Contrast our statue in the block of márble, we see it sómetimes only begun to be chipped; sòmetimes roughhéwn, and but, just sketched into a human figure; sometimes we see the man appearing distínctly in all his limbs and fèatures; sometimes we find the figure wrought up to great élegancy; but seldom meet with any to which the hand of a Phidias or a Praxíteles could not give several nice toúches and finishings. Addison. Arguing Illustration Sarcastic If there be anything that makes húman nature appear ridículous to bèings of supérior faculties, it must be príde. They knòw só well the vánity of those imáginary perfections that swèll the heart of man, and of those little supernumerary advantages of birth, fórtune, or títle, which one man enjoys abóve another, that it mùst cértainly véry much astónish, if it does not véry much divért them, when they seè a mórtal pùffed úp, and váluing himself above his neighbours, on ány of these accounts, at the same time that he is líable to all the cómmon calamities of the spècies. To set this thought in its trúe light, we shall fáncy, if you please, that yónder móle-hill is inhabited by reasonable creatures; and that every pismire (his shape and way of life only excèpted) is endowed with húman passions. How should we smíle to hear one give an account of the pédigrees, distínctions, and títles, that reign amòng them! Observe how the whole swarm divide and make way Description for the písmire that passes along! You must understand he is an émmet of quality, and has better blood in his veins than ány pismire in the mólehill. Do you not see how sénsible he ìs of it, how slówly he marches fórward, how the whole rabble of ants keep their distance? Hère you may obsèrve óne placed upon a little eminence, and looking down on a lóng row of labourers. He is the ríchest insect on this side the hillock: he has a walk of hálf-a-yard in length, and a quarter of an ìnch in breadth: he keeps a húndred ménial servants, and has at least fifteen bárley-corns in his gránary. He is now chíding and ensláving the émmet that stands Humorous before him, one whó, for all that we can discover, is as good an èmmet as himself. But here comes an insèct of ránk! Dò not you Questioning perceive the little white straw that he càrries in his móuth? Thát straw, you must understand, he would not párt with for the longest tract about the móle-hill: you cannot conceive what he has undergone to purchase it! See how the ants of áll Ironical qualities and conditions swàrm about him! Should Admiration this straw drop out of his mouth, you would seê áll this númerous circle of attendants fòllow the next that took it up; and leave the discarded insect, or run over his back, to còme to his succéssor. Ridicule If now you have a mind to see the ladies of the Humorous mòle-hill, obsèrve first the písmire that listens to the èmmet on her left hand, at the same time that she seems to turn away her head from him. He tèlls this poor insect that shè is a supérior being; that her eyes are brighter than the sún; that lífe and death are at her dispósal. She believes him, and gives herself a thousand little airs upòn it. Mark the vanity of the pìsmire on her right hand. She can scárcely crawl with age; but you must know she values herself upòn her bírth; and, if you mínd, she spùrns at every one that comes within her réach. The little nimble coquette that is rùnning by the side of her, is a wít. She has broken mány a pismire's heart. Dò but obsérve what a dróve of admirers are rúnning after her. We shall hère fínish this imáginary scene. But Serio-Comic first of all, to dráw the pàrallel closer, we shall Description suppose if you please, that death comes down upon the mòle-hill, in the shape of a cóck-sparrow; and pícks up, without distínction, the pìsmire of quality and his flátterers, the pìsmire of substance and his dáy-labourers, the white straw-officer and his sýcophants, with all the ladies of ránk, the wíts, and the beauties of the mòle-hill. May we not imágine, that beings of supérior Moralising nature and perféctions, regàrd áll the instances of príde and vánity among our ówn species, in the sáme kind of view, when they take a survey of those who inhábit this earth; or (in the language of an ingénious French poet,) of those pismires that people this heap of dírt, which húman vanity has divided into climates and régions? Guardian. Narrative. Asserting Description Indignant Contempt Indignant Remonstrance Disdain with Ex. 29. The Butterfly and the Snail. 'What means yon peasant's daily toil, And what's a butterfly? At best Gay. Retort Ex. 30. Noble Revenge. A YOUNG Officer (in what ármy no matter) had sò far forgotten himself, in a moment of irritátion, as to strike a private soldier, full of personal dignity (as sometimes happens in all ranks), and distinguished for his courage. The inexorable laws of military díscipline forbade to the injured soldier any pràctical redress. He could look for no retaliátion by acts. Wòrds only were at his command; and, in a tumult of indignátion, as he turned away, the soldier said to his ófficer that he would make him repènt it.' This, wearing the shape of a ménace, naturally rekindled the officer's anger, and intercèpted any disposition which might be rising withín him towards a sentiment of remòrse; and thus the irritation between the two young men grew hótter than before. Narrative Menace Some weeks after this a partial action took place Animated with the enemy. Suppose yourself a spectator, and Description looking down into a válley occupied by two àrmies. They are facing each other, you see, in martial array. But it is no more than a skirmish which is going on; in the course of which, however, an occasion suddenly aríses for a desperate sèrvice. A redoubt, which has fallen into the enemy's hands, must be recaptured at any price, and under círcumstances of áll but hopeless difficulty. A strong párty has volunteered for the sèrvice; there is a crý for somebody to head them; you see a soldier step out from the ranks to assume this dangerous leadership; the párty moves rapidly forward; in a few minutes it is swallowed up from your eyes in clouds of smòke; for óne half-hour from behind these clouds you receive hieroglyphic reports of bloody strifefierce repeating signals, flashes from the gùns, rolling mùsketry, and exulting hurráhs, advancing or recéding, slackening or redoùbling. Eager Joy Pause of At length áll is òver; the redóubt has been recovered; that which was lóst is foùnd again; the jewel which had been made cáptive is ransomed with blood. Crimsoned with glorious góre, the wreck of the conquering party is relieved, and at líberty to return. From the ríver you see it ascènding. The plume-crested officer in commánd rushes forward, with his left hand raising his hát in homage to the blackened frágments of what once was a flag; whilst with his right hand he seizes that of the leader, though no more than a private from the ranks. Thát perplexes you not: mystery you see none in that. For distinctions of órder perish, ránks are confoùnded, 'hìgh and low' are words without a meaning, and to wrèck goes every notion or feeling that divides the noble from the noble, or the brave man from the brave. But whèrefore is it that now, when suddenly they wheel into mutual recognition, suddenly they paùse? This sòldier, Deep Feeling this ófficer-who are they? O reáder! ónce befòre they had stood face to face-the sòldier it is that was struck; the officer it is that strùck him. Once again they are meeting; and the gaze of ármies is upon them. If for a mòment a doubt divídes them, in a moment the doubt has pèrished. One glance exchanged between them publishes the forgiveness that is sealed for èver. As one who recovers a brother whom he had accounted dead, the officer Overpower- sprang forward, threw his arms around the neck of ing Impulse the soldier and kissed him, as if he were some martyr glorified by that shadow of death from which he was returning; whilst on his part, the sòldier, stepping back, and carrying his open hand through the beautiful motions of the military salute to a supérior, makes this immortal answer-thát answer which shut up for ever the memory of the indignity óffered to him, even whilst for the last time allúding to it 'Sir,' he said, 'I told you befòre that I would make you repent it.' De Quincey. Friend'y |