over and over: not that he doubted the fact, but that his heart revolted against fo cruel a misfortune. After ftruggling fome time with his grief, he turns from his wife and children to their favage butcher; and then gives vent to his refentment, but still with manliness and dignity: O, I could play the woman with mine eyes, Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; Within my fword's length fet him Then Heav'n forgive him too. -If he 'scape, The whole scene is a delicious picture of human nature. One expreffion only feems doubtful: in examining the meffenger, Macduff expreffes himfelf thus: He hath no children all my pretty ones! Did you fay, all? what, all? Oh, hell-kite! all? Metaphorical expreffion, I am fenfible, may fometimes be ufed with grace, where a regular fimile would be intolerable: but there are fituations fo overwhelming, as not to admit even the flightest metaphor. It requires great delicacy of tafte to determine with firmnefs, whether the prefent cafe be of that nature: I incline to think it is; and yet I would not willingly alter a single word of this admirable scene. But metaphorical language is proper when a man ftruggles to bear with dignity or decency a misfortune however great: the struggle agitates and animates the mind: 1 Wolfey, Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatness! This is the state of man; to day he puts forth The tender leaves of hope; to-morrow bloffoms, And bears his blufhing honours thick upon him; The third day comes a froft, a killing froft, And when he thinks, good easy man, full furely His greatness is a ripening, nips his root, And then he falls as I do. Henry VIII. act 3. fc. 6. SECT. VII. IN Figure of Speech. 'N the fection immediately foregoing, a figure of fpeech is defined, "The ufing a word in a "fenfe different from what is proper to it ;" and the new or uncommon fenfe of the word is termed the figurative fenfe. The figurative fense must have a relation to that which is proper; and the more intimate the relation is, the figure is the more happy. How ornamental this figure is to language, will not be readily imagined by any one who hath not given peculiar attention. I fhall endeavour to display its capital beauties and advantages. In the first place, a word ufed figuratively, or in a new fenfe, fuggefts at the fame time the fenfe it commonly bears and thus it has the effect to prefent two objects; one fignified by the figurative fenfe, which may be termed the principal object; and one fignified by the proper fenfe, which may be termed acceffory: the principal makes a part of the thought; the acceffory is merely ornamental. In this refpect, a figure of speech is precifely fimilar to concordant founds in music, which, without contributing to the melody, make it harmonious. I explain myself by examples. Youth, by a figure of fpeech, is termed the morning of life: this expreffion fignifies youth, the principal object, which enters into the thought; it fuggefts, at the fame time, the proper sense of morning; and this acceffory object, being in itfelf beautiful, and connected by refemblance to the principal object, is not a little ornamental. I give another example, of a different kind, where an attribute is expreffed figuratively. Imperious ocean: together with ftormy, the figurative meaning of the epithet imperious, there is fuggefted its proper meaning, viz. the fern authority of a defpotic prince; and thefe two are ftrongly connected by refem blance, blance. Upon this figurative power of words, Vida defcants with great elegance : Nonne vides, verbis ut veris fæpe relictis Mutatoque habitu, nec jam fua nomina mallent? In the next place, this figure poffeffes a fignal power of aggrandifing an object, by the following means. Words, which have no original beauty but what arifes from their found, acquire an adventitious beauty from their meaning: a word fignifying any thing that is agreeable, becomes by that means agreeable; for the agreeableness of the object is communicated to its name name*. This acquired beauty, by the force of custom, adheres to the word even when used figuratively; and the beauty received from the thing it properly fignifies, is communicated to the thing which it is made to fignify figuratively. Confider the foregoing expreffion Imperious ocean, how much more elevated it is than Stormy ocean. Thirdly, This figure hath a happy effect by preventing the familiarity of proper names. The familiarity of a proper name, is communicated to the thing it fignifies by means of their intimate connection; and the thing is thereby brought down in our feeling. This bad effect is prevented by using a figurative word instead of one that is proper; as, for example, when we exprefs the fky by terming it the blue vault of heaven; for though no work of art can compare with the sky in magnificence, the expreffion however must be relished, because it prevents the object from being brought down by the familiarity of its proper name. With respect to the degrading familiarity of proper names, Vida has the following paffage: *See chap. 2. part 1. fe&. 4, † I have often regretted, that a factious fpirit of oppofition to the reigning family makes it necessary in public worship to diftinguish the King by his proper name. One will scarce imagine, who has not made the trial, how much better it founds to pray for eur Sovereign Lord the King, without any addition. |