that it is the eafieft of all inverfion, even fo eafy as to be confiftent with a ftyle that is properly termed natural. Witness the following examples.

In the fincerity of my heart, I profefs, &c.

By our own ill management, we are brought to fo low an ebb of wealth and credit, that, &c.

On Thursday morning there was little or nothing tranfacted in Change-alley.

At St Bride's church in Fleetftreet, Mr Woolfton, (who writ against the miracles of our Saviour), in the utmost terrors of confcience made a public

recantation.

The interjecting a circumstance betwixt a relative word and that to which it relates, is more properly termed inverfion; because, by a violent disjunction of words intimately connected, it recedes farther from a natural ftyle. But this liberty has alfo degrees; for the disjunction is more violent in fome cafes than in others. This I muft alfo explain: and to give a juft notion of the difference, I must crave liberty of my reader to enter a

little more into an abstract subject, than would otherwife be my choice.

a

In nature, though a substance cannot exift without its qualities, nor a quality with out a substance; yet in our conception of thefe, a material difference may be remarked. I cannot conceive a quality but as belonging to some subject: it makes indeed part of the idea which is formed of the subject. But the oppofite holds not. Though I cannot form a conception of a fubject devoid of all qualities, a partial conception may however be formed of it, laying afide or abstracting from any particular quality. I can, for example, form the idea of a fine Arabian horse without regard to his colour, or of a white horse without regard to his fize. Such partial conception of a subject, is ftill more easy with respect to action or motion; which is an occafional attribute only, and has not the fame permanency with colour or figure. I cannot form an idea of motion independent of a body; but there is nothing more eafy than to form an idea of a body at rest. Hence it appears, that the degree of inverfion depends greatly

on

on the order in which the related words are placed. When a substantive occupies the firft place, we cannot foresee what is to be faid of it. The idea therefore which this word fuggefts, muft fubfift in the mind at least for a moment, independent of the relative words afterward introduced; and if it can fo fubfift, that moment may without difficulty be prolonged by interjecting a cir cumftance betwixt the fubftantive and its connections. Examples therefore of this kind, will scarce alone be sufficient to denominate a ftyle inverted. The cafe is very different, where the word that occupies the first place, denotes a quality or an action; for as these cannot be conceived without a fubject, they cannot without greater violence be feparated from the subject that follows! And for that reafon, every fuch feparation by means of an interjected circumstance belongs to an inverted style.

To illustrate this doctrine examples being neceffary, I fhall begin with those where the word first introduced does not imply a relation.

-→→→→→Nor Eve to iterate

Her former trefpaís fear'd.

Hunger and thirst at once,

Powerful perfuaders, quicken'd at the fcent
Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me fo keen.

Moon, that now meet'ft the orient fun, now fli'st
With the fix'd stars, fix'd in their orb that flies,
And ye five other wand'ring fires that move
In myftic dance not without fong, refound
His praise

In the following examples, where the word first introduced imports a relation, the disjunction will be found more violent,

Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whofe mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our wo,
With lofs of Eden, till one greater man
Reftore us, and regain the blessful feat,
Sing heav'nly muse.

Upon the firm opacous globe

Of this round world, whofe first convex divides

The luminous inferior orbs, inclos'd

From chaos and th' inroad of darkness old

Satan alighted walks.

On

-On a fudden open fly,

With impetuous recoil and jarring found,
Th'infernal doors..

Wherein remain'd,

For what could elfe? to our almighty foe
Clear victory, to our part lofs and rout.

Forth rufh'd with whirlwind found

The chariot of paternal Deity.

7

Language would have no great power, were it confined to the natural order of ideas. A thousand beauties may be compaffed by inverfion, that must be relinquished in a natural arrangement. I fhall foon have an opportunity to make this evident. In the mean time, it ought not to escape observation, that the mind of man is happily fo conftituted as to relifh inverfion, though in one refpect unnatural; and to relish it fo much, as in many cafes to admit a violent disjunction of words that by the fenfe are intimately connected. I fcarce can say that inverfion has any limits; though I may venture to pronounce, that the disjunction of articles, conjunctions, or prepofitions,

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