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24. PAEON 4th, the laft fyllable long and the other three fhort: celeritas.

25. EPITRITUS 1ft, the first fyllable short and the other three long: voluptates.

26. EPITRITUS 2d, the fecond fyllable fhort and the other three long: pænitentes.

27. EPITRITUS 3d, the third fyllable fhort and the other three long difcordias.

28. EPITRITUS 4th, the laft fyllable fhort and the other three long: fortunatus.

29. A word of five fyllables compofed of a Pyrrhichius and Dactylus: ministerial.

30. A word of five fyllables compofed of a Trochæus and Dactylus : fingularity.

31. A word of five fyllables compofed of a Dactylus and Trochæus: precipitation, examination.

32. A word of five fyllables, the fecond only long: Significancy.

33. A word of fix fyllables compofed of two Dactyles impetuofity.

34. A word of fix fyllables compofed of a Tribrachys and Dactyle: pufillanimity.

N. B. Every word may be confidered as a profe foot, becaufe every word is diftinguished by a paufe; and every foot in verfe may be confidered as a verse word, compofed of fyllables pronounced at once without a paufe,

CHAP.

CHA P. XIX.

Comparisons.

COMPARISONS, as obferved above,* ferve

two purposes when addreffed to the understanding, their purpofe is to inftruct; when to the heart, their purpose is to pleafe. Various means contribute to the latter: first, the fuggefting fome unufual refemblance or contraft; fecond, the fetting an object in the strongest light; third, the affociating an object with others that are agreeable; fourth, the elevating an object; and, fifth, the depreffing it. And that comparisons may give pleasure by thefe various means, appears from what is faid in the chapter above cited; and will be made ftill more evident by examples, which fhall be given after premifing fome general

obfervations.

Objects of different fenfes cannot be compared together; for fuch objects, being entirely feparated from each other, have no circumftance in common to admit either refemblance or contraft. Objects of hearing may be compared together, as alfo of tafte, of fmell, and of touch: but the chief fund of comparifon are objects of fight; becaufe, in writing or fpeaking, things can only be compared in idea, and the ideas of fight are more diftin&t and lively than thofe of any other sense.

When a nation emerging out of barbarity begins to think of the fine arts, the beauties of language cannot long lie concealed; and when difcovered, they are generally, by the force of novelty, carried beyond moderation. Thus, in the early poems of

VOL. II.

* Chap. 8.
K

every

every nation, we find metaphors and fimiles founded on flight and diftant refemblances, which, lofing their grace with their novelty, wear gradually out of repute; and now, by the improvement of tafte, none but correct metaphors and fimiles are admitted into any polite compofition. To illuftrate this obfervation, a fpecimen fhall be given afterward of fuch metaphors as I have been defcribing; with respect to fimiles, take the following fpecimen.

Behold thou art fair, my love: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Mount Gilead: thy teeth are like a flock of theep from the wathing, every, one bearing twins: thy lips are like a thread of scarlet: thy neck like the tower of David built for an armoury, whereon hang a thousand fhields of mighty men: thy two breafts like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies: thy eyes like the fith-pools in Hefhbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim : thy nofe like the tower of Lebanon, looking toward Damafcus.

Song of Solomon.

Thou art like fnow on the heath; thy hair like the mist of Cromla, when it curls on the rocks and fhines to the beam of the weft; thy breafts are like two smooth rocks feen from Brano of the ftreams; thy arms like two white pillars in the hall of the mighty Fingal.

Fingal.

It has no good effect to compare things by way of fimile that are of the fame kind; nor to compare by contraft things of different kinds. The reafon is given in the chapter quoted above; and the reafon fhall be illuftrated by examples. The firft is a comparifon built upon a refemblance fo obvious as to make little or no impreffion.

This juft rebuke inflam'd the Lycian crew,
They join, they thicken, and the affault renew:

Unmov'd

.

Unmov'd th' embody'd Greeks their fury dare,
And fix'd fupport the weight of all the war;
Nor could the Greeks repel the Lycian pow'rs,
Nor the bold Lycians force the Grecian towr's.

As on the confines of adjoining grounds,

Two stubborn fwains with blows difpute their bounds;
They tug, they fweat; but neither gain, nor yield,
One foot, one inch, of the contended field :
Thus obftinate to death, they fight, they fall;
Nor these can keep, nor thofe can win the wall.
Iliad xii. 505.

Another, from Milton, lies open to the fame objection. Speaking of the fallen angels fearching for mines of gold.

A numerous brigade haften'd: as when bands
Of pioneers with spade and pick-ax arm'd,
Forerun the royal camp to trench a field

Or caft a rampart.

The next shall be of things contrasted that are of different kinds.

Queen. What, is my Richard both in shape and

mind

Transform'd and weak? Hath Bolingbroke depos'd
Thine intellect? Hath he been in thine heart!
The lion thrufteth forth his paw,

And wounds the earth, if nothing elfe, with rage
To be o'erpower'd: and wilt thou, pupil-like,
Take thy correction mildly, kifs the rod,
And fawn on rage with base humility?

Richard II. a 5. fc. 1.

This comparison has fcarce any force a man and a lion are of different fpecies, and therefore are proper fubjects for a fimile; but there is no fuch refemblance between them in general, as to produce any

strong

ftrong effect by contrafting particular attributes or circumftances.

A third general obfervation is, That abstract terms can never be the fubject of comparison, otherwise than by being perfonified. Shakespear compares adverfity to a toad, and flander to the bite of a crocodile; but in fuch comparisons these abstract terms muft be imagined fenfible beings.

To have a juft notion of comparisons, they must be diftinguifhed into two kinds; one common and familiar, as where a man is compared to a lion in courage, or to a horfe in fpeed; the other more diftant and refined, where two things that have in themselves no refemblance or oppofition, are compared with respect to their effects. This fort of comparifon is occafionally explained above; and for further explanation take what follows. There is no refemblance between a flower-pot and a cheerful fong; and yet they may be compared with refpect to their effects, the emotions they produce being fimilar. There is as little refemblance between fraternal concord and precious ointment; and yet obferve how fuccefsfully they are compared with refpect to the impreffions they make.

Behold how good and how pleafant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon Aaron's beard, and defcended to the skirts of his garment.

Pfalm 133.

For illuftrating this fort of comparison, I add fome more examples:

Delightful is thy prefence, O Fingal! it is like the fun on Cromla, when the hunter mourns his abfence for a seafon, and fees him between the clouds.

* P. 70.

Did

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