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far as he knows, is to be received from any one Book in our Language.

IN order to render his Work of greater fervice, he has generally referred to the Books which he confulted, as far as he remembers them; that the Readers might be directed to any farther illuftration which they afford. But, as fuch a length of time has elapfed fince the first Composition of his Lectures, he may, perhaps, have adopted the fentiments of fome Author into whose Writings he had then looked, without now remembering whence he derived them.

In the opinions which he has delivered concerning fuch a variety of Authors, and of literary matters, as come under his confideration, he cannot expect that all his Readers will concur with him. The fubjects are of fuch a nature, as allow room for much diversity of taste and fentiment: and the Author will refpectfully submit to the judgment of the Public.

RETAINING the fimplicity of the Lecturing Style, as beft fitted for conveying inftruction,

instruction, he has aimed, in his Language, at no more than perfpicuity. If, after the liberties which it was neceffary for him to take, in criticising the Style of the most eminent Writers in our Language, his own Style shall be thought open to reprehension, all that he can say, is, that his Book will add one to the many proofs already afforded to the world, of its being much eafier to give inftruction, than to fet example.

LECT.

Page

XIII. Structure of Sentences-Harmony.
XIV. Origin and Nature of Figurative
Language.

313

343

XV. Metaphor.

372

XVI. Hyperbole—Personification — Apo

Strophe.

400

XVII. Comparison, Antithefis, Interroga

tion, Exclamation, and other
Figures of Speech.

430

LE C

A

LECTURE I

INTRODUCTION.

O

NE of the moft diftinguished privi- L E c T. leges which Providence has conferred

upon mankind, is the power of com

municating their thoughts to one another. Deftitute of this power, Reason would be a folitary, and, in fome measure, an unavailing principle. Speech is the great inftrument by which man becomes beneficial to man: and it is to the intercourfe and tranfmiffion of thought, by means of speech, that we are chiefly indebted for the improvement of thought itself. Small are the advances which a fingle unaffifted individual can make towards perfecting any of his powers. What we call human reason, is not the effort or ability of one, so much as it is the refult of the reafon of many, arifing from lights mutually communicated,

VOL. I.

B

1.

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