תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

ford the greatest pleasure to the ear, depends on principles pretty remote from common view, it will be neceffary to premise fome general obfervations upon the appearance that a number of objects make when placed in an increasing or decreafing feries; which appearance will be very different, accordingly as refemblance or contraft prevails. Where the objects vary by small differences fo as to have a mutual resemblance, we in afcending conceive the second object of no greater fize than the first, the third of no greater fize than the fecond, and fo of the reft; which diminifheth in appearance the fize of the whole: but when, beginning at the largest object, we proceed gradually to the leaft, refemblance makes us imagine the second as large as the first, and the third as large as the fecond; which in appearance magnifies every object of the series except the first. On the other hand, in a feries varying by great differences, where contraft prevails, the effects are directly oppofite: a large object fucceeding a fmall one of the fame kind, appears by the oppofition larger than ufual; and a small object, for the fame reason, fucceeding one that is large, appears lefs than usual*. Hence a remarkable pleasure in viewing a feries afcending by large differences; directly oppofite to what we feel when the differences are fmall. Beginning at the smallest object of a series afcending by large

See the reafon, chap. 8.

differ

differences, this object has the fame effect upon the mind as if it ftood fingle without making a part of the feries: but this is not the cafe of the fecond object, which by means of contraft makes a much greater figure than when viewed fingly and apart; and the fame effect is perceived in afcending progreffively, till we arrive at the laft object. The oppofite effect is produced in defcending; for in this direction, every object, except the firft, makes a lefs figure than when viewed separately and independent of the feries. We may then lay down as a maxim, which will hold in the compofition of language as well as of other fubjects, That a strong impulfe fucceeding a weak, makes a double impreffion on the mind; and that a weak impulfe fucceeding a ftrong, makes scarce any impreffion.

After establishing this maxim, we can be at no lofs about its application to the fubject in hand. The following rule is laid down by Diomedes *. "In verbis obfervandum eft, ne a majoribus ad "minora defcendat oratio; melius enim dicitur, "Vir eft optimus, quam, Vir optimus eft." This rule is alfo applicable to entire members of a period, which, according to our author's expreffion, ought not, more than fingle words, to proceed from the greater to the lefs, but from the lefs to the greater†. In arranging the members of a period, no writer equals Cicero: the

• De structura perfectæ orationis, 1. 2.

+ See Demetrius Phalereus of Elocution, sect. 18.

beauty

beauty of the following examples out of many, will not fuffer me to flur them over by a refer

ence.

Quicum quæftor fueram,

Quicum me fors confuetudoque majorum,

Quicum me Deorum hominumque judicium conjunxe

rat.

Again:

Habet honorem quem petimus,

Habet fpem quam præpofitam nobis habemus,

Habet exiftimationem, multo fudore, labore, vigiliifque, collectam.

Again:

Eripite nos ex miferiis,

Eripite nos ex faucibus eorum,

Quorum crudelitas noftro fanguine non poteft expleri.. De oratore, l. 1. § 52.

This order of words or members gradually increafing in length, may, fo far as concerns the pleafure of found fingly, be denominated a climax in found.

The laft article is the mufic of periods as united in a difcourfe; which fhall be difpatchéd in a very few words. By no other human means is it poffible to prefent to the mind, fuch a number of objects and in fo fwift a fucceffion, as by VOL. II. fpeaking

B

[ocr errors]

fpeaking or writing and for that reason, variety ought more to be ftudied in thefe, than in any other fort of compofition. Hence a rule regarding the arrangement of the members of different periods with relation to each other, That to avoid a tedious uniformity of found, and cadence, the arrangement, the cadence, and the length of thefe members, ought to be diverfified as much as poffible and if the members of different periods be fufficiently diverfified, the periods themfelves will be equally fo.

SECT.

II.

Beauty of language with respect to fignification.

T is well faid by a noted writer*, "That by

IT

"means of fpeech we can divert our forrows, "mingle our mirth, impart our fecrets, com"municate our counfels, and make mutual com"pacts and agreements to fupply and affift each "other." Confidering fpeech as contributing to fo many good purposes, it must be evident, that the ufing words which convey clear and distinct ideas, must be one of its capital beauties. This cause of beauty, is too extenfive to be handled as a branch of any other fubject: for to ascertain with accuracy even the proper meaning of words,

*Scot's Chriftian life.

not

not to talk of their figurative power, would require a large volume; an useful work indeed, but not to be attempted without a large stock of time, ftudy, and reflection. This branch therefore of the fubject I must humbly decline. Nor do I propose to exhaust all the other beauties of language with refpect to fignification: the reader, in a work like the prefent, cannot fairly expect more than a flight sketch of thofe that make the greatest figure. This task I attempt the inore willingly, as being connected with certain principles in human nature; and the rules I fhall have occafion to lay down, will, if I judge aright, be agreeable illustrations of these principles. Every fubject must be of importance that tends to unfold the human heart; for what other science is more worthy of human beings?

[ocr errors]

The prefent fubject is too extensive to be difcuffed without dividing it into parts; and what follows fuggefts a divifion into two parts. In every period, two things are to be regarded: firft, the words of which the period is compofed 1; next, the arrangement of these words; the former refembling the ftones that compofe a building, and the latter refembling the order in which these stones are placed. Hence the beauties of language with refpect to its meaning, may not improperly be diftinguished into two kinds : firft, the beauties that arife from a right choice of words or materials for conftructing the period; and next, the beauties that arife from a due arrangement

B 2

« הקודםהמשך »