to what follows: the ambiguity is removed by the following arrangement:

The minifter, who, like a little ftatue placed on a mighty pedestal, grows lefs by his elevation, will always, &c.

Since this is too much to ask of freemen, nay of flaves, if his expectation be not answered, fhall he form a lasting divifion upon fuch tranfient motives?

Better thus:

Ibid.

Since this is too much to afk of freemen, nay of flaves, shall he, if his expectations be not anfwered, form, &c.

Speaking of the fuperftitious practice of locking up the room where a perfon of diftinction dies:

The knight seeing his habitation reduced to so small a compass, and himself in a manner fhut out of his own house, upon the death of his mother, ordered all the apart ments to be flung open, and exorcifed by his chaplain. Spectator, No 110.

Better thus:

The knight, feeing his habitation reduced to so small a compass, and himself in a manner fhut out of his own houfe, ordered, upon the death of his mother, all the apartments to be flung open.

Speaking of fome indecencies in conversation:

As it is impoffible for fuch an irrational way of conversation to last long among a people that make any profeffion of religion, or show of modesty, if the country gentlemen get into it, they will certainly be left in the lurch. Spectator, N° 119.

The ambiguity vanishes in the following arrange

ment:

the country gentlemen, if they get into it, will certainly be left in the lurch.

Speaking of a discovery in natural philosophy, that colour is not a quality of matter:

As this is a truth which has been proved incontestably by many modern philofophers, and is indeed one of the fineft fpeculations in that science, if the English reader would fee the notion explained at large, he may find it in the eighth chapter of the fecond book of Mr Locke's effay on human understanding,

Spectator, No 413.

Better thus:

As this is a truth, &c. the English reader, if he would fee the notion explained at large, may find it, &c.

A woman feldom asks advice before she has bought her wedding-cloaths. When fhe has made her own choice, for form's fake the fends a conge d'elire to her friends.

Ibid. N° 475

Better

Better thus:

friends.

fhe fends, for form's fake, a conge d'elire to her

And fince it is neceffary that there should be a perpe

tual intercourse of buying and felling, and dealing upon credit, where fraud is permitted or connived at, or hath no law to punish it, the honest dealer is always undone, and the knave gets the advantage.

Better thus:

Gulliver's Travels, part 1. chap. 6.

And fince it is neceffary that there fhould be a perpetual intercourse of buying and felling, and dealing upon credit, the honeft dealer, where fraud is permitted or connived at, or hath no law to punish it, is always undone, and the knave gets the advantage.

From these examples, the following obfervation will occur, that a circumftance ought never to be placed between two capital members of a period; for by fuch fituation it must always be doubtful, as far as we gather from the arrangement, to which of the two member it belongs: where it is interjected, as it ought to be, between parts of the member to which it belongs, the ambiguity is removed, and the capital members are kept distinct, which is a great beauty in compofition. In general, to preserve members diftinct that fignify things diftinguished in the thought, the best method is,

to place first in the confequent member, fome word that cannot connect with what precedes it.

If it shall be thought, that the objections here are too fcrupulous, and that the defect of perfpicuity is eafily fupplied by accurate punctuation; the answer is, That punctuation may remove an ambiguity, but will never produce that peculiar beauty which is perceived when the fense comes out clearly and diftinctly by means of a happy arrangement. Such influence has this beauty, that by a natural tranfition of perception, it is communicated to the very found of the words, fo as in appearance to improve the music of the period. But as this curious fubject comes in more properly afterward, it is fufficient at present to appeal to experience, that a period fo arranged as to bring out the fenfe clear, feems always more mufical than where the sense is left in any degree doubtful.

A rule deservedly occupying the second place, is, That words expreffing things connected in the thought, ought to be placed as near together as poffible. This rule is derived immediately from human nature, prone in every inftance to place together things in any manner connected*: where things are arranged according to their connections, we have a fenfe of order; otherwife we have a fense of disorder, as of things placed by chance; and we naturally place words in the fame order in

which

See chap. I.

which we would place the things they fignify. The bad effect of a violent feparation of words or members thus intimately connected, will appear from the following examples.

For the English are naturally fanciful, and very often disposed, by that gloominess and melancholy of temper which is fo frequent in our nation, to many wild notions and visions, to which others are not fo liable.

Spectator, N° 419.

Here the verb or affertion is, by a pretty long circumstance, violently separated from the fubject to which it refers: this makes a harsh arrangement; the less excufable that the fault is easily prevented by placing the circumftance before the verb, after the following manner:

For the English are naturally fanciful, and, by that gloominess and melancholy of temper which is fo frequent in our nation, are often disposed to many wild notions, &c.

For as no mortal author, in the ordinary fate and viciffitude of things, knows to what use his works may, fome time or other, be apply'd, &c.

Spectator, N° 85.

Better thus:

For as, in the ordinary fate and viciffitude of things, no mortal author knows to what use, fome time or other, his works may be apply'd, &c,