PART II.

I.-STYLE.

STYLE is the peculiar manner in which ideas are expressed in language.

The most important quality in a good style is perspicuity.

Perspicuity of style depends upon the choice of words and phrases, and the structure of sentences. Perspicuity in the use of words and phrases, requires purity, propriety, and precision.

Perspicuity in the structure of sentences, requires clearness, unity, strength, and harmony.

SECTION I.

PURITY OF STYLE.

Purity of style consists in the use of such words and constructions as belong to the idiom of the language, and are sanctioned by the use of the best authors.

To attain purity of style, avoid-I. Grammatical errors;-II. Foreign, obsolete, and new-coined words and phrases.

EXERCISES.

I. Correct the grammatical errors in the following

sentences:

1. A variety of pleasing objects charm the eye.

2. If the privileges to which he has an undoubted right, and has so long enjoyed, should now be wrested from him, would be flagrant injustice.

3. The religion of these people, as well as their customs and manners, were strangely misrepresented.

4. Whether one person or more was concerned in the business, does not yet appear.

5. The mind of man cannot be long without some food to nourish the activity of his thoughts.

6. They ought to have contributed the same proportion as us, yet we gave a third more than them.

7. Who should I meet the other evening but my old friend.

8. Those sort of favours do real injury under the appearance of kindness.

9. I saw one or more persons enter the garden.

10. Every person, whatever be their station, is bound by the duties of morality and religion.

11. The conspiracy was the easier discovered from its being known to many.

12. The pleasures of the understanding are more preferable than those of the senses.

13. Virtue confers the supremest dignity on man, and should be his chiefest desire.

14. Eve was the fairest of all her daughters.

15. I cannot tell who has befriended me, unless it is him from whom I have received so many favours.

16. The confession is ingenuous, and I hope more from thee now, than I could if you had promised.

17. Each of these words imply some pursuit or object relinquished.

18. No nation gives greater encouragement to learning than we do; yet, at the same time, none are so injudicious in the application. 19. I should be obliged to him, if he will gratify me in that particular.

20. We have done no more than it was our duty to have done. 21. The not attending to this rule is the cause of a very com

mon error.

22. His vices have weakened his mind, and broke his health. 23. They could not persuade him, though they were never so eloquent.

24. We need not, nor do not, limit the divine purposes. 25. The greatest difficulty was found of fixing just sentiments. 26. The error was occasioned by compliance to earnest entreaty, 27. You know the esteem I have of his philosophy.

28. He is resolved of going abroad.

29. Neither the one nor the other shall make me swerve out of the path, which I have traced to myself.

30. Though conformable with custom, the practice is wrong. 31. This remark is founded in truth.

32. Every office of command should be intrusted to persons on whom parliament can confide.

33. The Saxons reduced the greater part of Britain to their own power.

34. He was accused with having acted unfairly.

35. Their conduct was agreeable with their profession.

36. She has an abhorrence to all deceitful conduct.

37. The wisest princes need not think it any diminution to their greatness, or derogation to their sufficiency, to rely upon

counsel.*

II. Correct the errors in the use of foreign, obsolete, or new-coined words and phrases, in the following sentences:

1. The king soon found reason to repent him of provoking such dangerous enemies.

2. The popular lords did not fail to enlarge themselves on the subject.

3. The queen, whom it highly imported that the two monarchs should be at peace, acted the part of mediator.

4. Removing the term from Westminster, sitting the parliament, was illegal.

5. All these things required abundance of finesse and delicatesse to manage with advantage, as well as a strict observance after times and seasons.

6. The hauteur of Florio was very disgracious, and disgusted both his friends and strangers.

7. When I made some à propos remarks upon his conduct, he began to quiz me; but he had as lief let it alone.

8. The gardens were void of simplicity and elegance, and exhibited much that was glaring and bizarre.

9. They thought it an important subject, and the question was strenuously debated pro and con.

10. It irks me to see so perverse a disposition.

11. They have manifested great candidness in the whole transaction.

*If his Pupils have not been thoroughly instructed in Grammar, the Teacher may revert to the Rules of Syntax, on which he will find abundance of exercises in all the ordinary text-books.

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12. It is difficult to discover the spirit and intendment of some laws.

13. It grieveth me to look over so many blank leaves in the book of my life.

14. Methinks I am not mistaken in an opinion, which I have so well considered.

15. Let us not give too hasty credit to stories which may injure our neighbour: peradventure they are the offspring of calumny or misapprehension.

16. It is grievous to think with what volupty two or three eminent personages have opiniatred the inchoation of such barbarisms.

SECTION II.

PROPRIETY OF STYLE.

PROPRIETY of style consists in the selection of such words and phrases, as the usage of the best authors has appropriated to the ideas which we intend to express.

To attain propriety of style, avoid-I. Vulgar expressions, and the injudicious use of technical terms ;— II. The omission of any words which are necessary to complete the sense ;-III. The use of the same word in different senses;-IV. Equivocal or ambiguous words ;-V. All words and phrases, which are unintelligible, inapplicable, or less significant, than others, of the ideas which you mean to convey.

EXERCISES.

I. Correct the vulgar or technical expressions in the following sentences:—

1. He is not a whit better than those whom he so liberally condemns.

2. The meaning of the phrase, as I take it, is very different from the common acceptation.

3. The favourable moment should be embraced, for he does not hold long of one mind.

4. I exposed myself so much among the people, that I had like to have gotten one or two broken heads.

5. He is very dexterous in smelling out the views and designs of others.

6. You may perceive, with half an eye, the difficulties to which such conduct will expose you.

7. This performance is much at one with the other.

8. Every year a new flower, in his judgment, beats all the old ones, though it is much inferior to them both in colour and shape. 9. His name must go down to posterity with distinguished honour in the public records of the nation.

10. If all men were exemplary in their conduct, things would soon take a new face, and religion receive a mighty encouragement. 11. Learning and arts were but then getting up.

12. It fell out unfortunately, that two of the principal persons fell out, and had a fatal quarrel.

13. Most of the hands were asleep in their berths, when the vessel shipped a sea, that carried away our pinnace and binnacle. Our dead-lights were in, or we should have filled. The mainmast was so sprung, that we were obliged to fish it, and bear away for the nearest port.

II. Supply the words which are necessary to make the sense complete, in the following sentences :

1. Let us consider the works of nature and art with proper attention.

2. He is engaged in a treatise on the interests of the soul and body.

3. Some productions of nature rise in value, according as they more or less resemble those of art.

4. The Latin tongue, in its purity, was never in this island. 5. For some centuries, there was a constant intercourse between France and England, by the dominions we possessed there, and the conquests we made.

6. He is impressed with a true sense of that function, when chosen from a regard to the interests of piety and virtue.

7. The wise and foolish, the virtuous and vile, the learned and ignorant, the temperate and profligate, must often, like the wheat and tares, be blended together.

III. Correct the improper use of the same word in different senses, in the following sentences :