On the Valour of the English.

Nor Art nor Nature has the force
To top its fteddy course,

Nor Alps nor Pyrenæans keep it out,
Nor fortify'd Redoubt.

At other times this figure operates in a larger extent; and when the gentle reader is in expectation of fome great image, he either finds it furprizingly imperfect, or is prefented with fomething low, or quite ridiculous. A furprize resembling that of a curious perfon in a cabinet of Antique Statues, who beholds on the Pedestal the names of Homer, or Cato; but looking up, finds Homer without a head, and nothing to be seen of Cato but his privy-member. Such are these lines of a Leviathan at fea,

His motion works, and beats the ༦༠༢:་ mud,
And with its flime incorporates the flood,
'Till all th' encumber'd, thick, fermenting stream
Does like one Pot of boiling Ointment seem.
Where'er be faims, he leaves along the lake
Such frothy furrows, fuch a foamy track,
That all the waters of the deep appear
Hoary--with age, or grey with fudden fear.

But perhaps even thefe are excelled by the enfuing.

Denn. on Namur.

n Blackm. Job, p. 197.

D

• Now the refifted flames and fiery flore,
By winds affaulted, in wide forges roar,
And raging feas flow down of melted Ore.
Sometimes they hear long Iron Bars remov'd,
And to and fro huge Heaps of Cinders shov'd.

2. The VULGAR,

is alfo a Species of the Diminishing: By this a fpear flying into the air is compared to a boy whistling as he goes on an errand.

The mighty Stuffa threw a maffy spear.

Which, with its Errand pleas'd, fung thro' the air. A Man raging with grief to a Mastiff Dog: • I cannot ftifle this gigantic woe,

Nor on my raging grief a muzzle throw.

And Clouds big with water to a woman in great neceffity:

Diftended with the Waters in 'em pent,

The clouds hang deep in air, but hang unrent.

This is when a Poet grows fo very simple, as to think and talk like a child. I fhall take my examples from the greatest Mafter in this way: Hear how he fondles, like a meer stammerer.

0

Little Charm of placid mien,
Miniature of beauty's queen,

Pr. Arthur. p. 157. ? Pr. Arthur.
Amb. Philips on Mifs Cuzzona,

↑ Job, p. 41.

Hither, British mufe of mine,

Hither, all ye Græcian Nine,

With the lovely Graces Three,
And your pretty Nurseling fee.

When the meadows next are feen,
Sweet enamel, white and green.
When again the lambkins play,
Pretty Sportlings full of May.

Then the neck fo white and round,
(Little Neck with brillants bound.)
And thy Gentleness of mind,
(Gentle from a gentle kind) etc.
Happy thrice, and thrice agen,

Happiest he of happy men, etc.

and the rest of those excellent Lullabies of his compofition.

How prettily he asks the sheep to teach him to bleat?

Teach me to grieve with bleating moan, my sheep.

Hear how a babe would reafon on his nurfe's death:

That ever she could die! Oh moft unkind!
To die, and leave poor Colinet behind?
And yet,---Why blame I her?---

With no lefs fimplicity does he fuppofe that

fhepherdeffes tear their hair and beat their breasts, at their own deaths:

"Ye brighter maids, faint emblems of my fair,
With looks caft down, and with dishevel'd hair,
In bitter anguish beat your breafts, and moan
Her death untimely, as it were your own,

4. The INANITY, or NOTHINGNESS. Of this the fame author furnishes us with most beautiful inftances:

Ab filly I, more filly than my sheep,
(Which on the flow'ry pain I once did keep.)

To the grave Senate fhe could counfel give, (Which with astonishment they did receive.) a He whom loud cannon could not terrify, Falls (from the grandeur of his Majefty.) Happy merry as a king,

Sipping dew, you fip, and fing.

The Noise returning with returning Light,
What did it?

Difpers'd the Silence, and difpell'd the Night. You eafily perceive the Nothingness of every fe

cond Verfe.

The glories of proud London to furvey,
The Sun himself fhall rife---by break of day.

. Ibid.

* Ibid.

a Ibid.

y Ibid.

z Phil, on Q. Mary. b T. Cook on a Grafhopper.

Anon.

Autor. Vet.

5. The EXPLETIVE,

admirably exemplified in the Epithets of many au

thors.

Th' umbrageous fhadow, and the verdant green, The running current, and odorous fragrance, Chear my lone folitude with joyous gladness.

Or in pretty drawling words like these,

All men his tomb, all men his fons adore,
And his fons' fons, till there fhall be no more.
The rifing fun our grief did fee,

The fetting fun did see the fame,
While wretched we remembred thee,
O Sion, Sion, lovely name.

6. The MACROLOGY and PLEONASM

are as generally coupled, as a lean rabbit with a fat one; nor is it a wonder, the fuperfluity of words and vacuity of fenfe, being just the fame thing. I am pleased to see one of our greatest adverfaries employ this figure.

* The growth of meadows, and the pride of fields,
The food of armies and support of wars.
Refufe of fwords, and gleanings of a fight,
Leffen his numbers, and contract his hoft.
Where'er his friends retire, or fees fucceed,
Cover'd with tempefts, and in oceans drown'd.

T. Cook, Poems.

f Ibid.

t Camp.