Quint

bigger than the Life; the affuming an Air of Refert Grandour in petty Affairs; the Affectation of cognofcere lofty Expreffions upon low Subjects; the De- audientiqui fint fire of furprizing the Multitude with the Bril- um mores, lancy of their Wit; the Pretence to Warmth qua publicė and Paffion, upon Subjects that won't bear recepti them out in it; the aftonifhing and over-bear- perfuafio. ing weaker Auditors, by ftrong Periods, or profound Speculations. Eloquence forfeits its true Character, when its Lights and Graces do not prove commenfurate to the Apprehenfions of thofe to whom they are addrefs'd: Because it can never gain an entrance into the Mind, but by the agreeablenefs of thofe Reafons in which it conveys it felf. The Diverfity of Ages Conditioand Sexes, of Fortunes and Conditions, of ne tempoAbilities, whether natural or acquir'd, fhould rum, ac diverfitate oblige an Orator to different Manners, in com- aurium, pliance with thefe different Eftates. Regard formam omust be had to Time, Place, and Perfons, rationis or this Decorum, which is fo neceffary to dam. Dial. effe mutan good Speaking, can never be preferved. In de Orat. conclufion, an Orator ought likewife to have regard to himself; he ought to confider his own Age, his Rank and Station in the World," the Opinion that Men entertain of his Abilities, his Stock of Credit and Authority: For all these Particulars will demand their juft Weight and proper Influence on his Discourse.

XIII,

Ut gubers ratori ad incurfus

It is neceffary we should know, in general, tempeftahow to diftinguish the various Characters of tum, fic aEloquence, that we may apply them to Ufe, genti ad according to the Nature and Exigency of our varietatem Subject, and may never confound, or mif- caufarum place them: 'Tis impoffible to be guilty of tanda.

ratio mu

this Quint.

Tenues

this Fault with Impunity; becaufe Eloquence caufa, te is fo nice an Art that it can bear nothing out nuè dicen of Place and Seafon. The great and lofty Air di filum requirunt, must be for great Places and great Affemblies, Cic.Orat. for Multitude and Concourfe. For the People

must be entertain'd with a Statelinefs of Manner, a Length and Copioufnefs of Speech, and a Grandour of Expreffion. This Character must likewise be applied to all noble or important Subjects, whereas Subjects of little Weight or Dignity require a Style that is natural, fimple, and perfpicuous. In Panegyrick the Style fhould be elevated and diffused pofcitur In Accufations it must be clofe and fevere. aufteraf criminal Cafes will not be treated of like Ciaccufes, vil, nor grand Affairs like petty Concerns. In fufa fi lau. des. Quin. fhort, as Eloquence muft appear grave and majestick on Points of State and Ceremony,

Oratio

fimple and modeft on familiar, or inftructive Loquendi Subjects, fo it will arrive at its laft Perfection, accurata if it has the Secret of rightly proportioning &fine Words to Things, and of preferving an Elemoleftia gance that is not ftudied, and an Exactness diligens elegantia. that is not fuperftitious. In which refpect, there are two Extremes with the utmost CauBrut. tion to be avoided, the frigid, and the boyish Style: Of which the former renders a Difcourfe dry and infipid, by a Bafenefs and Languor of Expreffion; the latter renders it ungrateful and fhocking, by vain Tumor, and affected Amplification.

XIV.

Tho' Longinus fpeaks of thefe two Styles which we but now mentioned, as in fome fort coincident with each other; yet they feem capable of being thus diftinguifhed: Those who

affect

affect the frigid Style, imploy great Expreffions, when the Subject requires little; and thofe that affect the boyish Style, make ufe of little Expreffions, when the Subject requires great. But our Language is become fo modeft, fo referved, and fo fcrupulous, as to reckon too strong, or too fhining Expreffions, too bold and hardy Metaphors, and too frequent Points, under the frigid Style; as under the Boyish, Humour and Pleasantry in ferious Subjects, too loofe and languishing Repetition in those Parts of a Difcourfe which ought to be compact and concife, too violent Exaggerations, and too laborious Figures.

XV.

'Tis impoffible for any Man to fucceed in the true Sublimity of Style, unless he be intirely perfuaded, that he muft owe this Sublimity rather to the Things of which he treats, to the noble Ideas which he forms of them, and to the Elevation of his Genius, than to the Boldness of Expreffion, or the Pomp and Splendor of Words, or the Equipage of farfetch'd Circumlocutions. Whenfoever the lofty Style ceafes to be natural, it degenerates into the low and vulgar Character: For all its Support, and all its State, must be in it felf. Pindar and Sophocles fometimes take fo high a Flight, by the Advantage of their Noble Phrafe, that the Reader is at a loss to follow them: But being unable to fuftain this Elevation, (which cannot be natural, becaufe 'tis not always in the Things themselves;) they fometimes again fall to the very Ground, and are no longer known to be the fame Perfons. This is a Fault which the World will never 'pardon:

pardon: Because 'tis an Act of Prefumption in any one, to affect a Shew of Greatness, when he wants the Reality, and to attempt to rife, Oratio without Wings to bear him up. The true fententiis Secret, is to ftudy a juft Conception of Things, debet effe fo as to ufe no other Words, but what are quàm ver- fuited to the Dignity of the Subject. A great bis.Quint. Subject will ever furnish out great Thoughts;

ornatior

gredienda

and great Thoughts are naturally fruitful in great Expreffions, and a Majeftick Phrafe. Again, it is highly important, not to carry Things by dint of Style farther than they will go; for fear of a ridiculous Fall, after an extravagant Flight. 'Tis no eafie Matter to get clear of thefe Extremes: The way of coming off from fo daring an Effort; fo full and finish'd a Stroke, is fcarce ever Natural. We very rarely excufe this kind of Hardiness, which gives too much Strength to that which is weak and feeble, and too much Height to that which is low and trivial. Men of exact Caution forbear fometimes to reprefent even Great Subjects in their full Dimensions, or to arm them with all their Force. But 'tis a nice Piece of Art to know how to make this Diftinction without committing an Error: Becaufe Men are generally inclin'd to pay larger Refpects to their own Fancy, than to their Judgment.

XVI.

Majori a- As the ufual Fault of great Genius's, is nimo 48, their neglect of proportioning themselves to eft elo- the Measure of their Subject, or the Capacity quentia, of their Audience; fo the Fault of little Geque fi toto capillum reponere, ad fuam curam per

corpore valet, ungues polire, tinere non exiftimat. Quint.

nius's is their too fcrupulous' Care, and affected Diligence, in labouring more than they ought to finish fome particular Pieces in their Work, of which they are more enamored than of others. 'Tis a manifeft Indication of Littlenefs of Spirit, for an Author thus to spend his Pains in adorning one Part only of his Subject, as not having Force enough to carry on a juft and regular Defign. Eloquence, which is the true Art of pleafing, never fucceeds better, than when it imitates Nature: Nor can it be a good Method of Perfuafion, to afcribe too much to the Succours of Art. As thofe who follow the latter way, certainly act upon a falfe Maxim; fo by a childish Adherence to the Rules they learnt at School, they form to themselves a very difhonourable Idea of Eloquence. We need only confult Agamemnon in EloquenPetronius, to apprehend the ridiculous manner tie, ficut of this unnatural Eloquence, which miftakes reliquarum external Ornaments for the most effential rerum,fundamentum Beauties. It is in the Heart, in the Genius, fapientia. in the Thoughts, fays Quintilian, that Elo- Cic.Orat. quence properly confifts: Its true Source and Pectus eft, Principle can be nothing but good Senfe. And quod diferas good Senfe is the most neceffary Talent for tum fuit, Quint. a publick Speaker, and at the fame time the most uncommon, no Wonder we should meet with fo few accomplished Orators, Perfect Masters of Oratory are not to be formed but in happy Ages, and among People of exquifite Taft and Judgment, as heretofore at Athens, and at Rome.

XVIII.

The Sovereign Art of Eloquence, is to adhere ftrictly to Nature, the first and great Original;