are ranked, by teachers of Rhetoric, among the tropes of meer ornament, have yet been ever used moft frequently, and with greatest freedom, by those whose understandings, manners, and languages are too rude and unrefined for ornament or artifice. The origin of tropical expreffion is deduced from | neceffity and the deficiences of human language, with the utmost justness and elegance of reasoning, in the fourth book of the DIVINE LEGATION of Mofes demonftrated: and we may fafely fubfcribe to the determination of the learned au*V.2.p.148. thor, that * "the firft fimple ages, uncultivated and immerged in fenfe, could exprefs their rude conceptions of "abstract ideas and the reflex operations of the mind only Ed. Lond. 8vo. 1742. L. 8. C. 6. by material images; which fo applied became Metaphors :" and that, "this, and not the warmth of a poetic fancy, as "is commonly fuppofed, was the true origin of figurative expreffion." And it may be affirmed, I prefume, that there is no language however cultivated and improved, which is not still defective and confined; fo as to fail in natural and proper ex preffions on a great variety of occafions. We know that when that of the Romans had attained to it's greatest perfection, + Inft. Orat. Quinctilian confeffes, +" NECESSITATE nos durum hominem atque afperum [dicimus.] Non enim proprium erat quod daremus hifce affectibus nomen." And in another place, ‡ "res plurimæ CARENT appellationibus, ut eas necesse fit tranfferre." Ibid. L.12. C. 10. " Then, as to individuals, there are but few who can have acquired their own native language in it's utmost extent. And the greatest part of mankind, in every age and nation however enlightened and refined, feem to be ftill in that rude ftate which the learned author of the DIVINE LEGATION fpeaks fpeaks of, *where "language is too narrow, and the minds Vol.2.p.87. "of men too undifciplined, to fupport only abftract reafon"ing, and a direct addrefs." They are themselves principally influenced by their paffions and affections; and they speak to the paffions and affections of other men. Even the improved part of mankind, if engaged in the business and tranfactions of the world, must be moved and agitated, and their speech must be confonant to their feelings, and adapted X to their occafions; not always to convey diftinct and scientific propofitions, not to inculcate strict and formal reasonings, not to exprefs particular ideas with a philofophical precision, but, to display fome quality, character, or temper, to conciliate the affections of their hearers, to alarm their fears, to enliven their hopes, to move their pity, to awaken their indignation, and to rouse them to action: all which is constantly × effected by the use of words and forms, which make perhaps the greatest part of all languages, and yet when distinctly confidered, are found to convey no precise and exact inform-an. ation. Juft at the time when Achilles is making dreadful ravages in the Trojan army, the poet makes Hector address himself to his Soldiers, with all the force and energy of figurative speech. Τοῦ δ ̓ ἐγὼ αντίος εἶμι, καὶ εἰ πυρὶ χεῖρας ἐοικεν· Εἰ πυρὶ χεῖρας ἔοικε, μένος δ' αἴθωνι σιδήρῳ. ILIAD. Υ. 1. 371. Nor from yon boafter shall your Chief retire: Not tho' his heart were steel, his hands were fire! And brave that vengeful heart, that dreadful hand. POPE. A + A learned critic obferves on this paffage, that if we examine the feveral phrafes in the original, in order to know what particular Ideas the poet annexed to each, we shall find ourselves involved in fome difficulty. He notes the equivocation in each, and doubts whether the Poet himself, were he to return to life, could say, whether he had all the different fenfes in view, or any one, or which of them. Hence he infers the obscurity of fuch modes of fpeech, which he seems to attribute to the artifice of those who use them. But the paffage here quoted feems but a bad proof of fuch artifice. The speaker is reprefented as too violently agitated to use his terms with precifion, much less to concert means of deception. Nor are his words obfcure or infignificant: for they express his paffions not only with clearness but with energy. His purpose was to imprefs the minds of his hearers with a lively fenfe of his own undaunted valour, and to encourage + Johan. Clerici Artis Criticæ, Tom. 4. An Hector vult dicere revera Achil1. p. 2. C. 15. lem πυρὶ χεῖρας ἐοικέναι, an vero quamvis manibus ignem æquaret, fe non detrectaturum pugnam; nedum ut cum qualis erat fugeret? 5. Μένος αἴθωνι σidnga fimile, quanam in re eft? an in gravitate ictuum, an in amoliendis illatis plagis, aut refiftendo armis duritie. fuorum? 6. Denique αἴθων σιδήρος efne fplendens gladius, aut quodlibet ferrum, adeo ut aitwv fit epitheton otiofum; an vero eft candens ferrum, cui fimilis fit aliqua in re Achilles? Quis dicet an Homerus omnes hafce excels in animo habuerit, an aliquot tantum, & quænam cæ fint? Ibid. Si fingula verba excutiamus ut accurate nôrimus quas notiones iis fubjecerit poëta, deprehendemus, non levem effe difficultatem. 1. alios elmi an fimpliciter fignificat contra ire, an vero ea locutione continetur refiftendi aut aggrediendi animus? 2. avlos el eftne folitus fum contra eum confiftere, antehac contra confliti, vel illico hoc faciam fi neceffe fit, vel decrevi facere, & certo faciam? 3. Quid eft wuçì xeigas doinέvai; eftne manuum motu celeritatem ignis æquare; an manu id præftare quod ignis facit; an manus habere æque formidandas ac ignem ? them them to fight bravely under his conduct. For this purpose he uses striking images and an earnestness of repetition naturally arifing from the vehemence of his own emotion. And this mode of fpeech is truly forcible and affecting, altho' the words may be used without diftinct ideas annexed to each, and heard without exciting such distinct ideas. Inftances of the fame kind are common in all languages. Shakespeare reprefents King Henry enflamed with thus addreffing himself to Hotspur. anger, and Send me your prifoners with the speedieft means, you As will displease you. Here we have no diftinct kind or degree of danger fuggested by this threat and the speaker himself might have been in the difpofition of King Lear when he exclaims. I will do fuch things! What they are, yet, I know not. His words fignify the indignation and refentment in his mind: his intention is to inspire a proud subject with dread, and to prompt him to a ready compliance with the royal will, and at the fame time to express a consciousness of his own dignity. And the force of his language in expreffing this dignity of character, and in exciting terror and fubmiffion, is I even encreased by repeating the menace with still lefs precifion, Send us your prisoners, or, you'll bear of it. If then, paffions and affections are naturally excited in the human breast, and have the principal influence on human actions; if they have their peculiar modes of fpeech, not in vented vented for the purpose of pleasing, but arifing from neceffity, and of neceffity holding a distinguished place in every language; above all, if we are to conclude with the acute and philofophical Bishop of Cloyne, that "the communication "of ideas is not the chief or only end of language, but that "there are other ends, as the raising fome paffion, the exciting "to, or deterring from an action, the putting the mind into "fome particular difpofition, to which the former is in many "cafes barely fubfervient, and fometimes entirely omit"ted," It follows that fuch modes of addrefs as answer thefe latter, and (according to this anthor) the chief ends of language, that is, fuch modes as are generally called eloquent, cannot be deemed the artificial abuse of words, but are really congenial and effential to human fpeech. Principles of human Knowledge, Introd. Sect. 20. CHA P. II. |