Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-03
TIE POWER OF WORDS.

1
Edwin P. whipple American critic and leet-
urer, was born at Gloucester, Mass, in 1919. fdu-
Gated at public schools, he became in early life q
bankers clerk. aud, while yet young, began writing
copiousy for periodical publications. Since 1860
MIR Whipple's time has been wholly given up to
literature and he is the author OF essays
and reviews, besides having made great reputation
as public Lecturer on social historical and literary
copies HIS style is clear forcible and ineisve, and
ne delights IN climax and antithesis. Whippe's
Essays and Reviews were published in two vol
unes (ls4s) LECTURES" Qs49) and 81 Literature
OF the Age OF Elizabeth Qses)l.
! Words are most effective when arranged
In that order which is called style. The
great secret of a good style, we are told, is
TO have proper words in proper places. To
marshal ones verbal battalions in such or
Ger that they may bear at once upon all
quarters OF I subject is certainly great
art. This is done in different ways. Swift,
Temple, Addison, Hume, Gibbon, johnson,
burke, are all great generals in the discip-
iine OF their verbal armies and the conduct
| OF their paper wars. Each has system of
tactics OF his own, and excels in the use of
| some particular weapon. The tread of
0ohnsons style is heavy and sonorous, re-
sstnpilng that OF an elephant or mail. clad
warrior. lie is fond of leveling an obstacle
by poiysyllabic battering.ram. Burkes
WORDS are continually practising the broad.
sword exercise, and sweeping down adver-
sarIea with every stroke. Arbuthnot
plays his weapon like tongue OF
hame. Addison draws up his light ipfan-
Try II orderly array, and marches through
| sentence atser sentence, without having
his ranks disordered or his line broken.
Luther IS different. His words are "half
battles )" his smiling idiomatio phrases
seam to cleave into the very secret of the
matter" Gibbons legioDs are heavily
armed, and march with precision and Dig
nifty to the music of their own tramp.
They are splendidly equipped, but nice
eye can discern little rust beneath their
me apparel, and there sre suffers in his
camp who lie, cog, aud talk gross obscenity.
Macaulay, brisk, lively, keen and ener-
getic, runs his thoughts rapidly through
his sentence, and kicks out of the way
every sentence which obstructs his passage.
de reins in his steed only when he has
reached his goal, and then does il with
such celebrity that he is nearly thrown
backwards by the suddenness of his stou.
page. Gifford's words are moss-troopers.
that wayiay innocent travellers aud murder
them for hire. Jeffrey ia fine lance"
with sort of Arab swiftness in his move
ment, and runs an ironclad horseman
through the eye before he has had time to
close his helmet. John Wilson's camp is
disorganized mass, who might do effect.
ual service under better discipline, but
who under his lead are suffered TO carry on
rambling and predatory warfare, and
disgrace their General by hagitious ex-
cesses. Sometimes they steal, sometimes
swear, sometimes drink, and sometimes
pray. Swift's words are porcupine quills,
which he throws with unerring aim at who
ever approaches his lair. Allof Ebenezer
Elliott's words are gifted with huge
fists, to pummel and bruise. Chatham
and Mirabeau throw hot shot into
their opponents magazines. Talfourd's
forces are orderly and disciplined,
and march to the music of the Do
rian flute; those of Keats keep time to
the tones of the pipe OF Phebus and the
hard, harsh-featured battalions of Magipn
are always preceded by brass band. Hal
lam's word infantry can do much execution
when they are not in each others way.
Pope's phrases are either daggers or rapiers.
Wliiis's words are often tipsy with the
champagne of the fancy, but even when
they reel and stagger they keep the line of
grace and beauty, and though scattered at
first by a.tierce onset from grayer cohorts,
soon reunite without wound or loss. John
bfiskly at everything. They occupy all
the provinces of letters, ard are nearly
useless from being spread over too much
ground. Everett's weapons are ever kept
IN good order, and sbiIo well in the sun,
but they are little calculated for warfare,
and rarely Kill when they strike. Web
ster's words are thunderboits, which some
times miss the Titans at whom they are
hurled, but always leave enduring marks
when they strike. Hszlitts verbal army is
sometimes drunk and surly, sometimes
foaming with passion, sometimes cool and
malignant, but, drunk or sober, are ever
dangerous to cope with. Some of Tom
Moore's words are shining dirt, which he
filings with excellent aim. This list might
be indefinitely extended, and arranged with
more regard to merit and chronology. My
own words, in this connection, might be
compared TO ragged, undiseiplined militia,
which could be easily routed by a charge
OF horse, and which are apt to fire into
each others faces.