These few inftances, among many others that may easily be given, are fufficient to fhew how ingenious commentators may be led into miftakes, when once they indulge their over-refining taft, and pay greater complements to their own gueffes, than to the expreffions of the author. SECT. IV. HERE is no fmall elegance in the use of Ta figure a figure which the rhetoricians call the apofiopefis; when in threatening, or in the expreffion of any other paffion, the fentence is broken, and fomething is left to be fupplied. 'Tis a figure well known for that common paffage in Virg. Aen. I, 138. "Quos ego-fed motos praeftat componere "fluctus." "Quem tibi jam Troja So in king Lear, Act II. "Lear. No, you unnatural hags, "I will have fuch revenges on you both, "That "That all the world fhall-I will do fuch things, "What they are yet I know not." I mention these well-known places to introduce, others, lefs known. And here I beg leave to explain a paffage in Horace, who uses this figure with the utmost elegance in his ode to Galatea. Venus is introduced jefting on Europe, Mox ubi lufit fatis, Abftineto Dixit irarum calidaeque rixae: Cum tibi invifus laceranda reddet What then? Why then treat this odious creature as cruelly or as kindly as you please. 'Tis an elegance not to be fupplied in words. Immediately Venus begins foothing her vanity with the dignity of her lover, and with her giving a name to a part of the world. Whether any commentator has taken notice of this beauty in Horace, I don't know: Dr. Bentley is at his old work, altering what he could not taste. 1 Hor. L. II. Od. 27. The Dr. would thus alter the paffage, JAM tibi INJUSsus laceranda reddet This figure has a very near resemblance to another called by the Greeks, τὸ σχῆμα παρ' Sóvosav, figura praeter expectationem: when the fentence is in fome measure broken, or fufpended, and fomewhat added otherwise than you expected. Ariftophanes in Plut. . 26. Χρ. Αλλ' ἔ σε κρύψω· τῶν ἐμῶν γὰρ οικειῶν Πισόταλον ἡγαμαί σε κα κλεπίςαλον. Well, I'll not conceal it from thee: for of all domeftics my I think thee to be the most trufty and the greatest knave. 'Twas expected he should have added, and the bonefteft. I come now to our author, and shall cite a few places, which, as far as I find, have escaped notice, and on that account, have been mended or mangled. In the Merrry Wives of Windfor, Act II. 2 "Ford. Tho' Page be a fecure fool, and stand "fo firmly on his wife's Frailty; yet I "cannot put off my opinion fo eafily." He was going to fay bonefty; but corrects himself, and 2 They would read, Fealty. adds unexpectedly, frailty, with an emphasis, as in Hamlet, A&t I. Frailty, thy name is woman. This well spoken gives furprize to the audience; and furprize is no small part of wit. A fenator is added beyond expectation; any one would think Iago was going to call him as bad names, as he himself was called by the fenator Brabantio. First part of Henry IV. A&t I. Hotfp. Revolted Mortimer! "He never did fall off, my fovereign liege. that true, So this paffage should be pointed; but not a syllable altered. Hotspur is going to speak only not treafon; but corrects himself by a beautiful apofiopefis. In Coriolanus, Act II. Menenius fpeaking of Coriolanus, * Where "Where is he wounded? Vol. I'th' fhoulder, "and i'th' left arm: there will be large cicatrices "to fhew the people, when he shall stand for "his place. He received in the repulse of "Tarquin feven hurts i'th' body. Men. One "i'th' neck, and two i'th' thigh "nine that I know." there's The old man, agreeable to his character, is minutely particular: Seven wounds? let me fee; one in the neck, two in the thigh-Nay I am fure there are more; there are nine that I know of. In the Merchant of Venice. A& II. «Launcelot. I cannot get a fervice, No! I ❝ have neʼer a tongue in my head! Well, If any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth offer to fwear upon a book I fhall have good fortune; go to, here's a fimple " line of life, &c. Launcelot speaks this, looking on his hand: [a fairer table which doth offer to fwear upon a book,] for the hand must be uncovered when a person takes his oath on the Bible. The break is eafy to be fupplied, and instances of the like nature frequently occur. 3 They have printed it, And one too i'th thigh. |