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current of our difcourfes, by turning the stream as it were for a moment back upon itfelf. This Figure alfo fhews the attention and accuracy of the speaker, in that he appears immediately aware of objections that may be made against what he is offering, and fhelters himself from their force. Let me obferve further, that whoever duly examines the inftances that have been given will find that the fenfe is enhanced by these corrections, or at leaft is more advantageously received; and it is certainly in some cafes wifer to raise our fenfe by degrees, than crowd it all at once upon our audience. As the ideas gradually open, fo the mind alfo gradually opens by this Figure, till we have agreeably and fully imbibed, and, as it were, abforbed a Speaker's whole meaning. Water bursting in an hafty flood upon the mouth of a vial will certainly be wasted; and we can only hope to fill it by a gentle and leifurely infusion. I fhall add, with Mr BLACKWALL, that "the unexpected quickness of the recollection and turn "in this Figure pleasingly surprises the Reader, " and all of a fudden fires him with the Au"thor's own passion. The height of this Fi66 gure is, when a perfon, having lately declared "an inclination to a thing, presently rejects it

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with horror, and vows against it with impre"cations." Of this fort Mr BLACK WALL gives an inftance from DIDO's fpeech in VIR

GIL.

The

The Queen, deep wounded with the darts of love,
Felt the fwift poifon rufh thro' all her veins,
And her whole foul imbib'd the fubtil flame.
The valour of the man, his high descent,
His graceful perfon, his attractive speech,
Indelibly were ftamp'd upon her heart,
Fill'd all her thoughts, and murder'd her repose.
When the next morning had reftor'd the fun,
And scatter'd from the skies the humid shades,
Diftracted to her fifter fhe unfolds

The tumults, pangs, and struggles of her foul.
"O my dear ANNA, my anxiety

Has chas'd my fleep. What an uncommon guest "Have we admitted to our regal dome!

"O what a form! How brave, how great in arms!
" 'Tis past conjecture; certain 'tis he sprang
"From a celeftial ftock: his port, his looks,
"His fpeech proclaim his origin divine.
"Fear argues vulgar minds; but by what fates
"Has he been toft? What wars has he describ'd?
"Had not my foul immoveably refolv'd

"Never to wear the nuptial bonds again,
"From the firft hour my dear SICH AUS fell,
"And the connubial bed and torch renounc'd,
"This man might o'er my prudence so prevail
"As to incline me to a fecond choice.

"Sifter, I own that fince my husband's death,
"Th' unfortunate SICHEUS, fince the time
"My brother's barb'rous hand with gore diftain'd
"The houfhold Gods, this man alone has charm'd
"My gazing fenfe, and wak'd my foul to love:
"And the fame paffion that SICHAUS rais'd,
"ENEAS now rekindles in my breaft.
"But O! may earth afunder burst, and lock

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"Me

T

"Me in its clofing jaws, or may the arm "Of JUPITER dart its refiftless fires,

"And drive me headlong to the ghosts below,

"The pale wan ghofts, and dark domains of hell, "Before I trespass upon modefty,

"And with a second match disgrace the first *."

At Regina gravi jamdudum faucia cura,
Vulnus alit venis, & cæco carpitur igni.
Multa viri virtus animo, multufque recurfát
Gentis honos; hærent infixi pectore vultus.
Verbaque nec placidam membris dat cura quietent.
Poftera Phobea luftrabat lampade terras,
Humentemque Aurora polo dimoverat umbram ;
Cum fic unanimam alloquitur malefana fororem.
Anna foror, quæ me fufpenfam infomnia terrent?
Quis novus hic noftris fucceffit fedibus hofpes?
Quem fefe ore ferens! quam forti pectore & armis !
Credo equidem, nec vana fides, genus effe Deorum."
Degeneres animos timor arguit. Heu quibus ille
Jactatus fatis! quæ bella exhaufta canebat!
Si mihi non animo fixum immotumque federet,
Ne cui me vinclo vellem fociare jugali,
Poftquam primus amor deceptam morte fefellit;
Si non pertæfum thalami tædæque fuiffet;

Huic uni forfan potui fuccumbere culpæ.
Ama, fatebor enim, miferi poft fata Sichæi
Conjugis, & fparfos fraterna cæde Penates;
Solus hic inflexit fenfus, animumque labantem
Impulit agnofco veteris veftigia flammæ.
Sed mihi vel tellus optem prius ima dehifcat;
Vel Pater omnipotens adigat me fulmine ad umbras
Pallentes umbras erebi, noctemque profundam ;
Ante pudor quam te violo, aut tua jura refolvo.

VIRGIL. Eneid. lib. iv. ver. 1.

i

CHAPTER

CHAPTER V.

The APOSIOPESIS Confidered,

1. The definition of the Apofiopefis. § 2. An inftance of this Figure from Bishop FLEETWOOD. §3. Examples of it from VIRGIL, TERENCE, CICERO, and JUVENAL. § 4. Inftances of this Figure in Scripture, and on what occafions. $5. The use of the Apofiopefis.

*

§ 1. Apofiopefis is a Figure whereby a per

fon, often through the power of fome passion, as anger, forrow, fear, &c. breaks off his fpeech without finishing the sense.

§ 2. We have a remarkable inftance of this Figure in the following passage of Bishop FLEETWOOD; in which, contrafting the former and the latter years of Queen ANNE's reign, he thus speaks, and then closes with a striking Apofiopefis.

Never did feven fuch years together pafs over. "the head of any English Monarch, nor cover "it with fo much honour. The crown and fceptre feemed to be the Queen's least orna

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* From aπoσiwgw, I am filent.

❝ments:

"ments: thofe other Princes wore in common " with her; and her great personal virtues were "the fame before and since. But fuch was the

fame of her administration of affairs at home; "fuch was the reputation and felicity in choos66 ing Minifters, and fuch was then efteemed "their faithfulness and zeal, their diligence and

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great abilities in executing her commands: "to fuch an height of military glory did her "great General and her armies carry the British « name abroad; fuch were the harmony and "concord betwixt her and her allies; and fuch "was the blessing of GOD upon all her councils. " and undertakings, that I am as fure as history "can make me, that no Prince of ours was "ever yet so profperous and fuccefsful, fo loved, "fo efteemed and honoured by their fubjects " and their friends, nor near fo formidable ta "their enemies. We were, as all the world

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imagined then, juft entering on the ways that "promised to lead to fuch a peace, as would "have anfwered all the prayers of our religious "Queen, the care and vigilance of a moft able "Miniftry, the payments of a willing and obe"dient People, as well as all the glorious toils " and hazards of the Soldiery; when God for "our sins permitted the spirit of difcord to go "forth, and, by troubling the Camp, the City,

and the Country (and O! that it had altoge"ther fpared the Places facred to his Worship!) "to fpoil for a time the beautiful and pleasing

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profpect, and give us in its ftead, I know

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