Shakespear; wherein the resemblance lay in one fingle line, And fo good morrow t'ye, good mafter Lieutenant. And fundry poems in imitation of Milton, where, with the utmost exactness, and not so much as one exception, nevertheless was constantly nathlefs, embroider'd was broider'd, hermits were eremites, disdain'd was 'fdeign'd, fhady umbrageous, enterprize emprize, pagan paynim, pinions pennons, fweet dulcet, orchards orchats, bridgework pontifical; nay, her was hir, and their was thir through the whole poem. And in very deed, there is no other way by which the true modern poet could read, to any purpose, the works of fuch men as Milton and Shakespear. It may be expected, that, like other Critics, I should next speak of the Paffions: But as the main end and principal effect of the Bathos is to produce Tranquillity of Mind, (and sure it is a better defign to promote fleep than madness) we have little to say on this fubject. Nor will the fhort bounds of this difcourfe allow us to treat at large of the Emollients and Opiats of Poely, of the Cool, and the manner of producing it, or of the methods used by our authors in managing the Paffions. I fhall but tranfiently remark, that nothing contributes fo much to the Cool, as the ufe of Wit in expreffing paffion: The true genius rarely fails of points, conceits, and proper fimiles on fuch occafions: This we may term the Pathetic epigrammatical, in which even puns are made ufe of with good fuccefs. Hereby our VOL. VI. e beft authors have avoided throwing themselves or their readers into any indecent Transports. But as it is fometimes needful to excite the paffions of our antagonist in the polemic way, the true ftudents in the law have conftantly taken their methods from low life, where they obferved, that, to move Anger, ufe is made of fcolding and railing; to move Love, of bawdry; to beget Favour and Friendship, of grofs flattery; and to produce Fear, of calumniating an adverfary with crimes obnoxious to the State. As for Shame, it is a filly paffion, of which as our authors are incapable themselves, fo they would not produce it in others. Of Tropes and Figures: And firft of the variegating, confounding, and reversing Figures. B UT we proceed to the Figures. We cannot too earnestly recommend to our authors the ftudy of the Abuse of Speech. They ought to lay it down as a principle, to fay thing in the ufual way, but (if poffible) in the direct contrary. Therefore the Figures must be fo turned, as to manifeft that intricate and wonderful Caft of Head which diftinguishes all writers of this kind; or (as I may fay) to refer ex actly the Mold in which they were formed, in all its inequalities, cavities, obliquities, odd crannies, and diftortions. It would be endless, nay impoffible, to enumerate all such Figures; but we shall content ourfelves to range the principal, which most powerfully contribute to the Bathos, under three Claffes. I. The Variegating, Confounding, or Reverfing Tropes and Figures. II. The Magnifying, and We cannot avoid giving to these the Greek or Roman names; but in tenderness to our countrymen and fellow-writers, many of whom, however exquifite, are wholly ignorant of thofe languages, we have alfo explained them in our mother tongue. I. Of the first fort, nothing fo much conduces to the Bathos, as the CATACHRESIS. A Master of this will say, Mow the Beard, Shave the Grafs, Pin the Plank, Nail my Sleeve. From whence refults the fame kind of pleasure to the mind, as to the eye when we behold Harlequin trimming himself with a hatchet, hewing Q down a tree with a razor, making his tea in a cauldron, and brewing his ale in a tea-pot, to the incredible fatisfaction of the British spectator. Another fource of the Bathos is, The METONYMY, the inverfion of Causes for Effects, of Inventors for Inventions, etc. Lac'd in ber Cofins new appear'd the bride, b And with an air divine her Colmar ply'd: Then ob! She cries, what flaves I round me fee? Here a bright Redcoat, there a smart Toupee. The SYNECHDOCHE, с } which confifts in the use of a part for the whole. You may call a young woman fometimes Prettyface and Pigs-eyes, and fometimes Snotty-nofe and Draggle-tail. Or of Accidents for Perfons; as a Lawyer is called Split-caufe, a Taylor Prickloufe, etc. Or of things belonging to a man, for the man himself; as a Sword-man, a Gownman a T-m-T-d-man; a White-Staff, a Turnkey, etc. The APOSIOPESIS. "What An excellent figure for the Ignorant, as, " "fhall I fay?" when one has nothing to fay: or I can no more," when one really can no more. Expreffions which the gentle reader is fo good as never to take in earnest. * Stays. b Tweezer-cafe. c Watch. d Fan. A fort of Perriwig: All words in ufe in this prefent Year 1727, P. The METAPHOR. The first rule is to draw it from the lowest things, which is a certain way to fink the higheft; as when you speak of the Thunder of Heaven, say, The Lords above are angry and talk big. If you would defcribe a rich man refunding his treasures, express it thus, • Tho' he (as faid) may The Second, that, whenever you start a Metaphor, you must be fure to run it down, and purfue it as far as it can go. If you get the fcent of a State negociation, follow it in this manner. d The ftones and all the elements with thee Or if you represent the Creator denouncing war against the wicked, be fure not to omit one circumstance usual in proclaiming and levying war. Lee, Alex. Blackm. Job, p. 91, 93. • Job, p. 22. |