Page images
PDF
EPUB

beautiful. It carries all the characteristics of our author's natural, graceful, and flowing language.-A tree," in all its luxuriancy and diffusion of boughs and branches," is a remarkably happy expression. The author seems to become luxuriant in describing an object which is so, and thereby renders the sound a perfect echo to the sense.

"But as our great modellers of gardens have their magazines of plants to dispose of, it is very natural in them, to tear up all the beautiful plantations of fruit trees, and contrive a plan that they may most turn to their profit, in taking off their evergreens, and the like moveable plants, with which their shops. are plentifully stocked."

An author should always study to conclude, when it is in his power, with grace and dignity. It is somewhat unfortunate, that this paper did not end, as it might very well have done, with the former beautiful period. The impression left on the mind by the beauties of nature with which he had been entertaining us, would then have been more agreeable. But in this sentence there is a great falling off; and we return with pain from those pleasing objects, to the insignificant contents of a nurseryman's shop.

LECTURE XXIV.

CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE STYLE IN A PASSAGE OF DEAN SWIFT'S WRITINGS.

My design, in the four preceding lectures, was not merely to appreciate the merit of Mr. Addison's style by pointing out the faults and the beauties that are mingled in the writings of that great author. They were not composed with any view to gain the reputation of a critic; but intended for the assistance of such as are desirous of studying the most proper and elegant construction of sentences in the English language. To such, it is hoped, they may be of advantage; as the proper application o rules respecting style, will always be best learned by means of the illustration which examples afford. I conceived that examples, taken from the writings of an author so justly esteemed, would on that account, not only be more attended to, but would also produce this good effect, of familiarising those who study composition with the style of a writer, from whom they may

upon the whole, derive great benefit. With the same view, I shall, in this lecture, give one critical exercise more of the same kind, upon the style of an author of a different character, Dean Swift; repeating the intimation I gave formerly, that such as stand in need of no assistance of this kind, and who, therefore, will naturally consider such minute discussions concerning the propriety of words, and structure of sentences, as beneath their atttention, had best pass over what will seem to them a tedious part of the work.

I formerly gave the general character of Dean Swift's style. He is esteemed one of our most correct writers. His style is of the plain and simple kind; free from all affectation, and all superfluity; perspicuous, manly, and pure. These are its advantages. But we are not to look for much ornament and grace in it. On the contrary, Dean Swift seems to have slighted and despised the ornaments of language, rather than to have studied them. His arrangement is often loose and negligent. In elegant, musical, and figurative language, he is much inferior to Mr. Addison. His manner of writing carries in it the character of one who rests altogether upon his sense, and aims at no more than giving his meaning in a clear and concise manner.

That part of his writings, which I shall now examine, is the beginning of his treatise, entitled, "A Proposal for correcting, improving, and ascertaining the English Tongue,” in a Letter addressed to the Earl of Oxford, then Lord High Treasurer. I was led, by the nature of this subject, to choose this treatise; but, in justice to the Dean, I must observe that, after having examined it, I do not esteem it one of his most correct productions; but am apt to think it has been more hastily composed than some other of them. It bears the title and form of a letter: but it is, however, in truth, a treatise designed for the public; and therefore, in examining it, we cannot proceed upon the indulgence due to an epistolary correspondence. When a man addresses himself to a friend only, it is sufficient if he makes himself fully understood by him; but when an author writes for the public, whether he employ the form of an epistle or not,

• I am glad to find, that, in my judgment concerning this author's composi tion, I have coincided with the opinion of a very able critic: "This easy and safe conveyance of meaning, it was Swift's desire to attain, and for having attained, he certainly deserves praise, though, perhaps, not the highest praise. For purposes merely didactic, when something is to be told that was not known before, it is in the highest degree proper; but against that inattention by which known truths are suffered to be neglected, it. makes no provision; it instructs, but does not persuade."-Johnson's Lives of the Poets; in

ever, may perhaps be considered as over-refined, and as the sense would have remained the same in either form of expression, I do not mean to charge our author with any error on this account. We cannot absolve him from inaccuracy in what immediately follows; "the works of nature and art." It is the scope of the author, throughout this whole paper, to compare nature and art together, and to oppose them in several views to each other. Certainly, therefore, in the beginning, he ought to have kept them as distinct as possible, by interposing the preposition, and saying, the works of nature and of art.' As the words stand at present, they would lead us to think that he is going to treat of these works, not as contrasted, but as connected; as united in forming one whole. When I speak of body and soul as united in the human nature, I would interpose neither article nor preposition between them; man is compounded of soul and body.' But the case is altered, if I mean to distinguish them from each other; then I represent them as separate, and say. I am to treat of the interests of the soul and of the body.'

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Though they may sometimes appear as beautiful or strange."-I cannot help considering this as a loose member of the period. It does not clearly appear at first what the antece dent is to "they." In reading onwards, we see the works of art to be meant; but from the structure of the sentence, "they" might be understood to refer to "the former," as well as to "the last." In what follows, there is a greater ambiguity-" may sometimes appear as beautiful or strange." It is very doubtful in what sense we are to understand “as," in this passage. For according as it is accented in reading, it may signify, that they appear equally beautiful or strange,' to wit, with the works of nature; and then it has the force of the Latin tam: or it may signify no more than that they "appear in the light of beautiful and strange ;" and then it has the force of the Latin tanquam without importing any comparison. An expression so ambiguous, is always faulty; and it is doubly so here; because, if the author intended the former sense, and meant (as seems most probable) to employ "as" for a mark of comparison, it was necessary to have mentioned both the compared objects; whereas only one member of the comparison, is here mentioned, viz. the works of art; and if he intended the latter sense, "as" was in that case superfluous and encumbering, and he had better have said simply, appear beautiful or strange.'-The epithet "strange," which Mr. Addison applies to the works of art, cannot be praised Strange works" appears not by any means a happy

the protection of a prince, the countenance and encouragement of a ministry, and the care of proper persons chosen for such an undertaking." We may remark, in the beginning of the sentence, the proper use of the preposition-" towards"-" greater use to wards the improvement of knowledge and politeness”—importing the pointing or tendency of any thing to a certain end; which could not have been so well expressed by the preposition 'for,' commonly employed in place of towards,' by authors who are less attentive, than Dean Swift was, to the force of words.

[ocr errors]

One fault miglit perhaps, be found, both with this and the former sentence, considered as introductory ones. We expect that an introduction is to unfold, clearly and directly, the subject that is to be treated of. In the first sentence, our author had told us of a thought he mentioned to his lordship, in conversasation, which had been the result of long reflection, and concerning which he had consulted judicious persons. But what that thought was, we are never told directly. We gather it indeed from the second sentence, wherein he informs us, in what these judicious persons agreed; namely, that some method for improving the language was both useful and practicable. But this indirect method of opening the subject, would have been very faulty in a regular treatise; though the ease of the epistolary form, which our author here assumes in addressing his patron, may excuse it in the present case.

"I was glad to find your lordship's answer in so different a style from what hath commonly been made use of, on the like occasions, for some years past; that all such thoughts must be deferred to a time of peace;' a topic which some have carried so far, that they would not have us, by any means, think of preserving our civil and religious constitution, because we are engaged in a war abroad."

This sentence also is clear and elegant; only there is one inaccuracy when he speaks of his lordship's "answer" being in so different a style from what had formerly been used. His answer to what? or to whom? For, from any thing going before, it does not appear that any application or address had been made to his lordship by those persons, whose opinion was mentioned in the preceding sentence; and to whom the answer, here spoken of, naturally refers. There is a little indistinctness as I before observed, in our author's manner of introducing his subject here. We may observe too, that the phrase, "glad to find your answer in so different a style," though abundantly suited

to the language of conversation, or of a familiar letter, yet in regular composition, requires an additional word; 'glad to find your answer run in so different a style.'

"It will be among the distinguishing marks of your ministry, my lord, that you have a genius above all such regards, and that no reasonable proposal, for the honour, the advantage, or ornament of your country, however foreign to your immediate office, was ever neglected by you.”

The phrase," a genius above all such regards," both seems somewhat harsh, and does not clearly express what the author means, namely, the "confined views" of those who neglected every thing that belonged to the arts of peace in the time of war. Except this expression, there is nothing that can be subject to the least reprehension in this sentence, nor in all that follows, to the end of the paragraph.

"I confess the merit of this candour and condescension is very much lessened, because your lordship hardly leaves us room to offer our good wishes; removing all our difficulties, and supplying our wants, faster than the most visionary projector can adjust his schemes. And therefore, my lord, the design of this paper is not so much to offer you ways and means, as to complain of a grievance, the redressing of which is to be your own work, as much as that of paying the nation's debts, or opening a trade into the South Sea; and though not of such immediate benefit as either of these, or any other of your glorious actions, yet, perhaps, in future ages not less to your honour."

The compliments which the dean here pays to his patron are very high and strained; and show that, with all his surliness, he was as capable, on some occasions, of making his court. to a great man by flattery, as other writers. However, with respect to the style, which is the sole object of our present consideration, every thing here, as far as appears to me, is faultless. In these sentences, and, indeed throughout this paragraph, in general, which we have now ended, our author's style appears to great advantage. We see that ease and simplicity, that correctness and distinctness, which particularly characterise it. It is very remarkable how few Latinized words Dean Swift employs. No, writer, in our language, is so purely English as he is, or borrows so little assistance from words of foreign derivation. From none can we take a better model of the choice and proper significancy of words. It is remarkable, in the sentences

« PreviousContinue »