of Violence, by all poffible Ways from their Body, from their Head, from their Life; you cannot judge this to be a criminal and wicked Action, but at the fame time you must judge that all Perfons, who fall amongft Robbers and Bravoes, must either perish by their Weapons, or your Sentence. An Orator in the Heat of his Engagement, in the Vehemence of his Indignation against an infolent and unreasonable Adverfary, and his earneft Concern for the Prefervation of a dear Friend in Danger, exerts the utmoft Power of his Eloquence, redoubles his Strokes, and eagerly pushes on all his Advantages. §. 12. CIRCUMLOCUTION, Periphrafis, ufes more, and fometimes lefs plain Words, to avoid fome Inconvenience and ill Effects, which would proceed from expreffing a Thing in fewer and plainer Words. When * When Tully could not deny the Death of Clodius, and was defending Milo charged with his Murder, he fays, Milo's Servants, without the Command, Knowledge, or Prefence of their Mafter, did what every Mafter would expect his Servants fhould do in the like Cafe. He avoids the Word kill'd or ftabb'd, for fear of offending the People. This Method of treating a Subject gives the Audience a good Opinion of the Prudence and Modefty of the Pleader: One unguarded and diftafteful Word, has fometimes loft the Speaker the Favour of the Audience, before wellinclin'd to him; and ruin'd a promifing Cause. After Homer, in his fourteenth Iliad, has reprefented fupiter extremely inflam'd with Love for Juno, and retir'd to fleep in her Arms; he, with wonderful Addrefs and Decency, diverts the Imagination of the Reader from following *Orat. pro Mil. §. 6. p. 316. Ver. 347, &c. K 6 them them into their awful Privacies; and amufes him, by defcribing Nature at that time in a very gay Humour. He feigns the Earth producing a new Crop of Hyacinth and Crocus, and forms a goldenCloud diftilling ambrofial Dew. Very often Circumlocution is us'd, not merely out of Prudence or Neceffity to conceal a Secret, or cover an Indecency; but for Variety and Ornament, to give Pomp and Dignity to our Expreffions, to inrich a Difcourfe with new Thoughts, and to multiply the Graces of a Defcription The Night's bright Empress, in her goldenCar, Which Lines, I believe, hit the Senfe, tho' I am fure they don't reach the Beauties of that admirable Periphrafis of Pindar *. * 'Oλ. 3. v. 35, 36. p.138. - Διχόμηνις Διχόμηνις ὅλον χρυσάρματα §. 13. AMPLIFICATION is when every chief Expreffion in a Period adds Strength and Advantage to what went before; and fo the Senfe all along heightens, till the Period be vigorously and agreeably clos'd. 'Tis pleasant to be virtuous and good, because that is to excel many others: "Tis pleasant to grow better, because that is to excel ourselves: Nay, 'tis pleasant even to mortify and fubdue our Lufts, because that is Victory: 'Tis pleasant to command our Appetites and Paffions, and to keep them in due Order, within the Bounds of Reafon and Religion, because this is Empire *. When an Author thus improves upon us in his Discourse, we are extremely pleas'd and attentive while he continues it; and perfectly *Archbishop Tillotson, Serm. 12. p. 138. 1 fatisfy'd We fatisfy'd when he concludes. are edify'd and charm'd with the Instruction of one, whom we find to be complete Master of his Subject. What Reputation must it be to the Writer, what Pleasure to the Reader, when the one fays every Thing in the best manner it can be faid; and the other is entertain'd with every Thing that can be defir'd? But 'tis the utmost Reproach to an Author, and a moft intolerable Disappointment to the Reader, when the one flags and faulters every Step; and fo the other is fatigued and mortify'd, with a continual Series of heavy and lifeless Periods. There are various Ways of contriving and forming this Figure, which have great Force and Elegance; tho' perhaps they cannot nicely be adapted to every Part of the Definition. I fhall name three very lively Ways of expreffing an Amplification. 1. We amplify or raife a Difcourfe by felecting a Number of the most emphatical aud ftrongest Words of the |
