The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-26
SOME NEW HOOKS.
Il There n Teschnbte Art Of Rhetortc,

HllfI ll'TUIy ulStlnclltn, WHO may l!llnk 10
evolve a masterpiece from the absorption Of
rule and canon. could relieve us from tho
necessity OF deliberate inquiry into the scope
and limitations. the aims and processes Of style.
No doubt the art OF verbal rs Of plastic and pie
torial, expression differs from mechanic crafts
| in tho awkward circumstance that tho artist
must not only bring to his task right method
Of treatment. but. unlike the artisan. must
| furnish the subject matter as well-whch In his
case happens TO be ideas. No wonder that in such
vocations the eager and industrious apprcn-
ticc who may have scanned his mastcrs work
until he knows by heart each telling slcight and
articc. all the deXtcrous elements OF an OK
pcrt's proficiency. yet finds himself rs sprcly
put to it when he sets up fora painter or author
on his own account as n Joiner who should
| find no timber ready to his hand. On the other
side. II IL no less prcpostcrous and hopeless
for the tyro to turn from wood-chopping to
| the handling of lathe than for him whose
acquaintance with the art Of expression has
been gained from the business letter. to emulate
the Effectiveness and charm Of literary compost
ton. When he considers the fathomlcss re-
sources and protcan potency Of style. and what
cunning recipes for persuasion. what precious
lessons in the mastery Of the instrument Of Ian
guage are stored up in the pages of the masters
the toilcr with the pen must recognize as dis
tlnctly as the toiler with the brush the poignant
antithesis between arts amplitude and ifc's
| brcvity.
Does 1t follow because the labor Of invention
the not too facile winning Of something to say.
must be- coupled with ccasccss study of ar
rangcment and diction. that much profit is de-
rvablc from formal manual OF rhetoric like
! Whateleys, or Campbelrs. or the recent and
very credablo treatise entitled Elements ~
| Rhetoric, by Prof A. $. HILL OF Harvard Unit
/ Al
the young and inexperienced persons for whose
behoof such text books purport TO DO compiled
! their usefulness is very slight. Little moro ap-
pnrenty can be expected from the Wholesale
assimilation Of rules and formulas dcduced
! from the practice Of first ratc authors than that
species Of dilcttanteism which IL the most
torpid and sterile condition OF the hui
man intellect. Such acquisitions are rs
unfruiiful and as certain 10 begct n false and
fatal conceit IA the study Of chemistry by one
who has never handled rctort or Of botany by
him who has never scanned the petals Of
flower. The secrets OF the art OF expression arc
not hit by lucky dexterty or guessed by in
tuition; they must be deciphercd 10y patient
study OF the work Of other men; but the ex-
ploraton must be- done on our own account:
we must grasp for ourselves the princi plies and
elicit by our own analysis the processes and
methods through which the mind and heart are
wrought upon and mastered 10y woll-orderei
speech When tho independent student. how
ever. has spelled out for himself the rudi-
ments OF an art Of rhetoric. then a book
like Mr.. Hills may be helpful. but only Just so
far as II stimulates him TO verify. dispute
or overturn it's conclusions in the light OF his
| own researcher. They. in short who are al
ready orators, may read Quntillian with adj
vantage. Just as those who have earned n right
| To call themsplvea uaintara may draw suhetnn-
ial good from the dsqusitions OF Wiukelmann,
leasing. Taine. or Ruskin. which supply
nothing but fustian shibbolcths 10 the guild OF
small art critics. In order TO write, We must first
read but a study OF rhetoric Is not TO be con-
founded with n study OF works on rhetoric We
may teach ourselves the art OF expression. but
II cannot be taught in any sense which is prob
ably contemplated by the authors and publish
ers Of text books.
But while there is no great profit in such
treatises. they may be entertaining. for what
are they but criticism. co0rdinated. codined. 80
to speak. and II the critic be man OF taste and
insight and wide requirement. his suggestions
may prove interesting enough. Certainly tho
modest volume in which Mr. Hill has thrown
together his ideas on tho choice and use Of
words. and upon literary composition. Is very
agreeable reading. The indictment 10 Camp
bell Is very large hut rs much must be said Of
] rlptBTlt ltfsn
published within n century and in this
case tho ohlip,tion il frankly md hon1.
snnelv ackn,wloI,,1 Tho ,rri,ar too il
ono 81 th.se mon who has nm inaisnutnhlo
RIGHT n borrow for no has sometime 10
lenJ The breal,h and ,borousbnc.s ~ Ma no.
| ounintanoo with E,pli.h litarntnre ia re,,orL.
able. and we observe mono OF those trite citations
/ which have SO long done duty In similar works.
/ FNo,nnles AFRO of,ourse thovonchsrs ~ n cr,ttc,s
diseernment and GOOD faith son1 nothing could
be moro satisfnotorv than Mr. Uur. oxhnn.tivo
scrutiny Of MI That is most outhorita,ivoin Enc.
li-h letters during tbe last alty voars Not onIv
| those historians novoIists and nasovists ,vh, Ga
nine, in general esto.m has long he,n nvcd
but those who have made a shining mork with
I'm the curr,nt decade are d.lncod ~ witnesses
10 good nae or as oxnmnlns ~ right mc,hod
In that nnrt NJ tho trentise which nndor,otns to
formulate tho nrincinlcs ~ choice in di,,i1n
the authors views ore ,nJicious and nj times
sinrularlv acute and tbov arn el,vovs c,n.
mendedb y n striking array Of Illustrations In
tho discussions unon which be enters in tina