THE METAPHOR®. The first rule is to draw it from the lowest things, which is a certain way to sink the highest; as when you speak of the Thunder of Heaven, say, If 9 The Lords above are angry and talk big. you would describe a rich man refunding his treasures, express it thus, 1 Tho' he (as said) may Riches gorge, the Spoil Soon shall he perish with a swift decay, The Second, that, whenever you start a Metaphor, you must be sure to run it down, and pursue it as far as it can go. If you get the scent of a State negotiation, follow it in this manner. 2 The stones and all the elements with thee Wild beasts their savage temper shall forget, It were to be wished that all the critical opinions of Dr. Johnson were as solid and judicious as are his admirable observations in the Life of Cowley, on mixed Metaphors, false Wit, and what (after Dryden) he calls " Metaphysical Poetry." After a certain period, in every country and in every language, men grow weary of the natural, and search after the singular. 'Lee, Alex. 'Blackm. Job, 91. 93. * Job, p. 22. W. 2 Or if you represent the Creator denouncing war against the wicked, be sure not to omit one circum stance usual in proclaiming and levying war. 3 Envoys and Agents, who by my command Reside in Palestina's land, To whom commissions I have given, To manage there the interests of heaven: Or war or peace, in mine your master's name: For I in person will my people head; Will on his march in majesty appear, Under the article of the Confounding, we rank, 1. THE MIXTURE OF FIGURES, which raises so many images, as to give you no image at all. But its principal beauty is when it gives an idea just opposite to what it seemed meant to describe. Thus an ingenious artist painting the Spring, talks of a Snow of Blossoms, and thereby 3 Blackm. Isa. c. xl. W. In Concanen's Supplement to the Profund, letter the second, which is a counterpart to this tenth chapter, and treats of Figures, are some more shrewd remarks and more pertinent examples than might be expected from such a writer, and are enough to make us think he had some more able assistant. Concanen was at that time an intimate friend of Warburton; and it has been suggested was assisted by him in writing these remarks; but of this there is not positive proof. raises an unexpected picture of Winter. Of this sort is the following: The gaping clouds pour lakes of sulphur down, What a noble Confusion! clouds, lakes, brimstone, flames, sunbeams, gaping, pouring, sick'ning, drowning! all in two lines. 2. THE JARGON. 6 Thy head shall rise, though buried in the dust, And 'midst the clouds his glittering turrets thrust. Quære, What are the glittering turrets of a man's head? 7 Upon the shore, as frequent as the sand, To meet the Prince, the glad Dimetians stand. Quære, Where these Dimetians stood? and of what size they were? Add also to the Jargon such as the following. 8 Destruction's empire shall no longer last, 9 Here Niobe, sad mother, makes her moan, 3. THE PARANOMASIA, OR PUN1, where a Word, like the tongue of a jackdaw, speaks twice as much by being split: Dennis 2, as this of Mr. Bullets that wound, like Parthians, as they fly; or this excellent one of Mr. Welsted3, Behold the Virgin lie Naked, and only cover'd by the Sky. To which thou mayst add, To see her beauties no man needs to stoop, 4. THE ANTITHESIS, OR SEE-SAW, whereby Contraries and Oppositions are balanced in such a way, as to cause a reader to remain suspended between them, to his exceeding delight and recreation. Such are these, on a lady who made her A happy reading of Atterbury vindicates Milton from degrading his style by a very vile pun often quoted: "And brought into this world, a world of woe.” Atterbury would point it thus: "And brought into this world (a world of woe)" in a parenthesis, and putting the repeated word in apposition to the former. 3 * Poems, 1793, p. 13. Welsted, Poems, Acon and Lavin. W. It were to be wished our author himself had not been so very fond of this figure; of all others, if too often repeated, the most tiresome and disgusting. See what is said of this figure before in vol. iii. of this edition. self appear out of size, by hiding a young princess under her clothes. 5 While the kind nymph changing her faultless shape, Becomes unhandsome, handsomely to scape. On the Maids of Honour in mourning: 6 Sadly they charm, and dismally they please. "His eyes so bright Let in the object and let out the light. 8 The Gods look pale to see us look so red. The Fairies and their Queen In mantles blue come tripping o'er the green. 9 All nature felt a reverential shock, CHAP. XI. THE FIGURES CONTINUED: OF THE MAGNIFY ING AND DIMINISHING FIGURES. A GENUINE Writer of the Profund will take care never to magnify any object without clouding it at the same time: his thought will appear in a true mist, and very unlike what is in nature. It must always be remembered that darkness is an essential 5 Waller. • Steele on Queen Mary. 7 Quarles. 'Blackm. Job, p. 176. W. |