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borders upon irony, and is sometimes united with it. From the name you will perceive that it implies an affectation of omission, as when an orator exclaims, "I refrain from touching on the rapacity, the venality, the exceeding corruption of the person I accuse; I confine myself to the point," &c. Cicero makes a very free use of this figure; and the late Mr. Burke, who made that great master his model, was particularly fond of it.

Dr. Blair has enumerated two or three other forms of expression as figures of rhetoric; and that I may not leave this sketch imperfect, I shall conclude this letter with a short notice of them. The first of these is interrogation, of which (he observes) we have many fine instances in the poetical and prophetical parts of Scripture-"God is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it?" The effect of this mode of expression will be very evident, if the sense is preserved, and the words thrown out of this interrogative form. “What he hath said he will do, and what he hath spoken he will make good." Also in St. Matthew, ch. xi. v. 7 and 9. "And as they de

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parted, he began to say unto the multitude concerning John. What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? but what went ye out for to see; a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold they that wear soft raiment are in kings' houses: but what went ye out for to see? A prophet, yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet."

Exclamation is a stronger figure than the former. The best rule that can be given with regard to it, is, that you should attend to the manner in which the passion you describe would naturally vent itself. The figure must be seldom used, as it will appear very ridiculous, unless where the passions of the hearers are much inflamed.

The same author observes, that some writers fill their books with points of admiration! as if the points were sufficient to produce that passion by a magical power, when their sentiments are perfectly frigid. Nearly allied to this is another trick, which has been much employed by modern authors, i. e. filling their -writings with black lines, as if every sentence was so important as to deserve applause. Dr.

Blair calls this a typographical figure, and it

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is well adapted to some contemptible writers, and that herd of novelists, who have nothing either in their matter or style to attract attention. There was another custom used not long ago, which modern writers have justly laid aside; they wrote every word which they thought emphatic in Italic characters. Though this may be very proper with respect to some very energetic words, yet the too frequent use of them only dazzles the sight, without informing the understanding.

Dr. Blair remarks also another figure, which he calls vision, by which we describe a thing that is past or absent as if passing immediately before our eyes: by it we place things in a very lively manner before our readers, an example of which may be found in Cicero's fourth oration against Catiline. "Cum vero mihi proposui regnantem Lentulum," &c. It is not easy to give any rules concerning the management of this figure; it requires, indeed, great caution, and its use ought to be almost exclusively restricted to very passionate orations.

Repetition is another animated figure remarked by the same writer; by this we repeat the most material words of a sentence, in order to

make the impression the stronger. example of this in Virgil, when ments his lost wife Eurydice

There is an Orpheus la

"Te, dulcis conjux te, solo in littore secum "Te, veniente die, te decedente canebat." To the same purpose Mr Pope

"By foreign hands thy dying eyes were clos'd,
"By foreign hands thy decent limbs compos'd,

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By foreign hands thy humble grave adorn'd,

By strangers honour'd and by strangers mourn'd."

The finest instance of this is, however, in St. Paul's 2d Epistle to the Corinthians, ch. xi. v. 22. "Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they the ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.”

I have already treated of the climax in a former letter; all that is necessary to remark here is, that it is commonly classed as a figure of rhetoric.

LETTER XIV.

General observations on Composition.

MY DEAR JOHN,

I HAVE endeavoured to give you as correct a notion as I can of all the figures of rhetoric which deserve the name. To enter into the minuteness of Farnaby would be trifling, and only perplex. There was scarcely a form or idiom of language for which the Greeks did not invent a name; and it is to be lamented that much of their science consisted only in giving names.

Even in what I have done, I fear you will apply to me the remark of Butler, formerly quoted. Yet let it be remembered, that it is at least an accomplishment to know how literary men, both ancient and modern, have specified and defined the various modes of expression.

I shall have frequently to call your attention to something of more importance than style, the matter and form of the different species of com

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