AFE 85 on,shed arÉSSAY ON THE STYLE OF GIBBON. Said, que end to six Rs 581 977 1 FFECTATION conciliates more followers than nature, for it is easier to be affected, than to be natural. The pofition Teems paradoxical,^ yet I fear is true! almost all children at a certain age become af fected, and all the efforts of the parent and mafter are required to bring back to nature, the motion of their limbs, and carriage of their bodies. We may extend this obfervation to mental exertions. The flyle of Mr Addison is fo eafy as fcarcely to excite admiration, unlefs in perfons of talte and refinement, while that of Johnfon and Gibbon dazzles the world. The mischiefs done by their example in the regions of taste and elegance are infinite, and the prodigious influence they have had upon compofition in general, calls for every man's efforts to point out to their imitators, fervum pecus, the glaring deformities of their models. 195 36 53. culiarity like that of walking upon filts inftead of legs) but a cuftom would be perceived a natural manner differing like his hand-writing from other mens, while fhades of variation would still be feen at different times of life, in different humours, or as he had been tinctured by a more recent perufal of this or that author. Gib bon is alike throughout. The following recipe will do for half his periods. Let the fentence be formed of two great members, and no more, nearly of the fame dimenfions, and of correfponding found, fometimes copulated by the particle and, and fometimes contrafted by means of the particles but or yet. If you change fometimes this bifid fentence into a triplet, these two formulæ will exhauft the greater part of his periods; examples will beft/ explain : open any part of his volumes, and you will find illuftrations. I de clare I have not fearched for any particular part, but have taken the firft which offers before me. It is in the fortieth chapter, the description of the churches and palaces built by Justinian, and of the fortifications of Europe. Eight our of fifteen periods employed on the former, and more than a moiety of twenty fentences, whofe fubjects is the latter, are conftructed in thefe moulds. The skeleton or ribs of a few of them, fhall be produced. Ex pede Herculem. fhe munificence of the emperor was diffused over the Holy land, and if reafon fhould condemn the monafteries built by Juftinian, yet charity muft applaud the wells which he funk.-The fchifmatic temper of Egypt was ill entitled to the royal bounty, fome remedies were applied to the difafters of wars and earthquakes, and almost every faint in the calendar acquired the honour of a temple.-Almost every city of the empire obtained the folid advantages of bridges, hofpitals and aqueducts, but the fevere liberality of the mo Bb 2 Letoa writer try to imitate their respective modes, for by an endea vour at imitation alone, can the difficulty and defert of compofition be thoroughly weighed, and reply, what is his decifion on their merits. I think he will say that Addifon is inimitable, while the others may be copied, as it were by a receipt or formula. A learn ed and ingenious gentleman has, in the tranfactions of the Irish academy, by an analysis of Johnson's mode of writing, given what I may call a prefcription for compofing in the John fonian manner, the poffibility of which, indeed, has been humouroufly proved in the work called Lexiphanes. The fame may be faid of Gibbon's. Addifon's periods with eafy air embrace infinite variety; Gibbon's with uniform difpofition and monotonous cadence, offend the ear of every lover of true harmony in compofition. No man who writes naturally, could shape his fentences with fuch uniformity A peculiar ftyle, (not an affected pe narch, narch, &c. &c.-The Byzantine palace was reftored, and fome notion may be conceived of the whole edi. fice by the vestibule.he fortifications of Europe and Afia were multiplied by Juftinian, but the repetition of thefe timid precautions expofed to a philofophic eye, the debility of the empire. One example may do for the triplet. The poets of the age, have celebrated the rare alliance of nature and art in the fummer palace of Juftinian, yet the crowd of attendants who followed the court complained of thefe inconvenient lodgings, and the nymphs were too often alarmed by the famous whale Porphyrio." Laboured uniformity, however, is not the only fault of Gibbon. His wish to write nervously, and to avoid the ufe of expletives often enfeebling, but which Addison has introduced without fear, covers his works with obfcurity, and fwells them with turgid pomp. Brevis effe laborat, cbfcurus fit. His hiftory is a perpetual enigma, with the grandeur and the darknefs of an oracle. Each fentence is a riddle, which, by obfcure allufions to events scarcely if at all mentioned before, by circuitous and obferving defcriptions of well known perfonages, or on the contrary, by mentioning others never before introduced as if perfectly known to the reader, opens an occafion for conjecture, and prefuppofes a previous knowledge, which would make his hiftory unneceffary. Whoever takes up his book with avidity, conceiving that it will convey all the useful parts of information contained in the Byzantine hiftorians, to thofe who have neither leifure nor in. clination to confult thofe voluminous compilations, will find without a previous acquaintance with them, the work of the modern hiftorian nearly unintelligible. To explain what has been urged, let us take any example, the firft that occurs, fuppofe in chap. 41. The amours of Antonina the wife of Belifarius are the fubje&; Before her marriage with Belifarius, Antonina had one husband and many lovers; Photius, the fon of her former nuptials, was of an age to dilinguish himfelf at the fiege of Naples, and it was not till the autumn of her age and beauty that the indulged a fcandalous attachment to a Thracian youth. Theodofius had been educated in the Eunomian herefy;the African voyage was confecrated by the baptism and aufpicious name of the first foldier who embarked, and the profelyte wash adopted into the family of his spiritual parents, Belifarius and Antonina. Before they touched the fhores of Africa, this holy kindred degenerated into fenfual love, and as Antonina foon overleaped the bounds of modesty and caution, the Roman general alone was ignorant of his own dishonour. The first period informs us that he was attached to a Thracian youth, the fecond tells us that Theodofius was educated in the Eunomian herefy, that the African expedition was confecrated by the baptifm and aufpicious name of the firft foldier who embarked, and that the profelyte was adopted into the family of his fpiritual parents, Belik. rius and Antonina. It is pretty plain from this, that Belifariusand Antonina were fpofors for the first foldier who embarked, but I would ask the reader who that was, and what was his so aufpicious name, and how that name confecrated the voyage. I would af him who that Theodofius was, who was educated in the Eunomian heresy, and how this ftory was introduced after the mention of the Thracian paramour. The reader probably has fagacity much fuperior to mine, but I own it was not until after I read thefe paragraphs more than once, that I difcovered, from my acquaintance with Mr Gibbon's manner, that the first foldier who embarked, Theodofius and the 'hracian youth, were all one and the fame perfon, for certainly I should have fuppofed them threey if these defcrip deferiptions had iued from the pen of any other writer. I was as much at a loss a hort time after to know who Macedonia and Conftantia were, two ladies introduced with the familiarity of old acquaintances, though to the reader apparently ftrangers; I rummaged the preceding pages, but in vain, for fome previous mention of them. Thus by ftudied obfcurity, and allusions which fuppofe a previous acquaintance with the facts, is the whole history darkened. Would not nature and ease dictate fome fuch narrative as this? (Theodofius, her paramour, a Thracian youth, had been lately reclaimed from the Eunomian herefy, and having been the first foldier who embarked in the African expedition, that voyage was confecrated by his baptifm; Belifarius and Anto. nina condescended to be sponsors, and admitted the profelyte to the rights of adoption.) In fome fuch manner, with more plainnefs but infinitely more ftrength, would Swift, with more fimplicity, but incomparably more elegance, would Addifon have told the story do not truft to my feeble comparison. Place in juxta pofition any two tales you please of the authors mentioned; suppose that of Rhynfauld and Sapphira in the Spectator, and that of Alboin and Rofamond in Gibbon, chap. 45. and from thence let a judgment be formed. I do not pretend ability to tranflate the Gibbonian into the Addisonian ftyle, but I think it is not very difficult, by the help of the formula above alluded to, to dress ancient fimplicity in modern tinfel. For inftance, the wellknown tale of Inkle and Yariço is thus related. Mri homas Inkle, of London, aged 20 years, embarked in the Downs, in the good fhip called the Achilles, bound for the Weft In dies, in order to improve his fortune by trade and merchandise. Our adbe venturer was the third son of an emiment citizen, who had taken parti cular care to instill into his mind an early love of gain, by making him a perfect mafter of numbers, and confequently giving him a quick view of lofs and advantage, and preventing the natural impulfes of his paffions, by prepoffeffion toward his interefts. With a mind thus turned, young Inkle had a perfon every way agreeable, a ruddy vigour in his counterance, ftrength in his limbs, with ringlets of fair hair loosely flowing on his fhoulders. It happened in the course of the voyage that the Achilles, in fome diftrefs, put into a creek on the main of America, in fearch of provifions: the youth who is the hero of my ftory went on fhore on this occafion: from their firtt landing they were observed by a party of Indians, who hid themselves in the wood for that purpose. The English unadvifedly marched a great distance from the fhore into the country, and were intercepted by the natives, who flew the greateft number of them.' Let the reader judge whether there be much difficulty or much advantage in the transfer of this fimple narration to a modern fashionable drefs; and to give it bombaftic confequence, would it not be fomething like this? The object of the merchant is to fill his coffers with the profits of trade, and the thoughts of the embarking Inkle were fraught with the expected wealth of the Indies. The paternal care of a greedy father had imbrued his mind with avarice, and the weak and fordid paffions of a citizen easily bowed before the demon of intereft. The powers of numbers had been his ftudy, and aufpicious Mercury smiled on his fpeculations. The perfon of the incipiant voyager was agreeable, the ruddy vigour of his countenance and texture of his limbs proclaimed his manly ftrength, and the flowing ringlets on his fhoulders recalled attention to his youthful beauty Want of provifion impelled the veffel to feek the land, and juvenile curiofity hurried the firft adventurer who grafped the J. 2 f work. With heavy and tedious fpier dour, like a garment of glittering brocade ttiffened with gold and filver, it oppreffes me with its weight, and offends me with its violation of tales and never was I able to labour through the work k or read more than detached paffages, until my present object made it a duty regist to boat only I am perfuaded few, very few have been led by delight through the voluminous page, and perhaps, most of its applauders, like thofe of many other books, praife from report, and echo the applaufes of others. THE LIFE OF J. J. BARTHELEMY. An extract from the French of L. J. B. Mancini, Duke of Nivernois.) 9.1 Eft enim probitate morum, ingenii elegan tia, operum varietate monftrabilis. PLIN. Ep. Lib. vi. J. Barthelemy was born at Caffis, a fmall fea-port town in the vicinity of Aubague; in which latter place, a handfome, though inconfiderable town between, Marfeilles and Toulon, his ancestors had long refided. Jofeph Barthelemy, his father, had married Magdalen Raftit, the daughter of a merchant of Caffis. In 1715 he went on a vifit to her friends, and during her ftay was delivered of J. J. Barthelemy, on the 20th of January 1716. The new born infant was fpeedily removed to Aubagne, where, when but four years of age, he loft his mother, who was till in her prime, but yet dear to all who knew her, for her natural abilities, and intrinfic merit. By his father he was taught to be wail the lofs of her. Jofeph would often take him upon his knees, and then, with tears in his eyes, reflect upon their common misfortune, with fuch an effufion of fenfibility, that, although at fuch an early period, the impreffion could never be erafed. Thus did the feeling father, by dint of example, improve the feelings of his fon, and develope that exquifite fenfibility with which he had been endowed by nature, Magdalen Raftit Barthelemy, when fhe died, left two fons and two daughters, who neither of them difgraced their honourable birth,qor deviated from the falutary leffons and examples of a father, who enjoyed fnch univerfal esteem that the day of his decease occafioned the general mourns ing of all the inhabitants of Au-i bagne. The death of the brother of M. Barthelemy has fince produced the fame effect, Thus has an uninu! terrupted fucceffion of virtues done more honour to that refpectable family than all the titles and decorations which vanity can boast. 133 J. J. Barthelemy was twelve years old when his father, after having inftilled the first principles of vir tue into his mind, fent him to Marfeilles, there to begin his ftudies, ins that ancient and famous city whofe inhabitants were renowned fovearly a as the time of Tacitus for their dimit plicity of morals united with the elegant refinement of the Greeks, bfid whom they were a colony,Tidet There he received his first educa...s tion, at the colleges of the Fathers of of the Oratory, from that eminent and came on a vifit to one of his profeffor father Renaud, a man of uncles a great genius and exquifite talle who formed ant merchant. He foon pupil, whom he accordingly took pleature in inftructing with particular attention. Mr de la Vifelede, a celebrated man of letters, and the intimate friend of father Renaud, came to Marfeilles, conceived the fame opinion of the merits of young Bar thelemy, and earnestly contributed to his improvement, which indeed was amazingly rapid and brilliant. connection a with Bartheleeafily discovered the merits of fuch a my, became his language matter, and taught him the Arabic fo completely, as to render him capable, by dint of their daily converfing in that language, to ipeak it fluently. He next. requested he would do a great fervice to fome few Maronites, Armenians, and other Arabian catholics, who did not understand French, namely, to teach them the word of God in their own language. This young man had in his poffeffion a collection of fermons written in Arabic, by a Jefuit preacher who belonged to the Propaganda. Barthelemy, who had neither power to difoblige a friend, or to decline any kind of labour, got one or two by heart, and delivered them with uncommon fuccefs in one of the halls of the feminary, where his oriental auditors were fo much pleafed, that they begged of him to hear their confeffion. His complacency however would not carry him fo far; he was fatisfied with anfwering them that he underflood not the language of Arabian finners. Barthelemy withing to enter into the church was obliged to go to another college, Mr de Balzunce, the prefent bishop of Marieilles, refufing to admit to orders the pu pils of the Fathers of the Oratory. Though he parted from his former teachers with regret, he confented to go through a courfe of lectures on philofophy and divinity at the college of the Jefuits. Here at first he chanced to fall into very bad hands; yet perhaps did the difappointment turn to his greater advantage.svojeɔ 7 Heoformed to himself a plan of particulars ftudies, independent of Barthelemy was fo far, not only those inftructions which he received from making a difplay of his va from his profeffors; determined to erudition, but even of making it makes himself mafter of the ancient known that he poffeffed any, that languages, eande undertook to learn few perfons were ever acquainted to Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, and Cyriac. what degree of fuperiority he had Prompted by in irrefittible thirft of made himself mafter of the eattern knowledge, he followed its purfuit languages; which has induced me with all the effervefcence of an ele- to relate this little feminary anecvated mind, inflamed rather with dote which foon after was the ocmore impetuofity than prudence, cafion of another fcene of the fame which nearly coft him his life. He kind, but fill more comical. I canunderwent a dangerous fit of illness, not forbear indulging myself so far as and recovered only at the time ap- to relate that allo, efpecially as it may pointed for his entering the femi- ferve to teach my readers how to nary, where he was admitted to cle- eftimate thofe impoftors who fo often, rical orders) voi and with fo much facility, abufe the propenfity of men, to admire whatever they do not comprehend., In this pious retreat he employed his leifare hours in ftudying the Arabic. There happened to be at that time at Marseilles a young Maronite, who had been educated at Rome, One day ten or twelve of the prin cipal merchants in Marseilles introduced to Barthelemy a kind of a beggar, |