Amount of Perfection. The observant reader of periodical literature often notes forms of expression that are perhaps best characterized by the word bizarre. Of these queer locutions, amount of perfection is a very good example. Mr. G. F. Watts, in the Nineteenth Century, says, "An amount of perfection has been reached which I was by no means prepared for." What Mr. Watts meant to say was, doubtless, that a degree of excellence had been reached. There are not a few that, in their prepossession for everything transatlantic, seem to be of opinion that the English language is commonly better written in England than it is in America. Those that think so are counseled o examine the diction of some of the most noted English critics and essayists, beginning, if they will, with Matthew Arnold.

An. This form of the indefinite article should not be used before any aspirated h. We say, properly, a heroic, a harangue, a historical, a habitual, and not an 'eroic, an 'arangue, an 'istorical, an 'abitual. We should leave this practice to those Americans that, after the fashion of the English, pronounce year, yer, here, hyer, and been, bene, though there is no authority for saying anything but yere and here, and little authority for saying anything but bin. As the American has no difficulty in aspirating his h's, there is no excuse for his dropping the initial 1⁄2 in polysyllabic words, though the h does not stand under the accent. truth is, however, that most Americans that use an before these h's are not aware that, when they do so, the h should be dropped in the utterance, which to that extent is to Cockneyize the language.

The

And. Few vulgarisms are more common than the use of and for to. Examples: "Come and see me before you go"; "Try and do what you can for him"; "Go and see

your brother, if you can.' In such sentences as these the proper particle to use is clearly to, and not and.

And is sometimes improperly used instead of or; thus, "It is obvious that a language like the Greek and Latin' (language ?), etc., should be, “a language like the Greek or the Latin" (language), etc. There is no such thing as a

Greek and Latin language.

And sometimes very improperly introduces a relative clause, no relative having occurred before, thus: "I have a book, printed at Antwerp, and which was once Adam Smith's." If the proper relative, that, had been used, it is probable that the writer would not have blundered.

And which, or and that. We frequently see the relative pronoun repeated to the great detriment of the sentence, thus: "Mr. Reno owns a mule which [that] is now forty-five years old, and which has not worn a collar for twenty-two years." The second relative only encumbers the sentence.

"The second assertion imputes the evil to a cause in itself inevitable, and which has only incidentally and partially operated to produce it." Read, "a cause that in itself is," and omit which.

Here is a sentence from the pen of the most extraordinary "whicher" I have ever met with :

"The American Consul for Syria came down here to make further inquiries into an incident which occurred a year ago at Acre, and to which I alluded in a letter at the time, and which gave rise to one of those interminable questions which occur so constantly between the Porte and foreign governments, and which invariably end in smoke." -Corr. N. Y. Sun.

Only two of these five whiches are necessary, and it would be better to change them to thats.

He sailed round the island of Iturup, which is 713 miles long and 80 broad, and which is inhabited here and there along the coast."-N. Y. Sun.

The second which is clearly superfluous.

Antecedents. A convenient term for origin and history of a person. It expresses concisely what would otherwise require a rather ponderous circumlocution.

Yet the locution past history, or history, is much to be preferred. "What do you know of his history?" is far better English than "What do you know of his antecedents?" The one is the language of the drawing-room, the other of the bar-room.

Anticipate. Lovers of big words frequently make this verb do duty for expect, and sometimes for foresee. Anticipate is derived from two Latin words meaning before and to take, and, when properly used, means, to take beforehand; to go before so as to preclude another; to get the start of or to get ahead of; to enjoy, possess, or suffer, in expectation; to foretaste. It is therefore misused in such sentences as "Her death is hourly anticipated"; "By this means it is anticipated that the time from Europe will be lessened two days."

Correctly used thus:

"If not anticipated, I shall hereafter make an attempt at a magazine paper on The Philosophy of Point."-Poe. "The chief portion of Prof. Espy's theory has been anticipated."-Poe.

"I am far from pretending to instruct the profession or anticipating their directions to such as are under their government."—Arbuthnot.

"Why should we Anticipate our sorrows? 'Tis like those Who die for fear of death."-Shakespeare.

"We anticipate what a person is going to say by saying it before him."-Crabb.

But, after all, it may simply anticipate on the English of the future."-Dr. Fitzedward Hall.

'The memorial sketch is a model of propriety. The author has carefully refrained from anticipating the biography that, we trust, will shortly see the light."-N. Y. Sun.

"In several respects the Mosaic Law is declared to have anticipated modern science by several thousand years.”— Hosmer.

"It is well to have it understood that our municipal authorities and local sanitary health boards had anticipated by practical work the proclamation issued by the President."-N. Y. Star.

Misused in the sense of expect, thus:

"The poetry of Mr. Fawcett, as one might anticipate from an acquaintance with his prose," etc.-N. Y. Tribune. "Trouble is anticipated over the proposed employment of Hungarians in the Hocking Valley mines."—N. Y. Herald.

"Were Greely's movements those which [that] it was anticipated he would make?"-N. Y. Times.

“Miss Hurst's performances at Wallack's Theater have brought on the crisis which [that] we anticipated.”—Evening Telegram.

"The attempt to browbeat the peers into abjuring a privilege which [that] so sound a Liberal as Mr. Bagehot pronounced expedient and wholesome is not having the success which [that] was at first anticipated."-N. Y. Sun.

"She is now engaged on a series of experiments in evolution from which I anticipate the most striking and original results."-Hammond.

"Do you think that Germany keeps up its tremendous army in anticipation [expectation] of a speedy war?"

66

"Young Lincoln would have been almost as likely to anticipate [foresee] the marvelous growth of the State, as to foresee his own still more wonderful elevation."

Another point: In all cases like this it is far better to repeat the word than to use a synonym. The repetition always tends to strengthen and to balance the sentence.

Antiquary-Antiquarian. Both these words are used as nouns by writers of repute; but antiquarian, Todd, Hodgson, and some other grammarians insist, should be used only as an adjective.

Antithesis. A phrase that opposes contraries is called an antithesis.

"I see a chief who leads my chosen sons,

All armed with points, antitheses, and puns."

The following are examples :

66

Though gentle, yet not dull; _

Strong, without rage; without o'erflowing, full."
"Contrasted faults through all their manners reign;
Though poor, luxurious; though submissive, vain ;
Though grave, yet trifling; zealous, yet untrue;
And e'en in penance planning sins anew."

The following is an excellent example of personification and antithesis combined:

"Talent convinces; genius but excites;

That tasks the reason; this the soul delights.
Talent from sober judgment takes its birth,
And reconciles the pinion to the earth;
Genius unsettles with desires the mind,
Contented not till earth be left behind."

In the following extract from Johnson's Life of Pope, individual peculiarities are contrasted by means of antitheses: