priety; and to the Nature of the Subject they are apply'd to.

C. I don't exactly understand these Terms: be pleas'd to fhew me in a familiar way, how I may readily diftinguish betwixt a Flash of Wit, (or quaint Turn,) and a folid Ornament, or * noble delicate Thought.

A. Reading, and Obfervation will teach you beft: there are a hundred different forts of witty Conceits.

C. But pray, Sir, tell me at least fome general Mark by which I may know them: Is it Affectation?

A. Not every kind of Affectation: but a fond Defire to pleafe, and fhew one's Wit:

C. This gives me fome little Light: but I want ftill fome diftinguishing Marks, to direct my Judgment.

A. I'll give you one then, which perhaps will fatisfy you. We have feen that Eloquence confifts not only in giving clear convincing Proofs; but likewife in the Art

of

1

* True W IT is Nature to advantage dress't,
What oft' was thought, but ne'er fo well express't;
Something, whofe Truth convinc'd at fight we find,
That gives us back the Image of our Mind.
As Shades more fweetly recommend the Light :
So modeft Plainnefs fer's-off fprightly Wit.

For Works may have more Wit than does them good;
As Bodies perifh through Excess of Blood.

Mr. POPE'S Effay on Criticism. p. 23.

of moving the Paffions. Now in order to move them, we must be able to paint them well; with their various Objects, and Effects. So that I think the whole Art of Oratory may be reduc'd to proving, painting, and raising the Paffions. Now all thofe pretty,fparkling,quaint Thoughts that do not tend to one of these Ends, are only witty Conceits.

C. What do you mean by Painting? I never heard that Term apply'd to Rhetorick.

*

See Lon- A. To paint, is not only to defcribe ginus §.xv. Things; but to represent the Circumftances of 'em, in fuch a lively fenfible manner, that the Hearer fhall fancy he almost sees them with his Eyes. For inftance: if a dry Hiftorian were to give an Account of DIDO's Death, he wou'd only fay; She was overwhelm'd with Sorrow after the Departure of ÆNEAS; and that she grew weary of her Life: So she went up to the top of her Palace; and

111

lying

Plus eft evidentia, vel ut alij dicunt, REPRÆSENTATIO, quam perfpicuitas : & illud quidem patet: hæc fe quodammodo oftendit Magna virtus eft, res de quibus loquimur, clarè atque ut cerni videantur, enunciare. Non enim fatis efficit, neque ut debet plenè dominatur oratio, fi ufque ad aures volet, atque ea fibi judex de quibus cognofcit, narrari credit, non exprimi, & oculis mentis oftendi - Atque hujus fummæ, judicio quidem meo, virtutis facillima eft via. Naturam intueamur, hanc fequamir

---

QUINTIL, lib, viij, c, 3,

lying down on her Funeral-Pile, fhe ftab'd herself. Now thefe Words wou'd inform you of the Fact; but you do not fee it. When you read the Story in VIRGIL, he fets it before your Eyes. When he represents all the Circumstances of DIDO's Difpair; describes her wild Rage; and Death already ftaring in her Afpect; when he makes her fpeak at the Sight of the Picture and Sword that ENEAS

* Talia dicentem jamdudum averfa tuetur,
Huc illuc volvens oculos, totumque pererrat
Luminibus tacitis, & fic accenfa profatur :
Heu! furijs incenfa feror

Tum vero infelix fatis exterrita DIDO,
Mortem orat: tædet coli convexa tueri.
Ergo ubi concepit furias, evicta dolore,
Decrevitque mori; tempus fecum ipfa modumque
Exigit --

At Regina pyrå, penetrali in fede, fub auras
Erecta ingenti, tædis atque ilice fecta

Intenditque locum fertis, & fronde coronat
Funerea fuper exuvias, enfemque relictum,
Effigiemque toro locat- & crines effufa facerdos
Tercentum tonat ore Deos

Ipfa mola, manibufque pijs, altaria juxta
Unum exuta pedem vinclis, in vefte recincta
Teftatur moritura Deos, & conscia fati

Sidera: tum, fi quod non æquo fœdere amantes
Cura Numen habet, juftumque memorque precatur.
NOX erat: & placidum carpebant feffa foporem
Corpora per terras; filvæque & fæva quierant
Equora cum medio volvuntur fidera lapfu :
Cum tacet omnis ager; pecudes, pictæque volucres,
Quæque lacus late liquidos, quæque afpera dumis
Rura tenent, fomno pofitæ fub nocte filenti
Lenibant curas, & corda oblita laborum.
At non infelix animi Phoeniffa ; neque unquam
Solvitur in fomnos, oculifve aut pectore noctem
Accipit ingeminant curæ, rurfufque refurgens
Sævit amor, magnoque irarum fluctuat æftu,

ENEAS left, your Imagination transports you to Carthage; where you fee the Trojan Fleet leaving the Shore, and the Queen quite inconfolable. You enter into all her Paffions, and into the Sentiments of the fuppos'd Spectators. It is not VIRGIL you then hear: You are too attentive to the laft Words of unhappy

Et jam prima novo fpargebat lumine terras
Tithoni croceum linquens Aurora cubile :
Regina e fpeculis ut primum albefcere lucem
Vidit, & æquatis claffem procedere velis ;
Littoraque, & vacuos fenfit fine remige portus;
Terque quaterque manu pectus percuffa decorum,
Flaventefque abfciffa comas: pro Jupiter! ibit
Hic, ait, & noftris illuferit advena regnis ?
Non arma expedient? totaque ex urbe fequentur ?
Diripientque rates alij navalibus ite,

Ferte citi flammas, date vela, impellite remos.
Quid loquor ?aut ubi fum ? quæ mentem infania mu-
Infelix Dido! num te facta impia tangunt? (tat?
Hæc ait: & partes animum verfabat in omnes,
Invifam quærens quamprimum abrumpere lucem.
At trepida, & cæptis immanibus effera Dido
Sanguineam volvens aciem, maculifque trementes
Interfufa genas, & pallida morte futura,
Interiora domus irrumpit limina, & altos
Confcendit furibunda rogos, enfemque recludit
Dardanium; non hos quæfitum munus in ufus,
Hic poftquam Iliacas veftes, notumque cubile
Confpexit, paulum lachrymis, & mente morata
Incubuitque toro, dixitque noviffima verba ;
Dulces exuvia! dum fata Deufque finebant,
Accipite hanc animam, meque his exfolvite curis.
Vixi, & quem dederat curfum fortuna peregi :
Dixit: & os impreffa toro, Moriemur inultæ ?
Sed moriamur, ait. Sic, fic juvat ire fub umbras.
Hauriat hunc oculis ignem crudelis ab alto
Dardanus, & noftræ fecum ferat omina mortis.
Dixerat atque illam media inter talia ferro

Collapfam

happy Dido, to think of him. The Poet difappears and we fee only what he defcribes; and hear thofe only whom he makes to speak. Such is the Force of a natural Imitation, and of painting in Language. Hence it comes that the Painters and the Poets are fo nearly related: the one paints for the Eyes, and the other for the Ears: but both of them ought to convey the livelieft Pictures to People's Imagination. I have taken an Example from a Poet to give you a livelier Image of what I mean by painting in Eloquence: For Poets paint in a ftronger manner than Orators. Indeed the main Thing in which Poetry differs from Eloquence is, that the Poet paints with Enthusiasın, and gives bolder Touches than the Orator. But Profe allows of painting in a mode

Collapfam afpiciunt comites, enfemque cruore
Spumantem, fparfafque manus.

Atria concuffam bacchatur fama

rate

It clamor ad alta

per urbem

Lamentis gemituque, & femineo ululatu

Tecta fremunt: refonat magnis plangoribus æther.
Audijt exanimis, trepidoque exterrita curfu
Unguibus ora foror foedans, & pectora pugnis
Per medios ruit, ac morientem nomine clamat.
Sic fata, gradus evaferat altos,
Semianimemque finu germanam amplexa fovebat
Cum gemitu, atque atros ficcabat veste cruores.
Illa graves oculos conata attollere, rurfus
Deficit: infixum ftridet fub pectore vulnus.
Ter fefe attollens, cubitoque adnixa levavit :
Ter revoluta toro eft; oculifque errantibus, alto
Quafivit cœlo lucem, ingemuitque repertâ.

VIR G. Æneid. lib. iv.