Take another example where the words rife above the fubject:

Ainfi les peuples y accoururent bientôt en foule de toutes parts; le commerce de cette ville étoit femblable aux flux et reflux de la mer. Les tréfors y entroient comme le flots viennent l'un fur l'autre. Tout y étoit apporté et en fortoit librement; tout ce qui y entroit, étoit utile; tout ce qui en fortoit, laiffoit en fortant d'autres richeffes en fa place. La juftice fevére prefidoit dans le port au milieu de tant de nations. La franchise, la bonne foi, la candeur, fembloient du haut de ces fuperbs tours appeller les marchands des terres le plus éloignées : chacun des ces marchands, soit qu'il vint des rives orientales où le foleil fort chaque jour du feins des ondes, foit qu'il fût parti de cette grande mer où le foleil laffé de fon cours va eteindre fes feux, vivoit plaisible et en fureté dans Salente comme dans fa patrie! Telemaque, l. 12.

The language of Homer is suited to his fubject, not less accurately than the actions and fentiments of his heroes are to their characters. Virgil, in this particular, falls fhort of perfection: his language is stately throughout; and though he descends at times to the fimpleft branches of cookery, roasting and boiling for example, yet he never relaxes a moment from the high tone *. In adjusting his language to his fubject, no writer equals Swift. I can recollect but one exception, which at the fame time is far from being grofs:

See Eneid. lib. i. 188. 219.

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The journal of a modern lady is compofed in a ftyle where fprightlinefs is blended with familiarity, perfectly fuited to the subject: in one paffage, however, the poet deviating from this ftyle, takes a tone far above his fubject. The paffage I have in view begins, l. 116. But let me now a while furvey, &c. and ends at l. 135.

It is proper to be observed upon this head, that writers of inferior rank are continually upon the ftretch to enliven and enforce their fubject by exaggeration and fuperlatives. This unluckily has an effect contrary to what is intended: the reader, difgufted with language that fwells above the fubject, is led by contraft to think more meanly of the fubject than it may poffibly deferve. A man of prudence, befide, will be not lefs careful to husband his ftrength in writing than in walking a writer too liberal of fuperlatives, exhaufts his whole ftock upon ordinary incidents, and referves no fhare to exprefs, with greater energy, matters of importance. *.

The power of language to imitate thought, is not confined to the capital circumftances above

*Montaigne, reflecting upon the then prefent modes, obferves, that there never was at any other time so abject and servile proftitution of words in the addreffes made by people of fashion to one another: the humbleft tenders of life and foul, no profeffions under that of devotion and adoration; the writer conftantly declaring himself a vaffal, nay a flave: fo that when any more ferious occafion of friendship or gratitude requires more genuine profeffions, words are wanting to exprefs them.

mentioned:

mentioned: it reacheth even the flighter modifications. Slow action, for example, is imitated by words pronounced flow; labour or toil, by words harsh or rough in their found. But this fubject has been already handled *.

In dialogue-writing, the condition of the fpeaker is chiefly to be regarded in framing the expreffion. The centinel in Hamlet, interroga ted with relation to the ghoft whether his watch had been quiet, anfwers with great propriety for a man in his ftation, "Not a mouse stirring t."

I proceed to a fecond remark, not lefs important than the former. No perfon of reflection but must be fenfible, that an incident makes a ftronger impreffion on an eye-witnefs, than when heard at fecond hand. Writers of genius, fenfible that the eye is the beft avenue to the heart, reprefent every thing as paffing in our fight; and from readers or hearers, transform us, as it were, into spectators: a fkilful writer conceals himself, and prefents his perfonages: in a word, every thing becomes dramatic as much as poffible. Plutarch, de gloria Athenienfium,

* Ch. 18. fect. 3.

+ One can scarce avoid fmiling at the blindness of a certain ritic, who, with an air of felf-fufficiency, condemns this expreffon as low and vulgar. A French poet, fays he, would exprefs the fame thought in a more fublime manner: "Mais tout dort, et "l'armée, et les vents, et Neptune." And he adds, "The "English poet may please at London, but the French every where "alfe."

obferves,

obferves, that Thucydides makes his reader a fpectator, and inspires him with the fame paffions as if he were an eye-witness. I am intitled to make the fame obfervation upon our countryman Swift. From this happy talent arifes that energy of style which is peculiar to him he cannot always avoid narration; but the pencil is his choice, by which he bestows life and colouring upon his objects. Pope is richer in ornament, but poffeffes not in the fame degree the talent of drawing from the life. A tranflation of the fixth fatire of Horace, begun by the former, and finished by the latter, affords the fairest opportunity for a comparifon. Pope obviously imitates the picturesque manner of his friend: yet every one of taste must be sensible, that the imitation, though fine, falls fhort of the original. In other inftances, where Pope writes in his own style, the difference of manner is ftill more confpicu

ous.

Abstract or general terms have no good effect in any compofition for amufement; because it is only of particular objects that images can be formed *. Shakespear's ftyle in that respect is excellent every article in his defcriptions is particular, as in nature; and if accidentally a vague expreffion flip in, the blemish is extremely difcernible by the bluntnefs of its impreffion. Take

* See chap. 4.

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the following example: Falstaff, excufing himfelf for running away at a robbery, fays,

By the Lord, I knew ye, as well as he that made ye. Why, hear ye, my mafters; was it for me to kill the heir-apparent? fhould I turn upon the true prince? Why, thou knoweft, I am as valiant as Hercules; but beware instinct, the lion will not touch the true prince : inftinct is a great matter. I was a coward on instinct: I shall think the better of myself, and thee, during my life; I, for a valiant lion, and thou for a true prince. But, by the Lord, lads, I am glad you have the money. Hoftefs, clap to the doors, watch to-night, pray tomorrow. Gallants, lads, boys, hearts of gold, all the titles of good fellowship come to you! What, fhall we be merry? fhall we have a play extempore?

First Part Henry IV. act 2, fc. 9.

The particular words I object to are, inftinct is a great matter, which make but a poor figure, compared with the liveliness of the reft of the fpeech. It was one of Homer's advantages, that he wrote before general terms were multiplied: the fuperior genius of Shakespear displays itself in avoiding them after they were multiplied. Addifon defcribes the family of Sir Roger de Coverley in the following words:

You would take his valet de chambre for his brother, his butler is gray-headed, his groom is one of the gravest men that I have ever seen, and his coachman has the looks of a privy counsellor. Spectator, No 106.

The