B. You grow too warm, Sir: fuppofing the literal Sense of the Text not to be the true Meaning of it, the Preacher's Remarks might however be very fine and folid.

C. As for my part, I don't care whether a Preacher's Thoughts be fine or not, till I am firft fatisfied of their being true. But, Sir, what say you to the rest of the Sermon ?

A. It was exactly of a piece with the Text. How cou'd the Preacher give such mifpiac'd Ornaments to a Subject in itself fo terrifying; and amufe his Hearers with an idle ftory of Artemefia's Sorrow when he ought to have alarm'd them, and given them the most terrible Images of Death?

B. I perceive then you don't love Turns of Wit, on fuch occafions. But what wou'd become of Eloquence if it were ftript of fuch Ornaments? Wou'd you confine every body to the Plainness of country Preachers? Such Men are useful among the common People; but Perfons of Diftinction have more delicate Ears; and we muft adapt our Difcourfes to their polite Tafte.

A. You are now leading me off from the Point. I was endeavouring to convince you, that the Plan of the Sermon was ill laid; and I was just going to touch upon

the

Divi

Divifion of it: but I fuppofe you already perceive the Reason why I diflike it; for, the Preacher lays down three quaint Conceits for theSubject of his whole Discourse. When one chufes to divide a Sermon, he fhou'd do it plainly, and give fuch a Divifion as naturally arifes from the Subject itself, and gives a Light and just Order to the feveral Parts; fuch a Divifion as may be easily remember'd, and at the fame time help to connect and retain the whole; in fine, a Divifion that fhews at once the extent of the Subject, and of all its parts. But, on the contrary, here's a Man who endeavours to dazzle his Hearers, and puts them off with three Points of Wit, or puzzling Riddles, which he turns and plies fo dexterously, that they must fancy they faw fome Tricks of Legerdemain. Did this Preacher use such a serious grave manner of Address as might make you hope for fomething useful and important from him? But, to return to the Point you propos'd; did you not ask me whether I meant to banish Eloquence from the Pulpit?

B. Yes, I fancy that is your Drift. A. Think you fo? Pray what do you mean by Eloquence?

B. It is the Art of Speaking well. A. Has this Art no other End, befides that of Speaking well? Have not Men

fome

fome Design in Speaking? or do they talk only for the fake of Talking?

B. They speak to please, and to perfuade others.

A. Pray let us carefully distinguish these two things. Men talk in order to perfuade; that is certain: and too often they speak likewife to please others. But while one endeavour's to please, he has another View; which, tho' more diftant, ought to be his chief Aim. A Man of Probity has no other Design in pleasing others, than that he may the more effectually infpire them with the Love of Juftice, and other Virtues; by reprefenting them as moft amiable. He who feeks to advance his own Interest, his Reputation, or his Fortune, ftrives to please, only that he may gain the Affection and Esteem of fuch as can gratify his Ambition, or his Avarice: So that this very Defign of pleafing is still but a different Manner of Perfwafion that the Orator aim's at; for he pleases others to inveigle their Affection; that he may thereby perfuade them to what advance's his Interest.

B. You cannot but own then that Men often speak to pleafe. The moft ancient Orators had this View. CICERO'S O rations plainly fhew that he labour'd hard for Reputation: and who will not believe the fame of ISOCRATES, and D.EM OF

STHENES

STHENES too? All the Panegyrifts were more follicitous for their own Honour, than for the Fame of their Heroes and they extoll'd a Prince's Glory to the Skies, chiefly because they hop'd to be admir'd for their ingenious Manner of praifing him. This Ambition feems to have been always reckon'd commendable both among the Greeks and the Romans: and fuch Emulation brought Eloquence to its Perfection it infpir'd Men with noble Thoughts and generous Sentiinents, by which the ancient Republicks were made to flourish. The advantagious Light in which Eloquence appear'd in great Affemblies, and the Afcendant it gave the Orator over the People, made it to be admir'd, and helpt to fpread polite Learning. I cannot fee indeed why fuch an Emulation fhou'd be blam'd even among Chriftian Orators; provided they did not fhew an indecent Affectation in their Difcourfes, nor in the least enervate the Precepts of the Gospel. We ought not to cenfure what animates young People, and form's our greatest Preachers.

A. You have here put feveral things together, which, if you pleafe, Sir, we'll confider feparately; and obferve fome Method in enquiring what we ought to conclude from them. But let us above all things avoid a wrangling Humour ;

and

and examine the Subject with Calmness and Temper, like Persons who are afraid of nothing fo much as of Error: and let us place the true Point of Honour in a candid Acknowledgment of our Mistakes, whenever we perceive them.

B. That is the exact State of my Mind; or at least I judge it to be fo; and I intreat you to tell me when you find me tranfgreffing this equitable Rule.

A. We will not as yet talk of what relates to Preachers; for that point may be more feasonably confider'd afterwards, Let us begin with those Orators whofe Examples you vouch't. By mentioning DEMOSTHENES and ISOCRATES together, you difparage the former; for the latter was a lifelefs Declaimer, that bufied himself in polishing his Thoughts, and giving an harmonious Cadence to his Periods. He had a very low and vulgar Notion of Eloquence; and plac'd almost the whole of it, in a nice Difpofal of his Words.

* In the Introduction of this very Panegyrick that our Author mentions, ISOCRATES fays, Such is the Nature of Eloquence, that it makes great things appear little ; and small things to feem great; it can reprefent old things as new; and new things as if they were old; and that therefore he would not decline a Subject that others had handled before him, but would endeavour to declaim better than they.'--Upon which LONGINUS (§. xxxviij.) makes this judicious Remark; that by giving fuch a Character of Eloquence, in the Beginning of his Panegyrick, the Orator in effect caution'd his Hearers not to believe his Difcourfe.