that it requires great Judgment to make || See Lon- a right || Choice of Circumstances. But ginus. §.x. we must not be afraid of mentioning fuch as can be any-way ferviceable: for 'tis a falfe Politeness that leads us to suppress fome useful Things, because we don't think 'em capable of any Ornament. Befides, HOMER has fhown us by his Example, that we might give a * proper Grace and Embellishment to every Subject. B. Seeing you condemn the florid fwelling Stile, what kind do fitteft for publick Ufe? you reckon A. There ought to be a Variety of Stile in every Difcourfe. We fhou'd rife in our Expreffion when we fpeak of lofty Subjects, and be † familiar, on common ones, * First follow NATURE, and your Judgment frame Mr. POPE's Effay on Criticism. † Εν ἄρ ὁ ἰδιωτισμὸς ἐνίοτε * κόσμο προπολὺ ἐμε φανισικώτερον· ἔλαγινώσκεται γι' αὐτόθεν ἐκ – κοινε βίν. Τὸ ἢ σώύηθες ἤδη πιςότερον Ταῦτα γὰ ἐγγὺς προ ξύει * ἰδιώτίω, ἀλλ' ἐκ ιδιωτεύει τῷ σημαντικῷ. LONGINUS. §. xxxj.. ones, without being coarfe, or grovelling. In moft Cafes, an eafy Simplicity and Exactnefs is fufficient: tho' fome Things require Vehemence, and Sublimity. If a Painter fhou'd draw nothing but magnificent Palaces, he cou'd not follow Truth; but muft paint his own Fancies; and by that means, foon cloy us. He ought to copy Nature in its agreable Varieties: and after drawing a stately City, it might be proper to reprefent a Defart, and the Huts of Shepherds. Most of thofe who aim at making fine Harangues injudicioufly labour to cloath all their Thoughts in a * pompous gaudy Drefs; and they fancy that they have fucceeded happily, when they exprefs fome general Remarks in a florid lofty Stile. Their only Care is to fill their Difcourfe with abundance of Ornaments, to pleafe the vitiated Tafte of their Audience: like ignorant Cooks who know not how to feafon Dishes, in a proper, natural way; but fancy they must give them an exquifite Relifh by mixing K 2 exceffive * Nanque illud genus oftentationi compofitum, folum petit audientium voluptatem : ideoque omnes dicendi artes aperit, ornatumque orationis exponit Mala affectatio, per omne dicendi genus peccat. Nam & tumida, & exilia, & prædulcia, & abundantia, & arceffita, & exultantia fub idem nomen cadunt. Denique nanong vocatur, quicquid eft ultra Virtutem; quoties Ingenium judicio caret, & fpecie boni falletur; omnium in Eloquentia vitiorum peffimum; nam cætera cum vitentur, hoc petitur. QUINTIL. lib. viij. c. 3. exceffive Quantities of the most seasoning Things. But the Stile of a true Orator has nothing in it that is fwelling or oftentatious: he always adapts it to the Subjects he treats of, and the Perfons he inftructs: and manages it fo judicioufly that he never aims at being fublime and lofty, but when he ought to be fo. B. What you faid concerning the Language of Scripture, makes me with earneftly that you wou'd fhew us the Beauty of it. May we not see you some time to-morrow? A. I fhall hardly have time to-morrow but I'll endeavour to wait on you feem fo dethis Evening. And fince you firous of it, we will talk of the Word of GOD: for hitherto we have only spoken of the Language of Men. C. Farewell, Sir, I beg of you to be punctual: otherwife we must come and find you out. C. THE THIRD DIALOGUE. Began to fear, Sir, that you wou'd not come; and was very near going to fee for you at Mr.*** A. I was detain'd by a perplexing Affair I had upon my Hands but I have got rid of it to my Satisfaction. B. I'm very glad of it; for, we wantéd you extremely to finish the Subject we were talking of in the Morning. C. Since I parted with you, Sir, I heard a Sermon at *** and I thought of you. The Preacher fpoke in a very edifying manner: but I question whether the common People understood him, or not. A. It happens but too often (as I heard an ingenious Lady obferve,) that our Preachers fpeak Latin, in English. The most effential Quality of a good Preacher is to be inftructive: but he must have K 3 great great Abilities and Experience to make him fo. On the one hand he must be perfectly acquainted with the Force of Scripture-Expreffions: on the other, he must understand the Capacity of those to whom he preaches; and adapt himself to it. Now this requires a folid Knowledge, and great Difcernment. Preachers fpeak every day to People of the Scripture, the Church, the Mofaick Law, the Gofpel; of Sacrifices; of MOSES and AARON, and MELCHISEDECK; of the Prophets, and Apostles: but there is not fafficient Care taken to inftruct the People in the true Meaning of thefe Things, and in the Characters of thofe holy Perfons. One might follow fome Preachers, twenty Years, without getting fufficient Knowledge of Religion. B. Do you think that People are really ignorant of thofe Things you mention'd? C. For my part, I believe they are : and that few or none understand them enough to receive any Benefit from Ser mons. B. That may be true of the lowest Rank of People. C. Well, ought not they to be inftructed as well as others? don't they make up the Bulk of Mankind? A. The Truth is, Perfons of Rank and Fashion have but little more Knowledge of |