as to fubjects, the gates of breath for the lips, the watery kingdom for the ocean. As to qualities, fierce for ftormy, in the expreffion Fierce winter: 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 ef fect is put for the cause, as lux for the sun; and a caufe for the effect, as boum labores for corn. The relation of refemblance is one plentiful fource of figures of speech; and nothing is more common than to apply to one object the name of another that refembles it in any refpect. Height, fize, and wordly greatnefs, though in themselves they have no refemblance, produce emotions in the mind that have a refemblance; and, led by this resemblance, we naturally express worldly greatness 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 despair. Again, height of place and time long past, produce fimilar feelings; and hence the ex

preffion

preffion, Ut altius repetam. Distance in paft time, producing a strong feeling, is put for any strong feeling: Nihil mibi antiquius noftra amicitia. Shortnefs with relation to space, for fhortnefs with relation to time: Brevis effe laboro; obfcurus fio. Suffering a punishment resembles paying a debt: hence pendere pænas. Upon the fame account, light may be put for glory, fun-fhine for profperity, and weight for importance.

Many words, originally figurative, having, by long and conftant ufe, loft their figurative power, are degraded to the infe

rior 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 thefe operations came firft 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 afcertained by fight and touch. A Soft nature, jarring tempers, weight of wo, pompous phrase, beget compaffion, affuage grief, break a vow, bend the eye downward, shower

down

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 tend ing to fimplicity, without having loft alto gether their figurative power. Virgil's Regina faucia cura, is perhaps one of these 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 figurel

To epitomise this fubject, and at the fame time to give a clear view of it, I can not think of a better method, than to prefent to the reader a lift of the feveral relations upon which figures of fpeech are commonly founded. This lift I divide into two tables; one of subjects expreffed figurative-ly, and one of attributesanal no bebrat and is ca acorns beninen svode - 3

FIRST

FIRST TABLE.

Subjects expreffed figuratively.

1. A word proper to one fubject employed figuratively to express a resembling fubject.

There is no figure of speech 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; &. By another refemblance, a bold warrior is termed the thunderbolt of war; a multitude of troubles, a fea of troubles.

No other figure of fpeech poffeffes fo many different beauties, as that which is founded on refemblance. 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 speech VOL. III.

T

built

解

built upon refemblance, fuggefts always a comparison betwixt the principal subject 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 express the cause.

Lux for the fun. Shadow for cloud. A helmet is fignified by the expreffion glitter ing terror. A tree by fhadow or umbrage. Hence the expreffion,

Nec habet Pelion umbras.

Ovid.

Where the dun umbrage hangs. Spring, 1023.

A wound is made to fignify an arrow:

Vulnere non pedibus te confequar.

Ovid.

There is a peculiar force and beauty in this figure. The word which fignifies figuratively the principal fubject, denotes it to be a cause by fuggesting the effect.