Ch. XVIII. In thefe examples, the name of the perfon addreffed to, makes a mean figure, being like a circumftance flipt into a corner. That this criticifm is well founded, we need no other proof than Addison's tranflation of the laft example: O Abner! I fear my God, and I fear none but him. O father, what intends thy hand, fhe cry'd, Paradife loft, book 2. 1. 727. Every one must be fenfible of a dignity in the invocation at the beginning, which is not attained by that in the middle. I mean not however to cenfure this paffage on the contrary, it appears beautiful, by distinguishing the refpect that is due to a father from that which is due to a son, The fubftance of what is faid in this and the foregoing fection, upon the method of arranging words in a period, fo as to make the deepest impreflion with refpect to found as well as fignification, is comprehended in the following obfervation. That order of words in a period will always be the most agreeable, where, without obfcuring the sense, the most important images, the moft fonorous words, and the longeft members, bring up the rear. Hitherto of arranging fingle words, fingle members, and fingle circumftances. But the enumeration of many particulars in the fame period is often neceffary; and the question is, In what order they fhould be placed. It does not feem easy, at first view, to bring a fubject apparently too loofe under any general rule: but luckily, reflecting upon what is faid in the first chapter about erder, we find rules laid down to our hand, which leave us no talk but that of applying them to the present queftion. And, firtt, with refpect to the enumerating a number of particulars of equal rank, it is laid down in the place quoted, that as there is no caufe for preferring any one before the reft, it is indifferent to the mind in what order they be viewed. And it is only neceffa ry ry to be added here, that for the fame reafon, it is indifferent in what order they be named. 2dly, If a number of objects of the fame kind, differing only in fize, are to be ranged along a straight line, the most agreeable order to the eye is that of an increafing feries: in furveying a number of fuch objects, beginning at the leaft, and proceeding to greater and greater, the mind fwells gradually with the fucceffive objects, and in its progrefs has a very fenfible pleasure. Precisely for the fame reason, the words expreffive of fuch objects ought to be placed in the fame order. The beauty of this figure, which may be termed a climax in fenfe, has efcaped Lord Bolingbroke in the first member of the following period : Let but one great, brave, difinterefted, active man arife, and he will be received, followed, and almost adored. The following arrangement has fenfibly a better effect: Let but one brave, great, active, disinterested man arife, &c. Whether the fame rule ought to be followed in enumerating men of different ranks, feems doubtful: on the one hand, a number of perfons prefented to the eye in form of an increafing feries, is undoubtedly the most agreeable order: on the other hand, in every lift of names, we fet the perfon of the greateft dignity at the top, and defcend gradually through his inferiors. Where the purpofe is to honour the perfons named according to their rank, the latter order ought to be followed; but every one who regards himself only, or his reader, will chufe the former order. 3dly, As the fenfe of order directs the eye to defcend from the principal to its greatest acceffory, and from the whole to its greatest part, and in the fame order through all the parts and acceffories till we arrive at the minuteft; the saine order ought to be followed in the enumeration of such particulars. I fhall give one familiar example. Talking of the parts of a column, viz. the bafe, the shaft, the capital, thefe are capable of fix different arrangements, and the question is, Which is the best? When we have in view the erection of a column, we are naturally Ch. XVIII. turally led to exprefs the parts in the order above mentioned; which at the fame time is agreeable by mounting upward But confidering the column as it ftands, without reference to its erection, the fense of order, as observed above, requires the chief part to be named first for that reason we begin with the fhaft; and the bafe comes next in order, that we may afcend from it to the capital. Lattly, In tracing the particulars of any natural operation. order requires that we follow the courfe of nature: historical facts are related in the order of time we begin at the founder of a family, and proceed from him to his defcendents: but in defcribing a lofty oak, we begin with the trunk, and afcend to the branches. When force and liveliness of expreffion are demanded, the rule is, to fufpend the thought as long as poffible, and to bring it out full and entire at the close: which cannot be done but by inverting the natural arrangement. By introducing a word or member before its time, our curiofity is raifed about what is to follow; and it is agreeable to have our curiofity gratified at the clofe of the period: fuch arrangement produceth on the mind an effect fimilar to a ftroke exerted upon the body by the whole collected force of the agent. On the other hand, where a period is fo conftructed as to admit more than one complete clofe in the fenfe, the curiofity of the reader is exhaufted at the first clofe, and what follows appears languid or fuperfluous: his difappointment contributes alfo to that appearance, when he finds, contrary to expectation, that the period is not yet finished. Cicero, and after him Quintilian, recommend the verb to the last place. This method evidently tends to fufpend the fenfe till the clofe of the period; for without the verb the fenfe cannot be complete: and when the verb happens to be the capital word, which is frequently the cafe, it ought at any rate to be put laft, according to another rule, above laid down. I proceed as ufual to illuftrate this rule by examples. The following period is placed in its natural order. Were instruction an effential circumftance in epic poetry, I doubt whether a fingle inftance could be given of this fpecies of compofition, in any language. The The period thus arranged admits a full close upon the word compofition; after which it goes on languidly, and clofes without force. This blemish will be avoided by the following arrangement: Were inftructions an effential circumftance in epic poetry, I doubt whether, in any language, a fingle inftance could be given of this fpecies of compofition. Some of our most eminent divines have made use of this Platonic notion, as far as it regards the fubfiftence of our paffions after death, with great beauty and strength of reason. [Spectator, N° 90. Better thus: Some of our most eminent divines have, with great beauty and ftrength of reason, made ufe of this Platonic notion, &c. Men of the best sense have been touched, more or lefs, with these groundless horrors and prefages of futurity, upon furveying the most indifferent works of na[Spectator, No 595. ture. Better, Upon furveying the moft indifferent works of nature, men of the best sense, &c. She foon informed him of the place he was in, which, notwithstanding all its horrors, appeared to him more fweet than the bower of Mahomet, in the company of his Balfora. [Guardian, No 167. Better, She foon, &c. appeared to him, in the company of his Balfora, more fweet, &c. The Emperor was fo intent on the establishment of his abfolute power in Hungary, that he expofed the Empire doubly to defolation and ruin for the fake of it. Better, Letters on hiftory, vol. 1. let. 7. Bolingbroke. that for the fake of it he expofed the Empire doubly to defolation and ruin. None of the rules for the compofition of periods are VOL. II. C more more liable to be abused, than those last mentioned ; witnefs many Latin writers, among the moderns efpecially, whofe ftyle, by inverfions too violent, is rendered harsh and obfcure. Sufpenfion of the thought till the close of the period, ought never to be preferred before perfpicuity. Neither ought fuch fufpenfion to be attempted in a long period; because in that cafe the mind is bewildered among a profufion of words: a traveller, while he is puzzled about the road, relifhes not the finest profpect: mong All the rich prefents which Aftyages had given him at parting, keeping only fome Median horfes, in order to propagate the breed of them in Perfia, he diftributed ahis friends whom he left at the court of Ecbatana. Travels of Cyrus, book 1. The foregoing rules concern the arrangement of a fingle period: I add one rule more concerning the diftribution of a difcourfe into different periods. A fhort period is lively and familiar: a long period, requiring more attention, makes an impreffion grave and folemn *. In general, a writer ought to ftudy a mixture of long and fhort periods, which prevent an irksome uniformity, and entertain the mind with variety of impreffions. In particular, long periods ought to be avoided till the reader's attention be thoroughly engaged; and therefore a discourse, especially of the familiar kind, ought never to be introduced with a long period: for that reason, the commencement of a letter to a very young lady on her marriage is faulty: Madam, The hurry and impertinence of receiving and paying vifits on account of your marriage, being now over, you are beginning to enter into a courfe of life, where you will want much advice to divert you from falling into many errors, fopperies, and follies, to which your fex is fubject. Swift. See another example, ftill more faulty, in the commencement of Cicero's oration, Pro Archia poeta. Before * Demetrius Phalereus (of Elocution, fect. 44) ob. ferves, that long members in a period make an impreffion of gravity and importance. And the fame obfervation is applicable to periods. |