I know you made at school but a small progress in 'languages.' So I have
restrained myself from 'many illustrations' from the 'classics,' that I
could have filled this letter with, (as I have done the enclosed one:)
and, being at a 'distance,' I cannot 'explain' them to you, as I 'do to
my friend,' Mr. John Harlowe; and who, (after all,) is obliged to 'me'
for pointing out to 'him' many 'beauties' of the 'authors I quote,' which
otherwise would lie concealed from 'him,' as they must from every 'common
observer.'--But this (too) 'inter nos'--for he would not take it well to
'have it known'--'Jays' (you know, old school-fellow, 'jays,' you know)
'will strut in peacocks' feathers.'
But whither am I running? I never know where to end, when I get upon
'learned topics.' And albeit I cannot compliment 'you' with the 'name of
a learned man,' yet are you 'a sensible man'; and ('as such') must have
'pleasure' in 'learned men,' and in 'their writings.'
In this confidence, (Mr. Walton,) with my 'kind respects' to the good
ladies, (your 'spouse' and 'sister,') and in hopes, for the 'young lady's
sake,' soon to follow this long, long epistle, in 'person,' I conclude
myself,
Your loving and faithful friend,
ELIAS BRAND.
You will perhaps, Mr. Walton, wonder at the meaning of the 'lines drawn
under many of the words and sentences,' (UNDERSCORING we call it;)
and were my letters to be printed, those would be put in a
'different character.' Now, you must know, Sir, that 'we learned
men' do this to point out to the readers, who are not 'so learned,'
where the 'jet of our arguments lieth,' and the 'emphasis' they are
to lay upon 'those words'; whereby they will take in readily our
'sense' and 'cogency.' Some 'pragmatical' people have said, that
an author who doth a 'great deal of this,' either calleth his
readers 'fools,' or tacitly condemneth 'his own style,' as
supposing his meaning would be 'dark' without it, or that all of
his 'force' lay in 'words.' But all of those with whom I have
conversed in a learned way, 'think as I think.' And to give a very
'pretty,' though 'familiar illustration,' I have considered a page
distinguished by 'different characters,' as a 'verdant field'
overspread with 'butter-flowers' and 'daisies,' and other
summer-flowers. These the poets liken to 'enamelling'--have you
not read in the poets of 'enamelled meads,' and so forth?