"her as it can or may be conveniently doon, which "picture and image they fhall fubftantially note, "and marke in every pounte and circumftance, "foo that it agree in fimilitude and likeneffe as 66 near as it may poffible to the veray visage, coun"tenance, and femblance of the faid Quine; and "in cafe they may perceyve that the paynter, at "the furft or fecond making thereof, hath not "made the fame perfaite to her fimilytude and "likeneffe, or that he hath omitted any feiture or "circumstance, either in colours, or other propor"cions of the faid visage, then they fhall cause the "fame paynter, or fome other the most conyng "paynter that they can gete foo oftentimes to re"newe and reforme the fame picture, till it be "made perfaite, and agreeable in every behalfe, "with the very image and visage of the faid Quine *" After this fpecimen fo much approved by his Lordship, one will not be surprised at the flatness of the hiftorical ftyle during that period. By that flatnefs of ftyle Lord Bacon's histo 66 thus: ry * The following paffage, copied from an Edinburgh newfpaper, may almoft rival this eloquent piece. After obferving that the froft was intenfe, which, fays the writer, renders travelling very dangerous either in town or country, he proceeds "We would therefore recommend it to shopkeepers, and those whofe houfes are close upon the streets or lanes, "to scatter afhes oppofite to their doors, as it may be a means "of preventing paffengers from falling, which they are in "great danger of doing at prefent, from the flippinefs of the "Atreets, where that practice is not followed." 66 ry of Henry VII. finks below the gravity and dignity of hiftory; partieularly in his fimiles, metaphors, and allufions, no lefs diftant than flat. Of Perkin Warbeck and his followers, he fays, "that "they were now like fand without lime, ill bound together." Again," But Perkin, advised to keep "his fire, which hitherto burned as it were upon green wood, alive with continual blowing, failed again to Ireland." Again, "As in the tides of people once up, there want not commonly ftirring winds to make them more rough, fo this 66 66 66 people did light upon two ringleaders or cap"tains." Again, speaking of the Cornish infurgents, and of the causes that inflamed them, "But "now these bubbles by much stirring began to "meet, as they used to do on the top of water." Again, fpeaking of Perkin, " And as it fareth with "fmoak, that never lofeth itself till it be at the higheft, he did now before his end raise his ftile, 66 66 intytling himself no more Richard Duke of York, "but Richard the Fourth, King of England." He defcends fometimes fo low as to play upon words; witnefs the following fpeech made for Perkin to the King of Scotland. High and mighty King! your Grace may be pleafed beningly to bow "your ears to hear the tragedy of a young man "that by right ought to hold in his hand the ball "of a kingdom, but by fortune is made himself a 'ball, toffed from mifery to mifery, and from "place to place." The following is a strangely forced forced allufion. Talking of Margaret Duchess of Burgundy, who had patronized Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, he fays, "It is the ftrangest thing in the world, that the Lady Margaret "should now, when other women give over child"bearing, bring forth two fuch monsters, be❝ing, at birth, not of nine or ten months, but of 66 many years. And whereas other natural mo thers bring furth children weak, and not able "to help themselves, fhe bringeth furth tall strip66 lings, able, foon after their coming into the "world, to bid battle to mighty kings." I should not have given fo many inftances of puerilities in compofition, were they not the performance of a great philofopher. Low indeed muft have been the taste of that age, when it infected its greatest genius. The perfection of historical compofition, which writers at laft attain to after wandering through various imperfect modes, is a relation of interesting facts connected with their motives and confequences. A history of that kind is truly a chain of caufes and effects. The hiftory of Thucydides, and ftill more that of Tacitus, are shining instances of that mode. There was not a book written in France correct in its ftyle before the year 1654, when the Lettres Provinciales appeared; nor a book in a good historical style before the hiftory of the confpiracy against Venice by the Abbé St Real. A 66 66 A language in its original poverty, being deficient in ftrength and variety, has nothing at command for enforcing a thought but to redouble the expreffion. Inftances are without number in the Old Testament. "And they say, How doth God know, and is there knowledge in the Moft High?" Again, "Thus fhalt thou fay to the "houfe of Jacob, and tell to the children of If"rael." Again, "I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adverfary unto thine adverfa"ries." Again, "To know wifdom and inftruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to "receive the inftruction of wisdom." "She lay"eth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold "the diftaff." "Put away from thee a froward "mouth, and perverfe lips put far from thee. Let "thine eyes look right on, and let thine eye-lids "look ftraight before thee." 66 Eloquence was of a later date than the art of literary compofition; for till the latter was improved, there were no models for studying the former. Cicero's oration for Rofcius is compofed in a style diffuse and highly ornamented; which, fays Plutarch, was univerfally approved, because at that time the style of Afia, introduced into Rome with its luxury, was in high vogue. But Cicero, in a journey to Greece, where he leifurely ftudied Greek authors, was taught to prune off fuperfluities, and to purify his style, which he did to a high degree of refinement. He introduced into his native tongue tongue a sweetness, a grace, a majefty, that furprifed the world, and even the Romans themselves. Cicero obferves with great regret, that if ambition for power had not drawn Julius Cæfar from the bar to command legions, he would have become the most complete orator in the world. So partial are men to the profeffion in which they excel. Eloquence triumphs in a popular affembly, makes fome figure in a court of law compofed of many judges; very little where there is but a fingle judge, and none at all in a defpotic government. Eloquence flourished in the republics of Athens and of Rome; and makes fome figure at prefent in a British House of Commons. In Athens eloquence could not but flourish. In an affembly of the people, confifting of 5000 and upward, where every individual was entitled to give his opinion, the certainty of employing the talent of eloquence, was a strong motive with every young man of ambition to study that art. In Britain, very few are certain of obtaining a seat in the House of Commons; and that man must have great perfeverance who can bestow years in acquiring an art that he may never have occafion to exercise. The eldest fons of peers have indeed a nearer profpect of a feat in the upper houfe: but young men of quality are commonly too much addicted to pleasure; and many of them come not to be peers till the fire of youth is fpent. I am forry to add another reafon. Eloquence can never make |