ter of infinitely more attention to them, than ever it has been to the moderns. But though they write a great deal about it, they have never been able to reduce it to any rules which could be of real use in practice.

Illus. If we consult Cicero's Orator, where this point is discussed with the most minuteness, we shall see how much these ancient critics differed from one another, about the feet proper for the conclusion, and other parts of a sentence; and how much, after all, was left to the judgment of the ear. Nor, indeed, is it possible to give precise rules concerning this matter, in any language; as all prose composition must be allowed to run loose in its numbers; and, according as the tenour of a discourse varies, the modulation of sentences must vary infinitely.

216. But though this musical arrangement cannot be reduced into a system, every one who studies to write with grace, or to pronounce in public with success, will find himself obliged to attend to it not a little. But it is his ear, cultivated by attention and practice, that must chiefly direct him. For any rules that can be given on this subject, are very general. There are some rules, however, which may be of use to form the ear to the proper harmony of discourse.

217. There are two things on which the music of a sentence chiefly depends. These are, the proper distribution of the several members of the sentence; and, the close or cadence of the whole. (Art. 134.)

218. First, the distribution of the several members. It is of importance to observe, that, whatever is easy and agreeable to the organs of speech, always sounds grateful to the ear. While a period is going on, the termination of each of its members forms a pause, or rest, in pronouncing and these rests should be so distributed, as to make the course of the breathing easy, and, at the same time, should fall at such distances, as to bear a certain musical proportion to each other. (Art. 144.)

Example 1. "This discourse concerning the easiness of God's commands, does, all along, suppose and acknowledge the difficulties of the first entrance upon a religious course; except only in those persons who have had the happiness to be trained up to reli

gion by the easy and insensible degrees of a pious and virtuous edu cation.""*

Analysis. Here there is no harmony; nay, there is some degree of harshness and unpleasantness: owing principally to this, that there is, properly, no more than one pause or rest in the sentence, falling betwixt the two members into which it is divided; each of which is so long, as to occasion a considerable stretch of the breath in pronouncing it.

Example 2. Observe, now, on the other hand, the ease with which the following sentence, from Sir William Temple, glides along, and the graceful intervals at which the pauses are placed. He is speaking sarcastically of man: "But, God be thanked, his pride is greater than his ignorance, and what he wants in knowledge, he supplies by sufficiency. When he has looked about him as far as he can, he concludes, there is no more to be seen; when he is at the end of his line, he is at the bottom of the ocean; when he has shot his best, he is sure none ever did, or ever can, shoot better or beyond it. His own reason he holds to be the certain measure of truth; and his own knowledge, of what is possible in naturet."

Analysis. Here every thing is, at once, easy to the breath, and grateful to the ear; and, it is this sort of flowing measure, this reg ular and proportional division of the members of his sentences, which renders Sir William Tenple's style always agreeable. We must observe, at the same time, that a sentence, with too many rests, and these placed at intervals too apparently measured and regular, is apt to savour of affectation.

219. The next thing to be attended to, is the close or cadence of the whole sentence, which, as it is always the part most sensible to the ear, demands the greatest care. "Let there be nothing harsh or abrupt in the conclusion of the sentence, on which the mind pauses and rests. This is the most material

*Tillotson.

+ Or this instance. He is addressing himself to Lady Essex, upon the death of her child: "I was once in hope, that what was so violent could not be long: but, when I observed your grief to grow stronger with age, and to increase, like a stream, the farther it ran; when I saw it draw out to such unhappy consequences, and to threaten no less than your child, your health and your life, I could no longer forbear this endeavour, nor end it without begging of you, for God's sake and for your own, for your children and your friends, your country and your family, that you would no longer abandon yourself to a disconsolate passion; but that you would, at length, awaken your piety, give way to your prudence, or, at least, rouse the invincible spirit of the Percys, that never yet shrunk at any disaster."

part in the structure of discourse. Here every hearer expects to be gratified; here his applause breaks forth."

220. The only important rule that can be given here, is, that when we aim at dignity or elevation, the sound should be made to grow to the last; the longest members of the period, and the fullest and most sonorous words, should be reserved to the conclusion.

Example. "It fills the mind (i. e. sight) with the largest variety of ideas; converses with its objects at the greatest distance; and continues the longest in action, without being tired or satiated with its proper enjoymentst."

Analysis. Every reader must be sensible of a beauty here, both in the proper division of the members and pauses, and the manner in which the sentence is rounded, and conducted to a full and barmonious close. The sight fills the mind with the largest variety of ideas, and it converses with them. To sentient natures, this is a pleasure; but it converses with them at the greatest distance, and must necessarily increase this pleasure. For what can be more agreeable than the commerce of communication with distant objects; but how is this aggreeableness heightened, by its being kept long in action, and that too without being tired or satiated with its proper enjoyment?

221. The same holds in melody, that was observed to take place with respect to significancy; that falling off at the end is always injurious to the object which the speaker has in view. For this reason, particles, pronouns, and little words, are as ungracious to the ear, at the conclusion, as we formerly shewed they were inconsistent with strength of expression. (Art. 176, 177, 178, and 179.)

Obs. The sense and the sound have here a mutual influence on each other. That which hurts the ear, seems to mar the strength of the meaning; and that which really degrades the sense, in consequence of this primary effect, appears also to have a bad sound.

Example. How disagreeable is the following sentence of an author, speaking of the Trinity! "It is a mystery which we firmly

"Non igitur durum sit, neque abruptum, quo animi, velut, respirant ac reficiuntur. Hæc est sedes orationis; hoc auditor expectat; hic laus omnis declamat." Quinctilian.

+ Addison.

believe the 4ruth of, and humbly adore the depth of." And how easily might it have been mended by this transposition! "It is a mystery, the truth of which we firmly believe, and the depth of which we humbly adore."

Corol. In general, it seems to hold, that a musical close, in our language, requires either the last syllable, or the last but one, to be a long syllable. Words which consist mostly of short syllables, as, contrary, particular, retrospect, seldom conclude a sentence barmoniously, unless a train of long syllables, before, has rendered them agreeable to the ear.

222. Sentences, so constructed as to make the sound always swell and grow towards the end, and to rest either on a long or a penult long syllable, give a discourse the tone of declamation. The ear soon becomes acquainted with the melody, and is apt to be cloyed with it. If we would keep up the attention of the reader or hearer, if we would preserve vivacity and strength in our composition, we must be very attentive to vary our measures.

Illus. This regards the distribution of the members, as well as the cadence of the period. Sentences constructed in a similar manner, with the pauses falling at equal intervals, should never follow one another. Short sentences should be intermixed with long and swelling ones, to render discourse sprightly, as well as magnificent. Even discords, properly introduced, abrupt sounds, departures from regular cadence, have sometimes a good effect. Monotony is the great fault into which writers are apt to fall, who are fond of harmonions arrangement; and to have only one tune or measure, is not much better than having none at all. A very vulgar ear will enable a writer to catch some one melody, and to form the run of his sentences according to it. This soon proves disgusting. But a just and correct ear is requisite for varying and diversifying the melody, and hence we seldom meet with authors, who are remarkably happy in this respect.

223. Though attention to the music of sentences must not be neglected, yet it must also be kept within proper bounds: for all appearances of an author's affecting harmony, are disagreeable; especially when the love of it betrays him so far, as to sacrifice, in any instance, perspicuity, precision, or strength in sentiment, to sound. (Example 1. Art. 206.)

Illus. 1. All nomeaning words, introduced merely to round the period, or fill up the melody, are great blemishes in writing. They are childish and puerile ornaments, by which a sentence always

loses more in point of weight, than it can gain by such additions to the beauty of its sound.

2. Sense has its own harmony, as well as sound; and, where the sense of a period is expressed with clearness, force, and dignity, the words will almost always strike the ear agreeably; at least, a very moderate attention is all that is requisite for making the cadence of such a period pleasing: and the effect of greater attention is often no other, than to render composition languid and enervated. 3. After all the labour which Quinctilian bestows on regulating the measures of prose, he comes at last, with his usual good sense, to this conclusion: "Upon the whole, I would rather choose, that composition should appear rough and harsh, if that be necessary, than that it should be enervated and effeminate, such as we find the style of too many. Some sentences, therefore, which we have stu diously formed into melody, should be thrown loose, that they may not seem too much laboured; nor ought we ever to omit any proper or expressive word, for the sake of smoothing a period*."

4. Cicero, as we have elsewhere observed, is one of the most remarkable patterns of a harmonious style. His love of it, however, is too visible; and the pomp of his numbers sometimes detracts from his strength.

5. That noted close of his, esse videatur, which, in the oration Pro Lege Manilia, occurs eleven times, exposed him to censure among his cotempararies. We must observe, however, in defence of this great orator, that, in his style, there is a remarkable union of harmony with ease, which is always a great beauty; and if his harmony were studied, that study appears to have cost him but little trouble.

6. Among our Euglish classics, not many are distinguished for musical arrangement. Milton, in some of his prose works, has very finely turned periods; but the writers of his age indulged a liberty of inversion, which would now be reckoned contrary to purity of style: and though this allowed their sentences to be more stately and sonorous, yet it gave them too much of a Latinised construction and order.

7. Of English writers, Lord Shaftesbury is, upon the whole, the most correct in his numbers. As his ear was delicate, he has attended to music in all his sentences; and he is peculiarly happy in this respect, that he has avoided the monotony into which writers, who study the grace of sound, are very apt to fall, and has diversified his periods with great variety.

8. Addison has also much harmony in his style; more easy and smooth, but less varied than Lord Shaftesbury. Sir William Temple is, in general, very flowing and agreeable. Archbishop Tillot

*In universum, si sit necesse, duram potiùs atque asperam compositionem malim esse, quam effeminatam ac enervem, qualis apud multos. Ideòque, vincta quædam de industria sunt solvenda, ne laborata videantur; neque ullum idoneum aut aptum verbum prætermittamus, gratià lenitatis." Lib. ix. c. 4.