2. Aristotle's Opinion.

Aristotle defends the use of strange words, and especially the use of words in new senses, for ornament. He says in his "Rhetoric," "Men are affected in re¬spect to style, in the very same way as they are toward foreigners and citizens. On which account you should give your phrase a foreign air ; for men are admirers of things out of the way, and what is an object of ad¬miration is pleasant." * If admiration be the end of writing, Aristotle's advice should be followed ; but since men understand and confide in their own constrymen more readily than foreigners, there is a stronger reason for rejecting strange words. Aristotle himself says in his "Poetic," "Foreign, metaphorical and orna¬mental words will cause diction to be neither vulgar nor mean ; but proper [familiar] words produce per¬spicuity." * He still more clearly states the effect of familiar words : "Words of ordinary use, and in their original application, and metaphors, are alone available in the style of prose ; a proof that this is a fact is, that these are the only words which all persons employ ; for everybody carries on conversation by means of meta¬phors, and words in their primary sense, and those of ordinary use." f This, he adds, conduces to clearness, and he has defined excellence of style as consisting in its being clear.