and Roman poets claimed this indulgence from neceffity, and obtained it, the English, thofe of them especially who write in rhime, may claim it with better reafon; as the words of our language are lefs mufical, and far lefs fufceptible of variety in arrangement and syntax. Secondly, Such poetical words as are known to be ancient have fomething venerable in their appearance, and impart a folemnity all around them. This remark is from Quintilian; who adds, that they give to a compofition that caft and colour of antiquity, which in painting is fo highly valued, but which art can never effectually imitate*. Poetical words that are either not antient, or not known to be fuch, have however a pleasing effect from affociation. We are accuftomed to meet with them in fublime and elegant writing; and hence they come to acquire fublimity and elegance-even as the words we hear on familiar occafions come to be accounted familiar; and as those that take their rife among pickpockets, gamblers, and gypfies, are thought too indelicate to be used by any person of taste or good manners. When one hears the following lines, which abound in poetical words, The breezy call of incenfe-breathing morn, Lib. 8. cap. 3. § 3o one is as fenfible of the dignity of the language; as one would be of the vileness or vulgarity of that man's speech, who fhould prove his acquaintance with Bridewell, by interlarding his discourse with fuch terms as mill-doll, queer cull, or nubbing cheat*; or who, in imitation of fops and gamblers, should, on the common occafions of life, talk of being beat hollow, or faving his distance +.—What gives dignity to perfons, gives dignity to language. A man of this character is one who has borne important employments, been connected with honourable affociates, and never degraded himself by levity, or immorality of conduct. Dignified phrases are those which have been used to express elevated fentiments, have always made their appearance in elegant compofition, and have never been profaned by giving permanency or utterance to the paffions of the vile, the giddy, or the worthless. And as by an active old age, the dignity of fuch men is confirmed and heightened; fo the dignity of fuch words, if they be not fuffered to fall into difufe, generally improves by length of time. *See the Scoundrel's Dictionary. + Language of Newmarket. SECT. SE C T. III. Natural Language is improved in poetry, by means of Tropes and Figures. O much for the nature and use of those words that are poetical, and yet not figurative. But from Figurative Expreffion there arifes a more copious and important fource of Poetic Eloquence. Some forts of poetry are distinguished by the beauty, boldness, and frequency of the Figures, as well as by the measure, or by any of the contrivances above mentioned. And in profe we often meet with fuch figures and words, as we expect only in poetry; in which cafe the language is called Poetical: and in verfe we fometimes find a diction fo tame, and fo void of ornament, that we brand it with the appellation of Profaic. As my defign in this difcourfe is, not to deliver a fyftem of rhetoric, but to explain the peculiar effects of poetry upon the mind, by tracing out the characters that diftinguish this from other literary arts; it would be improper to enter here, with any degree of minuteness, into the philosophy of Tropes and Figures: thefe being ornamental, not to poetry only, but to human speech in general. All that the present occasion requires will be performed, when it is fhown, in what refpects tropical and figurative language is more neceffary to poetry than to any other fort of compofition. If If it appear, that, by means of Figures, Language may be made more pleafing, and more natural, than it would be without them; it will follow, that to Poetic Language, whofe end is to please by imitating nature, Figures must be not only ornamental, but neceffary. I fhall therefore, first, make a few remarks on the importance and utility of figurative language; fecondly, fhow, that Figures are more neceffary to poetry in general, than to any other mode of writing; and, thirdly, affign a reason why they are more neceffain fome kinds of poetry than in others. ry I. I purpose to make a few remarks on the importance and utility of Figurative Expreffion, in making language more pleafing and more natural. 1. The first remark is, that Tropes and Figures are often neceffary to fupply the unavoidable defects of language. If proper words are wanting, or not recollected, or if we do not chuse to be always repeating them, we must have recourfe to tropes and figures.-When philofophers began to explain the operations of the mind, they found, that most of the words in common ufe, being framed to answer the more obvious exigencies of life, were in their proper fignification applicable to matter only and its qualities. What was to be done in this cafe? Would they think of making a new language to exprefs the qualities of mind? No that would have been difficult, or impracticable; and granting it both practicable and eafy, they must have forefeen, that nobody would read or liften to what was thus fpoken or written in a new, new, and, confequently, in an unknown, tongue. They therefore took the language as they found it; and, where-ever they thought there was a fimilarity or analogy between the qualities of mind and the qualities of matter, fcrupled not to use the names of the material qualities tropically, by applying them to the mental qualities. Hence came the phrases, folidity of judgment, warmth of imagination, enlargement of understanding, and many others; which, though figurative, exprefs the meaning juft as well as proper words would have done. In fact, numerous as the words in every language are, they must always fall fhort of the unbounded variety of human thoughts and perceptions. Taftes and smells are almoft as numerous as the fpecies of bodies. Sounds admit of perceptible varieties that furpass all computation, and the seven primary colours may be diverfified without end. If each variety of external perception were to have a name, language would be infurmountably difficult; nay, if men were to appropriate a class of names to each particular fenfe, they would multiply words exceedingly, without adding any thing to the clearness of speech. Those words, therefore, that in their proper fignification denote the objects of one fenfe, they often apply tropically to the objects of another; and say, sweet tafte, sweet smell, fweet found; fharp point, fharp tafte, fharp found; harmony of founds, harmony of colours, harmony of parts; foft filk, foft colour, foft found, soft temper; and so in a thoufand inftances; and yet these words, in their tropical 5 |