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hearer。　A　gentleman　in　black；　expounding　his　views；　or　narrating　his　autobiography　to　the　first　comer；　can　expect　no　such　warmth　of　response　as　greets　the　dying　speech　of　the　baffled　patriot；　yet　he　too　may　take　account　of　the　reasons　that　prompt　speech；　may　display　sympathy　and　tact；　and　avoid　the　faults　of　senility。　　The　only　character　that　can　lend　strength　to　his　words　is　his　own；　and　he　sketches　it　while　he　states　his　opinions；　the　only　attitude　that　can　ennoble　his　sayings　is　implied　in　the　very　arguments　he　uses。　Who　does　not　know　the　curious　blank　effect　of　eloquence　overstrained　or　out　of　place？　　The　phrasing　may　be　exquisite；　the　thought　well…knit；　the　emotion　genuine；　yet　all　is；　as　it　were；　dumb…show　where　no　community　of　feeling　exists　between　the　speaker　and　his　audience。　　A　similar　false　note　is　struck　by　any　speaker　or　writer　who　misapprehends　his　position　or　forgets　his　disqualifications；　by　newspaper　writers　using　language　that　is　seemly　only　in　one　who　stakes　his　life　on　his　words；　by　preachers　exceeding　the　license　of　fallibility；　by　moralists　condemning　frailty；　by　speculative　traders　deprecating　frank　ways　of　hazard；　by　Satan　rebuking　sin。

〃How　many　things　are　there；〃　exclaims　the　wise　Verulam；　〃which　a　man　cannot；　with　any　face　or　comeliness；　say　or　do　himself！　　A　man's　person　hath　many　proper　relations　which　he　cannot　put　off。　　A　man　cannot　speak　to　his　son　but　as　a　father；　to　his　wife；　but　as　a　husband；　to　his　enemy　but　upon　terms；　whereas　a　friend　may　speak　as　the　case　requires；　and　not　as　it　sorteth　with　the　person。〃　　The　like　〃proper　relations〃　govern　writers；　even　where　their　audience　is　unknown　to　them。　　It　has　often　been　remarked　how　few　are　the　story…tellers　who　can　introduce　themselves；　so　much　as　by　a　passing　reflection　or　sentiment；　without　a　discordant　effect。　　The　friend　who　saves　the　situation　is　found　in　one　and　another　of　the　creatures　of　their　art。

For　those　who　must　play　their　own　part　the　effort　to　conceal　themselves　is　of　no　avail。　　The　implicit　attitude　of　a　writer　makes　itself　felt；　an　undue　swelling　of　his　subject　to　heroic　dimensions；　an　unwarrantable　assumption　of　sympathy；　a　tendency　to　truck　with　friends　or　with　enemies　by　the　way；　are　all　possible　indications　of　weakness；　which　move　even　the　least　skilled　of　readers　to　discount　what　is　said；　as　they　catch　here　and　there　a　glimpse　of　the　old　pot…companion；　or　the　young　dandy；　behind　the　imposing　literary　mask。　　Strong　writers　are　those　who；　with　every　reserve　of　power；　seek　no　exhibition　of　strength。　　It　is　as　if　language　could　not　come　by　its　full　meaning　save　on　the　lips　of　those　who　regard　it　as　an　evil　necessity。　　Every　word　is　torn　from　them；　as　from　a　reluctant　witness。　　They　come　to　speech　as　to　a　last　resort；　when　all　other　ways　have　failed。　　The　bane　of　a　literary　education　is　that　it　induces　talkativeness；　and　an　overweening　confidence　in　words。　　But　those　whose　words　are　stark　and　terrible　seem　almost　to　despise　words。

With　words　literature　begins；　and　to　words　it　must　return。　Coloured　by　the　neighbourhood　of　silence；　solemnised　by　thought　or　steeled　by　action；　words　are　still　its　only　means　of　rising　above　words。　　〃ACCEDAT　VERBUM　AD　ELEMENTUM；〃　said　St。　Ambrose；　〃ET　FIAT　SACRAMENTUM。〃　　So　the　elementary　passions；　pity　and　love；　wrath　and　terror；　are　not　in　themselves　poetical；　they　must　be　wrought　upon　by　the　word　to　become　poetry。　　In　no　other　way　can　suffering　be　transformed　to　pathos；　or　horror　reach　its　apotheosis　in　tragedy。

When　all　has　been　said；　there　remains　a　residue　capable　of　no　formal　explanation。　　Language；　this　array　of　conventional　symbols　loosely　strung　together；　and　blown　about　by　every　wandering　breath；　is　miraculously　vital　and　expressive；　justifying　not　a　few　of　the　myriad　superstitions　that　have　always　attached　to　its　use。　　The　same　words　are　free　to　all；　yet　no　wealth　or　distinction　of　vocabulary　is　needed　for　a　group　of　words　to　take　the　stamp　of　an　individual　mind　and　character。　　〃As　a　quality　of　style〃　says　Mr。　Pater；　〃soul　is　a　fact。〃　　To　resolve　how　words；　like　bodies；　become　transparent　when　they　are　inhabited　by　that　luminous　reality；　is　a　higher　pitch　than　metaphysic　wit　can　fly。　　Ardent　persuasion　and　deep　feeling　enkindle　words；　so　that　the　weakest　take　on　glory。　The　humblest　and　most　despised　of　common　phrases　may　be　the　chosen　vessel　for　the　next　avatar　of　the　spirit。　　It　is　the　old　problem；　to　be　met　only　by　the　old　solution　of　the　Platonist；　that


Soul　is　form；　and　doth　the　body　make。


The　soul　is　able　to　inform　language　by　some　strange　means　other　than　the　choice　and　arrangement　of　words　and　phrases。　　Real　novelty　of　vocabulary　is　impossible；　in　the　matter　of　language　we　lead　a　parasitical　existence；　and　are　always　quoting。　　Quotations；　conscious　or　unconscious；　vary　in　kind　according　as　the　mind　is　active　to　work　upon　them　and　make　them　its　own。　　In　its　grossest　and　most　servile　form　quotation　is　a　lazy　folly；　a　thought　has　received　some　signal　or　notorious　expression；　and　as　often　as　the　old　sense；　or　something　like　it；　recurs；　the　old　phrase　rises　to　the　lips。　　This　degenerates　to　simple　phrase…mongering；　and　those　who　practise　it　are　not　vigilantly　jealous　of　their　meaning。　　Such　an　expression　as　〃fine　by　degrees　and　beautifully　less〃　is　often　no　more　than　a　bloated　equivalent　for　a　single　word　…　say　〃diminishing〃　or　〃shrinking。〃　　Quotations　like　this　are　the　warts　and　excremental　parts　of　language；　the　borrowings　of　good　writers　are　never　thus　superfluous；　their　quotations　are　appropriations。　Whether　it　be　by　some　witty　turn　given　to　a　well…known　line；　by　an　original　setting　for　an　old　saw；　or　by　a　new　and　unlooked…for　analogy；　the　stamp　of　the　borrower　is　put　upon　the　goods　he　borrows；　and　he　becomes　part　owner。　　Plagiarism　is　a　crime　only　where　writing　is　a　trade；　expression　need　never　be　bound　by　the　law　of　copyright　while　it　follows　thought；　for　thought；　as　some　great　thinker　has　observed；　is　free。　　The　words　were　once　Shakespeare's；　if　only　you　can　feel　them　as　he　did；　they　are　yours　now　no　less　than　his。　　The　best　quotations；　the　best　translations；　the　best　thefts；　are　all　equally　new　and　original　works。　　From　quotation；　at　least；　there　is　no　escape；　inasmuch　as　we　learn　language　from　others。　　All　common　phrases　that　do　the　dirty　work　of　the　world　are　quotations　…　poor　things；　and　not　our　own。　　Who　first　said　that　a　book　would　〃repay　perusal；〃　or　that　any　gay　scene　was　〃bright　with　all　the　colours　of　the　rainbow〃？　　There　is　no　need　to　condemn　these　phrases；　for　language　has　a　vast　deal　of　inferior　work　to　do。　　The　expression　of　thought；　temperament；　attitude；　is　not　the　whole　of　its　business。　　It　is　only　a　literary　fop　or　doctrinaire　who　will　attempt　to　remint　all　the　small　defaced　coinage　that　passes　through　his　hands；　only　a　lisping　young　fantastico　who　will　refuse　all　conventional　garments　and　all　conventional　speech。　　At　a　modern　wedding　the　frock…coat　is　worn；　the　presents　are　〃numerous　and　costly；〃　and　there　is　an　〃ovation　accorded　to　the　happy　pair。〃　These　things　are　part　of　our　public　civilisation；　a　decorous　and　accessible　uniform；　not　to　be　lightly　set　aside。　　But　let　it　be　a　friend　of　your　own　who　is　to　marry；　a　friend　of　your　own　who　dies；　and　you　are　to　express　yourself　…　the　problem　is　changed；　you　feel　all　the　difficulties　of　the　art　of　style；　and　fathom　something　of　the　depth　of　your　unskill。　　Forbidden　silence；　we　should　be　in　a　poor　way　indeed。

Single　words　too　we　plagiarise　when　we　use　them　without　realisation　and　mastery　of　their　meaning。　　The　best　argument　for　a　succinct　style　is　this；　that　if　you　use　words　you　do　not　need；　or　do　not　understand；　you　cannot　se　them　well。　　It　is　not　what　a　word　means；　but　what　it　means　to　you；　that　is　of　the　deepest　import。　　Let　it　be　a　weak　word；　with　a　poor　history　behind　it；　if　you　have　done　good　thinking　with　it；　you　may　yet　use　it　to　surprising　advantage。　　But　if；　on　the　other　hand；　it　be　a　strong　word　that　has　never　aroused　more　than　a　misty　idea　and　a　flickering　emotion　in　your　mind；　here　lies　your　danger。　　You　may　use　it；　for　there　is　none　to　hinder；　and　it　will　betray　you。　　The　commonest　Saxon　words　prove　explosive　machines　in　the　hands　of　rash　impotence。　　It　is　perhaps　a　certain　uneasy　consciousness　of　danger；　a　suspicion　that　weakness　of　soul　cannot　wield　these　strong　words；　that　makes　debility　avoid　them；　committing　itself　rather；　as　if　by　some　pre…established　affinity；　to　the　vaguer　Latinised　vocabulary。　　Yet　they　are　not　all　to　be　avoided；　and　their　quality　in　practice　will　depend　on　some　occult　ability　in　their　employer。　　For　every　living　person；　if　the　material　were　obtainable；　a　separate　historical　dictionary　might　be　compiled；　recording　where　each　word　was　first　heard　or　seen；　where　and　how　it　was　first　used。　　The　references　are　utterly　beyond　recovery；　but　such　a　register　would　throw　a　strange　light　on　individual　styles。　　The　eloquent　trifler；　whose　stock　of　words　has　been　accumulated　by　a　pair　of　light　fingers；　would　stand　denuded　of　his　plausible　pretences　as　soon　as　it　were　seen　how　roguishly　he　came　by　his　eloquence。　　There　may　be　literary　quality；　it　is　well　to　remember；　in　the　words　of　a　parrot；　if　only　its　cage　has　been　happily　placed；　meaning　and　soul　there　cannot　be。　　Yet　the　voice　will　sometimes　be　mistaken；　by　the　carelessness　of　chance　listeners；　for　a　genuine　utterance　of　humanity；　and　the　like　is　true　in　literature。　　But　writing　cannot　be　luminous　and　great　save　in　the　hands　of　those　whose　words　are　their　own　by　the　indefeasible　title　of　conquest。　　Life　is　spent　in　learning　the　meaning　of　great　words；　so　that　some　idle　proverb；　known　for　years　and　accepted　perhaps　as　a　truism；　comes　home；　on　a　day；　like　a　blow。　　〃If　there　were　not　a　God；〃　said　Voltaire；　〃it　would　be　necessary　to　invent　him。〃　　Voltaire　had　therefore　a　right　to　use　the　word；　but　some　of　those　who　use　it　most；　if　they　would　be　perfectly　sincere；　should　enclose　it　in　quotation　marks。　　Whole　nations　go　for　centuries　without　coining　names　for　certain　virtues；　is　it　credible　that　among　other　peoples；　where　the　names　exists　the　need　for　them　is　epidemic？　　The　author　of　the　ECCLESIASTIAL　POLITY　puts　a　bolder　and　truer　face　on　the　matter。　　〃Concerning　that　Faith；　Hope；　and　Charity；〃　he　writes；　〃without　which　there　can