and cleareft difpofition, both of the words and members of fentences, and what is moft agreeable to the natural conftruction, beft fuits with this character. With regard to the collifion of fyllables in different words, for preventing either hollowness or afperity of found, greater liberty may be taken in this than in the other characters. Here it may be allowed to fay, Virtue is amiable to all, though all do not purfue it. But in an higher character, to prevent the hollow found of the words though all, an orator would say, though few purfue it. So, 'Xerxes' expedition may be tolerable here; but, in the florid ftyle, the expedition of Xerxes would found much better.

262. The laft thing to be confidered, is dignity or the use of tropes and figures. But tropes ought to be used cautiously, unless fuch as are very common, and have either come into the place of proper words, or at leaft are equally plain and clear. So Diodorus Siculus, speaking of the forces of Xerxes, calls them an innumerable company. Where, by a fynecdoche, he has ufed an uncertain number for a certain, as lefs liable to exception. As verbal figures ferve chiefly to enliven an expreffion, and give an agreeable turn, they are often not improper for this character. Nor are figures of fentences wholly to be excluded, especially fuch as are chiefly used in reasoning. But those which are peculiarly adapted to touch the paffions are more proper for the higher ftyles.

263. Upon the whole, nature, without colouring or appearance of art, is the diftinguishing mark of the low ftyle. The defign of it is to make things plain, and to fet them in an eafy light. And therefore the proper fubjects of it are epiftles, dialogues, philofophical differtations, or other difcourfes that ought to be treated in a plain and familiar manner, without much ornament or addrefs to the paffions. A freedom and ease both in thought and expreffion, attended with an agreeable humour and pleasantry, are its peculiar beauties. This ftyle, however, has its difficulties, which are not so easily discerned but from experience. For it requires no fmall skill to treat a common subject in fuch a manner as to make it entertaining. The fewer ornaments it admits of, the greater art is neceffary to attain this end. Being in a great measure stripped of the advantages of the other ftyles, it has little to recommend it, befides its ●wn native beauty and simplicity.、

SECT. VI. Of the MIDDLE STYLE. 264. In treating of this character, we muft confider firft the matter, and then the language proper for it.

265. I. As the subjects proper for this style are things of weight and importance, which require both a gravity and accuracy of expreffion; so fine thoughts are its diftinguishing mark. A fine thought may deserve that character from the following properties:

266. (1.) Gravity and dignity. Thus Cicero, in a fpeech to Cæfar, fays, "It has been often told me, that you have frequently faid, you have lived long enough for yourself. I believe it, if you either lived, or was born for yourself only." Nothing could either be more fit and proper, or a finer compliment to Cæfar.

267. (2.) Another property of a fine thought is beauty and elegance. It is a fine compliment which PLINY pays to TRAJAN, when he fays, "It has happened to you alone, that you was father of your country before you was made fo." And of the fame kind is that of Cicero to Cæfar, when he fays, " You, Cæfar, are wont to forget nothing but injuries.' The beauty of a thought may give us delight, though the fubject be forrowful; and the images of things in themselves unpleasant may be fo reprefented as to become agreeable. Sifgambis, the mother of Darius, after the death of her fon, had been treated by Alexander with the greatest regard and tenderness. So foon as the heard, therefore, that he was dead, the could not bear to outlive him. Upon which Q. Curtius makes this fine reflection: "Though she had courage to furvive Darius, yet fhe was afhamed to outlive Alexander."

268. (3.) The next property of a fine thought is delicacy. As, in the objects of our fenfes, thofe things are faid to be delicate which affect us gradually in a soft and agreeable manner; fo a delicate thought is that which is not wholly discovered at once, but, by degrees unfolding itself, difclofes more than was at firft perceived. Quintilian refers to this, when he says, "Thofe things are grateful to the hearers, which when they apprehend, they are delighted with their own fagacity; and pleafe themselves, as though they they had not heard, but difcovered them."

269. (4.) The laft property of a fine thought, is novelty. Mankind are naturally pleased with new things; and when they are fet in an agreeable light, this very much heightens the pleasure. Even where a thing hath been fo well faid already, that it cannot easily be mended, the revival of a fine. thought often affords entertainment to the mind, though it has no longer the claim of novelty. Cicero, in his treatife of an orator, among several other encomiums which he gives to Craffus, fays of him, "Craffus always excelled every other perfon, but that day he excelled himself." He means as an orator. This thought has been repeated in various forms, and applied to different perfons, by Varro, Pliny, Cicero, &c. as well as by fome modern writers.

270. II. Of the language proper for the middle ftyle, in general, it may be obferved, that as the proper fubjects of it are things of weight and importance, though not of that exalted nature as wholly to captivate the mind, and divert it from attending to the diction; fo all the ornaments of speech, and beauties of eloquence, have place

here.

271. With regard to elegance, fometimes one fingle word adds a grace and weight to an expression, which, if removed, the fenfe becomes flat and lifelefs. Such words as are most full and expreffive fuit beft with this character. Proper epithets, also, serve much to enliven it. The most accurate compofition, in all the parts of it, has place here. Periods, the most beautiful and harmonious, of a due length, and wrought up with the most exact order, juft cadency, eafy and smooth connection of the words, and flowing numbers, are the genuine ornaments which contribute to form this character.

274. But

272. But the principal diftinction of ftyle arifes from tropes and figures. By thefe it is chiefly animated and raised to its different degrees or characters, as it receives a leffer or greater number of them; and thefe either more mild, or ftrong and powerful. As to tropes, thofe which afford the moft lively and pleafing ideas, especially metaphors, fuit the middle character. A pretty remark has been made by fome critics upon two verses of Virgil; the one in his Eclogues, and the other in his Georgics. The former is for the most part written in the low ftyle, as the language of fhepherds ought to be; but the latter in the middle style, fuitable to the subject and the perfons for whom it is defigned; the greatest men in Rome not thinking it below them to entertain themfelves with rural affairs. In the Eclogue, the shepherd, complaining of the barrenness of his land, fays, Infelix lolium et fteriles nafcuntur avena. Wild oats and darnel grow inftead of corn.. But in the Georgic, where the fame fenfe is intended, inftead of the proper word nafcuntur, grow, the author fubftitutes a metaphor, dominantur, command, and fays,

Infelix lolium et fteriles dominantur avenæ. Where corn is fown, darnel and oats command. It was natural for the thepherd to exprefs his fenfe in the plaineft terms: But in the Georgic, where the poet fpeaks in his own perfon, the metaphor is beautiful, and agreeable to the dignity of the work. This inftance may show how the ftyle is heightened by tropes, and the fame thought may be accommodated to the feveral characters of ftyle by the different manner of expreffion.

273. The like may also be said of figures either of words or fentences, in reference to this character; which admits of the finest descriptions, moft lively images, and brightest figures, that ferve either for delight, or to influence the paffions without tranfport or ecftafy, which is the property of the fublime. This is indeed the proper feat of fuch embellishments, which fupport and make ap a principal part of the middle or florid ftyle. We need here only mention fome of the moft confiderable.

274. DESCRIPTIONS are not only a great ornament to a difcourfe, but represent things in a very lively and agreeable manner. In what a beautiful light has Cicero placed the polite arts and fciences, when, defcribing them from their effects, he thus reprefents the advantages and pleasure they afford? "Other studies neither fuit with all time, nor all ages, nor all places; but these improve youth, delight old age, adorn profperity, afford a refuge and folace in adverfity; please at home, are no binderance abroad; fleep, travel, and retire with us."

275. PROSOPOPEIA is another strong and beautiful figure, very proper for this character. SeDeca has a fine inftance of it in his Confolatory letter to Marcia upon the death of her fon. After many arguments used to alleviate her grief, he at laft introduces her father, Cremutius Cordus, as thus addreffing her: "Daughter, why do you fo long indulge your grief? why are you fo ignorant, as to think it unhappy for your fon, that, weary of life, he has withdrawn himfelf to his ancestors? Are you not fenfible what difordere fortune occa, VOL. XVI, PART II.

fions everywhere? Need I mention to you princ who would have been extremely happy, had a more timely death fecured them from impending evils? or Roman generals, who wanted nothing to confummate their glory, but that they lived too long? Why then is he bewailed longest in our family who died most happily?”

276. SIMILITUDES and COMPARISONS are another great ornament of this ftyle. Nothing can be finer than the comparison between those two great orators, DEMOSTHENES and CICERO, made by Quintilian, when he fays, "Demofthenes and Cicero differ in their elocution; one is more clofe, and the other more copious; the former concluded more concifely, and the latter takes a larger compafs; the one always with pungency, and the other generally with weight; one can have nothing taken from him, and the other nothing added to him; the latter has more of art, and the former more of nature. But this must be allowed to Demofthenes, that he made Cicero in a great measure what he was. For, as Tully gave himself wholly to an imitation of the Greeks, he seems to me to have expreffed the force of Demofthenes, the fluency of Plato, and the pleafantry of Ifocrates." Similitudes taken from natural things ferve also very much to enliven the style.

277. ANTITHESIS, or oppofition, both in the words and fenfe, has often the like beautiful effect. There is an agreeable contraft in that paffage of Seneca: "Cæfar does not allow himself many things, because he can do all things; his watching defends all others fleep, his labour their quiet, his industry their pleasure, his business their cafe; fince he has governed the world, he has deprived himself of it."

SECT. VII. Of the SUBLIME STYLE.

278. THE SUBLIME is the most noble, as well as the most difficult, part of an orator's province. It is this principally which Cicero requires in his perfect orator, whom he could not defcribe in words, but only conceive of in his mind. And indeed, the nobleft genius and greateft art are both requifite to form this character. For where nature has been moft liberal in furnishing the mind with lofty thoughts, bright images, and ftrong expreffions; yet without the affiftance of art there will fometimes be found a mixture of what is low, improper, or misplaced. And a great genius, like a too rich foil, muft produce flowers and weeds promifcuously, without cultivation. But the jufteft propriety, joined with the greatest strength and higheft elevation of thought, are required to complete the true fublime. Art therefore is neceffary, to regulate the tafte of those who are defirous to excel in this character.

279. In explaining the nature and properties of this character, we fhall confider firft the thoughts, and then the language, in each of which it is diftinguifhed from the two former.

I. Of the SUBLIME, as it relates to THOUGHTS. 280. LOFTY and grand fentiments are the bafis and foundation of the true fublime. LONGINUS therefore advifes those who afpire at this excellence, to accuftom themselves to think upon the nobleft fubjects. A mind that always dwells upon low and common fubjects can never raise itself

fufficiently

fufficiently to reprefent things great and magnificent, in their full extent and proper light. But he who inures himself to conceive the higheft and moft exalted ideas, and renders them familiar to his thoughts, will not often be at a lofs how to exprefs them; for where proper words are wanting, by metaphors and images taken from other things, he will be able to convey them in a juft and adequate manner. Noble and lofty thoughts are principally thofe which either relate to divine objects, or fuch things as among men are generally efteemed the greatest and most illuftrious.

281. Of the former fort is that of HOMER, when, defcribing the goddefs Difcord, he fays, that she

Walks on the ground and hides her head in clouds. This ftretch of thought, fays Longinus, as great as the diftance between heaven and earth, does not more reprefent the ftature of the goddess, than the meafure of the poet's genius and capacity. But fuch images, however beautiful in poetry, are not fo proper for an orator, whofe bufinefs it is to make chcice of thofe which are fuited to the nature of things, and the common reafon of mankind. That fentiment is equally juft and noble, with which Cicero endeavours to infpire the members of a community, in his treatife Of Laws, when he says, that "Citizens ought first to be perfuaded, that all things are under the government of the gods; that every affair is directed by their wisdom and power; that the highest regard is due to them from men, fince they obferve eve. ry one's conduct, how he acts and behaves himfelf, and with what temper and devotion he worfhips them; and that they make a difference between the pious and impious." And what he fays to Cæfar is no lefs in this ftyle, when, inter ceding for Ligarius, he tells him, that "men in nothing approach nearer to deity, than in giving life to men.'

282. The other kind of lofty thoughts are thofe which relate to power, wisdom, courage, beneficence, and fuch other virtues as are of the higheft efteem among mankind. "Your fortune (fays Tully to Cæfar) has nothing greater than a power, nor your nature than a will, to fave many." Velleius Paterculus, as if he thought no encomium too high for this great orator, laments his unhappy fate in thefe lofty ftrains addressed to M. Antony, by whofe order he was put to death: "You have taken from CICERO old age, and a life more miferable than death under your government; but his fame, and the glory of his actions and words, you have been fo far from deftroying, that you have increased them. He lives, and will live in the memory of all ages; and while this fyftem of nature, however conftituted, fhall remain, the praife of Cicero fhail accompany it; and all pofterity, while it admires his writings against you, will curfe your treatment of him; and fooner fhall mankind be loft to the world than his name."

283. But the true fublime is confiftent with the greatest plainnefs and fimplicity of expreffion. And, generally fpeaking, the more plain and natural the images appear, the more they furprife

us.

How fuccinct, and yet how majeftic, is that expreffion of Cæfar upon his victory over Pharnaces? I came, I faw, I conquered. But there can

not be a greater or more beautiful example of this, than what LONGINUS has quoted from MosES. "The legislator of the Jews (fays he), no ordinary perfon, having a juft notion of the power and majefty of the Deity, has expressed it in the beginning of his laws in the following words: And God faid-what? Let there be light; and there was light. Let the earth be made; and it was made. This inftance from the divine writer, and the character here given of him by that excellent critic, is the more remarkable, as he was himself a Pagan. To command nature into being by a sword, reprefents it at once altogether boundless and unlimited.

284. It fometimes very much contributes to heighten the image of a thing, when it is expreffed in fo undetermined a manner, as to leave the mind in fufpenfe what bounds to fix to the thought. Of this kind is that of Cicero, when he firft raifes an objection against the neceffity of an acquaintance with polite literature in order to form a great man, and then anfwers it. "I acknowledge, (fays he), that nature, without learn. ing, has frequently contributed more to honour and virtue, than learning where a genius has been wanting: But yet I muft fay, that where the direction and improvement of learning is added to a great and excellent genius, it is wont to produce fomething admirable and fingular, which I know not how to defcribe."

II. Of the SUBLIME with regard to LANGUAGE. 285. This branch of our fubject comprehends 3 heads; Elegance, Compofition, and Dignity.

286. I. Elegance. Thofe words and expreffions chiefly contribute to form the fublime which are moft fonorous, and have the greatest fplendor, force, and dignity. Long words, when equally expreffive, are rather to be chofen than short ones, especially monofyllables. Thus, to conquer or vanquish an enemy, has a fuller and more grand found, than to beat an enemy. Compound words are also often preferable to fimple ones. So if we fay, Cæfar's army, when he was present, avas always invincible; this manner of expreffion has more fublimity in it, than if we fhould fay, Cafar's army, when he was prefent, could never be conquered. The ufe of proper epithets alfo contributes very much to this character. Thus, when the character of divine poet is given to Homer or Virgil, or prince of orators to Demofthenes or Cicero; it conveys to the mind the most sublime ideas of them.

287. II. Compofition. The force of this, as Longinus obferves, is fo great, that fometimes it creates a kind of fublime where the thoughts themfelves are but mean, and gives a certain appearance of grandeur to that which otherwife would feem but common. But compofition confifts of feveral parts; the first of which is period. Sublimity arifes from the feveral parts of a period fo connected as to give force, as well as beauty, to the whole. The periods, therefore, should be of a proper length. If they are too fhort, they lofe their grandeur, and are gone almost before they reach the ear; as, on the contrary, when they are too prolix, they lofe their force by becoming beavy and unwieldy. The next thing is the order and difpofition of the feveral words and members of a fentence. The different placing but of one

or two words will fometimes wholly deftroy the grandeur of a sentence, and make it extremely flat. And in placing the feveral parts or members, they ought to be fo difpofed, that what is moft weighty and important fhould ftand laft. Thus Tully fays of Catiline, "We ought to return thanks to heaven, that we have fo often efcaped fo odious, fo frightful, fo dangerous a plague of the flate." Another thing is the connection of the words with regard to the found; that the pronunciation, in paffing from one to another, may be most agreeable to the ear, and beft fuited to the nature of the subject. Such a contexture of them, as will give the greatest force and energy to the expreffion, is moft proper for the fublime. Soft and languid founds are very unfuitable to this character. In this refpect, our tongue, by its multitude of confonants, is more fuitable for fublime difcourses, than some other modern languages, which abound with vowels.

288. III. The laft head is the proper ufe of tropes and figures; which is here fo neceffary, that the title of dignity feems to have been given to this part of elocution, from the affiftance it more especially affords to this character. For if, as Longinus fays, compofitions fometimes create a fort of fublimity; this much oftener happens from the force and efficacy of fome lively tropes and ftrong figures.

289. As to TROPES, bright metaphors are peculiarly fuited to raise and animate the ftyle. This is manifeft from their nature, as they confift of fimilies, reduced to a fingle word; which, if taken from things lofty and grand, muft of confequence give a fublimity to the ftyle. What can fuggeft to us a greater idea of the valour of Ajax, than Homer's calling him the bulwark of the Greeks? A number of there, well chofen, contribute no lefs to the grandeur than to the beauty of difcourfe. Hyperbole sometimes gives the fame force to an expreffion, if cautiously ufed, fo as not to exceed all appearance of truth. But the chief ufe of it is, where proper words will not exprefs the juft idea of the thing defigned to be conveyed; and it may feem rather the offspring of neceffity than choice. Of this nature is that of Herodotus, when, fpeaking of the Lacedemonians at Thermopylæ, he fays, "They defended themfelves with the fwords they had left, and even with their bands and teeth, till the barbarians buried them under their arroavs."

290. As to FIGURES, whether verbal or those which confift in the sense, the nature of this character will eafily direct to fuch as are moft proper, But poets take greater liberties in the ufe of them than would be allowed to an orator. The orator's ufe of them being to fet things in a ftronger and clearer light, they are more fedate and moderate. An orator fcarce ever has occafion for fuch fictitious images as we often meet with in poetry. We fhall just mention the chief of thofe figures which feem beft fuited for this purpose.

291. i. Defcription. Of this JUSTIN gives us a fine inftance, in a speech of Philip V. of Macedon, wherein he reprefents the neceflity of falling upon the Romans, who were then engaged in a war with Hannibal, "I behold a cloud of a most

dreadful and bloody war rifing in Italy. I fce a ftorm of thunder and lightning from the weft, which will overfpread all places with a vaft fhower of blood, into whatever country the tempeft of victory fhall drive it. Greece has undergone many violent fhocks in the Perfian, Gallic, and Macedonian wars; but thefe would all be found unworthy of regard, if the armies now engaged in Italy fhould march out of that country. I view the terrible and cruel wars which involve those nations, through the courage of their forces, and skill of their generals. This rage and fury cannot ceafe by the destruction of one party, without the ruin of their neighbours. Indeed, Macedon has lefs reafon to dread the favage conquerors than Greece, because more prepared, and better able to defend itself; but I am fenfible, those who attack each other fo impetuously will not confine their victories within those bounds, and that it will be our lot to engage the conquerors."

292. ii. Enumeration has fome affinity with the former figure; by which, if the several parts have each fomething grand in them, the whole, when brought together, and difpofed in a juft order, very much contributes to the fublimity. There is a beautiful example in Burnet's Theory of the Earth, containing a defcription of our globe, upon a furvey of it after the general conflagration, which he reprefents in a strong light; and wherein the particulars confidered feparately are all truly great and noble, and every way fuited to the nature of the fubject, as they both enlarge the idea, and heighten the image, of that grand catastrophe. But it is too long to be quoted.

293. iii. Similitude ferves very much for beauty and ornament; and, when taken from great and fublime objects, adds a grandeur and magnificence to the things illuftrated by it. Longinus, who has treated upon the fublime in a style every way fuited to the fubject, gives an example when, comparing thofe two great works of Homer, his ILIAD and ODYSSEY. He thus defcribes them: "HOMER compofed his Iliad when his mind was in its full ftrength and vigour, the whole body of the poem is dramatic, and full of action; whereas the best part of the Odyssey is taken up in narrations, which feem to be the genius of old age. So that one may compare him in this latter work to the fetting fun, which ftill appears with the fame magnificence, but has no longer the fame heat and force." And foon after, fpeaking of the Odyffey, he fays, "That piece may be called the reflux of his genius, which, like the ocean, ebbs and deferts its fhores." Comparing those two great orators Demofthenes and Cicero, he shows the fame fublimity of thought: "DEMOSTHENES (fays he) is fublime, in that he is clofe and concife; Cicero, in that he is diffuse and extenfive. The former, by reafon of the violence, rapidity, ftrength, and fury, with which he rages and bears all before him, may be compared to a tempeft and thunder; but the latter, like a great conflagration, devours and confumes all he meets, with a fire that is never extinguished, but wherever it advances, continually gathers new strength."

294. iv. Antithefis, or a fentence confifting of oppofite ports, has often the fame effect; as in the 0002 following

following inftance of Cicero, where his view is to reprefent Pompey as a most confummate general. "Who," fays he, "ever was, or need be more knowing than this man? who, from his childhood and inftructions at school, went into the army of his father, and learned the military art in A very great war against the fierceft enemies; who, while yet a boy, became a foldier under the great. eft general; and, when but a youth, was himself commander of a very great army; who has often. er engaged with the enemy in battle, than any other person with his adversary in private contefts; has waged more wars than others have read, and conquered more provinces than others have withed to govern; whofe youth has been spent in acquiring the art of war, not by the precepts of others, but his own commands; not by defeats, but victories; not by campaigns, but triumphs." 295. v. Apoftrophe. Amongst the articles charged againft Demofthenes by his great adverfary and rival Efchines, one was, that he had advised the Athenians to engage in a war against king Philip, wherein they had received a very great defeat, When Demofthenes comes to answer that part of the charge, he, in a fort of rapture, appealing to the deceased defenders of their country, fays, No, my fellow citizens, you have not done wrong, you have not; I proteft by the ghofts of thofe great men who have fought for the fame cause in the plains of Marathon." By this appeal to thofe ancient worthies whofe memories were in the highest esteem at Athens, that it was the caufe, and not the fuccefs, which rendered their actions fo glorious, he artfully corroborates his affertion in a way which he knew muft have the greatest weight with his audience.

296. As the proper fubjects of this character are either divine things, or fuch as are in the higheft esteem and regard among mankind, which often require laudatory difcourfes, or panegyric, the fe admit of all the ornaments of eloquence; which, however, must be used with difcretion; for when the mind is ftretched to the utmost of its power in the pursuit of a fublime idea, it cannot attend to all the leffer fineries of language; but from its own vigour, will be led to exprefs them in terms the most emphatical, and belt fuited to their nature, In fuch cafes, therefore, the fublimity muft appear rather from the elevation of the thought, attended with a fimplicity of expreffion, than from the ornaments and drefs of the language; though, upon the whole, grandeur and majesty of exprefsion is the proper mark of this character with relation to the language.

SECT, VIII. Of the STYLE of an Orator. 297. THE ftyle of an orator comprehends all the characters already explained, of low, middle, and fublime, as they are applied by him in the different parts of his province. For the language muft be fuited to the fubject, and the different views of the speaker neceffarily occafion a variety in the manner of expreffion. Now an orator has 3 objects in view, to prove what he afferts, to reprefent it in an agreeable light, and to move the paffions. Each of thefe parts of his province requires e different ftyle. The low ftyle is moft proper for proof and information; the middle ftyle is beft fuit

ed for pleasure and entertainment; but the fublime is neceffary to influence the paffions. Ifere the orator calls in all the affiftance of nature and art; the most raised and lofty thoughts, clothed with the brightest and strongest colouring, enter into this character.

198. As fhort periods are proper in the louple, fo lefs care is neceffary in their turn and cadency, But the words fhould be well chofen and proper, fuited to the ideas they are defigned to convey; the expreffions plain and clear, and the artificial ornaments few and modeft. Bold or lofty metaphors, or in which the allufion is dark and remote, ought to be avoided. Of thefe, fuch as come neareft to the natural way of expression are most proper for this ftyle.

299. As the middle ftyle is more adapted for plea. fure and delight, it admits of all thofe beauties and ornaments which footh and entertain the mind. It has more force and energy than the low style, but less than the fublime. Smooth and har monious numbers, well-turned periods, of a juft length, delightful cadency, and accurate difpofition of the words, are fuited to this ftyle. The moft beautiful and fhining tropes, which strike the fancy, and all thofe figures which, by repeti tion, militude, or proportion of founds, please and gratify the ear, help to form this character.

300. But it is the fublime ftyle which perfe&s the orator. This requires the most forcible and emphatical words, the boldest metaphors, and ftrongeft figures. In verbal figures, repetitions, fynonymes, gradations, contraries, with others of a like force and energy, are chiefly employed here. But figures of fentences are the most con fiderable, and principally contribute to make up this character. Among thefe are fimilies taken from lofty subjects, profopopœia, apostrophe, exclamation, epiphonema, apofiopefis, and others of a like nature. But due care must be taken of the form, conftruction, and harmony of the periods; which feem beft difpofed, when long and short ones are intermixed. For though round and fwelling periods carry in them fomething grand and majestic, yet they often move too flow to ftrike the paffions; whereas fhort ones are more acute and pungent, and, by returning quick, awaken the mind, and raise the paffions. But to render it complete, it must be fupported with ftrong reafon, grandeur of thought, and fentiments every way equal to the expreffion; without which it will be liable to swell into bombaft.

301. It is unneceffary here to repeat what has been already faid, refpecting the various parts of a just oration; viz. The Introduction, Narration, Propofition, Confirmation, Confutation, and Conclufion. See Part 11. Sect. I—IV.

302. All the variety above mentioned, however, is not always neceffary. Regard must be had to the nature of the fubject, the time, place, perfons, and other circumftances; by all which the ftyle is to be regulated. Cicero refers us to fome difcourfes of his own, as inftances of each kind. His oration for Cæcina, he says, is written in the low ftyle; that for the Manilian law in the middle ftyle, and that for Rabirius in the sublime; and his orations againft Verres and fome others are the patterns of the variety here mentioned.

And