the whole in the words of the poets, when they could conveniently be brought within the compass of a liñe, and in the very arrangement of their words, in order to preserve entire the harmony and em. phasis of the sentence, more especially in the proverbial sayings, which are much of the same nature with the sententious, differing only in point of authority, the latter being the result of the observa. tion of the wife and learned, and expressed with dignity ; but the former, that of the vulgar, and generally as vulgarly expressed, yet equally true with the fententious. Proverbial sayings could not well be disarranged, without spoiling them, or at least making them sound harsh to an ear unaccustomed to an unusual arrangement. When a quality stands alone, without the express men. tion of its subject, either person or thing, but 2 US but which it necessarily implies, it is in ob all languages, both learned and unlearn: ed, taken substantively; it may therefore lead the sentence, according to the general rule of index-making; namely, , that a substantive is always to be the leading word; the truth of which will be considered hereafter. For instance, : we say, the virtuous, the vicious, &c. with respect to persons; and with respect to a thing, the good, the ill, the vain, &c. of life. When quality and al subject are both expressed together, I consider them as one word; both on ac count of their neceffary connection; and 1 especially, because the stress of the fen tence turns upon them : I therefore scruple not to make them the leading words: Dryden, for instance, to mention no other, says, lively faith bears aloft the mind: if the above rule, namely that Vol. LVII. LO a 4 of of always making a substantive to lead the sentence, be made an invariable and universal rule, it will necessarily ex- clude, from a place in an index, very many important sentences, which are without a substantive. Dryden again says, write well, or not at all: I there- fore scrupled not to make a verb the leading word; or even an adverb, if used emphatically ; for instance, greaily wife to talk with our past hours, Young. I endeavoured all along, in the arrange- 0 N. B. When the poet is in one volume only, the number den notes the page: when in more volumes than one, the first ABBREVIATIONS EXPLAINED. А Abbeys put down, Dry. I: 103 Milt. 1: 166 VOL. LVII. B Aldiel Mall. 171 Cow. 2: 257 Coll. 239 Milt. 1: 174 Abdiel, reception of in heaven, Abel, murder of, in vision, Milt. 2: 100 Abelard, Pope I : 184 ill-fated youth, Prior 2 : 58 Prior 2: 142 Milt. 2 : 123 Abraham called, in his feed the world blessed, Milt. 2 : 124 friend of God, must bear the destin'd load, Prior 2 : 179 Abfalom and Achitophel, Dry. I: 125 character of, Dry. I: 126, 141 engages in rebellion, Dry. 1: 149 sCog: 53 Absence, death to those who loves Pope I : 37 Abftinence lean and fallow, Milt. 3 : 146 Absurdities, grand climacterical, Young 2: 113 Young 3: 270 Pom. 338 Aken. 89. Acamus and Pyrous from Thracia come, Pope il. 1: 101 Accents, where to place, Rofc. 1 : 221 Account, Anacreontic, balanced, Watts 262 Achaia, women of, and men no more, Pope il. 1: 77 Achaemenides, story of, Achaeme nides, 2 Sben. 125 Mall. 257 Cow. I : 143 Add. 47 |
0 Reviews Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified Write review |