Macaulay or any other great writer would be content to use; the other extraordinary and indicated by the significant —, such as is resorted to by writers who would have us believe that their words carry with them some uncommon import. It is as if the writer said to the reader: "Perhaps you fancy you are reading some commonplace composition, to be glanced at and thrown aside like the run of modern books; but you are mistaken. Here each word claims a peculiar emphasis; and to facilitate the weighing and leisurely digesting of our ideas, we have separated each member of the sentence by its proper dash." dash." Of itself this species of punctuation is silly enough; but it ceases to be merely silly, when, as in the instance before us, it gives significance and weight to that frightfullest of all unchristian doctrines, namely, that, in certain circumstances, a man may "welcome suicide as the only escape from the abyss into which he may have been hurled by the loss of his fortune: in other words, that the abyss created by a temporary loss is more to be avoided than that darkest and deepest of all abysses, into which a man hurls himself by the damning deed of self-destruction.

The mannerism which consists in the repetition of certain words may be appropriately classed under the peculiar expressions by which it is characterized; such as However, Of all others, But, If, and so forth. The following samples of

the However style are from Alison's "History of Europe during the French Revolution:"

Augereau was soon, however, dismissed the corps for a serious offence, and returned to Paris, penniless and in disgrace. There, however, his lofty stature and military air again attracted the attention of the recruiting sergeants, and he was enrolled in the regiment of Carabineers, commanded by the Marquis Poyanna. There, however, his mischievous disposition a second time broke out, and he was expelled from his new corps for carrying off his captain's horses to sell them in Switzerland."

"The Grand Vizier, however, alarmed for a fortress of such importance, at length recrossed the Danube and detached fifteen thousand men to beat up the enemy's quarters in its vicinity, in the end of October. Bagrathion advanced against this body, and an action, with no decisive results, ensued at Tartaritza, in which, however, it soon appeared that the Russians had been worsted; for Bagrathion immediately recrossed the Danube, and raised the blockade. Ismael, however, which had been long blockaded, surrendered on the 21st September."

Among the "blunders" which I have had occasion to notice in the preceding chapter, is the expression "Of all others." Of rare occurrence in the generality of writers, and never to be met with in the most correct, this locution has become a "household word" with Sir A. Alison. The following examples of it are taken from his "History of Europe during the French Revolution." In his other works the instances of it are also

very numerous :

"The quality of all others, by which distinction is acquired." "The event of all others which the Orleans party most ardently desired to avoid."

"A project of all others the most unpopular in the central city of Paris."

"The general of all others the least qualified to combat the fire and energy of a revolution."

"A state of affairs of all others the most calamitous."

"The general of all others who approached the nearest to the standard of ideal perfection."

"The act of all others which most certainly leads to its own punishment."

"A period of all others the most conducive to general happiness."

"Circumstances of all others the best calculated to enable the inhabitants to oppose a formidable resistance."

"The lesson of all others the most strongly illustrated by the events of the war."

"A situation of all others the most favourable for halfdisciplined troops."

"A feeling which is of all others the most effectual extinguisher to the utility of any public officer."

"Circumstances of all others the most favourable for the development of the principles of freedom."

"The language of all others the most calculated to rouse national efforts."

"The means of all others the least fitted to carry it into effect."

"The troops were scattered in a way of all others the most favourable for being cut up in detail.”

"The plan of invasion of all others the best calculated to concentrate the whole forces of the Alliance."

"The people of all others where at once general progress is the greatest and private discontent the most universal.”

"A situation of all others the most favourable for carrying on intrigues with both countries."

"A consideration of all others the best calculated to inspire forbearance and moderation."

"The circumstance of all others the most prejudicial to the interests of France."

"The circumstance of all others which had the greatest influence in inducing that state of society."

"The circumstance of all others which chiefly contributed to this turn of the public mind."

In the following quotations the word "But" is ludicrously repeated at almost every line:"But, absorbed as he was with his studies, Whethamstede was not a mere

-Bookful blockhead, ignorantly read,

With loads of learned lumber in his head.'

It is true, he was an inveterate reader, amorously inclined towards vellum tomes and illuminated parchments, but he did not covet them, like some collectors, for the mere pride of possessing them; but gloried in feasting on their intellectual charms and delectable wisdom, and sought in their attractive pages the means of becoming a better Christian and a wiser man. But he was so excessively fond of books, and became so deeply engrossed with his book-collecting pursuits, that it is said some of the monks shewed a little dissatisfaction at his consequent neglect of the affairs of the monastery; but these are faults I cannot find the heart to blame him for; but am inclined to consider his conduct fully redeemed by the valuable encouragement he gave to literature and learning."

A few pages farther on the but recurs in the following passage:

"But with all these high qualities our notions of propriety are somewhat shocked at the open manner in which he kept his mistress Eleanor Cobham; but we can scarcely agree in the condemnation of the generality of historians for his marrying

her afterwards, but regard it rather as the action of an honorable man, desirous of making every reparation in his power. But the 'pride of birth' was sorely wounded by the espousals."

These passages are extracted from Merryweather's "Bibliomania in the Middle Ages," a book which, though purporting to treat of the "love of books," is lamentably deficient in that which constitutes an essential quality of every good book-correct composition. In almost every instance the sentences are strung together by conjunctions and expletives, in the manner of the passages above quoted. The author seems to have formed his style upon that of poor John Bunyan, who presents us with this curious sample of the species But:

"I saw simple Slowth and Presumption lie asleep, a little out of the way, as I came, with irons upon their heels; but do you think I could awake them? I also saw Formality and Hypocrisy come tumbling over the wall, to go (as they pretended) to Zion; but they were quickly lost, even as I myself did tell them; but they would not believe; but above all, I found it hard work to get up this hill, and as hard to come by the lions' mouths; and truly if it had not been for the good man the Porter that stands at the gate, I do not know but that, after all, I might have gone back again; but now, I thank God, I am here, and I thank you for receiving me.". Pilgrim's Progress.

The greatest promoter, however, of this slovenliness is Sir Archibald Alison. In his " History of Europe from the Fall of Napoleon," the attentive reader must have remarked the constant recurrence of the expression "Great as,"