An exploded opinion, or an unpopular person, has an irresistible charm for him.

The same perverseness may be traced in his diction.

His style would never have been elegant; but it might at least have been manly and perspicuous; and nothing but the most elaborate care could possibly have made it so bad as it is.

It is distinguished by harsh phrases, strange collocations, occasional solecisms, frequent obscurity, and, above all, by a peculiar oddity, which can no more be described than it can be overlooked.

Nor is this all.