Of The Origin And Progress Of Language [Paperback]

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1787. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... chap. ix. Of the stile ofhq.ory.--Ofthe difference betwixt History and Biography.--'she subjecl of history is narrative.--Whatever is not narrative in history is episodical.--What episodes are proper for history.--not political or philosophical reflections upon human nature, such as those of Sallust in the beginning of Cataline's conspiracy, and of the Jugurthine war.--Explanations of particular customs and manners of a nation, a proper episode in history.,--Difference in this refpecl betwixt the Greek historians of Roman affairs, and their own.--Of the rhetorical stile in history.--Speeches in it, not digressions or epifodes but matters ofsacl and parts of the story.--Speeches make political and philosophical refleclions not improper in history.--History therefore a most pleasant and various composition;--but the poeticalstilet a variety which history does not admit.--Of the peculiarities of the poetical flile which hi/lory does not admit, such as Epithets, Similies, Metaphors,, and Minute Descriptions.--Of the painting in Homer, and the difference in that res peel betwixt his file, and the jlile of history.--Of the choice of words in the historical jlile.--Difference, in that refpeel, betwixt the jlile of Homer and of history.--Of the Composition in historyy by which the Jlile of it is chiesty to be distinguishedfrom common speech;--not to be distinguished in that way by variety of arrangement, as in Greek and Latint but only by Periods.--Of the great beauty of Periods.---Quotation upon that Jubjecl from Aristotle, showing, that he thought there could be no beauty,-without fa System and a Whole.--There is nothing that can be properly called Composition without periods.--Of the des eel of Sallust and Tacitus in this refpeel.--The stile of Tacitus worfe than tha...