guage, are there two words that convey precifely the fame idea; a perfon thoroughly converfant in the propriety of the Language, will always be able to observe something that dif tinguishes them. As they are like different fhades of the fame colour, an accurate writer can employ them to great advantage, by using them, so as to heighten and to finish the picture which he gives us. He fupplies by one, what was wanting in the other, to the force, or to the luftre of the image which he means to exhibit. But, in order to this end, he must be extremely attentive to the choice which he makes of them. For the bulk of writers are very apt to confound them with each other; and to employ them carelessly, merely for the fake of filling up a period, or of rounding and diverfifying the Language, as if their fignification were exactly the fame, while, in truth, it is not. Hence a certain mist, and indiftinctnefs, is unwarily thrown over Style. IN the Latin Language, there are no two words we should more readily take to be fynonymous, than amare and diligere. Cicero, however, has fhewn us, that there is a very clear diftinction betwixt them." Quid ergo,' fays he, in one of his epiftles, " tibi com"mendem eum quem tu ipfe diligis? Sed "tamen ut fcires eum non a me diligi folum, "verum etiam amari, ob eam rem tibi hæc "fcribo," R 4 LECT. X. LECT. X. "fcribo *." In the fame manner tutus and fecurus, are words which we should readily confound; yet their meaning is different. Tutus, fignifies out of danger; fecurus, free from the dread of it. Seneca has elegantly marked this distinction; "Tuta fcelera esse "poffunt, fecura non poffunt †." In our own Language, very many inftances might be given of a difference in meaning among words reputed Synonymous; and, as the fubject is of importance, I fhall now point out fome of these. The inftances which I am to give, may themselves be of ufe; and they will ferve to fhew the neceffity of attending, with care and ftrictness, to the exact import of words, if ever we would write with Propriety or Precifion. Aufterity, Severity, Rigour. Aufterity, relates to the manner of living; Severity, of thinking; Rigour, of punishing. To Aufterity, is oppofed Effeminacy; to Severity, Relaxation; to Rigour, Clemency. A Hermit, is auftere in his life; a Cafuift, fevere in his application of religion or law; a Judge, rigorous in his fentences. Cuftom, Habit. Custom refpects the action; Habit, the actor. By Custom, we Ad Famil. 1. 13. Ep. 47. + Epif. 97. mean mean the frequent repetition of the fame act; LECT. by Habit, the effect which that repetition produces on the mind or body. By the Custom of walking often in the ftreets, one acquires a Habit of idleness. Surprised, aftonished, amazed, confounded. I am furprised, with what is new or unexpected; I am aftonished, at what is vaft or great; I am amazed, with what is incomprehenfible; I am confounded, by what is fhocking or terrible. Defift, renounce, quit, leave off. Each of thefe words imply fome purfuit or object relinquifhed; but from different motives. We defift, from the difficulty of accomplishing. We renounce, on account of the disagreeablenefs of the object, or purfuit. We quit, for the fake of fome other thing which interests us more; and we leave off, because we are weary of the defign. A Politician defifts from his designs, when he finds they are impracti cable; he renounces the court, because he has been affronted by it; he quits ambition for study or retirement; and leaves off his attendance on the great, as he becomes old and weary of it. Pride, Vanity. Pride, makes us esteem ourselves; Vanity, makes us defire the esteem X. LECT. efteem of others. It is just to fay, as Dean Swift has done, that a man is too proud to be vain. Haughtiness, Difdain. Haughtiness is founded on the high opinion we entertain of ourfelves; Difdain, on the low opinion we have of others. To diftinguish, to feparate. We diftinguish, what we want not to confound with another thing; we feparate, what we want to remove from it. Objects are diftinguished from one another, by their qualities. They are feparated, by the distance of time or place. The continuance of To weary, to fatigue. the fame thing wearies us; labour fatigues us. I am weary with ftanding; I am fatigued with walking. A fuitor wearies us by his perfeverance; fatigues us by his importunity. To abbor, to deteft. To abhor, imports, fimply, ftrong diflike; to deteft, imports alfo ftrong difapprobation. One abhors being in debt; he detefts treachery. To invent, to difcover. We invent things that are new; we difcover what was before hidden. Galileo invented the telescope; Harvey difcovered the circulation of the blood, Qnly, X. Only, alone. Only, imports that there is LECT. no other of the fame kind; alone, imports being accompanied by no other. An only child, is one who has neither brother nor fifter; a child alone, is one who is left by itself. There is a difference, therefore, in precife Language, betwixt these two phrases, "Virtue only makes us happy ;" and, " Vir"tue alone makes us happy." Virtue only makes us happy, imports, that nothing else. can do it. Virtue alone makes us happy, imports, that virtue, by itself, or unaccompanied with other advantages, is fufficient to do it. Entire, Complete. A thing is entire, by wanting none of its parts; complete, by wanting none of the appendages that belong to it. A man may have an entire house to himself; and yet not have one complete apart ment, Tranquillity, Peace, Calm. Tranquillity, respects a situation free from trouble, confidered in itself; Peace, the fame fituation with respect to any causes that might interrupt it; Calm, with regard to a disturbed fituation going before, or following it. A good man enjoys Tranquillity, in himself; Peace, with others; and Calm, after the ftorm, |