It is ant in I HAVE always entertained a hearty averion intro-thofe unmanly and fulfome ftrains of panegyric, have atwhich dedications have too frequently been comple Human nature feldom appears more unamiable of profe when it stoops to fuch felf-debafement. At the try inci-of adulation I intend to offer no incenfe. A been fugthough I were fo mean as to adopt a differative lantion, it is to be prefumed, that your good prevent me from carrying it into effec Let me however be permitted to ded as fuch a favour may be deemed, I the thought of infcribing this little work character I did not entertain a moft but the opious and sfully incul eral precepts. abundance of e every branch, is was an eafy erent characters. oft difficulty. Toa particular clafs, fupport of this dedous attempt. Of Stilian feem to have he general character themfelves with re in confirmation of lifications as occur in e never had recourfe. eftion the propriety of med, that to the clafs of PREFACE. THE work now prefented to the public is chiefly intended for the perufal of those whofe critical studies are yet in their commencement. To younger ftudents, and to fuch as have not access to more extenfive works, it may perhaps convey fome ufeful inftruction. It is not intruded upon those who are already converfant in polite literature. Should it be found a füitable intro duction to this liberal study, the compiler will have attained the fummit of his ambition. Though it was my principal object to treat of profe compofition, yet a few obfervations on poetry incidentally occur. The remarks which have been fug-gefted with regard to the nature of figurative language, apply equally to profe and to poetry: but the poets have furnished me with the moft copious and. beautiful illuftrations. The rules of criticifm are more fuccefsfully incul cated by particular examples than by general precepts. I have therefore endeavoured to collect abundance of appofite quotations, in order to illuftrate every branch of the fubject. In many inftances this was an eafy tafk: but in the elaffification of the different characters of ftyle, it was attended with the utmost difficulty. To refer the compofitions of an author to a particular clafs, and produce examples from them in fupport of this decifion, will always be found a hazardous attempt. Of this circumftance Cicero and Quinctilian feem to have been fully aware. In treating of the general character of a writer's ftyle, they content themfelves with referring to the body of his works, in confirmation of their fentence. To fuch exemplifications as occur in the following treatise, they have never had recourfe. Without pretending to queflion the propriety of their method, it may be prefumed, that to the clafs of readers for whofe perufal thefe Elements of English Composition are chiefly intended, a different mode of procedure may perhaps be attended with fome advantage. It is of importance for the ftudent to be in fome measure acquainted with the ftyle of every author of eminence. The variety of examples exhibited in the courfe of the work will, at leaft in this view, be found acceptable. Should they fail in their primary design, they may thus be rendered fubfervient to another purpofe. To illuftrate the progreffive improvement of English compofition, I have fubjoined a variety of quotations from eminent authors. They are arranged nearly according to the priority of publication in the worksfrom which they are felected. This felection commences where Johnfon's clofes.* It includes all the moft diftinguished writers of our own times, except those who still live to enjoy the reputation which their talents have fecured. The volume concludes with a few mifcellaneous obfervations on epiftolary writing. To be able to maintain a friendly correfpondence with propriety and elegance, is affuredly a very defirable accomplishment. This branch of compofition ought therefore to be affiduously cultivated, efpecially by every younger ftudent. It may perhaps be alleged, that in my critical strictures I have often betrayed too much feverity of cenfure, and that in general I have been too folicitous to expofe the faults of eminent writers. But let it be re membered, that in a work of this kind it was neceffary to expofe defects, as well as to extol beauties. Thofe errors which have received the fanction of great names are always dangerous. They frequently become the object of abfurd imitation. Je fais," fays Condillac on a like occafion, "qu'on trouvera mes critiques bien feveres; et que la plupart Johnfon's Hiftory of the English Language. |