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no　temporal　ends　to　serve；　no　livelihood　to　earn；　and　is　under　no　temptation　to　cog　and　lie：　　wherefore　prose　pays　respect　to　that　loftier　calling；　and　that　more　unblemished　sincerity。

Insincerity；　on　the　other　hand；　is　the　commonest　vice　of　style。　　It　is　not　to　be　avoided；　except　in　the　rarest　cases；　by　those　to　whom　the　written　use　of　language　is　unfamiliar；　so　that　a　shepherd　who　talks　pithy；　terse　sense　will　be　unable　to　express　himself　in　a　letter　without　having　recourse　to　the　READY　LETTER…WRITER　…　〃This　comes　hoping　to　find　you　well；　as　it　also　leaves　me　at　present〃　…　and　a　soldier；　without　the　excuse　of　ignorance；　will　describe　a　successful　advance　as　having　been　made　against　〃a　thick　hail　of　bullets。〃　　It　permeates　ordinary　journalism；　and　all　writing　produced　under　commercial　pressure。　　It　taints　the　work　of　the　young　artist；　caught　by　the　romantic　fever；　who　glories　in　the　wealth　of　vocabulary　discovered　to　him　by　the　poets；　and　seeks　often　in　vain　for　a　thought　stalwart　enough　to　wear　that　glistering　armour。　　Hence　it　is　that　the　masters　of　style　have　always　had　to　preach　restraint；　self…denial；　austerity。　　His　style　is　a　man's　own；　yet　how　hard　it　is　to　come　by！　　It　is　a　man's　bride；　to　be　won　by　labours　and　agonies　that　bespeak　a　heroic　lover。　　If　he　prove　unable　to　endure　the　trial；　there　are　cheaper　beauties；　nearer　home；　easy　to　be　conquered；　and　faithless　to　their　conqueror。　Taking　up　with　them；　he　may　attain　a　brief　satisfaction；　but　he　will　never　redeem　his　quest。

As　a　body　of　practical　rules；　the　negative　precepts　of　asceticism　bring　with　them　a　certain　chill。　　The　page　is　dull；　it　is　so　easy　to　lighten　it　with　some　flash　of　witty　irrelevance：　　the　argument　is　long　and　tedious；　why　not　relieve　it　by　wandering　into　some　of　those　green　enclosures　that　open　alluring　doors　upon　the　wayside？　To　roam　at　will；　spring…heeled；　high…hearted；　and　catching　at　all　good　fortunes；　is　the　ambition　of　the　youth；　ere　yet　he　has　subdued　himself　to　a　destination。　　The　principle　of　self…denial　seems　at　first　sight　a　treason　done　to　genius；　which　was　always　privileged　to　be　wilful。　　In　this　view　literature　is　a　fortuitous　series　of　happy　thoughts　and　heaven…sent　findings。　　But　the　end　of　that　plan　is　beggary。　　Sprightly　talk　about　the　first　object　that　meets　the　eye　and　the　indulgence　of　vagabond　habits　soon　degenerate　to　a　professional　garrulity；　a　forced　face　of　dismal　cheer；　and　a　settled　dislike　of　strenuous　exercise。　　The　economies　and　abstinences　of　discipline　promise　a　kinder　fate　than　this。　　They　test　and　strengthen　purpose；　without　which　no　great　work　comes　into　being。　　They　save　the　expenditure　of　energy　on　those　pastimes　and　diversions　which　lead　no　nearer　to　the　goal。　　To　reject　the　images　and　arguments　that　proffer　a　casual　assistance　yet　are　not　to　be　brought　under　the　perfect　control　of　the　main　theme　is　difficult；　how　should　it　be　otherwise；　for　if　they　were　not　already　dear　to　the　writer　they　would　not　have　volunteered　their　aid。

It　is　the　more　difficult；　in　that　to　refuse　the　unfit　is　no　warrant　of　better　help　to　come。　　But　to　accept　them　is　to　fall　back　for　good　upon　a　makeshift；　and　to　hazard　the　enterprise　in　a　hubbub　of　disorderly　claims。　　No　train　of　thought　is　strengthened　by　the　addition　of　those　arguments　that；　like　camp…followers；　swell　the　number　and　the　noise；　without　bearing　a　part　in　the　organisation。　The　danger　that　comes　in　with　the　employment　of　figures　of　speech；　similes；　and　comparisons　is　greater　still。　　The　clearest　of　them　may　be　attended　by　some　element　of　grotesque　or　paltry　association；　so　that　while　they　illumine　the　subject　they　cannot　truly　be　said　to　illustrate　it。　　The　noblest；　including　those　time…honoured　metaphors　that　draw　their　patent　of　nobility　from　war；　love；　religion；　or　the　chase；　in　proportion　as　they　are　strong　and　of　a　vivid　presence；　are　also　domineering　…　apt　to　assume　command　of　the　theme　long　after　their　proper　work　is　done。　　So　great　is　the　headstrong　power　of　the　finest　metaphors；　that　an　author　may　be　incommoded　by　one　that　does　his　business　for　him　handsomely；　as　a　king　may　suffer　the　oppression　of　a　powerful　ally。　　When　a　lyric　begins　with　the　splendid　lines；


Love　still　has　something　of　the　sea　From　whence　his　mother　rose；


the　further　development　of　that　song　is　already　fixed　and　its　knell　rung　…　to　the　last　line　there　is　no　escaping　from　the　dazzling　influences　that　presided　over　the　first。　　Yet　to　carry　out　such　a　figure　in　detail；　as　Sir　Charles　Sedley　set　himself　to　do；　tarnishes　the　sudden　glory　of　the　opening。　　The　lady　whom　Burns　called　Clarinda　put　herself　in　a　like　quandary　by　beginning　a　song　with　this　stanza　…


Talk　not　of　Love；　it　gives　me　pain；　For　Love　has　been　my　foe；　He　bound　me　in　an　iron　chain；　And　plunged　me　deep　in　woe。


The　last　two　lines　deserve　praise　…　even　the　praise　they　obtained　from　a　great　lyric　poet。　　But　how　is　the　song　to　be　continued？　Genius　might　answer　the　question；　to　Clarinda　there　came　only　the　notion　of　a　valuable　contrast　to　be　established　between　love　and　friendship；　and　a　tribute　to　be　paid　to　the　kindly　offices　of　the　latter。　　The　verses　wherein　she　gave　effect　to　this　idea　make　a　poor　sequel；　friendship；　when　it　is　personified　and　set　beside　the　tyrant　god；　wears　very　much　the　air　of　a　benevolent　county　magistrate；　whose　chief　duty　is　to　keep　the　peace。

Figures　of　this　sort　are　in　no　sense　removable　decorations；　they　are　at　one　with　the　substance　of　the　thought　to　be　expressed；　and　are　entitled　to　the　large　control　they　claim。　　Imagination；　working　at　white　heat；　can　fairly　subdue　the　matter　of　the　poem　to　them；　or　fuse　them　with　others　of　the　like　temper；　striking　unity　out　of　the　composite　mass。　　One　thing　only　is　forbidden；　to　treat　these　substantial　and　living　metaphors　as　if　they　were　elegant　curiosities；　ornamental　excrescences；　to　be　passed　over　abruptly　on　the　way　to　more　exacting　topics。　　The　mystics；　and　the　mystical　poets；　knew　better　than　to　countenance　this　frivolity。　　Recognising　that　there　is　a　profound　and　intimate　correspondence　between　all　physical　manifestations　and　the　life　of　the　soul；　they　flung　the　reins　on　the　neck　of　metaphor　in　the　hope　that　it　might　carry　them　over　that　mysterious　frontier。　　Their　failures　and　misadventures；　familiarly　despised　as　〃conceits；〃　left　them　floundering　in　absurdity。　　Yet　not　since　the　time　of　Donne　and　Crashaw　has　the　full　power　and　significance　of　figurative　language　been　realised　in　English　poetry。　　These　poets；　like　some　of　their　late　descendants；　were　tortured　by　a　sense　of　hidden　meaning；　and　were　often　content　with　analogies　that　admit　of　no　rigorous　explanation。　　They　were　convinced　that　all　intellectual　truth　is　a　parable；　though　its　inner　meaning　be　dark　or　dubious。　　The　philosophy　of　friendship　deals　with　those　mathematical　and　physical　conceptions　of　distance；　likeness；　and　attraction　…　what　if　the　law　of　bodies　govern　souls　also；　and　the　geometer's　compasses　measure　more　than　it　has　entered　into　his　heart　to　conceive？　　Is　the　moon　a　name　only　for　a　certain　tonnage　of　dead　matter；　and　is　the　law　of　passion　parochial　while　the　law　of　gravitation　is　universal？　　Mysticism　will　observe　no　such　partial　boundaries。


O　more　than　Moon！　Draw　not　up　seas　to　drown　me　in　thy　sphere；　Weep　me　not　dead　in　thine　arms；　but　forbear　To　teach　the　sea　what　it　may　do　too　soon。


The　secret　of　these　sublime　intuitions；　undivined　by　many　of　the　greatest　poets；　has　been　left　to　the　keeping　of　transcendental　religion　and　the　Catholic　Church。

Figure　and　ornament；　therefore；　are　not　interchangeable　terms；　the　loftiest　figurative　style　most　conforms　to　the　precepts　of　gravity　and　chastity。　　None　the　less　there　is　a　decorative　use　of　figure；　whereby　a　theme　is　enriched　with　imaginations　and　memories　that　are　foreign　to　the　main　purpose。　　Under　this　head　may　be　classed　most　of　those　allusions　to　the　world's　literature；　especially　to　classical　and　Scriptural　lore；　which　have　played　so　considerable；　yet　on　the　whole　so　idle；　a　part　in　modern　poetry。　　It　is　here　that　an　inordinate　love　of　decoration　finds　its　opportunity　and　its　snare。　　To　keep　the　most　elaborate　comparison　in　harmony　with　its　occasion；　so　that　when　it　is　completed　it　shall　fall　back　easily　into　the　emotional　key　of　the　narrative；　has　been　the　study　of　the　great　epic　poets。　　Milton's　description　of　the　rebel　legions　adrift　on　the　flaming　sea　is　a　fine　instance　of　the　difficulty　felt　and　conquered：


Angel　forms；　who　lay　entranced　Thick　as　autumnal　leaves　that　strow　the　brooks　In　Vallombrosa；　where　the　Etrurian　shades　High　over…arched　embower；　or　scattered　sedge　Afloat；　when　with　fierce　winds　Orion　armed　Hath　vexed　the　Red…Sea　coast；　whose　waves　o'erthrew　Busiris　and　his　Memphian　chivalry；　While　with　perfidious　hatred　they　pursued　The　sojourners　of　Goshen；　who　beheld　From　the　safe　shore　their　floating　carcases　And　broken　chariot…wheels。　　So　thick　bestrown；　Abject　and　lost；　lay　these；　covering　the　flood；　Under　amazement　of　their　hideous　change。


The　comparison　seems　to　wander　away　at　random；　obedient　to　the　slightest　touch　of　association。　　Yet　in　the　end　it　is　brought　back；　its　majesty　heightened；　and　a　closer　element　of　likeness　introduced　by　the　skilful　turn　that　substitutes　the　imag