sorrow, and thought, and hope, and moral greatness, and pure affectionwas burned, and went out with flame and cotton-smoke? Sooner would I believe that fire consumed the less everlasting stars! Such a galaxy of spiritual light and order and beauty is spread above the elements and their power, and neither heat can scorch it nor cold water drown. The bleak wind that swept in the morning over the black and heaving wreck would moan in the ear of sympathy with the wail of a thousand survivors, but to the ear of wisdom and of faith would sound as the returning whisper and requiem of hope." The high enthusiasm that is perceptible in this passage transforms it from argument to poetry. § 240. VIVACITY AS IT REFERS TO THE EXPRESSION. 2. Vivacity as it refers to the expression is produced by various qualities which will be considered in order. The first of these is copiousness. 241. COPIOUSNESS. Copiousness in its more general meaning is referred by Quintilian to thought as well as expression. "There is one kind," says he, "that is rich in thought, and another that abounds in flowers." Here, however, the latter only is meant, and indicates amplitude and fulness of diction, where there is a vocabulary of unusual richness and abundant imagery. This is the characteristic of the writings of Jeremy Taylor, Landor, and Ruskin. $242. VERSATILITY. Another quality that conduces to vivacity is versatility. Versatility is also called variety. This refers to an author's power to adapt his style to many different subjects. The most remarkable example of this in English literature is Shakespeare, who was great in tragedy, comedy, and lyric poetry. In French literature Voltaire is a striking instance of this, since his works consist of philosophical essays, tragedy, and epic poetry. Bulwer Lytton is a versatile author, since he produced two different classes of novels, epic poetry, dramatic works, and lyric poetry. Tennyson is another example, though of a different kind, for his poetry represents five distinct classes: 1st, The Romantic, or Arthurian Epic; 2d, Classical, as Ulysses, Tithonus; 3d, Domestic, as The Miller's Daughter, The May Queen; 4th, Emotional, as Maud, Locksley Hall; 5th, Songs. Walter Scott wrote 90 volumes: 48 of novels, 21 of history and biography, 21 of poetry. $ 243. BRILLIANCY. The next quality associated with vivacity is brilliancy. By this is meant a high degree of animation, a copious diction, and abundant imagery. With these wit and humor are sometimes blended. Among those who are most conspicuous for the display of this quality are Hazlitt, Lamb, Leigh Hunt, Sydney Smith, and Macaulay. The following is an example of a brilliant passage in oratory from Curran's speech on behalf of Rowan : "No matter in what language his doom may have been pronounced; no matter what complexion incompatible with freedom an Indian or an African sun may have burned upon him; no matter in what disastrous battle his liberty may have been cloven down; no matter with what solemnities he may have been devoted upon the altar of slavery; the first moment he touches the sacred soil of Britain, the altar and the god sink together in the dust; his soul walks abroad in her own majesty; his body swells beyond the measure of the chains that burst from around him; and he stands redeemed, regenerated, and disenthralled by the irresistible genius of Universal Emancipation." $244. VIVIDNESS. Another quality which may be mentioned is vividness. This is the representation of facts or occurrences with unusual clearness and force of expression, so as to make the scene live before the mind. A familiar example is found in Byron's lines: “And there was mounting in hot haste: the steed, Roused up the soldier ere the morning star; While thronged the citizens with terror dumb, Or whispering, with white lips, 'The foe! They come, they come !" " $ 245. FELICITY OF STYLE. Another quality of great importance is that which is called felicity of style. Felicity has much in common with precision, but goes beyond it. What precision is to perspicuity, felicity is to vivacity. It means the choice of the best possible word; but more than this, it requires that the word should have great suggestiveness, so as to impress the mind suddenly, sharply, and permanently. This quality may be found in most of those striking sayings and weighty maxims which are culled from the works of great writers, and quoted from mouth to mouth, till they become common property: History is philosophy teaching by examples.”—Bolingbroke. "These are the times that try men's souls."-THOMAS PAINE. "It has all the contortions of the Sibyl, without the inspiration."-Burke. "Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are rebels from principle."-BURKE. "The Commons, faithful to their system, remained in a state of masterly inactivity."-SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH. "It is more than a crime; it is a political blunder."-FOUCHÉ. 66 Washington-first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."-HENRY LEE. "O liberty! how many crimes are committed in thy name !"-MADAME ROLAND. "I called the New World into existence to redress the balance of the Old."-CANNING. "The gratitude of place-expectants is a lively sense of future favors."— SIR ROBERT WALPOLE. "His soul was like a star, and dwelt apart."-WORDSWORTH. "But trailing clouds of glory do we come § 246. FAULTS AS OPPOSED TO VIVACITY. The style may be beneath the level of the subject, or it may be beyond it. 1. When the style is beneath the level of the subject. Vivacity means life, animation, perpetual variety in the expression, abundant use of all the multifarious changes of manner afforded by the figures of speech, and by other things that have been named. Sometimes the fault is in the expression. Monotony is the opposite of vivacity. It arises when the mode of expression is not sufficiently varied. When the writer, for sentence after sentence and page after page, presents his thoughts in the same fashion, it produces tediousness. If any composition is framed in all its sentences after one unvarying model, the result will be monotony. If all the sentences are direct statements, and are never varied by such figures as interrogation, exclamation, or antithesis, never enlivened by comparison, metaphor, or climax, vivacity is out of the question. Again, if a writer resorts too much to one particular figure, such as antithesis, or moulds his sentences too much after the same fashion, monotony will follow. In general, monotony arises when the composition, though clear and correct, and even harmonious, shows no variety; but being pitched upon one commonplace key, remains there. Variety being necessary to stimulate attention, the monotonous writer, however correct, can never be readable. Another fault consists in the use of expressions that are hackneyed or stale. These terms are applied to figures of speech, particularly tropes, epithets, and comparisons which have been used so often that they have ceased to be effective. To these the term "trite" or 66 worn out" has also been applied. These have already been sufficiently illustrated under other heads. Sometimes the fault is in the statement. In this case it assumes various forms, which have been distinguished by different names. The following are especially worthy of notice: Frigidity is a cold, unsympathetic manner, in which the writer exhibits no animation whatever. It is usually marked by stiff and formal expressions. Baldness and dulness are terms used to designate a style which is utterly free from any attempt to enliven. A heavy style is that in which the sentiments are commonplace, the vocabulary limited yet pretentious, and the whole uninteresting and unreadable. Jejune means vacant, empty, or void of matter that can engage the attention. It is applied to writings where very ordinary thoughts are expressed in a tedious and lifeless manner. Meagre is a word that indicates poverty of conception, together with a limited vocabulary. It cannot for a moment be confounded with conciseness, for the latter exhibits few words because their number is purposely limited; but the former is poor in words because the writer has few at his command. 2. The style may be carried beyond the level of the subject. An excess of vivacity leads to another set of faults which, if not worse, are perhaps more marked. The tendency to inflated expression is injurious to vivacity, because the extravagance is apparent, and fails in its effect. A certain amount of exaggeration is sometimes allowable, as in the figure hyperbole ; but this to be effective should always be sparingly used. There is a certain inflation of style associated with florid expressions, extravagance of sentiment, familiar confidences, and idle display of feeling in the form of frequent ejaculations. To this the term "gushing" is sometimes given. A still greater excess of vivacity results in other faults, known as bombast, fustian, bathos, etc. Bombast was originally applied to a stuff of soft, loose texture, once used to swell the garment. Fustian was also a kind of cloth of stiff expansive character. These terms are applied to a high, swelling style of writing, full of extravagant sentiments and expressions. Bathos is a word which has the same application, meaning generally the mock heroic-that "depth" into which one falls who overleaps the sublime; the step which one makes in order to pass from the sublime to the ridiculous. "Arrest Simoom, amid thy waste of sand, The poisoned javelin balanced in his hand; While as he turns, the undulating soil Rolls in red waves and billowy deserts boil."-DR. DARWIN. "Should the tempest of war overshadow our land, Its bolts ne'er could rend Freedom's temple asunder -ROBERT TREAT PAINE. Another word has been derived from the tailor, and that is "padding," which means stuffing a coat, but tropically is made to describe the useless filling in of composition. This, however, need not be connected at all with bombast; it may be perfectly simple, literal, and painfully true in its tediousness, yet it is perhaps more frequently associated with bombast than not. is least faulty when used to create interest; as when a speaker It |