in which we may discover a remarkable propensity to place together objects that are in any manner connected. When objects are arranged according to their connections, we have a fanfe of order: when they are placed fortuitously, we have a fenfe of diforder.

The connective parts of fentences are the most important of all, and require the greatest care and attention; for it is by thefe chiefly that the train of thought, the course of reafoning, and the whole progrefs of the mind, in continued difcourfe of all kinds, is laid open, and on the right use of thefe depends perfpicuity, the greatest beauty of ftyle.

The bad effect of a violent feparation of words or members, which are intimately connected, will appear from the following examples:

The English are naturally fanciful, and very often difpofed, by that gloominefs and melancholy of temper which is fo frequent in our nation, to many wild notions and vifions, to which others are not fo liable:

Addison, Spectator.

Here the verb disposed is, by a long claufe, violently feparated from the fubject to which it refers. This harsh conruction is the less excufeable, as the fault is easily prevented by the following arrangement: "The English are naturally fanciful, and by that gloominefs and melancholy of temper which is fo frequent in our nation, are often difpofed to many wild notions, to which others are not fo liable." The fubfequent examples are of the fame defcription :

No mortal author, in the ordinary fate and viciffitude of things, knows to what ufe his works may, fome time or other, be applied. Spectator.

It cannot be impertinent or ridiculous, therefore, in fuch a country, whatever it might be in the Abbot of St. Real's, which was Savoy, I think; or in Peru, under the Incas, where Garcilaffo de la Vega fays it was lawful for none but the nobility to ftudy; for men of all degrees to inftruct themfelves in those affairs wherein they may be actors, or judges of thofe that act, or controllers of thofe that judge. Bolingbroke on the Study of History.

If Scipio, who was naturally given to women, for which anecdote we have, if I miftake not, the authority of, Poly

bius, as well as fome verfes of Nævius, preferved by Aulus. Gellius, had been educated by Olympias at the court of Philip, it is improbable that he would have restored the beautiful Spaniard.

Ibid.

May we not conjecture, for it is but conjecture, fome thing more? Bolingbroke's Dissert. on Parties. The works of Bolingbroke abound with improper arrange ments of this kind.

The foregoing rule is very frequently tranfgreffed in the difpofition of pronouns. The relative who or which, when introduced in order to avoid the repetition of the name of fome perfon or thing, ought always to be placed as near as poffible to the name of that perfon or thing. Where it is out of its proper place, we conftantly find fomething awkward or disjointed to the structure of the fentence.

This kind of wit was very much in vogue among our countrymen, about an age or two ago who did not practife' it for any oblique reafon, but. purely for the fake of being witty.. Addison, Spectator.

In this fentence the meaning is fufficiently obvious; but the conftruction would be evidently improved by difpofing of the circumstance," about an age or two ago," in fuch a manner as not to feparate the relative who from its antecedent countrymen. "About an age or two ago this kind of wit was very much in vogue among our countrymen, who did not practife it for any oblique reafon, but purely for the fake of being witty."

It is folly to pretend to arm ourselves against the accidents of life, by heaping up treasures, which nothing can protect us againft, but the good providence of our heavenly Father. Sherlock's Sermons.

This construction implies, that it is treasures, and not the accidents of life, from which no mortal can protect himself by his own exertions. The fentence ought to have stood thus: "It is folly to pretend, by heaping up treafures, to arm ourselves against the accidents of life, against which nothing can protect us, but the good providence of our heavenly Father”

Thus I have fairly given you, Sir, my own opinion, as well as that of a great majority of both houfes here, relating to this weighty affair; upon which I am confident you may fecurely reckon. Swift on the Sacramental Test.

Here the author feems to advife his correfpondent to reckon upon this weighty affair; though he certainly meant that it was the great majority upon which he might reckon. The obfcurity will be removed by arranging the fentence thus: "Thus, Sir, I have given you my own opinion relating to this weighty affair, as well as that of a great majority of both houses here; upon which I am cofident you may fecure

ly reckon."

I allude to the article BLIND in the Encyclopædia Britan nica, published at Edinburgh in the year 1783, which was written by him. Mackenzie's Life of Blacklock.

This arrangement leaves us to fuppofe that Blacklock was the fole author of a book to which he only contributed an effay on blindnefs. His biographer's meaning might have been expreffed thus: "I allude to the article BLIND, which was written by him, and published at Edinburgh in the year 1783, in the Encyclopædia Britannica."

We no where meet with a more glorious and pleafing show in nature, than what appears in the heavens at the rifing and fetting of the fun, which is wholly made up of thofe different ftains of light, and fhew themselves in clouds of a different fituation. Addison, Spectator.

Which is here defigned to connect with the word shew, as its antecedent but it is removed to fuch a diftance, that, without a careful attention to the fenfe, we would be led, by the rules of fyntax, to refer it to the rifing and fetting of the fun, or to the fun itself. Hence an indiftinctnefs is thrown over the whole fentence.

From a habit of faving time and paper, which they acquired at the univerfity, they write in fo diminutive a manner, with fuch frequent blots and interlineations, that they are hardly able to go on without perpetual hesitations, or extemporary expletives.

Swift's Letter to a Young Gentleman.

The author certainly does not mean, that the clergymen of whom he speaks, had acquired time and paper at the univerfity, but that they had there acquired a habit of faving time and paper. The fentence ought to have run thus: "From a habit which they have acquired at the univerfity of saving time and paper, they write in fo diminutive a manner, with fuch frequent blots, &c."

III. Another great fource of ambiguity is the too frequent repetition of pronouns, when we have occafion to refer to different perfons. The fubfequent examples will ferve to illuftrate this obfervation :

They were fummoned occafionally by their kings, when compelled by their wants and by their fears to have recourfe to their aid. Robertson's View of Society.

Men look with an evil eye upon the good that is in others; and think, that their reputation obfcures them; and that their commendable qualities do ftand in their light and therefore they do what they can to caft a cloud over them, that the bright fhining of their virtues may not obfcure them. Tillotson's Sermons.

The Earl of Falmouth and Mr. Coventry were rivals, who fhould have moft influence with the Duke, who loved the Earl beft, but thought the other the wifer man, who supported Pen, who difobliged all the courtiers, even against the Earl, who contemned Pen as a fellow of no fenfe.

Clarendon's Continuation.

All which, with the King's and Queen's fo ample promites to him (the treasurer) fo few hours before the conferring the place on another, and the duke of York's manner of receiving him (the treasurer) after he (the chancellor) had been shut up with him (the duke) as he (the treasurer) was informed, might very well excufe him (the treafurer) from thinking he (the chancellor) had fome fhare in the affront he (the treafuer) had undergone. Ibid.

Of thefe fentences, the first three are not involved in much obfcurity, though they are certainly rendered difagreeable and inelegant; but the laft cannot poffibly be understood, without a careful recollection of the contents of several pages preceding.

IV. A circumstance ought never to be placed between two capital members of a period; for by fuch an arrangement, we are left doubtful to which of the two the circumftance refers. But when it is interjected between parts of the member to which it properly belongs, the ambiguity is removed, and thefe members are kept diftinct from each other.

Let the virtue of a definition be what it will, in the order of things, it seems rather to follow than to precede our en quiry, of which it ought to be confidered as the refult. Burke on the Sublime and Beautifuk This arrangement leaves us dubious, whether the claufe, "in the order of things," refers to what goes before or to what follows. The ambiguity may be thus removed: "Let the virtue of a definition be what it will, it feems, in the order of things, rather to follow than to precede our enquiry, of which it ought to be confidered as the refult."

The knight, feeing his habitation reduced to fo fmall a compafs, and himfelf in a manner fhut out of his own house, upon the death of his mother, ordered all the apartments to be Hung open, and exercifed by his chaplain.

Addison, Spectator..

This may either imply, that upon the death of his mother, the knight was fhut out of his own houfe, or that upon the death of his mother, he ordered all his apartments to be exorcifed. As the latter was the author's meaning, the fentence ought to have food thus: "Seeing his habitation reduced to fo fmall a compafs, and himfelf in a nanner fhut out of his own houfe, the knight, upon the death of his mother, ordered all the apartments to be flung open, and exorcifed by his chaplain.

Though our brother is upon the rack, as long as ve ourselves are at ease, our fenfes will never inform us of what he fuffers. Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments. Better thus: "Though our brother is upon the rack, our fenfes will never, as long as we ourselves are at ease, inform us of what he fuffers."

This work in its full extent, being now afflicted with an asthma, and finding the power of life gradually declining, he had no longer courage to undertake.

Johnson's Life of Savage.