Greek and Latin than in English. Generally French, German, and English
have an advantage over the classical languages in point of accuracy. The
three concords are more accurately observed in English than in either
Greek or Latin. On the other hand, the extension of the familiar use of
the masculine and feminine gender to objects of sense and abstract ideas
as well as to men and animals no doubt lends a nameless grace to style
which we have a difficulty in appreciating, and the possible variety in
the order of words gives more flexibility and also a kind of dignity to
the period. Of the comparative effect of accent and quantity and of the
relation between them in ancient and modern languages we are not able to
judge.

Another quality in which modern are superior to ancient languages is
freedom from tautology. No English style is thought tolerable in which,
except for the sake of emphasis, the same words are repeated at short
intervals. Of course the length of the interval must depend on the
character of the word. Striking words and expressions cannot be allowed
to reappear, if at all, except at the distance of a page or more.
Pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions may or rather must recur in
successive lines. It seems to be a kind of impertinence to the reader
and strikes unpleasantly both on the mind and on the ear that the
same sounds should be used twice over, when another word or turn of
expression would have given a new shade of meaning to the thought and
would have added a pleasing variety to the sound. And the mind equally
rejects the repetition of the word and the use of a mere synonym for
it,--e.g. felicity and happiness. The cultivated mind desires something
more, which a skilful writer is easily able to supply out of his
treasure-house.

The fear of tautology has doubtless led to the multiplications of
words and the meanings of words, and generally to an enlargement of the
vocabulary. It is a very early instinct of language; for ancient poetry
is almost as free from tautology as the best modern writings. The speech
of young children, except in so far as they are compelled to repeat
themselves by the fewness of their words, also escapes from it. When
they grow up and have ideas which are beyond their powers of expression,
especially in writing, tautology begins to appear. In like manner when
language is 'contaminated' by philosophy it is apt to become awkward,
to stammer and repeat itself, to lose its flow and f