Very often Circumlocution is us'd, not merely out of Prudence or Neceffity to conceal a Secret, or cover an Indecency; but for Variety and Ornament, to give Pomp and Diguity to our Expreffions, to enrich a Difcourfe with new Thoughts, and to multiply the Graces of a Description. The Night's bright Empress in her golden Car, §. 13. Amplification is, when every chief Expreffion in a-Period adds Strength and Advantage to what went before; and fo the Senfe all along heightens, till the Period be vigorously and agreeably clos'd. ""Tis pleasant to be virtuous and good, because that is to "excel many others: 'Tis pleafant to grow better, because "that is to excel ourselves: Nay 'tis pleafant even to mor"tify and fubdue our Lufts, because that is Victory: "Tis *pleafant to command our Appetites and Paffions, and to "keep them in due Order, within the Bounds of Reason and "Religion, because this is Empire "." When an Author thus improves upon us in his Difcourfe, we are extremely pleas'd and attentive while he continues it; and perfectly fatisfy'd when he concludes. We are edify'd and charm'd with the Inftruction of one, whom we find to be complete Master of his Subject. What Reputation muft it be to the Writer, what Pleasure to the Reader, when one fays every thing in the beft manner it can be faid; and the other is entertain'd with every thing that can be defir'd? But 'tis the utmost Reproach to an Author, and a moft intolerable Disappointment to the Reader, when the one flags and faulters every Step; and fo the other is fatigu'd and mortify'd, with a continual Series of heavy and lifeless Periods. There are various Ways of contriving and forming this Figure, which have great Force and Elegance; tho' perhaps they cannot nicely be adapted to every Part of the Definition. I fhall name three very lively Ways of expreffing an Amplification. 1. We amplify or raise a Difcourfe by felecting a Number of the moft emphatical and ftrongest Words of the Language we ufe; every one of which add fomething new to the Sentence; and all join'd, heighten it to the utmost De Archbishop Tillotson, Serm. 12. p. 138, gree gree of Perfection. That Paffage in Terence is upon this Account univerfally admir'd. Hæc verba meherculè una falfa lacrymula, Quam oculos terendo miserè, vix vi expresserit 2. This Figure is fometimes exprefs'd by, way of Comparifon or Appofition" When that great Man P. Scipio, "tho' but a private Perfon, kill'd Tiberius Gracchus, making " some small Innovation and Disturbance in the State; fhall "we who are Confuls, bear Catiline, who is endeavouring and "plotting to lay the World waste with Fire and Sword? 3. A Difcourfe is very happily and beautifully heighten'd by way of Argument or rational Inference. Quintilian excellently obferves, that Homer gives us a very exalted Idea of Helen's fovereign Charms, when he introduces Priam's grave Counsellors owning, that it was not to be complain'd of or refented, that the Trojans and Greeks had fuftain'd the Calamities of a long and cruel War for fuch a Woman; and makes the King himself place her by him, call her, Dear Child, and treat her with all poffible Tenderness and Respect. Muft not every judicious Reader infer that her Beauty must be incomparable, which was admir'd and prais'd to fuch a Degree by Men cool and unpaffionate, of mature Wisdom and great Age, who had been deep Sufferers by it? Must not that Face be fuperlatively lovely, and thofe Eyes fparkle with refiftlefs Luftre, that cou'd be view'd with Pleasure and Vene-" ration by that miferable Prince; tho' they had kindled the Flames of War in his Country, and blafted the Prosperity, and all the Hopes of his late flourishing Family? Which is, To this we may refer Climax or Gradation. when the Word or Expreffion which ends the firft Member of a Period, begins the fecond, and fo on; fo that every Member will make a diftinet Sentence, taking its Rife from the next foregoing, till the Argument and Period be beautifully finish'd." Or in the Terms of the Schools, 'Tis when the Word or Expreffion, which was Predicate in the first Member of a Period, is Subject in the fecond, and fo on, till the Argument and Period be brought to a noble Conclufion. This Figure, when natura and vigorous, furnishes the Mind with variety of Ideas, and accuftoms Eunuch. 1. i. v. 22, &c. Tully again Catiline. Inftitut. lib. viii. cap. 4. p. 405. accuftoms it to Attention and clofe Thinking. The Art and Contexture of a Gradation often appears plain, and lies in too open View; therefore Care must be taken that the Gradations we ufe be unforç'd, and abound with good Senfe; be fignificant and dextroufly turn'd. I am pleas'd with that in Dr. Tillotfona. "After we have practis'd good Actions a while, "they become eafy; and when they are eafy, we begin to "take Pleasure in them; and when they please us, we do "them frequently; and by Frequency of Acts a Thing grows into a Habit; and a confirm'd Habit is a fecond kind of "Nature; and fo far as any thing is natural, fo far it is neceffary, and we can hardly do otherwife; nay, we do it 66 many times when we do not think of it." .. S. 14. Omiffion of Copulative, is when the Conjunctions or little Particles that connect Words together are left out, to reprefent Hafte, or Eagerness of Paffion. When Dido in the Violence of her Rage and Refentment for the abrupt Departure of Eneas, charges her People to arm themfelves and pursue the Trojan Fleet. ' Hafte, baul my Gallies out, pursue the Foe, The Members of the Period are loose and unconnected; which moft naturally paints the Hurry and Distraction of her Thoughts. The Conjunctions put between the Words wou'd have cramp'd and fetter'd the Period, fo that it wou'd have mov'd flow and unwieldy, and have been far from a Representation of the raging Queen's Difturbauce of Mind, and Vehemence of Paffion. Salluft excellently and very naturally represents the Rout and precipitate Flight of the Moors in thefe Words-Tum Spectaculum horribile in campis patentibus: Sequi, fugere, occidi, capi. The contrary to the former Multitude of Copulatives is when the little Particles are properly put in before every prinripal Word in the Period. Livy, giving an Account how the Pleafures and Luxury of Capua corrupted and foftened the Army of Annibal, amongst others has this beautiful Paffage-" For Sleep, and Wine, and Feafts, and Strumpets, and Bagnios, and Reft, that "thro' "thro' Cuftom grow every Day more.bewitching, had fo "weakened both their Bodies and their Minds, that the Re"putation of their paft Victories protected them more than "their prefent Strength " This Figure, when aptly and judiciously used, makes a Difcourfe ftrong and folemn, fixes an Emphafis upon every Word, and points it out as worthy of Obfervation. §. 15. Oppofition is a Figure whereby things very different or contrary are compar'd and plac'd near, that they may fet off each other. White placed near Black fhines brighter: Innocence compar'd with Guilt appears with double Charms and Loveliness. The Poets, Hiftorians and Orators improve their Subject, and much heighten the Pleasure of their Reader by the beautiful Oppofition of their Characters and Descriptions. Tacitus defcribes the exceffive Dalliances and frantic Revels of the Emprefs Meffalina with Silius a little before their Death, in wonderful Pomp and Gayety of Expreffion; that the Reader may be the more furpriz'd and astonish'd at the Suddennefs and terrible Circumftances of her Fall. The Poet in his fine Defcription of Dido's Defpair the Night before her Death, reprefents all the Creation enjoying profound Tranquillity and fweet Reft, to render that miferable Queen's Difquietudes more moving. She was depriv'd of the common Privilege indulg'd to the poorest and most despicable Creatures; Sleep fled from her Eyes, and Quiet was banish'd from her Breaft. In Virgil's fecond Georgic there is a very agreeable Contraft and Oppofition in that fine Comparison between the Court and Country. The Pomp and Hurry of State, and the Freedom and pure Pleafures of Retirement and Agriculture. Upon a full Enumeration of the feveral Conveniences and Enjoyments of both Ways of living, what Advantage and Over-balance does the Poet give to the latter! The very Manner of his Expreffion, and Turn of his Poetry, are with great Judgment and Dexterity vary'd, and made suitable to his different Subjects. The Defcription of the Pride and Statelinefs of the Great is drawn to the Life in a pompous Run of Verfe, and variety of very bold Tropes. • Liv. Hift. 3 Vol. Edit. Hearne, lib. xxii. p. 27. e Annal. xi. p. 252. f Virg. En. iv, v. 522. In -Ingentem foribus dmus alta fuperbis, But you have the Innocence and Plainnefs, the Sweetness and undisturb'd Quiet of the Country, naturally represented in proper Words, in plain and eafy Expreffion, and in the fmootheft and sweetest Numbers. At fecura quies, & nefcia fallere vita, Dives opum variarum, at latis otia fundis, §. 16. Comparison beautifully fets off and illuftrates one thing by refembling and comparing it to another, to which it bears Na manifeft Relation and Refemblance. She never told her Love, But let Concealment, like a Worm ith' Bud, Smiling at Grief. SHAKESPEAR. The Poet wonderfully praises the Bravery of his Hero, with perfect Serenity and Prefence of Mind, giving Orders of Battle in the Hurry and Heat of the bloody Action, when he compares him to an Angel riding upon the Wings of the Wind, and directing a Storm where to pour out its Fury. So when an Angel by divine Command Comparisons mightily ftrengthen and beautify a Difcourse ; for fome Time take off the Reader from the principal Subject, and ftart new and agreeable Images to divert and entertain him, that he may return to it with fresh Pleafure and Eagernefs. In Comparisons these things are to be observ'd. 1. The |