H

bability, by a judicious ufe of this figure! "Quem igitur omnium gratiâ interfiσε cere noluit, hunc voluit cum aliquo"rum querelâ? Quem jure, quem loco,

quem tempore, quem impune, non "eft aufus, hunc injuriâ, 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 conftructed, and made to correfpond to each other.

We must, however, acknowledge, that the frequent ufe of antithefis, particularly where the oppofition' in the words is nice and quaint, is apt to make ftyle unpleafing. A maxim, or moral faying, very properly receives this form; both because it is fuppofed to be the effect of meditation, and is defigned to be engraven on the memory, which recals it more eafily by the aid

of such contrafted expreffions. But where a number of fuch fentences fucceed each other; where this is an au thor's favourite and prevailing mode of expreffion, his ftyle is exposed to cenfure.

INTÉR

INTERROGATION AND

EXCLAMATION.

INTERROGATIONS and Exclama

tions are paffionate figures. The literal use of interrogation is to ask a question; but when men are prompted by paffion, whatever they would affirm or deny with great earneftness, 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 impof fibility of the contrary. Thus, in fcripture: "God is not a man, that he "fhould lie; neither the fon of man, "that he fhould repent. Hath he said "it? And fhall he not do it? Hath he "spoken it? And shall he not make it

Interrogations may be employed in the profecution of fome clofe and earnest reasoning; but exclamations belong only to ftronger emotions of the mind; to surprise, anger, joy, grief, and the like. These being natural figns of a moved and agitated mind, always, when they are properly employed, make us fympathife with those who use them, and enter into their feelings. Nothing, however, has a worse effect than the frequent and unfeasonable use of exclamations. Young, unexperienced writers fuppofe, that by pouring them forth plenteoufly, they render their compofitions warm and animated. But quite the contrary is the cafe. They render them frigid to excess. When an author is always calling upon us to enter into transports which he has faid nothing to infpire, he excites our difgust and indignation.

VISION

ANOTHER,

I jog

NOTHER, figure of fpeech, fit, only for animated compofition, is what fome writers call Vifion; when, instead of relating fomething that is paft, we use the prefent tenfe, and defcribe it as if paffing immediately before our eyes. Thus Cicero, in his fourth oration against Cataline : " Vi"deor enim hanc urbem videre, lucem "orbis terrarum atque arcem omnium "gentium, fubito uno incendio conci"dentem; cerno animo fepulta in pa"tria miferos atque infepultos acervos "civium; verfatur mihi ante oculos "afpectus Cethegi, et furor, in veftrâ "cæde bacchantis." This figure has great beauty when it is well executed,

and