Chapter III. In the present section it will be enough to suggest a rigorous training, say for seven or eight weeks, in the periodic sentence. For example: * As a story-teller Mr. Macey was considered the best in the village. He told his tales over and over, but his hearers thought the old stories as good as the new. * During Nero's reign the Jews revolted and Vespasian was sent with three legions to quell the revolt. * But this was not enough material to write an essay, so De Quincey began to look about him for something else. As a story-teller Mr. Macey was considered the best in the village. Though he told his stories over and over, his hearers thought them as good as if they were new. The Jews having revolted during Nero's reign, Vespasian was sent with three legions to quell the revolt. This not furnishing material enough for an essay, De Quincey looked about him for something further. EASE. [These sections are to be read in connection with ? 9.] 33. General Remarks.—In this book the term ease is taken to designate something negative rather than something positive; to be easy means to avoid whatever is awkward, whatever may offend the reader's sense of propriety or divert his attention from the words to the writer. When we say that a certain writer's style is easy, we mean at bottom that it is unobtrusive, that it does not suggest effort on the writer's part; in fact, that it leaves us for the moment oblivious of the fact that there is a writer. To acquire this kind of ease one must first of all understand that no word or phrase is in itself absolutely good-that all words are but relatively good. The ease of any one expression does not depend upon that expression alone but upon its surroundings. If two expressions side by side fit into one another, the effect is that of ease. If they clash with one another, either in sound or in sense, they are awkward. 34. Awkwardness in Sound. This is much more fre quent than is commonly supposed. Writers in school and in college, and even many professional writers, seem to have a special gift of blundering into harsh locutions. They seem to have no ear for what they write; they heap up words, usually nouns and adverbs, having the same termination, or they repeat the same words unnecessarily. For example: He wished himself in the country-somewhere where there were brooks and groves and grass-somewhere where there were quiet and rest and surcease of noise-somewhere where there were time and space to think out the past and to plan out the future-somewhere where there were not two hand-organs at opposite ends of the block, etc. He would strain his ear to hear the slightest sound. I soon saw good cause, I must confess, to despise my own sagacity. -FIELDING. *This forest covers over three hundred square miles of territory that is covered with numerous hills and lakes. I can candidly say, etc. I confess with humility the debility of my judgment. *His favorite pastime being in getting a few of his friends away to some secluded spot and conversing with them. They worked equally assiduously. But these coins are but a part of the treasures discovered. * Thus hemmed in by man and fire, the castle soon gave in and the men rushed in and gathered all the booty not already consumed by the fire. * Paragraph-writing in the classroom, as it has been required during the year, has been more helpful to me than the other method. He would strain his ear to catch the slightest sound. I soon had good reason, I must confess (or, admit), to despise my own sagacity. This forest covers over three hundred square miles of territory, in which are numerous hills and lakes. I can truthfully say, etc. I confess with humility the weakness of my judgment. His favorite pastime being to get a few of his friends away to some secluded spot and converse with them. They worked with equal assiduity. These coins, however, are but a part of the treasures discovered. Thus hemmed in by man and fire, the castle soon yielded; the besiegers rushed in and seized all the booty that had escaped the flames. The paragraph-writing required this year in the class-room has been to me more helpful than the other method. To write in a few minutes a short sketch upon the subject assigned is a hard thing to do. This course teaches us to do this. *The prime principle of the Edinburgh Review was independence of booksellers. * Moses easily sold the horse for a fair price and then started out to examine the exhibits at the fair. *Here he came to know Canning, who, when the new review was to be started, suggested him as the best man available as its editor. * Gradually, instead of being regarded as being within the church, the Puritans began to be looked upon as standing outside. To write in a few minutes a short paper upon the subject assigned is a difficult thing. This course teaches us how to do it. The fundamental principle of the Edinburgh Review was independence of booksellers. Having sold the horse for a good price, Moses started out to see the sights of the fair. (See ?? 16, 32.) Here he came to know Canning, who, when the new review was to be started, proposed him as the man most available for the editorship. Instead of being regarded as still within the church, the Puritans came gradually to be looked upon as standing outside. Note, also, the following, discussed elsewhere: After the first outburst of zeal, the founders of the Edinburgh Review found that their, etc. (See ? 24.) The old blacklegs played shy, for, whatever people may think, he is not always to be had for calling for. (See ? 24.) There is only one cure for such blunders. The writer should acquire the habit of reading his compositions to himself; at first aloud, later in silence, but with that mental perception which suggests to the mind the exact sound of each word. 35. Awkwardness in Sense. This is usually due to the separation of words and phrases which should stand together. Not infrequently the separation has also the effect of diminishing clearness and force. The sentence-parts most commonly separated are subject and verb; next in frequence of separation are verb and object. The writer separates unnecessarily subject and verb, or verb and object, by inserting an adverb or adverbial expression which could be better placed elsewhere. *He directly started to convert those that he thought needed such. *Palamon and Arcite, after a year's travelling, returned each with his little army. *The Princess had in her childhood been told of woman's slavery to man. * Burke, to show the growth of the colonies, compared the exports of 1704 with those of 1772. * Sir Launfal tossed the man a piece of gold with a scowl. The King was pleased with the answer, and, as legend affirms, influenced by a vision of the monk Wulsinus, chose Westminster as the object of his favor. *Affairs had now so entirely changed that those who had ignored him overwhelmed him with friendly offers. * He hoped, by using his literary talent, to feed a printing business in which his capital was invested, to make for himself a profitable busi ness. Immediately he set to work to convert those whom he thought needed conversion. (See 22.) After a year's travelling, Palamon and Arcite returned, each with his little army. (See & 22.) In her childhood the Princess had been told of woman's slavery to man. To show the growth of the colonies, Burke compared the exports of 1704 with those of 1772. With a scowl (true?) Sir Launfal tossed the man a piece of gold. Pleased with the answer, and influenced-so legend affirms-by a vision of the monk Wulsinus, the King chose Westminster as the object of his favor. (See 16.) Affairs had changed so entirely that those who had hitherto ignored him now overwhelmed him with friendly offers. By using his literary talent to feed a printing business in which his capital was invested, he [Scott] hoped to increase his income. To "feed a machine" has become current; but to "feed a business" is scarcely sanctioned. * Nevertheless, in spite of the repairs which were made from time to time on the building, it was falling into ruin. * The restoration began in 1809, and the work was carried on continuously until the whole was finished, Christmas Eve, 1822. Nevertheless, in spite of these occasional repairs, the building was falling into ruin. The restoration was begun in 1809, and carried on uninterrupt. edly until its completion, Christmas Eve, 1822. In the foregoing sentence there is really but one subject"restoration." * An opinion for him was either moral or immoral; those he did not share invariably fell into the latter class. * He [Laud] made, without the sanction of Convocation or Parliament, alterations in the Book of Common Prayer. For him an opinion was either moral or immoral; one which he did not share belonged necessarily to the latter class (or, category). Without the sanction of either Convocation or Parliament, he made alterations in the Book of Common Prayer. The placing of prepositions calls for much care. The rule of the old-fashioned grammarians and rhetoricians, namely, that a preposition should never stand at the end of a sentence or a long clause, is plainly untenable. The rule is not in accord with English idiom, which has always tolerated the preposition at the end. Whether the preposition may or may not end a given sentence (clause) is a matter of taste rather than of rule. For example: What are you thinking of? are unquestionably idiomatic. We approach debatable ground, however, in such an expression as this: He started to smoke his pipe, but found he had no matches to light it with. Here the writer not merely puts the "with" at the end but also omits the object, "which." In full, the expression would be: "with which to light it." Still, in conversation, and in writing which reproduces conversation, also in simple narrative and description, such elliptical forms will pass without challenge except from the ultra-purists. On the other hand, dignified exposition is not tolerant of the preposition at the end, much less of the suppressed relative. 1 See A. S. Hill, Principles of Rhetoric, second edition, pp. 198-201: Foundations, pp. 267-269. |