1796. | 
tainty of degree only, which can be removed 
or leffened by comparifon. To expres 
the unafcertained height of an houfe, we 
fay, ic is more or lefs high than another, 
which we fee. We may eftablifh it as a 
rule, that where any thing exifts in a fu- 
perlative degree, or where the fubjeét ad- 
mits of no variation or degree at all, every 
comparifen muft be abfurd; fince com- 
parifon is employed to remove uncertain- 
ty of degree. I have feen, in books of 
logic, thofe reafoners cenfured, who at- 
tempt to explain /gmotwm per rgnctius. A 
little attention tothe forms of logic thows 
this language to be abfurd and contradic- 
tory. A faét is unknown to me, but an- 
other faétis ftill more unknown. It fol- 
lows, then, that in as much as my igno- 
rance of one fact exceeds my ignorance of 
the other fa€t, I have an imperfeé& know- 
ledge of that fact: but this is contrary to 
the firft pofition. There is net a more ge- 
acral (more untverfal would be objection- 
able) expreffion, even by our beft writers, 
than more perfect; but, furely, perfection 
‘cannot admit of degrees, though the term 
is grammatically pofitive. There are 
many adjectives, from which, I think, com- 
paratives ought to be excluded ; and thofe, 
IT think, are the words expretlive of fome 
determinate and precife quality. I would 
fay, “ Erfkine is the mo/? eloquent of Eng- 
‘ith Barrifters,” for the degree of attain- 
able eloquence cannot poflibly be fixed: 
but I would fay, ‘* Johnion is the /eaj? in- 
accurate of writers; for accuracy admits 
not of degrees, and does not, perhaps, 
ftrictly exift in any form. I make ufe of 
the phrate “ /e/s uzbappy,”’ becaule I doubt 
whether the term happy, when firictly con- 
fidered, does not exclude the ufe of -com- 
parifons; for it means the higheft ftare of 
“enjoyment. But it may be faid, that the 
comparifon of equality, would, in fuch 
cafes, be lefs abfurd than the adverb of in- 
. creafe or diminution; but, at leaft, it is 
pefitively ufelefs, Laftead of faying, that 
the manufactures of one country are as 
perfect as thofe of another, we fhould fim- 
ply fay, they are perfeét; for nothing ‘is 
gained by the comparifon. There is an- 
other fault, which, with refpeét to com- 
paratives, we daily commit, by employing 
a verb, which directly oppofes our real 
fentiments, and conne ling it with a qua- 
lifying adverb; when, correétly, we thould 
ufe both verb and.adverb of direétly con- 
trary import. A perfon who is reduced 
to a choice of difficulties, will yet exprefs 
himfelf as if he had objects of defire before 
him, A conviét might, perhaps, tell you, 
he dked detter to be tran{ported, than hang- 
| 
\ 
Propofal, Se. for improving our Languages 
443 
ed. And a found mathematician will 
teach you the ea/ie/i mode of folving a 
problem which could not in any manner 
be done without confiderable difficulty. 
Thefe remarks will, I truft, be fufh- 
cient to induce every perfon, who is de- 
firous of fpeaking correétly, to examine 
how often he employs comparifons where 
they ought-not to be made; and fays, 
he “kes that deff, which, in truth, he 
diflikes the leaft. SINBORON. 
Oe he 
To the Ediior of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
I Find there is no book of more fafhion- 
able reading at prefent, than the Life 
of Lorenzo de Medici, lately given to 
the world by Mr. Roscor. Ido not 
pretend to deny the merits of this pub- 
lication ; it may be very elegantly writ- 
ten, and the ingenious author may be 
deeply verted in Italian literature, but I 
muft take the liberty to fay, that in one 
material point the hiftory is miferably 
defective. It wants, fir) the effential 
requifite of credibility. Mr. Rotcoe tells 
us, that this Lorenzo (who, to be fure, 
was as rich and as magnificent as any 
prince before or fince his time) in a town 
abounding with every incentive to plea- 
{ure and ditlipation, etablifhed a fort of 
philofophical club, where he and his fa- 
vourites, men alfo of birth and fafhion, 
or rich bankers and merchants, amuled 
themfelves with ftudying Greek, and 
reading Plato. Wloreover, when Lo- 
renzo went down to his country feat, to 
which the moft learned men in Italy 
reforted,: Mr. Rofcoe pretends (1 give 
his own words) ‘ that it was the caftom 
for one of the party, after dinner, to fe- 
Icé&t certain paflages from the works of 
Plato, which were fubmitted to the elu- 
cidation ef the company; each of the 
guefis undertaking the illuftration or 
dif{cuiiion of fome important or doubtful 
point. Though Lorenzo was confeffedly 
at the head of the State, we are not in- 
formed that his own birth-day was kept 
with any peculiar feftivities; or that fo 
much as his tradefmen lighted a candle 
on the oceafion : but the birth-day of the 
faid old Greek philofopher was celebrated 
every year in the moft folemn manner; a 
perfon of rank, as well as learning, pre- 
fiding at the ceremony. The moft ready 
way to the favour of Lorenzo, feems to 
have been either to bring him fome old 
Greek MSS. or an antique gem or vafe ; 
not as prefents, for he baught them, and 
was heard to fay, as the account goes, 
that he could not lay out his immenfe 
2 ens fortuns 
