and judgment: and that reafon and good fenfe have always prevailed over fashion, however generally adopted and established. Here then let us take a fhort review of the 1. gradual process of Eloquence among the Athenians and Romans, the only two people who acquired the reputation of it

in