■which the historian involves in the stream 
fit his narrative, impels him, it is supposed, 
to communicate his views, sentiments, and 
emotions, to others. it is natural there- 
fore, and as it is natural it is expected, that 
the historian, in most cases, should intro- 
duce his work by glancing at the importance 
and the nature of his main design or object. 
Thus Livy, in his much admired and truly 
admirable preface, expresses his design of 
inquiring into the cause by which the Roman 
empire was extended over the world, and 
reached to such a pitch of greatness that it 
seemed to totter under its own weight. The 
design was noble and grand, and the annun- 
ciation oi it could not but draw attention. 
1 bus Sallust chooses for a subject the Cati- 
linarian conspiracy, because it was “ in the 
highest degree memorable on account of the 
singularity, and the danger involved in the 
enormous crime.” Thus also he writes an 
account ot the Jugurthine war: “first, be- 
cause it was great and terrible, and the success 
various; and, secondly, because a check was 
then given, for the first time, to the insolence 
of the nobility.” In both cases he makes an 
apology lor retiring from political life, and 
employing himself in the composition of his- 
tory. 
2. In didactic discourse, the speaker or 
■writer, after an introduction, states the truth 
which he proposes to prove or illustrate, and 
also the chief propositions or points, by the 
establishment ot which he forms his con- 
clusion. 1 his serves to keep up the attention 
of the hearer or reader to the main object, and 
the connection or dependance of this on the 
intermediate or subordinate propositions ; but 
the heads must not be too many, for other- 
wise they would run into the embarrasment 
of multiplicity, and in fact cease to be 
heads. 
3. As to the disposition of arguments, or or- 
der of placing them, it is generally thought the 
best economy to place the weaker (if they 
are not rather to be omitted altogether) in 
the middle; and such as are stronger, in order 
to excite attention and draw esteem, partly 
in the beginning, and, as what is heard or 
read last commonly dwells longest on the 
mind, partly at the end. But if there are only 
two arguments, the rule is to place the 
stronger first, and then the weaker; and after 
that to resume and insist principally on the 
former. 
4. In matters that admit of doubt or dispu- 
tation, it is proper, after proving vour own 
position, to refute the arguments mged by 
gainsayers or adversaries. 
Lastly, comes the conclusion of the dis- 
course or treatise, or whatever it is called ; 
whu h consists of two parts ; a recapitulation 
of the principal arguments or circumstances, 
and an address to the passions. 
In oratory too, it is observed by rhetori- 
cians, besides the parts just mentioned, there 
is room for 
Digression , transition, and ampLfication. 
Where a subject is of itself but unentertain- 
ing and dry. the mind is relieved and restored 
to the exertion of its powers by amusing 
digression; which, however, it is evident, 
should neither be too frequent nor too long, 
except, indeed, when the cause is very bad, 
and almost hopeless; for, ;n this case, it is 
good economy to divert attention as much as 
Rl-IETOmc. 
possible from too nice a scrutiny into the sub- 
ject. 
transitions are defined to be “forms in 
speach by which orators tell their hearers 
in a few words both what they have said al- 
ready, and what they next design to say.” 
VV hen a discourse consists of a considerable 
number of parts, and especially when these 
are ot considerable length, transitions are 
necessary; but sometimes, in passing from 
one thing to another, a very general hint is 
sufficient. 
By amplification the orater enlarges and 
expatiates on a subject in such a manner as. 
to represent it in the fullest and most com- 
prehensive view, and so that it may strike 
the mind in the most forcible manner, and in- 
fluence the passions. He ascends from things 
particular to things general, or descends from 
tilings general to things particular, and an 
enumeration of instances; he connects his 
position with a concurrence of various causes, 
and on the other hand, with a variety of 
effects; he places things in the light of con- 
trast; lie amplifies facts from the circum- 
stances of time, place, manner, and the like. 
As to the order of historical composition, 
the general effect or impression of the whole 
of the materials, which serves as a bond of 
union among the events which the historian 
weaves into his narrative, serves him also as 
a clue by which he winds back and unfolds 
the concatenation of circumstances which pro- 
duced the grand event, or effect or effects, 
that first interested and induced him to trans- 
mit the whole to posterity. Every legitimate 
history, as well as epic poem, springs from 
some important truth or moral, as from its 
root ; and shoots forth into various branches, 
twigs, leaves, and flowers, until, in due time, 
it reproduces, in a manner, that fruit which 
gave it birth ; until by some issue or catas- 
trophe, it impresses on the mind the doctrine, 
truth, or moral, which forms its principal ob- 
ject ; and as the epic poet, after briefly an- 
nouncing the subject that tires his soul, does 
not Ay directly and rapidly to the end lie has 
in view, but on the contrary, keeps long on 
the wing, and aims in his flight to warm the 
mind and to grat ify its vast desires by frequent 
views of the grandeur, magnificence, and 
beauty of nature; so the historian diversifies 
his narrative by incidents, circumstances, and 
episodes ; various scenes are opened, various 
actors introduced, with various characters 
and manners. 
As the historian is guided bv his taste and 
judgment in the selection of his materials, so 
according to the measure of his taste and 
judgment he assigns them their place. To 
the order in which an infinite variety of ma- 
terials may be best arranged under the eye 
t hat contemplates them, the rules or resources 
of rhetoric scarcely extend. If nothing more, 
yet certainly nothing better, can be said on 
the subject of order in general, than what 
has been said near two thousand years ago by 
Horace, and is still in every mouth : 
Smnitemateriam,vestrisqui scribitis,aequam 
v inbus ; et versate diu quid ferre recusent, 
Quid valeant humeri, cui lecta potenter erit 
res, 
Nec facundia deseret hunc, nec lucidus ordo. 
De Arte Poetica, line 38 — 4l. 
“ O ye writers! make choice of a subject 
suited to your powers ; and ponder long on 
what your shoulders are able or not able to 
4 D 2 
$79 
bear. \\ here there is a good choice, neither 
eloquence nor method will ever be wanting.” 
1 his is in truth the quintessence of rhetoric. 
I here is, however, as Horace immediate! v 
observes, room for taste or judgment, in the 
preferring ot one order or arrangement of 
particulars to another. “ The efficacy and 
grace of method consists in knowing when to 
say any thing, whether on the present, or 
wh; ther, though pertinent enough to the pre- 
sent, it may not with advantage be reserved 
to some future occasion.” The same just* 
and accomplished critic savs elsewhere, more 
generally, 
Scribenui recte, sapere est principium et fonsa 
De Arte Poetica, 1. 289. 
“ 1 he principle and spring of fine writing is 
good sense.” 
As good sense will prescribe just order ia 
composition, so also it will suggest just and 
suitable sentiments. 
Style. A style should correspond to the 
tone of mind of the author, and the tone and 
temper he wishes to communicate toothers. 
The connection between the tone of mind 
and the diction is described by the same Ro- 
man poet, whose great master was Aristotle, 
in so just and connected a manner, that we 
shall content ourselves on the present point 
with quoting a small part of Horace, and re- 
ferring our readers to the poet himself. “ Every 
subject should have a style appropriate to 
itself. A comic subject does not admit of the 
pomp of a tragic strain; nor the bloody sup- 
per of Thyestes bear to be told in the simple 
numbers of comedy. Sometimes, however, 
comedy raises her voice; andChrem.es roused 
to anger and rage, gives vent to his senti- 
ments in a high strain of indignation. Tra- 
gedians', on the contrary, lower their style to 
express their grief. It is natural for men to 
laugh with those that laugh, and weep with 
those that weep ; the human countenance 
to vary with the sympathetic emotions of joy 
or sorrow. If you would have me shed tears, 
you must first shed them yourself. Plaintive 
words are most correspondent with a de- 
jected look. Threats come well from a per- 
son in anger, mirth and pleasantry from a 
facetious temper, and grave remonstrances 
from a severe character.” See De Arte 
Poetica, line 90 — 1 18. 
r I hough these observations are made here 
with a reference to poetical, it is manifest that 
the spiiit ot them (namely, that language 
should be suited to the nature of the subject) 
is applicable to ail composition ; to common 
prose, to oratorical prose, to philosophical or 
didactic prose, and to historical prose; on 
each of which it is proposed to make a' few 
observations. 
But we premise a few remarks on tlj* 
qualities that should prevail in style in gene- 
ral. They may be reduced to these: ] purity- 
2, perspicuity; 3 , vigour; 4, harmony; 5 
dignity ; 6, beauty. * 
Purity consists in the choice of such words 
and phraseology as are agreeable to the most 
general and approved nsuage of the language 
m which we write. 'I he offences against 
purity are accordingly reduced to two, bar- 
barisms and solecisms; the former of which 
respects single words, the latter their con- 
struction in sentences. The words and phrases 
that occur in writings, though in many re- 
