Light the fire.

Bring forth fome remnant of Promethean theft
Quick to expand th' inclement air, congeal'd
By Boreas's rude breath.

Snuff the candle.

Yon' luminary amputation needs,
Thus fhall you fave its half-extinguish'd life.

Open the letter.

Wax! render up thy trust.

Uncork the bottle, and chip the bread.

Apply thine engine to the fpungy door:

Set Bacchus from his glassy prifon free,
And frip white Ceres of her nut-brown coat.

CHA P. XIII.

A project for the advancement of the bathos.

THU

HUS have I (my dear countrymen) with incredible pains and diligence discovered the hidden fources of the bathos, or, as I may fay, broke open the abyffes

of this great deep. And having now eftablifhed good and wholfome laws, what remains, but that all true moderns with their utmost might do proceed to put the fame in execution? in order whereto, I think I fhall in the fecond place highly deferve of my country by propofing fuch a fcheme, as may facilitate this great end.

As our number is confeffedly far fuperior to that of the enemy, there feems nothing wanting but unanimity among ourfelves. It is therefore humbly offered, that all and every individual of the bathos do enter into a firm affociation, and incorporate into one regular body, whereof every member, even the meaneft, will fome way contribute to the fupport of the whole; in like manner, as the weakeft reeds, when joined in one bundle, become infrangible. To which end our art ought to be put upon the fame foot with other arts of this age. The vaft improvement of modern manufactures arifeth from their being divided into feveral branches, and parcelled out to feveral trades: for inftance, in clockmaking one artift makes the balance, another the fpring, another the crown

wheels,

wheels, a fourth the cafe, and the prin cipal workman puts all together: to this œconomy we owe the perfection of our modern watches, and doubtlefs we alfo might that of our modern poetry and rhetoric, were the several parts branched out in the like manner.

Nothing is more evident than that divers perfons, no other way remarkable, have each a strong difpofition to the formation of fome particular trope or figure. Ariftotle faith, that " the hyperbole is an ་ ornament fit for young men of quality;" accordingly we find in thofe gentlemen a wonderful propenfity toward it, which is marvelloufly improved by travelling. Soldiers alfo and feamen are very happy in the fame figure. The periphrafis or circumlocution is the peculiar talent of country farmers; the proverb and apologue of old men at clubs; the ellipfis, or speech by half-words, of minifters and politicians; the apofiopefis of courtiers; the litotes, or diminution, of ladies, whisperers, and backbiters; and the anadiplofis of common cryers and hawkers, who by redoubling the fame words perfuade people to buy their oyf

ters, green hastings, or new ballads. Epithets may be found in great plenty at Billingfgate, farcasm and irony learned upon the water, and the epiphonema or exclamation frequently from the bear-garden, and as frequently from the bear him of the houfe of commons.

Now each man applying his whole time and genius upon his particular figure, would doubtlefs attain to perfection; and when each became incorporated and fworn into the fociety (as hath been proposed) a poet or orator would have no more to do but to fend to the particular traders in each kind, to the metaphorift for his allegories, to the fimile-maker for his comparisons, to the ironift for his farcafms, to the apothegmatift for his fentences, &c. whereby a dedication or speech would be compofed in a moment, the fuperior artist having nothing to do but to put together all the materials.

I therefore propose, that there be contrived with all convenient difpatch, at the publick expence, a rhetorical cheft of drawers confifting of three ftories, the higheft for the deliberative, the middle

for

for the demonftrative, and the lowest for the judicial. These fhall be divided into loci or places, being repofitories for matter and argument in the feveral kinds of oration or writing; and every drawer fhall again be fub-divided into cells, resembling thofe of cabinets for rarities. The apartment for peace or war, and that of the liberty of the prefs, may in a very few days be filled with feveral arguments perfectly new; and the vituperative partition will as easily be replenished with a most choice collection, entirely of the growth and manufacture of the prefent age. Every compofer will foon be taught the use of this cabinet, and how to manage all the regifters of it, which will be drawn out much in the manner of thofe in an organ.

The keys of it must be kept in honest hands, by fome reverend prelate, or valiant officer, of unqueftioned loyalty and affection to every prefent establishment in church and ftate; which will fufficiently guard against any mifchief, that might otherwife be apprehended from it.

And being lodged in fuch hands, it may be at difcretion let out by the day to fe0 3 veral