"times be concealed, and the artifice of a narration "for the fecret of this art is scarce known, except to "fuch as profefs it; afterwards he fhews the order "and exactness of the divifion; how the orator finds

out by the force of genius, a great number of me"thods and arguments, which he crouds upon each "other; now he is more vehement and sublime; then "foft and infinuating; with what force and violence "he animates his invectives; what wit and beauty ap

66

pear in his raillery; in fine, how he moves the "paffions, wins the hearts of his hearers, and actuates "them as he thinks fit: from hence proceeding to "elocution, he makes them obferve the propriety, "the elegance and nobleness of expreffions; on what "occafion amplification is laudable, and what its oppofite virtue is: the beauty of the methaphors, and "other figures; what a flowing and harmonious, "and at the same time a manly and nervous ftile is."

This paffage of Quintilian may be considered as an excellent epitome of the precepts of rhetoric, and of the duties of mafters in explaining authors. What I shall say hereafter will ferve only to illuftrate and fet it in a clearer light.

. I fhall begin with giving an idea of the three kinds or characters of eloquence, and here fettle fome general rules of rhetoric which appear to me beft adapted to form the taste; and this is properly the end I propofe in this work. I fhall afterwards proceed to the chief obfervations which, I think, fhould be made in reading authors; and conclude this treatise with some reflections on the eloquence of the bar, the pulpit, and that of the holy fcripture.

But I must first premife, that authors should not be read fuperficially or in a hurry, if we propose to im

quanta in maledictis afperitas, in jocis urbanitas, ut denique dominetur in affectibus, atque in pe&tora irrumpat, animumque judicum fimilem iis quæ dicit efficiat. Tum in ratione eloquendi, quod ver

bum proprium, ornatum, fublime: ubi amplificatio laudanda, quæ virtus ei contraria: quid fpeciosè tranflatum: quæ figura verborum : quæ lenis & quadrata, virilis tamen compofitio. Quint. 1. 2. c. 5.

prove by them. We should often review the fame paffages, efpecially the most beautiful; read them again with attention, compare them with one another, by thoroughly examining their fenfe and beauties: and make them fo familiar to us, as to have them almost by heart. The fureft way of improving by this ftudy of authors, which is to be confidered as the food of the understanding, is to digeft it at leifure, and thereby convert it, as it were, into its substance.

h

To obtain that end, we muft not value ourselves upon reading a great number of authors, but fuch only as are of moft value. We may fay of too great reading, what Seneca obferves of a prodigious library, that instead of enriching and forming the mind, it often only disorders and confounds it. It is much better to fix upon a fmall number of choice authors, and to study these thoroughly, than to amufe ourselves fuperficially, and hurry over a multitude of books.

SECTION I.

Of the three different kinds or tharacters of eloquence.

As there are three principal qualifications requífite in an orator, to inftruct, to pleafe, and move the paffions; fo there are three kinds of eloquence, which produce thofe effects, generally called the plain or fimple, the fublime and the mix'd.

Optimus quifque legendus eft, fed diligenter. ac penè ad fcribendi folicitudinem.... Repetamus autem, & tractemus: & ut cibos manfos ac prope liquefa&tos dimittimus, quo facilius digerantur; ita lectio non cruda, fed multa iteratione mollita, & velut confecta, memoriæ imitationique tradatur.

Quintil. lib. 1o. c. I.

Tu meminer's fui cujufque generis auctores diligenter eligere. Aiunt enim multum legendum effe, non multa. Plin. Epift. 9. 1. 7.

Quo mihi innumerabiles libros

....

& bibliothecas? Onerat difcentem turba, non inftruit: mul toque fatius eft paucis te auctoribus tradere, quam errare per multos. Sen. de Tranq. an. c. 9.

Erit eloquens is qui ita dicet, ut probet, ut dele&tet, ut flectat. Probare, neceffitatis eft; delectare, fuavitatis; Alectere victoriæ ... fed quot officia oratoris, tot funt genera dicendi: fubtile, in probando; modicum, in delectando, vehemens, in flectendo. Orat. n. 69.

The

1 The firft is more particularly adapted to narration and proof. Its principal character confifts in perspicuity, fimplicity and exactness. It is not an enemy to ornament, but then it admits of none except fuch as are plain and fimple, rejecting those which argue affectation and varnish. 'Tis not a lively fhining beauty that enhances its merit, but a foft, a modeft grace, fometimes attended with an air of negligence, which ftill exalts its value. Simplicity of thought, purity of diction, with an inexpreffible elegance, which affects more fenfibly than it seems to do, are its fole ornaments. We do not find in it any of those elaborate figures which too plainly discover art; and feem to proclaim the orator's endeavour to please. In a word, the fame obfervation may be made on this fpecies of writing, as on thofe fimple, but elegant entertainments, where all the dishes are of an exquifite tafte, but nothing admitted that is either too much forced, or too exceffive in fauces, seasoning and preparation. m There is another fpecies of writing quite different from the former; great, rich, grave and noble; 'tis Illo fubtili præcipue ratio narrandi proband que confiftet. Quint. I. 12. c. 10.

Ut mulieres effe dicuntur nonnu le inornatæ, quas idipfum decear, fic hæc fubtilis oratio etiam incompta delectat Fit enim quiddam in utroque, quo fit venuftus, fed non ut appareat. Tum removebitur omnis infignis ornatus, quafi margaritarum: nec calamiftri quidem adhibebur.tur. Fucati ve. rò medicamenta candoris & ruboris omnia repellentur: elegantia modò & munditia remanebit. Sermo purus & latinus: dilucidè plenèque dicetur. Orat n. 78, 79.

Verecundus erit ufus oratoriæ quafi fupellectilis. n. 80.

Figuras adhibet quidem hæc fubtilis, fed paulo parcius. Nam fic, ut in epularum apparatu à magnifcentia recedens, non fe parcum folum, fed etiam elegantem videri volet; eliget quibus utatur. ...

Aberunt quæfitæ venuftates, ne elaborata concinnitas, & quoddam aucupium delectationis manifeftè deprehenfum appareat. Ib. n. 84,

m Tert us eft ille amplus, copiofus, gravis, ornatus: in quo profecto vis maxima eft. Hic eft enim, cujus ornatum dicendi & copiam admiratæ gentes eloquentiam in civitatibus plurimum va→ lere paffæ funt, fed hanc eloquentiam quæ curfu magno fonituque ferretur, quam fufpicerent omnes, quam admirarentur, quam fe affequi poffe diffiderent. Hujus eloquentia eft tractare animos; hujus omni moda permovere. Crat.

n. 97.

Nam & grandiloqui, ut ita dicam, fuerunt, cum ampla & fententiarum gravitate, & majeftate verborum; vehementes, varii, copiofi, graves, ad prmovendos & convertendos animos inftru&ti & parati. Orat. n. 20.

called

called the grand, the fublime; it employs whatever in eloquence is most elevated, has the greatest force, and is moft capable of moving the affections; fuch as noble thoughts, rich expreffions, bold figures, and lively paffions. It is this fort of eloquence that governed all things in old Athens and Rome, and determined abfolutely in the public counfils and measures. It is this that transports and feizes admiration and applause. It is this that thunders and lightens, and like a rapid ftream, carries away and bears down all before it.

In fine, there is a third fpecies of eloquence which feems to be placed, as it were, between the other two; having neither the plainness and fimplicity of the first, nor the force and energy of the second; it comes near them, but without refembling them; and participates, or to speak more properly, is equally diftant from both. It has more force and copiousness than the first, but is lefs fublime than the fecond: it admits of all the embellishments of art, the beauty of figures, the fplendor of metaphors, the luftre of thoughts, the grace of digreffions, and the harmony of numbers and cadence. It nevertheless flows gently, like a beautiful river, whose water is clear and pure, and is over-shaded on each fide with verdant forests.

At ille qui fixa devolvat, & pontem indignetur, & ripas fibi faciat, multus & torrens, judicem vel nitentem contra feret, cogetque ire quà rapit. Quintil. 1.12. c. 10.

Eft quidam interjectus intermedius, & quafi temperatus, nec acumine pofteriorum, nec fulmine utens fuperiorum; vicinus amb rum, in neutro excellens; utriufque particeps, vel utr ufque, fi verum quærimus, potiùs expers. If que uno tenore, ut aiunt, in dicendo fluit, nihil afferens prater facilitatem & æqualitatem. Orat.

. 21.

Uberius eft aliquantoque robuftius quàm hoc humile, fummillius autem quàm illud ampliffimum.... Huic omnia dicendi ornamenta conveniunt, plurimumque eft in hac orationis forma fuavitatis. Ibid. n. 92.

Medius hic modus & tranflationibus crebrior, & figuris erit jucundior; egreffionibus ar cenus, compofitione aptus, fententiis dulcis: lenior tamen, ut amn s lucidus quidam, & virentibus utrinque fylvis inumbratus. Quintil. I. 12. c. 10.

ARTICLE

I.

ARTICLE the FIRST.

OF

Of the fimple kind.

F these three kinds of writing, the 1 first, which is the fimple, is not the easiest, though it seems to be so. As its stile is very natural, and does not deviate much from common difcourfe, we imagine no great ability or genius are required to fucceed in it; and when we read or hear a difcourfe in this kind, those who have the leaft notion of eloquence think themselves capable of imitating it. They think fo indeed, but are mistaken; and to convince them, let them only make a trial of it; for after much pains, they will be obliged to own they could not attain it'. Those who have any tafte of true eloquence, and are the best skilled in it, own there is nothing fo difficult as to speak with weight and propriety, and at the fame time in fo plain and natural a manner, that every man flatters himself he could do as much.

f

II. Cicero, in his first Book de Oratore, obferves, ' that what excels most in other arts, is furtheft from the understanding and capacity of the common people;" and, on the contrary, that it is a great fault in eloquence, to vary from the common way of speaking.

P Summiffus eft & humilis, confuetudinem imitans, ab indifertis re plus quàm opinione differens. Itaque eum qui audiunt, quamvis ipfi infantes fint, tamen illo medo confidunt fe poffe dicere. Nam orationis fubtilitas, imitabilis quidem illa videtur effe exftimanti, fed nihil eft experienti minus. Orat. n. 76.

Ut fibi quivis fperet idem, fudet multum, fruftraque laboret aufus idem. Horat.

Rem indicare fermonis quotidiani, & in quemcunque etiam indoctiorum cadentis effe exifti.

mant: cùm interim, quod tanquam facile contemnunt, nefcias præfare minùs velint, an poflint. Neque enim aliud in eloquentia cuncta experti difficilius reperient, quàm id quod fe dicturos fuiffe omnes putant; poftquam audierunt, Quintil. 1. 4. c 2.

f In cæteris artibus id maximè excellit, quod longiffimè fit ab imperitorum intelligentia fenfuque disjunctum : in dicendo autem vitium vel maximum eft, a vulgari genere orationis atque a confuetudine communis fenfus abhorrere, Lib. 1. de Orat, n. 13.

He