The reader must not expect to find here a complete list of the different
tropes and figures that have been carefully noted by ancient critics and
grammarians. Tropes and figures have indeed been multiplied with so
little reserve, as to make it no easy matter to distinguish them from
plain language. A discovery almost accidental, made me think of giving
them a place in this work: I found that the most important of them
depend on principles formerly explained; and I was glad of an
opportunity to show the extensive influence of these principles.
Confining myself therefore to figures that answer this purpose, I am
luckily freed from much trash; without dropping, so far as I remember,
any figure that merits a proper name. And I begin with Prosopopœia or
personification, which is justly intitled to the first place.