A Dissertation on Reading the Classics and Forming a Just Style/Contents

by Henry Felton

THE

CONTENTS.

HE Address,		Page 1.
The Introduction,		5.
The Necessity of Education,		8.
The Methods of it. The Difficulties,		11.
Application and Attention necessary,		12.
In Knowledge as in War,		13.
The Way to Knowledge,		15.
Proper Subjects,		16.
Use of humane Learning,		18.
Classics recommended,		19.
Compared,		21.
A comparison of the Greek and Roman Authors,		22.
The Greeks excell in Tragedy,		ibid.
Of Comedy. Menander and Terence,		ibid.
Plautus and Aristophanes,		22.
Homer and Virgil,		23.
The Opinion that Homer wrote loosely, and without any premeditated Scheme, considered and refuted,		26.
Virgil preferred to Hesiod,		32.
Theocritus to Virgil,		33.
The Lyric Poets,		ibid.
Horace compared with Pindar and Anacreon,		34.
Catullus and Anacreon,		35.
Cowley mentioned to the Honour of our Country,		ibid.
The Greek and Roman Historians,		36.
Tully opposed to the Grecian Orators,		37.
The Commendations of the Latin Tongue,		ibid.
The Art of Writing well,		38.
A general Character of the Roman Authors,		39.
Directions in Reading the Classics,		40.
Caution against Common-Places,		41.
The true way of remembering and imitating the Ancients,		44.
Caution against the critical Part of Learning,		47.
Commendation of true Criticism,		ibid.
Censure of small Critics,		48.
Learning to be made easy,		49.
Learning dressed to Disadvantage by Critics and Grammarians,		ibid.
A Complaint against Schools considered,		50.
Schools vindicated,		52.
Another Method proposed,		53.
Not practicable in Schools,		54.
Complaint against Commentators,		55.
Dr. Busby's Opinion of the meaner Sort,		56.
The best Writers perplexed with Notes, and obscured by Illustrations,		57.
The Abilities of the Teacher will best supply the Defects of the Commentator,		58.
The finest Wits should comment on the finest Authors,		59.
The Art of Teaching,		61.
Not the Talent of Critics,		62.
An Apology for these Censures designed only against Pedantic, Formal Critics and Grammarians,		63.
The Commendation of great Schools, especially of their Masters,		64.
The Mischiefs of Pedantry,		65.
Concerning a Just Style,		67.
Persons of Quality excell in Style from the Advantages of their Education,		68.
Cæsar and Ovid,		70.
Copiousness of Gentlemens Style, accounted for,		71.
Horace and Virgil compared with Ovid,		72.
Terence considered,		73.
His genteel way of Writing ascribed to Scipio and Lælius,		ibid.
The Court of King Charles II. produced as an Instance that Persons of Quality excell in Style,		74.
The Present Age, Lord Hallifax, Mr. Granville,		76.
Sir William Temple produced in Prose,		77.
And Lord Orrery,		ibid.
The Advantages of their Education an Encouragement to Persons of Quality in their Studies,		79.
Rules for Forming a just Style,		80.
A perfect Piece defined,		81.
1. Rule. Matter suited to the Subject,		82.
The Absurdity of weak, injudicious Writers, in offending against this Rule,		83.
2. Rule. Thoughts suited to the Matter,		84.
Compass of Thought considered,		85.
Horace's Censure of incoherent, trifling Thoughts,		86.
Offences against this Rule,		87.
Propriety of Thought rises from being acquainted with the Nature and Decency of Things,		88.
3. Rule. Words suited to the Thoughts,		89.
The Connection between the Thoughts and Words,		ibid.
The Danger of lively Wits,		90.
Their Discipline,		91.
Their Praise,		91.
A Maxim concerning Wit,		ibid.
The Design of Expression,		92.
The Reason of Arts and Ornaments,		93.
They are founded in Nature,		ibid.
Embelishment of Style,		94.
Wherein its Commendation lieth,		95.
Rules or the Ornaments and Illustration of Style proposed,		ibid.
The first Thing required in a just Style, is a perfect Mastery of the language we write in,		96.
Wherein a perfect Mastery doth consist,		97.
Of the Purity and Idiom of Language,		98.
Caution against Mixtures with foreign Tongues,		99.
To repair the Decays of Language,		101.
Character of the English Tongue,		103.
Reviving old Words recommended,		104.
The second Thing required, Plainness and Perspicuity,		105.
Offences against this Rule by obscure Writers,		106.
Conciseness considered,		108.
Copiousness and Diffusiveness,		109.
The third Thing required, Decoration and Ornament,		111.
Whence they arise,		112.
The principal Ornarnents,		113.
Images,		114.
Similitudes,		115.
Fault of the Similitude,		116.
Wherein a perfect Mastery doth consist,		117.
Metaphors defined and stated,		118.
Their Beauty,		119.
Their Use,		120.
Epithets,		121.
Allegories,		123.
The fourth Thing required, Regard to the Nature and Dignity of the Subject,		124.
Of the Sublime. Instances in Divine Subjects,		125.
The Heathen Eloquence deficient,		127.
In Divine Subjects the Scripture only the true Sublime,		128.
Observations on the Scripture Language,		129.
Milton compared with Homer and Virgil,		131.
4. General Rule in Composition, Order and Proportion,		133.
Rules of Order and Proportion,		134.
A Recapitulation,		138.
The Distribution of Ornaments thro' a Discourse,		139.
The Dependence of the Rules on one another,		141.
Of a Right Taste necessary to form a Style,		142.
To be improved by Reading the best Authors,		ibid.
A Taste of Poetry,		143.
What Taste in Writing is,		145.
Its Commendation,		148.
And Office,		109.
Of a vicious Taste, and false Oratory,		150.
The best English Authors proposed,		153.
In Divinity first, Tillotson his Character,		154.
The Bishop of Rochester his Character,		155.
Dr. Atterbury his Character,		157.
Dr. Moss his Character,		158.
Dr. Smalridge his Character,		159.
Dr. Snape. Dr. Stanhope their Characters,		160.
Dr. Adams. Bishop of Chester. Bishop Fleetwood. Bishop Blackall their Characters,		161.
The Arch-Bishop of York his Character,		162.
Dr. Beveridge the late Bishop of S. Asaph his Character,		ibid.
The Didactical Style,		163.
The Oratorical,		164.
Of Christian Eloquence,		165.
Christian Orators compared with the Greek and Roman,		166.
Christian Topics,		168.
Why the Heathen Writers on Moral Subjects are preferable to the Christian,		170.
Of History,		173.
The Difficulties of writing History,		174.
The Abilities of an Historian,		175.
The Historical Style,		178.
Standards of History among the Greeks and Romans,		180.
Herodotus and Thucydides,		181.
Salust and Livy,		183.
Salust compared with Thucydides, and how far he agreeth with him,		184.
Salust concise, but clear,		ibid.
His Style vindicated,		186.
Livy his Character,		187.
Resembled to Herodotus and Thucydides,		189.
Compared with Salust,		190.
Salust clearer than Livy,		191.
The Praise of Livy,		193.
History and Oratory compared,		195.
Greater Abilities required in an Historian, than an Orator,		ibid.
Of Modern History, and a general Remark on our Historians,		196.
Lord Bacon censured,		198.
Sir Walter Raleigh's Commendation,		199.
The best Writers before the Restoration, flourished in Queen Elizabeth's Reign,		201.
The Bishop of Sarum,		202.
The Bishop of Rochester's History of the Royal Society,		203.
The Earl of Clarendon,		204.
The Use to be made of Historians, as to Style,		206.
Squire Bickerstaff recommended for Style,		207.
Modern Comedies with a Caution,		208.
Of Poetry. Mr. Addison's Character,		210.
Mr. Prior's Character,		209.
The old Poets, Chaucer & Spencer,		211.
Shakespear's Character,		212.
Milton, and his Attempt to deliver us from Rhiming vainly followed by Dryden,		213.
Best seconded by Mr. Philips. His Works,		214.
Milton's Character, and a Censure on him,		214.
Cowley and Waller,		215.
Mr. Granville, Sir John Denham,		216.
Mr. Dryden's Praise, and Otway's Character,		217.
Tragedy,		218.
Our best Writers,		221.
Ancients and Moderns considered,		222.
Spencer, and Mr. Philips of Cambridge excell in Pastoral,		123.
Of Ancient and Modern Learning,		224.
The late Duke of Devonshire's Character as a Scholar,		226.
The Conclusion,		228.