Verdure for a green field. Summer, l. 301. Speaking of cranes, The pigmy nations wounds and death they bring, Cool age advances venerably wife. Iliad, iii. 10. Iliad, iii. 149. The peculiar beauty of this figure arifes from fuggefting an attribute that embellishes the fubject, or puts it in a stronger light. 6. A complex term employed figuratively to denote one of the component parts. Funus for a dead body. Burial for a grave. 7. The name of one of the component parts inftead of the complex term. Tada for a marriage. The Eaft for a country fituated eaft from us. Jovis veftigia fervat, for imitating Jupiter in general. 8. A word fignifying time or place, employed figuratively to denote what is connected with it. Clime for a nation or for a conftitution of government: hence the expreflion Merciful clime, Fleccy winter for fnow, Seculum felix. 9. A part for the whole. The Pole for the earth. The head for the perfon: Triginta minas pro capite tuo dedi. Plautus. Tergum Thy growing virtues juftify'd my cares, Forthwith from the pool he rears His mighty flature. The filent heart with grief affails. Iliad, ix. 616. Paradife Loft. Parnell. The peculiar beauty of this figure confifts in marking that part which makes the greatest figure. 10. The name of the container, employed figuratively to fignify what is contained. Grove for the birds in it, Vocal grove. Ships for the feamen, Agonizing fhips. Mountains for the fheep pafturing upon them, Bleating mountains. Zacynthus, Ithaca, &c. for the inhabitants. Ex mæftis domibus, Livy. 11. The name of the fuftainer, employed figuratively to fignify what is fuftained. Altar for the facrifice. upon it, Well-fought field. Q3. Field for the battle fought 12. The 12. The name of the materials, employed figuratively to fignify the things made of them. Ferrum for gladius. 13. The names of the Heathen deities, employed figuratively to fignify what they patronise. Jove for the air, Mars for war, Venus for beauty, Cupid for love, Ceres for corn, Neptune for the sea, Vulcan for fire. This figure beftows great elevation upon the fubject; and therefore ought to be confined to the higher trains of poetry. SECOND TABLE, Attributes expreffed figuratively. 1. When two attributes are connected, the name of the one may be employed figuratively to express the other. Purity and virginity are attributes of the fame perfon: hence the expreffion, Virgin fnow, for purc fnow. 2. A word fignifying properly an attribute. of one fubject, employed figuratively to exprefs a refembling attribute of another fubject. Tottering ftate. Imperious ocean. Angry flood. Raging tempeft. Shallow fears. My My fure divinity fhall bear the fhield, And edge thy fword to reap the glorious field. Odyfey, xx. 61. Black omen, for an omen that portends bad for tune. Ater odor. Virgil. The peculiar beauty of this figure arises from fuggesting a comparison. 3. A word proper to the fubject, employed to exprefs one of its attributes. Mens for intellectus. Mens for a refolution : Iftam, oro, exue mentem. 4. When two fubjects have a resemblance by a common quality, the name of the one fubject may be employed figuratively to denote that quality in the other. Summer life for agreeable life. 5. The name of the inftrument made to fignify the power of employing it. -Melpomene, cui liquidam pater Vocem cum cithara dedit. The ample field of figurative expreffion difplayed in thefe tables, affords great fcope for reafoning. Several of the obfervations relating to metaphor, are applicable to figures of fpeech: thefe I fall flightly retouch, with fome additions peculiarly adapted to the prefent fubject.. In the first place, as the figure under confideration is built upon relation, we find from experience, and it must be obvious from reafon, that the beauty of the figure depends on the intimacy of the relation between the figurative and proper fenfe of the word. A flight refemblance, in particular, will never make this figure agreeable: the expreflion, for example, Drink down a fecret, for listening to a fecret with attention, is harfh and uncouth, because there is fcarce any resemblance between liftening and drinking. The expreffion weighty crack, uled by Ben Johnson for loud crack, is worfe if poflible: a loud found has not the flighteft refemblance to a piece of matter that is weighty. The following expreffion of Lucretius is not lefs faulty," Et lepido quæ funt fucata fonore." i. 645. -Sed magis Pugnas et exactos tyrannos Horat. Carm. 1. 2. ode 13. Phemius let acts of gods, and heroes old, Strepitumque exterritus haufit. Eneid, vi. 559. Write, my Queen, And with mine eyes I'll drink the words you fend. Cymbeline, act 1. fc. 2. As thus th' effulgence tremulous I drink. Summer, l. 1684. Neque |
