put into any office for a livelihood, A bargain is struck; a magazine is projected; a few essays are written with tolerable care, and from this time the editor's labour is generally the least part of it. The work once begun, continues itself. It sets up, like a free port of trade, inviting merchants from every clime to unload their freight. It affords, to every one who chooses, the sweet delectation of reading, and seeing others read the products of his genius, without letting any body know except a few of his private friends. Hence essays and poems, tales in verse and in prose, come flying from every quarter, soliciting admission.

"Is there a parson much bemused in beer,
A maudlin poetess, a rhyming peer;

A clerk foredoomed his father's soul to cross,
Who pens a stanza when he should engross;

Is there who, locked from ink and paper, scrawls,
With desperate charcoal, round his darkened walls?"

All repair to the magazine, and in its pages find, for their crude productions, a ready conveyance to the public eye.

It is needless to say what influence such publications must have on the uneducated part of the community. The variety so pleasing to the lovers of novelty, the brief discussion so suitable to the busy, and, perhaps one might add, the want of meaning so

well adapted to the indolent, recommend them to general notice, under the name of easy reading, and thus enable them to spoil many minds, which, with better instruction, might have been taught to relish sense and good writing.

By studying the principles of fine writing, so as to be able to appreciate its beauties, a source of enter-tainment of the highest kind is provided, independently of the power acquired of imitating what we admire. In order to attain this, we must know something of the nature of language in general, and be well acquainted with our own; we must know the character of style, in all its diversities, and the various figures of speech employed to invigorate or adorn it; we must be able to distinguish the different species of composition, and be familiar with the principal works in our native tongue, that thus we may be enabled to form correct ideas of comparative merit.

When boards covered with wax were used for writing on, the instrument employed in forming the letters was called a style. Hence, in a figurative sense, the term has been adopted to signify the pecu

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liar manner in which a man expresses his thoughts by means of language. In this view, almost every kind of speaking and of writing is said to have a style by which it is distinguished. Accordingly we say, the style of conversation, and of public speaking, the familiar, the simple, the elegant style; the style of comedy, tragedy, history, essays; we say also, the style of Addison, Johnson, Hume; and we even speak of national styles, as the Asiatic, the Grecian, the Roman, the English.

Diversity of style, in the various productions that solicit our attention, is a circumstance so obvious, as not to escape the notice of the most cursory observer. An instance can scarcely be found, in which two writers, even when treating on the same subject, express their thoughts in a similar manner. To trace the causes of this diversity, would afford much pleasing and useful speculation; but to consider the subject minutely, would be inconsistent with the design of this work. As the remarks must be general, they must also be brief.

Between the mind and the body, there obviously exists an intimate connection. The former is often strong and lively, or weak and inert, according to the peculiar organization or health of the latter. Of the nature of this connexion, and of the manner in which the one affects the other, we are ignorant; for our

purpose, it is sufficient that we know the fact. But, admitting that the mind may receive a peculiar bias when formed by the hand of Omnipotence, and that the structure of the frame, in which for a time it is destined to operate, should have some influence on its elevation or depression, it is also certain, that particular habits and modes of education, have a considerable effect on our manner of thinking. Style being the expression of our thoughts, must necessarily partake of our mental qualities, and be clear or obscure, strong or feeble, according to the manner in which the writer has been accustomed to think.

Hence it appears, that diversity of style is partly owing to constitution, and partly to education. The style of him who delights in poetry, and who has been accustomed to read it, will generally be found flowing and graceful; whilst that of the mathematician, or the man of science, whose chief aim is clearness of demonstration, may be characterised by perspicuity, but will rarely be discovered to possess or

nament.

The professions or occupations in which men are employed, have also an effect in forming their style. If a man's education is not very liberal, the words to which he is most accustomed in the course of his profession, will generally be introduced into his compo

sitions, and sometimes for expressing ideas totally different from those, with which they were originally associated.

The manner in which we usually speak, will greatly contribute either to retard or accelerate our improvement in style. If, in conversation, we use words in a careless or inaccurate manner, we shall find, on attempting to express our thoughts correctly in writing, almost as much difficulty as if we wrote in a foreign language; but if it is our constant, aim to speak conformably to grammatical rules, and never to use words of which the meaning is not well understood, we shall experience no particular difficulty in writing. Our principal concern will be to obtain a plentiful store of ideas; words sufficiently appropriate will readily present themselves, and ease will be the characteristic feature of our style.

Style, as it applies to language, comprehends two parts-perspicuity and ornament. Of these, the former is the more important, and demands the principal care of every writer. In vain do we search for elegant words, and study to produce harmonious arrangement, if we are not solicitous to be understood. How important soever the subject of our composition, if our thoughts are not expressed with some degree of clearness we can neither promote the pleasure