LECTURES ON RHETORIC AND BELLES LETTRES. Br HUGH BLAIR, D.D. AND F.R,S. Edin, ONE OF THe ministerS OF THE HIGH CHURCH, AND IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH, PRINTED FOR J. CRANWELL; J. CARLISLE; T. FISHER} J. BUMPUS; J, MAYNARD; J. BOHN; G. OFFER; W. LOWE, AND G, WALKER. 。་ 1817. CONTENTS XVIII. FIGURATIVE Language-General Characters of Style-Diffuse, Concise-Feeble, Ner- vous-Dry, Plain, Neat, Elegant, Flowery, XIX. General Characters of Style-Simple, Af- fected, Vehement-Directions for forming XX. Critical Examination of the Style of Mr. LECT. Page. LECTURE XVIII. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE-GENERAL CHARACTERS OF STYLE—DIFFUSE, CONCISE-FEEBLE, NERVOUS-DRY, PLAIN, NEAT, ELEGANT, FLOWERY. HAVING treated, at considerable length, of the figures of speech, of their origin, of their nature, and of the management of such of them as are important enough to require a particular discussion, before finally dismissing this subject, I think it incumbent on me to make some observations concerning the proper use of figurative language in general. These, indeed, I have, in part already anticipated. But, as great errors are often committed in this part of style, especially by young writers, it may be of use that I bring together, under one view, the most material directions on this head. I BEGIN with repeating an observation, formerly made, that neither all the beauties, nor even the* chief beauties of composition, depend upon tropes and figures. Some of the most sublime and most |