Languages & literature > Abridgement of lectures on rhetoric

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ELEGANT AND ELOWERT.
^nony. His figures, if he ufe any, are fhort and accu¬
rate rather, than bold and glowing. Such a ftyle may
be attained by a writer, whofe powers of fancy or ge¬
nius are not great, by induftry and attention. This fort
of ftyle is not unfuitable -to any fubjeft whatever. A
familiar epiftle, or a law paper on the drieft fubjeft, may
be written with neatnefs ; and a fermon, or a philofoph-
ical treatife in a neat ftyle, is read with fatisfaftion.
. An elegant ftyle implies a higher degree of ornament,
than a neat one ; poflefling all the virtues of ornament
without any of its exceffes or defers. Complete ele¬
gance implies great perfpicuity and propriety ; purity
in the choice of words ; and care and (kill-in their ar¬
rangement. It implies farther the beauties of imagi¬
nation fpread over ftyle as far, as the fubje<ft permits j
and all the illuftration, which figurative language adds,
when properly employed. An elegant writer in (hor-t
is one, who delights the fancy and the ear, while he in¬
forms the underftanding ; who clothes his ideas in all
the beauty of expreflion, but does not overload them
with any of its mifplaced finery.
A florid ftyle implies excefs of ornament. In a
young compofer it is not only pardonable, but often a
promifing fymptom. But, although it may be allowed
to youth in their firft effays ; it muft not receive the
fame indulgence'from writers of more experience. In
$h?m judgment (hoyld chaften imagination, and rejefc