any thing in the world, which may not be compared to feveral things, if confidered in several diftinct lights; or, in other words, the fame thing may be expreffed by different metaphors. But the mifchief is, that an unfkilful author fhall run these metaphors fó abfurdly into one another, that there fhall be no fimile, no agreeable picture, no apt refemblance, but confufion, obfcurity, and noife. Thus I have known a hero compared to a thunderbolt, a lion, and the fea; all and each of them proper metaphors for impetuofity, courage, or force. But by bad management it hath fo happened, that the thunderbolt hath overflowed its banks; the lion hath been darted through the fkies, and the billows have rolled out of the Libyan defert. The abfurdity in this inftance is obvious. And yet every time that clashing metaphors are put together, this fault is committed more or lefs. It hath already been faid, that metaphors are images of things which affect the fenfes. An image therefore taken from what acts upon the fight, cannot, without violence, be applied to the hearing; and fo of the reft. It is no lefs an impropriety to make any being in nature or art to do things in its metaphorical ftate, which it could not do in its original. I fhall illuftrate what I have faid by an inftance which I have read more than once in controverfial writers. The heavy lafbes, faith a celebrated author, that have dropped from your pen, &c. I fuppose this gentleman, having frequently heard of gall dropping from a pen, and being lafhed in a fatire, he was refolved to have them both at any rate, and fo uttered this complete piece of nonfenfe. It will moft effectually discover the abfurdity of thefe monftrous unions, if we will fuppose these metaphors or images actually painted. Imagine then a hand holding a pen, and feveral lafhes of whip cord falling from it, and you have the true reprefentation of this fort of eloquence. I believe, by this very rule, a read a reader may be able to judge of the union of all metaphors whatfoever, and determine which are homogeneous, and which heterogeneous: or, to speak more plainly, which are confiftent, and which inconfiftent. There is yet one evil more which I must take notice of, and that is the running of metaphors into - tedious allegories; which, though an error on the better hand, caufes confufion as much as the other. This becomes abominable, when the luftre of one word leads a writer out of his road, and makes him wander from his fubject for a page together. I remember a young fellow of this turn, who having faid by chance, that his mistress had a world of charms, thereupon took occafion to confider her as one poffeffed of frigid and torrid zones, and pursued her from the one pole to the other. I fhall conclude this paper with a letter written in that enormous ftile, which I hope my reader hath by this time fet his heart against. The epiftle hath heretofore received great applause; but after what hath been faid, let any man commend it if he dare. SIR, After the many heavy lafbes that have fallen from your pen, you may justly expect in return all the load that my ink can lay upon your 'fhoulders. You have quartered all the foul language upon me, that could be raked out of the air of Billing/gate, without knowing who I am, or whether I deferve to be cupped and scarified at this rate. I tell you once for all, turn your ( eyes where you please, you fhall never smell me • out. Do you think that the panics, which you fow about the parish will ever build a monument to your glory? No, Sir, you may fight these battles as long as you will, but when you come to balance the account you will find that you have • been been fishing in troubled waters, and that an ignus fatuus hath bewildered you, and that indeed you have built upon a fandy foundation, and brought · your hogs to a fair market. ‹ I am, SIR, your's, &c.' No. 596. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20. Molle meum levibus cor eft violabile telis. OVID. Ep. XV. ver. 79. Cupid's light darts my tender bofom move. THE РОРЕ. The very HE cafe of my correfpondent, who fends me following letter, has fomewhat in it fo whimsical, that I know not how to entertain my readers better than by laying it before them. SIR, I am fully convinced that there is not upon earth a more impertinent creature than an importunate lover. We are daily complaining of the severity of our fate, to people who are wholly unconcerned in it; and hourly improving a paffion, which we ⚫ would perfuade the world is the torment of our ⚫ lives. Notwithstanding this reflection, Sir, I can not forbear acquainting you with my own cafe. • You must know then, Sir, that even from my childhood, the moft prevailing inclination I could perceive in myfelf, was a ftrong defire to be in favour with the Fair-Sex. I am at present in the ⚫ one and twentieth year of my age, and fhould have • made choice of a the-bedfellow many years fince, had not my father, who has a pretty good eftate of his own getting, and paffes in the world for a pruVOL. VIII. • dent • dent man, been pleased to lay it down as a maxim, That nothing fpoils a young fellow's fortune fo much as marrying early; and that no man ought to think of wedlock until fix and twenty. Knowing his fentiments upon this head, I thought it in vain to apply myself to women of condition, who expect fettlements; fo that all my amours have hitherto been with ladies who had no fortunes: but I know not how to give you fo good an idea of me, as by laying before you the hiftory of my life. I can very well remember, that at my schoolmiftrefs's, whenever we broke up, I was always for joining myfelf with the mifs who lay in, and was conftantly one of the first to make a party in the play of Hufband and Wife. This passion for being well with the females ftill increafed as I advanced in years. At the dancing-fchool I contracted fo many quarrels by ftruggling with my fellow-fcholars for the partner I liked beft, that upon a ballnight, before our mothers made their appearance, I was ufually up to the nofe in blood. My father, like a difcreet man, foon removed me from this ftage of foftnefs to a fchool of difcipline, where I learnt Latin and Greek. I underwent several feverities in this place, until it was thought convenicnt to fend me to the univerfity; though, to confefs the truth, I fhould not have arrived fo early at that feat of learning, but from the difcovery of an intrigue between me and my mafter's house-keeper; upon whom I had employed my rhetoric fo effectually, that, though fhe was a very elderly Lady, I had almost brought her to confent to marry me. Upon my arrival at Oxford, I found logic fo dry, that, instead of giving attention to the dead, 1 foon fell to addreffing the living. My first amour was with a pretty girl whom I fhall call Parthenope her mother fold ale by the town-wall. Being often caught there by the proctor, I was forced at laft, that my miftrefs's reputation might • receive : receive no blemish, to confefs my addreffes were 'honourable. Upon this I was immediately sent home; but Parthenope foon after marrying a fhoemaker, I was again fuffered to return. My next affair was with my taylor's daughter, who deferted • me for the fake of a young barber. Upon my complaining to one of my particular friends of this mis fortune, the cruel wag made a mere jeft of my ca• lamity, and asked me with a fmile, Where the needle fhould turn but to the pole? After this I was 6 deeply in love with a milliner, and at laft with my bed-maker, upon which I was fent away, or, in the university-phrafe, rufticated for ever. Upon my coming home, I fettled to my ftudies fo heartily, and contracted fo great a reservedness by being kept from the company I most affected, that my father thought he might venture me at the Temple. Within a week after my arrival I began to fhine again, and became enamoured with a mighty pretty creature, who had every thing but money to recommend her. Having frequent opportunities of uttering all the foft things which an heart formed for love could inspire me with, I foon gained her ⚫ confent to treat of marriage; but, unfortunately for us all, in the abfence of my charmer, I usually talked the fame language to her elder fifter, who is alfo very pretty. Now, I affure you, Mr. SPECTATOR, this did not proceed from any real affection I had conceived for her; but, being a perfect ftranger to the conversation of men, and strongly addicted to affociate with the women, I knew no other language but that of love. I fhould, how-'. ever, be very much obliged to you, if you could free me from the perplexity I am at prefent in. I have fent word to my old gentleman in the country, that I am defperately in love with the younger. fifter; and her father, who knew no better, poor man, acquainted him by the fame poft, that I had P 2 • for |