STY
[ 138]
STY
For the Choice of Style, in the General, 'tis the Matter is to determine it. Such Style, fays Cicero, is to be chofen, as expreffes great Things magnificently, middle Things moderately, and low Things fubrly : But more particularly as there are three Branches of the Duty of an Orator, to teach, to delight, and to move ; the Jimple Style is ufed to teach, the Middle to delight, and the Sublime to move.
Again, the funpk or tow Style is fit for Comedy, the Sublime for Tragedy, and the Middle forHiftory.
Ciejar, 'tis true, rather uled the Simple than the Interme- diate Style; but then he wrote Commentaries,, not aHiftory, as is obferved by 'fully.
Again, the Jimple Style is fit for Bucolicks and Eclogues, the intermediate Style for Georgicks, and the Sublime for Epicks ; which triple Difference we eafily defcry in Virgil, though he fometimes mixes them all in the Mneid itfelf, ufing the Jimple Style in the Fifth Book, where he defcribes Games, and the Intermediate in the Beginning of the Poem. Care is Hill to be taken, that the Style be mtflat and dull, on pretence of being Jimple.
M. #»/&»» obferves, that in all Languages a mean Thought exprefs'd in Noble Terms, is better liked than the nobleft Thought exprefs d in mean Terms : The Reafon he gives, is, that every Body can't judge of the Force and Juflnefs of a Thought ; but fcarce any Body but perceives the Meannefs of the Words. The latter we find by our Senfes, the former by our Reafon.
He adds, That the Words in different Languages don t always anfwer juftly to one another ; and that a noole Greek Term can't frequently be exprefs'd in another Language, but by a very mean one.
This we fee in the Words Afmus in Latin, Ane in French,. and AJi in Ehglijli, which are the meanefl imaginable, in thofe three Languages ; yet the Word expreffing that Animal, has nothing mean in it, either in Greek or Hebrew, but is ufed in the find? and nobleft Paffages.
Add to this, that Languages are exceedingly capricious on this Head : A Bull, a Heifer, a Goat, a Boar, l$c. may be ufed in thefublimeft Paffages, without debafing the Style ; but a Cow, a Sheep, a Hog, a Sow, Igc. would be intolerable.. Shepherd and Herfdman, are fine Words ; Hog-keeper and Cow-ward, which carry the fame Ideas, vitious to the laft Decree.
The chief Faults in Style, are, its being tumid andjwollen ; or cold mi puerile ; or fiiff or loofe ; or dry and jejune. A fwollen Style, is that immediately fluff 'd with big Words and Sentences ; fuch are thofe Verfes of the Emperor Nero, ridiculed by Perfius.
Tbrva mimalkmeis implemnt Comma Sombis Jit raptum Vitulo caput ablaturafuperbo Saffaris, 5£ lyncem mosnas flexura Corymbis, fjc.
A cold or puerile Style, is that which affecf s certain trifling Ornaments, cold Jells, remote and ftrain'd Allufions, re- dundant Defcriptions, i£c. Such, e. %r. as, A Centaur's riding himjelf: More golden than Gold, &c. Of this Vice, that Paffage of Virgil feems guilty.
Num Capti potueri capi ? Num incenfa cremavit Iroja Vires '.
And that in 'Plutarch, and Dion Cajfius ; 'Tims no wonder Diana's temple Jhouli be burnt the Night Alexander was bom ; as that Goddejs, attending at Jo great a "Birth, could not be in the Way to extinguifi the Flames. And that in 'Plautus, where a Perfon is reprefented fo exceedingly covetous, that he would invoke Heaven and Earth, if he Jaw but a Grain of Smoak ejcaps out of his Cottage.
A looje Style, is that which wanting Articles, Numbers, £gc. fluctuates here and there, not connected or hung together. This is a Fault fo frequent, efpecially in young Writers, that we fhall fpare giving Inflances of it.
.A dry jejune Style, is that deflitute of Ornament, Spirit, $$c.
The Ancients made a notable Diftincfion of Styles, into Laconic and Afiatic.
Afuitic Style, is that which is very diffufive and prolix ; or where abundance of Words are ufed to exprefs a little Matter : Thus call'd, by the Greeks, from the People of AJia, who affected fuch Redundancies, in Oppofition to the
Laconic Style, which is diflinguifh'd by its exceeding Con- cifenefs ; ar.d by comprehending a deal of Matter under a few Words. See Laconic.
Such, e.gr. is that Anfwer returned by the Lacedemonians, to a long Epiftle of an Enemy, threatning to deflroy them with Fire and Sword ; %i, (i, if; that is, Do if you can : Or, that return'd by the fame to King Philip, demanding fome extravagant Thing of them, s, nm, no. Or that of Cleo- mews the Spartan General to the Ambaffador of Samos ; As to what you have Jaid, the frjl 'Part I don't remember, the middle I don't underjtand ; the lajt I don't approve. Or that
Epiftle of Archidamus to the Elei, who were preparing W a againft him ; Archidamus to the Elei : 'Lis goid to be an j J Or that of Cefar to the Roman Senate, after his conque r ;„ ' 'Pharnaces, KmgoiPontus: Vem, vidi, via ; I came, f {{J* I conquer'd. ' * *
Style, in jfurijprudtnce, the particular Form, or Manner of Proceeding in each Court or Jurifdifiion, agreeably to t h Rules and Orders eflablifli'd herein. Thus we fay, the Styh of the Court of Rome, of the Court of Chancery, of Par- liament, of the Privy Council. See Chancery, ££c.
Style, in Mufic, the manner of Singing and Compofuw.
The Style is, properly, the manner eixh Perfon has, either of Compofing, of Performing or Teaching ; which is very different, both in refpecf of the different Genius s of Countries and Nations,.and of the different Matters, Places, Times, Sub- jects, Expreffions, &c.
Thus we fay, the Style of the Chariffimi, of Lully, f Lambert ; the Style of the Italians, the French, the Spaniards iSc. The Style of gay Pieces of Mufic, is very different from that of ferious Pieces : The Style of Church Mufic very different from Theatrical Mufic. The Style of the Italian Compofitions, is poignant, florid, exprefiive ; that of the French Conv ofitions, natural, flowing, tender, £s?c.
Hence, the various Epithets, given to dillinguilh thefe various Characters ; as, the ancient and modern Style, the Italian and German Style, the Ecclefiaflical and Dramatic Style, the gay, grave, majeflic, natural, foft, familiar, gallant, low, fublime Styles, l$c.
The Stylo Recitativo or Dramatico T in the- Italian Mufic, is a Style fit to exprefs the Paffions.. The Stylo Ecclefiajtico is full of Majeffy, very grave, and fit to infpire Devotion.
Stylo MoteBico, is a various, rich, florid Style, capable of all Kinds of Ornaments, and, of confequence, fit to exprefs various Paffions, particularly Admiration, Grief, ££fc-
Stylo Madrigalefco, is a Style proper for Love, and the other fofter Paffions.
Stylo Hyperchematico, is a Style proper to excite Mirth, Joy, Dancing, &c. and, of confequence, full of brisk, gay Motions.
Stylo Symphtmiaeo, is a Style fit for Inffrumenta] Mufic : But as each Inflrument has its particular Effect, there are as many different fymphonical Styles. The Style of Violirs, for Inflance, is ufually Gay ; that of Flutes Melancholy and Languifhing, and that of Trumpets, Sprightly and Animated.
Stylo Melijmatico, is a natural, artlefs Style, which any Body, almoft, may ling.
Stylo Thantajtico, is a free, eafy, humorous Manner of Composition, far from all Conflraint, £J?e.
Stylo Choraico, is the Style proper for Dancing ; and is divided into as many different Kinds, as there are Dances ; as the Style of Sarabands, of Minuets, of Gavots, of Riga- doons, f$c.
Style, in Chronology, a particular Manner of accounting Time, with regard to the Retrenchment of Ten Days from the Calendar, in the Refotmation made thereof under Pope Gregory XIII.
Style is either Old or New.
The old Style, is the Julian Manner of Computing, which obtains in England and fbme other Proteflant States, who refufed to admit of the Reformation. See Julian.
The new Style is the Gregorian Manner, followed by the Catholicks, in confequence of that Reformation. See Gre- corian.
Hence, there arofe a Difference of Ten Days, between the Old Style and the New, the latter being fo much before-hand with the former : So that when the Catholicks, e.gr. reckon'd the 2 iff of May, we only reckon'd the nth.
This Difference of Ten Days, was increafed in the Tear 1 707, to 11 Days, by reafon that Year was not the Sijjextile in the Old Style, but was, in the New : So that the 10th Day of the one, correfponded to the nil of the other.
There are feveral Places, however, where the new Style has begun to obtain, even among Proreflants ; and 'tis not un- likely, that the old Style may, in Time, dwindle quire away. At the Diet of Ratiibon in 1 700, it was decreed, by the Body of Proteftants of the Empire, that Eleven Day 8 fliould be retrenched from the old Style, to accommodate it for the future to the New. And the fame Regulation has fince pafs'd in Sweden and 'Denmark. England holds out, almoft alone, for the old Style. See Calendar.
STYLET, STILETTO, a little, dangerous Poniard, which is hid in the Hand, and chiefly ufed in treacherous Aflaflinations.
The Blade is ufually Triangular, and fo (lender, that the Wound it makes, is almoft imperceptible.
The Stylet is ftriftly prohibited in all well Policy'd Srates-
STYLITES, an Appellation given to a kind of Solitaries, who fpend their Life, feated on the Tops of Columns to be the better difpofed for Meditation, &c. See Solitary.
Of thefe, we find feveral mention'd in ancient Writers, and even as low as the IXth Century. The Founder of the
