The mysterie of rhetorique unveil'd wherein above 130 the tropes and figures are severally derived from the Greek into English : together with lively definitions and variety of Latin, English, scriptural, examples, pertinent to each of them apart. Conducing very much to the right understanding of the sense of the letter of the scripture, (the want whereof occasions many dangerous errors this day). Eminently delightful and profitable for young scholars, and others of all sorts, enabling them to discern and imitate the elegancy in any author they read, &c. / by John Smith.

English Examples of an Allegory.

Shall we suffer the monstrous Crocodile to come out of Nilus and to break into our fold, to overcome our Shepherd, to rent off our skins with his griping pawes, to crush our carkasses with his venemous teeth, to fill his insatiable paunch with our flesh, and to wallow a•• h••s plea∣sure in our wool?

By this Allegory our enemies are described, who either by open force or secret conspiracy are prepared and fully bent to captivate, in∣fringe and destroy the people with their liber∣ties, and to possesse their dwelling places and enjoy their wealth.

Rub not the scar, lest you open again the wound that is healed, and so cause it to bleed afresh.

Though this be sense and a reall truth in the letter, yet it hath an Allegorical signification, (i. e.) Renew not by rehearsal that sorrow which time hath buried in the grave of oblivion, or made forgot.

Philoclea was so invironed with sweet rivers of vertue, that she could neither be battered nor undermined.

Where Philoclea is expressed by the simili∣tude of a Castle; her natural defence, by the na∣tural fortification of rivers about a Castle; and the Metaphor continues in the attempting her by force or craft, expressed by battering or un∣dermining.

But when she had once his Ensign in her minde: then followed whole squadrons of lon∣gings, that so it might be with a main battle of mislikings and repinings aginst their creation.

Where you have Ensigns, squadrons, main-battles, Metaphors still derived from the same thing, to wit, war.

The world's a Theater of theft; great rivers

rob the smaller brooks, and they the Ocean.

Sometimes an Allegory is mixt with some words retaining their proper and genuine signi∣fication, whereof this may be an Example:

Why covetest thou the fruit, and considerest not the height of the tree whereon it growes? thou dost not forethink of the difficulty in clim∣bing, nor danger in reaching, whereby it comes to passe, that while thou endeavourest to climb to the top, thou fallest with the bough which thou embracest.

This Allegory describes, though somewhat obscurely, yet very aptly the danger, vanity, and common reward of ambition: And the words which retain their proper signification are these, covetest, considerest, and forethink; which words do make it a mixt Allegory.