CHAPTER IX. The EROTESIS confidered. § 1. The definition of an Erotefis. § 2. Inftances from MILTON, THOMSON, TACITUS, and CICERO. 3. Examples from Scripture. § 4. Obfervations of QUINTILIAN, LONGINUS, and YOUNG upon this Figure. § 5. A method of discovering its excellence and power. § 1. Rotefis + is a Figure by which we exprefs the emotion of our minds, and infufe an ardor and energy into our discourses, by proposing questions. § 2. MILTON has wonderfully heightened the fpeech of SATAN to EVE, tempting her to eat the forbidden fruit, with a crowd of interrogations, and thereby made the Serpent, if I may fay, more ferpentine: fo She scarce had said, tho' brief; when now more bold Rais'd, † From ερωταω, I afk. Rais'd, as of fome great matter to begin. Flourish'd, fince mute, to fome great cause address'd O facred, wife, and wisdom-giving plant, Those rigid threats of death; Ye fhall not die: Why then was this forbid? Why but to awe, So fhall ye die perhaps, by putting off Human, to put on Gods: death to be wish'd, Tho' threatned, which no worse than this can bring. And what are Gods, that man may not become As they, participating godlike food? The Gods are first, and that advantage use Or is it envy and can envy dwell In heav'nly breafts? Thefe, thefe, and many more Causes import your need of this fair fruit. Goddess human, reach then, and freely tafte *. They are beautiful Interrogations in the fol lowing lines: *MILTON's Paradife Loft, book ix. line 664.. Falfly Falfely luxurious, will not man awake; The fleeting moments of too fhort a life? Wilder'd, and toffing thro' diftemper'd dreams? They are fpirited Interrogations of GERMANIcus, in his fpeech to his mutinous foldiers: "What is there in these days that is left unat"tempted or unprofaned by you? What name "fhall I give to this assembly? Shall I call you "foldiers, who have besieged with a trench, and "with your arms, the fon of your Emperor? Or "fhall I call you citizens? you who have fo fhamefully trampled upon the authority of "the fenate; you who have alfo violated the justice due to enemies, the fanctity of embassy, "and the right of nations †?" N 2 THOMSON'S Summer, line 66. How + Quid enim per hos dies inaufum, intemeratumve vobis? Quod nomen huic cœtui dabo? Militefne appellem? qui filium imperatoris veftri vallo, & arma circumfediftis. An cives? quibus tam projecla fenatus auctoritas; hoftium quoque jus, & facra legationis, & fas gentium rupiftis. TACIT. Annal. lib. i. 42. How does CICERO, as it were, prefs and bear down his adversary by the force of Interrogations, when pleading for PLANCIUS, he thus addresses himself to his accufer? "Choose you any one "tribe, and inform us, as you ought, by what agent it was bribed? If you cannot, which "in my opinion you will not fo much as at66 tempt, I will fhew you how he gained it. Is "this a fair conteft? Will you engage on this footing? it is an open, honourable advance upon you. Why are you silent? Why do you dissemble? Why do you prevaricate? I, "repeatedly insift upon this point, urge you "to it, press it, require it, and even demand "it of you t." 66 $3. Interrogations frequently occur in Scripture, and they are ufed upon very different oc casions. They are used to signify our apprehensions of impofsibility: John vi. 52. " The Jews therefore " ftrove among themselves, faying, How can this ss man give us his flesh to eat?s that is, it is moft abfurd to imagine it. Wonder + Quam tibi commodum eft, unam tribum delige tu: doce id, quod debes, per quem fequeftrem, quo divifore corrupta fit. Ego, fi id facere non potueris, quod, ut opinio mea fert, ne incipies quidem, per quem tulerit docebo. Eftne hæc vera contentio ? placetne fic agi? Non poffum magis pedem conferre, ut aiunt, aut propius accedere. Quid taces? quid diffimulas? quid tergiverfaris? Etiam atque etiam infto, at-, que urgeo, infector, pofco, atque adeo flagito crimen. C1CER. pro PLANC. $19. |