The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-06-08


w h-~er than 90 faislss IN IN -~ven Inc
aus,-i fru.n Adfl-os ~er- pains-f e"'
o. ea- q ,h~ psp-r. h~forr 10 ~ fnll"~ins
--a,.ne- from en- ~--av ~ Nsith-~ trnok
= a,.1t-.i -rh-r- IAN To- NJ n"r. n--iuI
help fos discovering -hsi po-'ry b~lons-
| IN ,h- cla.- ~ tho truly ~xo-ll~ni. and cah
| ,h--vfor-. ia - m,--, xu--i. han ,o asvs
| slxay. IN eve mind Inns AMI eNpr~--ion-
~ ths sr-ai MASTERS anil tn spply them a-
a,us.h-.un- ,u u,hr, p,-,ry At.r noting
thai ,h~ phrs-- -u--ful h~lp c"ue'.ai-
q ~pl-ona.fn. Mr. sp-nc~s indicst-- o'heF
d-f-c,.. and -isx~~i- that. u" c"nNev the
INTENDED meaning. The -en'enc- should haN-
run Thew Gan IT, NJ hotter help~ lot
discovering wha, pastry - truly excellent
and ran. ther-forr. do NJ mc-i good h a
lines and expressions - the great masters
Kept always IN mind and applied a. touch
stones 4 good many words are hereby
saved, and tho meanins IL definitely et'
proceed
In az .-say on The Philosophy Of style,
published many years g IN tho Wet
m,a.t,r Rsuse. IN. Of the cuuclu-ion-
~, forth by Mr. Srenoer vas that words
% A~nslo-saSon origin ar" mor- effective
than words of latin origin. such h~ng
the authors belief. u ought To have b-en
specially operative on his own style he
tells III. however. that ~hen revising re-
gently First PrincirI-~, he was struck
by N. fact that the lslief had not been
q, all operative. the language u--d IN
that work tcins markedly Latinized Mr.
Sprncer finds the comparative absence
of i~nnu-nc- exrrcis~d by this belief es-
plicable enough now when he remembers
how little he has h-~n guided nv other
conclusions .~t forth in 'he essay NAMED
and both then and now strongly held
They have never hem present To him when
writing. and consequently. their effect
urpn his dict ION has he~n extremely smal
Tn. general traits Of his style have re-
manned unchanged. Notwithstanding his
wish Ia change some of them He &C
cepts. therefore. ~ true the French saying
The style - III. man. IN other words,
style il organic In the es~sv to which
We have referred Mr. Spencer entirely
ignores tho-r Characteristic ~ style which
give quality. distinction. olor or rhythm
In his own dlction he has never aimed
NJ the attainment ~ such traits Tn"
thought OF style considered a. an end in
i,-rlf has rarely " ever been present. IN.
cole purpose being To eSpress ideas a.
clearly ~ possible. and. when the occasion
called for IL. with as much force as misli
he With regard To some rrputed masters
Of English. Mr. Spencer Sys
Il have been repealed by the ponderous
involved structure - Millions prusc. while,
on the other hand. ! have always been at
tracted hy the finished naturalne-s ~ Thack-
cray. From the a~pplau-" Of Ruskin's style
! have dis-en,ed on the ground that IL is too
~~slf-con~ciou- implies too much though,
81 effect. In literary arr. as in the art ~
the architect. the painter. the musician.
signs hat the artist is thinking Of his own
achievement more than ~ his subject Away
offend m. Clarity and cunci-eness. with
the timely addition 81 energy. are the only
quali,ic, - S,yl. which Mr.. spencer has
kept In view To what extent IL ConCi-e-
n~-s effected nv the practice ~ dictation'
Mr. Spencer'- testimony l. a. follows Up
10 100 NV books and review articles were
written. since then they have all hem
dictated. There is a prevailing belief that
diCtation Is apt to diTuseness. and |
think the belief Is we'll founded. !, was
once remarked To me by two good iudge~
the Lewe-cs tha, tho style Of Social
States IL better than the -,yle ~ INV later
works. assuming thu. opinion to b~ true.
the contrast may. I think, be ascrih~d TO
the d~eterioratine effect 81 dicta,ion. A
recent experience strengthens me in this
conclusion. When finally revising First
Principles which was dictated. the cut
ting out % s~ur-rfuous words, clauses.
sentences and sometimes paragraphs. had
the effect 81 abridging the work nv Atty
IN se- about one-t~nth." " " X.