THE SPOKEN AND WEITTEN WOED 397 
reader, mind you, I do not say to the hearer, though I think 
I could almost add that too. To TOte well and concisely 
is a rare acquirement, and the pulpit being beyond criticism, 
clergymen almost invariably become diffuse and verbose. 
In too many cases words are thrown in to fill up the time 
allotted to the discourse, partly because the clergyman has 
other more important duties and in many cases because 
he has often nothing new to say on his subject. Be all 
that as it may, I would avoid in the book the diffuse style 
that is so well adapted to lecturing and demonstrating, and 
be as sparing of words and concise as is consistent with an 
easy style. The aylioristic will hardly do for a school book, 
I fear. In lecturing on specimens you cannot so well cloud 
your meaning by words, or weary by repetition, because 
the fact demonstrated is visible and tangible ; repetition 
impresses it on the mind, verbiage gives time to the audience 
— but in a school book it is quite different ; here the fact 
is not visible or prominent ; you have to impress an idea 
or image and repetitions and verbiage take the mind away 
from it. Contrast Faraday's ^ lectures and his ^Titings, and 
they are models for each, but no styles can be more dis- 
similar. Your MS. was more a lecture in writing — and this 
is a lecture on writing — but I really am interested in the 
book and feel my own incompetence to such a task so keenly, 
that I cannot forbear doing everything I can to put you on 
your mettle. You were an admirably clear writer ; perhaps 
15 years of a country hving has not tended to develop the 
faculty. You have all too much your own way in lectures 
and the pulpit ; and write your weekly allowance for the 
pulpit with nobody to pull it to pieces. Do not fear bothering 
me with questions. I hke them from you. 
I retm^n your MS. with some suggestions. I hke its 
plan very much, the only apparent defects (and which would 
probably be much reduced if read in print) are the attempt 
to explain too much as you go along. Facts are one thing, 
the rationale of them is another ; and I doubt if you help 
the bona fide beginner much by mixing causes with effects. 
The beginner must learn hif heart a certain number of 
1 Michael Faraday (1791-1867), who, starting as Sir Humphry Davy's 
assistant, became the greatest discoverer in pure experimental science, was 
proverbial for the personal magic of his lectures, especially to the young. 
