[ 46 ] 



conftrudion, where the adjedive agrees with the fubftantive, he 

 forms a new fubftantive from the adjedive, which governs the 

 other in the poffefTive cafe. Thus, inftead of " with as eafy an 

 " approach," he always writes, " with the fame facihty of 

 " approach :" inftead of " with fuch hvely turns, fuch elegant 

 " irony, and fuch fevere farcafms," — he fays, " with fuch viva- 

 " city of turn, fuch elegance of irony, and fuch afperity of 

 " farcafm." When the effed produced no otherwife arifes from 

 the fubftantive, than as pofiefled of the quality which the adjedive 

 denotes, this change of conftrudion is an happy one : it ex- 

 prefles that which is neceffary iii the thought, by a necefiary 

 member of the fentence ; whereas the ufual form lays the whole 

 ftrcfs of the idea on a word, which, without the fmalleft injury 

 to the conftrudion, may be fafely removed. An inftance how- 

 ever may fhew, that Johnfon fometimes ufes it where the fame 

 rcafoning would fhew it to be abfolutely improper. " Steele's 

 imprudence of generofity, or vanity of profufion," he fays, 

 " kept him always incurably neceffitous." — Here, fince Steele's 

 generofity could not have kept him nccefTitous if it had not 

 been exceflive or imprudent, " imprudence of generofity" is 

 proper : but as his being vain of profufion, if he had not adually 

 been profufe, never could have produced this efFed ; fince his 

 vanity is but the very remote caufe of that which his profufion 

 would have effeded, whether he had been vain of it or not, 

 " vanity of profufion" is an improper exprcffion. 



This ambition of denoting every thing by fubftantives has 

 done confiderable violence to Johnfon's conftrudions : — " places 

 " of little frequentation," — " circumftances of no elegant recital," 

 — " with emulation of price," — " the library which is of late 



" eredion," 



