pleasant allegory, written in imitation of the "Faerie Queene." Macaulay's "Account of the Great Lawsuit between the Parishes of St. Dennis and St. George-in-theWater," is an allegory on the war with France in the time of Louis XIV. In more modern times, the "Quarrel in Dame Europa's School" is a tolerable specimen of the allegory. A FABLE is a short Allegory.

IV. Another very important aid to CLEARNESS is the proper and skilful use of DETAIL.

This is, of course, only another way of saying that the mind must be full to overflowing of the subject that is under discussion. Instead of having to hunt for these details, they should crowd in upon the mind in the act of writing.

But there is a kind of detail also which arises from the strength of the imagination or from the power of sympathy; and this is the kind of detail that is of greatest use in writing. The following is an excellent example from Burke. He is speaking of Howard.

"He has visited all Europe

to dive into the depths of dungeons; to plunge into the infections of hospitals; to survey the mansions of sorrow and pain; to take the gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt; to remember the forgotten, to attend to the neglected, to visit the forsaken, and to compare and collate the distresses of all men in all countries."

In this passage, Burke's imagination, driven by sympathy, ranges over every kind of human misery and disaster, and produces, instead of a bald outline, a strongly coloured picture of the mission of John Howard.

The following, too, is an admirable example from Macaulay of the kind of detail that arises from great knowledge :

"His first design was on Benares, a city which, in wealth, population, dignity, and sanctity, was among the foremost of Asia. It was commonly believed that half a million of human beings was crowded into that laby

rinth of lofty alleys, rich with shrines, and minarets, and balconies, and carved oriels, to which the sacred apes clung by hundreds. The traveller could scarce make his way through the press of holy mendicants and not less holy bulls. The broad and stately flights of steps which descended from these swarming haunts to the bathing-places along the Ganges, were worn every day by the footsteps of an innumerable multitude of worshippers. The schools and temples drew crowds of pious Hindoos from every province where the Brahminical faith was known. Commerce had as many pilgrims as religion. All along the shores of the venerable stream, lay great fleets of vessels laden with rich merchandise. From the looms of Benares, went forth the most delicate silks that adorned the halls of St. James's and of the Petit Trianon; and in the bazaars, the muslins of Bengal and the sabres of Oude were mingled with the jewels of Golconda and the shawls of Cashmere."

In the following sentence, Hume is speaking of Queen Elizabeth; and it is worthy of note how his complete sympathy with the poor old woman and the deplorable situation she was lying in, has affected his imagination, and enabled him to picture in the most lively way, and with the most varied language, all her feelings and sufferings.

"She felt a perpetual combat between resentment and inclination, pride and compassion, the care of her own safety and concern for her favourite; she signed the warrant for his execution; she countermanded it; she again resolved on his death; she felt a new return of tenderness."

In the following passage from Defoe's "History of the Plague of London," it will be plain that the story is not taken from his imagination. It is much too real in every way for that. But it is as plain that Defoe took in all the circumstances into his mind with the truest accuracy and the most faithful sympathy, and that he reproduces every point with the fidelity of a photographer, while the feeling of the whole is given with the power which only a great and honest artist could command.

"Another infected person came and knocked at the door of a citizen's house, where they knew him very well. The servant let him in, and being told that the master of the house was above, he ran up, and came into the

room to them as the whole family were at supper. They began to rise up a little surprised, not knowing what the matter was; but he made them sit still; he only came to take his leave of them. They asked him, 'Why, Mr. where are you going?' Going,' says he, 'I have got the sickness and shall die to-morrow night.' It is easy to believe, though not to describe, the consternation they were all in; the women and the man's daughters, who were but little girls, were frightened almost to death, and got up, all running out, one at one door and one at another, some down-stairs and some up-stairs, and getting together as well as they could, locked themselves into their chambers, and screamed out at the window for help, as if they had been frighted out of their wits. The master, more composed than they, though both frighted and provoked, was going to lay hands on him and throw him down-stairs, being in a passion; but then considering a little the condition of the man, and the danger of touching him, horror seized his mind, and he stood like one astonished. The poor distempered man, all this while, being as well diseased in his brain as in his body, stood still like one amazed; at length he turns round, Ay,' says he, with all the seeming calmness imaginable, is it so with you all? Are you all disturbed at me? Why, then, I'll e'en go home and die there.' And so he goes immediately down-stairs. The servant that had let him in, goes down after him with a candle; but was afraid to go past him and open the door; so he stood on the stairs to see what he would do; the man went and opened the door, and went out and flung the door after him."

Jeremy Taylor, in his "Holy Dying," draws a picture of a shipwreck by the help of a bare list of circumstances; while the vague hint at the end of the sentence places in the corner of the picture a faint suggestion of the survivors of a ruined family, who do not yet know that that has happened to them which will make them miserable for life.

"These are the thoughts of mortals; this the end and sum of all their designs: a dark night and an ill guide, a boisterous sea and a broken cable, a hard rock and a rough wind have dashed in pieces the fortune of a noble family, and they that shall weep loudest for the accident are not yet entered into the storm, and yet have suffered shipwreck."

V. CLEARNESS, and along with it VIVIDNESS, is gained by the use of CONCRETE, instead of Abstract * terms.

* In a philosophic essay, of course, one cannot do without abstract words.

It is more easy to conceive or to present to the mind a species than a genus; it is easier still to conceive an individual; and it is easiest of all to conceive a part of an individual. The imagination is not very vividly struck by the word creature; it seizes more easily on the term quadruped; it gets a stronger hold on the word horse; and it is still more strongly affected by the name Bucephalus. "Again, curve is very general; circle is less so; wheel approaches to the particular; sun, full moon, are individual, and the most conceivable of all."* To gain this end of clearness, the imagination specializes as much as possible; and this process is closely allied to that described under the LAW OF SPECIFICATION. Thus we say red-tape for official routine; when peace is declared, the sword is said to be sheathed; we speak of human life as a progress from the cradle to the grave; we say grey hairs instead of using the abstract term old age, and we speak of workmen as hands.

A great many names have been invented by the rhe

toricians to indicate this desire of the mind to have something individual, concrete, and specific, to lay hold of, instead of what is vague, general, or abstract; but it is not necessary for our present purpose to enumerate these.

Professor Bain gives an excellent example of the superior effect produced by concrete terms in the latter of the two following sentences :

"In proportion as the manners, customs, and amusements of a nation are cruel and barbarous, the regulation of their penal codes will be severe."

"According as men delight in battles, bull-fights, and combats of gladiators, so will they punish by hanging, burning, and crucifying."

People will sometimes say, "He is a Croesus;" "The

* Professor Bain p. 54.

She instemmation then viral a The vko vana ve ke pri ve Spiced #indig vis ve te for mi me woma vydan sat pe ng korter Beyma 296 that truun ti sramed on a te vind vir help, as if Bhan dad won by great ons of their vis The mane more nimposed iban May, woria va trimed and provided vs me by hols in him and vrye him torzeln being in a pacon: ba then wasdering a Erle ca A Man man, and the lamper of somthing him bomor sized his But Me Te RWA like one acted. The poor distempered an all this whh, Ming sa Lewin 2 brain as in his body, stood she one with/N/; za Mpa le time ruzi, Ay," says he, with a the seeming bija telah buktnave, as to with you all? Are you a starbed at me? Why, mem, i» d'en go home and die there. And so he goes immediately 60*6-222413. The servant that had let him in, goes down after him with a candle, it was afraid to go past him and open the door; so he stood on the stairs to me what he would do; the man went and opened the door, and went out and fang the door after him."

Jeremy Taylor, in his "Holy Dying," draws a picture of # shipwreck by the help of a bare list of circumstances; while the vague hint at the end of the sentence places in the corner of the picture a faint suggestion of the survivors of a ruined family, who do not yet know that that has happened to them which will make them miserable for life.

These are the thoughts of mortals; this the end and sum of all their designs: a dark night and an ill guide, a boisterous sea and a broken cable, hard rock and a rough wind have dashed in pieces the fortune of a noble family, and they that shall weep loudest for the accident are not yet entered into the storm, and yet have suffered shipwreck."

V. CLEARNERS, and along with it VIVIDNESS, is gained by the use of CONCRETE, instead of Abstract terms.

*

In a philosophic essay, of course, one cannot do without abstract words.