miftaken, our modern eloquence is of the fame ftile or fpecies with that which ancient critics denominated Attic eloquence, that is, calm, elegant and fubtile, which inftructed the reafon more than affected the paffions, and never rais'd its tone above argument or common difcourfe. Such was the eloquence of Lyfias among the Athenians, and of Calvus among the Romans. These were esteem'd in their time; but when compar'd with Demofibenes and Cicero, were eclips'd like a taper when fet in the rays of a meridian fun. Thofe latter orators poffefs'd the fame elegance, and fubtility, and force of argument, with the former; but what render'd them chiefly admirable, was that pathetie and fublime, which, on proper occafions, they threw into their difcourfe, and by which they commanded the refolutions of their audience.

Or this fpecies of eloquence we have scarce had any inftances in Britain, at least in our public fpeakers. In our writers, we have had some instances, which have met with great applause, and might affure our ambitious youth of equal or fuperiour glory in attempts for the revival of ancient eloquence. My lord Bolingbroke's productions, with all their defects in argument, method, and precision, contain a force and energy, which our orators fcarce ever aim at; tho' 'tis evident, that fuch an elevated ftile has much better grace in a speaker than in a writer, and is affur'd of a more prompt and more astonishing success. 'Tis there feconded by the graces of voice and action: The movements are mutually communicated by sympathy, betwixt the orator and the audience: And

the

the very afpect of a large affembly, attentive to the difcourfe of one man, must inspire him with a peculiar elevation, fufficient to give a propriety to the ftrongeft figures and expreffions. 'Tis true, there is a great prejudice against set-speeches; and a man can scarce escape ridicule, who repeats a discourse, as a fchool-boy his leffon, and takes no notice of any thing which has been advanc'd in the course of the debate. But where is the neceffity of falling into this abfurdity? A public speaker muft know beforehand the question under debate. He may compose all the arguments, objections, and answers, fuch as he thinks will be moft proper for his difcourfe *. If any thing new occur, he may supply it from his invention; nor will the difference be very apparent betwixt his elaborate and his extemporary compofitions. The mind naturally continues with the fame impetus or force, which it has acquir'd by its motion; as a veffel, once impell'd by the oars, carries on its course for some time, when the original impulfe is fufpended.

I SHALL Conclude this fubject with obferving, that even tho' our modern orators fhould not elevate their ftile, or aspire to a rivalship with the ancient; yet there is a material defect in moft of their speeches, which they might correct, without departing from that compos'd air of argument and reasoning, to

* The first of the Athenians, who compos'd and wrote his fpeeches was Pericles, a man of bufinefs and a man of fenfe, if ever there was one Πρῶτος γραπτὸν λόγον ἐν δικαςτηρίου εἶπε, τῶν πρὸ αὐτά σχεδιαζόντων, Suidas in Περίκλης.

which

which they limit their ambition. Their great affectation of extemporary difcourfes has made them reject all order and method, which feems so requifite to argument, and without which 'tis fcarce poffible to produce an intire conviction on the mind. 'Tis not, that one would recommend many formal divifions in a public difcourfe, unless the fubject very evidently offer them: But 'tis eafy, without this formality, to observe a method, and make that method confpicuous to the hearers, who will be infinitely pleas'd to fee the arguments rife naturally from one another, and will retain a more thorough perfuafion, than can arife from the strongest reafons, which are thrown together in confufion.

ESSAY

ESSAY XVII.

Of the RISE and PROGRESS of the ARTS and SCIENCES.

THE

HERE is nothing, which requires greater nicety, in our enquiries concerning human affairs, than to distinguish exactly what is owing to chance, and what proceeds from causes; nor is there any fubject, in which an author is more apt to deceive himself, by false subtilties and refinements. To fay, that any event is deriv'd from chance, cuts fhort all farther enquiry concerning it, and leaves the writer in the same state of ignorance with the reft of mankind. But when the event is fuppos'd to proceed from certain and ftable causes, he may then display his ingenuity, in affigning these causes; and as a man of any fubtility can never be át a loss in this particular, he has thereby an opportunity of fwelling his volumes, and discovering his profound knowledge, in obferving what escapes the vulgar and ignorant.

THE diftinguishing betwixt chance and causes muft depend upon every particular man's fagacity, in confidering every particular incident. But, if I were to affign any general rule to help us in applying

this

this diftinction, it would be the following, What de pends upon a few perfons is, in a great meafure, to be ajcrib'd to chance, or fecret and unknown causes: What arifes from a great number, may often he accounted for by determinate and known causes.

THERE may two very natural reasons be affign'd for this rule. First, If you fuppofe a dye to have any byafs, however fmall, to a particular fide, this byafs, though, perhaps, it may not appear in a few throws, will certainly prevail in a great number, and will caft the balance intirely to that fide. In like manner, when any caufes beget a particular inclination or paffion, at a certain time, and among a certain people; tho' many individuals may escape the contagion, and be rul'd by passions peculiar to themfelves; yet the multitude will certainly be infected with the common paffion, and be govern'd by it in

all their actions.

Secondly, THOSE principles or causes, which are fitted to operate on a multitude, are always of a groffer and more stubborn nature, less fubject to accidents, and lefs influenc'd by whim and private fancy, than thofe which operate on a few only. The latter are commonly fo delicate and refin'd, that the fmalleft incident in the health, education, or fortune of a particular perfon, is fufficient to divert their courfe, and retard their operation; nor is it poffible to reduce them to any general maxims or obfervations. Their influence at one time, will never affure us concerning their influence at another; even tho' all the general circumftances fhould be the fame in both cafes.

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