Pope has entitled a small dissertation, prefixed to his translation of the Iliad, “A View of the Epic Poem,” misled, it is probable, by Bossu’s title of a similar work, “Traité du Poëme Epique.” Poem denotes the work or thing composed; “the art of making,” which is here intended, is termed poesy.
An error similar to this occurs in the following passage: “I apprehend that all the sophism which has been or can be employed, will not be sufficient to acquit this system at the tribunal of reason.”—Bolingbroke. “Sophism” is properly defined by Johnson, “a fallacious argument;” sophistry means “fallacious reasoning,” or “unsound argumentation.” The author should have said “all the sophistry,” or “all the sophisms.”
“The Greek is, doubtless, a language much superior in riches, harmony, and variety to the Latin.”—Campbell’s Rhet. As the properties or qualities of the languages are here particularly compared, I apprehend, that the abstract “richness” would be a more apposite term. “Riches” properly denotes “the things possessed,” or “what constitutes the opulence of the owner;” “richness” denotes the state, quality, or property of the individual, as possessed of these. The latter, therefore, appears to me the more appropriate term.
“He felt himself compelled to acknowledge the justice of my remark.” The justness would, agreeably to Canon 1st, be the preferable word, the former term being confined to persons, and the latter to things.
“The negligence of this leaves us exposed to an uncommon levity in our usual conversation.”—Spectator. It ought to be “the neglect.” “Negligence” implies a habit; “neglect” expresses an act.
“For I am of opinion that it is better a language should not be wholly perfect, than it should be perpetually changing; and we must give over at one time, or at length infallibly change for the worse; as the Romans did when they began to quit their simplicity of style for affected refinements, such as we meet with in Tacitus, and other authors, which ended, by degrees, in many barbarities.” Barbarity, in this sense, is obsolescent. The univocal term, barbarism, is much preferable.
Gibbon, speaking of the priest, says, “to obtain the acceptation of this guide to salvation, you must faithfully pay him tythes.” Acceptation in this sense is obsolete, or at least nearly out of use; it should be favour or acceptance.
“She ought to lessen the extravagant power of the duke and duchess, by taking the disposition of employments into her own hands.”—Swift. Disposal, for reasons already assigned[140], is much better.
“The conscience of approving one’s self a benefactor to mankind, is the noblest recompense for being so.” “Conscience” is the faculty by which we judge our own conduct. It is here improperly used for “consciousness,” or the perception of what passes within ourselves.
“If reasons were as plenty as blackberries, I would give no man a reason on compulsion.”—Shakspeare. Here plenty, a substantive, is improperly used for plentiful.