has with the ears, but it would puzzle Oedipus himself to discover the connection which either power or fraud has with the nose. The author, to make out the contrast, is in this inftance obliged to betake himfelf to low and fenfelefs cant. "Sometimes, though rarely, the antithefis affects three feveral chaufes. In this cafe the claufes ought to be very short, that the artince may not be too apparent. Sometimes too, the antithefis is not in the different members of the fame fentence, but in different sentences. Both the laft obfervations are exemplified in the following quotation from the fame performance: He can bribe, but he cannot feduce. He can buy, but he cannot gain.. He can lie, || but ⚫ he cannot deceive.' There is likewife in each sentence a little of antithes between the very short clauses themselves. 66 Neither is this figure entirely confined to periods. Sentences of loofer compofition admit it; but the difference here is the lefs obfervable, that an antithefis well conducted, produces the effect of a period, by preventing the languor which invariably attends a loose fentence, if it happen to be long. The following is an inftance of antithefis in fuch a fentence: No man is able to make a jufter appli⚫cation of what hath been here advanced, to the most important interefts of your country, to the true intereft of your royal master, and to your private intereft too; if that will add, as I prefume it will, fome weight to the scale; and if that requires, as I prefume it does, a regard to futurity as well as to the prefent moment*. That this is a loofe fentence a little attention will fatisfy every reader. I have marked the words in italics, at which, without violating the rules of grammar, it might have terminated. I acknowledge however, that the marks of art are rather too visible in the compofition. Sometimes an antithefis is happily carried through two or three fentences, where the fentences are not contrafted with one another, as in the example already given, but where the fame words are contrafted in the different members of each fentence fomewhat differently. Such an antithefis on the words men, angels, and gods, you have in the two following couplets: · Pride ftill is aiming at the bleft abodes; MEN would be ANGELS, ANGELS would be GODS. Afpiring to be ANGELS, MEN rebel t. The like varied oppofition in the words principles, means, and ends, may be obferved in the two following fentences: They are, defigned to affert and vindicate the honour of the Revolution; of the principles eftablished, of the means employed, and of the ends obtained by it. They are defigned to explode our former diftinctions, and to unite men of all denominations, in the fupport of thefe principles, in the • defence of these means, and in the purfuit of thefe ends 1. have in the fubfequent quotation an antithefis on the words true and jujt, which runs through three fucceffive fentences,' The anecdotes * Dedication to the Differtation on Parties. ↑ Essay on Man, You here here related were true, and the reflections made upon them were just 6 many years ago. The former would not have been related, if he who related them, had not known them to be true; nor the latter have been made, if he who made them, had not thought them juft: ⚫ and if they were true and just then, they must be true and just now, ' and always *.' "Sometimes the words contrafted in the second claufe are moftly the fame that are used in the firft, only the conftruction and the arrangement are inverted, as in this paffage, The old may inform the young; and the young may animate the old t.' In Greek and Latin this kind of antithefis generally receives an additional beauty from the change made in the inflection, which is neceffary in those ancient languages for ascertaining what in modern tongues is afcertained folely by the arrangement. This obtains sometimes, more rarely, in our own language, as in thefe lines of Pope, Whate'er of mungrel no one clafs admits, but A wit with dunces, || and a dunce with wits §. Something pretty fimilar is alfo to be remarked, when the words in the contrafted members remain the fame under different inflections, the conftruction varied but not inverted. And this is the laft variety of the antithefis that I fhall specify; for to enumerate them all would be impoffible. You have an example of this kind of contraft in the last line of the following couplet, Leave fuch to trifle with more grace and cafe, Whom folly pleases, || and-whofe follies please **." Having thus illuftrated the nature and use of this figure, our critic proceeds to confider its merit and propriety of application. VOL. III. Hhh * Advertisement to the Letters on Patriotism. Dedication of the Differtation on Parties. Among Non ut edam An inftance of this is that given by Quint. 1. ix. c. 3. vivo, fed ut vivam edo.' A literal tranflation into English, I do not live that I may eat, but I eat that I may live,' preferves the antithefis, but neither the vivacity nor the force of the original. The want of inflection is one reason of the inferiority, but not the only reafon. It weakens the expreffion that we must employ fifteen words, for what is expreffed in Latin with equal perfpicuity in eight. Perhaps it would be better rendered, though not fo explicitly, I do not live to eat, but I cat to live.' Another example in point is the noted epigram of Aufonius, Infelix Dido, nulli bené nupta marito : Hoc pereunte, fugis; hoc fugiente, peris. But though it is chiefly in this fort which the ancients called avluelabon that the advantage of varied inflections appears, it is not in this fort only. In all antithefes without exception, the fimilar endings of the contrafted words add both light and energy to the expreffion. Nothing can better illustrate this than the compliment paid to Cefar by Ciecro, in his pleading for Ligarius- Nihil habet nec fortuna tua majus quam ut poflis, nec natura tua melius quam ut velis, confervare quam plurimos.' This perhaps would appear to us rather too artificial. But this appearance arifeth merely from the different structure of modern languages. What would in most cases be impoffible to us, the genius of their tongue rendered not only easy to them, but almost unavoidable. S Dunciad, B. IV. ** Pope's Imitations of Horace, B. II. Ep. ii. " Among other fpecies of compofition, in which it is ufually adapted, he obferves that, it seems on all fides agreed that it is particularly adapted to the drawing of characters. "You hardly now meet, fays he, with a character either in profe or in verse, that is not wholly delineated in antithefes. This ufage is perhaps exceffive. Yet the fitnefs of the manner can scarce be queftioned, when one confiders that the contrafted features in this moral painting ferve to afcertain the direction and boundaries of one another with greater precifion than could otherwise be accomplished. It is too nice a matter, without the aid of this artifice, for even the most copious and expreffive language. For a fpecimen in this way take thefe lines of Pope, Should fuch a man, too fond to rule alone, Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne, With what a masterly hand are the colours in this picture blended; "If there be any flyle of compofition which excludes antithefis altogether (for I am not pofitive that there is), it is the pathetic. But the true reafon which hath induced fome critics immoderately to decry this figure is, that fome authors are difpofed immoderately to employ it. One extreme naturally drives thofe who perceive the error, to the oppofite extreme. It rarely leaves them, even though perfons of good fenfe and critical difcernment, precisely where they were before. Such is the repulfive power of jarring taftes. Nay, there is a kind of mode, which in thefe, as well as in other matters, often influences our cenfures without our knowing it. It is this which fometimes leads us to condemn as critics, what as authors we ourselves practife. Witnefs the following reproach from the author juit now quoted. • Prologue to the Satires. I fee I fee a chief who leads my chosen fons, "On the other hand, it is certain, that the more agreeable the appofite and temperate ufe of this figure is, the more offenfive is the abuse, or, which is nearly the same, the immoderate ufe of it. When ufed moderately, the appearance of art, which it might otherwise have, is veiled, partly by the energy of the expreffion, which doth not permit the hearer at firft to attend critically to the compofition, and partly by the fimplicity, or at least the more artlefs ftructure, both of the preceding fentences and of the following. But if a difcourfe run in a continued ftring of antithefis, it is impoffible the hearer fhould not become fenfible of this particularity. The art is in that cafe quite naked. Then indeed the frequency of the figure renders it infipid, the fameness tiresome, and the artifice unfufferable." Our judicious critic, indeed, very properly obferves, that it is in this, as in most cases; it is the abufe, and not the use, of the figure that is inconfiftent with the character of good writing. The only original qualities, fays he, of ftyle which are excluded from no part of a performance, nay, which ought, on the contrary, to pervade the whole, are purity and perfpicuity. The others are fuited merely to particular fubjects and occafions. And if this be true of the qualities themselves, it must certainly be true of the tropes and figures which are fubfervient to thefe qualities. In the art of cookery, thofe fpiceries which give the highest relish must be used the most spaingly. Who then could endure a dish, wherein these were the only ingredients? There is no trope or figure that is not capable of a good effect. I do not except thofe which are reckoned of the lowest value, alliteration, paronomafia, or even pun. But then the effect depends entirely on the circumstances. If these are not properly adjufted, it is always different from what it was intended to be, and often the reverse. "The antithefis, in particular, gives a kind of luftre and emphafis to the expreffion. It is the conviction of this that hath rendered fome writers intemperate in the ufe of it. But the excefs itfelf is an evidence of its value. There is no risk of intemperance in ufing a liquor which has neither spirit nor flavour. On the contrary, the richer the beverage is, the danger is the geater, and therefore it ought to be used with the greater caution. Quintilian hath remarked concerning the writings of Seneca, which are ftuffed with antithefis, that they abound in pleafant faultst. The example had not been dangerous, if the faults had not been pleasant. But the danger here was the greater, as the fentiments conveyed under thefe figures were excellent. The thought recommended the expreffion. An admiration of the forinfinuated a regard to the latter, with which it was so closely connected, and both very naturally engaged imitation. Hence Seneca is juftly confidered as one of the earlieft corrupters of the Roman eloHhh 2 mer • Dunciad. * Instit. lib. 1. cap. I. Abundant dulcibus vitiis. quence. quence. And here we may remark by the way, that the language of any country is in no hazard of being corrupted by bad writers. The hazard is only when a writer of confiderable talents hath not a perfect chastity of tafte in compofition: but, as was the cafe of Seneca, affects to excess what in itself is agreeable. Such a style compared with the more manly elocution of Cicero, we call effeminate, as betraying a fort of feminine fondnefs for glitter and ornament. There is fome danger that both French and English will be corrupted in the There have been fome writers of eminence in both, who might be charged, perhaps as juftly as Seneca, with abounding in pleasant faults." fame manner. Were it not too invidious a task, we could exemplify the truth of this remark, by inftancing fome of our most highly admired writers and speakers, who notoriously owe their celebrity to their brilliant blunders or pleasant faults. But we leave our readers, to apply our author's precepts to example. S. A View of the Internal Evidence of the Chriftian Religion. By Soame Jenyns, Efq. 8vo. 2s. 6d. DodЛley. Among the many attempts, to accommodate the profound mysteries of divine wisdom to the fhallow comprehension of the human understanding, the present is by no means the least plausible or promifing of fuccefs. But the Impoffible, neceffarily includes the Impracticable, and all attempts, to reconcile objects, that are in their very effence irreconcileable, must ever be ineffectual. In pride, in reafoning pride, our errour lies; All quit their fphere and rush into the skies: In aiming to be gods if angels fell; In aiming to be angels, men rebel. For, as the heavens are high above the earth, fe are the ways of the Creator above those of his creatures; to whom the depths of his design and the extent of his power, must be ever unfathomable and past finding out. Hence nothing can be more reprehenfible, than the arrogance of our modern Rationalis, in cavilling at every thing in Revelation that is not confonant with Reafen, and in denying every thing to be religious that is not rational. Tenacious of the name of Chriftians, as they are of the tenets of Heathens, they want to newmodel the old system of Christianity, by expunging all thofe doctrines, which they cannot reconcile to their new-fangled fcheme of Rationality. But, alas! their reasoning faculties are too confined, to foar above -this visible, diurnal sphere; fo that, after all, they must fit down content with a religion, which entitles them to no better an appellation than that of honeft heathens, or give up even their nominal title to Chriftianity, and honeftly confefs themselves downright Infidels. Let them chufe; but the time feems to be approaching when they must make their choice. The Chriftian world is no longer to be deceived by these wolves in fheep's cloathing; thefe pretenders to the name of a Saviour, whofe power of falvation they openly deny. There is fo much difingenuoufnefs and fophiftry in the practices of thefe petty reafoners, that we are particularly forry to fee them kept in countenance by the mifapplied abilities of better fophifts; as they appear to be in the cafe before us. It has, indeed, been hinted, more than once, that this little work is a mere jeu d'efprit, a polemical bubble, thrown out to amufe the multitude, to im pofe on their credulity and raife a facer at the expence of their fimplicity and fincerity. |