A Critical Essay on Characteristic-Writings | Page 8

hate to see, and never can believe. Ld. Roscommon.
[E: Horat. Art. Poet. _v._ 188.]
A consummate Delicacy of Sentiments, and an exquisite Judgment are the very Soul of _Characteristic-Writing_; for every particular Stroke, as well as the whole Character, has a proper Degree of Perfection. To attain this Point, and to bring the several Parts, as well as the Whole, exactly to this Pitch, is the Work of a sagacious Head, and of a perfect Judgment.--An Author, in this Kind, must not dwell too long upon one Idea: As soon as the masterly Stroke is given, he must immediately pass on to another Idea. This will give Life to the Work, and serve to keep up the Spirit of the Writing, and of the Reader too: Forif, after the masterly Stroke is given, the Author shou'd, in a paraphrastical Manner, still insist upon the same Idea, the Work will immediately flag, the Character grow languid, and the Person characteris'd will insensibly vanish from the Eyes of the Reader.
An honest Writer, who has the Profit as well as the Pleasure of his Reader in View, ought always to tell the Truth. But as he is at Liberty to chuse his manner of telling it, so that Method of Instruction ought to be observ'd in _Characteristic-Writings_, which will keep up the good Humour of the Reader, altho' he is, at the same Time, made sensible of his Errors. And this Artifice ought industriously to be pursu'd, since the proper Management of it is so necessary to the Success of _Characteristic-Writings_. For those who love and admire Truth themselves, must yet be sensible that 'tis generally unwelcome, both to themselves and to others, when the Point of Self-Interest is concern'd. And the Reason of it is, not because Truth is really ugly and deform'd, but because it presents to our View certain Inconsistencies and Errors, which Self-Love will not allow us to condemn. And therefore the great Art and Difficulty, in making Truth pleasant and profitable, is so to expose Error, as not to seem to make any Attacks upon the Province of Self-Love.
[F] _Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amico Tangit, & admissus circum pr?cordia ludit, Callidus excusso Populum suspendere naso._
[F: Persius Sat. I. V. 116, &c.]
----With conceal'd Design, Did crafty Horace his low Numbers join: And, with a sly insinuating Grace, Laugh'd at his Friend, and look'd him in the Face: Wou'd raise a Blush, where secret Vice he found; And tickle, while he gently prob'd the Wound. With seeming Innocence the Crowd beguil'd; But made the desp'rate Passes, when he smil'd. Mr. Dryden.
This was the Character of one of the greatest Roman Poets; and in this Art, amongst the Moderns, [G]Benserade particularly excell'd, if we may believe his Successor and Panegyrist Pavillon.
[G: Dictionaire de Bayle. Artic. _Benserade._ Not. L.]
What is the proper Style for _Characteristic-Writings_ is briefly laid down by [H]Libanius in the following Words. +Ergas�� t��n ��thopoiian charakt��ri saphei, suntom?, anth��r?, apolut?, ap��llagmen? pas��s plok��s te kai sch��matos+. "When you describe Manners you must use a plain, concise, florid, easy Style, free from all artificial Turns and Figures." Every Thing must be even, smooth, easy and unaffected; without any of those Points and Turns, which convey to the Mind nothing but a low and false Wit, in which our Moderns so much abound, and in which they seem to place their greatest Beauties.
[H: Ap. _Is. Casaub._ Proleg. ad Theophrast.]
The primary Standard for Style is the Nature of the Subject: And therefore, as _Characteristic-Writings_ are professed Representations of Nature, an Author in this Way is immediately concern'd to use a simple and natural Style: Nor has he any Reason to fear, that this will any ways prejudice his Performance, and make it appear low, flat and insipid; for in Reality there is nothing more noble than a true Simplicity, and nothing more beautiful than Nature, when it appears in the easy Charms of its own native Dress.
In _Characteristic-Writings_ both the Way of Thinking and the Style must be Laconic: Much must be contained in a little Compass. Brevity of Diction adds new Life to a good Thought: And since every perfect Stroke ought to be a distinct Representation of a particular Feature, Matters shou'd be so order'd, that every perfect Sentence may contain a perfect Thought, and every perfect Thought may represent one Feature.
Many other Particulars might have been observ'd and recommended to those, who wou'd attempt a Performance in this Kind, with some Assurance of Success. The Laws of good Writing, in general, may and ought to be applied to _Characteristic-Writing_, in particular, as far as the Nature of it will bear. But to pursue these Things accurately, wou'd carry me beyond the Bounds which the Title of this Work prescribes to me. To shew the peculiar Nature; to point out