(4.) IRONY. Under this head, three forms of the same trope, or figure of speech, may be mentioned, viz., Satire, Sarcasm, and Irony, properly so called. Satire often avails itself of the ridiculous, and is generally a humorous and amusing manner of exposing faults and inconsistencies. Sarcasm adopts a severe and bitter style of reproach, and applies to follies and improprieties of a more serious character. Irony is used when the feelings are strongly excited, and has recourse to direct contraries to convey its censure and condemnation. To read either of these figures with effect, the points on which their force depends, must be clearly and well expressed; but a marked difference obviously requires to be made between the humour of satire, the severity of sarcasm, and the excitement of irony. The subject must be understood and felt. (1.) SATIRE. 1. Satire Ineffectual when Inapplicable. Who cries out on "pride," That can therein tax any private party? When that I say-"The city woman" bears That says his "Finery" is not at my cost His folly to the mettle of my speech? There, then ;-How, then?-What, then? Let me see wherein My tongue hath wrong'd him: If it do him right, Unclaim'd of any man. goose, flies Shakspeare. 2. Satirical description of a Nobleman. A man so various, that he seem'd to be Beggar'd by fools, whom still he found too late; He laugh'd himself from court; then sought relief He left not faction, but of that was left. Dryden. 3. Satire on ignorant Patrons and parasitical Authors. And now the Queen, to glad her sons, proclaims, By herald hawkers, high heroic games. They summon all her race :-an endless band Pours forth, and leaves unpeopled half the land; A motley mixture! in long wigs and bags, In silks, in crapes, in garters, and in rags,From drawing-rooms, from colleges, from garrets,On horse, on foot, in hacks, in gilded chariots ;All who true Dunces in her cause appear'd, And all who knew those Dunces to reward. * Reproach. And now for Authors, noble palms remain :- Pope. 4. Hotspur's Sarcastic description of a Foppish Nobleman on the Field of Battle. My liege, I did deny no prisoners. But I remember, when the fight was done, And 'twixt his finger and his thumb, he held He gave his nose, and took't away again; Who, therewith angry, when it next came there, With many holiday and lady terms He question'd me; among the rest, demanded I then, all smarting with my wounds, being vex'd Out of my grief and my impatience Answer'd neglectingly, I know not what; He should, or he should not; for he made me mad, And telling me, the sovereign'st thing on earth Shakspeare. 5. Cassius' Sarcastic and Ironical description of Cæsar's Infirmities. Once upon a raw und gusty day, The troubled Tyber chafing with her shores, Leap with me into this angry flood, And swim to yonder point!" Upon the word, Accouter'd as I was, I plung'd in, And bade him follow: so, indeed, he did. The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder Is now become a god; and Cassius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, He had a fever when he was in Spain, And, when this fit was on him, I did mark How he did shake. 'Tis true, this god did shake : His coward lips did from their colour fly; And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world, Aye, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans Shakspeare. 6. Ironical description of Infidelity. But it seems this is an Age of Reason, and the time and the person are at last arrived, that are to dissipate the errors which have overspread the past generations of ignorance. The believers in Christianity are many; but it belongs to the few that are wise, to correct their credulity. Belief is an act of reason, and superior reason may, therefore, dictate to the weak. In contemplating the long list of sincere and devout Christians, I cannot help lamenting that Newton had not lived to this day, to have had his shallowness filled up |