and yet be fure of being understood: but there are particular methods which particular persons have adopted, or have fallen into, which is the reason why strangers cannot be fo certain when a perfon speaks ironically, as those who are well acquainted with him, and know his peculiar fentiments and manner. However, if a person who speaks ironically be misunderstood for a time, it is a circumftance that hath often no unfavourable effect, as it often occafions the greater diverfion at laft. In reality, a new contraft is hereby produced, between our firft and our latter apprehenfions of the perfon's meaning. Perhaps, the most complete fcene of irony and ridicule is, when a conceited coxcomb in a company shall interpret that to be a compliment, which every body else fees was intended to expose him; which, in this cafe,. it most effectually doth. Though it appears, by the preceding account of the burlesque and the mock-heroic, that there is a confiderable resemblance be-tween them, the latter hath this great advantage over the former;; that, in burlesque, there is an avowed attempt to divert and promote laughter, by odd combinations of ideas; whereas in the mock-heroic, and in ftrokes of humour, we are presented with the fame odd combinations, but the attempt to divert, by means of them, is concealed under an air of gravity and seriousness,, which is a high additional contraft. The writer of burlefque is to be understood literally; the author of the mock-heroic, or the writer of humour, fays one thing, and means another. The former is like a perfon who fays, "I will tell you a comical. "ftory, that will make you laugh." The latter fays, of the fame: ftory, "It is a ferious affair, and not to be laughed at. Though, therefore, the effect of the mock-heroic and the burlefque differ. F. f. 2.: only only in degree, they are of fo different a character, that it is a great offence against propriety to confound them. Notwithstanding this manifeft impropriety, there are few writers who aim at the mock-heroic, that can help putting themfelves, now and then, in the place of their hearers, and laughing at their own ftory; fo that we have few pieces which are throughout in the style of the genuine mock-heroic. Cervantes is univerfally confeffed to be the best model for this fpecies of writing, and he hath been happily imitated by Mr. Cambridge in the Scribleriad. Pope's Rape of the Lock, notwithstanding its great merit, is not altogether free from the forementioned inconfiftency. Who would imagine that the poet, who affects to be so serious as he doth in the greatest part of his work, even when he speaks in his own person, should introduce it by telling us, almost in so many words, that he will tell us a very ridiculous and diverting ftory? What can have a greater appearance of gravity than the following exclamation of the poet, in his own person, upon Belinda's triumphing too foon upon a fuccessful throw of her cards? . Oh thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate, Cant. III. Ver. 101. The The greater part of the poem is in the fame serious ftrain; but how unsuitable to this are the very first verses? What dire offence from am'rous caufes fprings, What mighty contests rife from trivial things, much is due; I fing. This verse to C This e'en Belinda might vouchfafe to view. If the inspire, and he approve my lays. How much more propriety is there in the following serious introduction to the Scribleriad : The much-enduring man, whofe curious foul Infatiate, endless knowledge to obtain, Through woes by land, through dangers on the main, New woes, new dangers, deftin'd to engage, By wrathful Saturn's unrelenting rage, I fing. It is hardly necessary to observe, that, both with respect to the mock-heroic, and in every other cafe in which objects that are very different are contrafted and compared, the refemblance fhould be as great and as striking as the difference: otherwise the contrast or comparison will not be borne with any pleasure. A want of this seems to render Mr. Pope's attempt to parody that fublime passage of Mofes, Let there be light, and there was light, weak and ineffectual. The The skilful nymph reviews her force with care, Let Spades be trumps, fhe faid; and trumps they were. Such poor attempts at parody as this affect only the persons who make them. The original paffages themselves suffer no injury from them, as they were obferved to do from a happy and fuccessful parody. LECTURE LECTURE XXVI. Of RIDDLES, PUNS, and the ferious ANTITHESIS. HE pleasure we receive from the folution of riddles may ΤΗ not improperly be mentioned under this head of Contraft. The generality of riddles are nothing more than very strong and harsh metaphors, or rather allegories, and the pleafure we receive from them is in proportion to the greatness of the analogy between two things which are very different. Of this nature is the famous riddle of the Sphynx, "What creature is "that which walks upon four legs in the morning, upon two at 66 noon, and upon three at night?" Every thing that strikes us in the application of this to a man, is to find that hands and a Staff are called legs, when, like them, they rest upon the ground, and fupport a perfon; that infancy is the morning, middle age the noon, and old age the evening of life. Some other riddles are of another kind, and particularly that of Samfon; "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the ftrong came forth sweetness." The figure in this riddle is not a metaphor, because a lion is not called the eater; nor honey, fweetness, on account of their resemblance to one another ; but on account of another relation which will be explained when I treat of the Metonymy. A con |