1799.] 
Collins, in his Muftc of the Paffions, de- 
lineates her as a huntrets: obvioufly al- 
luding to the effets of exercife in pro- 
moting a cheerful difpofition. 
But, O, how alter’d was its fprightlier tone, 
When Cheer fulnejs, 2 nymph of healthieft hue, 
Her bow acrofs her fhoulder flung, 
Her bufkins gemm’d with morning dew, 
Blew an infpiring air, that dale and thicket 
rung ! 
The penfive hymn to Cheerfulnefs by 
Akenfide, exhibits no other picture of 
the power he invokes, than that of “¢ a 
triumphant fair, {weet of language, and 
mild of mein.”” He beftows, indeed, 
many lines on her genealogy, in which 
he makes her the daughter of Love by 
Health; but a genealogy is more eafily 
invented than a portrait. 
I thall conclude the litt of mixed perfoni- 
fications with Mr. Hayley’s beautiful por- 
trait of SENSIBILITY, © After defcribing 
her flowery garland, and thin tranfparent 
robe, deeked with rofes, he proceeds: 
Of that enchanting age her figure feems, 
When fmiling nature with the vital beams 
Of vivid youth, and pleafure’s purple flame, 
Gilds her accomplifh’d work, the female 
frame, 
With rich luxuriance tender, fweetly wild, 
And juft between the woman and the child. 
Her fair left arm around a vafe fhe flings, 
From which the tender plant Mimofa fprings: 
Towards its leaves, o’er which fhe fondly 
bends, ; 
The youthful fair her vacant hand extends 
With gentle motion, anxious to furvey 
How far the feeling fibres own her fway: 
The leaves, as confcious of their queen’s 
command, 
Succeffive fall at her approaching hand ; 
While her foft breaft with pity feems to pant, 
And fhrinks at every fhrinking of the plant. 
Triumphs of Temp. €. v. 
Of this engaging figure, both the na- 
tural and the emblematical expreffion are 
happily conceived; but from the prin- 
cipal circumftance of action I fhall take 
occafion to make a few remarks, which 
will alfo be applicable to feveral of the 
preceding and fubfequent quotations. 
The ufe of fymbolical accompaniments to 
mark out the charaéter of many perfoni- 
fied beings, has been rendered {ufhciently 
evident; but it may ftill be a queftion, 
how are thefe fymbols to be employed? 
Are they to be ufed merely as filent fig- 
natures, annexed to the figure as a part 
of his drefs, like a general’s baton, or a 
jord-treafurer’s wand? or are they to be 
employed by him as inftruments, and in 
fome manner or other to conititute his. 
MonTsry Mac. No. XL, 
Perfonifieations in Poetry. 
113 
aétion? Numerous authorities may be 
produced for both thefe methods; and 
€ach may become proper, according to 
the nature of the fymbol, and the charac- 
ter and purpofe of the fancy-formed per- 
fonage. The merely quiefcent mark of 
diftingtion feems to be moft common in 
the. defigns of the ancients, whether in 
painting or poetry. The more varied and 
complex invention of the moderns has 
generally connected the fymbol with the 
perfon, by fome circumftance of ac- 
tion; and this muft be allowed to be an 
improvement in point of fpirit and ex- 
preflion. ‘The danger is, lett fuch ation 
fhould produce an incongruity, and inter- 
fere with the {cope of the allegory. 
To apply this confideration to the 
beautiful paffage juft quoted. If the per- 
fonified figure of Sen/ibility were merely 
to pals before the eye in a fort of pageant 
(as the characters do in Spenfer’s Ma/que 
of Cupid), there would be no impropriety 
in fixing her whole attention on her fenfi- 
tive plant; the a¢tion would be as ex- 
preflive as any in which a finele tranfient 
figure could be employed. But as, in 
Mr. Hayley’s elegant fiction, fhe is made 
a queen of numerous fubjects, in whofe 
fate the is deeply interefted; to whom the is 

: quick to pay 
The tender duties of imperial {way. 
I cannot but think it derogatory from 
her character and dignity, to employ her 
in trivial affiduities about a tavourite 
vegetable. The Mimofa fhould rather be 
borne by her as a fignature, than occupy 
her attention. 
IIT. I now proceed to the third clafs of 
perfonifications, thoie in which the figure 
prefented may be called purely emblema- 
tical, This muft be the cafe, where, if 
the fubject bea quality, it is one which 
exhibits in its effect on others, rather than 
on the poffeffor of it—if it be a metaphyfi- 
cal being, it has no particular reference to 
any one bodily form or mode of expref- 
fion; and though it. muft take fome hu- 
man fhape in order to become a perjon, 
yet this is its vehicle, not its effence, 
There will, indeed, be a greater pro- 
priety in certain attributed forms, than 
in others, on account of fome congruities 
of character which almoft every mind wilk 
perceive; thus Time and Death, if pre- 
{ented in a bodily form to the imagination, 
will almoft univerfally be affociated with 
age and deformity ; and Love and Hope 
with youth and beauty ; yet thefe circum- 
{tances are not the charaéteriftical parts 
of the portrait; and of themfelves would 
do 
