and its Sequel, show that there is a material distinction between them. There are cases, however, in which their combination is allowable, and in their correct use and application when used in juxtaposition they add greatly to the force and beauty of composition. As they are like different shades of the same colour, they may be used in combination to great advantage, by employing them so as to heighten, and finish the picture we wish to represent. What was wanted in the one to give force or lustre to the image we wish to exhibit, may be supplied by the other. When the language of the passions is to be employed, the repetition of synonymous words and phrases is very effective. In Bolingbroke's invective exclamation against the times-" But all is little, and low, and mean among us," the amplification produced by the recurrence of the synonymous words increases, as has been before stated, the expression of his indignation.

Abhor, detest.-To abhor imports, simply, strong dislike; to detest signifies strong disapprobation. We abhor being in debt; we detest treachery.

Abandon, forsake, relinquish, give up, desert, leave, quit.A man forsakes his mistress, abandons all hope of regaining her lost esteem, relinquishes his pretensions in favour of another; gives up a place of trust; deserts his party; leaves his parents in affliction; and quits the kingdom.

Ability, capacity.-Ability respects action; capacity, thought. Adjacent, contiguous.-Villages are said to be adjacent; houses or rooms contiguous. Adjacent means lying beside; contiguous, touching.

Amazed, astonished, surprised.-We are amazed at what is marvellous; astonished at what is grand; surprised at what is unexpected.

Assent, acknowledge. We assent to the truth of a proposition; we acknowledge the beauty of an object.

Aver, assert, declare.-To aver is to engage for the truth of an opinion; to assert is to maintain its consequences; to declare is to publish it.

Avow, acknowledge, confess, are words of very different import. To avow implies that I glory in my declaration; to acknowledge infers a small degree of delinquency; but to confess supposes a higher degree of criminality. A patriot avows his opposition to a corrupt ministry; a gentleman acknowledges his mistake; a prisoner confesses the crime of which he stands accused, and is punished.

Austerity, severity, rigour.—Austerity relates to the manner of living; severity to that of thinking; and rigour to that of punishing. A hermit, says Dr. Blair, is austere in his life; a casuist severe in application of religion or law; a judge rigorous in his sentence. But in this discrimination of the learned lecturer, there is, as Mr. Taylor observes, but little exactness. Austerity is applied not only to habit, but to doctrine, and to infliction of punishment. Solitary confinement is a severe mode of life, and a severe punishment. Rigid observances, rigid opinions are oftener spoken of than rigid sentences. A hermit is austere who lives harshly; is severe who lives solitarily; is rigid who lives unswervingly. A casuist is austere who commands mortification; severe who forbids conviviality; rigid whose exactions are unqualified. A judge is austere who punishes slight transgressions, severe who punishes to the utmost, rigid who punishes without respect of persons and cir

cumstances.

Authentic, genuine.—Authentic refers to the character of a document, genuine to the connection between any production

D

and its reputed author. The authenticity of Buchanan's History of Scotland is acknowledged; but the genuineness of Ossian's Poems is dubitable.

Behaviour, conduct.—Behaviour respects all actions exposed to the notice of others; conduct, the general line of a person's moral proceedings.

Capacity, ability, talent.-Capacity relates to the mind's susceptibility of receiving impressions; ability, to its power of making active exertions. Capacity is the gift of nature; ability, of education; the one is requisite to devise, the other to execute a great enterprize. The ingenuous youth when endowed with capacity stores his mind with a variety of ideas; which contributes to the successful exertion of his abilities.

Clear, distinct.-We see an object clearly when it is sufficiently illuminated to enable us to form a correct idea of its general figure or appearance; we see it distinctly when we can properly discern its parts.

Clearness, perspicuity.-Clearness respects our ideas; perspicuity, the mode of expressing those ideas.

Custom, habit.-Custom has reference to the action; habit to the actor. By custom we mean the frequent repetition of the same act; by habit, the effect which that repetition produces on the mind or body. By the custom of walking in the streets, one acquires the habit of idleness.

Desist, renounce, quit, leave off.—We desist, from the difficulty of accomplishing. We renounce, on account of the disagreeableness of the object or pursuit. We quit for the sake of some other thing that interests us more; and we leave off because we are weary of the design. A politician desists from his designs, when he finds them impracticable; he renounces the court because he has been slighted by it; he quits ambition

for study and retirement; and leaves off his attendance on the great, as he becomes old and discontented.

Difference, distinction.-Difference lies in the thing; distinction is the act of the person. They are equally bad logicians who make a distinction without a difference, or who make no distinction where there is a difference.

Difficulty, obstacle.-A difficulty embarrasses; an obstacle stops us.

Discover, invent.—We discover what existed, but which was unknown before; we invent what before did not exist.

Distinguish, separate.—We distinguish what we do not wish to confound with another thing; we separate what we want to remove from it. Objects are distinguished from one another by their qualities; they are separated by the distance of time or place.

Doubtful, dubious, dubitable.—In doubtful cases it is advisable for a judge to lean to the side of mercy. While the issue of a contest is dubious, opinion should be withheld. question is dubitable.

The

Enough, sufficient.-Enough relates to the quantity which we wish to have of a thing. Sufficient relates to the use that is to be made of it. The covetous man never has enough, though he has what is sufficient for nature.

Entire, complete.—A thing is entire when it wants none of its parts; complete when it wants none of its appendages belonging to it. A man may occupy an entire house, though he has not one complete apartment.

Equivocal, ambiguous.-An equivocal expression has one sense open, and designed to be understood; another sense concealed, and understood only by the person who uses it. An ambiguous expression has apparently two senses, and leaves us

at a loss which of them to apply to it. An equivocal expression is used with an intention to deceive; an ambiguous one, when properly adopted, with an intention not to give full information.

Haughtiness, disdain.-Haughtiness is founded on the high opinion we have of ourselves, disdain on the low opinion which we have of others.

Invent, discover.-We invent things which are new; we discover things that have been hidden. Galileo invented the telescope; Harvey discovered the circulation of the blood.

Only, alone.—Only imports that there is no other object of the same kind; alone, not being accompanied by any other object. An only child is one that has neither brother nor sister; a child alone is one that is left by itself.

Pride, vanity.-Pride makes us esteem ourselves; vanity makes us desire the esteem of others. A man may be too proud to be vain.

Proposal, proposition.-Proposal is a thing offered; proposition is something set down in a distinct form of words. A proposal is to be accepted; a proposition is to be admitted.

Reformation, reform.-Reformation is the forming again; reform is the new form: the first is the process, the second the result. The reformation of popery undertaken by Luther was slow and gradual, but it eventually produced a beneficial reform in religion.

Remark, observe. We remark in the way of attention, in order to remember; we observe, in the way of examination, in order to judge. A traveller remarks the most striking objects he sees; a general observes all the motions of his enemy.

Remember, remind.—We are reminded by others; we remember of ourselves.

Shall, will, should, and would.—These auxiliaries, on the just