they will be attentive; if he be indifferent, they will be perfectly carelefs and cold. Fire kindles Fire; Life and Heat in the Speaker, enliven and inspirit the Reader. As we fee by common Experience, that one very gay and pleasant Perfon propagates his chearful Humor where-ever he comes; and gives a Vivacity to a whole Company. So on the contrary, a four and fullen Wretch damps the Liveliness of all about him, and infects them with his own Melancholy and gloomy Temper. 3. Figures are highly ferviceable to clear difficult Truths; to make a Style pleasant and pathetical; and to awaken and fix Attention. But of this more in our particular Accounts of the Figures themselves. S. 3. I fhall now only mention fome of the Directions which are given by our great Mafters for the rudent and proper ufe of Figures. 1. Let your Difcourfe always be founded upon Nature and Senfe, fupported with ftrong Reafon and Proof; and then add the Ornaments and Heightning of Figures. A Man of clear Understanding will defpife the Flourish of Figures, that has not folid Sense; and Pomp of Words, that wants Truth and Subftance of Things. The regular Way is to inform the Judgment, and then to raise the Paffions. When your Hearer is fatisfy'd with your Argument, he is then at leifure to indulge his Paf fions; and your Eloquence and pathetical Addrefs will scarce fail to have Power and Prevalence over him. 2. Be fparing in the ufe of Figures. A Paffion defcrib'd in a Multitude of Words, and carry'd on to a difproportionate length, fails of the End propos'd, and tires inftead of pleafing Contract your Force into a moderate Compafs; and be nervous 1 5 rather rather than copious: But if at any time there be Occafion for you to indulge a Copiousness of Style, beware it does not run into Looseness and Luxuriance. 3. Figures muft not be overadorn'd, nor affectedly labour'd, and rang'd into nice and fcrupulous Periods. By affectation and Shew of Art, the Orator betrays and exposes himself; and 'tis apparent, that he is rather ambitious to fet off his Parts and Wit, than that he expreffes his fincere Concern and Paffion. His Hearer will defpife him as a Trifler, and hate his Hypocrify, who attempts to delude him with falfe Reafoning; and perfuade him to the Belief, of what he himself does not believe. Therefore he will ftand upon his Guard against a Man, whom he fufpects to have Defigns upon him; and who propofes to triumph over his Weaknefs. Sprightlinefs of Thought and Sublimity of Senfe moft natu naturally produce vigorous and tranfporting Figures; and moft beautifully conceal the Art, which must be us'd in clothing them in fuitable Expreffions. The Thought is fo bright, and the Turn of the Period fo easy, that the Hearer is not aware of their Contrivance, and therefore is more effectually influenc'd by their Force. CHA P. IV. Giving a particular Account of the chief and most moving Figures of Speech, §. 1. exclamation is a Figure that expreffes the breakdoing out and vehemence E of any Paffion O unexpected Stroke, worse than of Death! I 6 Muft Muft I thus leave thee, Paradife? Thus leave Thee, native Soil; thefe happy Some Figures are the proper Lan guage of fome particular Paffions; but this expreffes them all. 'Tis the Voice of Nature when fhe is in Concern and Transport. The Soul being vehemently mov'd raises the animal Spirits; which paffing thro' the Channels of the Body flow into the Muscles that are about the Organs of the Voice, and straiten the Paffage of the Words; fo that the Paffion preffes them out with greater Force and Impetuoufness. The Paffion of Andromache, upon the News of her Son's being fentenc'd to be thrown from a Precipice and dash'd in pieces, and that of Hecuba upon the View of his mangled Body, are as masterly Milton's Par. Loft, II, ✯. 268, &c. Touches |