Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

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 propensity toward it, which is marvellously improved by Travelling: Soldiers alfo and Seamen 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 their clubs; the Elliffis or Speech by half words, of Minifters and Politicians, the Apofiopesis of Courtiers, the Litotes or Diminution of Ladies, Whisperers and Eackbiters, and the Anadiplofis of common Cryers and Hawkers, who, by redoubling the fame words, perfuade people to buy their oyfters, green haftings, or new ballads Epithets may be found in great plenty at Billinfgate, Sarcasm and Irony learned upon the Water, and the Epiphonema or Exc'amation frequently from the Beargarden, and as frequently from the Hear him of the House 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 sworn into the Society (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 Simile-maker for his Comprifons, to the Ironifi for his Sarcafins, to the Apothegmatist for his Sentences, etc. whereby a Dedication or specch would be compofed in a moment, the fuperior artift having nothing to do but to put together all the Materials.

I therefore propofe that there be contrived with all convenient difpatch, at the publick expence, a IP 2 Rhete

Rhetorical Cheft of Drawers, confifting of three Stories, the highest for the Deliberative, the middle for the Demonftrative, and the loweft for the Judicial. Thefe fhall be divided into Loci, or Places, being repositories for Matter and Argument in the feveral kinds of oration or writing; and every Drawer fhall again be fub-divided into Cells, refembling 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 moft 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 Registers of it, which will be drawn out much in the manner of thofe in an Organ.

The Keys of it must be kept in honeft hands, by fome Reverend Prelate, or Valiant Officer, of unqueftioned Loyalty and Affection to every prefent Establishment in Church and State; which will fufficiently guard against any mischief which might otherwise be apprehended from it.

And being lodged in fuch hands, it may be at difcretion let out by the Day, to feveral great Orators in both Houses; from whence it is to be hoped much Profit and Gain will alfo accrue to our Society.

CHAP

[ocr errors]

CHAP. XIV.

How to make Dedications, Panegyrics, or Satires, and of the Colours of Honourable and Dishonourable.

N

OW of what neceffity the foregoing Project may prove, will appear from this fingle confideration, that nothing is of equal confequence to the fuccefs of our Works, as Speed and Difpatch. Great pity it is, that folid brains are not like other folid bodies, conftantly endowed with a velocity in finking, proportioned to their heavinefs For it is with the Flowers of the Bathos as with thofe of Nature, which if the careful gardener brings not haftily to market in the Morning, muft unprofitably perifh and wither before Night. And of all our Productions none is fo fhort-lived as the Dedication and Panegyric, which are often but the Praife of a Day, and become by the next, utterly useless, improper, indecent, and falfe. This is the more to be lamented, inafmuch as these two are the forts whereon in a manner depends that Profit, which muft ftill be remembered to be the main end of our Writers and Speakers.

We shall therefore employ this chapter in fhewing the quickest method of compofing them; after which we will teach a short Way to Epic Poetry. And these being confeffedly the works of most Importance and Difficulty, it is prefumed we may leave the reft to each author's own learning or practice.

First of Panegyric: Every man is honourable, who is fo by Law, Custom, or Title. The Publick are better judges of what is honourable than

P 3

private

private Men. The Virtues of great Men, like those of Plants, are inherent in them whether they are exerted or not; and the more ftrongly inherent, the lefs they are exerted; as a Man is the more rich, the lefs he fpends. All great Minifters, without either private or oeconomical Virtue, are virtuous by their Pofts; liberal and generous upon the Publick Money, provident upon Publick Supplies, juft by paying Publick Intereft, couragious and magnanimous by the Fleets and Armies, magnificent upon the Publick Expences, and prudent by Publick Succefs. They have by their Of fice, a right to a fhare of the Publick Stock of Virtues; befides they are by Prefeription immemorial invested in all the celebrated virtues of their Predeceffors in the fame ftations, especially thofe of their own Ancestors.

As to what are commonly called the Colours of Honourable and Dishonourable, they are various in different Countries: In this they are Blue, Green, and Red.

But forafmuch as the duty we owe to the Publick doth often require that we should put fome things in a strong light, and throw a fhade over others, I fhall explain the method of turning a vicious Man into a Hero.

The first and chief rule is the Golden Rule of Transformation, which confifts in converting Vices into their bordering Virtues. A Man who is a Spendthrift, and will not pay a juft Deht, may have his Injustice transformed into Liberality; Cowardice may be metamorphorfed into Prudence; Intemperance into good Nature and good Fellowfhip; Corruption into Patriotifm; and Lewdnefs into Tenderness and Facility.

The fecond is the Rule of Contraries : It is certain, the less a Man is endued with any Virtue, the more need he has to have it plentifully bestowed, especially

especially those good qualities of which the world generally believes he hath none at all: For who, will thank a Man for giving him that which he has?

The Reverse of thefe Precepts will ferve for Satire, wherein we are ever to remark, that whofo lofeth his place, or becomes out of favour with the Government, hath forfeited his fhare in publick Praife and Honour. Therefore the truly publick fpirited writer ought in duty to ftrip him whom. the government hath ftripped; which is the real poetical Justice of this age. For a full collection of Topicks and Epithets to be used in the Praise and Dispraise of Ministerial and Unministerial Perfons, I refer to our Rhetorical Cabinet; concluding with an earnest exhortation to all my brethren, to observe the Precepts here laid down, the neglect of which hath coft fome of them their Ears in a Pillory.

CHA P. XV.

A Receipt to make an Epic Poem.

N Epic Poem, the Critics agree, is the

A greatest work human nature is capable of.

They have already laid down many mechanical rules for compofitions of this fort, but at the fame time they cut off almoft all undertakers from the poffibility of ever performing them; for the first qualification they unanimously require in a Poet, is a Genius. I fhall here endeavour (for the benefit of my Countrymen) to make it manifeft, that Epic Poems may be made without a Genius, nay without Learning or much Reading. This muft neceflarily be of great ufe to all thofe who confe's ‡ P 4

they

« AnteriorContinuar »