we are here again aftonished at the Obedience paid to the Mandate, but we are free from Horror, and the only Paffions that come in to encrease the Wonder that expands our Imaginations, are Love and pious Admiration. The Effect of the Sublime is, as Longinus has told us, to enlarge the Mind with vaft Conceptions, and to transport it with a noble Pleasure beyond itself. It was in reading that Description that, as Boileau tells us, the Prince of Conde cried out, voila le fublime; voila fon veritable charactere: That's the Sublime; that's the true Character of it.' In fact, Longinus's Account of the Sublime is we apprehend, very just it is not built on any fingle Paffion; though they all may ferve to inflame that pathetic Enthufiafin, which, in conjunction with an exalted Thought, ferves to hurry away the Mind with great Rapidity from itself. Terror is therefore a great Addition, and in like Manner fo are all other Paffions, Grief, Love, Rage, Indignation, Ambition, Compaffion, &c. Our Author adds, that whatever is Terrible is Sublime: the Gallows, a red-hot Iron, &c. are Terrible, but not Sublime : the Terrible will exalt the Sublime where it is, but cannot create it where it is not: that is to say, they muft fubfift separately.. Nero fetting Fire to Rome, and Queen Mary burning Hereticks in Smithfield cannot convey to any fenfibleMind, the faintest Idea of the Sublime, though we imagine it must be allowed that they raise Horror in a very powerful Degree. Obfcurity, our Author obferves, increases the Sublime, which is certainly very juft; but from thence erroneously infers, that Clearness of Imagery is unneceffary to affect the Paffions; but furely nothing can move but what gives Ideas to the Mind, and it is thus that even Mufic operates by recalling Images by means of Sounds, which fet the Imagination at work with all her various Combinations. Our Author purfues his Thought Thought still further, and combats the Opinion of the Abbe du Bos, viz. that Painting has the Advantage over Poetry, because it presents its Objects more clearly and diftinctly. This Notion he thinks not true, but furely the Reafon he gives is not a very good one: he gives the Preference to Poetry on account of its Obfcurity. Whereas it fhould be on account of its greater Perfpicuity, its Amplifications, and its being at liberty to felect a greater Variety of Circumstances, in order to make its Exhibitions more vivid and striking. It a Painter was to give a Portrait of Satan as reprefented in the following Lines of Milton, -He above the rest In Shape and Gefture proudly eminent Shorn of his Beams: or from behind the Moon On half the Nations; and with Fear of Change He could never give an Idea of the Wonderful Stature, nor could he compare him with a Tower, the Sun, the Moon, nor upon the whole would he bring together that Combination of Sublime Images, which, instead of obfcuring, ferve to illustrate and heighten the Colouring. He proceeds in the next Place to mention Privation as a Source of the Sublime, as when the Poet fays, Along the waste Dominions of the Dead.' And he enumerates other Sources, as Vaftness in any Object, Infinity, Succeffion and Uniformity of Parts in Building, or any Object in Nature. Under the laft Head he makes a very ingenious Remark, when he obferves that a VOL. III. Succeffion E Succeffion of uniform Parts creates a Kind of artiff cial Infinite, and this he adds may be the Cause why a Rotund has fuch a noble Effect in Building; which perhaps is a better Reason than Mr. Addifon's, who fays, It is because in the Rotund at one Glance you take in half the Building.' Here our Author might have allowed a Sublime without Terror; for we apprehend Infinity is not fo highly pleafing to the Soul of Man, on account of any Horror attending it, but on account of that ftrong progreffive Motion of the Mind, which cannot reft contented with what it has grafped, but must be for ever urging on to fomething at a Distance from its Power, and as it were with Thoughts beyond the Reaches of our Souls. Difficulty comes in next, as a Promoter of the Sublime ; as likewife Magnificence, Light, and Colour; and with regard to the laft he enumerates a ftrong Red, Black, Brown, deep Purple, and the like, as Caufes of the Sublime. He very juftly confiders the Sounds of Cataracts, Storms, Thunder, Artillery, as the Causes of great Impreffions: and he alfo finds the Sublime in low, tremulous, and intermitting Sounds, but refers it folely to Terror: when Macbeth with a low Voice fays, I dare do all that may become a Man, who dares do more is none?' we apprehend there is no Terror in this Speech, but we are pleaf.d with the Poet's noble Conception of the Dignity of human Nature. He next finds the Sublime in the Cries of Animals. That depends however upon the Rank we have given in our Imaginations to the different Animals; though the confused Cry of any of them in a still folemn Night, when the Mind is already impreffed with Awe, will help to heighten our Affections; so that though they do not cause the Sublime, they may help to increase it by the Paffions which they agitate. He proceeds to look for the Sublime in Bitters and in Stenches: but the Bitter Cup of Mifery has in it nothing Sublime, but depends pends entirely on the Circumstances and Character of the Perfon that fpeaks it, and then by an Affociation of Ideas, our Minds may be greatly affected: and in a Description of the Jaws of Hell, which of itself gives us Images of dreadful Magnificence, a thick Exhalation of Smoke and Stench may be brought in to correspond with our preconceived Notions, and fo give a Finishing to the Defcription; but a Stench on a Dunghil would create no Sublimity: Our Author has not diftinguished between the efficient Caufes of the Sublime, and the concomitant Circumstances which help to increase it. He concludes this Part of his Book with obferving that the Sublime belongs entirely to the Paffions of Self-prefervation, which turn upon Pain and Danger: and this Pofition feems to have led him into a Mistake throughout his Work: the Sublime belongs to no particular Paffion, but is greatly heightened by them all. Whatever fills the Mind with magnificent Ideas is Sublime. For it is certain that all the Paffions of the Human Mind may be fuborned Promoters of whatever is great and excellent in any Conception or Description. All our selfish and social Affections, Terror, Ambition, Refentment, Rage, Grief, Compaffion and Indignation, &c. naturally tend to inflame our Minds with that Enthusiasm which Longinus mentions; and it is certain that an impaffioned Sublime, is the nobleft Emotion of which we are capable. It is unneceffary to quote Inftances, where Grief, Compaffion, and even our tendereft Sympathies bring in their auxiliary Aid, to render a noble Thought more glowing: and the Defcription of the Night Scene in Mr. Pope's Homer, will evince that the Sublime may excite Senfations very different from Terror. As when the Moon refulgent Lamp of Night, When not a Breath disturbs the deep Serene, and the Shepherd's Heart rejoiceth, says Homer; which fhews that the Sublime can excite Ideas very different from Terror; and though it may be faid, that there will be a Kind of Solemnity in the Mind at the View of fuch a Night-piece, yet that is only the Stillness natural to Admiration, and Gladness will still be the prevalent Sensation. The next Part of the Enquiry relates to Beauty; and we are told that Proportion is not effential to it. Our Author confiders Proportion in the vegetable World, in the brute Creation, and in the human Species, and does not find it a neceffary Quality. This is certainly a new Philofophy, but we appre hend very erroneous. Proportion is not Beauty itfelf, but one of its efficient Qualities. A partial Beauty may be seen; that is to fay, an handsome Face, or an hand fome Leg; but, we apprehend, a beautiful and entire Whole never exifted without Proportion and Fitnefs. This we think fo apparent that it need not be infifted on; if the Reader has a Mind to fatisfy himself on this Head, we refer him to Hutchinfon and others. He adds befides, that Perfection is not the Caufe of Beauty; and the Reafon is extraordinary, because Women learn to Lifp, to Totter, to counterfeit Weakness, &c. Put fuch Affectation is univerfally acknowledged to be ridiculous 2 |