The Philosophy of Rhetoric

Chapter III: Of Vivacity, as depending on the Arrangement of the Words.

OF RHETORIC. CHAPTER III. Of Vivacity, as depending on tlte Arrangement of the Words. 353 SECTION I.-Of the nature of Arrangement, and the principal division of Sentences. HAVING already shown how far vivacity depends either on the words themselves, or on their number, I come now, lastly, to consider how it is effected by their arrangement. This, it must be owned, hath a very considerable influence in all languages, and yet there is not any thing which it is more difficult to regulate by general laws. The placing ofthe words in a sentence resembles, in some degree, the disposition of the figures in a history piece. As the principal figure ought to have that situation in the picture which will, at the first glance, fix the eye of the spectator, so the emphatical word ought to have that place in the sentence which will give it the greatest advantage for fixing the attention ofthe hearer. But in painting there can rarely arise a doubt concerning either the principal figure, or the principal place; whereas here it is otherwise. In many sentences it may be a question, both what is the word on which the emphasis ought to rest, and what is the situation which (to use the language of painters) will give it the highest relief. In most cases, both of simple narration and of reasoning, it is not of great consequence to determine E>ither point; in many cases it is impossible. Besides, in Er. ~lish, and other modern languages, the speaker doth not enjo~ that boundless latitude which an orator of Athens or of Rome enjoyed, when haranguing in the language of his country. With us, who admit very few inflections, the construction, and consequently the sense, depends almost entirely on the order. With the Greeks and the Romans, who abound in inflections, the sense often remains unalterable, in whatever order you arrange the words. But notwithstanding the disadvantage which, in this respect, we Britons labour under, our language even here allows as much liberty as will, if we know how to use it, be of great service for invigorating the expression. It is true, indeed, that when neither the imagination nor the passions of the hearer are addressed, it is hazardous in the speaker to depart from 354 TIlE PHILOSOPHY [nOOK m. the practice which generally obtains in the arrangement of the words; and that even though the sense should not be in the least affected by the transposition. The temperament of our language is phlegmatic, like that ofour climate. When, therefore , neither the liveliness of representation, nor the warmth of passion, serve, as it were, to cover the trespass, it is not safe to leave the beaten track. Whatever is supposed to be written or spoken in a cool and temperate mood, must rigidly adhere to the established order, which with us, as I observed, allows but little freedom. What is said will otherwise inevitably be exposed to the censure ofquaintness and affectation, than which perhaps no censure can do great.er prejudice to an orator. But as it is undubitable, that in many cases both composition and arrangement may, without incurring tliis reproach, be rendered greatly subservient to vivacity, I shall make a few observations on these, which I purpose to illustrate with proper examples. Composition and arrangement in sentences, though nearly connected, and, therefore, properly in this place considered together, are not entirely the same. Composition includes arrangement and something more. When two sentences differ only in arrangement, the sense, the words, and the construction , are the same; when they differ also in other articles of composition, there mu!!t be some difference in the words themselves , or, at least, in the manner of construing them. But I shall have occasion to illustrate this distinction in the examples to be afterwards produced. Sentences are either simple or complex; simple, consisting of one member only; as this, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth ;"5 complex, consisting of two or more members linked together by conjunctions; as this, .." Doubtless thou art our father, Ithough Abraham be ignorant of us, I and Israel acknowledge us not." 6 In the composition of the former, we have only to consider the distributIon of the words; in that of the latter, regard must also be had to the arrangement ofthe members. The members too are sometimes complex, and admit a subdivision into clauses, as in the following example, " The ox knoweth his owner, I and...