(a) OF GRAMMATICAL FIGURES. The principal grammatical figures are the following: 102. The ELLIPSIS (22s, omission) is a retrenchment of words necessary to the complete construction of the phrase, in order to give more sprightliness or vivacity to the thought. Ex.-"Were you to attempt a reformation of manners, what qualifications would you require in the men whom you would associate with you in such an undertaking? What would content you? Talent?-No! Enterprise?No! Courage?-No! Reputation?-No! Virtue ?—No! The men whom you would select should possess, not one, but all of these."-Knowles. "Je l'aimais inconstant, qu' eusse-je fait fidele.”—Racine. " Ουκ άγαθον πολυκοιρανίη.”—Hom. 103. PLEONASM (оvacuos, redundancy) adds words which are not necessary to the full meaning of the sentence, in order that the reader or hearer may dwell longer upon the thought. Ex. "The shades of summer eve did fall, The moon, sweet regent of the sky, Silvered the woods of Cumnor hall And many an oak that grew thereby." Old Ballad. "Et que me fait à moi cette Troie ou je cours."-Racine. "Proelia et pugnas."-Luc. “ Είπειν φάναι.”Xen. 104. SULLEPSIS (vas, conceptio) makes the word agree with the object, expressed by another word, and not with the word itself to which it relates. Ex. "Ubi est scelus qui me perdidit?" “ Τέκνον φίλε.”Hom. "Comme eux vous fûtes pauvre et comme eux orphelin." Racine. 105. HYPERBATON ('vnɛp Вaww, to pass over) or Inversion, inverts the natural order of words. Ex. "Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit Sing, heavenly muse."-Milton. "Crowned with the sickle, and the wheaten sheaf, "By these we acquired our liberties,' said the Scotch nobles, laying their hands on their swords, 'and with these will we defend them.'"-Robertson. "Saxa vocant Itali mediis quæ in fluctibus Aras."—Virg. "Sur ce propos, d'un conte il me souvient."-La Fontaine. 106. HYPALLAGE ('uno a22ayn, change) inverts the regimen and order of words. Ex. Thus we say, "To restore a man to life,” when we mean to resuscitate or give him life. Thus also in Latin, "Ibant obscuri solâ sub nocte,❞— Virg., for "Soli obscurâ ibant sub nocte," and "dare classibus austros," for "classes austris." 107. The employment of these figures must be sanctioned by the usage of the best writers. (b.) OF ORATORICAL FIGURES. The oratorical figures of speech are the following: 108. REPETITION consists in repeating a word several times, in order to give more force and energy to the thought, and, by dwelling longer upon it, make a deeper impression on the mind. 1. Sometimes we repeat the same word twice in succession. Ex.-"Vivis, et vivis non ad deponendam sed ad confirmandam audaciam."-Cic. "Rompez, rompez tout pacte avec l'impieté.”—Racine. 2. Sometimes we repeat the same words at the beginning, or at the conclusion of each member of the sentence. Ex. "I charge him with having destroyed the whole system of government; I charge him with having delegated away that power which the act of Parliament had directed him to preserve inalienably to himself; I charge him with having formed an ostensible committee," etc.-Burke. "Te, dulcis conjux, te solo in litore secum, Te, veniente die, te, decedente, canebat."-Virg. "Doletis tres exercitus, Patres Conscripti, interfectos, interfecit Antonius; desideratis clarissimos cives, eos quoque vobis eripuit Antonius; auctoritas hujus ordinis afflicta est, affligit Antonius," etc.— Cic. 3. Sometimes the first and last words of each member of the sentence is repeated. Ex.-"Quem Senatus damnavit; quem Pop. Rom. damnavit; quem omnium existimatio damnavit;-hunc vos sententiis vestris absolvetis ?"-Cic. 4. Sometimes the word which terminates the preceding member of the sentence is repeated at the beginning of the next. Ex.-"Hic tamen vivit! vivit? Imo etiam in senatum venit."-Cic. 5. Sometimes we recur to the same word to produce a contrast or opposition of ideas. Ex."Quam (provinciam) pauper divitem ingressus, dives pauperem reliquit."-Cic. 6. Sometimes words which have nearly the same meaning are accumulated upon each other. Ex.-" Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupuit."-Cic. 7. Sometimes words are placed in antithesis with words from which they are derived. Ex.-"Emit morte immortalitatem." "Ut non emissus ex urbe, sed immissus in urbem esse videatur."-Cic. This often degenerates into a childish play upon words. 8. Sometimes the connecting particles which serve to unite the words or members of a sentence together are repeated. Ex." Mens, et animus, et consilium, et sententia civitatis posita est in legibus."-Cic. "On egorge à la fois les enfans, les veillards Et la sœur et le frère Et la fille et la mère." 109. DISJUNCTION, on the other hand, suppresses these particles. Ex.-"Statesmen,-scholars,-divines,-heroes,-poets, -do you want exemplars worthy of study and imitation? Where will you find them brighter than in Scotland?"Flagg. "Français, Anglais, Lorrains que la fureur rassemble, Avancaient, combattaient, frappaient, mourraient, ensemble." 110. An EPITHET is generally an adjective, which, though the principal idea may be sufficiently expressed, adds grace or energy to the thought, sentiment or image. Epithets should be suitable to the object to which they are applied, conformable to the character of the person, and especially adapted to the nature of the circumstance. Ex.-" Arma diu senior desueta trementibus ævo Circumdat nequidquam humeris, et inutile ferrum 111. Epithets are faulty, 1. When they are not suitable to the subject, or the circumstances of the object. Ex.-"The least fatal reverse of fortune," "the verdant green." "Mortem avium turbæ nix infert alba loquaci." 2. When they are superfluous, that is, when they add nothing to the thought, the sentiment, or the image. Ex.-"The remorseless tiger," "the faint-hearted coward," &c. "Le mal a brisé mes os Et sa rage insatiable Ne me laisse aucun repos."-Rousseau. |