is included in his collected essays, which have gone through several editions; but while the slip of the French poet is familiarly known to every educated Frenchman, it may be doubted whether that of the English essayist has attracted the notice of a single critic among his countrymen.

There is nothing that demonstrates the prevalence of ungrammatical diction so much as the occurrence of it in our critics, grammarians, and compilers of dictionaries; as, when we meet with a writer professedly descanting upon rules of grammar, and violating those rules in the very comments he makes upon them. Of all our authors the most reprehensible in this respect is Dr. Hugh Blair. His work on "Rhetoric and Belles Lettres" has gone through near twenty editions, and yet, strange to say, there is no rule of grammar that this learned professor has not sinned against; no fault of style that is not to be found in his remarks. But what is most singular is, that his own fault frequently occurs in the very words he uses in correcting a similar fault in some other writer; as if he designed his Lectures as a practical illustration of the errors and inaccuracies which he passes in

review.

The faults of composition most worthy of notice in modern prose may be classed under the following heads-1. Synonymous or redundant terms; 2. The indiscriminate use of singulars and plurals;

3. Want of method and perspicuity; 4. Ungrammatical modes of speech; 5. Slang terms and foreign words.

SYNONYMOUS OR REDUNDANT TERMS.

THE occurrence of redundant terms is very common. Authorship has become a trade, and themes and topics are handled, not so much with a view to their real importance, as with that of producing a certain number of volumes, a certain quantity of readable matter. To accomplish this object, adjectives and substantives are thrown in, without method or meaning, while conciseness and perspicuity are left to take care of themselves. It would be a waste of time to quote examples of this blemish from the novels and other fashionable literature of the day, where it is to be met with at every page. In works of higher pretension I have found some instances of it, alike palpable and ludicrous, which will better serve the purpose of illustrations:

"The chief mistakes made by the Irish in pronouncing English lie, for the most part, in the sounds of the two first vowels a and e."-SHERIDAN. Dictionary.

"Why should Dr. Parr confine the Eulogomania to the literary character of this Island alone."-SYDNEY SMITH. Essays.

"His efforts at this juncture were necessarily confined only to remonstrance and exhortation."-RoscoE. Life of Leo X.

"These justly entitle Sappho to the lofty title of the tenth muse."-MOIR. Lectures.

"The writings of Buchanan, and especially his Scottish history, are written with strength, perspicuity, and neatness." -HALLAM. Literature of Europe.

"Some writers have confined their attention to trifling minutia of style."-WHATELY. Rhetoric.

"Such is the whole sum-total of information which the assiduity of commentators has collected."-CARLYLE. Miscellanies.

"If in ordinary times greater deference be paid to one class of peers more than to another, it is to that which is the most adorned by intellect."-CHENEVIX. Essay on National Character.

"The miracle which genius produced, it may repeat, whenever the same happy combination of circumstances and persons shall occur together.”—D'ISRAELI. Curiosities of Literature.

"The complication of the old laws of France had given rise to a chaos of confusion."-ALISON. History of Europe.

"Though not so extensive in point of superficial surface, Switzerland embraced an extraordinary variety of climate, soil, and occupation."—Ibid.

"Lord Mahon's history of necessity became, in a great degree, for the most part, a parliamentary one."-IDEM. History of Europe from Fall of Napoleon.

"The whole physiological theory of Paracelsus consisted, for the most part, in the application of the Cabbala to the explaining of the functions of the body."-SOANE. New Curiosities of Literature.

"It was founded mainly on the entire monopoly of the whole trade with the colonies."-ALISON. Hist. of Europe from Fall of Napoleon.

"Hence has ensued an entire change in our whole domestic policy."—Ibid.

"Those most entirely in his confidence were not aware of what he intended."-Ibid.

"The Inquisition arrested the progress of general intellectual advancement." FOSTER. Handbook of European Literature.

Henry Kirke White, in the Preface to his poems, describes them as, "the juvenile efforts of a youth;" a fault which will appear the more unaccountable, when it is considered that Mr. White was a classical scholar of no mean pretensions. Another sample is the expression, “annual anniversaries," which occurs in the first sentence of a work entitled, "Four Years' Residence in the West Indies," and which has run through three editions in about as many years. It is clear that the author does not understand the meaning of the word "anniversary," and that, including "annual" in its signification, it unequivocally expresses the yearly return of a particular season or point of time without the aid of that word.

Akin to these is the use of "magnanimous " as applied to "mind." Blair has the expression:— "The magnanimous affection of the mind."

And Macaulay, speaking of the late Lord Holland, describes

"The magnanimous credulity of his mind."

I could fill a chapter with examples of this inaccuracy. Those I have quoted are sufficient to show the various forms which it assumes with different writers.

SINGULARS AND PLURALS.

THE second blemish in English prose is the indiscriminate use of singulars and plurals. Although we have cultivated literature, in its most important departments, with greater success than any other people, yet there is no people so deficient as we are in the knowledge and application of some of the first principles of grammar. And not only does this deficiency exist, as might be supposed, in writers of ordinary ability; but there are very few of our authors, be their genius what it may, who do not exhibit it in a more or less striking degree. The following are examples of the improper use of the singular; and, if necessary, hundreds of a similar character might be added:—

"Both minister and magistrate is compelled to choose between his duty and his reputation.”—JUNIUS. Preface to Letters. "The boldness, freedom, and variety of our blank verse is infinitely more favourable than rhyme to all kinds of sublime poetry."-BLAIR. Lectures.

"In the extravagant admiration for Grecian costume is to be discerned the effects of Rousseau's dreams on the social contract.”—ALISON. History of Europe.

"But Ferdinand did not do this, and hence has arisen boundless calamities to his country."-IDEM. History of Europe from Fall of Napoleon.

"The consequences to the much more numerous classes remains to be taken into the account."-TAYLOR. Notes from Books.