. [ 5- ] 



a definitive appropriation to that to which it is annexed ; as in 

 this inftance, " Omnipotence cannot be ex.ilted, infinity caa- 

 " not be amplified, perfedlion cannot be improved :" where 

 the exad relation between amplitude and infinity, and between 

 improvement and perfection, is not at, all kept up by exaltation 

 being applied to Omnipotence. Sometimes too words are intro- 

 duced, which anfwer hardly any other purpofe than to make 

 the parallelifm more confpicuous, by adding a new member to 

 each claufs. Thus, in the following palTage, " grows too floth- 

 " ful for the labour of conteft, too tender for the afperity of 

 " contradidion, and too delicate for the coarfenefs of truth ;" 

 where labour, afperity and coarfenefs are fufficiently implied in 

 flothful, tender and delicate. Sometimes too the parallelifm 

 itfelf is unneceffarily obtruded on the reader, as " quicknefs of 

 " apprehenfion and celerity of reply," where " celerity" having 

 precifely the fame meaning as " quicknefs," could only have 

 been introduced to make up the parallelifm : " Nothing is far- 

 " fouc;ht or hard-laboured" where the firft adverb is effential to 

 the fenfe, and the laft only to the found. " When two Englirti- 

 " men meet, their firft talk is of the weather, they are in hafte 

 " to tell each other what each muft already know, that it is hot 

 " or cold, bright or cloudy, windy or calm." Such unintereft- 

 ing enumerations, fince they contribute nothing to the meaning, 

 we can only fuppofe introduced, as our author obferves of fome 

 of Milton's Italian names, to anfwer the purpofes of har- 

 mony. 



It were unjuft however not to declare, that many of his 



parallelifms are altogether happy. For antithefis indeed he was 



moft eminently qualified ; none has exceeded him in nicety of 



[G 2] difcernmeixt. 



