LI

UNIVE

CALL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OF THE SECOND BOOK.

PAGE.

INTRODUCTION to Belles-Lettres.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS ON BELLES-LETTRES-Definition

and Division of the subjects, and species of

Literary Composition: their names..

PART I.

OF THE SYNTHESIS AND ANALYSIS OF A LITERARY COMPO-

SITION AND ITS GENERAL PRAXIS..

ARTICLE I.-Synthesis and Analysis of a Literary

Composition-their nature and rules. . . . . .

ARTICLE II.-General Praxis for writing a Literary

Composition...

PART II.

13

19

19

26

OF STYLE-DEFINITION AND DIVISION OF STYLE..

CHAPTER I.-Of the different kinds of Style, and their

rules.

ARTICLE I.-Of the Sublime Style..

31

32

32

ARTICLE II. Of the Simple, or Familiar Style.

ARTICLE III.-Of the Middle Style....

ARTICLE IV.-Rules for the proper selection of Style,

2288

36

39

·in accordance with the subject of Composition. 42

ARTICLE V.-General rules for the acquisition of good

Style..

44

ARTICLE VI. Of the Vicious Style...

CHAPTER II.-Of the National, Laconic, and English

45

Style, and of other subjects relating thereto.... 47

ARTICLE III. Of the English Language and Style, of

its Peculiarities, and Relative Merit, compared

with other Languages; General Rules to be ob-

served in an English Composition.......

SECTION I. Of the English Language and Style; its

Peculiarities and Relative Merit compared with

other Languages..

SECTION II.-Rules to be observed in an English Com-

position.

SECTION III. Of the English Verse; and of the Mod-

ern English and American Literature.

PART III.

OF THE FABLE-DEFINITION AND DIVISION OF THE FABLE..

88

ARTICLE IV. Of the Qualities and Style of Fables... 91

ARTICLE V.-Final Remarks, on the subject of Fables.

92

PART IV.

OF NARRATIONS-THEIR DEFINITION AND DIVISION..

CHAPTER I.-Of Historical Narrations...

ARTICLE I-Of the General Qualities, and Style of

Historical Narrations...

ARTICLE II.—Praxis of writing a Historical Narration. 108

ARTICLE III.-Of History in particular: its Definition,

Division, Qualities, Necessity, Utility, and Cri-

terions

SECTION I.-Criterions of Criticism concerning an

Original History

111

116

Part I.-Criterions for the Writer of History..

Part II.-Criterions for the Reader of History..... 128

SECTION II.-Criterions of Criticism concerning Com-

pendiums or Copies of Original Histories...... 130

SECTION III.-Criterions of Criticism concerning Ver-

sions.

131

ARTICLE IV.-Of Biography; its Definition, Object,

Qualities, Rules, and Praxis.

133

ARTICLE V.-Of Journalism; its Definition, Object,

ARTICLE II.-Praxis of Analysis of an Oratorical Nar-

CHAPTER III.-Of Fictitious and Semi-Fictitious Nar-

rations

157

ARTICLE I. Of the General Qualities, Principles, and

Rules of the Epic Poem, Novel, Romance, and

Drama

TI.-Qualities of the Subject..

¶ II.-Qualities demanded by the Object..

III.-Qualities of the Plot..

T IV.-Qualities of the Ornaments of Fictitious and

Semi-Fictitious Narrations.

ARTICLE II. Of the Particular Qualities of the Epic

Poem: and of some inferior species called, also

Poems; viz, Elegy, Epigram, Satire, Ode,

Hymn, Eclogue, Sonnet.

ARTICLE III.-Of the Particular Qualities of the

Novel, Romance, and Drama; of Comedy, Tra-

gedy, Tragi-Comedy, and Farce...

OF DESCRIPTIONS.

PART V.

ARTICLE I. - Defintion, Subject, Division, Object,

Qualities, and Rules of Descriptions.

ARTICLE II.-Praxis for writing a Description...

PART VI.

OF LETTERS DEFINITION, DIVISION, IMPORTANCE, AND

PARTS OF THE LETTER.

158

159

161

162

163

168

174

186

186

191

196

CHAPTER I.-Of the Principal Part, viz: the Body of

the Letter...

198

ARTICLE I.-General Precepts concerning the Body of

the Letter..

199

ARTICLE II.-Particular Precepts concerning the Body

of the Letter..

201

¶ I.-Of Letters of Information. Their Definition,

Subject and Qualities...

201

II.-Of Letters of Persuasion. Their Definition

¶ V.-Of Letters of Recreation. Their Object and

Qualities

212

¶ VI.—Of Letters of Reprimand, Correction, and

Advice. Their Definition and Qualities

214

¶ VII.-Of Commercial or Business Letters-their

Definition and Qualities...

221

CHAPTER II.-Of the Secondary Parts of the Letter.. 224

ARTICLE I. Of the Date, Address, Clause, and Out-

side Direction of the Letter.

224

ARTICLE II.-Praxis of Composition, for Writing a

Letter..

227

APPENDIX to LETTER-WRITING.

231

Of Notes, Cards, Complimentary Tickets, and of

the Folding of the Letter..

231

CAL

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

ON

BELLES-LETTRES.

DEFINITION AND DIVISION OF THE SUBJECTS, AND SPECIES OF LITERARY COMPOSITION: THEIR NAMES.

1. Thus far, we have treated of the Elements of Composition, to wit: of Sentences and Periods, of their formation, amplification and punctuation.

NOTE. In this and the following book designed for high schools, the short answers at the end of each page have been purposely omitted, and questions only placed, with numbers referring to the paragraphs of the text, where the pupil will find the requisite answer. This system of allowing the student who has reached the high school, to exercise, in part at least, his judgment in answering a question, is eminently useful, as well as necessary. For, as in the natural growth of the body, when a person has attained a certain age and strength, he is no longer led by the hand; so, in the educational course, when a student has acquired a certain maturity and strength of thought, he should no longer be guided by a rigid catechetical method of fixed questions and answers.

QUESTIONS.

(1.) Of what have we treated so far?