called the grand, the fublime; it employs whatever in eloquence is moft elevated, has the greateft force, and is most capable of moving the affections; fuch as noble thoughts, rich expreffions, bold figures, and lively paffions. It is this fort of eloquence that governed all things in old Athensand Rome, and determined abfolutely in the public councils and measures. It is this that tranfports and feizes admiration and applause. it is this that thunders and lightens, and, " like a rapid ftream, carries away and bears down all before it.

In fine, there is a third ° fpecies of eloquence, which feems to be placed, as it were, between the other two; having neither the plainness and fimplicity of the first, nor the force and energy of the second: it comes near them, but without refembling them; and participates, or, to speak more properly, is equally diftant from both. It has more force and copioufnefs then the first, but it is lefs fublime than the second: it admits of all the embellishments of art, the beauty of figures, the fplendor of metaphors, the luftre of thoughts, the grace of digreffions, and the harmony of numbers and cadence. It nevertheless flows gently, like a beautiful river, whofe water is clear and pure, and is overfhaded on each fide with verdant forefts.

"At ille qui faxa devolvat, & pontem indignetur, & ripas fibi faciat, multus & torrens judicem vel mitentem contra feret, cogetque ire qua rapit. Quintil. 1. 12. c. 10.

• Eft quidam interjectus intermedius, & quafi temperatus, nee acumine pofteriorum, nec fulmine utens fuperiorum; vicinus amborum, in neutro excellens; utriufque particeps, vel utriufque, fi verum quærimus, potius expers. Ifque uno tenore, ut aiunt, in dicendo Auit, nihil afferens præter facilita tem & æqualitatem. Orat. n. 21.

ARTICLE the FIRST.

Of the fimple kind.

F thefe three kinds of writing, the P first, which is the fimple, is not the eafieft, though it seems to be fo. As its ftile is very natural, and does not deviate much from common difcourfe, we imagine no great ability or genius are required to fucceed in it; and when we read or hear a difcourfe in this kind, those who have the least notion of eloquence think themselves capable of imitating it. They think fo indeed, but are mistaken; and to convince them, let them only make a trial of it; for, after much pains, they will be obliged to own they could not attain it'. Thefe who have any tafte of true eloquence, and are the best skilled in it, own there is nothing fo difficult as to speak with the weight and propriety, and at the fame time in fo plain and natural a manner, that every man flatters himself he could do as much.

II. Cicero, in his firft Book de Oratore, obferves, that what excels moft in other arts, is furtheft from the understanding and capacity of the common people; and, on the contrary, that is a great fault in eloquence, to vary from the common way of speaking.

p Summiffus eft & humilis, confuetudinem imitans, ab indifertis re plus quam opinione differens. Itaque eum qui audiunt, quamvis ipfi infantes fint, tamen illo modo confidunt fe poffe dicere. Nam orationis fubtilitas, imitabilis quidem illa videtur effe exiftimanti; fed nihil eft experienti minus. Orat. n. 76.

9 Ut fibi quivis fperet idem, fudet multum, fruftraque laboret aufus idem. Horat.

r Rem indicare fermonis quotidiani, & in quemcunque etiam indoctiorum cadentis effe exifti

mant: cum interim, quod tanquam facile contemnunt, nescias præftare minus velint, an poffint. Neque enim aliud in eloquentia cuncta experti difficilius reperient, quam id quod fe dicturos fuiffe omnes putant; poftquam audierunt. Quintil. 1. 4. c. 2.

• In cæteris artibus id maxime excellit, quod longiffime fit ab imperitorum intelligentia fenfuque disjunctum : in dicendo autem vitium vel maximum eft, a vulgari · genere orationis atque a confuetudine communis fenfus abhorrere. Lib. 1. de Orat. n. 12.

He

He does not however pretend to infinuate by this, that the ftile of the orator must be like that of the populace, or the language of common converfation; but what he requires, is, that the orator should carefully avoid the expreffions, the turns and thoughts which might render an oration obfcure and unintelligible, by too affected an elegance, or too much sublimity. Since he had no other view but to be underfood, it is certain that the greatest error he can fall into, is to speak unintelligibly. What therefore diftinguishes his ftile, from that of converfation, is not, properly speaking, the difference of words or terms'; for they are very near the fame on both fides, and derived from the fame fource, both for common speech, and the most pompous oration; but the orator knows how by his use and difpofition of them, to raise them, as it were, above every thing common, and give them a peculiar grace and elegance, which at the fame time is so natural, that every one would think he could fpeak in the fame manner.

III. Quintilian makes a very judicious remark on the topic before us, in explaining a feeming contradiction between two paffages in Cicero. “Tully u" fays he," has fomewhere writ, that perfection confifts in faying fuch things as we imagine every one might eafily fay; in attempting which however more difficulty is found than was expected. And he fays, in "another place, that he did not ftudy to fpeaks every one imagined he could do, but as none could

66

t Non funt alia fermonis, alia contentionis verba; neque ex alio genere ad ufum quotidianum, alio ad fcenem pompamque fumuntur: fed ea nos cum jacentia fuftulimus e medio, ficut molliffimum ceram ad noftrum arbitrium formamus & fingimus. Lib. 3. de Orat. n. 177.

u Cicero quodam loco fcribit id effe optimum, quod cum te facile -credideris conft qui imitatione, non poffis. Alio vero non sed, id, egiffe, ut ita ciceret quomodo fe

quilibet poffe confidere, fed quomodo nemo. Quid poteft pug. nare inter fe vide i. Verum utrumque, ac merito, ludatur. Caufa enim modoque diftat: quia fimplicitas illa, & velut fecuritas inaffectate orationis, mire tenues caufas decet; majoribus illud admirabile dicendi genus magis convenit. In utroque eminet Cicero: ex quibus alterum imperiti fe poffe confequi credent, neutrum qui intelligunt. Quintil. 1. 1. c. 1.

" conceive

"conceive poffible; in which he feems to contradict "himfelf. But both these are very juft; for the " only difference is in the subject treated. And in"deed, this fimplicity, and negligent air of a natu“ral file, where nothing is affected, is extremely "well adapted to small caufes or affairs; as the mar"vellous ftile is to grand and important ones. Cicero "excels in both; of which one, in the opinion of "the ignorant, is easily attained; but neither of "them is fo, in the judgment of the learned." We fee by this, that the plain ftile is to be ufed, when we Speak of fimple and common things; and that it is particularly adapted to narratives or relations, and to thofe parts of a difcourfe wherein the orator's only view is to inftruct his auditors, or to infinuate himself gradually into their affections.

x

IV. From thence proceeded the care of the ancients to conceal art, which indeed ceases to be fo when perceived; widely different from the oftentati on and parade of thofe writers, whofe aim is to dif play their wit. From thence refulted a certain kind of negligence, no way offenfive or difagreable, because it intimates, that the orator is more intent upon things than words. In a word, thence refulted that air of modesty and reserve, which the ancients generally took care to discover in the exordium and natration, in their ftile, expreffion, thoughts, and even in the tone of their voice and their action. The orator has not yet attained the favourable opinion of his hearers. We examine him carefully. Every thing

Inde illa veterum circa occultandam eloquentiam fimulatio, multum ab hac temporem noftrorum jactâtione diverfa. Quintil. lib. 4. c. I.

* Habet ifte ftilus quiddam quod indicet non ingratam negligentiam, de re hominis magis quam de verbis laborantis. Orat. n. 77.

y Frequentiffime proœmium decebit & fententiarum, & compoVOL. II.

D

fitionis, & vultas modeflia.... Diligenter, ne fufpecti fimus in illa parte, vitandum: propter quod minime ofentari debit in principis cura, quia videtur ars omnis centis contra judicem adhiberi.. Nondum recepti fumus, & custodit nos recens audientiumn attentio. Magis conciliatis animis; & jam calentibus; hæc libertas fere ur. Quintil. lib. 4. c. I.

then

then that favours of art is fufpected by the auditors, and creates a diffidence, by making them apprehenfive, that there is a defign to enfnare them. They are afterwards lefs upon their guard, and give more liberty.

z Cicero obferves, that Demofthenes followed this rule in his beautiful oration for Ctefiphon, where he fpeaks at first with a foft and modest tone, and does not proceed to the quick and vehement ftile which is afterwards predominant, till he had infinuated himself by degrees into the opinion of the auditors, and made himself master of them: he would have us, for that reafon be a little timorous in the beginning, and extols this character of modefty and refervednefs in Craffus, which far from being injurous to his difcourse, made the orator himself more amiable and eftimable, by the advantageous idea it gave of his person.

Homer and Virgil, whofe poetry is fo noble and fublime, begin their poems in the most plain and fimple manner; far unlike that line which Horace juftly cenfures in a cotemporary bard.

Fortunam Priami contabo, & nobile bellum.

The glorious war, and Priam's fate I'll fing.

It is indeed ridiculous to cry out with fo loud a voice, and promise such mighty things in the very firft verfe. The exordium ought generally to be plain and unaffected. This fire, this fudden fplendor, often turns into smoke; whereas a stile at firft more fimple and lefs glittering gives extreme pleasure, when followed by exalted brightness.

z Demofthenes in illa pro Ctefiphonte oratione longe optima, fummiffius a principio; deinde, dum de legibus difputat, preffius; poft fenfim incedens, judices ut vidit ardentes, in reliquis exultavit audacius. Orat. n. 26.

Principia verecunda, non elatis intenta verbis. Ibid. n. 124.

Fuit mirificus quidam in Craf

fo pudor, qui tamen non modo non obeffet ejus orationi, fed etiam probitatis commendatione prodeffet. 1. de Orat. n. 122.

b

Quid dignum tanto feret hie promillor hiatu? Horat. de Art, Poet.

• Non fumun ex fulgore, fed ex fumo dare lucem cogitat. Ibid.