The fame effect is remarkable in that fine paf- LECT. fage of Milton: To the nuptial bower, I led her blufhing like the morn. All heaven THE third and highest degree of this Figure remains to be mentioned, when inanimate ob jects are introduced, not only as feeling and acting, but as fpeaking to us, or hearing and liftening when we addrefs our felves to them. This, though on feveral occafions far from being unnatural, is, however, more difficult in the execution, than the other kinds of Perfonification. For this is plainly the boldeft of all rhetorical Figures; it is the style of strong paffion only; and, therefore, never to be attempted, unless when the mind is confiderably heated and agitated. A flight Perfonification of fome inanimate thing, acting as if it had life, can be relished by the mind, in the midst of cool defcription, and when its ideas are going on in the ordinary train. But it must be in a ftate of violent emotion, and have departed confiderably from its common VOL. I. track E e XVI. XVI. LECT. track of thought, before it can fo far realise the Perfonification of an infenfible object, as to conceive it liftening to what we fay, or making any return to us. All ftrong paffions, however, have a tendency to use this Figure; not only love, anger, and indignation, but even thofe which are feemingly more difpiriting, fuch as, grief, remorfe, and melancholy. For all paffions struggle for vent, and if they can find no other object, will, rather than be filent, pour themselves forth to woods, and rocks, and the most infenfible things; efpecially, if these be in any degree connected with the caufes and objects that have thrown the mind into this agitation. Hence, in poetry, where the greateft liberty is allowed to the language of paffion, it is eafy to produce many beautiful examples of this Figure. Milton affords us an extremely fine one, in that moving and tender addrefs which Eve makes to Paradise, juft before fhe is compelled to leave it. Oh! unexpected ftroke, worfe than of death! My early vifitation, and my last At ev❜n, which I bred up with tender hand, From XVI. From your first op'ning buds, and gave you names! LECT. This is altogether the language of nature, and of female paffion. It is obfervable, that all plaintive paffions are peculiarly prone to the ufe of this Figure. The complaints which Philoctetes, in Sophocles, pours out to the rocks and caves of Lemnos, amidst the excess of his grief and defpair, are remarkably fine examples of it *. And there are frequent examples, not in poetry only but in real life, of perfons, when just about to fuffer death, taking a paffionate farewel of the fun, moon, and ftars, or other fenfible objects around them. THERE are two great rules for the management of this fort of Perfonification. The first rule is, never to attempt it, unless when Ύμιν τα δ' ε γαρ αλλον οιδ' ότω λεγω "O mountains, rivers, rocks, and favage herds, "Muft breathe my forrows! you are wont to hear XVI. LECT. prompted by ftrong paffion, and never to continue it when the paffion begins to flag, It is one of thofe high ornaments, which can only find place in the most warm and fpirited parts of compofition; and there, too, must be employed with moderation. THE fecond rule is, never to personify any object in this way, but fuch as has some dignity in itself, and can make a proper figure in this. elevation to which we raife it. The obfervance of this rule is required, even in the lower degrees of Perfonification; but ftill more, when an addrefs is made to the perfonified object. To address the corpfe of a deceased friend, is natural; but to addrefs the clothes which he wore, introduces mean and degrading ideas. So alfo, addreffing the feveral parts of one's body, as if they were animated, is not congruous to the dignity of paffion. For this reafon, I must condemn the following paffage, in a very beautiful Poem of Mr. Pope's, Eloifa to Abelard. Dear fatal name! reft ever unreveal'd, Nor pafs thefe lips in holy filence feal'd. Here are several different objects and parts of XVI. dreffed or spoken to; let us confider with LECT. what propriety. The firft is, the name of Abelard: "Dear fatal name! reft ever," &c. To this, no reasonable objection can be made. For, as the name of a person often stands for the perfon himself, and fuggefts the fame ideas, it can bear this Perfonification with fufficient dignity, Next, Eloifa fpeaks to herself; and personifies her heart for this purpose: "Hide it, my heart, within that "clofe," &c. As the heart is a dignified part of the human frame, and is often put for the mind, or affections, this alfo may pass without blame. But, when from her heart fhe paffes to her hand, and tells her hand not to write his name, this is forced and unnatural; a personified hand is low, and not in the style of true paffion; and the Figure becomes ftill worfe, when, in the laft place, fhe exhorts her tears to blot out what her hand had written, "Oh! write it not," &c. There is, in thefe two lines, an air of epigrammatic conceit, which native paffion never fuggefts; and which is altogether unfuitable to the tendernefs which breathes through the rest of that excellent Poem. IN profe compofitions, this Figure requires to be used with ftill greater moderation and delicacy. The fame liberty is not allowed to the imagination there, as in poetry. The fame Ee 3 |