Imitation is of two forts; the firft is when we force to our own purposes the thoughts of others; the fecond confifts in copying the imperfections or blemishes of celebrated authors. I have seen a play profeffedly writ in the style of Shakespear, wherein the refemblance lay in one fingle line, And fo good-morrow t'ye, good Master Lieu tenant. And fundry poems in imitation of Milton, where, with the utmost exactnefs, and not so much as one exception, nevertheless was conftantly nathlefs, embroider'd was broider'd, hermits were eremites, difdain'd was 'fdain'd, thady umbrageous, enterprise emprife, pagan paynim, pinions pennons, fweet dulcet, orchards orchats, bridge-work 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 fhould next speak of the pasions; but as the main end and principal effect of the Bathos is to produce tranquillity of mind, (and fure it is a better defign to promote fleep than madness), we have little to fay, on this fubject. Nor will the fhort bounds of this difcourfe allow us to treat at large of the emollients and the opiats of poefy, 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 of points, conceits, and proper fimiles on fuch oc cafions: this we may term the pathetic epi-grammatical, in which even puns are made ufe of with good fuccefs. Hereby our beft authors have avoided throwing themselves or their readers into any indecent tranfports. But as it is fometimes needful to exite the paffons of our antagonist in the polemic way, the true students 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 fhame, it is a filly paffion, of which, as our authors are incapable themselves, fo they would not produce it in others. CHAP. X. Of Tropes and Figures: And first of the variegating, confounding, and reverfing Figures. UT we proceed to the figures. We cannot our authors BUT It R It would be endless, nay impoffible, to enumerate all fuch figures; but we fhall content ourselves to range the principal, which most powerfully contribute to the Bathos, under three classes. I. The variegating, confounding, or reverfing tropes and figures. H. The magnifying; and, We cannot avoid giving to thefe 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 From whence results the fame kind of pleasure to the mind, as to the eye, when we behold Harlequin trimming himself with a hatchet, hewing 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 fpectator. Another fource of the Bathos is, The The METONYMY, the inverfion of causes for effects, of inventors for inventions, &c. Lac'd in her Cofins * new appear'd the bride, The SYNECHDOCHE, which confifts in the ufe of a part for the whole. You may call a young woman fometimes a prettyface and pigs-eyes, and fometimes fnotty-nofe and draggle-tail. Or of accidents for perfons; as a lawyer is called fplit-caufe, a tailor prick-loufe, &c. Or of things belonging to a man, for the man himfelf; as a word-man, a gown-man, a T--m--T--dman; a white faff, a turn-key, &c. 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. 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, fay, The lords above are angry, and talk big*. *Stays. Tweezer-case. ‡ Watch. ¶ Fan. ** A fort of periwig: All words in ufe in this present year 1727. tt Lee, Alex. If If you would defcribe a rich man refunding his treasures, express it thus, Tho' he (as faid) may riches gorge, the spoil Soon fhall he perish with a swift decay, The fecond, that, whenever you ftart a metaphor, you must be fure to run it down, and pursue it as far as it can go. If you get the fcent of a state-negociation, follow it in this manner. The ftones and all the elements with thee Or if you reprefent the Creator denouncing war against the wicked, be fure not to omit one cir cumftance ufual in proclaiming and levying war. Envoys and agents, who, by my command, To whom commiffions I have given, To manage there the interests of heaven: Ye holy beralds who proclaim Or war or peace, in mine your master's name ; Blackm. Job, p. 91, 93. † Job, p. 22. For |