§ 1. E Nantiofis is a Figure, by which things very different or contrary are compared or placed together, and by which they mutually fet off and enhance each other. 2. What a charming inftance have we of this kind in the following pafsage of VIRGIL, in which we have the different scenes of a Court and Country Life, admirably drawn and contrafted with each other? Happy, too happy for the world below, The countryman, did he his blifs but know: What tho' his wool imbibes no pois'nous juice, Cool grots, refounding with no frightful noise, From valiwais, an oppofition, or contrariety. Fundit May we not alfo add, as an example of the Enantiofis, the lines with which VIRGIL concludes his Georgics, in which he paints in such different colours AUGUSTUS and himfelf? Thus have I fung of tillage, flocks, and trees, Fundit humo facilem victum juftiffima tellus. How Dives opum Hæc fuper arvorum cultu pecorumque cânebam VIRGIL, Georgic. lib. iv. ver. 559. How finely are the fweets of difsolute plea fure, and the wretched confequences that foon fucceed upon it, reprefented in the following lines of Mr PRIOR? On pleasure's, flowing brink we idly stray, And from our troubled view the lefs'ned lands retreat Mr POPE has moft beautifully contrafted the noisy rattling of numbers, and their soft and eafy fmoothness, in the following verfes: What, like Sir RICHARD, rumbling, rough and fierce PRIOR's Solomon, book ii. Lul! Lull with AMELIA's liquid name the nine, With what masterly touches has the late Bishop SHERLOCK COntrafted the characters of our blefsed LORD, and the Eastern Impoftor MAHOMET? "But with refpect to this inftance, I perfuade "myself it can be no very diftracting study to "find reasons to determine our choice. Go to "your natural religion: lay before her MAHO MET and his difciples arrayed in armour and "in blood, riding in triumph over the fpoils of "thousands and tens of thousands, who fell by his victorious fword. Shew her the cities "which he fet in flames, the countries which he "ravaged and deftroyed, and the miferable dis"trefs of all the inhabitants of the earth. When fhe has viewed him in this fcene, carry her "into his retirements; fhew her the prophet's "chamber, his concubines and wives; let her fee his adultery, and hear him alledge revela"tion and his divine commifsion to justify his "luft and opprefsion. When she is tired with this fcene, then fhew her the blessed Jesus, "humble and meek, doing good to all the fouls "of men, patiently inftructing both the igno"rant and perverfe. Let her fee him in his "most retired privacies; let her follow him to "the mount, and hear his devotions and fuppli"cations to his GOD. Carry her to his table, to « view + POPE's Satires of HORACE imitated, fat. i. line 23. vol. iv. page 57. "view his poor fare, and hear his heavenly dis"courfe. Let her fee him injured, but not pro"voked: let her attend him to the tribunal, and consider the patience with which he en"dured the fcoffs and reproaches of his enemies, "Lead her to his crofs, and let her view him in "the agonies of death, and hear his last prayer for his perfecutors; Father, forgive them, for "they know not what they do! When natural "religion has viewed both, afk, Which is the "Prophet of GOD? But her answer we have al ready had, when the faw part of this fcene through the eyes of the centurion who attended "at the cross by him fhe fpoke, and faid, Truly "this man was the Son of GOD t." I will venture to mingle with the examples of the Enantiofis, a translation of STRADA's defcrip, tion of the Contest between the Mufician and Night, ingale, since I am certain that the poem is remarkable for its variations. Now from the height of heav'n the fun declin'd, Alutanife relaxing from his toil, Sat down beneath an oak, that o'er his head A feather'd native of the neighbourhood, A nightingale, SHERLOCK's Difcourfes, vol. i. page 271. |