The Roman goes quicker to work;

Tell me, my Tullia, does your mother know
You're out; and has she sold her mangle yet?

The composition of the Elizabethan age has a spice of both ;-
Conradin. Ha! Celia, here! Come hither, pretty one.
Thou hast a mother, child?

Con. I' faith thou 'rt sharp-thou hast a biting wit,
But does this mother- this epitome

Of what all other people are possessed of-
Knows she thou'rt out and gadding?

Faith 't was a huge machine; and smoothed the webs

Col.

To buy it

Then thou 't not in thoughts
or thou would'st not praise it so.

Con. A parlous child! keen as the cold north wind,
Yet light as Zephyrus - No-no-not buy it;
But hath she sold it, child?"

GOOD STYLE.

1. A Good Style not only enables the readers or hearers to understand, but even renders it impossible for them not to understand. Its characteristics are

Perspicuity and Ornament.

A narration should be so presented, as to compel the attention, and thus secure its proper perception. It is no more the duty of the narrator to present knowledge, than it is to attract attention to it, and thus secure its reception.

2. Perspicuity is that property of language, which enables the narrator's meaning to be correctly known.

We are not apt to select those discourses, which require to be read, or to be heard several times before they can be understood. "We are pleased with a narrator and freely bestow praise upon him, who frees

us from all fatigue in finding his meaning; who carries us through his subject without embarrassment or confusion; whose style always flows like a limpid stream, wherein we see distinctly to the very bottom."

3. Perspicuity comprises the purity, propriety, and precision of words and constructions, and the clearness, strength, unity, and harmony of sentences.

4. Purity is the use of such words and phrases, as belong to the language, and are sanctioned by present good usage, in opposition to barbarisms, and solecisms.

a. Barbarism is the use of archaisms, obsolete words, newly-coined words, and foreign words.

1. Archaism. (p. 421.) "Up I rose three houres after twelfe."

I. Obsolete words are those out of use; obsolescent, those going out of use.

2. "Whereof the other, humbly as she might,

Thanked her; for in right il array

She was with storm and heat, I you behight;

And every lady, then anone right."- -Chaucer. 1400.

3. Obsolescent. I learnt my lesson; for I learned my lesson.

II. Newly-coined words are those recently introduced, which are too uncouth to be admitted. All profanity, by-words, and odd phrases evidently belong to this class of barbarisms. This, of course, does not include new scientific terms; nor corrections of words, which before were used improperly. The fear of being charged with the use of a barbarism must not cause us to hesitate in adopting an improvement.

4. I do not know whether this belongs to the to-be, or to the to-do.

III. Foreign words, or words from other languages.

5. The rights of the people were subverted by a coup d'etat.

6. The beau monde assume a certain hauteur in the presence of the canaille.

b. A solecism is an unusual construction of the words forming a sentence, or the use of a foreign idiom.

7. He plays a good fiddle; meaning, he plays the fiddle well.

8. The popular lords did not fail to enlarge themselves on the subject.

This is a French idiom. Omit themselves, and it becomes English.

5. Propriety consists in the use of such words, as are best suited to the nature of that, which is to be expressed, in opposition to ill-chosen words, misplaced words, and to those errors included under enallage. (See p. 423.)

Words differ in the general estimation, in which they are held. Some being habitually and generally used in connection with lofty thoughts; others, in the sciences and arts (Technical names, Ch. VI.); others, in the common pursuits of life; and others, only in low, or vulgar expressions, and yet they may be pure English. Hence, while a style may be pure, it may be highly improper; but, on the contrary, if a style be proper, it must be pure. Therefore, barbarism and solecism are hostile to propriety of style.

6. Words are ill-chosen, under the following circumstances;

FIRST. When they are vulgar, or low, and the subject is not so. Words are the exponents of the narrator's thoughts..

9. The proposition squints in the wrong direction.

The proposition looks in the wrong direction.

10. The man and his brother had a falling out, and a set to. SECOND. When the words are technical, and hence may not be understood. This does not, of course, apply to technical words, when used in the sciences, or when sure to be understood. (See Allusions.)

11. The power of vice increases in a progressive ratio. 12. Do not array your knowledge in a hollow square; it may do for the parade of an army, but is not suited for the array of knowledge.

13. He is as noisy as a buzz-saw, and as useless as a broken fly-wheel.

THIRD. When a repetition of the same word, or a succession of sim lar words occurs.

14. I only know, that he only brought it to our house only.

15. The word jingle has another form, gingle, but the former form is more used than the latter form.

FOURTH. When the words have meanings barely similar to those which we should use.

16. The man was as mad as he could be, and the boy was dry.

The man was as angry as he could be, and the boy was thirsty.

17. Your entrance expelled my bright illusions.

FIFTH. When words are used in prose, which may be used in poetry only, or may be used by a poetic license.

18. I met him last eve [evening], and he promised to call

at morn.

19. He walks slow and soft; for, he walks slowly and softly SIXTH. When the words or phrases are ambiguous.

20. Some phrases are not admissible in sentences without a previous explanation.

Which is to be explained; the phrases, or the sentences?

21. I saw a horse-fly through the window.

I saw through the window, a horse-fly.

SEVENTH. When the words are so arranged as to be confused, or are used illogically.

22. Virtue, so to speak, is the consummation of all those graces, which, arising in the soul, attuned, as it were, to the heavenly graces, dispose us to follow, if I may be allowed the expression, a certain directness of conduct.

23. "What is the next rule to be attended to ?"-Illogical. EIGHTH. When the words are unknown, or unintelligible.

24. The opacity of my intellect is quite conspicuous.

Propriety of style is violated more often than all the other qualities of style combined. No narrator is ever entirely free from this kind of error; nevertheless, we should aim at perfection in it. "He, that aims at the sun, sends his arrow higher than he, who aims below it."

7. Precision is using the proper words, and the proper number of words, in order to convey our thoughts correctly. It is opposed to looseness and vagueness of style, and to a redundancy of words.

Precision signifles to cut off. It is used figuratively, as if we prune, or cut off redundancies, so that the expression shall be a faithful and exact counterpart of the thought. The opposite of a Precise is a vague, loose style.

8. Precision is violated in three ways; first, when the expression conveys an idea, which only resembles the one intended; second, when it only conveys a part of the idea; and third, when it conveys too much.

Clear and accurate thoughts are absolutely essential to enable the narrator to frame clear and accurate expressions. One, who thinks confusedly, or disjointedly, will necessarily express himself badly. Again, all thoughts do not require an equal degree of precision; some, because they are trivial, others, because they are sublime. (p. 451, Fourth.)

a. The three errors, mentioned as faults in precision, arise principally from the use of synonyms, or words having the same meaning. It is not probable that a single pair of per fect synonyms can be found in any language.

Second Suggestion. When, in composing, the choice of several words is of fered, examine each one very carefully, to see which best expresses your idea. If you will examine the same piece of composition several times, with intervals between each examination, you will find whether you are improving in a knowledge of the niceties of words. In regard to the study of words, observe this rule. "Reflect on every word, which you see, hear, read, or speak; its birth, derivation, and history,"

9. Examples of words usually called Synonymous.

I. Abhor and detest mean to dislike. To abhor is to have a strong dislike; to detest is to have a strong dislike with a strong disapprobation. 25. A man of refined taste abhors beggary and detests stealing.

II. Acknowledge, avow, and confess mean to confirm. But to acknowledge supposes a small fault, which the acknowledgment propitiates; to avow supposes the person to glory in what is confirmed; to confess supposes the confirmation of a great fault or crime.

26. A gentleman acknowledges his mistake, and is forgiven; a patriot avows his opposition to tyranny, and is applauded; a prisoner confesses his guilt, and is punished.

III. Alone and only imply singleness. But alone means unaccompa nied; only, but one of that kind.

27. This child is alone; but this is an only child.