Of HISTORICAL COMPOSITION. 81 



rous inftrument in the hands of the unwary, but it is a power- 

 ful one in the hands of the judicious. He who relates thofe 

 great tranfactions, in which the paflions of men have been in- 

 terefted, muft enter into the fcenes which he defcribes, and muft 

 {peak the language of thofe who bore a part in them. A cold 

 narrative that is literally true would often be a falfe picture, 

 Expreffion, befides, is as fufceptible of modifications as the fenti- 

 ment to which it gives vent. During the influence of paffion, 

 figurative language indicates the degree of emotion excited in 

 the fpeaker, and ftimulates the hearer's feelings till they accord 

 with his own. Even the illiterate fuffer no delufion by that 

 play of fancy which gives energy to fpeech. They, as well as 

 the learned, inftinctively ftrip the animated conception of what 

 is adventitious, and interpret meaning with the moft precife ex- 

 act nefs. 



ALTHOUGH the hiftorian, by the exertions of his fancy, may 

 often introduce ornament with advantage, yet he muft beware 

 of employing it to excefs. An impertinent profufion of beau- 

 ties tallies not with that dignity of manner which he mould af- 

 fume and maintain. It is either tfte fign of that flippant cha- 

 racter, which is beneath him, or it is the refource of one, con- 

 fcious of his own coldnefs, and borrowing from art the figns 

 of that animation which nature has denied him. 



BUT imagination is of ufe to the hiftorian, not only when he 

 is heated with his fubject, and thereby led to adopt figurative 

 language, but alfb when he means to defcribe. The vivacity 

 of thofe conceptions which he is able to excite in others may 

 equal, but will never furpafs the vivacity of his own. By 

 means of fancy, he can feize the circumftance moft character- 

 iftic of each object. From a juft confcioufnefs of the laws of 

 aflbciation in his own mind, he difcovers what thefe fhould 

 be in thofe of others who have an equally correct tafte. By 

 laying hold of one or a few circumftances wifely, he may pro- 

 duce a very powerful effect. He may give exiftence to ani- 

 mated defcription, inftead of a lifelefs, becaufe a verbofe detail. 



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