after Pope's rape of the lock was published, Swift wrote an ironical dissertation to ridicule this fashion of producing keys, in which he pretended to prove, that Pope's poem was a political satire upon the barrier treaty.

Swift entitled his little

This title was in the

treatise a key to the lock. first place a metaphor, meaning a key to the rape of the lock. But it was also made a whimsical pun. The lock was at once the representation of two ideas; meaning first a lock of hair, which Pope's poem had immortalized; and next the smith's lock, which could be opened only by a key.

This use of words with two faces, by the grayer critics of modern times, is very rigorously excluded from serious composition. But it is a powerful weapon for strokes of humor, and of great use for pointing an epigram; of which Swift may furnish us also an example.

There was a translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, made by several persons of quality, published by Tonson; a miserable performance, which Swift ridiculed in a ballad, closing with the following lines.

Now, Tonson, list thy forces all;

Review them, and tell noses;

For to poor Ovid shall befal

A strange metamorphosis.

A metamorphosis more strange,

Than all his books can vapor.

To what, quoth squire, shall Ovid change?
Quoth Sandys" to waste paper."

The point of this conclusion consists in the twofold sense, applied to the term Ovid. Until the three last words, Ovid means the poet of that name. But he there undergoes his metamorphosis, and becomes the paper, upon which the translation of his principal poem was printed. The word in the first part is literal; and at last is figurative.

The particular figure, by which the paper is put for the translation, and the translation for the author of the original poem, is one of those, founded not upon similitude, but upon the relation between cause and effect. Of this I shall speak in a subsequent lecture; and in the mean time recommend to you the following rules of restriction upon the use of figures, founded upon resemblance.

1. That there should be some resemblance between the figurative and the literal object.

2. That the figure, when brought into view, be not too much dwelt upon. It is seldom safe even to run a metaphor into an allegory. Your

hearer expects you will leave something for his own imagination to perform.

3. Avoid selecting metaphorical figures from mean or disgusting objects.

Much less can that obtain a place,
At which a virgin hides her face;
Such dross the fire must purge.

4. Let your metaphors not be too thickly crowded. The species, which give a relish to iur. your food, would make but indifferent food by themselves. And the best food, over-seasoned with them, would be spoiled.

5. Distinguish between the metaphors suitable for oratorical discourse, and those which are reserved to the exclusive use of poetry. The poct may soar beyond the flaming bounds of space and time; but the orator must remember, that an audience is not so readily excursive, and is always under the power of gravitation.

There are some other rules, which, applying to all figurative language, and not to the figures of similitude alone, may be reserved for a future consideration.

LECTURE

XXXIV.

METONYMY. SYNECDOCHE.

FROM the class of figures, which convey a meaning different from the import of their words, by means of the association of ideas, resulting from similitude, let us now pass to those, where the connexion is formed by means of certain relations. Of these the two principal figures have been denominated the metonymy, and synecdoche.

These are both in common discourse; and even by the principal modern rhetorical writers confounded under the general denomination of the metaphor. There is however a very important distinction between them, affecting the principles of composition and of criticism. I have heretofore told you, that the test of a correct metaphor is

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