They  pay  little  or  no  attention  to  the  most  important


XL]        FAULTS  IN  STYLE  AND  METHOD        197

of  all  principles  of  composition — '  logical  connexion.'
They  sometimes  imitate  the  language  of  famous
writers,  such  as  Lord  Macaulay  or  Carlyle,  and  with
a  ludicrous  result,  because  they  cease  to  be  themselves,
and  the  attempt  even  if  it  were  worth  making  cannot
be  sustained.  It  was  excellent  advice  that  was  once
given  to  a  young  writer,  '  Always  to  blot  the  finest
passages  of  his  own  writings ' ;  and  any  one  of  us
will  do  well  to  regard  with  suspicion  any  simile  or
brilliant  figure  of  speech,  which  impairs  the  connexion
or  disturbs  the  proportion  of  the  whole.  For  in  the
whole  is  contained  the  real  excellence  of  a  writing,
in  the  paragraph,  not  in  the  sentence ;  in  the  chapter,
not  in  the  paragraph ;  in  the  book,  rather  than  in
the  chapter.  And  the  character  of  the  writer  dimly
seen  may  be  often  greater  than  the  book  which  he
has  written.
Yet  one  more  cause  of  failure  in  our  lives  here
may  be  briefly  spoken  of— the  want  of  method  or
order.  Men  do  not  consider  sufficiently,  not  merely
what  is  suited  to  the  generality,  but  what  is  suited
to  themselves  individually.  They  have  different  gifts
and  therefore  their  studies  should  take  a  different
course.  One  man  is  capable  of  continuous  thought
and  reading,  while  another  has  not  the  full  use  of
his  faculties  for  more  than  an  hour  or  two  at  a  time.
It  is  clear  that  persons  so  differently  constituted
should  proceed  on  a  different  plan.  Again,  one
man  is  gifted  with  powers  of  memory  and  acquisition,


198  COLLEGE  SERMONS  [xi.
