The former are commonly called tropes, and confift in a word's being used to fignify something different from its original meaning. Hence, if the word be changed, the figure is deftroyed. Thus, for inftance," Light arifeth to the upright in darkness." Here the trope confifts in "light and darkness" not being taken literal-ly, but fubftituted for comfort and adverfity; to which conditions of life they are fuppofed to bear fome refemblance. The other clafs, termed figures of thought,. fuppofes the figure to confift in the fentiment only, while the words are used in their literal fenfe; as in exclamations, interrogations, apoftrophes, and comparifons; where, though the words be varied, or tranflated: from one language into another, the fame figure is ftill preferved. This diftinction however is of fmall importance; as practice cannot be affifted by it; nor is it always very perfpicuous.

Tropes are derived in part from the barrenness of language; but principally from the influence, which the imagination has over all language. The imagination never contemplates any one idea or object, as fingle and alone; but as accompanied by others, which may be confidered, as its acceffories. These acceffories often operate more forcibly upon the mind, than the principal idea itself. They are perhaps in their nature more agreeable; or more familiar to our conceptions; or remind us of a greater variety of important circum

ftances. Hence the name of the acceffory or corref pondent idea is fubftituted; although the principal has a proper and well known name of its own. Thus, for example, when we design to point out the period, in which a ftate enjoyed moft reputation or glory, we might easily employ the proper words for expreffing this; but, as this in our imagination is readily connect-ed with the flourishing period of a plant or tree, we pre-fer this correfpondent idea, and fay, "The Roman "Empire flourished most under Auguftus." The leader of a faction is a plain expreffion; but, because the head is the principal part of the human body, and is fuppofed to direct all the animal operations; refting on this resemblance, we fay," Catiline was the head of "his party."

We shall now examine, why tropes and figures contribute to the beauty and grace of ftyle. By them language is enriched, and made more copious. Hence words and phrases are multiplied for expreffing all forts of ideas; for describing even the smallest differences ; the nicest shades and colors of thought; which by proper words alone cannot poffibly be expreffed. They alfo give dignity to ftyle, which is degraded by the familiarity of common words. Figures have the fame effect on language, that a rich and splendid apparel has on a person of rank and dignity. In profe compofitions affiftance of this kind is often requifite; to poet

ry it is effential. To fay, "the fun rifes," is common and trite; but it becomes a magnificent image, as ex preffed by Thompson;

But yonder comes the powerful king of day
Rejoicing in the east.-

Figures furnish the pleasure of enjoying two objects, prefented at the fame time to our view, without confufion; the principal idea together with its acceffory, which gives it the figurative appearance. When, for example, instead of " youth," we fay, "the morning of "life;" the fancy is inftantly entertained with all the correfponding circumftances between these two objects.. At the fame instant we behold a certain period of human life and a certain time of the day fo connected, that the imagination plays between them with delight, and views at once two fimilar objects without embar-raffment.

Figures are also attended with the additional advan tage of giving us a more clear and striking view of the principal object, than if it were expreffed in fimple terms, and freed from it acceffory idea. They exhibit the object, on which they are employed, in a picturesque form; they render an abstract conception in some degree an object of fenfe; they furround it with circumstances, which enable the mind to lay hold of it steadily, and to contemplate it fully. By a well adapted figure evea conviction is affifted, and a truth is impreffed up

on the mind with additional livelinefs and force.. Thus in the following paffage of Dr. Young; "When we dip too deep in pleafure, we always ftir a fediment, "that renders it impure and noxious." When an image prefents fuch a refemblance between a moral and a sensible idea, it ferves, like an argument from analo. gy, to enforce what the author advances, and to induce belief.

All tropes being founded on the relation, which one object bears to another, the name of the one may be fubftituted for that of the other; and by this the vi vacity of the idea is generally increased. The relation between a caufe and its effect is one of the firft and moft obvious. Hence the caufe is fometimes figuratively put for the effect. Thus Mr. Addison, writing of Italy, fays,

Bloffoms, and fruits, and flowers together rife,

And the whole year in gay confufion lies...

Here the "whole year" is plainly meant to fignify the productions of the year.

put for the caufe; as " grey

The effect is alfo often

hairs" for "old age,"

which produces grey hairs; and "fhade" for the "trees," which caufe the fhade. The relation between the container and the thing contained is fo intimate and apparent, as naturally to give rife to tropes..

-Ille impiger haufit

Spumantem pateram, et pleno se proluit auro

Where it is obvious, that the cup and gold are put for the liquor, contained in the golden cup. The name of a country is often used to fignify its inhabitants. To pray for the affiftance of Heaven is the fame with praying for the affiftance of God, who is in HeavThe relation between a fign and the thing fignifi

en.

ed is another fource of tropes. Thus,

Cedant arma togæ; concedat laurea linguæ.

Here the "toga," which is the badge of the civil profeffions, and the "laurel," that of military honors, are each of them put for the civil and military characters themselves. Tropes, founded on these several relations of cause and effect, container and contained, fign and thing fignified, are called by the name of metonomy..

When a trope is founded on the relation between an antecedent and its confequent, it is called a metalepfis; as in the Roman phrase, "fuit," or "vixit," to fignify that one was dead." Fuit Ilium et ingens glo"ria Teucrum" expreffes that the glory of Troy is

no more..

When the whole is put for a part, or a part for the whole; a genus for a fpecies, or a fpecies for a genus; the fingular number for the plural, or the plural for the fingular; in general, when any thing lefs, or any thing more, is put for the precife object meant ;