d of exposition to see if it will suffice.
In all argument there is a great deal of formal or incidental
explanation.

Authority. When authority is cited to prove a statement it must be
subjected to the same tests in argument as in explanation. Is the
authority reliable? Is he unprejudiced? Does his testimony fit in with
the circumstances under consideration? Will his statements convince a
person likely to be on the opposing side? Why has so much so-called
authoritative information concerning conditions in Europe been so
discounted? Is it not because the reporters are likely to be
prejudiced and because while what they say may be true of certain
places and conditions it does not apply to all the points under
discussion? The speaker who wants the support of authority will test
it as carefully as though its influence is to be used against him--as
indeed, it frequently is.

Examples. Where examples are used in argumentation they must serve as
more than mere illustrations. In exposition an illustration frequently
explains, but that same example would have no value in argument
because while it illustrates it does not prove. A suppositious example
may serve in explanation; only a fact will serve as proof. The more
inevitable its application, the more clinching its effect, the better
its argumentative value. Notice how the two examples given below prove
that the heirs of a literary man might be the very worst persons to
own the copyrights of his writings since as owners they might suppress
books which the world of readers should be able to secure easily.
While these examples illustrate, do they not also prove?

I remember Richardson's grandson well; he was a clergyman in
the city of London; he was a most upright and excellent man;
but he had conceived a strong prejudice against works of
fiction. He thought all novel-reading not only frivolous but
sinful. He said--this I state on the authority of one of his
clerical brethren who is now a bishop--he said that he had
never thought it right to read one of his grandfather's
books.

I will give another instance. One of the most instructive,
interesting, and delightful books in our language is
Boswell's _Life of Johnson_. Now it is well known that
Boswell's eldest son considered this book, considered the
whole relation of Boswell to Johnson, as a blot in the
escutcheon of the family.

THOMAS BABINGTON