XV. rectness and beauty: "Thou haft brought a LECT. "vine out of Egypt, thou haft caft out the "heathen, and planted it. Thou preparedst "room before it, and didft cause it to take "deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it; and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.. "She fent out her boughs into the fea, and "her branches into the river. Why haft thou << broken down her hedges, fo that all they "which pafs by the way do pluck her? The "boar out of the wood doth waste it; and the "wild beaft of the field doth devour it. Re turn, we beseech thee, O God of Hofts, "look down from Heaven, and behold, and "vifit this vine!" Here there is no circumftance (except perhaps one phrase at the beginning," thou hast caft out the heathen,") that does not strictly agree to a vine, whilst at the fame time, the whole quadrates happily with the Jewish state represented by this Figure. This is the first and principal requifite in the conduct of an Allegory, that the figurative. and the literal meaning be not mixed inconfiftently together. For inftance, instead of defcribing the vine, as wafted by the boar from the wood, and devoured by the wild beast of the field, had the Pfalmift faid, it was afflicted by heathens, or overcome by enemies (which is the real meaning), this would have ruined the Allegory, and produced the fame con fufion, XV. LEC T. fufion, of which I gave examples in Metaphors, when the figurative and literal fense are mixed and jumbled together. Indeed, the fame rules that were given for Metaphors, may also be applied to Allegories, on account of the affinity they bear to each other. The only material difference between them, besides the one being short, and the other being prolonged, is, that a Metaphor always explains itself by the words that are connected with it in their proper and natural meaning; as when I fay, "Achilles was a Lion;" an "able "Minifter is the Pillar of the State;" my Lion and my Pillar are fufficiently interpreted by the mention of Achilles and the Minister, which I join to them; but an Allegory is, or may be, allowed to ftand more disconnected with the literal meaning; the interpretation not fo directly pointed out, but left to our own reflection. ALLEGORIES were a favourite method of delivering inftructions in antient times; for what we call Fables or Parables are no other than Allegories; where, by words and actions attributed to beafts or inanimate objects, the difpofitions of men are figured; and what we call the moral, is the unfigured fenfe or meaning of the Allegory. An Enigma or Riddle is also a species of Allegory; one thing reprefented or imaged by another; but purposely wrapt XV. wrapt up under fo many circumstances, as to LECT. be rendered obfcure. Where a riddle is not intended, it is always a fault in Allegory to be too dark. The meaning should be easily seen through the Figure employed to fhadow it. However, the proper mixture of light and shade in fuch compofitions, the exact adjustment of all the figurative circumstances with the literal fense, so as neither to lay the meaning too bare and open, nor to cover and wrap it up too much, has ever been found an affair of great nicety; and there are few species of compofition in which it is more difficult to write fo as to please and command attention, than in Allegories. In fome of the visions of the Spectator, we have examples of Allegories very happily executed, LECT. HYPERBOLE-PERSONIFICATION— TH HE next Figure concerning which I am to treat, is called Hyperbole, or Exaggeration. It confifts in magnifying an object beyond its natural bounds. It may be confidered fometimes as a Trope, and fometimes as a Figure of thought: and here indeed the diftinction between these two claffes begins not to be clear, nor is it of any importance that we should have recourfe to metaphyfical fubtilties, in order to keep them diftinct. Whether we call it Trope or Figure, it is plain that it is a mode of speech which hath some foundation in nature. For in all languages, even in common conversation, hyperbolical expreffions very frequently occur; as swift as the wind; as white as the fnow, and the like; and our common forms of compliment are almost all of them extravagant Hyberboles. XVI. If any thing be remarkably good or great in LECT. its kind, we are inftantly ready to add to it fome exaggerating epithet; and to make it the greatest or beft we ever faw. The ima gination has always a tendency to gratify itself, by magnifying its prefent object, and carrying it to excefs. More or less of this hyperbolical turn will prevail in language, according to the livelinefs of imagination among the people who speak it. Hence young people deal always much in Hyperboles. Hence the language of the Orientals was far more hyperbolical than that of the Europeans, who are of more phlegmatic, or, if you please, of more correct imagination. Hence, among all writers in early times, and in the rude periods of society, we may expect this Figure to abound. Greater experience, and more cultivated fociety, abate the warmth of imagination, and chaften the manner of expreffion. THE exaggerated expreffions to which our ears are accustomed in converfation, fcarcely ftrike us as Hyperboles. In an inftant we make the proper abatement, and understand them according to their juft value. But when there is something striking and unusual in the form of a hyperbolical expreffion, it then rifes into a Figure of Speech which draws our attention and here it is neceffary to observe, that unless the reader's imagination be in fuch a VOL. I. D d state |