beft by them. We shall thence discern if there is prudence in his undertakings, justice and benevolence in his actions; if there is grace and discretion in his conversation, conftancy in sickness, temperance in the midst of luxury, and the spirit of generosity, with order and œconomy, in his finances; and then it will be immaterial whether he eats fish or flesh, or drinks water or wine. Let him, as Cicero says, not so much consider discipline as a vain ostentation of science, as a rule of conduct. Let us compare a youth educated after this manner, with one of our college Latinists; the difference will be very obvious. We do not here pretend to breed up a grammarian, or a logician, but a complete gentleman; let us leave them to follow their fancy, our business lies elsewhere. If he does not understand rhetoric, or the method of flattering the benevolent and courteous reader in a preface, he will not be uneasy at his deficiency in these points: indeed this painting and decoration is eafily obfcured by fimple truth; fine flourishes ferve only to amufe the ignorant, who who are themselves incapable of more folid and nutritive diet. When the embaffadors of Samos had spoken a long and elegant oration to Cleomenes king of Sparta, to incite him to make war against the tyrant Polycrates, Cleomenes, after hearing their harangue with great patience, gave this short answer; " Many parts of your fpeech I neither remember nor comprehend; but as I understand the conclufion, all I have to reply is, that I cannot accede to your request." This answer was much to the purpose, and no doubt confounded the orators. But you will afk, what will become of our young gentleman if he is attacked with the fophifticated fubtilty of fome fyllogifm? As, "a ham makes a man drink, drink quenches thirft, therefore a ham quenches thirst." Why, let him laugh at it, it will fhew more discretion to do fo than to reply; or let him borrow this pleasant evafion of Aristippus, "why should I trouble myself to folve that, which is fo concealed as to prevent my unraveling it." A man offering this fort of juggling to Chryfippus, he fhortly replied, "referve thefe baubles for children's play, and do not thus attempt to H 5 divert beft by them. We fhall thence difcern if there is prudence in his undertakings, juftice and benevolence in his actions; if there is grace and difcretion in his conversation, conftancy in fickness, temperance in the midst of luxury, and the fpirit of generofity, with order and œconomy, in his finances; and then it will be immaterial whether he eats fish or flesh, or drinks water or wine. Let him, as Cicero fays, not fo much confider discipline as a vain oftentation of fcience, as a rule of conduct. Let us compare a youth educated after this manner, with one of our college Latinifts; the difference will be very obvious. We do not here pretend to breed up a grammarian, or a logician, but a complete gentleman; let us leave them to follow their fancy, our business lies elsewhere. If he does not understand rhetoric, or the method of flattering the benevolent and courteous reader in a preface, he will not be uneasy at his deficiency in these points: indeed this painting and decoration is easily obscured by simple truth; sine flourishes serve only to amuse the ignorant, who who are themselves incapable of more solid and nutritive diet. When the embassadors of Samos had spoken. a long and elegant oration to Cleomenes king of Sparta, to incite him to make war against the tyrant Polycrates, Cleomenes, after hearing their harangue with great patience, gave this short answer; "Many parts of your speech I neither remember nor comprehend; but as I understand the conclusion, all I have to reply is, that I cannot accede to your request.” This answer was much to the purpose, and no doubt confounded the orators. But you will ask, what will become of our young gentleman if he is attacked with the sophisticated subtilty of some syllogism? As, "a ham makes a man drink, drink quenches thirst, therefore a ham quenches thirst." Why, let him laugh at it, it will shew more discretion to do so than to reply; or let him borrow this pleasant evasion of Aristippus, "why should I trouble myself to solve that, which is so concealed as to prevent my unraveling it." A man offering this sort of juggling to Chryfippus, he shortly replied, "reserve these baubles for children's play, and do not thus attempt to H. S divert divert the serious thoughts of a man of years." If these subtilties are designed to convey an untruth, then they are dangerous; but if they serve no purpose but to create a laugh, there is no occasion to let them puzzle our brains. There are some people so absurd as to go a mile out of the road to search out a fine word; but words are designed to serve and follow a man's purpose, and let the Gascon* come in play when French will not do. The way of speaking or writing that I most applaud is natural, plain, nervous, and significant; a short and pithy manner, not so elegant and artificial, as vehement, prompt, and decisive, which strikes the mind rather than tickles the ear. Our young nobility frequently display a happy negligence in their stile of drefs; but I think this kind of negligence is infinitely better adopted in speaking. That eloquence prejudices the subject it would recommend, which wholly attracts us to itself; as in the outward habit we should not affect singularity, so in language, to seek novel phrases, and obsolete * A provincial dialect. words, |