Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-05-04
ruILL1ps's ELoaUENcE CHARACTERISED
BY THE EDINBURGH REVIEWERS.
TContinued.


TContinusd.
.As il 10 q rule with Mr.. Phillips
saws the Reviewer, that every sentence
must look like an epigram; that point
and antithesis must for ever appear IN
the words, though none may exist IN the
meaning; We are fatigued to death with
the alterations Of this and 'that'-'the
one and the other'-with jingling and
alliteration-with words perverted to sig
nifcatinns wholly foreign to their real
meaning, by the figure commonly called
slip slop, ard of which Mrs MalaProP
was SO bright an example, until some oil
our journalists threw her into the shade
and lastly and very generally with the
figure OF pure nonsense. Thus take a
specimen of alteration miserable
maniac in the contentment OF his capt.
witty; unless peradventure, you rather
choose the period approaching when 1t
penalty does not pause ir the pursuit. pa
tience will turn short OF the pursuer g.
in which is to be noticed also the genuine
nonsense OF pena,y chasing patience
aud patience turning and attacking Pc
palty ;-nonsense, in part owing to the
love of jingle. aud in part to the rage tor
imagery"
We have noticed Mr.. PhiGips's love
of imagery; and all the greatest sins a.
gainst good taste to which this passion
leads its victims, are 70 be found com
nit ed oy him in every part OF his work.
Confusion OF metaphsr-extrayasance or
violence, frequently exciting even dis
gust absolute nonsense, and the defect
of meaning so nearly akin to it.-Thgs
speaking Of 'the Burke's, Barry's, and
Goldsmith's.' he says they wrea'hed the
immorts! shamrock round the brow OF
painting, poetry and elOquence.'-oi
some poor children he deserves that they
NAV have a soul swelling with the ener-
gies, and stamped with the Pat nj Of the
Dei'v;' whereby it appears that this
learned person confounds the letters pa
tent with the seal appended to them.-
He adds, sof the same soul it might bless,
adorn, immoytalize and ennobie empire
AN anticlamax not often exceeded. and
into which Mr.. Phillips is clearly led by
his Termination always to use four or
more words to express the same idea
Again, Of Mr.. Curran--' when thrones
were crumbled and dynas'ies forgctten,
he might stand the landmark Of his csun-
try's genius, rearing himself amid regal
ruias and natiooai dissolution. mental
pyramid in the solitude Of time, beneath
whose shade things might inoulder. and
round whose summit eternity must play
Surely the writer of thi. never saw a py
ramid. OF heard Of the meaning Of q land
mark but when he talks about the soli-
tudc Of time, aud the playiog of eternity
We cannot even conjecture his meaning.
Then, what shall we say Of such eycia-
nations as this frantic parody upon The
sculpture. Oh. prejudice, where is thE
reason ? Oh, bigotry, where is thy biush:'
Or Of this other, Gospel Of Heaven
is this thy herald God OF the universe,
isthis thy mathematician again, shades
of heroic millions, these are thy achieve
ments monster of Legitimacy, this is
thy copsummation !!-'Wher eunto the
printer has added, somewhat malicious
". three several marks of admiration. -
In one short sentence We have Gods a.
postle a court apeDdage'-' God himself
a court-puryeyor' meni'
al'-and 'eternity pande' (whateveE
that may denOte}-besides several ter
restrial figures.
In one Grafton (0'slallan vs. M'kor'
kilD Mr.. Phillips exceeds himself; and
we doObt not ii is the peculiar favorite
Of Mir. Finlay and himself. TO give an
adeqate notion Of tbs splendor Of image
ry which narks this finished specimen o.
modern elpqueuce, almost from the be-
ginning 20 the end, we must cite nearly