23 " Ocean followed by all its billows, pours valour forth as a stream, rolling its might along the shore. Fingal, b. 1. As roll a thousand waves to a rock, fo Swaran's hoft came on; as meets a rock a thousand waves, fo Inisfail met Swaran. Ibid. I beg peculiar attention to the following fimile for a reason that fhall be mentioned. Thus breathing death, in terrible array, The image of a falling rock is certainly not elevating; and yet undoubtedly the foregoing fimile fires and fwells the mind: it is grand therefore, if not fublime. And the following fimile will afford additional evidence, that there is a real, though nice, distinction between these two feelings: So faying, a noble stroke he lifted high, * See chap. 4. He He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee Milton, b. 6. A comparison by contraft may contribute to grandeur or elevation, no lefs than by refemblance; of which the following comparison of Lucan is a remarkable inftance: Victrix caufa diis placuit, fed victa Catoni. Confidering that the Heathen deities poffeffed a rank but one degree above that of mankind, I think it would not be eafy by a fingle expreffion, to exalt more one of the human fpecies, than is done in this comparison. I am fenfible, at the fame time, that fuch a comparison among Christians, who entertain more exalted notions of the Deity, would justly be reckoned extravagant and abfurd. The laft article mentioned, is that of leffening or depreffing a hated or difagreeable object; which is effectually done by refembling it to any thing low or defpicable. Thus Milton, in his defcription of the rout of the rebel-angels, happily expreffes their terror and difmay in the following fimile: -As a herd Of goats or timerous flock together throng'd, Struck Struck them with horror backward, but far worse Milton, b. 6. In the fame view, Homer, I think, may be juftified in comparing the fhouts of the Trojans in battle to the noise of cranes, and to the bleating of a flock of fheep † it is no objection that thefe are low images, for it was his intention to leffen the Trojans by oppofing their noify march to the filent and manly march of the Greeks. Addifon, defcribing the figure that men make in the fight of a fuperior being, takes opportunity to mortify their pride by comparing them to a fwarm of pifmires. A comparison that has none of the good effects mentioned in this difcourfe, but is built upon common and trifling circumftances, makes a mighty filly figure: Non fum nefcius, grandia confilia a multis plerumque caufis, ceu magna navigia a plurimis remis, impelli. Strade de bel Belgico. By this time, I imagine, the different purposes of comparison, and the various impreffions it makes on the mind, are fufficiently illuftrated by proper examples. This was an eafy talk. It is more difficult to lay down rules about the propriety or impropriety of comparisons; in what circumstances they may be introduced, and in what circumftances they are out of place. It is evident, that a comparifon is not proper on every occafion: a man when cool and fedate, is not difpofed to poetical flights, nor to facrifice truth and reality to imaginary beauties far lefs is he fo difpofed Beginning of book 3. + Book 4.1. 498. Guardian, No. 153 L disposed when oppreffed with care, or interested in fome important tranfaction that engroffes him totally. On the other hand, a man, when elevated or animated by paffion, is difpofed to elevate or animate all his objects: he avoids familiar names, exalts objects by circumlocution and metaphor, and gives even life and voluntary action to inanimate beings. In this heat of mind, the highest poetical flights are indulged, and the boldest fimiles and metaphors relished. But without foaring fo high, the mind is frequently in a tone to relifh chafte and moderate ornament; fuch as comparisons that fet the principal object in a ftrong point of view, or that embellish and diverfify the narration. In general, when by any animating paffion, whether pleasant or painful, an impulse is given to the imagination; we are in that condition difpofed to every fort of figurative expreffion, and in particular to comparisons. This in a great measure is evident from the comparisons already mentioned; and fhall be further illuftrated by other inftances. Love, for example, in its infancy, roufing the imagination, prompts the heart to difplay itself in figurative language, and in fimiles : Troilus. Tell me, Apollo, for thy Daphne's love, Troilus and Creffid, act 1. fc. 1. Again: *It is accordingly obferved by Longinus, in his Treatife of the Sublime, that the proper time for metaphor, is when the paffions are fo fwelled as to hurry on like a torrent, Again: Come gentle Night; come, loving black-brow'd Night! Romeo and Juliet, act 3. fc. 4. The dread of a misfortune, however eminent, involving always fome doubt and uncertainty, agitates the mind and excites the imagination: Wolfey. Nay, then, farewell; I've touch'd the highest point of all my greatness, Henry VIII. act 3. Sc. 4. But it will be a better illustration of the prefent head, to give examples where comparisons are improperly introduced. I have had already occafion to obferve, that fimiles are not the language of a man in his ordinary state of mind, dispatching his daily and ufual work. For that reafon, the following fpeech of a gardener to his fervants, is extremely improper: Go bind thou up yon dangling apricots, L 2 Richard II. at 3. Sc. 7 The |