never have done with your poetry? another time may ferve, but why fhould we break off our conference to read a play? You are mistaken, it is no play nor poetry, replied Alciphon, but a famous modern critic moralizing in profe. You must know this great man hath (to use his own words) revealed a Grand Arcanum to the world, having inftructed mankind in what he calls mirrour-writing, felf-difcourfing practice, and hew'd That by virtue of an intimate recefs, we may difcover a certain duplicity of foul, and divide ourselves into two parties, or (as he varies the phrafe) practically from the dual number. In confequence whereof he has found that a man may argue with himfelf and not only with himself, but also with notions, fentiments, and vices, which by a marvellous profo popeia, he converts into so many ladies; and fo converted, he confutes and confounds them in a divine ftrain. Can any thing be finer, bolder, or more fublime? EUPH. It is very wonderful. I thought indeed you had been reading a tragedy. Is this he who defpifeth our Univerfities, and fets up for reforming the ftyle and taste of the age? ALC. The very fame. This is the admired critic of our times. Nothing can ftand the teft of his correct judgment, which is equally fevere to poets and parfons."*

The philofophy of Shaftesbury, as well as his style, has found its admirers. His writings, if we may credit Dr. Hutchefon, will be esteemed while any reflection remains among men. There is fome probability, however, that this prediction will not be verified. In the opinion of very competent judges, his philofophy is but fuperficial. Indeed fome enquirers are at a lofs how to account for his ever having been regarded as a philofophical writer that merited any degree of notice. But Gray has explained this circumftance in a very fatisfactory manner.‡

Berkeley's Minute Philofopher, dial. v.

Hutchefon's Inquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue, pref.

You fay you cannot conceive how Lord Shaftesbury came to be a philofopher in vogue; I will tell you; firft, he was a lord; fecondly, he was as vain as any of his readers; thirdly, men are very prone to believe what they do not underftand; fourthly, they will believe any thing at all, provided they are under no obligation to believe it; fifthly, they love

From the account which has been given of Shaftesbury's manner, it may eafily be imagined, that he would mislead thofe who blindly admired him. We have one remarkable exemplification in Dr. Blackwell, an author well known for his Life of Homer, Letters on Mythology, and Memoirs of the Court of Augustus. He difcovers confiderable ingenuity and learning; but is infected with an extravagant love of the artificial flyle, and of that parade of language which diftinguishes the Shaftesburean manner.

Befide thofe general characters of ftyle which have already been pointed out, feveral others might perhaps be mentioned. Conceited writers, for inftance, difcover their fpirit fo much in their compofition, that it imprints on their style a character of pertnefs; though I confefs it is difficult to determine whether this can be claffed among the attributes of flyle, or is rather to be afcribed entirely to the thought. But to whatever clafs we refer it, all appearances of it ought to be avoided with care, as a molt difgufting blemish in writing.

From the obfervations which have been fuggefted, it may be inferred, that to determine among all these different manners of writing, which is pofitively preferable, is neither easy nor neceffary. Style is a field that admits of great latitude. Its qualities in different authors may be very different; and yet in them all beautiful. Room must be left here for genius; for that particular determination which every one receives from Nature to one manner of expreffion more than another. Some general qualities indeed there are of fuch importance, that they fhould always, in every kind of compofition, be kept in view; and fome defects which we fhould always ftudy to avoid. An oftentatious, a feeble, a harlh, or an obfcure ftyle, for example, can never be adopted with propri ety; and perfpicuity, ftrength, neatnefs, and fimplicity, are beauties which ought always to be ftudied. But with re

to take a new road, even when that road leads no where; fixthly, he was reckoned a fine writer, and feems

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mean more than he faid. Would you have any ways to

reafons? An interval of above forty years has pretty well deftroyed the charm. A dead lord ranks with commoners: vanity is no longer interested in the matter; for a new road is become an old one. Gray's Letters.

gard to the mixture of all, or the degree of predominancy to be allowed to any one of thefe good qualities, in forming our peculiarly diftinctive manner, no precife rules can be given; nor fhall I venture to point out any one model as abfolutely perfect.

CHAP. XXV.

CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF A PASSAGE IN THE WRITINGS OF ADDISON.U

HAVI

}

AVING infifted fully on the nature of style, I shall defcend to a critical analysis of particular paf. fages in the writings of eminent authors." An analyfis of this kind will tend further to illuftrate the subject; as it will fuggeft obfervations which I have not yet had occafion to make, and will fhew in the most practical light, the ufe of thofe which I have made. In the profecution of this plan, I fhall ufe all poffible brevity; as the mind cannot long dwell with pleasure upon minute objects.

As we proceed it must always be remembered that the general character of an author's ftyle cannot be properly eftimated by fome particular paffage of his writings.

"As a perfect tragedy is the nobleft production of human nature, fo it is capable of giving the mind one of the most delightful and most improving entertainments."

This is an excellent introductory fentence. It is clear, precife, and fimple. The first period of a difcourfe ought al ways to be of a moderate length.

The mode, however, which the participle giving is here employed, does not poffefs much dignity. Affording might perhaps be fubftituted with propriety. The different tenses of the verb give are often ufed in a manner which approaches to the colloquial or familiar ftyle, The Anacreontiques therefore of Cowley," fays Dr. Johnfon," give now all the pleafure which they ever gave."

*Johnfon's Life of Cowley,

A virtuous man, fays Seneca, ftruggling with misfortunes, is fuch a fpectacle as gods might look upon with pleafure; and fuch a pleafure it is which one meets with in the reprefentation of a well-written tragedy."

The first member of this fentence is harsh and difagreeable. "Such a fpectacle as gods might behold with pleasure," feems more, harmonious.

My prefent bufihefs is not with the author's fentiments': it may not, however, be improper to observe, that what he advances in the fentence now quoted, can only apply to thofe tragedies of which the chief perfonages are virtuous.

"Diverfions of this kind wear out of our thoughts every thing that is mean and little.” Algpoza od

The word diversions cannot without manifest impropriety be taken to fignify the more folemn amufements of the theatre. "Diversion," fays Dr. Johnfon, "feems to be fomething lighter than amusement, and lefs forcible than pleasure."It has nearly the fame fignification with sport. The tragical Sports of the theatre is a ftrange expreffion. "They cherish and cultivate that humanity which is the ornament of our nature?"

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This metaphorical language is exceptionable. The act of cherishing and the act of cultivating, bear no kind of analo gy to each other; and therefore ought not to have been fo intimately connected... The fubject of the former must be poffeft of animal life; that of the latter must be brute and inert matter. With what propriety, then, can the same object be reprefented as cherifhed and cultivated?.

They foften infolence, footh affliction, and fubdue the mind to the difpenfations of Providence.

This fentence is fmooth and elegant!.

"It is no wonder, there fore, that, in all the polite nations of the world, this part of the drama has met with public encouragement.

This fentence requires no particular confideration.

"The modern tragedy excels that of Greece

and

in the intricacy and difpofition of the fable;, bulat a Christian writer fhould be ashamed to own, falls infinitely fhort of it in the moral part of the performance."

It was formerly obferved, that in the members of a fentence where two objects were either compared or contrafted, fome refemblance in the language and conftruction fhould be preTerved. This rule is violated in the aboye paffage. A flight alteration will, in my opinion, improve the fentence: "The

modern tragedy excels that of Greece and Rome, in the intricacy and difpofition of the fable; but what a Chriftian writer fhould be ashamed to own, falls infinitely short of it in the purity and beauty of the morality.".

t This 1 may fhew more at large hereafter; and in the mean time, that I may contribute fomething towards the improvement of the English tragedy, I fhall take notice, in this, and the other following papers, of feme particular parts in it that feem liable to exception."

This period is arranged with clearness and perfpicuity. Although in the former part of it that is employed as a con junction, yet it afterwards occurs as a relative pronoun. Of this word Mr. Addifon feems to have been remarkably fond. Which is more definitive in its fignification than that, being never employed in any other way than as a relative; where 23 2 that is a word of many fenfes ; fometimes a demonftrative pronoun, often a conjunction. In fome cafes we are indeed obliged to use that for a relative, in order to avoid the ungraceful repetition of which in the fame fentence. But when we are under no neceffity of this kind, which is gederally the preferable word.

Ariftotle obferves that the Iambic verfe in the Greek tongue was the moft proper for tragedy; becaufe at the fame time that it lifted up the difcourfe from profe, it was that which approached nearer to it than any other kind of verfedbank bo pokalen

This fentence contains a great fuperfluity of words. The author's meaning may he expreffed in the following manner: "Ariftotle

gue eferves that the Iambic verfe in the Greek

was moft proper for tragedy; becaufe while it elevated the difcourfe a degree above profe, it approached nearer to it than any other kind of verfe."

For,

fure D we may obferve that men in ordinary Very often fpeak Iambics without taking notice of iWay make the fame obfervation of our English