m both
at any Rate, and so uttered this compleat Piece of Nonsense. It will
most effectually discover the Absurdity of these monstrous Unions, if we
will suppose these Metaphors or Images actually Painted. Imagine then a
Hand holding a Pen, and several Lashes of Whip-cord falling from it, and
you have the true Representation of this sort of Eloquence. I believe,
by this very Rule, a Reader may be able to judge of the Union of all
Metaphors whatsoever, and determine which are Homogeneous and which
Heterogeneous: or to speak more plainly, which are Consistent, and which
Inconsistent.

There is yet one Evil more which I must take notice of, and that is the
running of Metaphors into tedious Allegories; which, though an Error on
the better Hand, causes Confusion as much as the other. This becomes
abominable, when the Lustre of one Word leads a Writer out of his Road,
and makes him wander from his Subject for a Page together. I remember a
young Fellow, of this Turn, who having said by Chance that his Mistress
had a _World_ of Charms, thereupon took Occasion to consider her as one
possessed of Frigid and Torrid Zones, and pursued her from the one Pole
to the other. I shall conclude this Paper with a Letter written in that
enormous Style, which I hope my Reader hath by this time set his Heart
against. The Epistle hath heretofore received great Applause; but after
what hath been said, let any Man commend it if he dare.

_SIR,_

'After the many heavy _Lashes_ that have fallen from your _Pen_, you
may justly expect in return all the _Load_ that my _Ink_ can lay upon
your Shoulders. You have _Quartered_ all the foul _Language_ upon me,
that could be _raked_ out of the Air of _Billingsgate_, without
knowing who I am, or whether I deserved to be _Cupped_ and _Scarified_
at this rate. I tell you once for all, turn your _Eyes_ where you
please, you shall never _Smell_ me out. Do you think that the
_Panicks_, which you _sow_ about the Parish, will ever _build_ a
Monument to your Glory? No, Sir, you may _Fight_ these Battles as long
as you will, but when you come to _Ballance_ the Account you will find
that you have been _Fishing_ in troubled Waters, and that an _Ignis
fatuus_ hath bewildered you, and that indeed you have _built_ upon a
sandy Foundation, and brought your _Hogs_ to a fair Market.

_I am, SIR,

Yours, &c._

* * * * *

No. 596.