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deform it. But, if we read in a just fpirit, per haps we cannot read too much: in other words, if we mix our own reflections with what we read; if we diffect the ideas and arguments of our author; if, by having recourfe to all fubfidiary: means, we endeavour to clear the recollection of him in our minds; if we compare part with part, detect his errors, new model his systems, adopt fo much of him as is excellent, and explain within ourselves the reason of our disappro-, bation as to what is otherwife. A judicious reader will have a greater number of ideas that are his own paffing through his mind, than of ideas prefented to him by his author. He fifts his merits, and bolts his arguments, What he adopts from him, he renders his own, by repafling in his thoughts the notions of which it confifts, and the foundation upon which it refts, correcting its mistakes, and fupplying its defects. Even the most dogmatical branches of ftudy, grammar, and mathematics, fupply him with hints, and give a turn to his meditations. Reading and learning, when thus purfued, not only furnish the most valuable knowledge; but afford incite ments to the mind of a thoufand denominations,' and add a miraculous fort of finishing to its: workmanship which could have been bestowed: by no other means. It furnishes, what is of all

things most important, occafions for approbation and difapprobation. It creates a certain manlinefs of judgment, not indebted for its decifive character to partiality and arrogance, but fecing truth by its own light, even while it never divefts itself of the fobriety of scepticism, and accommodated to the office of producing conviction in its intimates and hearers.

To prevent misconstruction it is perhaps neceffary to obferve, that the tendency of this Effay is to recommend learning. It proceeds upon the fuppofition that there is a clafs, and a numerous class of men, by whom severe and profound reading is decried. The term felf-educated, was defined in the beginning, to mean those who had not engaged in any methodical and perfevering courfe of reading; and elsewhere it was faid of them that they held, that the man who would be original and impreffive, muft meditate rather than hear, and walk rather than read. If there be any fingularity in this use of the term, it is hoped at leaft that the reader will not put a fenfe upon it in this prefent inftance, which is foreign to the intention of the writer. He is far from thinking all men of learning refpectable, and he joins moft cordially in the general propenfity to withhold from the mere pedant every degree of eftimation. The prin

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ciples intended to be maintained are, that learning is the ally, not the adversary of genius; and that he who reads in a proper fpirit, can scarcely read too much.

ESSAY

ESSAY XII.

OF ENGLISH STYLE.

No

SECT. I.

Introduction.

O literary enquiry can be more interefting to an inhabitant of Great-Britain, than that refpecting the history of the English language, and particularly that branch of its hiftory, which may enable us to decide, at what time it has been written and spoken in the greatest purity and perfection.

The ftream of opinion feems to be unfavourable to the age in which we live. The judgment

of Swift and the most eminent writers in the firft part of the prefent century, feems to have been, that the period of queen Elizabeth was the golden age of the English language. Ask the scholars and men of tafte of the prefent day; they will perhaps for the most part give their fuffrage to the reign of queen Anne.

Men of taste of the prefent day think they fee, as Swift believed he saw before them, the influx of a corrupt and barbarous ftyle. The mode of writing which is now practifed, we are told, is dazzling and gaudy, not of intrinsic value. Our language is infected with a motley train of foreign phrafeology. We adopt expreffions with eagerness, which, at the fame time that they are opposed to all just analogy, are in their own nature bad and contemptible. We hunt after unreal beauties. The dignified fimplicity, which characterised the language of our forefathers, is no more.

It may be allowable to fufpect the justice of this invective, when it is recollected, how univerfally the prejudice has fpread, in favour of former times and diftant ages. This prejudice has however suffered grievous defalcations. It is pretty generally acknowledged, that science and the improvement of the human mind, are in a progreffive state. It has come to be vehemently fufpected, that the political maxims and the moral conduct of our ancestors, were not altogether fo perfect as they have been reprefented. May it not then happen, that the opinion in favour of their language may prove equally hafty and unfounded?

It is the purpose of this Effay to show, that

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