flimsiness, and studied sweetness, and redundancies, and far-fetched
thoughts, and witticisms, fall under the same denomination. Thus
whatever stretches beyond the bounds of perfection, may be called
affectation, and this happens as often as the genius is lacking in
judgment, and suffers itself to be deceived by an appearance of good. It
is the worst of vices in matters of eloquence, for even when others are
avoided, this is sought after, and its whole trespass is against
elocution. There are vices incident to things, which come from being
devoid of sense, or from being common, or contrary, or unnecessary, and
a corrupt style consists principally in impropriety of words, in their
redundancy, in their obscure import, in a weak composition, and in a
puerile hunting after synonymous or equivocal words. But every perverse
affectation is false in consequence of its idea, tho not everything that
is false is an affectation, the latter saying a thing otherwise than as
nature will have it, and than it ought to be, and than is sufficient.


USE OF VIVID DESCRIPTION

There can not be a greater perfection than to express the things we
speak of in such lively colors as to make them seem really to take place
in our presence. Our words are lacking in full effect, they assume not
that absolute empire they ought to have, when they strike only the ear,
and when the judge who is to take cognizance of the matter is not
sensible of its being emphatically exprest.

One manner of representation consists in making out of an assemblage of
circumstances the image we endeavor to exhibit. An example of this we
have in Cicero's description of a riotous banquet; he being the only one
who can furnish us with examples of all kinds of ornaments: "I seemed to