In literature, abridgement is a term signifying the reduction of a book into shorter form.

The Use of Abridgements

The art of conveying much sentiment in few words, is the happiest talent an author can be possessed of. This talent is peculiarly necessary in the present state of literature; for many writers have acquired the dexterity of spreading a few tritical thoughts over several hundred pages. When an author hits upon a thought that pleases him, he is apt to dwell upon it, to view it in different lights, to force it in improperly, or upon the slightest relations. Though this my be pleasant to the writer, it tires and vexes the reader.

There is another source of diffusion in composition. It is a capital object with an author, whatever be the subject, to give vent to all his best thoughts. When he finds a proper place for any of them, he is peculiarly happy. But, rather than sacrifice a thought he is fond of, he forces it in by way of digression, or superfluous illustration. If none of these expedients answer his purpose, he has recourse to the margin, a very convenient apartment for all manner of pedantry and impertinence. There is not an author, however correct, but is more or less faulty in this respect.

An abridger, however, is not subject to these temptations. The thoughts are not his own; he views them in a cooler and less affectionate manner; he discovers an improperiety in some, a vanity in others, and a want of utility in many. His business, therefore, is to retrench superfluities, digressions, quotations, pedantry and such. He lays before the public only what is really useful.

This is by no means an easy employment: To abridge some books requires talents equal, if not superior to those of the author. The facts, manner, spirit and reasoning must be preserved; nothing essential, either in argument or illustration , ought to be omitted. The difficulty of the talk is the principal reason why we have so few good abridgements: Wynne's abridgement of Locke's Essay on the Human Understanding is, perhaps, the only unexceptionable one in out language.

Private Abridgements

These observations relate solely to such abridgements as are designed for the public. When a person wants to set down the substance of any book, a shorter and less laborious method may be followed. It would be foreign to our plan to give examples of abridgements for the public; as it may be useful, especially to young people, to know how to abridge books for their own use, after giving a few directions, we shall exhibit examples to with what ease it may be done.

Read the book carefully. Endeavour to learn the principal view of the author. Attend to the arguments employed. When you have done so, you will generally find that what the author uses as new or additional arguments are in reality only collateral ones or extensions of the principal argument. Write what the author wants to prove, subjoin the argument or arguments and you have the substance of the book in a few lines.

For example, in his essay on miracles, Mr. Hume's design is to prove that miracles which have not been the immediate objects of our senses cannot reasonably be believed upon the testimony of others. Now, hew argument, for there happens to be but one is

That experience, which in some things is variable, in others uniform, is our only guide in reasoning concerning matters of fact. A variable experience gives rise to probability only; a uniform experience amounts to a proof. Our belief of any fact from the testimony of eye-witnesses is derived from no other principle than out experience in the veracity of human testimony. If the fact attested to be miraculous, here arises a contest of two opposite experiences, or proof against proof. Now, a miracle is a violation of the laws of nature. As a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as complete as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined; and if so, it is an undeniable consequence, that it cannot be surmounted by any proof whatever derived from homan testimony.

In Dr. Campbell's Dissertation on Miracles, the author's principal aim is to show the fallacy of Mr. Hume's argument. He has done this most successfully by another single argument:

The evidence arising from human testimony is not solely derived from experience. On the contrary, testimony hath a natural influence on belief antecedent to experience. The early and unlimited assent given to testimony by children gradually contracts as they advance in life. It is, therefore, more consonant to truth to say that our difference in testimony is the result of experience than that our faith in it has this foundation. Besides, the uniformity of experience, in favour of any fact, is not a proof against its being reversed in a particular instance. The evidence arising from the single testimony of a man of known veracity will go far to establish a believe in its actually being reversed: If his testimony be confirmed by a few others of the same character, we cannot withhold our assent to the truth of it. Now, though the operations of nature are governed by uniform laws, and though we have not the testimony of our senses in favour of any violation of them, still, if, in particular instances, we have the testimony of thousands of our fellow creatures, and those of too men of strict integirty, swayed by no moties or ambition or interest, and governed by the principles of common sense, that they were actually eye-witnesses of these violations, the constitution of our nature obliges us to believe them.

These two examples contain the substance of about 400 pages. Making private abridgements of this kind has many advantages. It engages us to read with accuracy and attention. It fixes the subject in our minds. If we should happen to forget, instead of reading the books again, by glancing at a few ines we are not only in possession of the chief arguments, but recall in a good measure the author's method and manner.

References

This article incorporates text from the 1771 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain. 1771 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1913 advertisement for the 11th edition, with the slogan When in doubt — look it up in the Encyclopædia Britannica The Encyclopædia Britannica (properly spelt with æ, the ae-ligature) is the oldest English-language general encyclopedia, first published in 1768–1771 as From the late 18th century to the... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...