Allegoria.
Allegoria, called of Quintilian, Inversio, is a Trope of a sentence,
or forme of speech which expresseth one thing in words, and another in
sense. In a Metaphore there is a translation of one word onely, in an
Allegorie of many, and for that cause an Allegorie is called a
continued Metaphore.
An example: Rubbe not the scarre, lest you open againe the wound that
is healed, and so cause it to bleed afresh. The signification hereof
is, Renue not by rehearsall the sorrow which time hath made forgot.
Another: Shall we suffer the monstrous Crocodile to come out of Nilus
and to breake into our fold, to overcome our shepherd, to rent off our
skins with his griping pawes, to crash our carkasses with his veimous
teeth, to fill his insatiable panch with our flesh, and to wallow at
his pleasure in our wooll?
Another like unto this: Shall we sit aloofe amazed among boughes and
suffer the serpent to climbe our tree, to thrust us out of our nests,
to sucke our blood, to devour our birds, and to sleepe among our
feathers? By these two Allegories, as well by the one as by the
other, one enemies are described, who either by open force or secret
conspiracie, are prepared and fully bent to make conquest of our
countrey, to murder and destroy us people, to possesse our dwellings,
and enjoy our wealth.
Examples of Poetical Allegories: O ship shal new
flouds carie thee again into the sea? What doest thou nowe? strive
manfully to keepe the port alway.
Another: Thou Licinie mayst live full well, if wisely evermore.
Thou doest not thrust into the deepe, nor presse too nigh the shore:
for feare of stormes
In the former verse Horace by Ship understandeth Sextus Popeius making
incursions, and troubling the sea with navall war, whom he exhorteth
to make peace with Augustus. By flouds he signifieth civill battell,
and by Port peace and concord. In the later he much commendeth
mediocritie. Horace was much delighted in this kind of speech, as may
appeare by many of his verses which he wrote Allegorically.
Examples of the holy Scriptures: “Whose fan is in his hand,
and he shall purge his floore, and gather his
wheate into his barn, but will burne the chaffe with unquenchable
fire.”
Mat.3.
Another: “A brused reede shal he not breake, and smoking
flare shall he not quench, till he bring forth judgement unto
venorie.”
Esa.4.3.
Another: “Give ye not that which is holy
to dogs, neither cast ye your pearles before swine, lest they tread
them under their feete, and turning againe all to rent you.”
Mat.7.
Sometime an Allegorie is mixt with some words retaining their proper
and usuall signification, whereof this may be an example: Why doest
thou covet the frute, and not consider the height of the tree whereon
it groweth? thou doest not forethinke of the difficultie in climbing,
nor danger in reaching, wherby it cometh to passe that while thou
endevorest to climbe to the top, thou fallest with the bough which
thou doest embrace. This Allegorie describeth although somewhat
obscurely, yet verie aptly, the danger, vanitie, and common reward of
ambition. The words which retaine their proper sense are these,
covet, consider, and forethinke, which words do make it a mixt
Allegorie.
The use of this figure
The use of an Allegorie serveth most aptly to ingrave the lively
images of things, and to present them under deepe shadowes
to the comtemplation of the
mind, wherein wit and indigement take pleasure, and the remembrance
receiveth a long lasting
2.Compared to a
constellation. |
impressin, and there as a Metaphore may be
compared to a starre in respect of beautie, brightnesse and direction:
so may an Allegorie be fitly likened to a signe compounded of many
stars, which of the Grecians is called Astron, and of the Latines
Sidus, which we may call a constellation, that is, a company or
conjunction of many starres.
The Caution.
In speaking by Allegories strange similitudes and unknowne
translations ought to be avoyded, lest
the Allegorie which should
be
pleasant, become peevish and altogether unprofitable: also
unlikenesse of the comparisons do make the
Allegorie absurd.
