dingly annexed. But it was not till afterwards, and in compliance with the wish of those, whose judgment he respects, that he thought of submitting the whole to public view. He cannot be insensible that imperfections may discover themselves to the eye of rigid criticism; while at the same time, he would indulge a hope, that the time and pains employed will render this translation of the Abbé's sentiments not wholly unacceptable to the young student and reader, for whose use it is principally designed. It will appear on perusal, that the Abbé MAURY's predilection for French Preachers and Orators gives a tincture of severity to his censures on the English; and that in one or two instances, his zeal for the Romish Church embitters his language with regard to the conduct and writings of some Protestants. Every man hath his partialities. For the prejudices of education, country, connexions, great allowances must, and by every liberal mind, will be made. This is an age of free inquiry; and in proportion as this spirit prevails, we shall say with the poet, Free liberty must, therefore, be allowed to every reader to judge for himself what degree of regard is to be paid to a few passages, wherein the Abbé gives such an unbounded preference to some of his favourite French Catholic Preachers, above those of the Protestant Church, and the English nation. To the works of eloquent French writers recommended by M. MAURY, perhaps it will be no discredit to add as a model of Pulpit-Eloquence, the sermons of the late Rev. CHARLES CHAIS, Pastor of the French Church at the Hague.* For English authors and preachers, the reader is referred to several of the notes annexed to the following translation. Of those who have written professedly on the subject of Eloquence, the student may profitably peruse CICERO, QUINTILLIAN, and LONGINUS among the ancients; and such modern authors as WARD, GIBBON, FORDYCE, CAMPBELL, BLAIR and POLWHELE; to which may be added ROLLIN and FENELON. * The Sermons of the Rev. C. Chais were printed in 1790, in two volumes; for a character of which, the reader is referred to the Appendix to the seventy-eighth volume of the Monthly Review, and the Appendix to the third volume enlarged. VI. Of the Plan of a Discourse VII. Of Plans drawn from the Text VIII. Of the Progression of the Plan IX. Of the Injury Wit does to Eloquence XI. Of the Explication of the Subject - |