DISCOURSE, TALK, CHAT, CONFERENCE, AND

CONVERSATION.

THESE fubftantives, if not quite fynonymous, are at leaft very closely allied; although the verbs which derive from them fpread wider and keep a greater diftance. For we CONVERSE together familiarly, we CONFER seriously; while CHATTING means mere frivolous and good-humoured intercourfe to amufe ourselves and our companions at fmall mental expence. A cluster of petty fentences might easily be formed fo as to bring the five fubftantives at the head of this article clofe together-and even in fome way connect them with the laft.

EXAMPLE.

In order to facilitate the good office, which although painful I had taken upon myself as a duty, namely, the reconciling of my brother and his wife, who I understood were on the very verge of parting, and had not spoken to each other for a fortnight paft, I thought it right in the first place to obtain a CONFERENCE with him in private; and having gathered not without difficulty, from his repugnance to all DISCOURSE upon the fubject, that after all his loud complaints laft winter, and more unpleafing fullennefs the beginning of this year, there was in fact nothing to lament at laft, but her extravagant turn and infolent temper, qualities which

however

however insupportable to an English husband, cannot injure female delicacy to be even openly protefted againft, and complained of; I chofe to hold my purposed TALK with the lady, in company of her own particular friends, and above all, her father; that fo no mifreprefentations might be made of my behaviour; and during the courfe of fuch a coNVERSATION, I doubted not, could I once get them in familiar CHAT, that the whole truth might be obtained, and a final end put to thefe domeftic feuds, that have fo difgraced my brother's choice, and made me daily and deeply regret his leaving the tender Olympia for this haughty dame; who brought a large fortune certainly, but with it fuch a train of pretenfions as would tax a larger income to fupport.

DISMAL, GLOOMY, MELANCHOLY, SORROWFUL, DARK,

ARE words which excite a train of ideas fo mournful, we will hope they can fcarcely all be predicated of any place except a prison, of any fituation unless that of the Royal Family in France, of any event if it be not fome recent one in that diftracted nation.-When their ftory is told however in future converfation, and horror fits on the fad liftener's looks; the relater will be at liberty to dwell either on the blacknefs of thofe crimes which pregnant with cruel

tics,

ties, and fulminating death all around them, conftitute a clufter of ill-arranged but DISMAL fcenes; or else on the pale countenances of parting friends-parents--fifters--children-torn from the embraces of their partners in affliction, and plunged in filent, MELANCHOLY woe. Then-while the SORROWFUL audience, with attentive anguish watching the catastrophe, hope that the GLOOMY profpect yet may clear -fome DARK Confpiracy thickens in the background, and adds obfcurity, which alone could heighten fuch diftrefs.

DISSOLUTE, LOOSE,

UNRESTRAINED,

RIOTOUS.

IN this fynonymy I fhould expect to find the beft reafons, and the caufes moft likely to produce those calamities which in our laft article were so justly lamented; for not with more certainty do the hot and cold fits of an ague fucceed each other than does a long feries of melancholy hours, and thoughts, follow hard upon a courfe of DISSOLUTE living, and LOOSE manners. The laft word is not exactly fynonymous with the other three; for although the perfon who refifts all order, and infifts on leading an UNRESTRAINED life, commonly does break out into a RIOTOvs conduct; he may from the fame principle fink into floth, and melt in mere voluptuoufness, when all ties that held him to

3

duty

duty and decorum are diffolved.-This however depends merely on the state of his health and nerves; for when principle is removed, inftinct must govern: and let us recollect that in man to whom reason was given, and religion revealed, the quality of inftinct is much lower than in brutes, where that alone was beftowed as fufficient guide. No man could find his way home, like his loft fpaniel, without a tongue to enquire it; no man could find the methods of escape which prefent themselves to a courfed hare, when she turns fhort in the middle of a fteep declivity, and by fo doing disappoints the dog, whose impetuous speed and length of body hurry him as it were over her, down to the very bottom; while fhe mounting the hill, dips on the other fide it, and is fafe. But human creatures UNRESTRAINED become not brutesthey become something worfe; as milk turns to poison if put out of its coürfe, and inftead of being swallowed by the mouth, is injected into the veins.—Liberty does the same-so does every thing. The fun, which affords light, and heat, and comfort to our fyftem, fixed as it is on high, in its due place becomes when LOOSENED from its orb, a comet flaming through the void, and firing every thing it meets with on the way.

· DISTEMPER, MALADY, DISEASE, DISORDER,

INDISPOSITION,

FOREIGNERS if not warned-or as they always call it-advertifed, are apt to use the fecond of these words too frequently, being feduced away from the others by its derivation. It has however a found of affectation with it when pronounced on flight occafions, as DISTEMPER Conveys (I know not very well why) a grofs idea; while MALADY seems a phrase now wholly bookish-although we do fay that Hortenfia fince the fmall-pox has laboured under an INDISPOSITION fo conftant, that her friends fear it will at laft end in an incurable DISEASE. Such DISORDERS are indeed lefs dreadful than that contagious one, which, before the use of inoculation was known, kept half the men and almost all the women in perpetual terror, and may be juftly ranked among the most horrible complaints and dangerous MALADIES incident to human nature: nor can we easily be excufed the fin and folly of carrying it to countries where 'tis yet unknown, making depopulation the fad confequence of difco

very.

DROLL, COMICAL, GROTESQUE.

THE firft of these words was long used in our language as a fubftantive, but grows obfo

lete