XII.

by the best writers. So Mr. Pope, fpeaking LECT. of Homer, "The praife of judgment Virgil "has juftly contefted with him, but his in"vention remains yet unrivalled." It is evident, that, in order to give the Sentence its due force, by contrafting properly the two capital words, " judgment and invention,” this is a happier arrangement, than if he had followed the natural order, which was, "Vir"gil has justly contefted with him the praise of judgment, but his invention remains yet

"unrivalled."

SOME writers practife this degree of inverfion, which our Language bears, much more than others; Lord Shaftsbury, for inftance, much more than Mr. Addison; and to this fort of arrangement is owing, in a great meafure, that appearance of strength, dignity, and varied harmony, which Lord Shaftsbury's ftyle poffeffes. This will appear from the following Sentences of his Enquiry into Virtue; where all the words are placed, not ftrictly in the natural order, but with that artificial conftruction, which may give the period most emphasis and grace. He is fpeaking of the mifery of vice: "This, as to the complete "immoral ftate, is, what of their own ac"cord, men readily remark. Where there "is this abfolute degeneracy, this total "apoftacy from all candor, truft, or equity,

"there

LECT.
XII,

"there are few who do not fee and acknow"ledge the mifery which is confequent. "Seldom is the cafe mifconftrued, when at "worf. The misfortune is, that we look "not on this depravity, nor confider how it "ftands, in lefs degrees. As if, to be abfolutely immoral, were, indeed, the greatest

re

mifery; but, to be fo in a little degree, "fhould be no mifery or harm at all. Which "to allow, is just as reasonable as to own, "that 'tis the greateft ill of a body to be in the "utmoft manner maimed or diftorted; but "that, to lofe the ufe only of one limb, or "to be impaired in fome fingle organ or "member, is no ill worthy the leaft notice." (Vol. ii. p. 82.) Here is no violence done. to the Language, though there are many inverfions. All is ftately, and arranged with art; which is the great characteristic of this author's Style.

WE need only open any page of Mr. Addifon, to fee quite a different order in the conftruction of Sentences. "Our fight is the "most perfect, and most delightful of all our "fenfes. It fills the mind with the largest "variety of ideas, converfes with its objects "at the greateft diftance, and continues the

longeft in action, without being tired, or "fatiated with its proper enjoyments. The "fenfe of feeling can, indeed, give us a no❝tion

XII.

"tion of extenfion, shape, and all other ideas LECT. "that enter at the eye, except colours; but, " at the fame time, it is very much straitened "and confined in its operations," &c. (Spectator, No. 411.) In this ftrain, he always proceeds, following the moft natural and obvious order of the Language; and if, by this means, he has leís pomp and majesty than Shaftsbury, he has, in return, more nature, more eafe and fimplicity; which are beauties of a higher order.

BUT whether we practise inverfion or not, and in whatever part of the fentence we difpofe of the capital words, it is always a point of great moment, that these capital words shall ftand clear and difentangled from any other words that would clog them. Thus, when there are any circumftances of time, place, or other limitations, which the principal object of our Sentence requires to have connected with it, we must take especial care to difpofe of them, fo as not to cloud that principal object, nor to bury it under a load of circumstances. This will be made clearer by an example, Obferve the arrangement of the following Sentence, in Lord Shaftsbury's Advice to an Author. He is fpeaking of modern poets, as compared with the antient: "If, whilft they

profefs only to please, they fecretly advise, "and give instruction, they may now, perhaps,

<as

LECT." as well as formerly, be esteemed, with juf"tice, the beft and moft honourable among "authors." This is a well conftructed Sentence. It contains a great many circumftances and adverbs, neceffary to qualify the meaning; only, fecretly, as well, perhaps, now, with justice, formerly; yet thefe are placed with fo much. art, as neither to embarraís, nor weaken the Sentence; while that which is the capital object in it, viz. "Poets being justly esteemed "the best and most honourable among au"thors," comes out in the conclufion clear and detached, and poffeffes its proper place. See, now, what would have been the effect of a different arrangement. Suppofe him to have placed the members of the Sentence thus ; "If, whilft they profefs to please only, they

advife and give inftruction fecretly, they 46 may be efteemed the best and most honour"able among authors, with justice, perhaps,

now, as well as formerly." Here we have precisely the fame words, and the same sense; but, by means of the circumftances being fo intermingled as to clog the capital words, the whole becomes perplexed, without grace, and without ftrength,

A FOURTH rule, for conftructing Sentences with proper ftrength, is, to make the members of them go on rifing and growing in their importance above one another. This fort of

arrange

XII.

arrangement is called a Climax, and is always L E C T. confidered as a beauty in compofition. From what cause it pleases, is abundantly evident. In all things, we naturally love to afcend to what is more and more beautiful, rather than to follow the retrograde order. Having had once fome considerable object set before us, it is, with pain, we are pulled back to attend to an inferior circumstance. "Cavendum eft," fays Quinctilian, whofe authority I always willingly quote, "ne decrefcat oratio, & for"tiori fubjungatur aliquid infirmius; ficut, facrilego, fur; aut latroni petulans. Au"geri enim debent fententiæ & infurgere Of this beauty, in the conftruction of Sentences, the orations of Cicero furnish many examples. His pompous manner naturally led him to study it; and, generally, in order to render the climax perfect, he makes both the fense and the found rife together, with a very magnificent fwell. So in his oration for Milo, fpeaking of a defign of Clodius's for affaffinating Pompey: "Atqui fi res, fi vir, fi

66

tempus ullum dignum fuit, certè hæc in "illâ caufâ fumma omnia fuerunt. Infidiator

*Care must be taken, that our compofition shall not fall off, and that a weaker expreffion fhall not follow "one of more ftrength; as if, after facrilege, we should bring in theft; or, having mentioned a robbery, we fhould fubjoin petulance. Sentences ought always to rife and grow,"

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