juftice. What I mean is the mixture of inconfiftent metaphors, which is a fault but too often found in learned writers, but in all the unlearned without exception. In order to fet this matter in a clear light to every reader, I fhall in the first place obferve, that a metaphor is a fimile in one word, which serves to convey the thoughts of the mind under resemblances and images which affect the fenfes. There is not any thing in the world, which may not be compared to feveral things if confidered in feveral diftinct lights; or, in other words, the fame thing may be expreffed by different metaphors. But the mifchief is, that an unfkilful author fhall run thefe metaphors fo abfurdly into one another, that there shall be no fimile, no agreeable picture, no apt refemblance, but confufion, obfcurity, and noife. Thus I have known a hero compared to a thunderbolt, a lion, and the fea; all and each of them proper metaphors for impetuofity, courage, or force. But by bad management it hath fo happened, that the thunderbolt hath overflowed its banks; the lion hath been darted through the fkies, and the billows have rolled out of the Libyan defert. The abfurdity in this inftance is obvious. And yet every time that clafhing metaphors are put together this fault is committed more or lefs. It hath already been faid, that metaphors are images of things which affect the fenfes. An image, therefore, taken from what acts upon the fight, cannot, without violence, be VOL. VIII. applied P applied to the hearing; and fo of the reft. It is no lefs an impropriety to make any being in nature or art to do things in its metaphorical ftate, which it could not do in its original. I fhall illustrate what I have faid by an instance which I have read more than once in controverfial writers. The heavy lashes,' faith a celebrated author, that have dropped from your pen, &c.' I fuppofe this gentleman, having frequently heard of gall dropping from a pen, and being lafhed in a fatire,' was refolved to have them both at any rate, and fo uttered this complete piece of nonfenfe. It will most effectually discover the abfurdity of these monstrous unions, if we will fuppofe these metaphors or images actually painted. Imagine then a hand holding a pen, and feveral lathes of whipcord falling from it, and you have the true reprefentation of this fort of eloquence. I believe, by this very rule, a reader may be able to judge of the union of all metaphors whatsoever, and determine which are homogeneous, and which heterogeneous; or, to speak more plainly, which are confiftent and which inconfiftent. There is yet one evil more which I must take notice of, and that is the running of metaphors into tedious allegories; which, though an error on the better hand, causes confufion as much as the other. This becomes abominable, when the luftre of one word leads a writer out of his road, and makes him wander from his fubject. for a page together. I remember a young fellow of this turn, who, having faid by chance -5 that that his mistrefs had a world of charms, thereupon took occafion to confider her as one poffeffed of frigid and torrid zones, and pursued her from the one pole to the other. I fhall conclude this Paper with a letter written in that enormous ftyle, which I hope my reader hath by this time fet his heart against. The epiftle hath heretofore received great applaufe; but, after what hath been faid, let any man commend it if he dare. 6 6 • SIR, A FTER the many heavy lashes that have fallen from your pen, you may justly expect in return all the load that my ink can lay upon your fhoulders. You have quartered all the foul language upon me that could be • raked out of the air of Billingfgate, without knowing who I am, or whether I deferve to be cupped and scarified at this rate. I tell you once for all, turn your eyes where you please, you shall never fmell me out. Do you think that the panics, which you fow about the parish, will ever build a monument to your glory? No, Sir, you may fight thefe battles. as long as you will, but when you come to balance the account you will find that you have been fishing in troubled waters, and that an ignis fatuus hath bewildered you, and that indeed you have built upon a fandy foundation, and brought your hogs to a fair market. I am, SIR, N° 596. Monday, September 20, 1714. TH POPE. HE cafe of my correfpondent, who fends me the following letter, has fomewhat in it fo very whimsical, that I know not how to entertain my readers better than by laying it before them. • SIR, IA Middle Temple, Sept. 18. AM fully convinced that there is not upon earth a more impertinent creature than an importunate lover. We are daily complaining of the feverity of our fate to people who are wholly unconcerned in it; and hourly improving a paffion, which we would perfuade the world is the torment of our lives. Notwithstanding this reflection, Sir, I cannot forbear, acquainting you with my own cafe. You must know then, Sir, that, even from my childhood, the moft prevailing inclination I could perceive in myfelf was a ftrong de-, fire to be in favour with the fair fex. I am at prefent in the one-and-twentieth year of my age; and fhould have made choice of a fhe bedfellow many years fince, had not my father, who has a pretty good estate of his . 6 6 own getting, and paffes in the world for a prudent man, been pleafed to lay it down as a maxim, that nothing fpoils a young fpoils a young fellow's • fortune fo much as marrying early; and that no man ought to think of wedlock until fix and twenty. Knowing his fentiments upon this head, I thought it in vain to apply myfelf 'to women of condition, who expect fettlements; fo that all my amours have hitherto been 'with ladies who had no fortunes: but I know not how to give you fo good an idea of me, as by laying before you the hiftory of my life. 6 I can very well remember, that at my fchool-miftrefs's, whenever we broke up, I was always for joining myfelf with the mifs 'who lay-in, and was conftantly one of the first to make a party in the play of Husband and Wife. This paffion for being well with the females ftill increafed as I advanced in years. At the dancing-fchool I contracted fo many quarrels by struggling with my fellow-fcholars ' for the partner I liked beft, that upon a ballnight, before our mothers made their appearance, I was ufually up to the nose in blood. My father, like a difcreet man, foon removed me from this ftage of foftnefs to a school of difcipline, where I learnt Latin and Greek. I ⚫ underwent feveral feverities in this place, until it was thought convenient to fend me to the univerfity: though, to confefs the truth, I 'fhould not have arrived fo early at that feat of learning but from the difcovery of an intrigue between me and my mafter's houfekeeper; P 3 upon |