347. In addition to the preceding figures of speech, there are others, such as follow:-

Antonomasia puts a proper name for a common name; or a common name for a proper name; or an office, or profession, or science, instead of the true name of a person; as, "He is a Newton," meaning a philosopher;" "Galileo was the Columbus of the heavens."

Anacanosis, is figure by which the speaker appeals to the judgment of his audience, as if they had feelings common with his own; as, "Gentlemen, if he had wronged you thus, what would you have done ?"

Anadiplosis is the use of the same word or words at the end of one clause and at the beginning of the next; as, "He retained his virtues amidst all his misfortunes; misfortunes which no prudence could see or prevent."

Aposiopēsis breaks off in the middle of a sentence; as, “But his children where are they?"

Catachresis, (or abuse of words,) is a figure by which a word is made to express something at variance with its true meaning; as, An iron candlestick;" "A beautiful voice."

Epanalepsis is a figure by which a clause or a sentence ends with the same word with which it begins; as,

as,

Epizeuxis is the emphatic repetition of the same word or words;

"The Isles of Greece, the Isles of Greece,

Where burning Sappho lov'd and sung."—Byron.

Euphemism substitutes a mild or agreeable word or phrase instead of one that is offensive or disagreeable; as, "He is not a universal favourite," instead of "He is greatly disliked."

Litōtes is a figure in which, by denying the contrary, more is intended than is expressed; as, "He is no fool," that is, "He is

wise."

Oxymoron is a direct opposition in terms, which if literally understood, involve an absurdity; as, "Cruel kindness;""Laborious

idleness."

Vision or Hypotyposis represents something imaginary, distant, or future, as if really present; as, " Methinks I see him now."1

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Anachronism is a chronological error, made by placing an event either earlier or later than it really happened; thus, "The battle of Waterloo was fought in the year 1814," should be, "in the year 1815." Synchronism is the concurrence in time, of two or more events, thus, "The battle of Vittoria and the battle of Leipsic, were fought in the year 1813,"

IMPROPRIETIES IN THE USE OF FIGURES.

EXERCISE CIX.

There is not a single view of human nature, which is not sufficient to extinguish the seeds of pride.

"A stubborn and unconquerable flame

Creeps in his veins, and drinks the streams of life."

Nature smiles in all its works. His industry created virtue; his praise, renown; his glory, envy; his virtue, praise.

"To thee the world its present homage pays;

The harvest early, but mature the praise."

I expected to have heard some light thrown on the subject. The bill underwent a great number of alterations, which were not effected without violent contest; at length, however, it was floated through both houses, on the tide of a great majority, and steered into the safe harbour of royal approbation. There is a time when factions, by the vehemence of their own fermentation, stun and disable one another.

348. Synonymes are words which have the same or a similar signification.

Obs.-Synonymes are properly employed; firstly, when an obscure term requires to be explained by a clearer one; secondly, in impassioned or poetical language. Homonymes are words which agree in sound, but differ in signification; the noun bear and the verb to bear are homonymes.

Ability, Capacity. Ability is an active quality of the mind to do anything well; capacity is a passive quality, to comprehend o receive anything. Ability to perform a work; capacity to receive instruction.

his

Abstemious, abstinent, temperate, sober. An abstemious man lay's an habitual, and an abstinent man a temporary, restraint upon appetites; a temperate man practises habitual moderation with regard to drink; and a sober man is free from intoxication or excess. Acknowledge, confess, avow. To acknowledge implies a trifling delinquency; to confess generally imples criminality; to avow means to declare openly and to glory in the declaration. A gentleman acknowledges a mistake; a prisoner confesses a crime; a patriot avows his opposition to tyranny.

Acquaintance, familiarity, intimacy. Acquaintance expresses less than familiarity; familiarity, less than intimacy. Acquaintance springs from occasional intercourse; familiarity, from daily intercourse; intimacy, from frequent and unreserved intercourse.

Admittance, admission. Admittance is applied to a literal permission to enter some place; admission is used in both a literal and figurative sense.

Alone, only. Alone means unaccompanied by any person or thing; as, the man alone escaped; only means no other of the same kind; as, an only child.

Ambiguous, equivocal. Ambiguous words have two meanings, and thereby occasion uncertainty. Equivocal words are used in order to mislead. An honest man will never employ an equivocal expression; a confused man may often utter ambiguous ones without any design.

Approbation, approval. Approbation is used in a much more extended sense than approval. Approbation may proceed from any person; approval is the sanction of a superior.

Avaricious, covetous. An avaricious man is unwilling to part with his money; a covetous man is eager to obtain money.

Beautiful, handsome, pretty. Beautiful is the strongest and most comprehensive term, and may include the others; handsome generally relates to the proportion of the whole figure, and implies beauty on a large scale; pretty generally relates to the face, and implies beauty on a small scale.

Cheerfulness, mirth. Cheerfulness is a habit of the mind; mirth is a single act; habitual cheerfulness; occasional mirth.

Childish, childlike.

Childish is a term of reproach; as, childish fear; childlike means possessing the docility, innocence, or simplicity of a child.

Clearness, perspicuity. Clearness relates to ideas; perspicuity, to the mode of expressing them.

Conciliate, reconcile. We conciliate the good will or esteem of men; we reconcile m n who are at variance.

Continuous or continued, continual. Continuous or continued is that which occurs in uninterrupted succession; continual, is that which recurs perhaps with frequent interruptions; as, continual showers; the continued succession of the sovereigns of the House of Brunswick.

Conquer, vanquish, subdue, subjugate. To conquer is more general in its meaning than to vanquish; to vanquish implies a combat; to conquer, a series of combats; to subdue implies continued pressure until opposition ceases; to subjugate means to reduce to complete submission.

Custom, habit. Custom is the frequent repetition of the same act; habit is the effect of such a repetition; the custom of rising early in the morning is conducive to health, and may in a short time become such a habit as to render it no less agreeable than it is useful. Custom supposes an act of the will; habit, an involuntary action.

Deception, deceit. Deception implies an individual act; deceit, either an individual act or the habit of mind; an act of deception; a long course of deceit.

Difference, distinction. Difference lies in the object itself; distinction, in the act of the individual who perceives that difference.

Discover, invent. To discover is to find out what existed, but was unknown before; to invent is to devise something new or not previously made, or to modify and combine things previously made or known, so as to form a new whole. Discovery generally refers to nature; invention, to art. Harvey discovered the circulation of the blood; Galileo invented the telescope; the discovery of America the invention of printing.

Dumb, silent, mute, speechless. He is dumb, who cannot speak; silent, who does not speak; mute, whose silence is compulsory; speechless, whose silence is occasioned by incidental causes, as when a person falls down speechless in a fit of apoplexy.

Enough, sufficient. A person has a sufficiency when his wants are satisfied, and enough, when his desires are satisfied. A covetous man never has enough, though he may have more than a sufficiency.

Eternal, everlasting. Eternal implies that which never had a beginning, but which always existed and shall exist for ever. The heathens believed that their gods were everlasting (that is, immortal,) but not eternal, for their birth and origin were always recorded.

To expect; to hope. When the anticipation is welcome, we hope ; when it is certain, we expect.

Feminine, effeminate. Feminine implies gentleness, delicacy, and other qualities befitting a woman; effeminate is a term of reproach, and means unmanly.

Genuine, authentic. A genuine book is one, which is written by the person whose name it bears. An authentic book is one, which relates to matters of fact as they really happened; genuine refers to the author; authentic, to the facts.1

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The history of the Alexandrian war, which goes under Cæsar's name, is not 'genuine,' for he did not write it: it is authentic,' being in the main a truthful record of the events which it professes to relate. Thiers' History of the French Empire, on the contrary, is 'genuine,' for he is certainly the author, but it is very far from 'authentic;' while Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War is authentic' and 'genuine' both.-DEAN TRENCH On the Study of Words.

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Inexorable, inflexible. Inexorable, implies what no entreaty can bend; inflexible, what nothing can bend.

Less, fewer. Less refers to quantity; fewer, to number

Melody, harmony. Melody is an arrangement in succession of different sounds of the same voice or instrument; harmony, the result of two or more concording musical sounds; melody of song or voice; harmony in a concert, or of many parts combined.

Mutual, common. Mutual, is applied to two persons only; common, to more than two. The expression, "A mutual friend,” should be, "A common friend," because the friendship must exist among three persons at least.

Neglect, negligence. Neglect denotes an act; negligence, a series of acts of neglect or a habit of neglect.

Pardon, forgive. To pardon a crime; to forgive a sin; we beg a person's pardon for a slight or unintentional offence; we ask forgiveness of a serious injury.

Pity, compassion, sympathy. Pity sometimes implies contempt; compassion has more of tenderness in it; pity is very seldom felt for imaginary sorrows; compassion sometimes is; sympathy implies more of fellow-feeling than either of the other terms, and is not restricted to subjects of pain, but may equally be felt for the pleasures of others.

Pride, vanity. Pride is inordinate self-esteem, causing a person to overrate what he possesses; vanity is applicable to small objects, and is manifested by an excessive desire to attract notice and applause; vanity is petty pride; pride makes us esteem ourselves; vanity makes us desire the esteem of others; proud of birth, rank, wealth, or talents; vain of accomplishments, dress, or beauty.

Remember, remind. Remember means to recollect something of ourselves; remind, to cause another to remember.

Silence, taciturnity. Silence implies an actual state; taciturnity, an habitual disposition. A talkative man may be silent, and a taciturn man may be making an effort at conversation.

Tolerance, toleration. Tolerance is a habit of mind; toleration, refers to action, not disposition. Principles of tolerance will lead to the toleration of different opinions.

Transient, transitory. Transient, implies what is momentary and short in duration; transitory, what is liable to pass away; transient pleasure; this transitory life.

Truth, veracity. Truth belongs to the thing; veracity, to the person; the truth of the story; the veracity of the narrator.

Whole, entire, complete. Whole excludes subtraction; entire excludes division; complete excludes deficiency; a complete orange is one that has grown to its full size. An entire orange is one not yet cut; after being sliced, the whole orange may be put, in slices, on a plate.

K