"Weep on the rocks of roaring winds, O Maid of Iniftore. Bend thy fair head over the waves, thou "fairer than the ghost of the hills, when it moves in a "fun-beam at noon over the filence of Morven. He is "fallen! Thy youth is low; pale beneath the fword: "of Cuchullin.".

COMPARISON, ANTITHESIS, INTERROGATION, EXCLAMATION, AND OTHER FIG URES OF SPEECH.

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A COMPARISON or fimile is, when the re femblance between two objects is expreffed in form,. and ufually pursued more fully than the nature of a‹ metaphor admits. As when we fay, " The actions of "princes are like thofe great rivers, the course of "which every one beholds, but their springs have been. "feen by few." This fhort inftance will show that a happy comparifon is a fort of fparkling ornament,, which adds luftre and beauty to discourse..

All comparisons may be reduced under two heads: explaining and embellishing comparifons. For,, when a writer compares an object with any other thing, it always is, or ought to be, with a view to make us understand that object more clearly, or to render it more pleafing. Even abftract reasoning admits explaining: comparisons. For instance, the diftinction between the powers of fenfe and imagination is in Mr. Harris's. Hermes illuftrated by a fimile: "As wax," fays he,. "would not be adequate to the purpofe of fignature,. “if it had not the power to retain as well as to re

"ceive the impreffion: the fame holds of the foul"with refpect to fenfe and imagination. Senfe is its "receptive power, and imagination its retentive. Had "it fense without imagination, it would not be as wax, “but as water; where, though all impreffions be in-. ftantly made, yet as foon as they are made, they are: "loft." In comparifons of this kind, perfpicuity and usefulness are chiefly to be ftudied.

But embellishing comparisons are thofe which moft frequently occur. Refemblance, it has been obferved, is the foundation of this figure. Yet re

femblance muft not be taken in too ftrict a fenfe for actual fimilitude. Two objects may raise a train of concordant ideas in the mind, though they resemble: each other, strictly speaking, in nothing. For example, to defcribe the nature of foft and melancholy muLick, Offian fays, "The mufick of Carryl was, like the

memory of joys that are paft, pleafant and mourn"ful to the foul." This is happy and delicate; yet. no kind of musick bears any resemblance to the memory of paft joys..

We fhall now confider when comparifons may be in-.troduced with propriety. Since they are the language of imagination, rather than of paffion, an author can hardly commit a greater fault, than in the midst of paffion to introduce a fimile. Our writers of tragedies often err in this refpect. Thus Addifon in his Cato makes Portius, juft after Lucia had bid him farewell forever, exprefs himself in a ftudied comparison.

Thus o'er the dying lamp the unsteady flame

Hangs quivering on a point, leaps off by fits,

And falls again, as loth to quit its hold.

Thou must not go ; my soul still hovers o'er thee,
And can't get loose.

As comparison is not the ftyle of strong paffion, sè when defigned for embellishment, it is not the language of a mind totally unmoved. Being a figure of dignity, it always requires fome elevation in the fubject, to make it proper. It supposes the imagination to be enlivened, though the heart is not agitated by paffion. The language of fimile lies in the middle region between the highly pathetick and the very humble ftyle. It is however a sparkling ornament; and must consequently dazzle and fatigue, if it recur too often. Similes, even in poetry, should be employed with moderation; but in profe much more fo; otherwise the style will become difguftingly luscious, and the ornament lofe its beauty and effect.

We shall now confider the nature of those objects from which comparisons fhould be drawn.

In the first place, they must not be drawn from things which have too near and obvious a resemblance of the object with which they are compared. The pleafure we receive from the act of comparing, arises from the discovery of liknesses among things of different species, where we should not at first fight expect a resemblance.

But, in the fecond place, as comparisons ought not to be founded on likneffes too obvious, much less ought they to be founded on those which are too faint and diftant. Thefe, inftead of affifting, ftrain the faney to comprehend them, and throw no light upon the fubject.

In the third place, the object from which a comparifon is drawn, ought never to be an unknown object, nor one of which few people can have a clear idea. Therefore fimiles, founded on philofophical difcov

eries, or on any thing, with which perfons of a particular trade only, or a particular profeffion, are acquainted, produce not their proper effect. They fhould be drawn from those illustrious and noted objects, which most readers have either feen, or can ftrongly conceive.

In the fourth place, in compofitions of a serious or elevated kind, fimiles fhould never be drawn from low or mean objects. These degrade and vilify; whereas fimiles are generally intended to embellish and dignify. Therefore, except in burlefque writings, or where an object is meant to be degraded, mean ideas fhould. never be prefented.

ANTITHESIS is founded on the contraft or oppoition of two objects. By contrast, objects oppofed to each other, appear in a stronger light. Beauty, for inftance never appears fo charming as when contrasted with uglinefs. Antithefis therefore may, on many occafions, be used advantageously to ftrengthen the impreffion which we propofe that any object should make. Thus Cicero, in his oration for Milo, reprefenting the improbability of Milo's defigning to take away the life of Clodius, when every thing was unfavourable to fuch defign, after he had omitted many opportunities of effecting fuch a purpose, heightens our conviction of this improbability by a fkilful use of this, fig"Quem igitur cum omnium gratia interficere nolu"it; hunc voluit cum aliquorum querela? Quem jure, 8.6 quem loco, quem tempore, quem impune, non eft aufus ; "hunc injuria, iniquo loco, alieno tempore, periculo capitis, " non dubitavit occidere ?" Here the antithefis is rendered complete by the words and members of the fentence, expreffing the contrafted objects, being fimilarly constructed, and made to correfpond with each other.

ure.

We must however acknowledge that frequent use of antithefis, especially where the oppofition in the words is nice and quaint, is apt to make style unpleafing. A maxim or moral faying very properly receives this form; because it is fuppofed to be the effect of meditation, and is defigned to be engraven on the memory, which recalls it more eafily by the aid of contrafted expreffions. But where several fuch fentences fucceed each other; where this is an author's favourite and prevailing mode of expreffion; his style is expofed to cenfure.

INTERROGATIONS and Exclamations are paffionate figures. The literal ufe of interrogation is to ask a question; but, when men are prompted by paffion, whatever they would affirm, or deny with great carneftness, they naturally put in the form of a question; expreffing thereby the firmeft confidence of the truth of their own opinion; and appealing to their hearers for the impoffibility of the contrary. Thus in fcripture; "God is not a man, that he should lie ; "nor the Son of Man, that he should repent. Hath "he faid it? And fhall he not do it? Hath he spoken "it? And fhall he not make it good ?"

Interrogations may be employed in the profecution of close and earnest reasoning; but exclamations belong only to ftronger emotions of the mind; to furprize, anger, joy, grief, and the like. These, being natural figns of a moved and agitated mind, always, when properly employed, make us sympathize with those who use them, and enter into their feelings. Nothing, however, has a worse effect, than frequent and unfeasonable ufe of exclamations. Young, inex perienced writers suppose, that by pouring them forth