"into that indolence and remissness, which are

apt to accompany our more sensual delights; but, like a gentle exercise to the faculties, awa"ken them from sloth and idleness, without ting them upon any labour or difficulty."

put

THE beginning of this sentence is not correct, and affords an instance of a period too loosely connected with the preceding one." Of this nature,' says he, "are those of the imagination." We might ask, of what nature? For it had not been the scope of the preceding sentence to describe the nature of any set of pleasures. He had said, that it was every man's duty to make the sphere of his innocent pleasures as wide as possible, in order that, within that sphere, he might find a safe retreat, and a laudable satisfaction. The transition is loosely made, by beginning the next sentence with saying, "Of this nature are those of the imagination." It had been better, if, keeping in view the governing object of the preceding sentence, he had said, "This advantage we gain," or "This satisfaction "we enjoy, by means of the pleasures of imagina"tion." The rest of the sentence is abundantly

correct.

"We might here add, that the pleasures of the "fancy are more conducive to health than those "of the understanding, which are worked out by "dint of thinking, and attended with too violent а labour of the brain."

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On this sentence nothing occurs deserving of mark, except that "worked out by dint of thinking," is a phrase which borders too much on vulgar and colloquial language, to be proper for being employed in a polished composition.

"Delightful scenes, whether in nature, painting, or poetry, have a kindly influence on the body, as well as the mind, and not only serve to clear "and brighten the imagination, but are able to disperse grief and melancholy, and to set the ani"mal spirits in pleasing and agreeable notions. For "this reason, Sir Francis Bacon, in his Essay

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upon Health, has not thought it improper to "prescribe to his reader a poem, or a prospect, "where he particularly dissuades him from knotty “ and subtile disquisitions, and advises him to pursue studies that fill the mind with splendid and " illustrious objects, us histories, fables, and con"templations of nature.

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In the latter of these two sentences, a member of the period is altogether out of its place; which gives the whole sentence a harsh and disjointed cast, and serves to illustrate the rules I formerly gave concerning arrangement. The wrong placed member which I point at, is this;" where he particu

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larly dissuades him from knotty and subtile dis"quisitions;" these words should, undoubtedly, have been placed, not where they stand, but thus: "Sir Francis Bacon, in his Essay upon

"Health, where he particularly dissuades the "reader from knotty and subtile speculations, has

not thought it improper to prescribe to him," &c. This arrangement reduces every thing into proper order.

"I have in this paper, by way of introduction, "settled the notion of those pleasures of the ima"gination, which are the subject of my present

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undertaking, and endeavoured, by several con"siderations, to recommend to my readers the "pursuit of those pleasures; I shall, in my next "Paper, examine the several sources from whence "these pleasures are derived.

THESE two concluding sentences afford examples of the proper collocation of circumstances in a period. I formerly shewed, that it is often a matter of difficulty to dispose of them in such a manner, as that they shall not embarrass the principal subject of the sentence. In the sentences before us, several of those incidental circumstances necessarily come in," By way of introduction-by several "considerations-in this paper-in the next pa"per." All which are, with great propriety, managed by our author. It will be found, upon trial, that there were no other parts of the sentence, in which they could have been placed to equal advantage. Had he said, for instance, "I have set"tled the notion (rather the meaning) of those "pleasures of the imagination, which are the

"subject of my present undertaking, by way of "introduction in this paper, and endeavoured to "recommend the pursuit of those pleasures to my "readers by several considerations;" we must be sensible, that the sentence, thus clogged with circumstances in the wrong place, would neither have been so neat nor so clear, as it is by the pre sent construction.

LECTURE XXI.

CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE STYLE IN No. 412. OF THE SPECTATOR.

THE HE observations which have occurred in reviewing that paper of Mr. Addison's, which was the subject of the last Lecture, sufficiently shew that, in the writings of an author of the most happy genius and distinguished talents, inaccuracies may sometimes be found. Though such inaccuracies may be overbalanced by so many beauties, as render style highly pleasing and agreeable upon the whole, yet it must be desirable to every writer to avoid, as far as he can, inaccuracy of any kind. As the subject, therefore, is of importance, I have thought it might be useful to carry on this criticism throughout two or three subsequent papers of the Spectator. At the same time, I must intimate, that the Lectures on these papers are solely intended for such as are applying themselves to the study of English style. I pretend not to give instruction to those who are already well acquainted with the powers of language. To them my re