light; as it were hanging in the Air. Was it not natural now for the first Gothick Architects to imagin that by their vain Refinements they had out-done the Greek Simplicity? Now only change the Names; and put Poets and Orators instead of Architects: LUCAN muft naturally fancy he was a greater Poet than VIRGIL SENECA the Tragedian muft imagin he was brighter than SoPHOCLES. TASSO perhaps hop'd he fhou'd out-ftrip VIRGIL and HOMER. If these Authors thought fo, they were much deceiv'd. And the most excellent modern Authors fhou'd beware of the like Mistake. While I fpeak thus freely, I wou'd not be thought to determin this Point. I only advise those who adorn the present Age not to defpife the antient Writers who have been fo long admir'd. I do not extol the Antients as Models without any Defect. I wou'd not even difcourage anyone from hoping to furpafs them. On the contrary, I with I cou'd fee the Moderns excel by studying those very Antients whom they fhall overcome. But I fhou'd think I exceeded the Bounds prefcrib'd me, if I pretended to adjudge the Prize to either of the contending Partys : Non noftrum inter vos tantas componere lites: VIRG. Et vituld tu dignus, & hic Y 3 Ecl. iij. You .108 You prefs't me, Sir, to declare my Thoughts: and I have not fo much confulted my Ability, as my Zeal for the ACADEMY. Perhaps I have gone too far; but I defign'd not to fay a Word that thou'd make me feem partial. 'Tis time for me to conclude. Phoebus volentem pralia me loqui, I fhall always remain with a fincere and high Efteem, Sir, &c, FINIS, INDE X OF Principal Matters. A A. CADEMY (French) its Rife and Nature, Page See Hands, Eyes, Voice. 201, 202 85-88, 92, 93 89, 90 91 98 185 150 Addrefs of an Orator, what kind most proper, their Way of expreffing the Paffions, 92, 260 Antients, their Excellence, their Simplicity, 129, 256, 7, 8. 318-323 their Defects, 309, 10, 11 Antithefes, forc'd ones childish, 126 when proper, Apoftles unacquainted with the true Greek, their Manner of Preaching, their irregular Stile whence, ARISTOPHANES' low Humour cenfur'd, ARISTOTLE's Rhetorick, its Character, ibid 136,7 146, 7, 8 157, 8 283 Arts, which proper to be cultivated in a wise Govern- Page 20, 22 181, 2 AUSTIN's Stile, his Character, 182, 241 his Notions of Eloquence, 183. 217, 18 218, 19, 20 252 305 255, 6 his perfwafive Art, Author ought to labour for his Reader's Ease, BERNARD's Stile, BRUTUS' Eloquence in a Letter to TULLY, 225-228 Connection, fometimes to be neglected, Compofing much, neceffary to an Orator, 104 85 12, 65 270 Converfation, what fort useful, Corruption of the antient Philofophy and Eloquence, Dictionary, a new one by the French Academy, Difcourfe, how made fenfible, ought always to be plain, the Perfection of a Discourse, See Preaching: Homily: Sermons. Divifion of a Sermon, how to be made, its Inconveniencys, not us'd by the Antients, E. Eloquence, its Defign and Use, 236,7 203 88,97 252 235 9 114 115 ibid. 119 18-20. 69, 142, 70 a difficult Art, 141 the falfe Kind to be rejected, 51, 2. 141 Facts, the best Foundation of Sermons, how to be represented, 120 127, 129, 130 FATHERS (Antient) the Channels of Tradition, 167 |