"There were many reasons for the corruptions of "the last; as the change of their government to a

tyranny, which ruined the study of eloquence, "there being no further use or encouragement for "popular orators; their giving not only the free"dom of the city, but capacity for employments, "to several towns in Gaul, Spain, and Germany, and "other distant parts, as far as Asia, which brought "a great number of foreign pretenders to Rome; "the slavish disposition of the senate and people, by which the wit and eloquence of the age were "wholly turned into panegyric, the most barren

of all subjects; the great corruption of manners, "and introduction of foreign luxury, with foreign "terms to express it, with several others that might "be assigned; not to mention the invasion from the "Goths and Vandals, which are too obvious to "insist on."

IN the enumeration here made of the causes contributing towards the corruption of the Roman language, there are many inaccuracies; "The

change of their government to a tyranny,' of whose government? He had, indeed, been speaking of the Roman language, and, therefore, we guess at his meaning; but the style is ungrammatical; for he had not mentioned the Romans them. selves; and, therefore, when he says "their go"vernment," there is no antecedent in the sentence to which the pronoun their can refer with any propriety. Giving the capacity for employ"ments to several towns in Gaul," is a question

able expression. For though towns are sometimes put for the people who inhabit them, yet to give a town the "6 capacity for employments," sounds harsh and uncouth. "The wit and eloquence of "the agewholly turned into panegyric," is a phrase" which does not well express the meaning. Neither wit nor eloquence can be turned into panegyric; but they may turned towards panegyric, or employ ed in panegyric, which was the sense the author had in view.

The

THE Conclusion of the enumeration is visibly in correct," The great corruption of manners, and in"troduction of foreign luxury, with foreign terms to "express it, with several others that might be assign"ed." He means with several other reasons. word reasons had, indeed, been mentioned before; but as it stands at the distance of thirteen lines backward, the repetition of it here became indispensable, in order to avoid ambiguity. "Not to mention," he adds, "the invasions from the Goths and Vandals, "which are too obvious to insist on." One would imagine him to mean, that the invasions from the Goths and Vandals are historical facts too well known and obvious to be insisted on. But he means quite a different thing, though he has not taken the proper method of expressing it, through his haste, probably, to finish the paragraph; namely, that these invasions from the Goths and Vandals "were causes of the corruption of the "Roman language too obvious to be insisted ❝ on."

I SHALL not pursue this criticism any farther. I have been obliged to point out many inaccuracies in the passage which we have considered. But in order that my observations may not be construed as meant to depreciate the style or the writings. of Dean Swift below their just value, there are two remarks, which I judge it necessary to make before concluding this Lecture. One is, that it were unfair to estimate an author's style on the whole, by some passage in his writings, which chances to be composed in a careless manner. This is the case with respect to this treatise, which has much the appearance of a hasty production; though, as I before observed, it was by no means on that account that I pitched upon it for the subject of this exercise. But after having examined it, I am sensible that, in many other of his writings, the Dean is more accurate.

My other observation, which is equally applicable to Dean Swift and Mr. Addison, is, that there may be writers much freer from such inaccuracies as I have had occasion to point out in these two, whose style, however, upon the whole, may not have half their merit. Refinement in language has, of late years, begun to be much attended to. In several modern productions of very small value, I should find it difficult to point out many errors in language. The words might, probably, be all proper words, correctly and clearly arranged, and the turn of the sentence sonorous

and musical; whilst yet the style, upon the whole, might deserve no praise. The fault often lies in what may be called the general cast or complexion of the style; which a person of a good taste discerns to be vicious; to be feeble, for instance, and diffuse; flimsy or affected; petulant or ostentatious; though the faults cannot be so easily pointed out and particularised, as when they lie in some erroneous or negligent construction of a sentence. Whereas, such writers as Addison and Swift carry always those general characters of good style, which, in the midst of their occasional negligences, every person of good taste must discern and approve. We see their faults overbalanced by higher beauties. We see a writer of sense and reflection expressing his sentiments without affectation; attentive to thoughts as well as to words; and, in the main current of his language, elegant and beautiful; and, therefore, the only proper use to be made of the blemishes which occur in the writings of such authors, is to point out to those who apply themselves to the study of composition, some of the rules which they ought to observe for avoiding such errors; and to render them sensible of the necessity of strict attention to language and to style. Let them imitate the ease and simplicity of those great authors; let them study to be always natural, and, as far as tney can, always correct in their expressions; let them endeavour to be, at some times, lively and striking; but carefully avoid being at any time ostentatious and affected.

LECTURE XXV.

ELOQUENCE, OR PUBLIC SPEAKING.-
HISTORY OF ELOQUENCE-GRECIAN

ELOQUENCE-DEMOSTHENES.

HAVING finished that part of the course which relates to language and style, we are now to ascend a step higher, and to examine the subjects upon which style is employed. I begin with what is properly called eloquence, or public speaking. In treating of this, I am to consider the different kinds and subjects of public speaking; the manner suited to each; the proper distribution and management of all the parts of a discourse; and the proper pronunciation or delivery of it. But before I enter on any of these heads, it may be proper to take a view of the nature of eloquence in general, and of the state in which it has subsisted in different ages and countries. This will lead into some detail; but I hope an useful one; as in every art it is of great consequence to have a just idea of the perfection of that art, of the end at which it aims, and of the progress which it has made among mankind.