2

On the extent of the British Arms.

Under the Tropicks is our language spoke,
And part of Flanders kath receiv'd our Yoke.

On a Warrior.

And thou Dalhously the great God of War,
Lieutenant Colonel to the Earl of Mar.

b

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 re sembling 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

oozy mud, And with its flime incorporates the flood, 'Till all th' encumber'd, thick, fermenting stream Does like one Pot of boiling Ointment feem. Where'er be fwims, he leaves along the lake Such frothy furrows, fuch a foamy track,

z Wall.

Job, p. 197.

a Ann. b Denn. on Namur.

Blackm.

That all the waters of the deep appear
Hoary-with age, or grey with fudden fear.
But perhaps even these are excelled by the
enfuing.

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 mafly spear,

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

Nor on my raging grief a muzzle throw.

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

Distended with the Waters in 'em pent,

The clouds hang deep in air, but hang unrent.

3. The INFANTINE.

my

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

r. Arthur, p. 157.

• Pr. Arthur.

Job, p.41.

* Little Charm of placid mien,
Miniature of beauty's queen,
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 be of happy men, etc.

and the rest of those excellent Lullabies of his compofition.

How prettily he afks the fheep to teach him to bleat?

» Teach me to grieve with bleating moan, my sheep.

Hear how a babe would reason on his nurse's death:

i

That ever he could die! Oh most unkind!
To die, and leave poor Colinet behind!
And yet,-Why blame I ber?-

Amb. Philips on Mifs Cuzzona. Philips's Paftorals.
Ibid.

With no less fimplicity does he suppose that fhepherdeffes tear their hair and beat their breasts at their own deaths:

k

*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 fheep,
(Which on the flow'ry plain I once did keep.)

"To the
grave Senate she could counsel give,
(Which with astonishment they did receive.)

n

He whom loud cannon could not terrify,
Falls (from the grandeur of his Majesty.)

Happy, merry as a king,

Sipping dew, you fip, and fing.

The Noife returning with returning Light, What did it?

P

Difpers'd the Silence, and difpell'd the Night.

You eafily perceive the Nothingness of every fecond Verfe.

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

* Philips's Paftorals.

Ibid.

n

Phil. on Q: Mary. Ibid.
Autor. Vet.

T. Cook, on a Grafhopper. P Anon.

5. The EXPLETIVE,

admirably exemplified in the Epithets of authors.

many

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 fee the fame,
While wretched we remembred thee,
O Sion, Sion, lovely name.

6. The MACROLOGY and PLEON ASM are 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 pleafed to fee one of our greatest adverfaries employ this figure.

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

• T. Cook, Poems. r Ibid. ⚫ Camp.