University of Virginia Library

INTRODUCTION.

IT has been a question for some time past,
what would be the best means to fix the
English language. Some have thought of
Dictionaries, others of Institutes, for that
purpose. Swift, I think it was, who proposed,
in his letters to the Earl of Oxford,
the forming an academy of learned men,
in order by their observations and rules,
to settle the true spelling, accentuation,
and pronunciation, as well as the proper
words, and the purest, most simple, and
perfect phraseology of language. It has
always appeared to me, that if some great
master of stile should arise, and without
regarding sentiment, or subject, give an

example of good language in his composition,
which might serve as a model to
future speakers and writers, it would do
more to fix the orthography, choice of
words, idiom of phrase, and structure of
sentence, than all the Dictionaries and Institutes
that have been ever made. For
certainly, it is much more conducive to
this end, to place before the eyes what is
good writing, than to suggest it to the
ear, which may forget in a short time all
that has been said.

It is for this reason, that I have undertaken
this work; and that it may attain
the end the more perfectly, I shall consider
language only, not in the least regarding
the matter of the work; but as musicians,
when they are about to give the
most excellent melody, pay no attention
to the words that are set to music; but
take the most unmeaning phrases, such as
sol, fa, la; so here, culing out the choicest
slowers of diction, I shall pay no regard
to the idea; for it is not in the power of
human ingenuity to attain two things perfectly
at once. Thus we see that they mistake
greatly, who think to have a clock
that can at once tell the hour of the day,
the age of the moon, and the day of the

week, month, or year; because the complexness
of the machine hinders that perfection
which the simplicity of the works
and movements can alone give. For it is
not in nature to have all things in one.
If you are about to chuse a wife, and expect
beauty, you must give up family and fortune;
or if you attain these, you must at
least want good temper, health, or some
other advantage: so to expect good language
and good sense, at the same time, is
absurd, and not in in the compass of common
nature to produce. Attempting only
one thing, therefore, we may entertain
the idea of hitting the point of perfection.
It has been owing to an inattention to this
principle, that so many fail in their attempts
at good writing. A Jack of all
Trades, is proverbial of a bungler; and we
scarcely ever find any one who excels in
two parts of the same art; much less in
two arts at the same time. The smooth
poet wants strength; and the orator of a
good voice, is destitute of logical reason
and argument. How many have I heard
speak, who, were they to attempt voice
only, might be respectable; but undertaking,
at the same time, to carry sense along
with them, they utterly fail, and become
contemptible. One thing at once,
is the best maxim that ever came into the
mind of man. This might be illustrated
by a thousand examples; but I shall not
trouble myself with any; as it is not so
much my object to convince others as to
shew the motives by which I myself am
governed. Indeed, I could give authority
which is superior to all examples;
viz. that of the poet Horace; who, speaking
on this very subject of excellence in
writing, says, Quidvis, that is, whatever
you compose, let it be, simplex duntaxit
& unum: that is, simple, and one thing
only.

It will be needless for me to say any
thing about the critics; for as this work
is intended as a model or rule of good
writing, it cannot be the subject of criticism.
It is true, Homer has been criticised
by a Zoilus and an Aristotle; but
the one contented himself with pointing
out defects; the other, beauties. But
Zoilus has been censured, Aristotle praised;
because in a model there can be no
defect; error consisting in a deviation from
the truth, and faults, in an aberration from
the original of beauty; so that where there
are no faults there can be no food for

criticism, taken in the unfavourable sense
of finding fault with the productions of an
author. I have no objections, therefore,
to any praise that may be given to this
work; but to censure or blame must appear
absurd; because it cannot be doubted
but that it will perfectly answer the end
proposed.

Being a book without thought, or the
smallest degree of sense, it will be useful to
young minds, not fatiguing their understandings,
and easily introducing a love
of reading and study. Acquiring language
at first by this means, they will afterwards
gain knowledge. It will be useful especially
to young men of light minds intended
for the bar or pulpit. By heaping too much
upon them, stile and matter at once, you
surfeit the stomach, and turn away the
appetite from literary entertainment, to
horse-racing and cock-fighting. I shall
consider myself, therefore, as having performed
an acceptable service to all weak
and visionary people, if I can give them
something to read without the trouble of
thinking. But these are collataral advantages
of my work, the great object of which
is, as I have said before, to give a model of
perfect stile in writing. If hereafter any

author of supereminent abilities, should
chuse to give this stile a body, and make
it the covering to some work of sense, as
you would wrap fine silk round a beautiful
form, so that there may be, not only
vestment, but life in the object, I have no
objections; but shall be rather satisfied with
having it put to so good a use.