ΟΝ

RHETORIC

AND

BELLES LETTRES.

By HUGH BLAIR, D. D. & F. R. S. ED.

ONE OF THE MINISTERS OF THE HIGH CHURCH, AND
PROFESSOR OF RHETORIC AND BELLES LETTRES

IN THE UNIVERSITY, OF EDINBURGH,

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

THE THIRD EDITION,

LONDON:

FRINTED FOR A. STRAHAN; T. CADELL, IN THE STRAND;

AND W. CREECH, IN EDINBURGH,

MDCCLXXXVII,

OF THE

SECOND VOLUME.

LECT.

XVIII. FIGURATIVE Language-

General Characters of Style.

Diffufe, Concife Feeble,

Nervous-Dry, Plain, Neat,

Elegant, Flowery.

XIX. General Characters of Style-Sim-

ple, Affected, Vehement Di-

rections for forming a proper

Style.

XX. Critical Examination of the Style

of Mr. Addifon, in N° 411 of

The Spectator.

-

XXI. Critical Examination of the Style in

N° 412 of The Spectator.

XXII. Critical Examination of the Style in

N° 413 of The Spectator.

Page

32

59

84

106

XXIII. Critical Examination of the Style in

N° 414 of The Spectator.

125

XXIV. Critical Examination of the Style in

a Paffage of Dean Swift's Writ-

ings.

143

XXV. Elo-

LECT.

XXV. Eloquence, or Public Speaking-

Hiftory of Eloquence-Grecian

Eloquence-Demofthenes.

XXVI. Hiftory of Eloquence continued-

Roman Eloquence-Cicero-

Modern Eloquence.

XXVII. Different Kinds of Public Speak-

ing-Eloquence of Popular Af-

Jemblies-Extracts from De-

mofthenes.

XXVIII. Eloquence of the Bar-Analyfis

of Cicero's Oration for Clu-

entius.

XXIX. Eloquence of the Pulpit.

XXX. Critical Examination of a Ser-

mon of Bishop Atterbury's.

XXXI. Conduct of a Difcourfe in all its

Parts- Introduction-Divi-

fion - Narration and Explica-

tion.

XXXII. Conduct of a Difcourfe- The

Argumentative Part-The

Pathetic Part-The Perora-

tion.

XXXIII. Pronunciation, or Delivery.

Page

171

201

228

264

299

332

369

398

428

XXXIV. Means of improving in Eloquence. 457

LE C-

LECTURE XVIII.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE—GENERAL CHA-

RACTERS OF STYLÉ DIFFUSE, CONCISE-

FEEBLE, NERVOUS DRY, PLAIN, NEAT,

ELEGANT, FLOWERY.

TAVING treated, at

H

confiderable

length, of the Figures of Speech, of
their origin, of their nature, and of

the management of fuch of them as are im-

portant enough to require a particular difcuf-

fion, before finally difmiffing this fubject, I

think it incumbent on me, to make fome

obfervations concerning the proper use of Fi-

gurative Language in general. Thefe, in-

deed, I have, in part, already anticipated.

But, as great errors are often committed in

this part of Style, especially by young wri-

ters, it may be of ufe that I bring together,

under one view, the moft material directions

on this head.

VOL. II.

B

I BEGIN

LECT.

XVIII.