make up, by a multiplicity of words, for barrenness in ideas'; but they also enter into some of the otherwise finest compositions in our language. 4. In the choice of words, good taste is violated by a useless and excessive use of foreign terms'4; a practice which savors of pedantry', and which, by an affected display of learning, often betrays the vanity and shallowness of the writer. Ripe scholars may, indeed, occasionally use foreign expressions, when those to whom they are addressed may be presumed to understand them'; but such expressions should be used only when they furnish a peculiar aptness of illustration, or appropriately call up old associations, or express shades of thought which the English language is unable to convey. 5. William Cullen Bryant, an elegant American writer, whose prose writings are not inferior in style to his justlycelebrated poetry, when requested to give his opinion of an article offered to him by a young man for publication in Bry Examples. [See preceding page ] Corrections. "At Athens it was the privilege and] At Athens it was the privilege of every birthright of every citizen and poet to rail citizen to rail in public. aloud, and in public."-SwIFT. Remarks. In this short sentence, which is strikingly characteristic of the fault of Redundancy, there are no less than three superfluous words; viz., birthright, which is here synonymous with privilege; poet, which is included in the appellation citizen; and aloud, which is implied in railing; as every one who rails, rails aloud. The sentiment of the writer is precisely expressed, and the vivacity of the sentence much increased, by the retrenchment of these superfluous words. b "The fifth and last argument is, that The fifth and last argument is, that this this supposition of the soul's immortality supposition of the soul's immortality gives gives the fairest account and easiest solu- the easiest solution of the phenomena of tion of the phenomena of human nature-human nature, and of those several menof those several actions and operations we tal operations of which we are conscious, are conscious to ourselves of, and which, and which can not, without doing much without great violence to our reason, can violence to our reason, be justly ascribed not be resolved into a bodily principle, and to mere matter. In this extract there are several repetitions of thought, by different forms of expression. Thus, fairest account and easiest solution, being both applicable to the phenomena of nature, are different expressions of the same idea: the word actions is implied in operations; and, moreover, consciousness is never properly affirmed of our actions. Bodily principle and mere matter both mean the same thing. The phrase, "We are conscious to ourselves of," is inelegant, and a violation of the Rhetorical rule that the concluding clause of a sentence should be long, and the concluding word of each number should generally be long, or at least contain one long syllable. ant's newspaper, the Evening Post, said; "My young friend', I observe that you have used several French expressions in your article. I think that, if you will study the English language, you will find it capable of expressing all the ideas that you may have. I have always found it so'; and in all that I have written, I do not recall an instance in which I was inclined to use a foreign word, but that, on searching, I found a better one in my own language.” 6. It has been found that new words, whether introduced from a foreign language or not, are but sparingly used by the best writers, and that they do not gain admission into the best society until they have become to some extent naturalized by common usage. It would be well, indeed, for the purity of the language, if the public would reject all those which are obtruded upon it merely from an affectation of novelty. The advice of the poet points out the true medium that should be observed between the two extremes of obsolete words on the one hand, and new words on the other. "In words, as fashions, the same rule will holdAlike fantastic if too new, or old: Be not the first by whom the new are tried', 7. Ambiguity of expression is a common fault of careless writers; and no language admits more forms of ambiguity than the English, while none is susceptible of greater precision and perspicuity. In all legal documents, such as constitutions, laws, treaties, wills, bonds, contracts, and deeds, ambiguity should be specially guarded against; for it has often led to heated contests, to litigation, and even to war. In such papers, and also in scientific writings, every other grace of language should be sacrificed, if need be, to perspicuity. 8. Ambiguity and obscurity are often occasioned by the use of inconsistent words and phrases"; by the use of words to "I intended to have gone to London] I intended to go to London last year. last year."* "Iron is more useful than all the met als."t Iron is more useful than all the other metals. * It is inconsistent that one should intend to have done something prior to the intention. As iron is one of the metals, the inconsistency is in the assertion that iron is more useful than itself. express one meaning', when they in reality denote another'd; by the want of a regular and dependent construction throughout all the parts of a sentence'; by the use of words that are capable of a double interpretation"; by the use of the same word in different meanings in the same sentence's; by such constructions as give to a word or phrase a doubtful or wrong reference to other words or phrases"; by the introduction Examples. d "Although his motives were correct, Corrections. Although his motives were correct, yet yet his judgment led him to commit a his judgment led him to commit a grievous grievous fault." error. One who acts from correct motives can not commit a fault, although he may commit an error. e "He did not mention Leonora, nor that He did not mention Leonora, nor her her father was dead." father's death. "I shall do all I can to take the same In the hope of effecting a cure, I shall measures for their cure which I have."-endeavor to take the same measures which Guardian, No. 1. I have taken. Lysias, speaking of his father's friends, promised him never to abandon them: or, Lysias, speaking of his own friends, promised his father never to abandon them. Lovest thou me more than thou lovest these? or, Lovest thou me more than these do? The same word should should never be used in different meanings in the same sentence. This example asserts that all the words in a sentence should have the same meaning. "I trust that if the matter is litigated, I trust that if the matter be litigated, though he may advance more, he can not though he may advance more numerous, advance more weighty reasons in his in- he can not advance more weighty readictment than I can in my defense." sons in his indictment, than I can in my defense. In this example the first more is an adjective, and signifies greater in number: the second is an adverb, and signifies greater in degree. "They were persons of moderate in- They were persons of moderate inteltellects, even before they were impaired by lects even before these were impaired by their passions."-Spectator, No. 30. passion. of more than one principal subject in a sentence"; by the want of a correct punctuation; and by the use of words inappropriate' to the subject (Rule VIII., b). 9. We close this chapter on the selection and use of words with the following appropriate extract: 8, "Words are instruments of music. An ignorant man. uses them for jargon`; but when a master touches them', they have unexpected life and soul'. Some words sound out like drums': some breathe memories sweet as flutes': some call like a clarionet': some shout a charge like trumpets': some are as sweet' as children's talk'; others', rich as a mother's answering back'. 10. "The words which have universal power are those i "If we consider the works of nature If we consider the works of nature and and art, as they are qualified to entertain of art, as they are qualified to entertain the imagination, we shall find the latter the imagination, we shall find the latter very defective in comparison of the for- very defective in comparison with the former; for though they may sometimes ap-mer. Though the works of art may somepear as beautiful and strange, they can times appear beautiful and strange, they have nothing in them of that vastness and can have nothing in them of that vastness immensity which afford so great an enter- and immensity which afford so great entainment to the mind of a beholder."-tertainment to the mind of a beholder. Spectator, No. 214. "The house of Charlemagne fell by The house of Charlemagne fell by dedegrees, like that of Clovis, under the last grees, like that of Clovis under the last of of the Merovingian kings."-GOODRICH's the Merovingian kings. Hist. of France. The above not only falsely asserts that the house of Charlemagne fell gradually under the last of the Merovingian kings, but that it fell in the same manner as the house of Clovis had fallen under the same kings. The corrected punctuation gives a very different meaning. "Your lovely figure and graceful coun-| Your graceful figure and lovely countetenance would have an awkward aspect in nance would have an awkward appearsuch a situation." ance in such a situation. The figure or form may be lovely, or capable of exciting love; but the countenance can not be graceful, for graceful conveys an idea both of figure and of motion. "We have never been so fortunate as We have never known one of them to see and converse with one of them (in- whose creed, select and circumscribed and fidels) whose creed, select and circum- agreeable as he had made it, seemed to scribed and palatable as he had made it, have produced any serious impression on seemed to have any serious footing in his his mind, or to have had any practical inmind, or any practical influence on his fluence on his life. life."-CHALMERS. The verbs see and converse, being joined in construction, should both govern the same word; but as the former is active and the latter neuter, this is impossible. The construction is as faulty as it would be to say, "I found and went with the man." Palatable is not an appropriate word to apply to creed; but it is more objectionable still to speak of a creed as having a footing in the mind; and the expression "a serious footing" is a serious barbarism in language. that have been keyed and chorded in the great orchestral chamber of the human heart. Some words touch as many notes at a stroke as when an organist strikes ten fingers upon a key-board. There are single words which contain life histories; and to hear them spoken is like the ringing of chimes. He who knows how to touch and handle skillfully the home words of his mother's tongue', need ask nothing of style." -THEODORE TILTON. LESSON XXVII. WHAT DO WORDS INDICATE? The Poem by J. G. HOLLAND. [JOSIAH GILBERT HOLLAND, the author of the little poem below, and the author of the well-known Timothy Titcomb's Letters to Young People, Lessons in Life, etc., was born in Massachusetts in 1819. He studied medicine, has been a teacher, and for many years past has been the editor of the Springfield Republican, Mass.] 1. We know that the language of birds and beasts is confined to a very few expressions; and these seem to mark the limited range of the wants and feelings of the brute creation, and to indicate the narrow bounds of their natures, as beings of a day. The language of man, on the contrary, having power to declare "infinite ranges of passion and thought," seems thus to proclaim his divine origin, and to be the fitting measure of his immortal destiny. This thought is beautifully set forth in the following lines: 2. The robin repeats his two beautiful words', The meadow-lark whistles his one refrain'; And steadily, over and over again', The same song swells from a hundred birds'. 3. Bobolink', chickadee', blackbird and jay', 4. Into that word, or that sweet little phrase, |