DIAL. I will be bound to read it again my felf, and fee if I can like it better.

I.

CLEAND. Agreed. And fo for the prefent I will take my leave: But affure your felf I will return again to the charge within fome few days.

THE

EUDOX. But, Sir, you never said you wou'd bring a fecond with you; and yet by yours and Critomachus's fmiles, I fufpect that is partly the reason of his coming. However, his company is always acceptable; and I had rather forego the equality of the engagement, than want the pleasure of his converfation.

CRITOM. Your compliment is obliging,' tho' almost too ceremonious for friends fo perfectly acquainted. At leaft, Sir, to use no ceremonies with you, I own you have gueffed

DIAL. guessed. exactly right. Yesterday morning II. I found Cleander reading Callicrates with great attention. He prefently told me the occafion of it; and finding your late converfation had work'd upon him, I profer'd to undertake the cause.

EUDOX. It feems then, Cleander, the fe cond lecture has had the effect I foretold.

CLEAND. I never thought it a point of honour to maintain a mistake, and be ftiff in error. I own therefore, I begin to be of a different opinion in the matter.

CRITOM. Certainly, Eudoxus, you must have argued very closely with him to make fo fudden a change.

EUDOX. The only, in a manner, or at leaft the chief argument I used, was giving a few hints at fome of the chief faults, occafioned by affectation of Style, and a prefumption, that a fecond reading, after those hints, wou'd much alter his opinion; and you fee I was not much mistaken.

CLEAND. You will give me leave, Eu doxus, to tell you, the other reasons your gave, made little impreffion upon me, till at the second reading I began to observe a certain unnaturalnefs of Style, which working more upon the imagination than

reason,

reason, must confequently be lefs admired DIAL. the more it is examin'd. II.

CRITOM. For my part, often reading fuch Books has had a very different effect upon me: It has rather increased than diminished my esteem. I ftill found fome new beauty which at first I had overlook'd, and feem'd ftill to perceive a greater abundance of fenfe than cou'd be carried away at several readings; which is certainly one of the greatest talents of a writer.

EUDOX. But what if in fome writers this vaft abundance of fenfe fhou'd at the bottom be only an abundance of new words or phrases, which seem to have a particular meaning, because they are of an extraordinary hue, or combined in a fingular way?

CRITOM. No, no, Sir, I do not meafure fenfe by the bigniefs of words. What I admire is, that vaft fund of wit, which is requifite to fupply fo great a variety of thoughts, as is neceffary to carry on that kind of Style. Nor do I mean this of Callicrates only, but of others who write in that turn of expreffion.

EUDOX. And by your leave, Sir, it is juft those others, who are in that turn of it, that I chiefly prefume to disapprove. For

DIAL. I muft declare to you, as I have done to II. Cleander, that I have much too great a va

lue for Callicrates, to charge him with what I fay in general of those fort of writers, whofe copioufnefs is often nothing but a repeating of the fame thing, in words which differ much more in the found than in the meaning. 'Tis only multiplying words to the fame fenfe. What was fufficiently expreffed in the first period, is varied into several others, 'till at length the thought is fo toffed and turned, that it comes to nothing, being fmother'd by I know not how many infignificant variations. This Quintilian has long fince remark'd in that kind of Style 2.

CRITOM. Why then, Eudoxus, do you think thofe Authors have bewitched us, or fo prepoffeffed us in their favour, that we cannot judge of them with indifference, and fee their defects. Having no manner of intereft in their reputation, I cannot imagine, what fhou'd byafs me fo far as to forego my reafon in their favour and defence.

EUDOX. To be byaffed in favour of an Author, it is not at all neceffary to be join'd in one common intereft. The very novelty

aNam & quod rectè dici poteft, circumimus amore verborum; & quod fatis dictum eft repetimus, & quod uno verbo patet, pluribus oneramus: & pleraque fignificare melius putamus quam dicere. Lib. 8. Proëm.

of