of a grand object to fix the attention, and fwell the mind: in this ftate, it is difagreeable to contract the mind to a minute object, however elegant. The refembling an object to one that is greater, has, on the contrary, a good effect, by raifing or fwelling the mind. One paffes with fatisfaction from a small to a great object; but cannot be drawn down, without reluctance, from great to fmall. Hence the following fimiles are faulty.
Meanwhile the troops beneath Patroculus' care,
Invade the Trojans, and commence the war.
As wafps, provok'd by children in their play,
Pour from their manfions by the broad high-way,
In fwarms the guiltless traveller engage,
Whet all their stings, and call forth all their rage;
All rife in arms, and with a general cry
Affert their waxen domes, and buzzing progeny:
Thus from the tents the fervent legion fwarms,
So loud their clamours, and fo keen their arms.
Iliad xvi. 312.
So burns the vengeful hornet (foul all o'er)
Repuls'd in vain, and thirfty ftill of gore;
(Bold fon of air and heat) on angry wings
Untam'd, untir'd, he turns, attacks and ftings.
Fir'd with like ardour fierce Atrides flew,
And fent his foul with ev'ry lance he threw.
Iliad xvii. 642.
Instant ardentes Tyrii: pars ducere muros,
Molirique arcem, er manibus fubvolvere faxa;
Pars aptare locum tecto, et concludere fulco.
Jura magiftratufque legunt, fanctumque fenatum.
Hic portus alii effodiunt: hic alta theatris
Fundamenta locant alii, immanefque columnas
Rupibus excidunt, fcenis decora alta futuris.
Qualis apes
æftate nova per florea rura
Exercet fub fole labor, cum gentis adultos
Educunt fœtus, aut cum liquentia mella
Stipant et dulci diftendunt nectare cellas,
Aut onera accipiunt venientum, aut agmine facto
Ignavum fucos pecus a præfepibus arcent.
Fervet opus, redolentque thymo fragrantia mella.
Eneidi. 427.
To defcribe bees gathering honey as refembling the builders of Carthage, would have a much better effect.
Tum vero Teucri incumbunt, et littore celfas
Deducunt toto naves: natat uncta carina;
Frondentefque ferunt remos, et robora fylvis
Infabricata, fugæ ftudio.
Migrantes cernas, totaque ex urbe ruentes.
Ac veluti ingentem formica farris acervum
Cum populant, hyemis memores, tectoque repo-
It nigrum campis agmen, prædamque per herbas Convectant calle angufto: pars grandia trudunt Obnixæ frumenta humeris: pars agmina cogunt, Caftigantque moras: opere omnis femita fervet.
The following fimile has not any one beauty to recommend it. The fubject is Amata the wife of King Latinus.
Tum vero infelix, ingentibus excita monstris,
Immenfam fine more furit lymphata per urbem
Ceu quondam torto volitans fub verbere turbo,
Quem pueri magno in gyro vacua atria circum
Intenti ludo exercent. Ille actus habena
Curyatis fertur fpatiis: ftupet infcia turba,
Impubefque manus, mirata volubile buxum:
Dant animos plage, Non curfu fegnior illo
Per medias urbes agitur, populofque feroces.
This fimile feems to border upon the burlefque.
An error oppofite to the former, is the introducing a resembling image, fo elevated
or great as to bear no proportion to the principal fubject. The remarkable disparity betwixt them, being the moft ftriking circumftance, feizes the mind, and never fails to deprefs the principal fubject by contrast, instead of raising it by resemblance and if the disparity be exceeding great, the fimile takes on an air of burlesque; nothing being more ridiculous than to force an object out of its proper rank in nature, by es qualling it with one greatly fuperior or greatly inferior. This will be evident from the following comparisons.
Fervet opus, redolentque thymo fragrantia mella,
Ac veluti lentis Cyclopes fulmina maffis
Cum properant: alii taurinis follibus auras
Accipiunt, redduntque: alii ftridentia tingunt
Era lacu: gemit impofitis incudibus Etna:
Illi inter fefe magna vi brachia tollunt
In numerum ; verfantque tenaci forcipe ferrum.
Non aliter (fi parva licet componere magnis)
Cecropias innatus apes amor urget habendi,
Munere quamque fuo. Grandævis oppida curæ,
Et munire favós, et Dædala fingere tecta, A
At feffe multâ referunt fe nocte minores,
Crura thymo plenæ : pafcuntur et arbuta passim,
Et glaucas falices, cafiamque crocumque rubentem,
Et pinguem tiliam, et ferrugineos hyacinthos.
Omnibus una quies operum, labor omnibus unus.
Georgic. iv. 169.
Tum Bitian ardentem oculis animifque frementem;
Non jaculo, neque erim jaculo vitam ille dediffet;
Sed magnum ftridens contorta falarica venit
Fulminis acta modo, quam nec duo taurea terga,
Nec duplici fquama lorica fidelis et auro
Suftinuit: collapfa ruunt immania membra :
Dat tellus gemitum, et clypeum fuper intonat in
Qualis in Euboico Baiarum littore quondam
Saxea pila cadit, magnis quam molibus ante
Constructam jaciunt ponto: fic illa ruinam
Prona trahit, penitufque vadis illifa recumbit:
Miscent se maria, et nigræ attolluntur arena:
Tum fonitu Prochyta alta tremit, durumque cubile
Inarime Jovis imperiis impofta Typhoëo.
Eneid. ix. 703.
Loud as a bull makes hill and valley ring,
So roar'd the lock when it releas'd the fpring.
Such a fimile upon the fimpleft of all actions, that of opening a lock, is
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