Irving, D: Elements of English Composition

Excerpt from The Elements of English Composition: Containing Practical Instructions for Writing the English Language With Perspicuity and Elegance; Designed, in the Progress of Education, to Succeed to the Study of English Grammar, and of the Latin and Greek Classics

The work now prefented' to the public is chief!) intended for the perufal of thofe v. Hofe critical ¿udiea are yet in their commencement. L o younger fludente, and to fush as have not accefs to more extenfive works, it may perhapsconvey fome ufeful infiruélion. It is 'not intruded upon thofewho are already converfant in polite literature. Should it be found a fuitable intrm duction to this liberal Rudy, the compiler will have at tained the fummit of his ambition, Though it was my principal objeet to treat of profe compofition, yet a few obfera'afions on poetry inci dentally occur. The remarks which havebeen fug gefied with regard to the nature of figurative lan guage, apply' equally to profe and to poetry but the poets have furni¿ted me with. Thc molt copious and beautiful illnfirations. 1 The rules of criticifin are more fuccefsfully incul cated by particular examples than by general p'receptsa l have therefore endeavoured to collefil. Abundance of oappofite quotations, in order to illullrate every branch, of the fubjeét. In many i'nllances this was an eafy ta¿; but-m the cladification of the different charaélers~ of flyle, it Was attended. With the utmofi difficulty. To refer the compofitions of an author to a particular cl'afs, and produce examples from them in fupport of this de cihon, will always be-found a hazardous attempt. Of' this circumfiance Cicero and Quinétiiian feem to has e been fully aware.. In treating of the general character of a writer.'s (tyle, they content themfelves with re ferring to the' body of his works, in confirmation of their fentence. Toofuch exemplifieations as occur in the following treatifé, they have never had recourfe. Without pretending to quefiion the propriety of fincir method, it may be prefumed, that to the clafs of i A 2.

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