words are found that popular estimate of this great man which prevailed at that time, and to which this memorable line gave new emphasis. 3. Precision in substantive terms is also seen when they assume the form of definitions or explanations. There is great care and accuracy in the treatment of the following passage from Disraeli's speech on the death of the Duke of Wellington: "The Duke of Wellington left to his countrymen a great legacy, greater even than his glory. He left them the contemplation of his character. I will not say that his conduct revived the sense of duty in England. I will not say that of our country. But that his conduct inspired public life with a purer and more masculine tone, I cannot doubt. His career rebukes restless vanity, and reprimands the irregular ebullitions of a morbid egotism." The true meaning of this passage is to be found in the carefully chosen words of the conclusion; yet in order to heighten their precision, and give them increased emphasis, the speaker introduces them by mentioning that which he will not say, and by these very words he insinuates with great delicacy the very fact which he represents himself as unwilling to state. The same method is followed by Burke, when he says, "I do not say I saved my country, I am sure I did my country important service. There were few indeed that did not at that time acknowledge it." In the following passage there is a careful definition : "I mean to give peace. Peace implies reconciliation; and where there has been a material dispute, reconciliation does in a manner imply concession on the one part or the other."-BURKE. 4. Precision is very striking in antithetical sentences. "To make a virtue of necessity.”—SHAKESPEARE. Here the contrast of "virtue" with "necessity" renders each word more distinct in its meaning. "There is, however, a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue.”BURKE. Here the stress is laid upon "forbearance" and "virtue," which are each more sharply defined by contrast. Kings will be tyrants from policy when subjects are rebels from principle."-BURKE, est minister should avoid, I mean to make you a negative instruction to your successors forever." There is great delicacy of expression associated with great subtlety of conception in this sentence. It is a common thing to speak of actions that should be imitated, and which thus become instructive; but it is more unusual and more difficult to speak of actions that should be avoided, and make them a "negative instruction." This criticism is also applicable to the following passage from Burke's Letter to the Duke of Bedford: ... "If his Grace can contemplate the result of this innovation . . . without a thorough abhorrence of everything they say and everything they do, I am amazed at the morbid strength or the natural infirmity of his mind." "Morbid strength" is suggestive of the capacity to inflict evil which belongs to the man familiar with wickedness and cruelty; "natural infirmity" indicates one who lacks common intelligence, and contemplates crime with the stolidity of an idiot. The alternative presented here with such refinement of language is the same as that which would be stated by a less skilful writer in the abusive terms “villain” and “fool.” This is 2. Precision is sometimes attained by the use of proper names, especially where a name is put for a class. illustrated by the following lines from Pope : "What can ennoble sots, or slaves, or cowards? Alas! not all the blood of all the Howards." Here there is a close and accurate specification of different classes of men, concluding with the mention of a class by the word "Howards," where one well-known name is put for noble families in general. "And more true joy Marcellus exiled feels Great precision is gained here by the use of these names, the one of an exiled patriot, the other of a triumphant tyrant. "If parts allure thee, think how Bacon shined, Precision is shown here in selecting Bacon from among all men as the highest example of human genius. of his character affords a still better instance. The summary words are found that popular estimate of this great man which prevailed at that time, and to which this memorable line gave new emphasis. 3. Precision in substantive terms is also seen when they assume the form of definitions or explanations. There is great care and accuracy in the treatment of the following passage from Disraeli's speech on the death of the Duke of Wellington: "The Duke of Wellington left to his countrymen a great legacy, greater even than his glory. He left them the contemplation of his character. I will not say that his conduct revived the sense of duty in England. I will not say that of our country. But that his conduct inspired public life with a purer and more masculine tone, I cannot doubt. His career rebukes restless vanity, and reprimands the irregular ebullitions of a morbid egotism." The true meaning of this passage is to be found in the carefully chosen words of the conclusion; yet in order to heighten their precision, and give them increased emphasis, the speaker introduces them by mentioning that which he will not say, and by these very words he insinuates with great delicacy the very fact which he represents himself as unwilling to state. The same method is followed by Burke, when he says, "I do not say I saved my country, I am sure I did my country important service. There were few indeed that did not at that time acknowledge it." In the following passage there is a careful definition : "I mean to give peace. Peace implies reconciliation; and where there has been a material dispute, reconciliation does in a manner imply concession on the one part or the other."-BURKE. 4. Precision is very striking in antithetical sentences. "To make a virtue of necessity."-SHAKESPEARE. Here the contrast of "virtue" with "necessity" renders each word more distinct in its meaning. "There is, however, a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue.”BURKE. Here the stress is laid upon "forbearance" and "virtue," which are each more sharply defined by contrast. Kings will be tyrants from policy when subjects are rebels from principle."-BURKE, The word "kings" is here contrasted with "subjects;" "tyrants" with "rebels;" "policy" with "principle;" and the array of such terms in opposition results in a careful accuracy of meaning. Junius, in his letter to the Duke of Grafton, says with his usual malignity: "In this humble imitative line you might long have proceeded safe and contemptible. You might probably never have risen to the dignity of being hated, and you might even have been despised with moderation." This is one of those passages upon which Junius expended an unusual amount of the care and study that, according to his own statement, characterized his composition. The antithesis of "safe" and "contemptible" may be noticed, and also that of "hated" and "despised." The studied bitterness with which Junius wrote was never more forcibly displayed than in such expressions as "have risen to the dignity of being hated;" despised with moderation;" and the sting lies in the perfect precision of the words. 66 § 20. PRECISION IN ATTRIBUTIVE TERMS. II. We have, in the second place, to consider precision in attributive terms. 1. This is especially seen in the application of epithets, and may best be illustrated by selecting some one subject, and comparing the ways in which it is presented by different writers. The sea affords a theme upon which many poets have loved to dwell, and whose powers they seek to set forth by vivid descriptive words. Byron's lines are familiar to all : "Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean, roll." "Deep and dark blue” is an expression of the most general kind, without any very definite force or meaning. Barry Cornwall's lines are equally familiar: "The sea, the sea, the open sea, The blue, the fresh, the ever free!" "Open," "blue," "fresh," "free," are all words which lack precision; they are commonplace, and might suggest themselves to any writer. Far different from these is "the multitudinous" sea of Shakespeare, which is full of suggestions of roll ing billows and resistless power; while in the very sound of the word itself there is something that is not unlike the thing which it represents. The ȧvýpiμov yéλaoua of Æschylus (the ἀνήριθμον γέλασμα infinite laughter of ocean waves) is of a higher description; and the πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης of Homer has become proverbial for pregnant meaning and sonorous music. These last have a rare precision and effective force, which have made them admired in all ages, and have caused them to be quoted so often that they have become hackneyed by repetition. The songs of birds form another favorite theme for the poets, and especially that of the nightingale. It will be instructive to compare the epithets applied to this by various writers. "It is the hour when from the boughs The nightingale's high note is heard."-BYRON. Here the epithet "high" is general, and of no particular meaning. It is quite evident that the poet wrote this without thinking very much about the real nature of the thing described. Far different from this is the description of the same thing by Keats, whose genius led him irresistibly to all forms of the beautiful: "While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad In such an ecstasy, Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain, The epithet "high" is here used, but in conjunction with other words which greatly refine and at the same time enlarge the meaning. The same poet also says: 66 Adieu, adieu, thy plaintive anthem fades Past the near meadows." A different character is here ascribed to the note of the nightingale; and still another by Milton in the following: "The wakeful nightingale, She all night long her amorous descant sang.” "Plaintive" and "amorous" are words which are very different, yet they each state in a precise and specific manner the poet's thought; while such general terms as "high," "low," "musical" are little better than conventionalisms, and are sug |