est pine hewn on the mountains of Norway, to be a mast for the ship of some great admiral, were but little in comparison of his spear, with which he walked, to support his uneasy steps over the burning sulphur (not like his former steps in heaven), and the heat of hell smote on him sore besides, for it was surrounded and covered with fire; nevertheless, he endured it, until he came to the brink of the inflamed sea, where he stood, and called his legions, angelic forms, who lay entranced and confounded with their fall, as thick as leaves in autumn, that fall into the brooks in Valombrosa, where the trees cover over and shade the stream; or like scattered sedge afloat, when Orion, attended with boisterous winds, hath rexed the coast of the Red Sea, whose waves overthrew Busiris, and his Memphian horsemen and chariots, while with treacherous hatred they pursued the Israelites, who, from the safe shore beheld their carcasses floating, and their broken chariot-wheels; so thick lay these, abject and lost, in a manner covering the flood, and in the utmost consternation and amazement at their hideous and unhappy change. Satan called so loud that his voice resounded through all the hollow deep of hell.

The plan recommended by Mr. Joseph Emerson, is this: In the first place, read over the piece you intend to transpose, in order to imbibe the general spirit of it. Then begin with the first sentence, and ascertain the meaning of every word and phrase, as exactly as possible. If it consist of members, see if they cannot be transposed to advantage. After deciding upon the member of the sentence with which to begin, think how it can be expressed in the most easy, familiar, and intelligible prose. You will sometimes find it necessary to use twice as many words as your author, in order to express the same ideas; and you may now and then intersperse an idea of your own, when you can do it with perfect ease. In this manner you may proceed, till you have furnished twenty or thirty lines, which will be enough for one exercise. Figurative language may be retained or not, just as is most convenient; but always endeavor to be consistent with yourself in this particular.

As an illustration, he has selected and transposed the following lines from the Night Thoughts, near the middle of the Relapse, Night V.:

Our funeral tears from different causes rise:
As if from separate cisterns in the soul,
Of various kinds they flow. From tender hearts,
By soft contagion call'd, some burst at once,
And stream obsequious to the leading eye.
Some ask more time, by curious art distill'd.
Some hearts in secret hard, unapt to melt,

Struck by the magic of the public eye,

Like Moses' smitten rock, gush out amain.
Some weep to share the fame of the deceased,

So high in merit, and to them so dear:

They dwell on praises which they think they share;
And thus, without a blush, commend themselves.

Transposed, the passage may read thus:

Though tears are generally considered as an expression of sorrow, yet they are extremely diverse, especially those shed at funerals, and flow from a variety of causes. Some are possessed of hearts so feeling, and sympathetic, that they cannot cease for a moment to weep with them that weep. Some whose emotions are less vigorous, require more time to work themselves up into a weeping frame, and thus show their condolence by their tears. Some who in secret will not heave a single sigh at the woes of a brother, will weep in public lest the world should think them destitute of natural affection. ["Like Moses' smitten rock," is a comparison I dislike.] Some weep in order to participate the praises of the dead, to show that they were the friends, to imply that they were the beloved of the wise and honorable. They dwell with enthusiasm on those qualities of which they suppose themselves possessed in common with the deceased, and in this way have the impudence to commend themselves without a single blush.

LESSON CXXVI.

IMPROVING THE STYLE OF OLD AUTHORS-AND ABRIDGING MODERN AUTHORS.

Let a half page or more of some good writer of the seventeenth century, such as Barrow, be selected, abounding in parentheses, and in ill-arranged sentences or clauses, and let the same matter be presented, according to the rules given in the previous portions of this work, in as good a style as the student may be able to command.

This task will give exercise to judgment and taste. It will make him acquainted with the changes for the better which our language and literature have undergone within two centuries past, and it will habituate him to such a style as would give satisfaction at the present day.

This exercise would be still more useful, if the student were required to append his criticism upon the departures from approved rules, which he had noticed in the author quoted, or upon the excellencies of style or thought which he had discovered.

To the last exercises may be added frequent experiments in abridging pages of some of the best writings of our own age, some of the pages of Irving, Bancroft, Prescott, Everett, and others, preserving only the most important facts and circumstances, and connecting them together in as happy a manner as possible.

The more capable students might also add such analyses of the original passage, and literary criticisms upon the beauties or faults therein found, as their own knowledge of rhetorical rules and their taste might suggest.

LESSON CXXVII.

TRANSLATIONS AND PARAPHRASE.

1. The practice of frequently translating Latin, Greek, French, German, or Italian passages into good, idio matic, and expressive English, would be attended with the double advantage of imparting a more full and accurate acquaintance with the foreign language and a more complete command of our own.

Sir Walter Scott, in writing to his son, observes: "You should exercise yourself frequently in trying to make translations of the passages which most strike you, trying to invest the sense of Tacitus in as good English as you can. This will answer the double purpose of making yourself familiar with the Latin author, and giving you the command of your own language, which no person will ever have, who does not study English Composition in early life."

2. The task of paraphrasing a sentence or a paragraph will be found a help in preparing to write on general sub

jects. It consists in expanding the thought or thoughts presented, expressing them in clearer terms, and holding them up in various lights, and occasionally, in illustrating them by a reference to experience or to history.

The Bible furnishes an inexhaustible supply of the best passages for such a form of composition. The following example shows how the exercise is, in general, to be conducted :

"Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him: answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit."

This paradox has been well explained, thus:

"The fool is one who does not make a proper use of his reason. When he speaks in the folly of passion, answer him not with folly, but give a 'soft answer, which turneth away wrath.'

"Answer not the folly of mere talkativeness with similar folly. Perpetual prating about nothing may often be put down by a dead silence. Answer not the folly of unreasonableness, false argument, or prejudice, by like folly; but 'prove all things, and hold fast that which is good.'

"Answer not the folly of profaneness by folly like his own, but by marked silence, or well-timed reproof.

"Answer not the folly of malignity, with like folly. There is that which speaketh like the piercings of a sword; but the tongue of the wise is as a healing medicine. In the mouth of the foolish there is a rod of pride; but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.'

"Answer not the folly of peevishness according to its folly, but pity, forbear, and forgive; and

"The tear that is wiped with a little address,

May be follow'd, perhaps, with a smile.'

"Answer not the folly of captiousness with similar folly. Be not displeased when you are contradicted; above all, do not wait for an oppor tunity of contradicting in your turn, to pay off the supposed affront.

6

"Answer not the folly of flattery according to itself, but turn to it a deaf ear, a disgusted heart; for he that flattereth his neighbor, spreadeth a net for his feet. Flattery cherishes pride, self-love, and self-ignorance. "But answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit; that is, answer him so as to refute him on his own false principles, lest his being left without an answer, should lead him to suppose that his folly is unanswerable, and so confirm him in his mistake. Answer him, if he fancies himself right when he is clearly in the wrong, if possible *c prevent him deluding others.

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LESSON CXXVIII.

SOURCES OF ILLUSTRATION.

The following sources of illustration may be resorted to: (1.) Simile and Metaphor.-These may be sought in the Bibl and other books.

(2.) Proverbs and Wise sayings.-Not only Solomon's Book of Proverbs, but the "Proverbial Philosophy" of Tupper, Trench's “Lessons in Proverbs,” Bohn's “Handbook of Proverbs,” and the biographies of wise and good men will furnish material.

(3.) The events of Daily Life.-A battle, a shipwreck, a railway accident, a noble action, a base deed-any occurrence may be employed to illustrate some truth.

(4.) History and Biography.-The historical and biographical portions of sacred Scripture alone are peculiarly rich in material for the illustration of every moral and religious subject: but to these other histories and biographies will contribute a large addition.

Here it occurs to the author, to recommend to the young to begin at once the practice of inserting in a Common-place Book, under appropriate heads, such historical and biographical incidents as may be met with in the course of daily reading; or at least to enter references to the book and page in which such topics are illustrated.

(5.) Manners and Customs afford endless illustrations.

LESSON CXXIX.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF ILLUSTRATION.

1. The Physical Sciences are a copious source of illustration, on every subject. In writing, therefore, it will be well to reflect what illustrations of any given topic we may derive from Zoology, from Botany, Physiology, Astrono my, Natural Philosophy, Physical Geography, and Chemis