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Sometimes, indeed, it mufl be acknowledged, his metaphors 

 fucceed each other in too quick fucceffion, and are followed up too 

 elaborately : but to commit this fault he was folicited by temp- 

 tations fcarcely to be refilled. Much of his life had been con- 

 fumed in enquiring into the various acceptations of each word, 

 all of which except the primary one are fo many metaphorical 

 ufes, of it J fo that every word fuggefted many metaphors to his 

 mind, prefenting alfo from his quotations a variety of other 

 terms of the fame clafs, with which it would wifli to be aflb- 

 ciated. Thus ardour, which in his preface to his Dictionary, 

 he obfcrves, is never ufed to denote material heat, yet to an 

 etymologift would naturally fuggeft it ; and Johnfon accordingly, 

 fpeaking of the " ardour of pofthumous fame," fays that " feme 

 " have confidered it as little better than fplendid madnefs ; as a 

 " flame kindled by pride and fanned by folly." Thinking of a 

 deep ftratagem, he is naturally led from the depth to the fur- 

 face, and declares " that Addifon knew the heart of man from 

 " the depths of ftratagem to the furface of afFedtation." His 

 fubjeds too were fuch as fcarcely could be treated of without 

 figurative di£lion : the powers of the underftanding require the 

 aid of illuftration to become intelligible to common readers. But 

 to enquire how our author illuftrates them, is to detedt the 

 greateft and almofl; the only fault in his metaphors. " The 

 " mind flagnates without external ventilation" — " An intelledual 

 " digeftion, which concoded the pulp of learning, but refufed 

 " the huiks" — " An accumulation of knowledge impregnated his 

 " mind, fermented by ftudy, and fublimed by imagination." 

 From fuch illuftrations common readers will, it is feared, receive 

 but little afliftance. The fources from which his allufions are 

 borrowed are fo abflrufe and fcientific, and his exprelfions fo 



[G] ftudioufly 



