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Kolonels and Kaptains, but who were Kolonels without regiments and
Kaptains without Kompanies.'
A moment of FV in all this world of K's! It was not the English
language, then, that was an instrument of one string, but Macaulay
that was an incomparable dauber.
It was probably from this barbaric love of repeating the same
sound, rather than from any design of clearness, that he acquired
his irritating habit of repeating words; I say the one rather than
the other, because such a trick of the ear is deeper-seated and
more original in man than any logical consideration. Few writers,
indeed, are probably conscious of the length to which they push
this melody of letters. One, writing very diligently, and only
concerned about the meaning of his words and the rhythm of his
phrases, was struck into amazement by the eager triumph with which
he cancelled one expression to substitute another. Neither changed
the sense; both being mono-syllables, neither could affect the
scansion; and it was only by looking back on what he had already
written that the mystery was solved: the second word contained an
open A, and for nearly half a page he had been riding that vowel to
the death.
In practice, I should add, the ear is not always so exacting; and
ordinary writers, in ordinary moments, content themselves with
avoiding what is harsh, and here and there, upon a rare occasion,
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