laft or late in a period, will appear from the following examples, Let us endeavour to establish to ourselves an interest in him who holds the reins of the whole creation in his hand. Spectator, No 12, Better thus Let us endeavour to establish to ourselves an interest in him, who, in his hand, holds the reins of the whole creation. Virgil, who has caft the whole fyftem of Platonic philofophy, fo far as it relates to the foul of man, into beautiful allegories, in the fixth book of his Eneid, gives us the punishment, &c. Better thus: Spectator, No 90, Virgil, who in the fixth book of his Eneid has caft, &c. And Philip the Fourth was obliged at last to con clude a peace, on terms repugnant to his inclination, to that of his people, to the interest of Spain, and to that of all Europe, in the Pyrenean treaty. Letters on hiftory, vol. 1, letter 6. Bolingbroke, Better Better thus: And at laft, in the Pyrenean treaty, Philip the Fourth was obliged to conclude a peace, a Sa J In arranging a period, it is of importance to determine in what part of it a word makes the greatest figure, whether in the beginning, during the currency, or at the clofe, The breaking filence roufes the attention to what is faid; and therefore deeper impreffion is made at the beginning than during the currency. The beginning, however, muft yield to the clofe; which being fucceeded by a paufe, affords time for a word to make its deepeft impreffion. Hence the following rule, That to give the utmost force to a period, it ought if poffible to be clofed with that word which makes the greatest figure. The opportunity of a pause thould not be thrown away upon accessories, but referved for the principal object, in order that it may make a full impreffion. This is an additional reason against closing a period with a circumstance. There are however periods that admit not this ftructure; and and in that cafe, the capital word ought if poffible to be placed in the front, which next to the clofe is the most advantageous for making an impreffion. Hence, in directing our difcourfe to any man, we ought to begin with his name; and one will be fenfible of a degradation, when this rule is neglected, as it frequently is for the fake of verfe. I give the following examples. Integer vitæ, fcelerifque purus, Fufce, pharetrâ. Horat. Carm. l. 1. ode 22. Je crains Dieu, cher Abner, et n'ai point d'autre crainte. In these examples the name of the perfon addreffed to makes a mean figure, being like a circumftance flipt into a corner. That this criticism is well founded, we need no other proof than Addison's tranflation of the last example. O O Abner! I fear my God, and I fear none but Guardian, No 117. him. O father, what intends thy hand, fhe cry❜d, Against thy father's head? Paradife Loft, book 2. 1. 727. Every one must be fenfible of a dignity in the invocation at the beginning, which that in the middle is far from reaching. I mean not however to cenfure this expreffion. On the contrary it appears beautiful, by distinguishing the respect due to a father and to a fon. The fubftance of what is faid in this and the foregoing fection, upon the method of arranging the words of a period fo as to make the strongest impreffion with refpect to found as well as fignification, is comprehended in the following observation. That order of the words in a period will always be the most agreeable, where, without obfcuring the fenfe, the most important i mages, mages, the most fonorous words, and the longest members, bring up the rear, Hitherto of arranging fingle words, fingle members, and fingle circumstances. But the enumeration of many particulars in the fame period is often neceffary; and the queftion is, In what order they should be placed. It does not feem eafy at firft view to bring a fubject apparently fo loose under any general rules. But luckily reflecting upon what is faid in the firft chapter about order, we find rules laid down to our hand, fo as to leave us no harder task than their application to the prefent queftion, And, first, with respect to the enumerating a number of particulars of equal rank, it is, laid down in the place cited, that as there is no foundation for preferring any one before the reft, it is indifferent to the mind in what order they be viewed. And it is only neceffary to be added here, that for the fame reafon, it is indifferent in what order they be named. 2dly, If a number of objects of the fame kind, differing only in fize, are to be ranged along a straight VOL. II. S f line, |