the pleasures of imagination I mean only such pleasures as arise originally from sight, and that I divide these pleasures into two kinds."

This sentence begins in a manner too similar to the preceding. I mean only such pleasures; the adverb only is not in its proper place. It is not intended here to qualify the verb mean, but such pleasures; and ought therefore to be placed immediately after the fatter.

"My design being, first of all, to discourse of those primary pleasures of the imagination, which entirely proceed from such objects as are before our eyes; and in the next place to speak of those secondary pleasures of the imagination which flow from the ideas of visible objects, when the objects are not actually before the eye, but are called up into our memories, or formed into agreeable visions of things, that are either absent or fictitious."

Neatness and brevity are peculiarly requisite in the division of a subject. This sentence is somewhat clogged by a tedious phraseology. My design being first of all to discourse-in the next place to speak of-such objects as are before our eyes-Things that are either absent or fictitious. Several words might have been omitted, and the style made more neat and compact.

"The pleasures of the imagination, taken in their full extent, are not so gross as those of sense, nor so refined as those of the understanding."

This sentence is clear and elegant.

"The last are indeed more preferable, because they are founded on some new knowledge or improvement in the mind of man; yet it must be confessed that those of the imagination are as great and as transporting as the other."

The phrase, more preferable, is so palpable an inaccuracy, that we wonder how it could escape the obser vation of Mr. Addison. The proposition, contained in the last member of this sentence, is neither clearly nor elegantly expressed. It must be confessed that those of the imagination are as great and as transporting as the other. In the beginning of this sentence he

had called the pleasures of the understanding the last; and he concludes with observing, that those of the imagination are as great and transporting as the other. Beside that the other makes not a proper contrast with the last, it is left doubtful whether by the other are meant the pleasures of the understanding, or the pleasures of sense; though without doubt it was intended to refer to the pleasures of the understanding only.

"A beautiful prospect delights the soul as much as a demonstration; and a description in Homer has charmed more readers than a chapter in Aristotle."

This is a good illustration of what he had been asserting, and is expressed with that elegance by which Mr. Addison is distinguished.

"Besides, the pleasures of the imagination have this advantage above those of the understanding, that they are more obvious and more easy to be acquired.” This sentence is unexceptionable.

"It is but opening the eye and the scene enters." Though this is lively and picturesque, yet we must remark a small inaccuracy. A scene cannot be said to enter; an actor enters; but a scene appears or presents itself.

"The colours paint themselves on the fancy with very little attention of thought or application of mind in the beholder."

This is beautiful and elegant, and well suited to those pleasures of the imagination of which the author is treating.

"We are struck, we know not how, with the symmetry of any thing we see, and immediately assent to the beauty of an object, without inquiring into the particular causes and occasions of it."

We assent to the truth of a proposition; but cannot with propriety be said to assent to the beauty of an object. In the conclusion, particular and occasions are superfluous words; and the pronoun it, is in some measure ambiguous.

"A man of a polite imagination is let into a great many pleasures that the vulgar are not capable of receiving"

The term polite is oftener applied to manners than to the imagination. The use of that, instead of which, is too common with Mr. Addison. Except in cases where it is necessary to avoid repetition, which is preferable to that, and is undoubtedly so in the present instance.

"He can converse with a picture, and find an agreeable companion in a statue. He meets with a secret refreshment in a description, and often feels a greater satisfaction in the prospect of fields and meadows, than another does in the possession. It gives him, indeed, a kind of property in every thing he sees, and makes the most rude uncultivated parts of nature administer to his pleasures; so that he looks upon the world as it were in another light, and discovers in it a multitude of charms that conceal themselves from the generality of mankind."

This sentence is easy, flowing and harmonious. We must, however, observe a slight inaccuracy. It gives him a kind of property-to this it there is no antecedent in the whole paragraph. To discover its connexion we must look back to the third sentence preceding, which begins with a man of a polite imagination. This phrase polite imagination is the only antecedent to which it can refer; and even this is not a proper antecedent, since it stands in the genitive case as the qualification only of a man.

"There are, indeed, but very few who know how to be idle and innocent, or have a relish of any pleasures that are not criminal; every diversion they take, is at the expense of some one virtue or another, and their very first step out of business is into vice or folly.”

This sentence is truly elegant, musical, and correct. "A man should endeavour therefore to make the sphere of his innocent pleasures as wide as possible, that he may retire into them with safety, and find in them such a satisfaction as a wise man would not blush to take."

This also is a good sentence, and exposed to no objection.

"Of this nature are those of the imagination, which do not require such a bent of thought as is necessary to our more serious employments; nor at the same time, suffer the mind to sink into that indolence and remissness which are apt to accompany our more sensual delights; but, like a gentle exercise to the faculties, awaken them from sloth and idleness, without putting them upon any labour or difficulty."

The beginning of this sentence is incorrect. Of this nature, says he, are those of the imagination. It might be asked, of what nature? For the preceding sentence had not described the nature of any class of pleasures. He had said that it was every man's duty to make the sphere of his innocent pleasures as extensive as possible, that within this sphere he might find a safe retreat and laudable satisfaction. The transition therefore is loosely made. It would have been better if he had said this advantage we gain, or this satisfaction we enjoy, by means of the pleasures of the imagination. The rest of the sentence is correct.

"We might here add, that the pleasures of the fancy are more conducive to the health than those of the understanding, which are worked out by dint of thinking, and attended with too violent a labour of the brain."

Worked out by dint of thinking is a phrase which borders too nearly on the style of common conversation, to be admitted into polished composition.

"Delightful scenes, whether in nature, painting, or poetry, have a kindly influence on the body, as well as the mind, and not only serve to clear and brighten the imagination, but are able to disperse grief and melancholy, and to set the animal spirits in pleasing and agreeable motions. For this reason, Sir Francis Bacon, in his essay upon health, has not thought it improper to prescribe to his readers a poem or prospect, where he particularly dissuades him from knotty and subtile disquisitions, and advises him to pursue studies that fill the mind with splendid and illustrious objects, as histories, fables, and contemplations of nature."

In the latter of these two periods, a member is out of its place. Where he particularly dissuades him from

knotty and subtile disquisitions, ought to precede has not thought it improper to prescribe, &c.

"I have in this paper, by way of introduction, settled the notion of those pleasures of the imagination, which are the subject of my present undertaking; and endeavoured, by several considerations, to recommend to my readers the pursuit of those pleasures: I shall in my next paper examine the several sources from whence these pleasures are derived.”

These two concluding sentences furnish examples of proper collocation of circumstances. We formerly showed that it is difficult so to dispose them as not to embarrass the principal subject. Had the following incidental circumstances, by way of introduction-by several considerations-in this paper in the next paper, been placed in any other situation, the sentence would have been neither so neat, nor so clear, as it is on the present construction.

ELOQUENCE....ORIGIN OF ELOQUENCE....GRECIAN ELO

QUENCE....DEMOSTHENES.

ELOQUENCE is the art of persuasion. Its most essential requisites are solid argument, clear method, and an appearance of sincerity in the speaker, with such graces of style and utterance as command attention. Good sense must be its foundation. Without this, no man can be truly eloquent; since fools can persuade none but fools. Before we can persuade a man of sense, we must convince him. Convincing and persuading, though sometimes confounded, are of very different import. Conviction affects the understanding only; persuasion, the will and the practice. It is the business of a plilosopher to convince us of truth; it is that of an orator to persuade us to act conformably to it, by engaging our affections in its favour. Conviction is, however, one avenue to the heart; and it is that which an orator must first attempt to gain; for no persuasion can be stable, which is not founded on conviction. But