Predicate-predict.-Predicate is to assert one thing of another; predict, to foretell the future.

Ingenuous-ingenious.-The former suggests frankness and guilelessness; the latter intellectual skill or cleverness.

§ 26. VAGUE WORDS.

Another fault arises from the use of words that are vague and general, instead of such as are exact and definite. This is a characteristic of those who think loosely, or who prepare their subject-matter carelessly, and are as destitute of distinct. ideas as they are of accurate words by which to express them. General terms are always more convenient than special; and to make use of any one at random will save trouble, and prevent the difficulty of searching after one which may be more appropriate. There are many words which are thus made use of, and a few of these may serve as examples.

Affair. This word is made to do duty for almost anything -a battle, a conversation, a convention, a revolution, or a religious revival.

Circumstance is used in the same general way.

Considerable is a favorite word with writers who are inaccurate about numbers; but it is also applied to a great variety of subjects, as, "a person of considerable influence," "a town of considerable size," ," "attained to considerable distinction."

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"Remarkable," "tolerable," "several," "person," "party," 'individual," are other examples. "Thing" is a word of extended signification, though it does not nearly rival its German equivalent, "ding;" but its use should be restricted, and other special words will be more precise. To this list may be added a larger number of formulas, phrases, and sentences of a purely conventional character, such as abound in sermons, newspaper articles, third-rate political oratory, but above all in so-called "complimentary addresses." These are perhaps beyond the pale of criticism, since precision is about the last thing that is thought of by those who compose them.

§ 27. VERBOSITY.

By verbosity is meant an excessive use of words. It arises from a natural gift of fluent expression, which has not been sufficiently chastened and corrected. For the present pur

pose it will be necessary to consider only the chief ways in which verbosity may affect precision.

§ 28. TAUTOLOGY.

1. Tautology arises from verbosity, and may be defined as the repetition of the same idea in different words. It must be distinguished from the faulty use of synonymous words. The former is a case of useless repetition, the latter of different things taken for the same. This may be seen in the familiar example: They returned back again to the same place from whence they came forth; which is reducible to: They returned to the place whence they departed.

Dr. Johnson, from his habit of presenting kindred words in pairs, in triplets, and in many varieties of similar and contrasted meaning, often falls into this error. In the following passage, speaking of the style of Prior, he says:

"He had often infused into it much knowledge and much thought; had often polished it into elegance, often dignified it into splendor, and sometimes heightened it to sublimity; and did not discover that it wanted the power of engaging attention and alluring curiosity."

Although it is certainly possible to show that there is a separate meaning to every one of these words, yet it is evident that the real distinction is but slight, and they are equivalent to so many tedious repetitions of the same thing.

A biography of Dr. Johnson was published shortly after his death, in which the author quoted the following well-known couplet:

"Let observation, with extensive view,

Survey mankind from China to Peru;"

which he maintained was equivalent to this: Let observation with extensive observation observe mankind extensively.

$ 29. CIRCUMLOCUTION.

2. Circumlocution is another characteristic of verbosity. It means a roundabout mode of speech, where, instead of a direct statement of meaning, the words are multiplied to an unnecessary extent. When properly employed this is a recognized figure of speech (periphrasis), but the kind now under consideration is that which results from carelessness. It is character

ized by the tedious accumulation of unnecessary explanations or unmeaning definitions; by an excessive use of epithets; and in general by an imposing array of words which circle about the subject without tending to any definite conclusion.

$30. VERBOSITY IN THE PULPIT AND PRESS.

Verbosity is a fault in style which prevails very widely at the present day, on account of the existence of certain departments of literature which had no counterparts in ancient times. Of these two may be mentioned.

1. Pulpit oratory.

Since the Reformation, the rise of Protestantism has caused greater importance to be attached to the sermon than ever before. Every Sunday, and even oftener, the minister must be prepared with his discourse, which has to fill up a certain amount of time. Now, after making all due allowance for those earnest preachers who, full of desire to benefit the souls of men, stand forth to preach with sincere feeling the word of eternal life, there must remain a large number who regard this as an onerous task, and fulfil it in a perfunctory manner. Hence the words sermon and sermonize have become proverbial for dulness and tediousness. In many cases this necessity of filling up the time makes the sermon an array of paraphrases and circumlocutions, which would not for a moment be tolerated in forensic or parliamentary oratory.

2. The modern newspaper.

Here we find a similar cause producing similar effects. There is the regular demand for a certain amount of writing to be furnished at a given time, and to fill a given space. Deducting those who do their task well, we have left a large number who are merely "machine" writers, and fill up the allotted space with words rather than ideas.

CHAPTER IV.

PERSPICUITY IN WORDS, CONTINUED.—PURITY.

§ 31. PURITY.

By purity is meant the employment of such words and idioms as are sanctioned by the best contemporary usage.

In order to write pure English, it is necessary to avoid the use of all old words that have become obsolete; and all new words that are strange and unfamiliar. It is further necessary that there be no departure from the best idiomatic style of expression.

The study of words belongs to philology rather than rhetoric, but a brief consideration of this subject, in so far as it relates to purity of style, will not be out of place in this work.

$ 32. OBSOLETE WORDS.

In the history of a language great changes are found to be constantly occurring. Authors arise who develop its capabilities and establish a standard of excellence. But language has in itself a growth which is quite independent of literature, and it soon passes beyond the usage of any one age. Some words cease to be employed, and the author of one period becomes obscure to the reader of another. Many words once familiar become unintelligible, or at least difficult of comprehension. These are called obsolete. Of these, however, many are only obsolete in common conversation or in ordinary prose literature; and though not in general use, they are, nevertheless, understood without difficulty. These offer important limitations as to the degree to which words become obsolete. A definition of the term may be given as follows: Obsolete words are those which are no longer used in good prose literature or in common conversation. Of such the following may be taken as examples: "peradventure," "anon," "astonied," "erst," "hight," "cleped," "yclept," "whilom," "iwis" or

"I-wis," "erewhile," "ne,'

erewhile," "ne," "list," "wist," ""list," "wist," "wight," "twain,' "eke," "yea," "verily."

$33. OBSOLETE TERMINATIONS AND MEANINGS.

In addition to this, there are certain terminations of words which have become obsolete. These are chiefly in "en" and "eth," the one being an old form of the plural, and the other a well-known verbal inflection. Certain compounds of the pronoun with the substantive verb may also be considered as obsolete in this sense, as, "'tis," "'twas," ""twere." Another class may be found in words which have changed their signification, in which case it is the meanings and not the words that are obsolete. Thus "admirable" once meant "surprising ;" "to be amused" meant "to be occupied;" "brave" meant "gaudy;" "caitiff," "captive;" "chimney," "stove ;" "corpse," a "person;""desire," "regret ;" "equal," "impartial;" "explode," "to hiss off;" "generous," "high-born;" “imp,” a "scion" (of nobility); "lively," "living;" "mediterranean," "inland;""novelist," an "innovator;" "pomp," a "procession;" "spice," a "sort;" "table," a "picture ;" "wit," "intelligence."

§ 34. OBSOLETE WORDS USED IN RELIGIOUS LITERATURE.

Certain important limitations are, however, to be observed on this subject, for in some departments of composition words are freely admitted which are obsolete in general prose. The first of these departments is that of religious literature, which is largely modified by the English Bible. This is essentially an ancient book. It has gone through many versions, namely, those of Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, the Bishops' Bible, Cranmer's, and that of King James, which is at present used. Most of these were revisions of preceding editions, rather than new translations, and retained many words and phrases which had been used before. The version of King James is of a more antique cast than the prose of the contemporary writers of that age. This great English book has had a circulation far surpassing that of any work ever published in the language; it has served as a perpetual storehouse for allusion, quotation, and reference; and its most ancient forms of speech are as familiar to all as the most modern colloquialisms. Now in re