Hinc fi dura mihi paffus dicendus Ulyffes, Poet. lib. 2. 1. 46. Laftly, By this figure language is enriched, and rendered more copious; in which refpect, were there no other, a figure of speech is a happy invention. This property is finely touched by Vida: Quinetiam agricolas ea fandi nota voluptas The beauties I have mentioned belong to every figure of speech. Several other beauties peculiar to one or other fort, I fhall have occafion to remark afterward, Not only fubjects, but qualities, actions, effects, may be expreffed figuratively. Thus, as to fubject, the gates of breath for the lips, the watery kingdom for the ocean. As to qualities, fierce for stormy, in the expreffion Fierce win ter; altus for profundus, Altus puteus, Altum mare; breathing for perfpiring, Breathing plants. Again, as to actions, The fea rages, Time will melt her frozen thoughts, Time kills grief. An effect is put for the caufe, as lux for the fun; and a caufe for the effect, as boum labores for corn. The relation of refemblance is one plentiful fource of figures of fpeech; and nothing is more common than to apply to one object the name of another that refembles it in any refpect: height, fize, and worldly greatnefs, though in themselves they have no refemblance, produce emotions in the mind that have a refemblance; and, led by this resemblance, we naturally exprefs worldly greatnefs by height or fize: one feels a certain uneafinefs in looking down to a great depth; and hence depth is made to exprefs any thing difagreeable by excefs, as depth of grief, depth of defpair: again, height of place, and time long past, produce fimilar feelings; and hence the expreffion, Ut altius repetam: distance in past time, producing a strong feeling, is put for any strong feeling, Nihil mihi antiquius noftra amicitia: fhortnefs with relation to fpace, for fhortness with relation to time, Brevis effe laboro, obfcurus fio: fuffering a punishment resembles paying a debt; hence pendere panas. Upon the fame account, light may be put for glory, fun-fhine for profperity, and weight for importance. Many words, originally figurative, having, by by long and conftant ufe, loft their figurative power, are degraded to the inferior rank of proper terms. Thus the words that exprefs the operations of the mind, have in all languages been originally figurative: the reafon holds in all, that when these operations came first under confideration, there was no other way of defcribing them but by what they resembled: it was not practicable to give them proper names, as may be done to objects that can be ascertained by fight and touch. A foft nature, jarring tempers, weight of wo, pompous phrafe, beget compaffion, affuage grief, break a vow, bend the eye downward, shower down curfes, drown'd in tears, wrapt in joy, warm'd with eloquence, loaden with spoils, and a thousand other expreffions of the like nature, have loft their figurative fenfe. Some terms there are, that cannot be faid to be either purely figurative or altogether proper: originally figurative, they are tending to fimplicicity, without having loft altogether their figurative power. Virgil's Regina faucia cura, is perhaps one of thefe expreffions: with ordinary readers, faucia will be confidered as expreffing fimply the effect of grief; but one of a lively imagination will exalt the phrase into a figure.. To epitomise this fubject, and at the fame time to give a clear view of it, I cannot think of a better method, than to prefent to the reader a list of the feveral relations upon which figures of fpeech are commonly founded. This lift I divide into two tables; one of fubjects expreffed figuratively, and one of attributes. FIRST TABLE. Subjects expressed figuratively. 1. A word proper to one fubject employ'd figuratively to express a resembling fubject. There is no figure of fpeech fo frequent, as what is derived from the relation of refemblance. Youth, for example, is fignified figuratively by the morning of life. The life of a man resembles a natural day in feveral particulars: the morning is the beginning of day, youth the beginning of life; the morning is chearful, fo is youth; &c. By another resemblance, a bold warrior is termed the thunderbolt of war; a multitude of troubles, a fea of troubles. At the fame time, this figure, above all of the kind, affords the greatest pleasure to the mind by variety of beauties. Befide the beauties above mentioned, common to all forts, it poffeffes in particular the beauty of a metaphor or of a fimile a figure of fpeech built upon refemblance, fuggefts always a comparison between the principal fubject and the acceffory; and by this means every good effect of a metaphor or fimile, may, in a fhort and lively manner, be produced by this figure of speech. 2. A word proper to the effect employ'd figuratively to exprefs the cause. Lux for the fun. Shadow for cloud. A helmet is fignified by the expreffion glittering terror. A tree by fhadow or umbrage. Hence the expreffion : There is a peculiar force and beauty in this figure: the word which fignifies figuratively the principal fubject, denotes it to be a caufe by fuggefting the effect. 3. A word proper to the caufe, employ'd figuratively to exprefs the effect. Boumque labores for corn. for tears. Sorrow or grief Again Ulyffes veil'd his penfive head, Streaming |