/

Philofophical

Enquiry
Ideas

INTO THE
Origin
O
of our
F

TH

SUBLIME
AND

BEAUTIFUL.
The

SECOND EDITION.

With an introdu6lory Discourse concerning Taste, and feveral other Additions.

riu^

LONDON:
Printed for R. and J.

Dodsley,

in Pall-mall

IvlDCCLIXr

l^U^LtO^'^j

f ICK^,

THE

PREFACE.
endeavoured to make this edition

/Have
than
tnofl care^

\:fo7tiething

thefirji.

more full and fatisfadhry I have fought with the ut^

with, equal attention^

and read

every thing which has appeared in publick

againf my opinions ; / have taken advantage of the candid liberty of

tind if by thefe means

my

friends

I have

been better

enabled to difcover the imperfediions of the nvorky the indulgence it has received, im~

perfeB as

tt

was, furniJJjed me with a

new
its

motive to fpare no reafonable painsfor

improvement.
fuficient

Though I have not found reafon, or what appeared to mefuf

in

fcienty

for making any material change

my

theory,

I havefound it

necejfary in

many
it.

places to explain,

illujlraie

and

enforce

I have

prefixed an introdudiory difcourfe

;

concerning Tafle
itfelf',

it is

a matter curious in

and it

leads naturally e?20ugh to the

principal

Iv

The

PREFACE.
,

frincipal enquiry
i)lanations has

7'bis

with the other exconfiderably.

made the work

larger

and by

increajing its bulk has,

its

I am
hi

afraid added to

faults-,

fo that not with-

flanding all

my

attention^ it

may ftand

need of a yet greater Jhare of indulgence than it required at itsfirft appearance.

T^hey

who are accuJio?ned to Jludies of this

^hey know that many of

nature will expect y and they will allow too

for many faults,

the objeBs of our enquiry are in themf elves

obfcure

and intricate ; and that many others

have been renderedfo by affedied refinements

Grfalfe learning ; they

know that

there are

^nany i?npediments in thefubjediy in the preothers y judices of

and even

in

our own, that

difficulty

render

it
'a

a matter of no fmall

to

Jhew
is

i?i

clear light the genuine,

face of

7iature,
inte?2t

T^hey k?iow that whilft the

mind

on the general fcheme of things^

7iegle5led\

fome particular parts muft be

that

we

mufi often fubmit the fiyle to the

mattery ajidfrequently give up the praifi

of

elegancey fatisfied with

being clear.
"The

The

PREFA CE.

v
it is

^he chara5lers of nature are legibk

-true
<ihle
',

but they are not plain enough to enWe miijl thofe who runy to read thefn.
ufe

of a cautious^ I had almojl faidy a timorous method ofproceeding. We muji not

make

attempt to fly y 'Whenwe can fearcely pretend

to creep.
tery

In confdering any complex mat-ought to examine every diflinB in,

we

gredient in the co7npoftiony one by one

and
;

reduce every thing to the utmoflfw.plicity

fmce

the condition

of our nature binds us

limits.

to

a ftrici law a?id very fiarrow

ought afterwards
to

We

re-examine the princi-

the compofitiony as well ples by the effeB of

as the compofition by that of the principles.

We ought to compare ourfubjeB with thijigs

of a fmilar naturey and evefi with things of a contrary nature ; for difcoveries 7nay
bcy

and often are made by the contrafly which

us on the fngle view,
'the

woud efcape

greater number of thefe comparifons makey the more general and the more certain

we

our knowledge is like to prove y as built upon a more extcjfve and perfect induBion.

ti

The P
If an

R E F A C E.

enquiry thus carefully condu6tedy

ftoould fail at laft

it

of dif covering the truths may anfwer an end perhaps as ufefuU in

to us the

df covering
knowingy
it

weaknefs of our
does

own

underjlanding.

If

it

not

make us

may make us modef.

it

If

it

Joes not preferve us from error^

leaffrom the fpirit

may at of error y and may make

us cautious of pronouncing with poftivc7iefs

or with hajlcy

whenfo much labour may'

in

endinfo much uncertainty.

examining this theory y the fame method were purfued which I en-

Icould wijh that

deavoured

to obferve in

forming

it.

The
pro^

objeBionSy in

my

opiniony ought to be

to the feveral principles as they pofedf either

are difinBly confderedy or to the juftnefs of

the conclufion which
is

drawn from them.

and to produce

But

it is

common

to

pafs over both the pre-

mifes andconclufon inflencey

as an objeBion,
does not

fome poetical paffage which

accounted for upon the
T'his:

fcem

eqjily

principles

endeavour to efablipo.

manner of proceeding I jhoiild think very

improper^

the
impf-oper,

PREFACE.
would he
infriite,

vii

"The tajk
ejlahlijh

if

we could

no principle until

we had
in

previoujly unravelled the complex texture of

^every

image or defcription

to

be

found

poets

and

orators.

And

though

we jhould
offuch
never

never be able to reconcile the

to

effedl

images overturn the theory itfelf whilji

our principles^

this can
it is

found-

ed on certain and

ifidifputable

foBs,

theory founded on experiment

fumed^
plains.
is

is

and not af ahvays good for fo much as it ex-

Our

iitability

to puJJj it indefinitely

no argument at all againft it. 'This ijibe owing to our ignorance of ability may

fome

necejj'ary

mediums ;

to

a want of pro-

per application ; to many other caufes befdes a defect in the principles we employ. In
reality thefubjedi requires

a much

clofer at-

tentiony

than we dare claim from our man-*

it.

ner of treating

If
worky

it

Jhould not appear on the face of the

muji caution

the reader againjl

imagining that

I intended a full differtat ion

$n the Sublime and Beautif uL

My

enquiry

went

tiil

The

PREFACE.
qualities

'went nofurther than to the origin of thefs

ideas.

If the

which I have ranged

under the head of the Sublime be all found confflent with each other^ and all different

from

thofe
\

which

I place under
thofe

the head of

which compofe the clafs of the Beautiful have thefame corijif-' ency with themfelvesy and thefame oppq/ition
Beauty
to thofe

and if

which are

claffcd

under the denomi^

little

nation of Sublime ^

I am in

pain whe^

ther any body chufes to follow the name I give them or not, provided he allows that

what I

difpofe u?ider different heads are in

in nature. reality different thiiigs

The

ufe

I make of

the words

may

be blamed as too

confined or too extended ^

my meaning cannot

well be mifunderfood.

To

conclude

whatever progrefs may be

difcovery

made towards the

matter,

of truth

in this

I
it.

do not repent the pains

I have

taken in

The

ufe

of fuch enquiries may

be very ccnfderable.

Whatever

tur72s the
its

foul inward on itfelf tends to concenter

forces,

and to fit

it

for greater andfironger

fights

The
jlights

PREFACE.
By

ii

of fcience.

looking intophyfical
-^

minds are opened and enlarged caufes our and in this purfuit whether we take or whe*
tber

we lofe our game,

the chace

is

certainly

to the offervice. Academic philofophy, and confequently led to

Cicero, true as he

was

rejeEi the certainty

of phyfical as of every

other kind of knowledge, yet freely confejfes

under^ great importance to the human ** Eft animorum ingeniorumque Jlanding:

its

" noftrorum
**
**

naturale

quoddam

quafi pa-

bulum
naturae."

confideratio

contemplatioque

If we can dircB the lights we

derive from fuch exalted fpeculations, upon

the humbler field of the imagination, whilji

we invefiigate thefprings and trace the courwe may not only commu-fes of our paffions,
nicate to the tafte afort
lidity,

of philofophicalfo-back on thefeverer

but

we may

refiedl

fciences fame
tafte,

of the graces and elegancies of without which the great eft proficiency
have the ap-

in thofe fciences will always

pearance offomcthing

illiberal.

The

THE

CONTENTS.
I
NTRODUCTION.
On
Tafte
I

Page

PART
SECT. SECT. SECT.
fure.
I.

41 Novelty Pain and Pleafure 43 The difference between III. the removal of Pain and politive PleaII.

47
T. IV. Of Delight and
Pleafure,

E C
as

SECT. SECT.
SECT. SECT.

51 oppofed to each other V. Joy and Grief 54 VI. Of the Paffions which

belong to Self-prefervation Of the Sublime VII.

VIII.

^j
58

Of

the Paffions

belong to fociety

which 60

SECT.

CONTENTS.
The final caufe of the IX. difference between the Paffions belonging to Self-prefervation, and thofe which regard the Society of the Sexes
S

SECT.

EC

T. X.
XI. XII.

Of

SECT. SECT.

63 Beauty 65 Society and Solitude 68

Sympathy,
Imitation

and Ambition

SECT. SECT.
SECT.
pathy

69
Sympathy

XIII.

XIV.

in the diftrefles

XV.
XVI.

of of others 7a Of the effeas of Tragedy

cfFedls

The

70 Sym-

SECT. SECT. SECT. SECT.

Imitation

75 79
83

XVII. Ambition XVIII. Recapitulation

XIX.

The

Conclufion
II.

84 87

PART
S

EC

T.

I.

Of

the Paffion caufed by

the Sublime

SECT. SECT. SECT.

SECT.
tinued

II.

Terror

Obfcurity IV. Of the difference between Cleamefs and Obfcurity witli to

regard

III.

qe 96 99

the Paffions
[IV.]

The fame

fubjecft

i o i conI

oi

SECT.

CONTENTS.
SECT. SECT. SECT. SECT. SECT.
SECT.
mity V.

Power

iid
125 127 I20 and Unifor132 1 36

VI. Privation VII. Vaftnefs

VIII.
Infinity

IX.

Succeifion

SECT. XI.
SECT. SECT. SECT. SECT. SECT. SECT.
jedls

X. Magnitude in Building
Infinity in

pleafing

Ob-

138 139 140 Magnificence XIV. Light 144 XV. Light in Building 147 XVI. Colour confidered as 149 produdtive of the Sublime XVII. Sound and Loudnefs
XII. XIII.
Difficulty

SECT. SECT. SECT. Sect.

ters

SECT.

152 153 XX. The cries of Animals 155 XXI. Smell and Tafte. Bitand Stenches 156 XXIL Feeling. Pain 159

XVin.

Suddennefs

XIX.

Intermitting

PART
6

III.

EC

T.

L
II.

Of

SECT.
SECT.

161 not the caufe Projjortion

Beauty

of Beauty in Vegetables
III.

163

caufe Proportion not the of Beauty in Animals 171

SECT.

CONTENTS,
SECT. SECT.
Beauty
nefs

IV.

Proportion not the caufe

1 of Beauty in the human fpecies 74 S E C T. V. Proportion further confix 186 dered VI. Fitnefs not the caufe of

SECT.
^:E C T.
S
S

VII.
VIII.

The

real eiFefts

191 of Fit-

197

The Recapitulation 202

Perfeftion not the caufe

EC

T. IX.
X.

of Beauty

E C T.
may Mind

idea of Beauty be applied to the qualities of the

How far the

203

SECT.

SECT.

of be applied to Virtue 208 Beauty may XII. The real caufe of Beauty
XI.
far

How

205
the ideas

SECT.

209
XIII. Beautiful objeds fmall

210

SECT. SECT. SECT. XVI. Delicacy SECT. XVII. Beauty in Colour SECT. XVIII. Recapitulation SECT. XIX. The Phyfiognomy SECT. XX. The Eye SECT. XXI. Uglinefs SECT. XXII. Grace
XIV. Smoothnefs XV. Gradual Variation

213 214 218 220 222 223 224 225 226

SECT.

CONTENTS.
SECT.
oufnefs

XXIII. Elegance and Specie

SECT.
ing

227

XXIV. The Beautiful

inPeell

SECT. XXV.

229

The Beautiful in Sounds

Tafte and Smell 236

SECT. SECT.

XXVI.

XXVII.

The Sublime and

237
IV.

Beautiful compared

PART
SECT.
S

EC

I. Of the efficient caufe of the Sublime and Beautiful 241

T.

II.

AlTociation

SECT.
SECT. SECT.
duced

244
246 249
is

III.

Caufe of Pain and Fear

IV. Continued V. How the Sublime VI,

pro

SECT.
;

How pain can

252
be a caufe

SECT.

of Delight
finer organs

254
256

VII. Exercife necefiary for the

SECT. VIII. Why things not dangerSECT.

ous fometimes produce a paffion like Terror 258 IX. Why vifual objects of 259 great dimenfions are Sublime

SECT.

.r O
S

TEN T
why

S.

EC

T. X. Unity
.

requifite

to

Vaftnefs

261

SECT. SECT.
fimikr
in
vifiial

XI. The artificial Infinite 264 XII. The vibrations muft be

SECT.Xfll. The efFeds of Succeffion

267

SECT.
5

objedls explained

268

EC
ble

XIV. Locke's opinion condarknefs confidered cerning 272

T. XV. Darkne/s
nature
terrible in
its

own

SECT.
^E C f
nefs
.

275

Xyi.

Why

Darknefs
effecfts

is

terri-

vlfjrrfi:

278
of Black281 effeds of Black-

XVII. The
-

SECT.
nefs

XVIII. moderated

The

SECT.
Love

285
phyfical caufe of

XIX. The

286

SECT.
tiful

XX.

Why

Smoothnefs is beau-

SECT.

290

XXI.

Sweetnefs,

Its

nature

SECT. XXII. Sweetnefs relaxing 296 SECT. XXIII. Variation, why beautiful

291

SECT.
,S

299

XXIV. Concerning

Smallnefs

EC

T-

XXV. Of

Colour

302 308

PART

CONTENTS, PARTY.
SECT, SECT.
SECT.
S S
I.

11.

Of Words The common

311
effea of

Poetry, not by raifing ideas of things

III.

General words before Ideas

EC EC

SECT.

317 T. IV. The effeft of Words 319 T. V. Examples that Words may afFed: without raifing images 32a
VI. Poetry not ftridly an imiVII.

tative art

SECT.

How Words

333
influence

the Paflions

334

NTR

O^

INTRODUCTION.
ON

TASTE.
ON
a
fuperficlal

view,

we may

feem

to

differ

very widely from

each other in our reafonings, and no lefs in our pleafures but notwith:

ftanding this difference,

which

think to
is

be rather apparent than

probable that the ftandard both of reafon

real, it

and Tafte
tures.

is

the fame in
if there

all

human

crea-

were not fome principles of judgment as well as of fentiment common to all mankind, no hold
could poiiibly be taken either on their
reafon
or
their
paffions,
fuffiicient

For

to

maintain the ordinary correfpondence of life. It appears indeed to be generally

acknow-

INTRODUCTION.
find people

acknowledged, that with regard to truth and falfhood there is fome thing fixed.

We

in their dilputes contefts

all

tinually

appealing to certain

and
fides,

ilandards

which

are allowed

on

and are fuppofed to be eftabliflied in our common nature. But there is not the
fame obvious concurrence in any uniform
or fettled principles
It
this
is

which

relate to Tafte.

even

commonly fuppofed
and
aerial

that

delicate

faculty,

which
the

feems too volatile

to endure even

chains of a definition, cannot be properly tried by any teft, nor regulated by any ftandard. There is fb continual

a call for the exercife of the reafoning

faculty,

and

it

is

fo

much

ftrengthen-

ed by perpetual contention, that certain maxims of right reafon feem to be

tacitly fettled

The

amongft the moft ignorant. learned have improved on this rude

and reduced thofe maxims inIf
Ta.fl:e
it

fcience,

to a fyftem.

has not been fo

that the

happily cultivated,

was not

fubjed

ON TASTE.
fubjedt
Avere
trutJi,

was barren, but that the labourers

for to fay the

few or negligent;

there are not the fame interefting

motives to impel us to fix the one, which urge us to afcertain the other. And after
all,

if

men

differ in their

opinion con-

cerning fuch matters, their difference is not attended with the fame important confequences, elfe I

make no doubt but

that

the logic of Tafte, if I

expreffion,
digefted,

may be

allowed the

might very poffibly be as well and we might come to difwith

as

cufs matters of this nature

certainty, as thofe

much

which feem more im-

mediately within the province of mere And indeed it is very neceffary reafbn.
at the entrance into fuch

an enquiry,

as

our prefent, to
as
pollible
;

make

this

point as clear

for if Tafte

has no fixed
is

principles,

if the

imagination

not af-

fedled according to

fome invariable and

is

certain laws, our labour

like to

be

em-

ployed to very be judged an

little

purpofe ; as it muft ufelefs, if not an abfurd

under-

INtRODUCTION.
to lay

undertaking,
price,

down
for

rules for ca-

and

to fet

up

a legillator of

whims and
rative

fancies.
all

Tiie term Tafte, like

terms,
is

other figu-

not extremely accurate:

underftand by it, is far from a fimple and determinate idea in the minds of moft men, and it is therethe thing w^hich
fore liable to uncertainty
I

we

and confufion.

have no great opinion of a definition, the celebrated remedy for the cure of
this

diforder.

For when we

define,

we

feem in danger of circumfcribing nature within the bounds of our own notions,

which we
mited and

often take
truft,

embrace on

up by hazard, or or form out of a liof the obof extending our

partial confideration

ject before us, inftead

ideas to take in

all

that nature

compre-

hends, according to
bining.

her manner of comenquiry

fub-

We
ftrid:

are limited in our

by the

laws to which

we have

ixiitted at

our fetting out*

Circa

ON TASTE.
Circa vilem patulumque morahlmur orhem
err Vndepudor prof e pedem vetat aut
operis lex.

be very exadl, and yet go but a very little way towards informing us of the nature of the
definition

may

thing

defined

but

let
it

the virtue
will,

of
the

a definition

be

what
it

in

order of things,

feems rather to follow

it

than to precede our enquiry, of which ought to be confidered as the refult.

It

muft be acknowledged that the methods of difquifition and teaching may be fomeand on very good reafon undoubtedly; but for my part, I am contimes
diflferent,

vinced that the method of teaching which

approaches moft nearly to the method of inveftigation, is incomparably the

beft
;

fince not content

lifelefs

with ferving up a
truths,
it
;

few barren and

the flock on

leads to
it

which they grew

tends

to fet the reader himfelf in the track of

invention, and to direft

him

into thofe

paths in which the author has mtade hi&

owa

INTRODUCTION.
difcoveries,
as to
if

own
happy

he

fhould

be

la

have made any that are

vakiable.

But
ling, I

to cut off all pretence for cavil-

mean by

the

word Tafte no more

faculties

than that faculty, or thofe

the

of
or

mind which
a

are

affedted with,

which form
This

judgment of the works of imagination and the elegant arts.

is,

think, the moft general idea

of that word,
connedted with

and what

is

the leaft
theory. to find

any particular
is

And my

point in this enquiry

are

whether there

any

principles,
is

on
fo

which the imagination

aifecfted,

common

grounded and certain, as to fupply the means of reafoning fatisfad;orily about them. And fuch
to
all,

fo

principles of Tafte, I fancy there

are;

however paradoxical it may feem to thofe, who on a fuperficial view imagine, that there
is

fo great a diverfity

of

Taftes both in kind and degree, that no-

thing can be more indeterminate.

All

ONTASTE.
All the natural powers in
I

man, which

know,

that are converfant about external

are the Senfes
;

objedts,

the Imagination
firft

and the Judgment.

gard to the
fenfes.

And

with re-

We do and we muft

luppofe, that as the conformation of their

organs are nearly, or altogether the fame in all men, fo the manner of perceiving external objedts
is

in

all

men
to be

the

fame,

or

with

little

difference.

We

are fatisfied that

what appears

light to

other
late,

one eye, appears light to anthat what feems fweet to one pafweet to another
;

is

that
is

what

is

dark and bitter to this man,

dark and bitter to
in the
tliat
;

likewife

and

we

conclude

fame manner of great and little, hard and foft, hot and cold, rough and finooth i and indeed of all the natural
qualities
fuffer

and

affediions

of bodies.
that

If

we

ourfelves

to imagine,

their

fcnfes prefent to different

men

different

images of things,
ing will

this fceptical

make

every fort

proceedof reafoning oa
every

B 4

INTRODUCTION.
which had per-

every fubjeft vain and frivolous, even that

fceptical reafoning itfelf,

fuaded us to entertain a doubt concern-

ing the agreement of our perceptions. But as there w^ill be very httle doubt
that bodies prefent fimilar images to the

whole

fpecies, it

muft

neceffarily

be

al-

lowed, that the pleafures and the pains which every objedl excites in one man,
it

muft

raife

in all

mankind, whilft

it

operates naturally, fimply, and

by

its

pro-

per powers only

for if

we deny

this,

we

muft imagine^ that the fame caufe operating in the lame manner, and on fubjefts

of the fame kind, will produce different effects, which would be highly
abfurd.

Let us

firft

confider this point in

the fenfe of Tafte, and the rather as the

faculty in queftion has taken
its

name

from that
call

fenfe.

All

men
all

are agreed to

vinegar four, honey fweet, and aloes

3

bitter

ana

as

they are

agreed in find-

ing thefe qualities in thofe objects, they do not in the leaft differ concerning their
effefts

ONTASTE.
They
all

efFeds with regard to pleafure and pain.

concur in

calling

fweetnefs
bitternefs
diverfity
is

pleafant,

and

fournefs

and
is

unpleafant.

Here there

no

in their fentiments;

and that there

not appears fai'y from the confent of all men in the metaphors which are

taken from the fenfe of Tafte.

A four

temper, bitter expreffions, bitter curfes, a bitter fate, are terms well and ftrongly
underftood by all. And gether as well underftood
a fweet difpoiition,

we

are altofay,

when we
It is

a fweet
like.

perfbn, a

fweet condition, and the

fefled,

con-

that

cuftom,

and fome other

deviations

caufes,

have made

many

from

the natural pleafures or pains which be-

long to thefe feveral Taftes; but then the power of diftinguifhing between the
natural and the acquired relifh remains to

the very

laft.

A man frequently comes to

prefer the Tafte of tobacco to that of fugar,

and the flavour of vinegar to that of

milki

!o

INTRODUCTION.
but this makes no confulion In

milk;

Taftes, whilft

he

is

fenfible that the to-

bacco and vinegar are not fweet, and whilft he knows that habit alone has reconciled his palate to thefe alien pleafures.

Even with fuch

and with
Taftes.

a perfon

we may

{peak,

fufficient

precifion, concerning

But fhould any

man

be found
has a

who

declares, that to

him tobacco

Tafte like fugar, and that he cannot di-

between milk and vinegar; or that tobacco and vinegar are fweet, milk
ftinguifh
bitter,

and fugar

conclude that the

we immediately organs of this man are

four,
is

out of order, and that his palate

vitiated.

utterly

from conferring with fuch a perfon upon Taftes, as from

as far

We are

reafoning concerning the relations of quantity

with one

who fhould deny

were equal
a

that

all

the

parts together

to the whole*.

We do not call

man

of this kind wrong

in his notions, but abfolutely

mad.

Exnot

ceptions of this fort in either way, do.

ON TASTE.
not at
all

II

impeach our general rule, nor make us conclude that men have various
principles

concerning
or
it

the

relations

of

quantity,

the Tafte of things.

is

So

that

when
it

faid,

Tafte cannot be

difputed,

can

one can

ftriftly

only mean, that no anfwer what pleafure or

pain fome particular

man may

find

from

the Tafte of fome particular thing. This indeed cannot be dilputed ; but we may
difpute,

and with

fufficient clearnefs too,

concerning the things which are naturally pleafing or difagreeable to the fcnk. But

when we
relifh,

talk of

then

we

any peculiar or acquired muft know the habits, the

prejudices, or the diftempers of this particular

man, and we muft draw our conclufion from thofe.

This agreement of mankind
confined
to
is

not

the

Tafte

folely.

The
fight pleaf-

principle of pleafure derived

is

from

the fame in

all.

Light

is

more

ing than darknefs.

Summer, when

the

earth

jz
earth

INTRODUCTION.
clad in green, when the heaare ferene and bright, is more
is

vens

agreeable than winter,

when

every thing
I

makes a

different

appearance.

never

remember
ther a

that any thing beautiful,

beaft, a bird,

whe-

man, a

or a plant,
it

was ever fhewn,

though

were to

an hundred people, that they did not all immediately agree that it was beautiful,

though fome might have thought

it

that

fell

fhort

of

their

ex-

pectation,
ftill

or

finer.

other things were I believe no man thinks a

that

goofe

to

be more beautiful

than

fwan, or imagines that what they call a Friezland hen excells a peacock. It muft be obferved too, that the pleafures

of the fight are not near fo complicated^ and confufed, and altered by unnatural
habits and afifociations, as the pleafures of

the Tafte are

becaufe the pleafures of

the fight more

themfelves
;

commonly

acquiefce in

and are not

fo often altered

by

ON TASTE.
by
confiderations
fight

13

which

are independent

of the

itfelf.

But things do not

Ipontaneoufly prefent themfelves to the palate as they (Jo to the fight ; they are
generally applied to
as medicine;
it,

either as

food or

and from the

qualities

which

they poflifs for nutritive or medicinal

purpofes, they often
degrees, and
tions.

form the palate by

afibcia-

by force of thefe
is

Thus opium

pleafing to Turks,

on account of the agreeable delirium it Tobacco is the delight of produces.

Dutchmen,
pleafe our

as

it

diffufes

a torpor and
fpirits

pleafing fl:upifad:ion.

Fermented

people, becaufe they banifh care, and all confideration of fu-

common

ture or prefent evils.

lie

All of thefe

would

abfolately negledled if their properties

originally
;

had
and
paft

Tafl:e

gone no further than the but all of thefe, together with tea

coffee,

and fome other things, have

from the apothecary's fhop to our tables, and were taken for health long
V

before

14

INTRODUCTION.
The
it

before they were thought of for pleafure.

effeft

of the drug has made

-,

us ufe

frequently

and frequent
effedt,

ufe,

combined with the agreeable

has

made
But

the Tafte

itfelf at laft

agreeable.

this does
;

not in the

leaft

perplex our

reafoning
laft

becaufe

we

diftinguifh to the
relifli.

the acquired from the natural

In defcribing the Tafte of an

fruit,

unknown

you would fcarcely fay, that it had a fweet and pleafant flavour like tobacco,
garlic,

opium, or
thofe

who

although you fpoke to were in the conftant ufe of

thefe drugs,

them.

and had great pleafure in There is in all men a fufficient

of the
to
original

remembrance

natural

caufes of pleafure,

enable

them

to

bring all things offered to their fenfes to that ftandard, and to regulate their feelings and

opinions by

it.

Suppofe one

who had
more

fo vitiated his palate as to take

pleafure in the Tafte of

opium than
fented

in that of butter or honey, to be pre-

ON TASTE.
fented with a bolus of fquills
;

15
there
is

but that he would prehardly any doubt fer the butter or honey to this naufeous morfel, or to any other bitter drug to which he had not been accuftomed >

which proves
rally like that

that his palate

was natu-

of other

men

in all things,

that
in

it is ftill

like the palate

of other

men

and only vitiated in fome particular points. For in judging of any new thing, even of a Tafte fimilar

many

things,

to that

which he has been formed by

manner, and on the com-

habit to like, he finds his palate affedled

in the natural

mon
all

principles.

Thus the

pleafure of

the fenfes, of the fight, and even of

the Tafte, that moft ambiguous of the fenfes, is the fame in all, high and low,
learned and unlearned.
Befides the ideas, with their annex-

ed pains and pleaiures, which are prefented by the fenfe ; the mind of man
pofTeffes

a fort

of creative power

of
its

i6
its

INTRODUCTION.
own ;
either in reprefenting at plea-

fure the images of things in the order

and manner in which they were received

by the fenfes,
in a

or in combining thofe images

new manner, and

and to

according to a diffeis

rent order.

This power

called Imagi-

nation

this belongs w^hatever is

called wit, fancy, invention,

and the
this

like.

But

it

muft be obferved, that

is

power

incapable of producing any thing abfolutely new ; it can only vary the difpofition of thofe ideas

of the imagination

which

it

has received from the fenfes.

is

Now
teniive
as

the imagination

the moft ex-

it is

province of pleafure and pain, the region of our fears and our
all

hopes, and of

our pafiions that are connefted with them; and whatever is

calculated to affeft the imagination with

thefe

commanding
fame

original

by force of any natural impreffion, muft have

ideas,

the
all

men.

power pretty equally over For fmce the imagination is

only

ON TA

T E.

17

only the reprefentative of the fenfes. It can only be pleafed or diiplealed with the

images from the fame principle on which the fenfe is pleafed or difpleafed with the
realities

juft as

and confequently there muft be clofe an agreement in the imagi;

nations as in the fenfes of

men.

little

attention will convince us that this

muft

of neceffity be the

cafe.

But in the imagination, befides the pain or pleafure ariiing from the properties of
the natural objedt, a pleafure is perceived from the refemblance, which the imitation has to the original
;

the imagination,

I conceive, can have

refults

no pleafure but what

from one or the other of thefe

caufes.

And

thefe caufes operate pretty

all

uniformly upon

operate by principles
are not derived

men, becaufe they in nature, and which

from any particular habits or advantages. Mr. Locke very juftly and
finely obferves

of wit, that

it

is

chiefly

converfant in tracing refemblances ; he remarks at the fame time, that the bufi-

nefs

i8

INTRODUCTION,
judgment
It
is

nefs of

rather in finding dif-

ferences.

may
that

perhaps appear, on this

there
is

fuppofition,
diftincSlion

no material
and
the

between

the

wit

judgment, as they both feem to refult from different operations of the fame faculty of comparing.

But

in-

reality,

whefo

ther they are or are not dependent on the

fame power of the mind, they

very materially in

differ

many

refpefts, that
is

perfed: union of wit

and judgment

one

of the

rareft

things in the world.

When
each

two

diflind: objedts are unlike to

it is

other,

only what

we

are in their

common way

expedt ; things ; and therefore

they
tion
:

make no impreffion on the imaginabut when two diftindt objeds have

a refemblance,
to them,

we are flruck, we attend and we are pleafed. The mind

of

man

has naturally a far greater alacri-

ty and fatisfaftion in tracing refemblances>

than in fearching for differences

becaufe
neinr

by making refemblances we produce

images^

we

unite,

we

create,

we

enlarge

our

ON TASTE.
our ftock
;

19

but in making diflindlions we offer no food at all to the imagination ;

the talk
itfelf is

more

fevere

and irkfome,

and what pleafure

we

derive

from

it

is

fomething of a negative and indirecft naA piece of news is told me in the ture.
merely as a piece of news, as a fadt added to my ftock, gives me

morning ;

this,

Ibme
there

pleafure.

In the evening I find

in
it.

was nothing

by this, had been impofed upon

gain but the dillatisfadlon to find that

?

Wh^t do

Hence

it is,

that

men
upon

are

much more

naturally in-

clined to belief than to incredulity.

it is

And
moll

this

principle, that the

ignorant and barbarous nations have fre-

quently excelled in fimilitudes, comparifons,

metaphors, and allegories,

who have

been weak and backward in

diftinguifli-

And it is for ing and forting their ideas. a reafon of this kind that Homer and the
oriental
writers,

though very fond

of

fimilitudes,

and though they often

ftrike

out fuch as are truly admirable, they feldom C 2

20

INTRODUCTION.
take care to have

dom
is,

them

exadl j that

refemthey are taken with the general blance, they paint it ftrongly, and they take no notice of the difference which may be

found between the things compared. Now as the pleafure of refemblance

that

is

which
all

principally flatters the imagi-

nation,

men

are nearly equal in this

far as their point, as

knowledge of the knowledge

is

or compared extends. things feprefented

very depends upon experience and obfervation, and not on the ftrength or weaknefs of any natural faculas it

The principle of much accidental,

this

ty;

and

it

is

from

this

difference

in

knowledge that what though with no great

we commonly,
exacftnefs,
call

a
to

difference in Tafte proceeds.

A man

whom
he
is

fculpture

is

new,

fees

a barber's

block, or feme ordinary piece of ftatuary;

immediately ftruck and pleafed, becaufe he fees fomething like an human

and entirely taken up with this likenefs, he does not at all attend to its
figure
;

defedls.

ON TASTE.
defefts.
firft

21
at

No

perfon,

believe,

the

time of feeing a piece of imitation Some time after, we fuppofe ever did.
that this novice Ughts
cial

upon a more artifiwork of the fame nature; he now

begins to look with contempt on what he admired at firft ; not that he admired it

even then for

its

qnlikenefs to a

man, but

for that general

though inaccurate refembore to the

blance

which

it

human
is

figure.

What he

admired

at difi'erent times
ftridlly
is

in

thefe {o different figures,

the

lame ; and though

proved, his Tafte
to his miilake

his

knowledge

im-

is

not altered.

Hither-

was from a want of knowand

this arofe

ledge in

art,
;

from
ftill

his in-

experience
fi*om a

but he

may

be

deficient

want of knowledge
pofllble that the

in

nature.

For

it is

man
tlie

in queftion

may

flop here,

and that

mafler-piece

of a great hand may pleafe him no more than the middling performance of a vulgar
artifl
;

and

this not for

want of better
all

or higher relifh, but becaufe

men do
not

22

INTRODUCTION.
And that the cri-

not obferve with fufficient accuracy on the human figure to enable them to judge proimitation of it. perly of an
tical

Tafte does not depend upon a fuperior but upon fuperior knowprinciple in men,

ledge, rfiay appear

from

feveral inftances.

The

ftory of the ancient painter

is

and the

fhoemaker

very well known.

The

ihoemaker

fet

the painter right with re-

gard :to fome miftakes he had made in the fhoe of one of his figures, and which
the painter,
curate

who had

not

made fuch

ac-

obfervations

on

fhoes,

and was

content with a general refemblance, had

never

obferved.

But

this

was no im-

peachment to the Tafte of the painter, it only {hewed fome want of knowLet us ledge in the art of making {hoes. imagine, that an anatomift had come into the painter's
is

working room. His piece

queattitude,

in general well done, the figure in

ftion in a

good

and the parts

;

Well adjufted to their various movements

yet the
anatomift,
critical

in

his

art,

may

ON TASTE.
may

23

obferve the fwell of fome mufcle

not quite juft in the peculiar adion of Here the anatomift obferves the figure.

had not obferved, and he pafles by what the llioemaker had remarked. But a want of the laft critical

what the

painter

knowledge in anatomy no more reflefted on the natural good Tafte of the painter,
or of any common obferver of his piece, than the want of an exacft knowledge in
the formation of a fhoe.

fine piece

of a decollated head of
tift

was fhewn

to

John the Bapa Turkifh emperor ; he

St.

praifed

many

things, but

he obferved one

defed:

he obferved that the fkin did not

the

fhrink from

wounded

part of the

neck.

The fultan on

his obfervation

though was very jufl, difcoyered no

painter

this occafion,

more natural Tafte than the

executed this piece,

who

or than a thoufand

European connoifleurs who probably never would have made the fame obfervation.

His Turkifh majefty had indeed been well acquainted with that terrible fpedlacle,

C 4

which

24

INTRODUCTION.
is

others could only have reprefen ted in their On the imagination.

fubjedt of their diflike there

which the

a difference

between

all

thefe people,

arifing

from

the different kinds and degrees of their knowledge; but there is fomething in

common

to the painter, the fhoemaker,

the anatomift, and the Turkifh emperor, the pleafure arifing from a natural objedl,
fo far as each perceives
it

juflly imitated

the fatisfadlion in feeing an agreeable figure ; the fympathy proceeding from a

flriking

and affecting incident.

natural,
it is

So

far as

Tafle
to
all.

is

nearly

common

In poetry, and other pieces of imagination, the fame parity may be obferved. It
is true,

that one

man is charmed with Don

Bellianis,

and reads Virgil coldly; whilfl another is tranfported with the Eneid,

Don Bellianis to children. Thefe two men feem to have a Tafle

and leaves
very different from each other; but in
fad: they differ very httle.

In both thefe
pieces.

ON TASTE.
pieces,

25

which
tale
full

ments, a

fuch oppofite fentiexciting admiration is told;

infpire

both are
ate,

of adlion, both are paflionin both are voyages, battles, triadmirer of

umphs, and continual changes of fortune.

The

Don

Bellianis perhaps

does not underftand the refined language of the Eneid, who if it was degraded
into the
ftj^le

might feel it fame principle which made him an admirer of

of the Pilgrim's Progrefs, in all its energy, on the

Bellianis.
is

Don

In his favourite author he

not fhock-

ed with the continual breaches of probathe confufion of times, the ofbility,

fences againft

manners,

the trampling

upon geography ; for he knows nothing of geography and chronology, and he

has never examined the grounds of proHe perhaps reads of a fhipbability.

wreck on the

coaft of

Bohemia , wholly

taken up with fo interefting an event, and only foUicitous for the fate of his
hero, he
is

not in the leaft troubled at

this

26

INTRODUCTION.
For

this extravagant blunder.

why fliould

he be fliocked

fhipwreck on the coaft of Bohemia, who does not know

at a

but that Bohemia

the Atlantic ocean
refledtion
is

may
?

be an illand in
after all,

and

what

this

on the natural good

Tafte of the perfon here fuppofed ? So far then as Tafte belongs to the imagination,
its

principle
is

is

the fame in
in the

all

men ^

there

no difference

man-

ner of their being affefted, nor in the caufes of the affedtion ; but in the degree
there
is

a difference,

which
;

arifes

from

two

caufes

principally

either

from a

of natural fenfibility, or greater degree from a clofer and longer attention to the
objedt.

To
is

illuftrate this

dure of the fenfes in

ference

by the procewhich the fame difus fuppofe a very

found,

let

finooth marble table to be fet before

two

they both perceive it to be fmooth, :md they are both pleafed with it, becaufe
they agree. But fuppofe another, and after that another

men ;

of

this quality.

So

far

table.

ON TASTE.
table, the latter
ftill

27

fmoother than the

It
is

former, to be

fet

before them.

now

very probable that thefe men,

who

are fo

agreed upon what

pleafure

is

fmooth, and in the

will difagree
table

from thence,
fettle

when

they come to

which

has the

advantage in point of polifh. Here is indeed the great difference between Taftes,

when men come

compare the excefs or diminution of things which are judged by

to

degree and not by meafure.

Nor is

it

eafy,

when
the

fuch a. difference
if

arifes,

to fettle

point,

the

excefs

or diminu-

If we differ in not glaring. opinion about two quantities, we can have recourfe to a common meafure,
tion be

which may decide the queflion with the

utmoll: exa<flnefs
-,

and

this I take it is

mathematical knowledge a But iii greater certainty than any other. things whofe excefs is not judged by
gives

what

greater or

Imaller,

as

fmoothnefs and

roughnefe, liardnefs and foftnefs, darknefs

and

light, the /hades

of colours,

all

thefe

28

INTRODUCTION.
when
is it is

thefe are very eafily diftinguiihed

the difference

when fome common

but not

any way confiderable, minute, for want of

may

meafures which perhaps never come to be difcovered. In

thefe nice cafes,

fuppofing the acutenefs of the fenfe equal, the greater attention

will

and habit in fuch things

have the

In the queftion about the advantage. the marble poliiher v/ill untables,
queftionably determine the moft accurately.

But notwithftanding
meafure for

this

want

of a

common

fettling

many

difputes relative to the fenfes

and their

the imagination, we find that the principles are the fame in all,
reprefentative

and that there

we come
brings us

to

no difagreement until examine into the preemiis

nence or difference

of things,

which
of'

within the province

as

the

judgment. So long

we

are converfant

with the

fenfible qualities

of things, hardly any more than the imagination feems concernedi

ON TASTE.
ccrned
;

29

than the imagination feems concerned when the paflittle

more

alfo

fions

are

reprefented,

becaufe

by the

force of natural
all

fympathy they are felt in men without any recourfe to reafon-

ing,

and

their juftnefs

recognized

in

every breaft.

Love,

grief, fear,

anger,

have in their turns joy, all thefe paflions

affedled every
affed: it in

and they do not an arbitrary or cafual manner,

,

mind

but upon certain, natural and uniform But as many of the works of principles.
imagination are not confined to the reprefentation of fenfible obj edls, nor to
efforts

upon the
aftions,

pafiions,

but extend

themfelves to the manners, the characters,

the

their relations,

and defigns of men, their virtues and vices,

the province of the

they

come within

judgment, which is improved by attention and by the habit of reafoning. All thefe

make

a very confiderable part of

what
;

are confidered as the objedls of Tafte

and

^d

INTRODUCTION.
and the world
them.
for our inis

and Horace fends us to the fchools of

philofophy
ftrudlion in

Whatever certainty

to be acquired in morality and the fcience

of life

juft the

fame degree of certainty

relates

have v^e in what

to

them
it

in
for

works of

imitation.

Indeed
fkill

is

the moft part in our

in

manners,

and

in the obfervances

of time and place,

and of decency in only to be learned

is

general,
in

which

is

thofe fchools
us, that

to

which Horace recommends

called Tafte

what

fifts;

by way of diftindlion, conand which is in reality no other

than a more refined judgment.

On

the
is

whole

it

appears to me,
its

that

what

called Tafte, in
tion,
is

moft general accepta-

made

not a fimple idea, but is partly up of a perception of the primary

pleafures of fenfe, of the fecondary pleafures of the imagination,

and of the con-

clufions

of the reafoning faculty, concerning the various relations of thefe, and

concerning

ON TASTE.
to form Tafte, and the
all tliefe is

31

concerning the human paflions, manAll this is requifite ners and actions.

ground-work of

the fame in the

human mind ;
of

for as the fenfes are the great originals

all

our ideas, and confequently of all our are not uncertain and pleafures, if they
arbitrary,

Tafte
there

is is

ground-work of common to all, and therefore

the whole

a fufficient foundation for a con-

clulive reafoning

on

thefe matters.

Whilft
cording to
find
its

we
its

confider Tafte, merely ac-

nature and fpecies,

we
;

fhall

principles entirely uniform

but

the degree in which thefe principles prevail in the feveral individuals of mankind,
is

altogether as

different

as

the

principles
fenfibility

themfelves are fimilar.

For

and judgment, which are the

that

qualities

compofe what

we com-

a Tajle^ vary exceedingly in various people. From a defeft in the

monly

call

former of thefe

qualities,

arifes

want
of

^t

INTRODUCTION.
;

of Tafte
ftitutes

a weaknefs in the latter, con-

wrong

or a bad one.

There

are

fome men formed with

feelings fo

blunt, with tempers fo cold

and phleg-

matic, that they can hardly be faid to be

awake during the whole

lives.

courfe of their

fuch perfons, the moft ftriking objects make but a faint and ob-

Upon

fcure impreffion.

There

are

others fo

continually in the agitation of grofs and

merely fenfual pleafures, or fo occupied in the low drudgery of avarice, or fo

heated in the chace of honours and diftindion, that their

minds, which had

been ufed continually to the ilorms of thefe violent and tempeftuous paflions,
can hardly be put in motion by the delicate and refined play of the imagination.

Thefe
caufe,

men, though from a different become as ftupid and infenfible as

;

the former

but whenever either of thefe

ftruck with any natural

happen

to be

elegance or greatnefs, or with thefe qualities

ON
lities

T A STE.

33

any work of art, they are moved upon the fame principle. The caufe of a wrong Tafte Is a dein

of judgment. And this may arife from a natural weaknefs of underftand*

fect

ing (in whatever the ftrength of that faculty

may

confifl)

or,

which

is

much

more commonly the cafe, it may arife from a want of a proper and well-direcfled
exercife,

which alone can make

it

ftrong

and ready.

Beiides that ignorance> inat-

tention, prejudice, rafhnefs, levity, obfli-

nacy, in

fliort,

all

thofe paffiona, and

all

thofe vices
in

which pervert the judgment other matters, prejudice it no lefs in

this its

more

refined

and elegant province,

Thefe cau fes produce different opinions upon every thing which is an objedl: of
the underftanding, without inducing us to fuppofe, that there are no fettled principles

of reafon.

And

indeed on the
there
is

whole one may

gather
lefs

obferve, that

difference

upon matters of
cioft

Tafte

among mankind, thaQ upoa

of

34

INTRODUCTION.

of thofe which depend upon the naked reafon ; and that men are far better
agreed on the excellence of a defcription in Virgil, than on the truth or falfc-

hood of a theory of Arillotle.

-

reftitude of

judgment

in the arts

which may be
;

called a

good Tafte, does

in a great meafure
lity

depend upon fenlibibecaufe if the mind has no bent to

it

the pleafures of the imagination,

will

never apply

itfelf

fufficiently to

works of

that ipecies to acquire a competent

know-

ledge in them.
fenfibility
is

But, though a degree of

requifite to

form a good judg-

ment, yet a good judgment does not nefrom a quick fenfibility of ceflarily arife
pleafure
;

it

frequently happens that a

a,

very poor judge, merely by force of

greater complexional fenfibility, is more affefted by a very poor piece, than the beft

judge by the mofliperfed:; for

as

every thing

new, extraordinary, grand, or paffionate is well calculated to affeft fuch a perfon, and
that the faults do not affeft him, his pleafure

ON TASTE,
fure
is
is is

35
as it

more pure and unmixed ; and

merely a pleafure of the imagination, it much higher than any which is derivthe

ed from a redlitude of the judgment;

the

judgment
in

is

for

greater part

throwing Humbling blocks in the way of the imagination, in difof its enchantment, fipating the fcenes

employed

and

in tying us

down
that

to

the difagree:

able yoke

of our reafon
pleafure

for

almofl
in

the

only

men have

judging better than others, confiils in a fort of confcious pride and fuperiority, which arifcs from thinking rightly ; but
then, this

an indired; pleafure, a pleafure which does not immediately refult

is

from the objedt which

plation.

is

under contem-

In the morning of our days,

when the der, when

unworn and tenthe whole man is awake in

fenfes

are

every part, and the glofs of novelty frefh upon all the objedts that furround us,

how lively at that time are ourfenfatlons, but how falie and inaccurate the judg-

msnts

36

INTRODUCTION.
we form
of things
?

ments

defpair of

ever receiving the fame degree of plea*

fure

from the moft excellent perform-^

ances of genius

which

I felt at that age,

from

pieces

ment
tible.

apt to

prefent judgand contemptrifling regards trivial caufe of Every pleafure is affedl the man of too fanguine a
as
.

which

my

complexion
fuffer his

his appetite

is

too keen to
;

Tafte to be delicate

and he

is

in

all

refpc6ls

what Ovid

fays

of himfelf

in love,

MoIIe

meum

levlbus cor ejl violab'ile

eji^

tel'is^

Et femper

caufa

cur ego femper ame?n.

One of this
fined judge
calls elegans

charadter can never be a rej

never

what

the comic poet

excellence

The formarujn, fpe^ator. and force of a compofition

muft always

from
cept

its

be imperfedlly eftimated effed on the minds of any, exthe temper and charadler

we know

of^thofe niinds.

The moft

powerful effedls

ON TASTE.

-^y

fedls

of poetry and mulic have been difare ftill difplayed, played, and perhaps where thefe arts are but in a very low

and imperfed:
affedled

ftate.

The

rude hearer

is

by the principles which operate in thefe arts even in their rudeft condition
;

and he

is

not

flcilful

enough to

perceive the defedts.

But

as the arts ad->

vance towards their perfed:ion, the fcience of criticifni advances with equal
pace, and the pleafure of judges
is

fre-

quently interrupted by the faults which are difcovered in the moft finifhed compofitions.

Before

I leave this

fubjedl I cannot help

taking notice of an opinion which many perfons entertain, as if the Tafte were a
leparate faculty of the

mind, and

diftindl
;

from the judgment and imagination

fpecies of inftindl

naturally,

and

at

by which we are ftruck the firft glance, with-

out any previous reafoning with the excellencies, or the defedls of a compofi-

tion.

38
tion.

INTRODUCTION.
So
far as the imagination

and the
it

pafTions

are concerned, I believe

is

true,

that the reaibn

Httle confultedj

but

wheix

difpofition,

congruity are ever the beft Tafte differs from the worft,
I

where decorum, where concerned, in fliort where^

am

convinced that the underilanding

;

operates and nothing elfe

tion
is

and

its

opera-

in reality far

from being always

it is

fudden, or

when
right.

it is

fudden,

often far

from being
thefe

Men of the bell Tafte by

frequently to change
precipitate
its

confideration,
early

come
and

which the mind from

trality

averfion to

judgments neu-

and doubt loves to form on the

It is

fpot.

known

that the Tafte (whatas

ever

it is) is

improved exacSly

we im-

prove our judgment, by extending our knowledge, by a fteady attention to our

objed, and by frequent exercife. They w^ho have not taken thefe metliods, if
their Tafte decides quickly,
it is

always
is

uncertainly; and their quicknefs

owe-

mg

ON TASTE.
and not
a
to

39

and raflmefs^ ing to their prefumption

any fudden irradiation that
difpels
all

in

moment

darknefs from their

minds.

But they

who

have cultivated

that Ipecies of knov^ledge

which makes
ha-

the objed: of Tafte, by degrees and

bitually attain not only a foundnefs, but

a readinefs of judgment, as men do by the fame metliods on all other occafions.

At

firfl

they are obliged to

fpell,

but at laft

they read with eafe and with celerity : but this celerity of its operation is no proof, that the Tafte is a diftindt faculty.

Nobody
of a
ters

I believe

has attended the courfe

which turned upon matwithin the {phere of mere naked readifcuffion,

fon, but

muft have obferved the extreme

readinefs with

which the whole

procefs of

the argument is carried on, the grounds difcovered, the objedlions raifed and an-

fwered, and the conclulions drawn from

premifes, with a quicknefs altogether as

great

as the Tafte

can be fuppofed to work with I 4

40
with

INTRODUCTION.
;

and yet where nothing but plain reafon either is or can be fufpeded

to operate.

To

multiply principles for

every different appearance, is ufelefs, and unphilofophical too in a high

degree.

This matter might be purfued much further ; but it is not the extent of the
fubjefl:

which muft

prefcribe our bounds,

for

what
?

fubjedl does not branch out to

it is

the nature of our particular fcheme, and the fingle point of view
infinity

in

which we

confider

it,

which ought

to

put a ftop to our refearches.

Philo-

[41

Philofophical Enquiry

INTO THE
Origin
of our

Ideas

OF THE

Sublime

and

Be auti|',ul*
I.

PART
SECT.
I.

NOVELTY.

TH
I

E firft and the

is

fimpleft

emotion

which we

difcover in the

human
for,

mind,

Curiofity.
defire

By

curiofity,

mean whatever

we

have

or

whatever pleafure

we

take in

novelty^i.

We fee children perpetually running from

hunt out fomething^ new; they catch with great eagernefs, and
place to place to

42

On

the

UBLIME

and with very little choice, at whatever comes before them ; their attention is
engaged by every thing, becaufe every thing has, in that ftage of hfe, the charm
of novelty to recommend
things
it.

But

as thofe

which engage us merely by

curiofity
is
;

their

novelty, cannot attach us for any length

of time, of
all

the moft fuperficial

it

the afFedions
-,

jdd: perpetually
is

it

changes its obhas an appetite which

very fharp, but very eafily fatisfied ; and it has always an appearance of gid-

dinefs, reftleflhefs
fity

and anxiety.
is

Curio-

from
;

ciple

it

a very adlive prinruns over the quickly greateft

its

nature

part

of

its

objedls,
is
;

and foon exhaufts the

variety

which

commonly

to be

met

with

in nature

the fame things make-

frequent returns, and they return with

lefs

of any agreeable efFed:. In fhort, the occurrences of life, by the

and

lefs

time

we come

to

know

it

little>

would

be incapable of affefting the mind with any other fenfations than thofe of loath-

and

BEAUTIFUL*

43

if many things were ing land wearlnefs, not adapted to afFed: the mind by means

of other powers befides novelty in them, and of other pafiions beiiJes curiofity in
ourfelves.
fhall

Thefe powers

and paflions

be confidered in their place.

are, or

But

whatever thefe powers

principle
is

foever they afFedl

upon what the mind, it

abfolutely neceffary that they flaould

not be exerted in thofe things which a ufe have daily and vulgar brought into z

unafFeding familiarity. Some degree of novelty muft be one of the materials in every inflrument which works
ftale

upon the mind and felf more or lefs with

;

curiofity blends itall

our paffions.

SECT.
PAIN
and

II.

PLEASURE.

IT

feems then neceffary towards moving the paffions of people advanced in

Jife to

any confiderable degree, that the

objedls

44'

On

the

SUBLIME

objedls defigned for that purpofe, befides

their being in

fome meafure new, fhould

be capable of exciting pain or pleafure from other caufes. Pain and pleafure are
fimple
ideas,

incapable

of definition.

People are not liable to be miftaken in their feelings, but they are very frequently

wrong
in

in the

names they give them,

reafonings

and

their

about

them.

Many
ttire
;

are

ceflarily

of opinion, that pain arifes ne* from the removal of fome plea-

as they think pleafure does

from

the ceafing or diminution of fome pain.

For

my

part I

am

rather inclined to ima-

and pleafure in their moft gine, that pain fimple and natural manner of affedling,are each of a pofitive nature, and

by no
each

means

necelTarily

dependent
think

on

other for their exiftence.

The human
it
is

mind
moft

is

often,

and

for the

part, in a ftate neither

pleafure,

which

I call
I

of pain nor a -ftate of indiffecarried

rence.
ftate

When
.

am

from

this
it

into

jftate

of adbual pleafure,

docs

and

BEAUTIFUL

.45

does not appear neceffary that I fhould the medium of any fort of pals through If in fuch a ftate of indifference,
pain.

pr

cafe, or tranquility,"

or call

it

what

you

you were to be fuddenly entertained with a concert of mufic; or

pleafe,

fuppofe fome objed: of a fine fliape, and bright lively colours to be prefented be^
fore
fied

you ; or imagine your fmell is gratiwith the fragrance of a rofe ; or if

without any previous thirft you were to drink of fome pleafant kind of wine ; or
to tafte of fome fweetmeat without being Jiungry ; in all the feveral fenfes, of hearing, fmelling,

and

tailing,

you undoubt-

edly find a pleafure ; yet if I enquire into the ftate of your mind previous to thefe
gratifications,

you

will

hardly

tell

me
;

that they found you in any kind of pain

or having fatisfied thefe feveral fenfes with

their feveral pleafures, will

you fay that

any pain has fucceeded, though the pleafure is abfolutely over ? Suppofe on the
other hand, a

man

in the

fame

flate

of

indifference,

46

On

the

SUBLIME
bitter potion, or to

indifference, to receive a violent blow, or

to drink of

fome

have

his ears

wounded with fome harfh and

grating found; here is no removal of pleafure; and yet here is felt, in every
fenfe

which is
It

affefted, a pain very diftin*-

guifhable.

may

be

faid

perhaps, that
its

the pain in thefe cafes

had

rife

from

the removal of the pleafure which the man enjoyed before, though that pleafure

was of

fo

low

a degree as to be perceived

only by the removal.

But

this

feems to

me

a fubtilty, that

is

not difcoverable in

nature.

For
feel

if,

previous to the pain, I

I

do not
reafon
exifts
it is

any adtual pleafure,

that

have no
thing

to judge

any fuch

fmce pleafure is only pleafure as ; felt. The fame may be faid of pain,
I

and with equal reafon.

can never perfuade myfelf that pleafure and pain are mere relations, which can only exift as
:

they are contrafted

difcern
clearly

but I think I can

there
are
politive
at all

that

pains and pleafures, which do not

depend

and

BEAUTIFUL,
Nothing
I

47
is

depend upon each other.

more
this.

certain to

my own

feelings than

There

is

nothing which

can di-

ftinguifh in
jiefs

my mind

with more clearof indifference,

than the three

ftates,

of

pleafure,

thefe I

and of pain. Every one of can perceive without any fort of

its

idea of

relation to

Caius
this

is afflicted

any thing elfe. with a fit of the cholic ;

;

man is
;

actually in pain

ftretch Caius

upon the
er pain
arife

rack,

he will

feel a

much

great-

but does

this pain

of the rack
?

from the removal of any pleafure

the
fit

or

is

of the cholic a pleafure or

a pain juft as
fider it?

we

are pleafed to con-*

SECT,
The
difference

III,

between the removal of

*

PAIN

and

pofitive

PLEASURE,

fhall carry this propofition yet

a ftep further.

We

(hall

venture

48

On

the

SUBLIME
on
their

ture to propofe, that pain and pleafurc

are not only, not necefTarily dependent

for their exiftence

mutual dimi-

nution or removal, hut that, in reality, the diminution or ceafing of pleafure does

not operate like pofitive pain i and that the removal or diminution of pain, in its
efFed:

tive pleafure.

has very *

little

refemblance to pofiThe former of thefe pro-

pofitions will, I believe, be

much mor^
;

readily allowed than the latter

it is

becaufe

very evident that pleafure,

its

has run

career,
it

fets

us

when it down very

it

nearly where

found

us.
;

Pleafure of

every kind quickly

is

fatisiies

and when

over,

rather

we relapfe into indifference, or we fall into a foft tranquility,

tinged with the agreeable coI

which
not

is

lour of the former fenfation.

at lirfl

own,

it is

view

fo apparent, that the rcr

T
[effay underflanding, k6\. lb.] thinks that the removal or IcTconfidered and operates as a pjeajfening of a pain is furc, and tlie lofs ordiminifhing of pleafure as a pain. It 4^ this opinion which WG cwfider Iiere.
].

* Mr. Locke

on human

2. c. 20.

::.i

moval

and

BEAU
but

T I F U L.
let

49

moval of a great pain does not refemble

pofitive pleafure
:

us recoiled: in

have found our minds upon efcaping fome imminent danger, or

ftate

what

we

on being releafed from the feverity of fbme cruel pain. We have on fuch occafions found, if I

am

not

much

mif-

taken,

the temper of our minds in a

tenor very remote from that which attends the prefence of pofitive pleafure;

we

have found them in a

ftate

of

much

fobriety, imprelTed

in a fort

with a fenfe of awe, of tranquility fhadowed with

fafliion

horror.

The
is

of the countenance

and the gefture of the body on fuch occafions

fo correfpondent to this
ftate

of mind, that any perfon, a ftranger to the caufe of the appearance, would rather judge us under fome confternation,

than in the enjoyment of any thing like

pofitive pleafure.
fl< J^'oTdLV AVJ^^* AJn 'TVKtVn ?^ctCff, or'*!'/ Txlpii
fl/]sfc

KolAKleiVAi AhKOV l^tKlTn cTh/XOK,

Iliad.

24.

.50

On

tJie

SUBLIME
confclous

As when a wretch^ who

of

his crime^

Purfued for murder from

yufl gains fame frontier^

his natlue

cUmey

hreathlefs^ pele^

amazed i

Ml gaze^
This

all

wonder /

appearance of the man whom Homer fuppofes to have jufl efcaped an imminent danger, the fort of mixt paffion of terror and furprize, with
ftriking

which he
find
fions

affedts the

fpeftators,

paints

very ftrongly the

ourfelves

manner
affed:ed

in

which we

any way fimilar. have fuffered from any violent emotion,

the

upon occaFor when we

mind

naturally continues in fomething

like the

fame condition,

after the caufe

which
rate.

firft

The

produced it has ceafed to opeafter tolling of the fea remains

the ftorm;

and when

this

remain

of

horror has entirely fubfided,. all the paffion, which the accident raifed, fubfides
alon? w^ith
its
it ;

and the mind returns to

In fhort,
in the thing either

ufual ftate of indifference.

pleafure (I

mean any

iiiward

and
inward

BEAUTIFUL.

51

fenfation, or in the

imagine, its origin from the removal of pain or danger.

pearance like caufe) has never,

outward appleafure from a pofitive

I

SECT,
Of DELIGHT
and

IV.

PLEASURE,

as

oppofed to each other.

BUT
is
is

(hall

we

therefore fay, that the

its

removal of pain or

diminution

always (imply painful ? or affirm that the ceflation or the lefTcning of pleafure always attended itfelf with a pleafure ? by no means. What I advance is no
this;
firft,

more than
pleafures

that

there

are

and pains of a politive and independent nature; and fecondly, that

the feeling which refults from the ceafing or diminution of pain does not bear a fufficient refemblance to pofitive pleafure to have
it

confidered as of the fame

it

nature, or to entitle

to be

known by
the

S2

On

the

SUBLIME
that

the fame

name ; and thirdly,

upon th^

fame principle the removal or

qualification

of pleafure has no refemblance to pofitive It is certain that the former feelpain.

ing (the removal or moderation of pain) has fomething in it far from diftreffing,
or difagreeable in
its

nature.

This

feel-

ing, in many cafes fo agreeable, but in all fo different from pofitive pleafure, has

no name w^hich
ders not
its

know
all

but that hin-

being a very real one, and

others.
It is

very different from

or pleafure,

moil

certain, that every fpecies

of

fatisfaftion
its

how

different
is

foever in

manner of
ture in the

afi^edling,

of a pofitive nafeels
it.

mind of him who

is

The

affeftion

undoubtedly pofitive
be, as in this cafe

-,

but the caufe

certainly
is
is,

may

it it

a fort of Privation,

And

very reafonable that

we

fhould diflin-

guifn by fome term two things fo diflindl in nature, as a pleafure that is fuch fimply,

and without any

relation,
exifl

from that
without a
relation.

pleafure,

which cannot

and
relation,

BEAUTIFUL.
it

53

and that too a relation to pain.

Very extraordinary
affeftions,

would

be, if thefe
in
their

fo

diftinguifliable

caufes, fo different in their effedis, fliould

be confounded with each other, becaufe

vulgar ufe has ranged

them under the

I

fame general
tive

title.

Whenever
it

have

occafion to fpeak of this fpecies of relapleafure,

I
call

Delight-, and I
to ufe that

Ihall take the beft care I can,

word
the

in

no other
is

fenfe.

am

fatisfied

word

not

commonly

ufed in this

appropriated fignification % but I thought take up a word it better to already known, and to limit its fignification,

than to introduce a

new one which

fo well

would not perhaps incorporate

with the language,
I

fhould never have

in

prefumed the
words,
if

leaft

alteration

our

of the language, framed for the purpofes of bufinefs rather

the

nature

than thofe of philofophy, and the nature of my fubjedt that leads me out of the

comimon track of difcourfe, did not

in a

manner

54

On

the

SUBLIME
me
to
it.

manner

necefHtate

ihall

make

ufe of this liberty with

all

poffible

caution.

As

make

ufe of the

word Dewhich ac-

light lo exprefs the fenfation

companies the removal of pain or danger fo when I fpeak of pofitive pleay.

fure,

ihall

for

the moft part call

it

limply Fkafure.

SECT.
JOY
T
of pleafure

V.

and

GRIEF.
ceflatlon

muft be obferved, that the

affefts

the

mind

three

ways. If it limply ceafes, after having continued a proper time, the effedl is indiffcrence y if it be abruptly broken off,
there enfues an uneafy fenfe called difappointfnent y if the objed: be fo totally loft
that there
again,
is

no chance of enjoying it a paffion arifes in the mind, which

is

called grief.

Now
grief,

there

is

none of
the moft
violent.

thefe. Hot

even

which

is

and

BEAUTIFUL.
The
perfon

55

Violent, that I think has

any refemblance

to pofitive pain.
fufFers

who
it
:

grieves,
;

his paffion to
it,

grow upon him

he indulges

he loves

but this

never happens in the cafe of aftual pain, which no man ever willingly endured for

any confiderable time.

That

grief fhould

be willingly endured, though far from a limply pleafing fenfation, is not fo difficult to be underftood.
It is

the nature

of grief to keep
its

objedt perpetually in eye, to prefent it in its moft pleafuits

repeat all the circumftances that attend it, even to the laft
rable vi^ws, to

minutenefs; to go back to every particular enjoyment, to dwell upon each, and

to find a thoufand

perfedions in all, that were not fufficiently underftood before

;

new

in grief, the pleafure

;

is ftill

moft

and the

afflidlion

we

upperfuifer has no

refemblance to ablblute pain, which is always odious, and which we endeavour

to (hake off as foon as poflible.

The
fo

Odyffey of Homer, which abounds with

56
fo

On
many

the

SUBLIME

images, has none more ftriking than thofe which Menelaus raifes of the calamitous fate of
his friends,

natural and affedting

and

his

own manner of feelfrom fuch

ing

it.

He

owns

indeed, that he often

gives himfelf fome intermiffion

melancholy reflexions, but he obferves

too, that

melancholy
pleafure.

as

they

are,

they

give

him

AAA. //TMf

'TTAvJeti

oJ'V^lllVO^ 1^

A')(iVti>Vy

TloKKcLKti iV ^ZydLCStCt KA^^yilVOi Viy.l\i^lfftV

TldLvoyicu'

cu'\>eic^i

cTg

xo^f K^vt^to

yotoo.

Still in jhort intervals

of pleafing woe,

Regardful of the friendly dues I owe,

to the glorious

deady for ever dear.

Indulge the tribute of a grateful tear,

HoM. Od.

4.

On

the other hand,

when we
efcape

recover our

health,

when we
is it

an imminent

danger,

with joy that

we

are afltd:-

ed?

and
cd
?

BEAUTIFUL.
on thefe occafions
is

S7
far

The
that

fenfe

from

fmooth and voluptuous fatisfactlon which the affured profped: of pleabeftows.

flire

The

delight

which

arifes

from the modifications of pain, confefles the ftock from whence it fprung, in its
folid,

ftrong,

and fevere nature.

VI.

SECT.
Of
the pafiions

which belong

to

SELF-

PRESERVATION.

pable of making a powerful imthe mind, whether fimply of preffion on

MO
and

of the ideas which are ca-

Pain or Pleafure,
tions

or of the modifica-

of thofe,

may be
two
;

reduced

very

nearly to thefe
tion

fociety

heads, felf-preferuato the ends of one or

all

the other of which

calculated to anfwer.

our paflions are

paflions

The

which

'

concern felf-prefervation, turn moftly on

fain

5?

On
and

the

SUBLIME
The
fill
;

fain or danger.
hefsy

ideas of pain, Jick-

deaths

the

mind with
life

flrong

emotions of horror

but

and healthy

though they put us in a capacity of bewith pleafure, they make no ing affefted fuch impreffion by the fimple enjoyment. The paffions therefore which are converfant about the prefervation of the indivi-

on pain and dajtger, and they are the mofl powerful of all the
dual, turn chiefly
paffions,

SECT.
Of
the

VII.

SUBLIME.
is fitted

in

any

fort to

ex-

WHatever ideas of cite the

ger, that
is

pain, and danis

to fay,

whatever

in

any

fort terrible, or is converfant

about tera

rible objefts,

or

operates
is

in

manner
of the

analogous to terror,
Jublime
;

a fource of the

that

is,

it

is

productive

ftrongeft

and
ftrongeft

BEAUTIFUL.
is

59
ca-

emotion which the mind

I fay die ftrongeft emo-pable of feeling. tion, becaufe I am fatisfied the ideas of

pain are much more powerful than thofe which enter on the part of pleafure.

Without

all

doubt, the torments which

fuiFer,

we may

be made to

are

much

their eifedt greater in

on the body and mind, than any pleafures which the moft

learned voluptuary could fuggeft, or than the liveliefl imagination, and the moft

found and exquifitely fenfible body could

enjoy.

Nay I am in great doubt, whether any man could be found who would earn
a

of the moft perfedl fatisfaftion, at the price of ending it in the torments,

life

which
But

juftice inflidted in a

few hours on

the late unfortunate regicide in France.

as pain
is

ftronger in
is

its

operation

than pleafure, fo death

in general
;

much more afFefting idea

caufe there are

than pain

be-

ever
ferred

exquifite,

very few pains, how-^ which are not pre;

to

death

nay,

what

generally

makes

'

6o

On

the
itfelf,

U B L I ?vl E
may
fay fo,

makes pain
painful,
is,

if I
it
is

more

that
this

confidered as an
terrors.

emiffary of

king of

When

danger or pain prefs too nearly, they are incapable of giving any delight, and are fimply terrible but at certain diftances,
-,

and with certain modifications, they may be, and they are delightful, as we every
day experience. The caufe of this endeavour to inveftigate hereafter.
I fhall

SECT.
Of
,::

VIII.

the paffions which

belong to

SOCIETY.
E
other

TH
cietyy

head under which

is

our paffions, that of Jowhich may be divided into two

clafs
I
.

forts.

of the fexes, which anfwers the purpofes of propagation j and

fociety

The

next, that

more general

fociety,

which

we

have with

mals,

men and with other aniand which we may in fome fort

be

and
be
faid to

BEAUTIFUL.

6r

have even with the inanimate

pairions belonging to the

world.

The

the individual, turn wholly prefervation of

on pain and danger to generatioriy have

fications

-,

thofe

which belong

their
;

origin in grati-

aud pleafures

the pleafure moft

is

direftly belonging to this purpofe

lively

of a

character, rapturous

and

violent,

and confefledly the higheft pleafure of fenfe ; yet the abfence of this fb great an
enjoyment, fcarce amounts to an uneafinefs
;

and except
it

at particular times, I

do not think
defcribe in

afFedls at all.

When men
are affed:ed

what manner they

by pain and danger ; they do not dwell on the pleafure of health and the comfort
offecurity, and then lament tht
thefe fatisfadions
:

/ojs

of

the whole turns upon the aftual pains and horrors which they endure. But if you liften to the complaints

of a forfaken

lover,

you obferve,

that he infills

on the pleafures which he enjoyed, or hoped to enjoy, and on the perfeftion of the objedt of his delargely
fires
;

2
fires
;

On
it is

the
the
/ojs

SUBLIME
which
is

always

up
ef-

permoft in his
fedts

mind.

The. violent

produced by love, which has fometimes been even wrought up to madnefs,

is

no objection

to the rule

which we feek

to eftablifh.

When men have fufFered their

to be
fo

imaginations

long afFedled with

any
as

idea,

it

wholly engrofles them

to fhut out

by degrees almoft every

other, and to break

down

every partition

of the mind which would confine, it.

idea
is

Any
is

fufficient for

the purpofe, as

evident from the infinite variety of caufes

which
love
is

give

rife to

madnefs

but this at

mofl can only prove, that the pafTion of

capable of producing very extraordinary effedls, not that its

extraordinary^^^

emotions have any connexion with pofitive pain.

SECT.

and

BEAUTIFUL.

6j

SECT.
The
final

IX.

caufe of the diiFerence between

the paffions belonging to

SELF-PRE-

SERVATION, and thofe which regard the SOCIETY of the SEXES.

TH
of the
gine,
its

final caufe

of the difference
pafllonar

in character

between the

which regard felf-prefervation, and thofe which are diredled to the multiplication
illuftrate the foregofpecies, will
;

ing remarks yet further

and

it is, I

ima-

worthy of obfervation even upon

account.

own

As

the performance

of our duties of every kind depends upon life, and the performing them with
vigour
health,

and

efficacy

depends

upon

are very ftrongly affedled with whatever threatens the deftrudtion of

either
;

we

but as
in life

we were

not

made

to ac-

and health, the fimple enjoyment of them is not attended with any
quiefce
real

64.

On

the

SUBLIME
with
that,

real pleafure, left fatisfied

we

fhould give ourfelves over to indolence and

the other hand, the generation of mankind is a great purpofe,
inadtion.

On

and

it

is

requifite that

men
it

fhould be

animated to the purfuit of

by fome

It is therefore attended great incentive. with a very high pleafure ; but as it is by no means deligned to be our conftant

bufmefs,

it is

not

fit

that the abfence of

this pleafure fhould

be attended with any

confiderable

pain.

The

difference
this

be-

tween men and brutes in

feems to be remarkable.

point,
all

Men

are at

times pretty equally difpofed to the pleafures of love, becaufe they are to be

guided by reafon in the time and manHad any great ner of indulging them. pain arifen from the want of this fatisfaction,

reafon,

am

afraid,

would

find

great difficulties in the performance of its office. But brutes who obey laws,
in the execution of

which

their

own

rea-

fon has but

little

fhare,

have their ftated

feafcns
;

and

BEAUTIFUL.
it is

65

not improbable that the fenfation from the want is very

troublefome,
becaufe the end muft be
or be miiTed in many,
;

feafons; at fuch times

then anfwered,
perhaps for ever
turns only with

as the i^.c^'ination re-

its

feafon.

SECT.
Of B E A U

X.

to geis

TH
only
;

paffion

which belongs
fuch,
brutes,

neration, merely as
is

luft

this

evident

in

whofe

paffions

are

purfue their
ours.

more unmixed, and which purpofes more diredtly than

only diflinftion they obferve with regard to their mates, is that of

fex.
It
is

The

true, that they flick feverally

to their
others.

own
But

fpecies in preference to all

this preference, I imagine,

does not

arife

from any

fenfe

of beauty

which they

find in their fpecies, as

Mr.

Addifon fuppofes, but from a law of fome

other

66

On
this

the

SUBLIME
^

other kind to which they are fubjeft

and

we may

fairly

conclude, from

their apparent

thofe objefts

want of choice amongft to which the barriers of

them.

their fpecii^s have confined

But

man,,

who

is

a CfeMure adapted to a

greater variety and intricacy of relation,

connefts w^ith

the general paflion, the

idea of (on^ facial qualities,

redl

which

di-

and heighten- the appetite which hehas in common with all other animals ;
not defigned like them to live at large, it is fit that he fhould have

and

as

he

is

fomething to create a preference, and fix his choice ; and this in general fhould be

fbme
duce
this

fenlible quality

as

no other can fa

quickly, fo powerfully, or fo furely proit'a effeft.

The

objedl therefore of
call love, is

mixed

pafiion

which we

the beauty of the fex.

Men

are carried

to the fex in general, as it is the fex, and by the common law of nature ; but they
are

attached to particulars by perfonal

I call

teauty,

beauty a

focial quality ^

for

and
for

BEAUTIF

U L.

67

where women and men, and not only

they, but
fenfe

when

other animals give us a

of joy and pleafure in beholding them, (and there are many tliat do fo)

they inipire us with fentiments of tendernefs and affeftion towards their per-^
fbns
;

we

like to

have them near

us,

and

we

enter willingly into a kind of relation

with them, unlefs

we

fhould have ftrong

reafons to the contrary.

But to what

end, in
I

many

cafes, this

am

unable to difcover

was defigned, for I fee no ;

are attired

greater reafon for a conncd:ion between

man and
in fo

feveral animals

who

engaging a manner, than between him and fome others who entirely want
this

attraction,

or

pofTefs
it is

it

in

a far

weaker degree.

But

probable, that

providence did not make even this diftinftion, but with a view to fome great
end, though

what

it is,

cannot perceive diftinftly as his wifdom is not our wifhis ways.

we

dom, nor our ways

SECT,

68

On

the

SUBLIME
XL

SECT.
SOCIETY
and

SOLITUDE.

THE
this,.

fecond branch of the foclal

is

paffions,

that

which adminifters

to fociety in general.

With

regard

Xs>

I obferve, that fociety, merely as focietjj, without any particular heightenings,.

gives us

no

pofitive pleafure in the

enjoyment y but abiblute and entire foli" tudey that is, the total and perpetual exclufion
fitive

from

all

pain

as

po^ can almolt be conceived^

fociety, is as great a

Therefore in the balance between the

pleafure of general fociety
y,

and the pain

of abfolute

the predominant idea. But the pleafure of any particufolitude, pain is

lar focial

enjoyment outweighs very confi-

derably the uneafinefs caufed by the want of that particular enjoyment ; fo that the
ftrongeft fenfations relative to the habi-

tudes of particular focietyy are fenfations

of pleafure.

Good company,

lively

con-

verfationsj^

and
verfations,

BEAUTIFUL.
mind with
great pleafure

69

and the endearments of friend;

(hip,

fill

the

on the other hand, is temporary folitude itfelf agreeable. This may perhaps prove, that we are creatures defigned for contemplation as well as adtion ; fince folitude as well as fociety has its pleafures ;
as

from the former obfervation

an entire
life

we may
being,

difcern, that

of folitude

contradifts the
fince

purpofes of our

death
terror.

itfelf is fcarcely

an idea of

more

SECT.

XII.

SYMPATHY, IMITATION,

and

AMBITION.

UNDER
fociety.

this

denomination of foof a compli-

ciety, the paffions are

cated kind, and branch out into a variety of forms agreeable to that variety of ends

they are to ferve in the great chain of

The

three principal hnks in this

chain ^xtfympathy^ imitation, and ambition.

70

On

the

SUBLIME
XIII.

SECT,

SYMPATHY.
is

IT we
that

of thefe paffions that enter into the concerns of others ;

iirft

by the
are

we

moved

as

they ara moved,

iridifferent

and are never fufFered to be

ipecbators of almoft

can do or
cojifidered

fuffer.

any thing which men For fympathy muft be

as

a fort of fubftitution,

by
re-

which we
as

are put into the place of an-

other man,
jtpefts

and
is

a,ffe(3:ed
;

in

many

he

afFedled

fo that this paf-

fion

may

either partake of the nature

felf-prefervation,

of

thofe

which regard

and

turning upon pain may be a fource of thefublime; or it may turii upon ideas
'

of pleafure; and then, whatever has been faid of the focial affeftions, whether they
regard fociety in general, or only fome
particular

modes of it, may be

by

applicable

here.

It is

this principle chiefly tliat

poetry.

and

BEAUTIFUL.

71

poetry, painting,
transfufe their

and other afFeding arts, from one breafb paffions

and are often capable of grafting a delight on wretchednefs, miIt is a common fery, and death itfelf.
to

another,

obfervation, that objefts which in are in tragical, reality would fhock,

fiich like reprefentations,

the

and

the fource of a

very high fpecies of pleafure. This taken as a fa(fi:, has been the caufe of much
reafoning.

The

fatisfaftion
firfl,

has

been'

commonly
fort

attributed,
in

to the

com-

confidering that fo melancholy a ftory is no more than a fiction ; and next, to the contemplation of
receive

we

our

own freedom from

I

the evils which

afraid
in
it is

wc
of

fee reprefented,
tice

am

prac;-

much

too

common
arife

inquiries

this nature, to attribute the caufe

of feel-

ings

which merely

from the mechafrom the

nical ftrudlure of our bodies, or

natural

frame and

conftitution of our

minds, to certain conclufions of the reata foning faculty on the objefts prefented

F 4

113a

72
us
;

On

the

SUBLIME
it is

for I fhould imagine, that the influ-

ence of reafon in producing our paffions

is

nothing near fo extenfive as

believed.

com-

monly

SECT.
The
effeds of
jftreffes

XIY.
in the

SYMPATHY
of others.

di-

TO

point concerning the effedt of tragedy in a proper

examine

this

manner,

we muft
are aifedled

previoufly confider,

how we

by the

feelings

of

our fellow creatures in circumftances of

real diftrefs.
I

am

convinced

we

have a

degree of delight, and that no fmall one, in the real misfortunes and pains of
others
;

for let the affeftion be

it

what

it

will in appearance, if

does not

make

us fhun fuch objefts, if on the contrary it induces us to approach them, if it

makes us dwell upon them, in this cafe I conceive we muft have a delight or
pleafure

and
pleafure

BEAUTIFUL.

73

of fome fpecies or other in conDo we templating objedls of this kind.

as

not read the authentic hiftories of fcenes

of this nature with

much

pleafure as

romances or poems, where the incidents are fiftitious ? The prolperity of no emnor the grandeur of no king, can fo agreeably affed: in the reading, as the
pire,

ruin of the ftate of

diftrefs

of

its

Macedon, and the unhappy prince. Such a

cataftrophe touches us in hiftory as

as the deftru(5lion

much
fable.
is

of Troy does in
if

Our

delight in cafes of this kind,

very

greatly

heightened,

the fufFerer be
links

fome excellent perfon who

unworthy
fortune.

under an

Scipio

and Cato are

but

both virtuous charafters;

we

are

more deeply

by the violent death of the one, and the ruin of the great caufe he adhered to, than with the deaffedled

lerved triumphs and uninterrupted profperity of the other ; for terror is a paffion

which always produces delight when

it

74
it

On

the

SUBLIME
is

does not prefs too clofe, and pity

it arifes

paffion

caufe
tion.

accompanied with pleafure, befrom love and fecial aifecare

Whenever we

formed by na-

ture to any active purpofe, the paffion which animates us to it, is attended with
delight, or a pleafure of

fome kind,
it

let

the fubje<a matter be

what

will

and

as our Creator has defigned

we

fhould be

united by the bond of fympathy, he has ftrength^ned that bond by a proportionable

delight

fympathy is of others. If this

fiil,

and there moft where our moft wanted, in the diflreffes

;

paffion

was limply pain-

fhun with the greatefl care all and places that could excite fuch perfons a paffion ; as^ fome who are fo far gone in indolence as not to endure imany
ftrong
preffion
acftually

we would

do.

But the

cafe is

widely different with the greater part of

mankind

there

is

no

ipeftacle

we

fo

eagerly purfue, as that of fome

uncomfo

pion and grievous

calamity;

that

whether

and

BEAUTIFULr.O
is
it

7^^

whether the misfortune

before our eyes,

in

or whether they are turned back to

hiftory, it always touches

with

delight.

This

is

not an

unrnixed

delight,

but

blended with no fmall uneafinefs.

The

ddight we have in fuch things, hinders us from fhunning fcenes of mifery ; and
the pain

we

feel,

prompts us to

relieve
fixffeF;^

ourfelves in relieving thofe

who

and

all

this antecedent to
inflindt that v/orks

any reafoning,
us to
its

by an

own

purpofes, without our concurrence.

SECT.
Of
is

XV.

the effeds of

TRAGEDY.
In imi-

thus in real calamities.

IT
we
it.

tated diftrefles the only difference i^ the pleafure refulting from the effedls o
imitation
;

for

it is it is

never fo perfedt, but.

can perceive

an imitation, and

on,

that principle are

fomewhat

pleafed with

And

indeed in fome cafes

we

derive
as

76
as

On

the

SUB LI xME
pleafure

much or more

from that fourcc But then

miftaken
I

than from the thing imagine we fhall be

itfelf

much

if

we

attribute

any confiderable part of our

fatisfadtion in

tragedy to a confideratlon that tragedy is a deceit, and its reprefentations

apthe reality, and the further it proaches removes us from all idea of fiftion, the

no

reaUties.

The

nearer

it

more

perfed:

is

its

power.

But be

its

power of what kind it will, it never apChufe a proaches to what it reprefents. day on which to reprefent the moft fublime and afFeding tragedy we have; appoint the moft favourite adors ; ipare

no

coft
'y

upon

the' fcenes

and .decora-

tions

unite the great eft efforts of poetry,

painting and mufic; and

coUeded your audience, ment when their minds

when you have juft at the moare

ered with

expedatlon, let it be reported that a ftate criminal of high rank is on the point of

being executed in the adjoining fquare y a moment the emptinefs of the theatre

would

and

BEAUTIFUL.

7/

would demonftrate the comparative weaknefs of the imitative arts,

and proclaim

the

triumph of the

believe that this

fympathy. I notion of our having a

real

fimple pain in the reality, yet a delight in the reprefentation, arifes from hence,
that

we do not fufficiently diftinguifh what we would by no means chufe to do, from what we fhould be eager enough to
fee if
it

feeing

was once done. things, which fo

This noble

We delight in
far

from doing,
of

our heartieft wiflies would be to fee redreffed.

capital, the pride

England and of Europe, I believe no man is fo ftrangely wicked as to defirc

to fee deftroyed by a conflagration or an

earthquake, though he fliould be removed himfelf to the greateft diftance from the

But fuppofe fuch a fatal accidanger. dent to have happened, what numbers from all parts would croud to behold the
ruins,

and amongft them many who would have been content never to have (cqh

London

in its

glory

Nor

is it

either in
real

yS

On

the

SUBLIME
I

our immunity from them which produces our delight ;

in

real or fid;itious diftreffes,

can difcover nothing apprehend that this miftake is owing to a fort of fophifm, by which we
like
it.

my own mind
I

upon; it arifes from our not diflinguifliing between what

indeed a neceflary condition to ing or fuffering any thing in
is

are frequently impofed

oixr

do-

general, and

what
If a

is

the cau/e of fome particular ad:.

kills

man

me

with a fword,
alive before the

it is

neceflary condition to this that

we fhould
fad;

have -been both of us

and yet

it

would be abfurd

to fay, that

our being both living creatures was the caufe of his crime and of my death. So
it is

certain, that it is abfolutely neceflary

fhould be out of any imminent hazard before I can take a delight in the

my life

fufi^erings

of others,

real or

indeed in any thing elfe But then it whatfoever.

imaginary, or from any caufe

is

a fophifln to

argue from thence, that this immunity is the caufe of my delight either on thefe
or

and
<M"

BEAUTIFUL.
No
one can

79
diftin-

on any

occafions.

of fatisfad:ion in his guifh fuch a caufe own mind I believe ; nay when we do not

any very acute pain, nor are exof our pofed to any imminent danger lives, we can feel for others, whilft we
fuffer

luffer

ourfelves^

and often then moll

by
afflid:ion

when we
fee

are foftened

with pity even

diftrefles

we which we
;

would accept

in the place

of our own.

SECT.
I

XVI.

IMITATION.

THE
will, a

fecond paffion belonging to

is

fociety
defire

imitation,

or,

if

you

of imitating, and confeThis paffion qufently a pleafure in it. arifes from much the fame caufe with
fympathy. For as fympathy makes us take a concern in whatever men feel, fo
this affecflion

prompts us to copy whatever they do ; and confequently we have

a plea-

8a

On

the

SUBLIME

a pleafure in imitating, and in whatever belongs to imitation merely as it is fuch,

without any intervention of the reafoning faculty, but folely from our natural
conftitution,

ed in

which providence has framfuch a manner as to find either plea-

fure or delight according to the nature of

the objedl, in whatever regards the purIt is by imitation our being. pofes of
far

more than by precept every thing ; and what we

acquire not only

tliat

we

learn

learn thus

we
but

more

effeftually,

more

pleafantly.

This forms our manIt is

ners, our opinions, our lives.

one

of the flrongeft links of fociety ; it is a mutual compliance which all ipecies of

men

conyield to each other, without

ftraint to themfelves,

and which
all.

is

exit is

tremely flattering to
that painting and

Herein

other agreeable arts have laid one of the principal foun-

many

dations of their power.

influence

And

fince

by

its

on our manners and our pafof fuch great confequence, I

fhall

fipns it is

ind
fhall

BEAUTIFUL.

Si

here venture to lay down a rule, which may inform us with a good degree of certainty when we are to attribute the power of the artSy to imitation,

or to our pleafure in the fkill of the imitator merely, and \Vhen to fympathy, or fome other caufe in conjundtion with it-

When
fire

the objed: reprefented in poetry or

is

painting

fuch, as. We coiild have

reality
;

no de-

of feeing in the
its

then

may be
and

fure that
is

power

in poetry or painting

owing

to the

power

ot imitation,

to no caufe operating in the thing itfelf. So it is with mod of the pieces which the

In thefe a cottage, a dunghill, the meaneft and moft ordinary utenfils of the kitchen, are capable of
painters call
ftill life.

But when the objedt giving us pleafure. of the painting or poem is fuch as we fhould run to fee if real, let it affeft us

with what odd

fort

of fenfe

it

will,

we
the

may rely upon it, that the power of poem or pidlure is more owing to the
ture of the thing itfelf than to the

na-

mere
effea:

82
efFeft

On

the

SUBLIME
much and
dif-

of imitation, or to a confideratiott of the fkill of the imitator however excelAriftotle has fpoken fo

lent.

fo folidly

upon the
it

force of imitation in

his poetics, that

makes any further

lefs

courfe upon this fubjedt the

fery.

necef-

E C

T.^ XVII.

,A

N.
one of

the great instruments ufed by proin bringing our nature tow^ards vidence
its

ALTHOUGH

imitation

Is

if men gave themfelves perfedion, yet up to imitation entirely, and each followtlie

ed

other,

and

fo

on in an eternal circle,

it is

eafy to fee that there never could be

any improvement amongft them. Men muft remain as brutes do, the fame at the end tliat they are at this day, and that
they were in the beginning of the world. To prevent this, God has planted in man
a fcnfQ

and
ft

BEAUTIFUL,

S^

fenfe

of ambition, and a

fatisfacftion

from the contemplation of his exfellows in fome thing deemed Celling his It is this valuable amongft them. pafarifing

fipn that drives

.fee in ufe

men

to all the

ways

we

of fignalizing themfelves, and that tends to make whatever excites in a

man

the idea of this diftinftion fo very It has been fo ftrong as to pleafant.

make
certain

very miferable
that

men

take comfort
;

that they were fupreme in mifery

it
is,

and

where we cannot diby fomething excel-

ftinguifh ourfelves
lent,

begin to tak(^a complacency in fome fingular infirmities, follies, or defeats

we

of one kind or other.

is

It is

on
;

this

principle tliat flattery

flattery
is

fo prevalent

for

no more than what

raifes in

man's mind

an idea of a preference

which
on

he has

not.

Now
own

vvhatever either

good or upon bad grounds tends

a

to raiie

man
fort

a
is

opinion, produces of fwelling and triumph that

gr-jteful

in

his

extremely

to

the

human
mindj

84

On

the

SUBLIME
is

mind; and

this fwelling

never mort

with perceived, nor operates

more

force,

than v^hen without danger we are converiant with terrible objedtSj the mind
always claiming to
dignity
itfelf

fome part of the

and importance of the things

contemplates. Hence proceeds Longinus has obferved of that
it

which

what

glorying and fenfe of inward greatnefs, that always fills the reader of fuch pafas are fublime ; fages in poets and orators
it is

what every man muft have

felt

in

himlelf upon fuch occafions.

SECT,
The

XVIII.

RECAPITULATION.
draw the whole of what has hecn
into
faid

TO
The

few

diftinfl;

points.

which belong to felf-preferpaffions vation, turn on pain and danger; they when their caufes imare
fimply painful mediately affed: us; they are delightflil

when

and

BE

A U T I F U L.

85

when we have an
cumftances
;

idea of pain and dan-

in fuch cirger, without being adually

this delight I
it

have not

call-

on pain, and becaule it is different enough from any Whatever exidea of pofitive pleafure.
ed pleafure, becaufe
turns
cites
tliis

delight,

call

fif./?li?ne.

The-

to felf-prefervation are. paffions belonging

the ftrongeft of all the paffions. The fecond head to which the paffions

ve
of

referred with
is

relation to

their final

caufe,

fociety.

There
firft
is,

are

two

forts

focieties.

The
and
it

the fociety of
is

fex.

The

to this paffion belonging

called love,

contains a mixture of

laft^ its objedl

is

the beauty of

women.

The
and

other
all

the great fociety with man The paffion fubother animals.

is is

fervient to this
it; has

called like wife love, but

luft,

no mixture of
;

and

its

objed;

i&

beauty

which

is

name

I fliall

apply

to all fuch qualities in things as induce in

us a fenfe of affedlion and tendernefs, or

fome other paffion the moft nearly

refem-.

bjing

86

On
in

the

SUBLIME
love has paffion of
it
is,

bling thefe.
rife

The

its

politive pleafure;

Hke

all

which grow out of pleafure, capable of being mixed with a mode of

things
unealinefs, that
is,

Qbje6l
at the

is

excited in

when an idea of its the mind with an idea

fame time of having irretrievably This mixed fenfe of pleafure ioft it. I have not called pain^ becaufe it turns

upon

adlual pleafure,
its

and becaufe

it

is

both in

caufe and in moft of

its effedls

of

a nature altogether different.

we have for fociety, to a choice in which we are directed by the pleafure we have in the obNext
to the general paffion
jed:,

the particular
called

paffion

under this
greateft tx-

head
ttvxt.

fympathy has the

nature of this paffion is to put us in the place of another in whatever

is in,

The

circumftance he
a like

and to

affedl us in

manner ;

fo that this paffion

as the occafion requires, turn either

may, on

pain or pleafure
tions

but with the modifica1 1*

mentioned in fome cafes in fed,

As

and

BEAUTIFUL.
faid.

87

As

to imitation

and preference nothing

more need be

The

SECT, XIX. CONCLUSION.

Believed that an attempt to range and

methodize fome of our moft leading paflions, would be a good preparative to

fuch an enquiry as

we

are going to

make
I

in the enfuing difcourfe.

The paffions

have mentioned are almofl the only ones which it can be neceffary to conlider in
our prefent deiign ; though the variety of the paffions is great, and worthy in every branch of that variety of an attentive inveftigation.

ly

we

fearch into

The more accuratethe human mind, the

where
find of

ftronger traces we every his wifdom who made it.

If a difcourfe

on the

ufe of the parts of the

body may

be.confidered as an

hymn

to the Creator;

the ufe of the the paffions, which are organs of the mind, cannot be barren

of

88
of

On
praife

the

SUBLIME

nor unprodudive to ourfelves of that noble and uncommon

to

him,

union of fcience and admiration, which

a contemplation of the works of infinite

wifdom alone can afford tp a rational mind ; whilft referring to him whatever
find of right, or good, or fair in ourhis and wiffelves, difcovering

we

ftrength

dom

even in our

perfe6tion,

own weaknefs and imhonouring them where we

clearly,

difcover

them

and adoring their

our fearch,

profundity where

we are loft in

be inquifitive without impertinence, and elevated without pride; we

we may

may be

admitted, if I

may dare

to fay fo,

into the counfels of the

Almighty by a

confideration of his v/orks.

tion of the

The

eleva-

mind ought
all

to

be the princi-

our ftudies, w^hich if they do not in fome meafure effedl, they are

pal end of

of very

little fervice

to us.

But befides
of the

this great purpofe, a confideration

rationale of our paflions feems to

all pecefiTaiy for

me very
upoii

who would

affed tliem

and

BEAUTIFU^.

85

upon folid and fare principles. It is jQOt enough to know them in general; to afFedt them after a delicate manner,
or to judge properly of any work deligned to afFel them, we Ihould know
the
exadl

boundaries
;

of their feveral
purfue

juriididions

wc

fhould

them

of operations^ and pierce into the inmoft, and what might appear inacceffibje parts of our
through
all

their variety

nature,

^lod

laiet

arcana non enarrabUe fihra.

Without

all this it

is

pofTible for a

maa
of

after a confufed manner fometimes to

fatisfy

his
;

own mind

of the

trutli

his

work

but he can never have a

certain determinate rule to

go

by, nor

can he ever make

iiciently

his

propofitions fuf-

clear

to

others.

Poets,

and

orators,

and

painters,

and thofe
of the
critical

who

cultivate other branches

arts,

liberal

have without

this

knowledge

90
ledge

On

the

SUBLIME
in
their
as

fucceeded well

feveral

provinces, and will fucceed;

artificers there are

among

many machines made and even invented without any exac3:

knowledge of the
governed by.
It

principles
is,

they are own, not un-

common to be wrong in theory and and we are happy right in pradice;

that
it
is

fo.

Men

often

from
reafon
ple;

their

feelings,
ill

who

right afterwards

ad

but

on them
is

from princito

but as
at

it

impoffible

avoid

an attempt
influence

fuch reafoning, and equalits

ly impoffible to prevent

having fome
it
is

on our

pra6lice, furely

worth
juft,

fome pains to have it and founded on the bafis of fure

taking

might expedl that the experience. artifts themfelves would have been our
fureft guides
;

We

but the

artifts

have been

occupied in the practice ; the philofophers have done little, and what
too

much

they

have

done,

was moftly with a

fchemes and fyftems ; and

view to

their

own

ariJBEAUTIFUL.
and
aiB

^p
tliey.

for

thofe

called

critics,

have generally fought the rule of th6

arts in
it

the wrong place

they fought

among poems,
and

pidiures,

engraving^
daft

ftatues

buildings.

But- aft

never give the rules that make an ^ftv This is, I believe, the reafon v/hy aftifts

in general,

have been
circle
;

and poets principally^ confined in fo narrow n

been rather imita-^
;

they^ have

tors
this

of one another than of nature

and
and
it
i^'

with

fo faithful an uniformity,

tb fo remote

an

antiquity,

that
firft

hard to fay

who

gave the
I

model.

Critics follow

them, and therefore caa

do

can judge but of any thing whilft I meafure poorly it by no other ftandard than itfelf.
little

as

guides.

The

true

ftandard of

the

arts

is

in

every man's
fervation

power; and an eafy obof the moft common, (orii*^

times of the meaneft things in natuiie,i will give the trueft lights, where the
greateft fagacity

and induftry that

flights

fuch

92
ilich

On

the

SUBLIME
muft leave us
in the

obfervation,

dark, or

what

is

worfe, amufe and mif"

lead us by falfe lights.

it
is

In an enquiry, almoft eveiy thing to be once in a

I

right road.

am

fatisfied

have done

by thefe obfervations confidered in themfelves 3 and I never jfhould

but
little

have taken the pains to digeft them, much lefs fhould I have ever ventured
to publifh them, if I v^as not convinced

that nothing tends more to the corruption of fcience than to fuffer it to flagnate.

Thefe waters muft be troubled

before they can exert their virtues.

man who works beyond

things,

the furface of

though he may be wrong himfelf, yet he clears the ^yay for others, and

may

chance to make even his errors fubof truth.

enquire

fervient to the caufe

In the

following

parts

fhall

what

things they are that caufe in us the affeftions of the fublime and beautiful, as
in this I have confidered the
affedlions

themfelves,

only defire one favour f

that

chul

and
that no

BEAUTIFUL.
itfelf

^3

this difcourfe part of

may be

judged of by
the reft;
difpofed

for I

and independently of am fenfible I have not

my

materials to abide the teft

of a captious controveriy, but of a fober and even forgiving examination; that

they are not armed at all points for battle ; but drefled to vifit thofe who are
willing to
truth.

give a peaceful entrance to

The end

of the Firft Part.

S9

[95

A
Philofophical Enquiry

INTO THE
Origin
o
of our
F

Ideas

T HE

Sublime

and

Beautiful,
T
L
SUBLIME.
IL

P A R

SECT.
Of the
paffion caufed

by the

TH
fully,

paffion caufed

by the great

and fublime in nature^ when thofe caufes operate moft powerAftonifliment ; and aftoniifhis
that ftate of the foul, in

ment
all its

is

which

motions are fufpended, with Ibme * In this cafe the degree of horror.
Part I. fed, 3, 4, 7.

mind

96
inind
that
is

On
it

the

SUBLIME
with
its

fo entirely filled

objedty

cannot entertain any other, nor

hj confequence reafon on that objedt Hence arifes the which employs it.
great

power of the fubiime, that

far

from

being produced by them, it anticipates our reafonings, and hurries us on by an

irrefiftible

force^

Aftonifhment,

as

have
its

faid, is the eifed:

of the fubiime in

higheil degree ; the inferior eflfed:s arc admiration, reverence and refpedl.
^

E C

T.

IL

TERROR.

NO
gard to

paflion fo

eifedually robs the

mind of

all its

and realbning

as fear.

powers of aling For fear being an

apprehcnfion of pain or death, it operates in a manner that refembles ad:ual pain*

Whatever

therefore
is

is

terrible,

with re-

fight,

fubiime too, whether

Part 4. Tea. 3, 4, 5, 6.

this

and
this caufe

BEAUTIFOL.

^y

of terror, be endued with greatnefs of dimenfions or not ; for it is impoffible to look

on any thing

as trifling,

or contemptible, that

may

be dangerous.

There
far

are

many

animals,

who though

from being

large,

are yet capable of

railing ideas

of the fublime, becaufe they are confidered as As objedls of terror.

ferpents
all

and poifonous animals of almoft kinds. Arid to things of great di-

menfions, if

we annex an

adventitious

idea of terror, they

parifon greater.

become without comlevel

A
is

plain of a vaft

extent on land^

certainly

no mean

idea; the profpeft of fuch a plain may be as extenfive as a prcfped: of the ocean ^

but can

it

ever

fU the mind with any

itfelf
it
?

thing fo great as the o:ean

This

is

owing
to

to feveral caufes, but

this,

is

ov/ing
is*

none more than

that the ocean

an objed: of no fmall
ror
is

terror.

Indeed ter-

in all cafes whatfcever, cither

more

openly

or latently the ruling principle

fublime.
Several languages bear

of

tlie

a ftrong

9.8

Ou:

the

SUBLIME
modes of afto-

a flrong teftimony to the affinity of thefe

ideas.

They frequently ufe the fame word,

to figriify indifferently the

niihment or admiration and thofe of terror:,^

GccfjiSos is
<f vos

in greek, either fear or

;

wondeti
ouSeaj,
tCh:

is

terrible or refpeftable

reverence or to fear.

Ve?yor in latin,

is.

what oAHoiis
ufed
tlie

in

greek.

The Romans

vtthjiupeoy a term which ftrongly marks the ftate of an aftonifhed mind, to exprefs the effect either of limple fear,,

or of aftonifhment

the

word

attonitusy

(thunderftruck) is equally expreffive of the alliance of thefe ideas ; and do not the french
etonnement, and the englifh
aftonifhment

and amazementy point out

as clearly the

kindred emotions which attend fear and

wonder
ral

They who have

more gene-

knowledge of languages, could produce, I make no doubt, many other and

equally ftriking examples.

SECT.

and

BEAUTIFUL.

99

SECT.

III.

OBSCURITY.

TO
be

make any
*f-

thing very terrible,

obfcurity

neceflary.

When
eyes to

feems in general to be we know the full ex-

tent of any danger,

when we can

accuf-

tom our

it,

a great deal of the

apprchenfion vanifhes.
fenfiblc

Every one will

conliders

of

this,

who

how

greatly night adds to our dread, in all

eafea of danger, and

tions

how much

the no-*

of ghofts and goblins, of which none can form clear ideas, afFedl minds^

which

give credit to the popular tale^

forts

concerning fuch

of beings.

Thofe

which are founded defpotic governments, on the paflions of men, and principally their chief upon the pafTion of fear,
keep
as

much as may be from the public eye. The policy has been the fame iri many
t Part
4. fa.

14, 15, 16.

ii a

cafes

too
cafes

Oh' the

SUBLIME

of rehgion. Almoft all the heathen Even in the barbatemples were dark.

rous temples of the Americans at this day, they keep their idol in a dark part of the hut, which is confecrated to his

worfhip. For this purpofe too the druids performed all their ceremonies in the
boforrLof the darkeft woods, and in the

and moft Ipreading oaks. No perfon feems better to have underftood the fecret of heightening, or
fhade,:,
V

of the

oldeft

of fetting

terrible things, if I

may

ufe-

the

by the force of a judicious bbfcurity, than Milton. His defcriptioii of Death in the feexpreffion> in their ftrongeft light

cond book

is

admirably ftudied;

it is

aftonifhing with

what a gloomy pomp,

and expreffive uncertainty of ftrokes and colouring he has finiihed the portrait of the king of
ligniiicant
terrors.

with what a

nt

other fiape,

If Jhapeit^ Wght he

called that Jbape

had none

D\ftingtuft.Mes in inimher^ joints or

Umh ;

Or

and

BEAUTIFUL.
be called, that
j

loi

Or fuhjlance migU
Fierce as ten furies

Jhadow feemedy
;

For each feemed either

;

black hejlood as night

terrible as hell i

And Jhook a
The

deadly dart*

IVhat feemed

his

head

Ukenefs of

kingly

crown had

on.

In this defcrlption
conflifed, terrible,

all is

dark,

uncertain,
laft

and fublime to the

degree.

SECT.
Of the difference
and
paffions.

IV.

between

CLEARNESS
to the^

OBSCURITY

with regard

is

ITand another

one thing to make an idea

to

clear,

the imagination. of a palace, or a temple, or a landfcape, I prefent a very clear idea of thofe objefts
;

make it affediing to If I make a drawing

but then (allowing for the effedl of

jmitation

which

is

fomething)

my

pic-

ture can at moft affect only as the palace,

temple.

102

On

the

SUBLIME
Ipirxted verbal defcription

temple, or landfcape would have affe<3:ed On the other hand, the in the reality.

moft

lively

and

I can give, raifes a very obfcure and imiilea of fuch but then it obje(lts
perfeft
in
';

is

my

powder to raife a ftronger emo"

tion

by the

by the

defcription than I could do beft This experience painting.

conftantly evinces.

The

proper manner

of conveying the affecfions of the mind from one to another, is by words ; there
is

a great infufficiency in

all

other methods

and fo far is a of communication; clearnefs of imagery from being abfolutely

neceffary to an influence
fions, that they

upon the paf-

may

be confiderably ope-

rated
at
all,

upon without prefenting any image

by
;

certain founds adapted to that

purpofe

of which

we have

a fufficient

proof in the acknowledged and power-* ful effefts of inftrumental mulic. In reaa great clearnefs helps but little to.wards affeding tlie as it is ia paffions,
lity

foine

and

BEAUTIFUL.
all

103

feme

fort

an enemy to

entliufmfms

^hatfoever.

SECT.
The fame

[IV],

iubjedt continued.

THERE of
art
<li6t

are t^vo verfes In Horace's

poetry that feem to contra-

opinion, for which reafon I fhall take a little more pains in clearing
this
it

up.

The

verfes are,

Segnlus Irritant animos dimijja per

aura

:^uam qua funt

tculis

fuhje^a

fidelibus.

On this
ference

the abbe du Bos founds a

criti-

cifm, wherein he gives painting the preto

poetry in
paffions
;

the

article

of

moving
ideas
it

the

principally

on

account of the greater clearnefs of the

reprefents.
I believe this excel-

lent judge was led into this miflake (if his fyflem, to which it be a miftake) by

he found

it

more conformable than

imagine

104

.On
it

the

SUBLIME
found
to experience.

imagine
I

will be

know

feveral

painting,

who and yet who

admire and love

regard the objecfts in that art, with

of their

admiration

coolnefs enough, in comparifon of that

warmth with which they

are animated

of poetry or rhetoric. ^by afFed-ing pieces Arnong the common fort of people, I never could perceive that painting had

much
'true

influence

on

their paffions.

It is

that the bell forts of painting, as well as the beft forts of poetry, are not

much
is

underflood in that fphere.

But

it

mofl

certain, that their paflions

are

very ftrongly roufed by a fanatic preacher, or by the ballads pf Chevy-chafe, or the

children in the wood, and by other little poems and tales that are current

popular

in that rank

of
""

life.

do not know of

any paintings, bad or good, that produce the fame efjed:. So that poetry

with

all its

obfcurity, h^s a

more geneother
art.

ral as well as a

more powerful dominion

pver the paffions than the

And

and

BEAUTIFUL.
when

105

And

think there are reafons in nature

why

properly (hould be more affefting than conveyed, It is our ignorance of the clear. things
that caufcs
all

the obfcure idea,

our admiration, and chiefly

excites our paffions.

Knowledge and

ac-

quaintance make the moft ftriking caufes afFed but little. It is thus with the vulgar,

the vulgar in what they do not underftand. The ideas of eternity, and infinity, are among the
all

and

men

are as

moft afFeding
there
is

have, and yet perhaps nothing of which we really unlittle,

we

derftand fo
nity.

as

of infinity and

eter-^

We do not any where

meet a more

fublime defcription than this juftly celebrated one of Milton, wherein he gives
the portrait of Satan with a dignity fo fuitable to the fubjed.

He

above the reji

In Jhape and gejiure proudly eminent

Stood like a tower
;

his

form had yet

not

loji

411 her original brightnefsy nor appeared

io6

On

the

SUBLIME
and ih'
excefs

Lefs than archangel rmn*d^

Of glory
Shorn of

cured: as when the fun obf

new

ris'n

Looks through the horizontal mifly air

his

beams

er

from behind

the

moon

In dim

eclipfe difajlrous twilight

\

Jheds

On

half the nations

and with fear of change

Perplexes monarchs.

Here

is

a very noble picture

and in

does this poetical pidlure coniift ? in images of a tower, an archangel, the

what

fun rifmg through mifts, or in an eclipfe, the ruin of monarchs, and the revolutions of kingdoms. ried out of
itfelf,

The mind

is

hur-

by a croud of great and confufed images 5 which affe<ft becaufc they are crouded and confufed. For feparate them, and you lofe
greatnefs,
libly
lofe

much of

the

and join them, and you

the clearnefs.

infal-

The images

raifed

by poetry are always of this obfcure kind y though in general the effefts of
poetry,
are

by no means
it raifes ^

to be attributed

to the images

which point we
iliaU

and
Ihall

BEAUTIFUL.
we have

107

examine more

at large hereafter.

But painting, when

allowed for

fimply even in painting a judicious obfcurity in fome things contributes to the effedl of

the pleaiure of imitation, can only affeft by the images it prefents ; and

the pidure

becaufe the images in paint-

to thofe in naing are exactly fimilar ture ; and in nature dark, confufed, un-

certain images have a greater

power oa

the fancy to form thegranderpaffionstlianrthofe have which are more clear and determinate.
fervation

But where and when

this

ob*

may be

applied to pracftice, and

how
ter
jedb,

far it fliall

be extended, will be bet-

deduced from the nature of the fub-

and from the occafion, than from any rules that can be given. I am fenfible that this idea has met with
oppofition,

and

is

likely
it

ftill

to be rejefted

by

feveral.

But let

be confidered that

hardly any thing can ftrike the mind with its greatnefs, which does not make fomc
ibrt

of approach towards infinity

which

nothing

loS

On

the

SUBLIME
we
but
to
are able to

nothing can do whilft

perceive
objecfl
its

bounds;
and

to

fee

an
Its

diftindtly,
is

perceive

bounds,

one and the fame thing.

is

A
for

clear idea

therefore another

name

little

idea.

There

is

a pafTage in the

book of Job amazingly fublime, and this fublimity is principally due to the terrible
uncertainty of the thing defcribed.

In

thoughts from the vifions of the nightj *when deep Jleep faileth upon men, far

came upon me and trembling, which made

all

my

bones

to Jhake.

paffed before

my

face.

Then a fpirit The hair of my

food filly but I could fejh food up. not difcern the form thereof; an image was before mine eyes there was flence ;
It

and I heard a

voice,

-,

Shall mo?^tal

man

he

are iirft premore juft than God? for the pared with the utmoft folemnity
vifion
;

We

we
;

are

firft

terrified,

before

we

ire let even into the obfcure caufe of our

emotion
terror
is it

but

when

this

grand caufe of
is it ?

makes

its

appearance, wiiat

not, wrapt

up in the fhades of its own

incomprehenfible

and

BEAUTIFUL.

109

more aweful, incomprehenfible darknefs, more ftriking, more terrible, than the
liveUeft

defcription,

than

the

cleareft
it ?

painting

could

poflibly

reprefent

When
ciful

to give painters have attempted

us clear reprefentations of thefe very fan-

and

terrible ideas,

they have

think

almoft always failed ; infomuch that J have been at a lofs, in all the pictures I

have fctn of

hell,

whether the painter

Se-

did not intend fomething ludicrous.

veral painters have handled a fubjed: of

this kind,

with a view of alTembling

but

as

many

horrid phantoms as their imagina;

tion could fuggeft

all

the defigns I

have chanced to meet of the temptation^ of St. Anthony, were rather a fort of odd
wild grotefques, than any thing capable of producing a ferious paffion. In all
thefe fubjecfts poetry
apparitions,
its
is

very happy.
its

Its
its

chimeras,

harpies,

allegorical figures,

are grand

and

affedt-

and though Virgil's Fame, and Homer's Difcord, are obfcure, they are
ing
;

magni-

no

On

the

SUBLIME
Thefe
clear
figures

magnificent figures.
painting
fear they

in

would be

enough, but I

might become

ridiculous*

SECT.

V.

POWER.
BESIDES
thefe things which di^ the idea of danger, reclly fiiggeft and thofe which produce a fimilar effedt
caufe, I
is

from a mechanical
of power.
as

know of nobranch
rifes

thing fublime which

fication

not fbme modithis

And

as naturally

the other

two branches,

from

terror, the
is

thing that
at
firft

common ftock of every fublime. The idea of power

clafs

view, feems of the

of thefe

indifferent ones,

which may equally be-

long to pain or to pleafure. But in reathe affedlion arifing from the ideality,

of vaft power,
that

is

extremely remote from

For firft, we * that the idea of muft remember, pain,

neutral charafter.

* Part

fe<a.

7.

in

and
in
its

BEAUTIFUL.
is

iit
ftronger

higheft degree,

much

than the higheft degree of pleafure ; and that it preferves the fame fuperiority

through all the fubordinate gradations. From hence it is, that where the chances
for equal degrees

of fuffering or enjoy-

ment

are in any fort equal, the idea

of

the fuffering muft always be prevalent* And indeed the ideas of pain, and above
all

of death, are

whilft

we

very affefting, that remain in the prefence of whatfo

ever

is

fuppofed to have the power of in-

is impoffible to flidling either, it

be per-

fe<fUy free

from

terror.

Again,

we know

by experience, that for the enjoyment of no great efforts of power are at pleafure,
all

neceflary

nay

we know,
:

that fuch

efforts

would go a great way towards deour

fatisfadtion

ftroying

for

pleafure

ftolen, and not forced upon us; pleafure follows the will ; and therefore we are generally affedled with it by many

muft be

things of a force greatly inferior to our own. But pain is always inflifted by a

power

112.

On
In

the

SUBLIME
and
terror,

power

fuperior, becaufe we never fubmit to So that pain willingly.

fome way

flrength,

violence, pain

are

Ideas that rufh in

Look

upon the mind together.

is

at a

man, or any other animal of

your idea
ftrength
this

prodigious ftrength, and what before reflexion ? Is it that

will be fubfervient to you, to your eafe, to j-our pleafure, to your intereft in any fenfe ?

No; the emotion you feel is, left this enormous ftrength fhould be employed ta the purpofes of :-^ rapine and deftrudlion.
That power
companied,
its efFed:
it

derives all its

fublimity from
generally ac-

the terror with which

will

it is

appear evidently from

in the

very few cafes, in

which

may be poiTible to ftrip a confiderable degree of ftrength of its

to hurt.

ability

Vv^hen you do

this,
it

thing fublime, and becomes contemptible. An ox is a ately creature of vaft but he is an

ftrength;

itof every

you fpoil immedi-

innocent creature, extremely ferviceable^

*

Vide Part

3.

k^, 2U

and

aftd

BEAUTIFUL.
all

113

dangerous ; for which reafon the idea of an ox is by no mean$

arid

not at

grand.
ftrength

A
is

bull

is

ftrong too
;

but his

of another kind

often very

amongft us) of any ufe in our bufinefs ; the idea of a bull is therefore great, and it has frequently a place in fublime defcriptions, and eleLet us look at anovating comparifons. ther ftrong animal in the tv^o diftindt
lights in

deftruitive,

feldom

(at leaft

which we may confider him. The

fit

horfe in the light of an ufeful beaft,

for

the plough, the road, the draft, in every focial ufeful light the horfe has nothing of

the fublime
afFe<fted

but

is

it

thus that
is

we

are

with him, wkofe neck

isoho

cloathed
nojirils

with thundery the glory of whofe

is

fwallo^d)eth the ground with Jiercenefs and rage^ neither believeth that it is the found of the trumpet F la

terribky

this

defcription

the ufeful charafter of

the horfe entirely difappears, and the terrible and fublime blaze out together.

We have

continually about us animals of

I

a ftrength

114

On

the

SUBLI ME
is

a ftrength that
pernicious.

confiderable,
thefe
:

but not
never

Amongft
fublime

we
comes

look for the

it

on us in the
the

gloomy

foreft,

upand in

howling wildernefs,
lion,

in

the

form

of the

the tiger, the panther, or

only ufeful, and employed for our benefit or our pleafure, then it is never fublime ;
ftrength
for nothing can a6t agreeably to us, that

rhinoceros.

Whenever

is

does not aft in conformity to our will ; but to ad: agreeably to our will> it muft

be fubjed: to us and therefore can never be the caufe of a grand and commanding conception. The defcription of the
-,

wild

afs, in

Job,

is

worked up

into

no
on
at

fmall fublimity, merely by infifling

his freedom,

and

his fetting

mankind

defiance; otherwife the defcription of fuch

an animal could have had nothing noble

fFAo hath loofed (fays he) the bands of the wild afs ^ whofe houfe I have made the ivildemefsi and the barren land his
in
it.

diL^ellings,

cor He f net h

the multitude

of
the

--i-^

and

BEAUTIFUL.
The

115

the city^ neither regardeth he the voice of the driver, 'The range of the mountains
is his

magnificent defcripthe unicorn and of leviathan in tion of

pajliire.
is full

of the fame heightWill the unicorn ening circumftances. bf willing to ferve thee? canji thou bind
the unicorn with his band in the

the fame book,

furrow I

wilt thou truji him hecaufe his Jlrength

great f'-CanJi thou draw out /?viathan with an hook ? will he make a
is

covenant with thee ? wilt thou take him

for a fervant for ever ? Jhall not one be cajl down even at the fght of hhn ? In
fhort, wherefoever

we find ftrength, and in what light foever we look upon power, we fhall all along obferve the fublime the

concomitant of terror, and contempt tl:ke attendant on a ftrength that is fubfervient

race of dogs in many of their kinds, have generally a competent

and innoxious.

The

degree of ftrength

they exert thefe,

lities

and fwiftnefs; and and other valuable quagreatly to our Dogs are in-

which they poflefs, convenience and pleafure.

I 2

deed

'ri6

On

the

SUBLIME
foclal,

deed the moft

afFedlionate,

and

amiable animals of the whole brute creation; but love approaches

much nearer to

contempt than is commonly imagined ; and

accordingly, though

we

carefs dogs,

we

borrow from them an appellation of the moft defpicable kind, when we employ
terms of reproach
the.
-,

and

this appellation is
laft

common mark

of the

vilenefs

and contempt in every language. Wolves have not more ftrength than feveral fpecies

of dogs

but on account of their

unmanageable fiercenefs, the idea of a wolf is not defpicable ; it is not excluded from grand defcriptions and
tudes.
fimili-

Thus we
is

are aifefted

by ftrength,

which
which

natu7'al

power.

The power
and

arifes

from

inftitution in kings

commanders, has the fame conned:ion with terror. Sovereigns are frequently
addrefled with
it

title

oi dread
that

majejiy.

And

may

be obferved,

young perfons

little

who

acquainted with the world, and have not been ufed to approach men
in

and
in

BEAUTIFUL.
takes

117

power, are commonly flruck with an

awe which
of their
feat
in

away the

free

ufe

faculties.

When I

prepared my

young men faw me, and hid themfehes. Indeed fo natural is this timidity with re-

the Jlreet (fays Job) the

gard to power, and fo ftrongly does it inhere in our conftitution, that very few
are able to conquer
it,

but by mixing

much

in the bulinefs of the great wofld,

or by ufing no fmall violence to their natural difpofitions.

I

know fome

people

are of opinion, that

no awe, no degree

of

accompanies the idea of power, and have hazarded to affirm, that we

terror,

can contemplate the idea of God himI felf without any fuch emotion. puravoided when I iirft conlidered this pofely
fubjedt,

to

introduce the idea of that

great and tremendous being, as an ex-

ample
though

in
it

an argument fo light as this ; frequently occurred to me,

not as an objection to, but as a ftrong confirmation of my notions in this matJ

ter.

ii8
ter.

On^thc
I hope, in

SUBLIME
what
for
I

am
any

going to
mortal
I

fay,
it

fliall

avoid

prefumption, where

is

ahnofl inipoffible

to

fpeak then,

with
that

ftricfl

propriety.

fay

whilft
as

we
he

conlider
is

the

Godhead merely
of
a
the

an

objedl

underflanding, complex idea of power,

all

which

forms

wifdom,

juftice, goodnefs,

ftretched to a de-

gree far exceeding the

bounds of our

comprehenfion, whilft we confider the divinity in this refined and abftradled light,
the imagination and paffions are nothing affeded. But becaufe
afcend
little

ol

we

are
to

bound by the condition of our nature

to

pure and intelleftual ideas, through the medium of fenfible images, and to judge of thefe divine
thefe
qualities

tions, it

by their evident acSs and exer-^ becomes extremely hard to difare led to

from the entangle our id^a of the caufe

effedl

by which we
and

know

it.

Thus when we contemplate

his attributes
their

the Deity,

operation

coming
ynited

and
united,
fible

BEAUTIFUL.

irg

on the mind, fonn a fort of fenimage, and as fuch are capable of

affedting the imagination.

in a juft idea

-Now, though

of the Deity, perhaps none

of
to
far

his

predominant, yet our imagination, his power is by Some reflethe moft ftriking.

attributes are

<Mon, ibme comparing is neceffary to fahis juftice, and tisfy us of his wifdom,
his

goodnefs
it is

to

be ftruck with his

power,

fhould open

only neceflary that But whilft our eyes.

we we

contemplate fo vaft an objed:, under the arm, as it were, of almighty power, and inverted upon every fide with omnipre-

we our own
fence,

fhrink into the minutenefs of

nature, and are, in a manner,

annihilated before him.

confideration of his other
relieve in

And though a attributes may

fome meafure our apprehen(ions ; yet no conviction of the juftice with which it is exercifed, nor the

mercy with which

it

is

tempered,

can

wholly

ISO

On

the

SUBLIME
we

wholly remove the terror that naturally arifes from a force which nothing can
withftand.
If

we

rejoice,

rejoice

with trembling ; and even whilft we are

receiving benefits,
at a

we

cannot but fhudder

benefits

power which can confer

of fuch mighty importance. When the prophet David contemplated the wonders

of wifdom and power,

which

are

difplayed in the oeconomy of

feen^s to be ftruck

man, he
of divine

with a

fort

horror, and cries

fully

omUfearfully and wonder^

!

am I made

An
it

heathen poet has a

nature;

fentiment
race looks

of a

fiipilar

Ho-r

upon

as

the

laft effort

of

with^ philofophical fortitude, to behold

put terror and araazement, this immenfe

^nd glorious fabric of the univerfe.

Huncfolem^
et decedent la certis

etJlelUts^

Tempora momentis, funt qui formidine nuila

Jmhuti JpeSlant,

Lucretius

and
Lucretius
is

BEAUTIFUL.

121

a poet not to be fufpedled

of giving way to fuperftitious terrors ; he fuppofes the whole meyet when

chaniirn of nature laid open by the
fter

ma-

of his philofophy, his tranf^iort on this magnificent view which he has rethe colours of fuch bold prefented in and lively poetry, is overcaft with a fhadc

of

feeret dread

and horror.

His

tibl

mi

rebus qucsdam Dtv'ina voluptas

Perdpity atque horror^ quod fie Natuta tua in

*Tam manifejla paUi ex omni parte

rettdfa.

But the

fcripture alone can fupply ideas anfwerable to the of this fub-

jedl.
is

In

majefty the fcripture, wherever

God

reprefented as appearing or fpeaking, every thing terrible in nature is called

up

to heighten

the

awe and folemnity

of the divine prefence. The pfalms, and the prophetical books, are crouded

^ith inftances of

this kind.

The earth
Jbook

122

On
at
is

the

SUBLIME
alfo

jhook (fays the pfalmift) the heavens

dropped

the

prefence

of the Lord.

the painting preferves the fame charadter^ not only

And what

remarkable,

fuppofed defcending to take vengeance upon the wicked, but even when he exerts the like plenitude of
is

when he

power in ads of beneficence

kind,

to

man-

Tremble, thou earth ! at the prefence of the Lord-, at the prefence of the

God of. Jacob 5 which

of waters
all

turned the rock in^

tofanding water, the flint into a fountain

! It

were

endlefs to enumerate

the palTages both in the facred and prdfane writers, which eftablifh the general fentiment of mankind, concerning
the. infeparable

union of a facred and re-

verential awe,
vinity.

with our ideas of the di-

Hence the common maxim,

timer.

primos in orbe deos fecit

This
it
is,

maxim may
falfe

be,

as

believe

with regard to the origin of reliThe maker of the maxim faw gion.

how

and

BEAUTIFUL.

i2j

how

infeparable thefe ideas were, with-^

out confidering that the notion of fomc great power mufl: be always precedent to

our dread of

it.

But

diis

dread mufl ne*

ceffarily follow the idea

when
It
is

it

is

offudi a power, once excited in the mind.

true religion have, fo large a mixture

on

this principle that

has, and

mufl

of falutary fear ; and that falfe religions have generally nothing elfe but fear to
fupport them.
ligion had, as

Before the chriftian

it

re-*

were, humanized the

idea

of the

divinity,

and

brought

it

fomewhat nearer
little

faid

was very of the love of God. The

to us, there
it,

followers of Plato have fomething of

and only fomething. of pagan antiquity,

The

other writers

whether poets or
all.

philofophers, nothing at

And

they

who
tion,

confider with

what

infinite atten-

by what a difregard of eveiy pcrifhable objed:, through what long habits

of piety and contemplation

it

is,

any

124

Oft

the

SUBLIME
is

any man is able to attain an entire love and devotion to the Deity, will eafily
perceive,

that

it

not

the

firft,

the

tnoft natural,
feft

and the moft

ftriking ef-

which proceeds
traced

from

that idea.
its

Thus we have
feveral
all,

power through
higheft

gradations unto the

of

where our imagination is finally loft; and we find terror quite throughout the progrefs,
far
as as
its

infeparable

comit,

panion, and growing along with

as

we

can poffibly
is

trace

them.

Now

power

undoubtedly a capi-

tal fource

of the fublime, this will point

but evidently from

is

whence

its

derived, and to what

to unite
it.

clafs

energy of ideas

we ought

SECT.

and

BEAUTIFUL.

125

SECT,

VL

PRIVATION.

ALL
cutty,

general privations

are

great,
;

becaufe they are

all terrible

Va--

Darknefsy

Solitude

and

Silence.

With what
with what

a fire
feverity
all

of imagination, yet of judgment, has

thefe
all

Virgil amaffed

circiimftances

where he knows that

the images of a

tremendous dignity ought to be united, at the mouth of hell where before he

!

unlocks the fecrets of the great deep, he feems to be feized with a religious horror,

and

to

retire

aftonifhed
defign.

at

the

boldnefs of his

own

Dii quibus impertum efl animarumy umhraq\ filentcs

Et

Chaos, et Phlegeion ! kca nole filcntia laU

Sit mihi

fas audita

loqui / Jit
et

numine vejiro

Fandtre ns aha ttrra

caligine mer/as /

126

On

the

SUBLIME
umbram,
et

Ihant obfcuri, fola fub nole, per

Perque domoiDthis vacuas,

inania regnct,

Te fuhUrraneous gods ! whofe aweful fway

The gliding

ghofis^

and

filent Jhades obey

O Chaos hoar J
.

and Phlegethon profound!

Vjidj

Whofi folemn empire Jlretches

Give
me-i

around;
tell

ye great tremendous powers y to

in the depth

Of fcenes and wonders

Give me your mighty

of

helli

fecrets to difplay^

From
^
-

thofe black reabyis

of darknefs

to the

day.

Pitt.
fliades that

'Obfcure they went through dreary

kd

Along the waile dominions of the dead.

DRYDEbf,

SECT.

i^ BEAUTIFUL.
..&1C
T.
VII.

iajt

VASTNESS.
GREATNESS powerful caufe
This
too
it
is

of dimenfion,

is

of the fublime.

too evident, and the obfervation

common, to need any illuftration ; is not fo common, to confider in what

greatnefs of dimenfion, vaftnefs

ways

of

extent, or quantity, has the moft ftrik-

ing

effed:.

For

certainly, there are ways,

and modes, wherein the fame quantity of

extenfion fhall

than
fion

it is is

produce greater effefts found to do in others. Exten-^

either in length, height, or depth.

Of thefe

the length ftrikes leaft

an hun-

dred yards of even ground will nevet work fuch an effed: as a tower an hun-

dred yards high, or a rock or mountain

*of that altitude.
I

am
is

apt to imagine
lefs

likewife, that height

grand

tliaa

Part 4. fca. 9.

depth;

I2a
depth
;

On

the

SUBLIJVfeE
we
are

and that

more

ftruck at

looking

down from

a precipice, than at

looking up at an objed: of equal height, but of that I am not very polltive.

perpendicular has more force in forming the fublime, than an inclined plane } and the effefts of a rugged and brokerr

feem ftronger than where it is finooth and poliihed. It would carry us

furface

out of our

way

to enter in this

place into

the caufe of thefe appearances; but certain

it is

they afford a large and fruitful

field

of

ipeculation.

Plowever,

it

may

not be

amifs to add to thefe remarks upon magnitude ; that, as the great extreme of

dimenfion

is

fublime,
is

fo

the

lail

ex-

treme of littlenefs
lime likewife
infinite
;

in

fome meafure fubattend to the

when we
life

divifibility

of matter,

when we

purfue animal
fmall,

into thefe exceffively

and yet organized beings, that efcape the niceft inquifition of the fenle,^* when we pufh our difcoveries yet down-

ward,

and confider thofe creatures fo

many

and

BEAUTIFUL.

129
ftill

many

degrees yet fmaller, and the

diminifhing fcale of exiftence, in tracing which the imagination is loft as well as the
fenfe,

we become amazed and

its efFecl

confound;

ed

at the

wonders of minutenefs
this

nor can

we
of

diftinguifh in
littlenefs

extreme

from the

vaft itfelf.

For
ad-

divifion

muft be
becaufe

infinite as well as

dition

the idea of a perfeA

arrived at,

unity can no
that of

more be

than

compleat whole nothing may be added.

a

to

which

SECT.

VIII.

INFINITY.

ANOTHER
is

fource of the fublime,

if it

infinity

does not rather

belong to the

laft.

Infinity has a ten-

dency to fill the mind with that fort of delightful horror, which is the moft
genuine
lime.
efl^eft,

and

trueft teft

of the fub-

There

are fcarce any things

which
can

130

On

the

SUBLIMfi

can become the objefts of our fenfes that are really, and in their own nature infi-

But the eye not being able to perceive the bounds of many things, they
nite.

feem to be

infinite,

fame

effefts

as if

and they produce the they were really fo.

the like manner, if

We are deceived in

the parts of fome large objed are fo continued to any indefinite number, that the

imagination meets no check which may hinder its extending them at pleafure.

any idea frequently, the mind by a fort of mechanifm repeats it long after the firft caufe
repeat

Whenever we

After whirling has ceafed to operate *. about ; when we fit down, the objects

about us

ftill

feem to whirl.

After a

long fuccefilon of

noifes, as the fall

of

waters, or the beating of forge

hammers,

the hammers beat and the water roars

in the imagination long after the firfl founds have ceafed to affcd: it ; and they
die

away

at laft

by gradations which are

* Part

4. k6t,

12.

fcarcely

and

BEAUTIFUL,

131

fcarcely perceptible.
ftrait

If you hold up a

with your eye to one end, it will feem extended to a length almoft
pole, incredible.

Place

number of

uni-

form and equidiftant marks on this pole, they will caufe the fame deception, and
feem multiplied without end. The fenfes ftrongly affedted in fome one manner,
cannot quickly change their tenor, or adapt themfelves to other things ; but
they continue in their old channel until the ftrength of the firft mover decays.

This

is

the reafon of an appearance very

frequent in

madmen

that they remain

whole days and

years,

nights, fometimes

whole

in the conftant repetition of

;

fome

remark, fome complaint, or fong

which
difor-

having ftruck powerfully on their

dered imagination, in the beginning of

their phreniy, every repetition reinforces
It

with new ftrength

their fpirits,

and the hurry of unreftrained by the curb of

;

reafon, continues

it

to the

end of their lives.

Part 4. fct 14,

E C T,

132

On
S

the

SUBLIME
T.
IX.

E C

SUCCESSION

and

UNIFORMITY.

and uniformity of parts,

SUCCESSION are what conftitnte

finite.
I
.

the

artificial inis

Succejjion

which

requifite
fo long,
fi-e-

that the parts

may

be continued

:and in fiich a direction, as by their

quent impulfes on the fenfe to imprefs the imagination with an idea of their
progrefs beyond their actual limits.
2.

Uniformity ; becaufe if the figures of the parts fhould be changed, the imagination at every change finds a check
.

you

are prefented at every alteration with the

termination of one idea, and the beginning of another ; by which means it be-

comes impoffible

to continue that unin-

terrupted progreffion,
;

which alone can

ftamp on bounded objects the charadler of infinit)^ J It is in this kind of artifiJ Mr. Addifon, in the Spectators concerning the pleafures of the imagination, thinks it is, becaufe in the rotund at one glance you fee half the building.

This

do not imagine to be the

real caufe.

cxal

and
ficial

BEAUTIFUL.
I

133

infinity,

believe,

look for the caufe

why

ought to a rotund has fuch

we

a noble efFed:. For in a rotund, whether

it

be a building or a plantation, you can

fix

a boundary ; turn which way you will, the fame objedl ftill feems to continue, and the imagination

no where

has no

reft.

But the

parts

muft be uni-

form

well as circularly diipofed, to give this figure its full force ; becaufe any
ras:

difference,

whether

it

tion, or in the figure,

lour, of the parts,
is

be in the difpofior even in .the co-

highly prejudicial to

the idea of infinity, which every change

muft check and

ration

interrupt, at every alte-

commencing

a ne>v

feries.

On
and

the fame

principles of

fuccefilon

uniformity, the grand appearance of the

ancient heathen

temples,

which were

generally oblong forms, with a range of uniform pillars on every, fide, will be
eafily

accounted

for.

From

the fame

cauf^ alfo
fed;

may be
ifles

derived the grand ef-

of the

in

many of our own

old

cathedrals.

134

On

the

SUBLIME
of a crofs ufed in
to

cathedrals.

The form

fome churches feems

as the parallelogram
leaft I

me not fo ehgible,
j

of the ancients

at

imagine

butiide.

not fo proper for the For, fuppofmg the arms of the

it is

crofs every

way

equal, if

you ftand

in a

direction parallel to any of the fide walls,

of a deception that makes the building more extended

or colonnades,
inftead

than

it

is,

you

are cut off

from a confiof
its

derable part (two thirds)

a^ual

length ; and to prevent all poffibility of ^rogreffion, the arms of the crofs taking

a new

a right angle with the beam, and thereby wholly turn

direction,

make

the imagination from the repetition of the former idea. Or fuppofe the fpeftator
placed where he may take a dired: view of fuch a building ; what will be the confe-

the neceflary confequence will be, that a good part of the balls of each

quence

formed by the Interfecftion of the arms of the crofs, muft be inevitably

angle,
loft
;

the whole muft of courfe afTume a

V

broken

and
broken

BE-AUTIFUI<.
A.

V^

C>

135

unconnefted figure j the lights muft be unequal, here ilrong, and there
;

weak

without

tliat

noble gradation,

which the

perfpeftive always effedsr

on

in ^ right parts difpofed uninterruptedly Sorne or all of thefe objections, line.

will lie againft every figure of a crofs, in

whate\'er view you take it. I exemplified them in the Greek crofs in which thefe
faults

appear the moft itrongly

.in

but they
o|"

appear
croffes.

fprne

degree in
is

all^rlorts

Indeed there

nothing more

prejudicial to the grandeur of buildings, than to abound in angles ; a fault ^bvir

yious in

many; and owing

to an

Jft^^

ordinate thirft for variety, which, wheni^ ever it prevails, is fure" to leave very little
jjxue tafte.

JC

E C

Ti

136

On

the

SUBLIME
X.

SECT.
Magnitude
in

BUILDING.

TO
nity.

the fublime in building, greatnefs

of dimenfion feems requifite^ for on a few parts, and thofe fmall, the imarife to

gination cannot

any idea of

infi-

No

greatnefs in the

manner can
no danger
caution

effeftually

compenfate for the want of

proper dimenfions.

There

is

of drawing

men
5

into extravagant defigns

carries its

by

this rule

it

own

along with

Becaufe too great a length in buildings deftroys the purpofe of greatnefs which it was intended to promote ;
it.

the perlpedtive will leflen

it

it

in height as
it

gains in length j and will bring

-,

at

laft to

a point turning the whole figure into a fort of triangle, the pooreft in its
of almoft any figure, that can be I have ever obprefented to the eye.

cffedt

ferved, that colonnades

and avenues of
trees

and
trees

BEAUTIFUL.

^37

of a moderate length, were without comparifon far grander, than when they were fufFered to run to immenfe diftances.

true artift ihould put a ge-

nerous deceit on the fpedlators, and effeft the nohleft defigns

by eafy methods.

Defigns that are vaft only by their di* menfions, are always the fign of a com-

mon and low

art

imagination.
it

No work
deceives
;

of
to

can be great, but as

is

be otherwife
only.

the prerogative of nature

will fix the

good eye

medium

betwixt an exceflive length, or height,

fame objedlion lies againft both), and a fhort or broken quantity ; and per(for the

might be afcertained to a tolerable degree of exadlnefs, if it was my

haps
it

purpofe to defcend far into the particulars

of any

art.

SECT.

13$

On

the

SUBLIME
XL
OBJECTS.ri

SECT,
.

INFINITY

In pleafing

TNFINITY,
JL. caufes

though of another kind,

pleafure in agree-

much of pur

ahje^ as well as of our delight in fublime

images.

The
feafons
;

fpring

is

the pleafanteft

of the

and the young of moil animals, though far from being compleatly fafliioned, afford

more agree-

able fenfation than the full

grown ; be-

paufe the, irnagination

is

entertained with

Ae promife

of fomething more, and does

of the

xiot acquiefge in the prefent objedl

f^nk. In unfinifhed fketches of drawing,

I have often {etn fomething which pleafed

me
juft

beyond the

beft finifhing

and
I

this I

believe proceeds

from the caufe

have

now

affigned.

SECT.

and

BEAUTIFUL.

139

SECT.
D
**

XIL

F F

C U L^;^^^

A NOTHERfourceofgreatnefeis When work jl\.

Difficulty,

any

feenas

to have required immenfe force and lav hour to efFeft it, the idea is grand. Stonenor ornahenge, neither for dilpofition ment, has any thing admirable; but

huge rude maffes of ftone, fet on end, and piled each on other, turn the mind on the immenfe force neceflary for
thofe

fuch a work.

Nay

the rudenefs of the

of grandeur, as ^f excludes the idea of art, and contriincreafes this caufe

work

vance;
fort

for

dexterity produces

another

of

effed:

which

is

different

enough

from

this.

Part 4. fea. 4, 5, 6.

SECT.

140

On

the

SUBLIME
XIII.

SECT.

MAGNIFICENCE.
yi/TAgnificence is llkewlfe a fource of -^ '-^ the fublime. great profu^on of things which are Iplendid or

valuable

in

themfelves,

is

magnificent.
it

The

ftarry heaven,

though

occurs fo

very frequently to our vievi^, never fails to excite an idea of grandeur. This cantiot

be owing to any thing in the

confidered.

ftars

themfelves, feparately

The

number is certainly the caufe. The apparent

diforder

augments the grandeur, for the

appearance of care is highly contrary to our ideas of magnificence. Befides, the ftars
lye in fuch apparent confufion, as

makes it

impoflible on ordinary occafions to reckon

them.

This gives them the advantage of a fort of infinity* In works of art,

this

kind of grandeur, which confifts in multitude, is to be very cautioufly admit-

tedi^

and
ted
;

BEAUTIFUL.

141

becaufe,
is

a profufion of excellent

things

not to be attained, or with too

;

much
all ufe,

difficulty

and, becaufe in

many
to in

cafes this fplendid confufion

would deftroy

which fhould be attended

moft of the works of art with the greats eft care ; belides it is to be confidered,
that unlefs

you can produce an appear-

ance of infinity by your diforder, you will have diforder only without magnificence.

There

are,

however, a

fort

of fireworks,

and fome other things, that in this way fucceed well, and are truly grand. There
are alfo

many

defcriptions

in the poets

and orators which owe

their fublimity to

a richnefs and profufion of images, in which the mind is fo dazzled as to make

it

impoflible to attend to that exadl co-

herence and agreement of the allufions, which we fhould require on every other
occafion.
I

do

not

now remember
this,

more

ftriking

example of
is

than the
s

defcription

army

given of the king in the play of Henry the fourth ;

which

142

On

the

SUBLIME
with the wind
bathed
.*

All furhtjhed^

all in arms.,

jll plumed like ojiriches that

Baited like

eagles

having

lately

As full of fpirit

as the month of May y

And gorgeous
Wanton

as the

fun

in

Midfummery
hulls.

as youthful goats., wild as young

I fawyoung Harry

with

his heaver

on

Rife from the ground like feathered Mercury ;

1

And vaulted withfuch eafe

As if an

into his feat

angel dropped down

from

the clouds

^0 turn and wind a

fiery Pegafus,

In that

excellent

book

fo

remarkable for
w^ell as

the vivacity of its defcriptions, as

the fblidityandpenetration of its fentences,

the Wifdom of the fon of Sirach, there
is

on the high prieft Simon the fon of Onias ; and it is a very

a noble panegyric
fine

example of the point before us. How was he honoured in the 77iidjl of the
!

peopky in his coming out of the fantluary

He
a
the

was

as the inorning

far

in the midjl

of

cloudy

and

as the moon at the full : as

fun Jhining upon

the temple of the Moji

High,

and

BEAUTIFUL.
:

143
light in

Highy and as the ricdnbow grving

the bright clouds
in the fpri?2g

and as

theflower of rofes

of the year ; as lillies by the rivers of waterSy and as the frankincenfe

tree in
tenfer-y

fummer ; as fire and incenfe in the and as a vejfel of gold fet with
;

precious fiones

as a fair olive tree budding

forth fruity and as a cyprefs which grow-*

When, he put on the robe of honour y and was clothed with the when he went up to perfeBion of glory y
eth up to the clouds. the holy altar y he made the garment of ho^
linefs

honourable.

He

himfelf flood by the

hearth of the altar compafjed with his bre-^ thren round abouty as a young cedar in

Libanusy and as palm trees compaffed they

him about.

So were all the fons of Aaron

in their gloryy

and the
&c.

oblations

of the

Lord in

their hands y

SECT.

J44

On

the

SUBLIME
XIV.

SECT.

LIGHT.

HAVING
far as

confidered extenfion, fo

it is

of

greatnefs

capable of raifing ideas colour comes next under

confideration.
light.

All colours

depend on

Light therefore ought previoufly to be examined, and with it, its opposite,

darknefs.
it

Vl^ith regard to light

to

a caufe capable of producing the fublime, it muft be attended with fbme

circumftances, belides
its

make

bare faculty of

fhewing other

objedls.

common
preflion

a thing to

Mere light is too make a ftrong imand without a

on the mind,

ftrong impreffion nothing can be fublime.

But fuch

a light as that of the fun,

im-

mediately exerted on the eye, as it overpowers the fenfe, is a very great idea. Light of an inferior ftrength to this, if
it

moves with great

celerity,

has the

feme

and

BEAUTIFUL.
for lightning
is

145
certainly

fame powers

produdtive of grandeur, which it owes of its mochiefly to the extreme velocity

tion.

quick tranfition from light to

darknefs, or

from darknefs
effedl.

to light>

has
is

yet a

greater

But darknefs

more productive of fublime ideas than Our great poet was convinced light.
of
this
;

and indeed

fo

full

was he of
with the

this idea,

fo entirely poffeffed

power of a well managed

amidft
that

darknefs, that,

in defcribing the appearance of the Deity,

of magnificent images, which the grandeur of his fubprofufion

jedl provokes
fide,

him

to

pour out upon every

mofl: incompre-^

he

is

far

from forgetting the obfcubeings, but

rity

which furrounds the

all

henfible of

TVtth the majejly of darknefs round

Circles his throne.

And what is no lefs

'

remarkable, our an-

thor had the fecret of preferving this idea,

cvcu

146
even

On

the

SUBLIME
th^ the
di-^

when he feemed to depart fartheft from it, when he defcribes

light

and glory which flows from the

vine prefence ; a light which by its very excefs is converted into a fpecies of darknefs.

Dark with

excejftve light thy Jklris appear.

Here is an
degree,
juft*

idea not only poetical in an high

ftriftly

but

and philofophically

Extreme

light,

by overcoming the
all objects,

organs of fight, obliterates

fo

as in its effed; exad:ly to refemble

n^i^.

dark-

fun,

After looking for fome time at the two black Ipots, the impreffion
it

which
eyes.

leaves,

feem

to dance before our

Thus

are

two

ideas as oppofite as

can be imagined reconciled in the extremes of both ; and both in fpite of their
nature brought to concur in And this is producing the fublime.
oppofite

not the only inftance wherein the

op-*

pofite

and
poCite

BEAUTIFUL.

147

extremes operate equally in favoui' of the fublime, V/hich in all things ab*
hors mediocrity.

SECT.
Light in
the

XV*

BUILDING;
light
is

AS
lure,

management of

matter of importance in 4rchitecr

it is

worth enquiring,

how

far thi3

applicable to building. I think then, that all edifices calculated to pro-^

remark

is

iluce iin idea

of the fublime, ought ra-^ ther to be dark and gloomy, and this for

two
itfelf

reafons

the

firft

is,

that darknefs

on other occafions

is

known by exfecond
is,

perience to have a gredter effeft on the

paffions than light*

The

that

to

make ail fhould make

from the
been

objedl very
it

ftriking,

we
have

as

different as poflible

objedls

with which

We

immediately converfant i wheil ' therefore Lz

148

On

the

SUBLIME
caii-

therefore

you enter a building, you

not pafs into a greater light than you had in the open air ; to go into one fome few
degrees
trifling
lefs

luminous,
;

can make only a

change

but to

make

the tranfi-

tion thoroughly ftriking, you ought to pafs

from the
nefs as
is

greateft light, to as

much

dark-

conliilent

with the ufes of ar-

chitefture.

At

night the contrary rule

will hold, but for the very

fame reafon
is

and the more highly a room

minated,
be.

then

illu-

the grander will the paflion

# S C T.

JUid

BEAUTIFUL.
XVI.

149

SECT.
COLOUR
confidered

as

the S

UBLI

M E.

produdtive of

AMONG
ftrong red

colours, fuch as are foft,

or cheerful,

(except

perhaps

which

is

cheerful) are unfit to

An immenfe images. mountain covered with a fhining green

produce grand
t-urf,

is

nothing in this refpedt, to one

dark and gloomy ; the cloudy Iky is more grand than the blue ; and night more
iJLiblime

and folemn than day. Therefore

a gay

in hiftorical painting,

or gaudy

: drapery, can never have a happy effeft and in buildings, when the higheft de-

gree of the fublime

terials

is

intended, the

ma-

and ornaments ought neither to be white, nor green, nor yellow, nor blue,
nor qf a pale red, nor videt, nor fpotted, but of fad and fufcous colours, as black,
or brpwn, or deep purple, and the like.

Much

150

On

the

SUBLIME

Much
linie.

of gilding, mofaics, painting or contribute but little to the fub* ftatues,

need not be put in practice, except where an uniform (Jegree of th? moft ftriking fublimity is to be prorule

This

duced, and that in every particular

it

for

ought to be obferved, that this melancholy kind of greatnefs, though it be certainly the higheft,

ought not to be ftudied

in

all forts

of

edifices,
;

where yet granin

deur muft be ftudied

fuch cafes the

fublimity muft be drawn from the other fources ; with a ftridt caution however
againft

any

tiling light

and

riant

as

no-

thing fo effedlually deadens the whole tafte of the fublime.

SEC
SOUND

T.

XVIL

and

LOUDNESS.

THE
fioii

not the only organ of fenfation, by which a fublime paf-^

eye

is

may be

produced.

Sounds have a
great

and
great

BEAUTIFUL.
in thefe
as

151

power
I

in

moft other

paffions.

do not mean words, becaufe

words do not afFedt fimply by their founds, but by means altogether different. Exceflive loudnefs alone is fufficient to over-

power the
to
fill it

foul, to

fufpend

its

adtion,

and

with

terror.

The

noife of vaft

cataradls, raging florms, thunder, or ar-

awakes a great and aweful fenfation in the mind, though we can obfervQ
tillery,

no nicety or
fie.

artifice in thofe forts

of

mu-

fhouting of multitudes has a fimilar effedl ; and by the fole ftrength of

The

the found, fo amazes and confounds the

imagination, that in this flaggering,

and

hurry of the mind, the befl eflablifhed tempers can fcarcely forbear being born

^own, and joining

and

in the

common

cry,

common

refolution of the croud.

1.4

SECT.

152

On

the

SUBLIME
XVIII.

SECT.

SUDDENNESS.

A
force,

Sudden beginning, or fudden

fation of

cef-

found of any conliderable

has the fame power. The attention is roufed by this ; and the faculties
driven forward, as
it

Whatever
makes the

either

were, on their guard. in lights or founds

tranfition

from one extreme to

the other eafy, caufes no terror, and confequently can be no caufe of greatnefs.

In every thing fadden and unexped:ed, we are apt to ftart ; that is, we have a perception of danger, and our nature roufes
us to guard againft
it.

It

may be

obferved,

that a fingle found

of fome ftrength,
if repeated

though but of fhort duration,

after intervals,

has a grand effeft. Few things are more aweful than the ftriking of a great clock, when the filence of the

night prevents the attention from being

too

and
too
laid

BEAUTIFUL.

153

much

diffipated.

The fame may be

of a fingle ftroke on a drum, repeated with paufes ; and of the fucceffive firing

of cannon

at

a diftance
this fedtion

all

the effefts

mentioned in
nearly alike.

have caufes very

SECT.

XIX.

INTERMITTING.

AL
is

O W,

tremulous,
it

intermitting

found, though

feems in fome
mentioned,
It is

that juft refpedts oppofite to

produftive

of the fublime.
this a little.

worth
fadl

while to examine
itfelf

The

muft

be

determined

by every
I

man's

own

experience, and

refleftion.

have already obferved, that * night increafes our terror

more perhaps than any

our nature, that,

thing

elfe

it

is

when
to us,

we do

not

know what may happen

3.

to fear the

worft that can happen us;

Sea.

and

154

On
that

the

UBLIME

and hence
rible,

it is,

we

uncertainty is fo ter^ often feek to be rid of it,

that

at the

hazard of a certain mifchief.

uncertain
fearful

Now

ibme low, confufed,

leave

founds,

us in

the

fam^

anxiety

concerning their caufes, that no light, or an uncertain light does concerning tha pbjefts that furround us,

^ak per incertam lunam fuh luce maligna

Eji
iter in ftlvis.-^

'"--A faint Jhadow of uncmain

Like as a lamp^ whofe
life

lights

doth fade

away

Or as

the

moon doathed with

to

cloudy night

Dothjbew

him who walks in fear andgreat affright*

S?NSER.

But a light now appearing, and now leaving us, and fo off and on, is even more
terrible

than

total darknefs

and a

fort

of

uncertain founds are,

difpofitions concur,

when

the neceffary

more alarming than

a total filence,

EC

T.

and

BEAUTIFUL.
E C
of

155

T.

XX.

The

cries

ANI

MAL

S.

founds as Imitate the natural

of men, or any animals in pain or danger, are capable of conveying great ideas ; unlefs it be the well known voice of fome creature, on
inarticulate voices

SUCH

which we

are ufed to look with contempt.

The angry tones

fenfation.

of wild beafts are equally capable of caufing a great and aweful

Hinc exaudiri

gemitus^ iraque le9num

et

Fincia recufantuniy

fera fub nole rudenium

Setigerique fues^ atque in prefepthus urfi

Savlrf

et

forma magnorum

ululare luporum*

might feem that thefe modulations of found carry fome connexion with the naIt

ture of the things they reprefent, and are

not merely arbitrary

becaufe the natural

156
ral cries

On

the

SUBLIME
have not been ac-

of all animals, even of thofe ani-

mals with

whom we

quainted, never fail to make themfelves fufficiently underflood ^ this cannot be

faid

of language.

The

modifications of

found, which
fublime,

may be

produdtive of the
infinite.

are almoft

Thofe

have mentioned, are only a few inftances to fhew, on what principle they are all
built.

SECT.
SxMELL
and
and

xxr.

TASTE. BITTERS STENCHES.

and
T'trjies,

C'MELLSy
a fmali one,
its

have fome
;

ihare too, in ideas of greatnefs

but

it is

weak

in

its

nature,
ihall

and

confined in

operations.

obferve, that

no fmells or

taftes

only can pro-

duce a grand fenfation, except exceffive

bitters,

and

intolerable

flenches.

It is

true, that thefe affecSiens

of the fmell and

tafte.

and
tafte,

BEAUTIFUL.

157

they are in their full force, and lean diredUy upon the fenfory, are

when

fimply painful, and accompanied with no fort of delight ; but when they are moderated, as in a defcription or narrative,

they become fources of the fublime as genuine as any otiier, and upon the very

fame principle of a moderated

pain.

"

A
of

"
**

cup

of bitternefs ;" to drain the bitter

bitter apples
all

" Sodom."

cup of fortune ;" the Thefe are

ideas fuitable
is

to a fublime defcription.

Nor

this

paf-

without fublimity, where fage of Virgil the flench of the vapour in Albunea confo happily with the facred horror fpires

and gloominefs of that prophetic

jft rex foUicitus

forefl.

monftrorum oraculi fauni

Fatidici genitoris adity lucofqut

fub

alia

maxima facra ConfuUt Albuneay rumorum qua

Fonte fonat j facvamque cxhalat opaca Mcphitim,

In the fixth book, and In a very fublime

defcription,

the poifonous exhalation of

Acheron

158

On
is

the

SUBLIME

not forget, nor does it at all difagree with the other images amongft

Acheron

which

it is

introduced.

Spflunca alta fuit^ vaftoque

immanis hiatu

Scrupeoy //^ lacu nigro^ nemofumque tenehtls

^am fuper baud ulla poterant impune volantes

Tendere
iter pennis^
talis fefe halitus atris

Faucibus effuridens fupera ad cohvexa feretat.

i have

added thefe examples^ bec^ufe fome friends, for whofe judgment I have
great deference, were of opinion, that if the fentiment flood nakedly by itfelf, it

would be
would

fubjeift

at firft
;

view to burI

lefque and ridicule

but this

imagine

from conlidering principally the bitternefs and flench in company with

arife

mean and contemptible ideas> with which It mufl be owned they are often united;
fuch ah union degrades the fublime in all But other inflances as well as in thofe^
it is

one of the

tefls
is

by which the

fubli-

mity of an image

to be tried, not

whether

^d BEAUTIFUL.
tlier
it

159

becomes mean when

affociated

with mean ideas;

but whether,

when

united with images of an allowed grandeur, the whole compofition is fupported with dignity. Things which are terrible

but when things poffefs dilagreeable qualities, or fuch as have indeed fome degree of danger, but of a
are always great
';

danger

eafily

iodiousy as

overcome, they are merely toads and fpiders.

SECT.
F E E L
I

XXII.

G.

PAIN.

OF
frefh

Feeling little more can be faid, than that the idea of bodily pain^

in all the

modes and degrees of labour,

torment,
;

pain>

anguifh,

is

productive of the

fublime

and nothing elfe in this kni^ can produce it. I need not give here any
given in die former fedlions abundantly illuftrate a reinftances, as

thofe

mark, that

in reality

wants only an attention

i6o

On

the

SUBLIME
made by
every

tention to nature, to be

body.

Having thus ran through the

the fublime with
fenfes,

caufes of
all

reference to

the

my

lirft

obfervation, (fedt. 7.) will

be found very nearly true ; that the fublime is an idea belonging to felf-prefervation.

That
affedling
is

it

is

therefore

one of the
its

moil

we

have.

That

ftrongeft

emotion
that no

-f

belongs to
fides thofe

and from a pofitive caufe pleafure Numberlefs examples beit.

diftrefs,

an emotion of

mentioned, might be brought in fupport of thefe truths, and many

perhaps ufeful confequences drawn from

them.
Sedfugit
Singula
interea^ fugit irrevocabile tempuSy capti

dum

circumve^famur amove.

t Vide

fed. 6. part i.

PART

I^I

A
Philofophical Enquiry

INTO THE
Origin
o

of our Ideas
F

T H E

Sublime

and

Beautiful.
IIL

PART
S

E C

T,

L
Y.

Of B E
is

A U T

my

defign to confider beauty as

IT

diftinguifhed

from the fublime ; and

in the courfe

mine how

far

of the enquiry, to exait is ccnfiftent with it.

But previous to this, we muft take a fhort review of the opinions already entertained of
this

quality

which

I think are

hardly to be reduced to any fixed prin-

ciplcs

i62
ciples
;

On

the

SUBLIME
men
are ufed to talk of
is

becaufe

beauty in a figurative manner, that

fay, in a

to

manner extremely

uncertain,
I

and

indeterminate.

By beauty
love, or

mean, that
by

quality or thofe qualities in bodies

which they caufe

fimilar to
it.

fome

paiTion

confine this definition

fenfible
qualities

to

the

merely

of

things, for the fake

of preferving the
a
fubjed:

utmoft

fimplicity

in

which

muft always

diftraft us,

whenever

we

take in thofe various caufes of fympathy which attach us to any perfons or

things from fecondary confiderations, and

not from the dired: force v/hich they have merely on being viewed. I likewife diftinguifh love,
tisfaftion

by which
arifes to

which

mean that fathe mind upbeautiful,

on contemplating any thing

of whatfoever nature
defire or luftj
it
is

may
an

be,

from

which

the mind,
pofleffion

that

energy of hurries us on to the

objed:s,

of certain

that

do

not affedl us as they are beautiful, but

by

^d BEAUTIFUL. 163 by means altogether dijfFerent. We fhall

have a flrong defire for a woman of no remarkable beauty; whilft the greateft
beauty in men,
or in

other

animals,

though it caufes love, yet excites nothing at all of defire. Which fhews that beauty,

and the paffion caufed by beauty, which I call love, is diiTerent from dethough defire may fometimes opealong with it ; but it is to this latter

fire,

rate

that

we

muft: attribute thofe violent

and

tempefl:uous pallions, and the confequent emotions of the body which attend what
is

called love in

fome of

its

ordinary

ac-*

ceptations,

and not to the

it is

effects

of beau**

ty merely as

fuch.

SECT.
in

II.

Proportion not the caufe of

BEAUTY
been
faid to

VEGETABLES.
ufually

EAUTY hath
confift

in

certain

proportions

of

parts.

i64
parts.

On On

the

SUBLIME

conlidering the matter, I have great reafon to doubt, whether beauty be

an idea belonging to proportion. Proportion relates almoft wholly to conat all

venience, as every idea of order feems to

do y and

it

mujft therefore be confidered

of the underftanding, rather than a primary caufe adling on the fenfes

as a creature

and imagination. It is not by the force of long attention and enquiry that we
find

any objedl to be beautiful ; beauty demands no amftance from our reafon;

ing

even the will

is

unconcerned ; the

appearance of beauty as effedlually caufes fome degree of love in us, as the application of ice or
fire

produces the ideas of

heat or cold.

gain fomething like a fatisfadlory eonclufion in this point, it

To

were well to examine, what proportion is ;. fince feveral who make ufe of that
word,

do not always feem

have very

to under-

ftand very clearly the force of the term,

nor

to

diftinft
itfelf.

ideas

con-

cerning the thing

Proportion is the

and

BEAUTIFUL;
is

165
Since
.

the meafure of relative quantity.

all

quantity

divifible, it is

evident that

v^hich any quanevery diftindt part into is divided, muft bear fome relation
tity

to

the

other parts
relations

or

to

the w^hole.

Thefe

give

an origin to the

idea of proportion.

They

are difcover-

ed by menfuration, and they are the obof mathematical enquiry. But whejedls
ther any part of any determinate quanbe a fourth, or a fifth, or a fixth, tity

or a moiety of the w^hole

or whether

it

be of equal length w4th any other part, or double its length, or but one half, is
a matter merely indifferent to the
it

mind ;
it is

{lands neuter in the queftion

this abfolute indifference

and

from

and tran-

quility

of the mind, that mathematical

fpeculations derive

fome of
;

their

moft
is

confiderable advantages

becaufe there

nothing to intereft the imagination ; becaufe the judgment fits free and unbiaffed to

examine the point.

All pro-

portions, every arrangement of quantity

is

j66
is

On

the

SUBLIME
from alh
frorn

alike to the underftanding, becaufe thq

refult to it
leffer
;

fame truths
greater,

irom

inequality.

from equality and But furely beauty is no idea

nor has
it

belonging to menfuration;

any

thing to
If

do with calculation and geoit

metry.

had,

we might

then point

put fome

certain

meafures which

we

could demonfcrate to be beautiful, either

fxmply confidercd, or as related to others; and we could call in thofe naas

tural objedls, for

whofe beauty

we

have

no voucher but the

happy and confirm the voice qf our ftandard, the determination of our reapaflions by
fon.

fenfe, to this

But
us fee

lince

we have

not this help,

in

let

whether proportion can

as

any

fenfe be confidered

the caufe of

beauty, as hath been fo generally, and by fome fo confidently afhrmed. If proportion be

one of the conftltuents of

beauty,
frorn

it

rnufl derive that

power

either

f^me natural

properties inherent in

pertain meafures,

which operate mechanically

^

and
nically;

BEAUTIFUL.

167

from the operation of cuftom; or from the fitnefs which fome meafures
have to anfwer fome particular ends of
conveniency.
to enquire,

Our

bufinefs therefore

is

whether the parts of thofe objedts which are found beautiful in the
vegetable or animal kingdoms, are conjftantly

fo

formed according to fuch cer-

tain meafures, as

may

ferve to fatisfy us

that their beauty refults from thofe meafures, on the principle of a natural me^
chanical caufe
fine,
;

or from cuftom

or in

fi-om their fitnefs for

I

nate purpofes.

any determiintend to examine this

tliefe

point under each of

order.

heads in

tlieir

But before
it

proceed further, I

hope
lay

will not be thought amifs, if I

the rules v/hich governed me in this enquiry, and which have mifled

down
in
it

me

have gone aftray. i If two bodies produce the fame or a fimilar

if I
.

effedt

on the mind, and on examination they are found to agree in fome of their the properties, and to differ in others;

common

t6^

On

the

SUBLIME
be attributed to the

common

efFeft is to

properties in wliich they agree, to thofe which they diiter. 2.

and not

Npt

to

account for the effed: of a natural objed from the effed pf an artificial objed.
3.

Not

to account for the effed; of any

natural objedr from a conclufion of our

concerning its ufes, if a natural eaufe may be affigned. 4. Not to admit any determinate quantity, or relation of

reafon

quantity, as the caufe

is

any of a cerr

tain effed:, if the effed:

different or oppolite meafures tions

;

produced by and rekr

or if thefe meafures and relations

and yet the effed: may not be produced. Thefe are the rules which

may

exiff,

I have chiefly followed, whilft I

examin-

ed into the power of proportion confidered as a natural caufe ; and thefe, if he

thinks

them

juft,

I requeft the reader to

carry with
difcuffion
^

him throughout
whilft

the following
firft

we

enquire in the

place,
lity

in

what

things

we

find this qua-

of beauty; next,

to fee

whether in
thefe.

and
jhefe,

BEAUTIFUL.

169

can find any affignable proportions, in fuch a manner as ought to convince us, that our idea of beauty refults

we

from them.

We
it

ihall

confider

this

pleaiing power, as

appears in vegeta-

bles, in the inferior animals,

and

in

man.

Turning our eyes to the vegetable creation,

we

find nothing there fo beautiful

;

as flowers

but flowers are almofl: of

eveiy fort of fliape, and of every fort of

difpofition

they are turned and fafliioned into an infinite varietj^ of forms ; and
;

from

thefe forms,
their names,

botanifts

have given

them

which

are almoft as

various.

What

proportion do

we

difco-

ver between the ilalks and the leaves of

flowers, or
piftils
?

between the
does the

leaves

and the
of

How
it

fljsnder flalk

the rofe agree with the bulky head under

which
that

bends
;

but the rofe

is

a beauti-

ful flower
it

and can

does not

we owe a

undertake to fay great deal of its

?

beauty even to that difproportion

rofe
is

the

large fip\yer, yet

it

grows upou
a fmall

ijo

On

the

SUBLIME
it

a fmall fhrub ;
is

tlie

very fmall, and

^

flower of the apple grows upon a large

yet the rofe and the apple bloifom are both beautiful, and the plants that
tree

bear

them

are

moft engagingly
this

attired

notwithftanding difproportion. What by general confent is allowed to be a

more

beautiful

objed:

than an orange
its

tree, flourifhing at
its

once with
fruit
?

leaves,
it
is

bloflbms, and

its

but

in

fearch here for any proportion between the height, the breadth, or

vain that

we

any thing elfe concerning the dimenfions of the whole, or concerning the relation
of the particular parts to each other.
grant that
I

we may

obferve

in

many

flowers, fomething of a regular figure, and of a methodical difpofition of the

leaves.

The

rofe has fuch a figure

its

and

fuch a difpofition of
oblique view,

petals

but in an
is

when
loft,
it

this figure

in a

good meafure
ty 3 the rofe

and the order of the

yet retains
its

leaves confounded,
is

beaube-r

even more beautiful

forg

and
fore
it

BEAUTIFUL.

171

is

fore this
is

blown; in the bud; beexadt figure is formed ; and this

full

not the only inftance wherein method and exadnefs, the foul of proportion, are

found rather prejudicial than ferviceable to the caufe of beauty,

SECT.
in

Ill,

Proportion not the caufe of

BEAUTY

ANIMALS.

THAT
Is full

proportion has but a fmall fhare in the formation of beauty. as evident among animals. Here

the

greatefl: variety

of

fliapes,

and difpoto excite

fitions

of parts are well

fitted,

this idea.
tifiil

fwan, confeffedly a beaubird, has a neck longer than the reft

tail ;

The

of his body, and but a very fhort

is

this a beautiful proportion

it is.

allow that

But then

we muft what fhall we

?

fay to the peacock,

who has comparatively

tail

but a fhort neck, with a

longer than

the

172
tlie

On
?

the

SUBLIME
reft

neck and the

of the body taken

together

How many birds are there that

vary infinitely from each of thefe ftandards, and from every other which you

can

fix,

with proportions

diff^erent,
!

and
and

often direcflly oppofite to each other

yet

many of thefe birds are extremely beautiful ; when upon confidering them

we

find nothing in any one

part that
to fay

might determine us, a what the others ought to

prioriy

be, nor indeed

to guefs any thing about them, but

what
dif-

experience might fhew to be

full

of

appointment and miftake.

flowers, for there

And

with

regard to the colours either of birds or

fomething fimilar in the colouring of both, whether they are

is

confidered in 'their extenfion or gradation, there is nothing of proportion to be obferved.

Some

are of but one fingle coall

lour

others have

the colours of the

rainbow; feme are of the primary colours, others are of the mixt ; in fhort^
an attentive obferver

may

foon conclude,
that

and
that there

BEAUTIFUL.
httle

173

is as

colouring as
jedts.

of proportion in the in the fhapes of thefe obto beafts

;

Turn next

examine the
find

head of a beautiful horfe;

and what
;

what
have
fet-

proportion that bears to his body, and to

his limbs,
relation thefe

to each other

and when you have

as

tled thefe proportions

a ftandard of

beauty, then take a dog or cat, or any other animal, and examine how far the

fame proportions between

their necks,

their heads

and

and

fo

between thofe and the body, on, are found to hold ; I think we
they differ in every

may

fafely fay, that

fpecies,

yet that there are individuals found in a great many Ipecies fo differing, that

Now

have a very ftriking beauty. if it be allowed that very dif-

ferent,'

and even contrary forms and difpofitions are confiftent with beauty, it
amounts
I

believe to a conceflion, that

no certain meafures operating from a

natural principle, arc neceffary to pro*

ducc

174
duce
is
it,

On

the

SUBLIME

at leaft fo far as the brute fpecieS

concerned.

SECT.

IV.

Proportion not the caufe of in the human fpecies.

BEAUTY
hu-

body, that are obferved to hold certain proportions to each other ;

THERE man
it

are

fome

parts of the

but before
ficient

can be proved, that the ef-^ caufe of beauty lies in thefe, if

thefe are

muft be fhewn, that wherever

found exad:, the perfon to
belong
Is

whom

they

beautiful.

mean

in the effecS

produced on the view,

member

diftindlly

of any confidered, or of the

either
It

whole body together.

muft be

like-*

wife (hewn, that thefe parts ftand in fuch a relation to each other, that the comparifon between

them may be
the
afFe<ftion

eafily

made,

and that

of the
it.

mind may

naturally

refult

from

For

my

and

BEAUTIFUL,

175

have at fcveral times very carefully examined many of thofe prothem hold very nearportions, and found

my

part, I

ly,

or altogether alike in

many

fubjed:s,

which were not only very different from one another, but where one has been
very beautiful, and the other very re-

mote from beauty. With regard to the parts which are found fo proportioned,
they are often
in fituation,

remote from each other, nature, and office, that I

fo

cannot fee

how

they admit of any com-

parifon, nor confequently

how any
refult

effe(5l

owing
them.

to

proportion

can

from

neck, fay they, in beautiful bodies (hould meafure with the calf

The

of the leg ; it ihould likewife be twice And an the circumference of the wrift.
infinity

of obfervations of this kind are to

be found in the writings, and converfations But what relation has the of many.
calf of the leg to the

neck
?

or either of

thefe parts to the wrift

tions are certainly

Thefe proporto be found in hand-

fomc

1^6

On
bodies.

the

SUBLIxME
are as certainly
iii

fome

They
any

ugly ones, as
pains to try,

who

will take the

may find. Nay, I do not know but they may be leaft perfed: in fome of the moft beautiful. You may
any proportions you pleafe to every part of the human body ; and I
aflign

undertake, that a painter fhall religioufly obferve them all, and notwithftand-

ing produce if he pleafes, a very ugly

figure.

The fame painter fhall

confider-

ably deviate from thefe proportions, and produce a very beautiful one. And in-

deed

it

may be

obferved in the mafter*

pieces of the ancient and

ary,

modern
differ

ftatu-

that

feveral

of them

very

widely from the proportions of others, in parts very confpicuous, and of great
confideration
lefs
;

and that they

differ

no

from the proportions we find in living men, of forms extremely ftriking and agreeable. And after all, how are
the
partizans

of proportional
tliemfelves

agreed amongfl

beauty about the

pro-

0f^^

and

BEAUTIFUL;

177

proportions of the human body ? tiold it to be ieven heads; fome

it

fome

make
fmall

eight
;

whilft others extend

it

even to

ten

a vaft difference in fuch a

divifions
!

number of

Others take ether

methods of eilimating the proportionsj and ail with equal fuccefs. But are thefe
proportions exaQly the fame in
all

hand-

fome men

or are they at

all

the pro-

portions found in beautiful

women ?

no-

body will fay that they are; yet both

fexes are undoubtedly capable of beauty,

and the female of the

greateft

which

advantage I believe will hardly be attributed to the fuperior exadnefs of pro^

portion in the fair fex.

Let us

reft

moment on how much

the
fimilar

this

point;

and confider
is

difference there

between
in

meafures

that

prevail

many
If

parts of the body, in the two

fexes of this fingle ipecies only.

you

affign any determinate proportions to the limbs of a man, and if you limit human

beauty to thefe proportions,

when you
find

ryS
find a

On

the

SUBLIME
differs in

woman who

the

make

and meafures of almoft every part, you muft conclude her not to be beautiful in
of the fuggeftions of your imagination i or in obedience to your imagination
Ipite

you muft renounce your rules ; you muft lay by the fcale and cornpafs, and look out
for

fome other caufe of beauty.

For

if

beauty be attached to certain meafures

which operate from a

principle in nature^

why

fhould fimilar parts with different meafures of proportion be found to have

beauty, and this too in the very fame

fpecies
is

But

to

open our view a

little,

it

worth obferving, that almoft

.

all

ani-

mals have parts of very much the fame nature, and deftined nearly to the fame
purpofes;

an head, neck,

body,
;

feet,

nofe eyes, ears,

and mouth

yet Provi-

dence io provide Sxi the beft manner for their feveral wants, and to difplay the
riches of his
creation,

wifdom and goodnefs in his has worked out of thefe few

and members, a diverfity

3nd
Lfrft

fimilar organs,
,

Vi

and
verfity

BEAUTIFUL.
fliort

179

hardly

of

infinite in their,

difpofition, meafures,
as

and

relation.

But,

we

have before obferved, amidfl this

di verfity,

infinite

one particular
5

is

com-

mon
pable

to

many

fpecies

feveral

of the
are ca-

individuals

which compofe them,

us

of affecting
;

with a fenfe of

lovelinefs

and whilll they agree in pro-

ducing this effedt, they differ extremely in the relative meafures of thofe parts

which have produced it. Thefe confiderations were fufficient to induce me to

notion of any particular proportions that operated by nature to produce a pleafing effeft^ but thofe who
rejedt
tlie

will agree

with

me with

regard tp a par-

ticular proportion, are ftrongly pre-poffelfed

finite.

in

favour

of one

more

inde-

They

imagine,

that although

beauty in general is annexed to no certain meafures common to the feveral

kinds of pleafing plants and animals ; yet that there is a certain proportion in each
fpecies abfolutely eflential to the

beauty of

i8d

On

the

SUl?

LIME

of that particular kind. If we confidef the anirti-al world in general, we find

beauty confined to no certain meafures but as fome peculiar meafure and relation
-,

of

parts,

is

what

diftinguiflies
it

culiar clafs of animals,

fity be,

each pemuft of necef-

that the beautiful in each kind

be found in the meafures and proportions of that kind ; for otherwife it

will

would
and

deviate

from
in

its

become

fome
is

proper fpecies, fort monftrous :

however, no fpecies

fo ftridtly confined

to any certain proportions, that there is

not a confiderable variation amongft the individuals ; and as it has been ihewn

of the human,

fo

it

may be fhewn of

the brute kinds, that beauty is found indiff'erently in all the proportions which

each kind can admit, without quitting

its

common form ; and it is common form that makes

all

this idea

of

the propor-

tion of parts at

regarded, and not the

;

operation of any natural caule

little

indeed a

confideration will make it appear thstt

it

and
it Is

BEAUTIFUL.

i8i

not meafure, but manner, that creates

the beauty
lights

all

What
boafted

which belongs to fhape. do we borrow from thefe

proportions,

when
It
if

we

ftudy

ornamental
:5ing

defign
that

feems

ama-

to

me,
that

artiils,

they were

as

well
be,

convinced

as

they
is

pretend
principal
at all
forts

proportion caufe of beauty, have not by

to

them
all

times accurate meafurements of

of beautiful animals
proper proportions

to

help

them

to

when

they

would

contrive any thing elegant, eipecially as

they frequently aflert, that it is from an obfervation of the beautiful in nature they
dire(5l their

praftice.

know

that

it

has

long fince, and ecchoed backward and forward from one writer to

been

faid

another a thoufand times, that the proportions of building have been taken

from thofe of the human body.

To
and

make

this forced

analogy complete, they

his

repr^fent a

man with
full

arms

raifed

extended

at

length,

and then de-

fcribe a fort

of fquare,

as it is

formed by
paffing

i82

Ofi

the

SUBLIME
But
it

paffing lines along the extremities of this

ftrange
clearly

figure.

appears

very
figure

to

me, that the human

never fupplled the archited with any of For in the firft place, men his ideas.
are very rarely feen in
flure
is
;

this ftrained

pothe

it is

not natural to

them
fo

neither

it

at

all

becoming.

Secondly,

view of the human figure

fquare, but rather

difpofed,

does not naturally fuggeil the idea of a

of a crofs

-,

as that

large ipace

between the arms and the

ground, muft be filled witli fomething before it can make any body think of a
fjuare.

Thirdly, feveral

buildings

are

by no means of the form of that particular fquare, v/hich are notwithfl:and-

ing planned by the beft architeds, 'and

produce an

effedl

altogether as good, and

And certainly nothing perhaps a better. could be more unaccountably whimfical,

than for an architect to model his performance by the human figure, fince no

two

things can have

leis

refemblance or

analogy, than a man, and an houfe or

temple

and
temple
;

BEAUTIFUL.
we need

183

do

to obferve, that their

? What purpofes are entirely different 1 ana ,^apt to fuipedt is this : tliat thefe

analogies
to the

were devifed
art,

to give a credit

by {hewing a conformity between them and the nobleft works in nature, not that the latter ferved
to fupply hint5 for the perfeffion of the former. And I the more fully
at all

works of

am

convinced, that the patrons of proportion

have transferred their

nature,

artificial

ideas to

and not borrowed from thence

the proportions they ufe in works of art ; becaufe in any difcufTion of this fubjedl,

they always quit as foon as pofTible the open field of natural beauties, the ani-

mal and vegetable kingdoms, and

themfelves within the
angles of architefture.

fortify

artificial lines

and
in to

For there

is

mankind an unfortunate propenfity

make

themfelves, their views, and their

works, the meafure of excellence in every Therefore having thing whatfoever.

obf^rved, that their dwellings were mofl

com-

i84

On

the

SUBLIME
they trans;

commodious and firm when they were thrown into regular figures, with parts
anfwerable to each other
;

ferred thefe ideas to their gardens

they

turned their trees into pillars, pyramids,

and obeUfks
into fo

they formed their hedges

many

green walls, and faihioned

the walks into fquares, triangles, and other mathematical figures, with exadl-

and fymmetry ; and they thought if *hey were not imitating, they were at leaft
nefs

improving nature, and teaching her to know her bufinefs. But nature has at
laft

efcaped
;

from

their

difcipline
if

and

their fetters

and our gardens,

nothing

elfe, declare,

begin to feel that mathematical ideas are not the true mcafures of

we

beauty.

And

furely they are full as little

fo in the animal, as the vegetable world.

For

is it

not extraordinary, that in thefe

fine defcriptive pieces, thefe

innumerable
are

pdes and

elegies,
all

which

in

the

mouths of

the world, and

many of
_

whidi have been the entertainment of

ages.

and

BEAUTIFUL.
which

185.

a^ps, that in thefe pieces

defcribc

love with llich a paflionate energy, and

objed in fuch an infinite one word is faid of variety of lights, not if it be what fome infift it is,
reprefent
its

proportion,

the principal component of beauty ;whilft at the fame time, feveral other qualities
are very frequently and

warmly mention-

ed? But
it

may

proportion has not this power, appear odd hov/ men came oriif
its

ginally to be fo prepoffefTed in

fa-

vour.

It

arofe,

imagine,

from the

fondnefs I have juft mentioned,

which

men

bear fo remarkably
;

to their

own
falfe

works and notions

reafonings

it

arofe

from

on the

effefts
;

of the cuftoit

mary

figure

of animals

arofe

from

the Platonic theory of fitnefs and aptiFor which reafon in the next tude.
feftion, I
fliall

confider the

effedls

of

cuftom

in the figure of animals;

fitnefs
;

and

after-

wards the idea of

fince if

propor-

tion does not operate

{itteoding

by a natural powei;
it

foine

meafures,

muft be
cither

286
either

On

the

SUBLIME
utility ;

by cuftom, or the idea of there is no other way.

SECT.

V.

Proportion further confidered.

IF

not miftaken, a great deal of the prejudice in favour of proportion

I

am

has arifen, not fo

much from

the obfer-

vation of any certain meafures found in beautiful bodies, as from a wrong idea

of the relation which deformity bears to beauty, to which it has been coniidered
as the oppofite
;

on

this principle

it

was

concluded, that where the caufes of deformity were removed, beauty muft naturally and neceffarily be introduced.

This

I
is

believe

is

a miftake.

For

Jefor-

oppofed, not to beauty, but to mity the compleaty common form. If one of

the

legs

of a

man
is

be

found
is

fhorter
;

than the other, the

tecaufe there

man

deformed

fomething wanting to

com-

and

BEAUTIFUL^

187

complete the. whole idea we form of a man ; and this has the fame cffed: in natural faults, as

maiming and mutilation

produce from accidents. So if the back be humped, the man is deformed ; becaufc his back has an unufual figure, and

what

carries

with

it
;

the idea of fome

fo if a

difeafe or misfortune

man*s neck

be confiderably longer or fhorter than ufual, we fay he is deformed in that

part,

becaufe
in that

men

are not

commonly
furely every

made

manner.

But

hour 6 experience may convince us, that a man may have his legs of an equal
length, and refembhng each other in
refpedts,
all

and his neck of a

jufl:

fize,

and

his

back quite ftrait, without having at the fame time the leaft perceivable beauty.
Indeed beauty is fo far from belonging to the idea of cuftom, that in reality what
affeSs. us
in

that

manner

is

extremely
beautiful

rare

and

uncommon.

The
;

ftrikes

us as

much

i^y

Us fiayGlty as the

deformed

itfelf

It Is.

thusin thofe fpecics

i88

On thV
and

SUBLIME
one of a

des of animals with which

quainted
;

if

we are acnew fpecies

were prefented, we fhould by no means wait until cuftom had fettled an idea of
proportion
before

we

decided concern^

Which beauty or uglinefs. fhews that the general idea of beauty, can be no mere owing to cuftomary than
ing
its

to natural proportion.

Deformity
refult
is

arifes

from the want of the common proportions

;

but the neeeffary

in

of their
beauty.

exiftence

any objedt

not

If

we fuppofe

proportion in natural things

to be relative to cuftom and ufe, the nature of ufe and cuftom will lliew, that

beauty,

which

is

a /g/f/zW and
refult

power-

ful quality,

cannot

from

it.

We

are fo v/onderfuliy formed, that whilft

we

are

creatures

vehemently defirous

of novelty, we are* as ftrongly attached But it is the nat habit and cuftom.
ture of things which hold us by cuftom to affeft us very little whilft we
arc; in
'

poffeffion

of them,

but ftrongly

'-V

when

afid

BEAUTIFUL.
I

189

when

they are abfent.

remembef tb

have frequented a certain place, every day for a long time together and I may
-,

truly fay, that fo far

fure in
it,

from finding plea-

was

affefted v^dth a fort of

wearinefs and difguft; I came, I went,

returned without pleafure ; yet if by any means I palTed by the ufual time of
I

my going
cafy,

was remarkably unand was not quiet till I had got irithither, I

to^my old
take
it

track."

They who^

ufe'fnuft

they
fmell

almbft without being tehiible that take it, and the "acute fenfe of

is

deadened, fo as to
fb

feel

hardly
;

any thing from

fharp a ftimulus

yet

deprive the fnufF-taker of his box, and

he

the mofl uneafy mortal in the world. Indeed fo far are ufe and habit from be^
is

ing caufes of pleafure, merely as fuch

that the effeft of conftant ufe
all
is

to

make

things of whatever kind entirely un-

affedling.

For

as uie

at

laft

takes off
it

the painful effeft of

jluces

many

things,

re-

the pleafurable effect of others in

the

:jgo

On

the

SUBLIME
and

the fa'me manner, and brings both to a fort of medioerity and indifference. Very
juftly
is

ufe called a fecond nature

>ur natural

and

common

ftate is

one of

-out

pain of this

abfolute indifference, equally prepared for or pleafure. But when we are thrown

or deprived of any thing requilite to maintain us in it ; when this chance does not happen by pleafure from
ftate,

fome mechanical
^hurt.
It is fo
all

caufe,

we

are always

with the fecond nature, cu-

things which relate to it. Thus the want of the ufual proportions in men

ftom,in

and other animals is fure to

their prcfence
is

diiguft,

though

by no means any caufe

It is true, that the

of real pleafure.
portions
in the
laid

down

human

proof beauty body are frequently found

as caufes

in beautiful ones, becaufe they are generally found in all mankind ; but if it

can be fliewn too that they are found without beauty, and that beauty frequently
exifts

without them, and that

it

this

beauty, wliere

exifts,

always can be
affigned

and

BEAUTIFUL;

S^i

iffigned to other lefs equivocal caufes^ it will naturally lead us to conclude^

that proportion and beauty are not ideas of the fame nature. The true oppofite
to beauty

is

not difproportion or defor-

mity, but ug/inefs;

and

as

it

proceeds

from

caufes oppofite to thofe of pofitive

teauty,

we

cannot confider

'

it

until

we

come
and
in

to treat

of

that.
is

Between beauty
proportions arc
this

uglinefs there

a fort of mediocrity^

which the
upon the
S

afligned

moil commonly found, but

cffefl:

has
-

lid

paiffions*

E C

T. ^VI,
-qs mft
1
^noor^.t

FITNESS notthecaufe of BEAUTY'.

is

faid
part's

IT a of
fwer
its

that the idea of utility. Or

being well adapted to an*end, is the caufe of beauty, or

itfelf.

indeed beauty

If

it

were not

for
for

this opinion, it

had been impoffible

the dodtrine of proportion to have held

its

192
its

Q^-

the

SUBLIME

ground very long ; the world woiil4 be foon weary of hearing of meafures
related to

nothing, either of a natural principle, or of a fitnefs to anfwer fome end; the idea which man-

which

kind moft commonly conceive of prois the fuitablenefs of means to portion,

certain ends,

and where

this is

not the

queftion, very feldom trouble themfelves

about the
things.

efFedl

of different meafures of
it

Therefore
infift,

was neceffary
took

for

this theory to
ficial,

that not only artitheir

but

natural objefits
fitnefs

beauty from the

theory, I
^-lence

of the parts for their feveral purpofes. But in framing this

am

apprehenfive

that

expe-

was not

fufficiently confulted.

Fdr

on

that principle, the wedge -like fnout of a fwine, with its tough cartilage at

the end, the

-whole

little

funk eyes, and the

make of

the head, fo well adapt-^

cd to

its offices

of digging, and rooting,

bill

would be extremely beautifuL The great

bag hanging to the
of a pelican, a
thing

5[nd

BEAUTIFUL.
as beautiful in

193

to this animal, tiling highly ufefiil

would

be likewife

our eyes.

The

hedgehog, (o well fecured againft all affaults by his prickly hide, and the porcupine with his miflile
quills,

would be

then confidered as creatures of no fmall

elegance.

There

are

few animals, whole

of a man,

parts are better contrived than thofe of a

monkey ; he
he
is

has the hands

of a beaft ^ joined to the fpringy limbs

admirably calculated for running, and and climbing leaping, grappling,

:

animals which feem to yet there are few have lefs beauty in the eyes of all mankind.
I

need fay

little

on the trunk

of the elephant, of fuch various ufe-* fulnefs, and which is fo far from contributing to his beauty. fitted is the wolf for running and leap-

How

well

ing

how

admirably

is

the lion armed

for battle?
call

But will any one therefore the elephant, the wolf, and the lion,

beautiful animals? I beUeve

nobody will

think the form of a man's legs lb well

adapted

194

On

the

SUBLIME
'

adapted to running, as thofe of an horfe, a dog, a deer, and feveral other creatures;
they have not that appearance yet I believe a well-fafhioned human leg will
at leaft
:

be allowed

far

to

exceed

all

thefe in

If the fitnefs of beauty. parts was" what conftituted the lovelinefs of their

form, the aftual employment of them

Would undoubtedly much augment

but
this,

it^

though

it

is

fometimes
far

fo

upon

another principle, ways the cafe.

is

from being albird on the wing i&

perched ; nay, there are feveral of the domeftic fowls which are feldom feen to fly, and

not fo beautiful as

when

it

is

which

are

nothing

the

lefs

beautiful

on that account; yet

birds

are fo

ex-

tremely different in their form from the beaft and human kinds, that you cannot

on the
any

fitnefs allow them principle of thing agreeable, but in confideration

of their parts being defigned for quite I never in my life other purpofes.

chanced to

fee a

peacock

fly;

and yet before.

and
fore, very

BEAUTIFUL,
I confidered

195
any
I

long before

aptitude in his

form

for the aerial

life,

was
the

ftruck with

the extreme

which

railes that bird

above
in

beauty many of

beft

flying

fowls
I

the

world;

though
Hving

for

any thing

faw, his

way of

was much like that of the which fed in the farm-yard along fwine,
with him.

The fame may

;

be faid of

cocks, hens, and the like

they are of the

Bying kind in figure

in their

manner of

moving not very

beafts.

different

from men and

To leave

thefe

foreign examples; if

own fpecies was annexed to ufe, men would be much more lovely than women and ftrength and agility would
beauty in our
;

be confidered

as

the only beauties.

tlie

But

tp call ftrength

by beauty, to have but one denomination for the

qualities

name of

of a Venus and Hercules,

(o
is

totally different in almoft all refpedts,

furely a fi:range confufion

of

'

ideas,

or

abufe of words.

The

caufe of this con-

fufion, I imagine, proceeds

from our

fre-

quently

196

On

the

SUBLIME

of the huquently perceiving the parts man and other animal boiies to be at

once very beautiful, and very well adapted to their purpofes ; and we are deceived

by

a fophifm,

which makes
is

us take that

only a concomitant; this is tlie fophifm of the fly 3 who imagined he raifed a great duft, becaufe he
ftood
it.

for a caufe

which

upon the chariot that

really raifed

The

as well as

ftomach, the lungs, the liver, ether parts, are incomparably

;

well adapted to their purpofes

are
far

yet they

from having any beauty. Again,

many
it is

things are very beautiful, in

which

impofiible to difcern
I

And

appeal to

any idea of ufe. the firft and moft na-

tural feelings

of mankind, whether on

beholding a beautiful eye, or a wellfafhioned mouth, or a v/ell-turned leg,

any ideas of their being well

themfelves.

fitted

for

feeing, eating, or running, ever prefent

What

idea of

uk

is it

that

flowers excite, the mcft beautiful part of

the vegetable vf orld

It is true, tliat

the
in-

and

BEAUTIFUL.

197.
of.

infinitely v/ife

and good Creator has,

his bounty, frequently joined beauty to which he has made ufeful to thofe

things

us

but

of ufe

not prove that an idea and beauty are the fame thing,
this does

or that they are any each other,

way dependent on

SECT.
The
real efFefls

VII.

of

FITNESS.

from any fhare in beauty, I did not by any means intend to fay that they wxre of no value, or that they
fitnefs

WHEN
ought
art.

excluded proportion and

be difregarded in works of Works of art are the proper fphere

to

of their power ; and here it is that they have their full effecl. Whenever the

wifdom of our Creator intended

that

we

fhould be affeded with any thing, he did not confide the execution of his defign to the languid

and precarious

ope-i

ration

j^S

On

the

SUBLIME
;

ration of our reafon

but he endued

it

with powers and properties that prevent the underftanding, and even the will,

which

feizing

upon the
is

fenfes

and imathe

gination, captivate

the foul before

underftanding

them

or

ready either to join with to oppofe them. It is by a

Jong dedudlion and much ftudy that we difcov^r the adorable wifdom of God in
his

works
is

when we

difcover

it,

the

pffcQ.

very different, not only in the manner of acquiring it, but in its own

nature,

from that which

ftrikes us

with-

put any preparation from

or the beautiful.
fatisfadion of an

the fublime
is

How

different

the
dif-

anatomift,

who

covers the ufe of the mufcles and of the

fkin,

the

excellent contrivance

of the

one for the various movements of the

body, and the wonderful texture of th^ pther, at once a general covering, and at once a general outlet as well as inlet;

how

different

is

this

from the

aife-

fkion v/hich pofielTes

an ordinary

man

and
at the
fight

BEAUTIFUL.

199

and

all

of a delicate fmooth fkin, the other parts of beauty which

require

no
the

inveftigation

to be

perceiv-

ed

In the former cafe, whilft

to

we
it

look

up

Maker with
objeft

admiration and
caufes

praife, the

which
;

may

be odious and

diftafteful

by its imagination, that we examine but

into the artifice of
its

often fo touches us

the latter very power on the

little

contrivance

and

of a ftrong eifort of our reafon to difentangle our minds from the

allurements of the objed: to a confideration of that wifdom which invented
fo

we have need

powerful a machine.
fitnefs,

The

efFed:

of

proportion and

at leaft fo far as

they proceed from a mere confideration of the work itfelf, produce approbation^ the acquiefcence of the underftanding,

but not love, nor any paffion of that When we cx^mxnQ the ftru^ ^ecies.

dure of a watch,

when we
are

conie to

know
of
it,

thoroughly the ufe of every part

fatlsfied as

we

with the

fit-

nefs

200

On

the

SUBLIME
we
are
far

nefs of the whole,

enougij

from perceiving any thing like beauty in the watch-work itfelf ; but let us look

on the
artift

cafe, the labour

of fome curious
little

in

engraving,

with

or

no

idea of ufe,
lier idea

we

{hall

have a

much

live-

of beauty than

we

ever could

have had from the watch

itfelf,

though

the mafter-piece of Graham. In beauty, as I faid, the effed: is previous to any knowledge of -the ufe; but to judge of
proportion,

we muft know
is

the end for

which any v/ork

defigned.

Accord-

ing to the end the proportion varies^ Thus there is one proportion of a tower,
another of an houfe

a gallery, of a chamber.

one proportion of another of an hall, another

;

To

portions of thefe, quainted with the

judge of the proyou muft be firft acpurpofes for

which
and

they were defigned.

to

Good

{^nCc

experience afting together, find out what

is fit

We

be done in every work of art. are rational creatures, and in all our

works

and

BEAUTIFUL.
to regard their
gratification

201 end and

works we ought
purpofe
fion,
;

the

of any paf-

how

innocent foever, ought only

to be of fecondary confideration.
in
is

Hereand

of placed the real power

;

fitnefs

proportion

they operate on the underap-it.

ftanding confidering them, which in proves the work and acquiefces

and the imagination which have here very principally raifes them,
paffions,
little
its

The

appears in original nakednefs, bare walls and a

to do.

When
let

room

plain cieling
fo excellent,

it

proportion be ever pleafes very little ; a cold

its

approbation is the utmoft we can reach ; a much worfe proportioned room, with
elegant
glafles,

mouldings and fine feftoons, and other merely ornamental

furniture, will

make

the imagination re^

volt againft

the reafon

it

will pleafe

much more
of the
firft

than the naked proportion room which the underftandapproved, as admirably

ing has fo
fitted

much
its

for

purpofes.

What

have
here

202

On

the

SUBLIME

here faid and before concerning proportion, is

by no means to perfuade people

art.

abfurdly to neglecft the idea of ufe in the

works of

It

is

only to fhew that

thefe excellent

things, beauty

and pro-

portion, are not the

fame

not that they

Ihould either of

them be

difregarded.

SECT.
The

VIIL

RECAPITULATION,
the

bodies as are found proportioned, were likewife conftantly found are not ; or beautiful, as they
certainly
if they

ON

whole

if

fuch parts in

human

were

fo fituated,

as that

a plea-

might flow froni the comparifon, which they feldorn are i or if any aflignfure

able

proportions were fpund, either in

plants or animals,

which were always attended with beauty, which never was

;

the cafe

or

if,

where

parts

were well
they were

adapted to their

purpofes,

and

BEAUTIFUL.

203

conftantly beautiful,

and when no ufe

appeared, there was no beauty, which

is

contrary to all experience ; we might conclude, that beauty coniifted in proor utility.

portion
fpedts,

But

fince, in

all

re-

may
what

quite otherwife; we be fatisfied, that beauty does not

the cife

is

depend on

thefc, let it

owe

its

origin to

elfe it will.

SECT.
Perfeaim not the
is

IX.

caufe of

BEAUTY.

THERE
beauty.
to extend
objedls.

another notion current,

the former; pretty clofely allied to that Perfeciion is the conftituent caufe of

This opinion has been made

much
But

further than to fenlible

is

in thefe, fo far

perfe-

dtion,

confidered as
;

fuch,

from being

the caufe of beauty

that this quality,

where

higheft in the female fex, almoft always carries with it an idea of

it
is

we^r

^04

On

the

SUBLIME

weaknefs and imperfeftion. Women are this ; for which reafon, very fenfible of
they learn to Ufp, to totter in their walk, to counterfeit weaknefs, and even fickthey are guided by nature. Beauty in diftrefs is much the moft afFedting beauty. Blufliing has
nefs.

In

all this,

little lefs

ral,

power which is a

-,

and modefly
tacit

in gene-

allowance of im-

perfedtion,

is itfelf

confidered as an amicertainly
fo.

able

quality,

and
is

heightens
it is

every other that

know,
to

in

every body's mouth, that

love perfedion.
cient proof,

we ought

to

This
it

is

me

a fjffi-

that

is

not the proper

ever faid,

pbjed:

of love.

Who

we

QugAt to love a fine

woman,

or even any

of thefe beautiful animals, which pleafe us ? Here to be afFefted, there is no need

pf the concurrence of our
will.

E C Tv

and

BEAUTIFUL,

^65

SECT.
How
far the idea

X.

of

BEAUTY maybe
MIND.
in general lefs

of the applied to the qualities

NO
mind.
as
like.

is

this

remark

applicable to the qualities of the

Thofe

virtues

which

caufe ad-

miration, and are of the fublimer kind,

produce terror rather than

fortitude,
juftice,

love.

Such

wifdom, and the

force

Never was any man amiable by Thofe which of thefe qualities.

engage our hearts, which imprefs us with a fenfe of lovelinefs, are the fofter
virtues
;

eafinefs

of temper, compaffion,

kindnefs and liberality ; though certainly thofe latter are of lefs immediate and

momentous concern
lefs

to
is

fociety,

and of

dignity.

But

it

for

that reafoa

that they are fo amiable.

The

great vir-

tues turn principally on dangers, punifh-

ments, and troubles, and are exercifed

rather

^o6

On

the

SUBLIME

rather in preventing the worft mifchiefs,

than in difpenfing favours^ and are therefore not lovely, though highly venerable.

The
fore

fubordinate turn, on

reliefs, gratifi-

cations,

and indulgences
lovely,

and are thereinferior

more

though

in

dignity. the hearts of

Thofe perfons who creep into moft people, w^ho are cho-

fcn as the

companions of their fofter hours, and their reliefs from care .and anxiety, are never perfons of fhining
tlier

qualities,

nor ftrong virtues. It is rathe foft green of the foul on w^hich

our eyes, that are fatigued with
It
is

we

reft

beholding more glaring objedts.

worth obferving,
affedled

how we

feel ourfelves

in

reading

the characflers
fo

of

Caefar, and Cato, as they are drawn and contrafted in Saluft.

finely

In one>

the ignofcendoy largiundo y in the other, ;;// In one, the miferis perlargiundo.

fugium

in the other,

ma/is

perm'dem.
to admire,

In the latter

we

have

much

much

to reverence,

and perhaps fomething

and
thing to fear
reipedl

BE
;

A U T I F U L.
refpedl

207

we

him, but

we

him

at

a diflance.

makes us

familiar

The former with him; we love

him, and he leads us whither he pleafes. To draw things clofer to our firft and
moft natural
feelings,
I will

add a refedion autho-

mark made upon

by an ingenious
rity

reading
friend.

this

The

of a father,

fo ufefiil to

our well-

being, and fo juftly venerable upon all accounts, hinders us from having that
entire love for

him

that

we

have for our

mothers, where die parental authority is almoft melted down into the mother's

But we genefondnefs and indulgence. rally have a great love for our grandfathers, in

whom

this authority

is

remov-

ed a degree from us, and where the weaknefs of age mellows it into fomething of a feminine partiality.

SECT,

^68

On

the

SUBLIME
XL

SECT.
How far
the idea of
applied to

BEAUTY may b^
faid in the

VIRTUE.

foregoing fedtion, we may eafily fee, how far the apphcation of beauty
to virtue

FROM
to

what has been

may

be

made with
of
a

propriety.
this

The
lity

general
virtue,

application

qua-

to
it

ftrong tendency confound our ideas of things; and has given rife to an infinite deal

has

of whimfical theory ; as the affixing the name of beauty to proportion, congruity and perfedlion, as well
ties

as to quali-

of things yet more remote from our natural ideas of it, and from one ano-

ther, has tended to

confound our ideas

us

of beauty, and

left

no ftandard or

rule to judge by, that

was not even more

uncertain and fallacious than our

fancies.

own
ner

This

locfe

and inaccurate man-

and

BE

A U T I F U L.

209

ner of fpeaking, has therefore mifled us both in the theory of tafte and of morals
;

and induced us to remove the

fci-

ence of our duties from their proper baand our fis, (our reafon, our relations,
necefiities,)

to reft

altogether vifionary

upon foundations and unfubftantial.

it

SECT.
The
real caufe

XIL

of

B E AU

T Y.

endeavoured to fhew

HAVING what
we
attention,

beauty is not,

it

remains that

fhould examine, at leaft with equal

in

what

it

really

confifts.^

Beauty
to
ties.

is

a thing

much
it
it

too affedting not

pofitive

depend

upon fome
fince
is

quali-

And,

no creature of
without

our reafon,

fmce

ftrikes us

any reference to ufc, and even where no ufe at all can be difcerned, fmce the
order and
veiy

method of nature
from

is

generally

different

our meafures and

pro-

210

On

the

SUBLIME
mechanically upon the the intervention of the

proportions, we muft conclude that beauty is, for the greater part, fome quality in
bodies,

afting

human mind by
fenfts.

We ought therefore to confider atmanner

thofe fenfible
are

tentively in wh2it
qualities

by

difpofed, in fuch things as experience we find beautiful, or which

excite in us the paffion of love, or

fome

correipondent afFedtion.

SECT.

XIII.

Beautiful objefts fmall.

TH
in

moft obvious point that preus

in

fents itfelf to
is

examining

any objeft,

And what

quantity. degree of extent prevails in

its

extent or

bodies, that are held beautiful,

may

be

gathered from the ufual manner of expreffion concerning

it.

am

told that

moft languages, the objedls of love are fpoken of under diminutive epithets.
It

and

BEAUTIFUL.

211

the languages of which I have any knowledge. In Greek the leov, and other diminutive terms, are dmoll
It is fo in all

always the terms of affection and tendernefs. Thefe diminutives were com-

monly added by the Greeks to the names of perfons with whom they converfed on terms of friendiliip and familiarity.

Though
lefs

the

Romans were

quick and delicate feelings, yet they naturally Aid into the leffening termination upon the fame occapeople of
fions.

Anciently

in

the English
fing

Ian-*

guage the diminifhing

the names

was added

to

of perfons

and things that

were the objefts of

tain
ftill,

love.

Some we
little

re-

as darling,

(or

dear) and

a few others.

But

to this

nary converfation, it is endearing name of /itt/e to every thing we love; the French and Italians make
ufe of thefe affeftionate diminutives even

day in ordi-* ufual to add the

more than we.

out of our

In the animal creation,

fpecies, it
is

own

tlie

fmall

WC

212

On

the

SUBLIME
little

we

are inclined to be fond of;

birds,
beafts.

and fome of the fmaller kinds of

great

beautiful thing,

is

manner of

expreffion fcarcely ever ufed; but that of a great ugly thing, is very

common.
lime,

There

is

a wide difference
love.

between admiration and

The

fub-

which

is

the caufe of the former,

always dwells on great objeds, and terrible ; the latter on fmall ones, and plea-

fmg;
but

we

fubmit to what

we
;

admire,

we love what fubmits to us in one cafe we are forced, in the other we are
flattered into compliance.

In fhort, the

ideas of the fublime

and the beautiful

it

ftand on foundations fo different, that

is

hard> I had almoft faid impoffiblc, to think of reconciling them in the fame
fubjedt,

without

confiderably leffening

the effeft of the one or the other upon the paffions. So that attending to their
quantity, beautiful objefts are comparatively fmall.
:^

SECT.

-ahd

BEAUTIFUD.

-213

SECT.
S
^
*

XIV.

O O T H N ESS.

next property conftantly ob;X*D '.fervable in fuch objeds is * SmoothI

^HE

hefi.'

quality

fo

eflential to beauty,

that I do not
beautiful

now
is

recoiled:

any thing
In trees

that

not fniooth.

and flowers, fmooth leaves are beautiful

fmooth' flopes of earth in gardens ; fmooth ftreams in the landfcape ; fmooth

'y

coats of birds and beafts in animal beauties

',

in fine

women, fmooth
poliilied

fkins; and

in feveral

forts

of ornamental furniture,
furfaces.

fmooth and

Avery

confiderable part of the efFeft of beauty

is

owing

to this quality

indeed the mofl

confiderable.
objedl,
furface,

For

and give it and however well formed

in other refpedts,
4. fca.

any beautifiil a broken and rugged

it

take

may be
* Part

it

pleafes

no

21.

longer.

m4
longer.

On

the

SUBLIME
let
it

Whereas

want ever
if

fo
it

many

of the other conftituents,

this, it
all

wants not

becomes more pleafing

the others without
fo evident, that I
it.

than almofl:

This feems to

me

a good deal

furprifed,

that

none

am who

have handled the fubjedt have

made any

cnention of the quality of fmoothnefs ;in the enumeration of thofe that go to

the forming of beauty.

ruggednefs,
sfharp angle,

For indeed any

any fudden projedlion, any

is

in the

higheft degree con-

trary to that idea.

SECT,
Gradual

XV.

VARIATION.
beautiful bodies
parts,

BUT
fo

as perfeftly

are not

compofed of angular
never
line,

their

parts

continue long in

the fame
<their

-f* They vary diredion every moment, and they

right

Part 5.

ka.

23.

change

and

BEAUTIFUL.

215

change under the

eye by a deviation continually carrying on, but for whofe beginning or end you will find it diffi-

cult to alcertain a point.

The view of
head in-

a beautiful
fervation.

bird will illuftrate this ob^

Here we
lefTens
;

fee the

creafing infenlibly to the middle,

from

whence

it

with the neck

larger
fwell,

gradually until it mixes the neck lofes itfelf in a

which continues to the middle of the body, when the whole dethe
-,

creafes again to

tail

-,

the

tail

takes

new direction but it foon varies its new courfe; it blends again with the
a

other parts

and the

line

is

perpetually

chapging, above, below, upon every In this defcription I have before fide. me the idea of a dove ; it agrees very
well with moil
beauty.
It
is

of

the

conditions of
its

fmooth and downy;

parts are (to ufe that exprefiion)

melted

into

one another; you are prefented with no fudden protuberance through

the whol^, and yet the whole
is

conti-

P 4

nually

2i6

On

the

SUBLIME
Obferve that part of
fhe
is

nually changing.

a beautiful

perhaps the moft beautiful, about the neck and

the fmoothnefs
;

woman where

brealls;

the foftnefs;

the eafy and infeniible fwell ; the variety of the furface, which is never for the
fmalleft fpace

the fame;

the deceitful

maze, through which the unfteady eye Hides giddily, without knowing where
to
fix,

or whither

it

is

carried.

Is

not

this

a demonftration

of that change of

and yet hardly perceptible at any point which forms one of the great conftituents of beauty } It gives
furface continual

me

no fmall pleafure

to find that I

can

ftrengthen my theory in this point, by the opinion of the very ingenious Mr. Hogarth ; whofe idea of the line of
take in general to be extremeBut the idea of variation, ly juft. without attending fo accurately to the

beauty

manner of the

variation, has led

him

to

confider angular figures as beautiful; thefe

figures,
it is

true, vary greatly

yet they

and

BEAUTIFUL,

217

and broken manner ; and vary in a fudden I do not find any natural objeft which is
at the fame time beautiful. angular, and Indeed few natural objects are entirely an-

gular.

But

think thofe which approach

it,

the moft nearly to

I

are the

uglieft.

muft add

too, that, fo far as I could ob-^

ferve of nature,
is

though the varied

line

which complete beauty is found, yet there is no particular line which

that alone in
is

always found in the moft completely and which is therefore beaubeautiful

-,

tiful in

preference to

all

other lines.
it.

At

leaft I

never could obferve

SECT.

2i8

On

the

SUBLIME
XVI.

SECT.

DELICACY.

AN
is

air

of robuftnefs and ftrength

very prejudicial to beauty.

An

^appearance of delicacy ^ and even of fragility,

is

alnioft eflential to

it.

Who-

ever examines the

creation, v^ill

vegetable or animal find this obfervation to be

It is

founded in nature.
the afh, or the elm,

not the oak,

or any of the ro-

buft trees of the foreft,

lider as

which we conare awful

beautiful; they

and

they infpire a fort of reverence. It is the delicate myrtle, it is the orange, it is the almond, it is the
majeftic;
jeflamine,
it is

the vine,

which we look
It is

on

as

vegetable

beauties.

the

flowery fpecies,fo remarkable foritsweak-

and momentary duration, that gives us the livelieft idea of beauty, and elenefs

gance.

Among

animals

the greyhound
is

and
is

BEAUTIFUL.
much more

zi^
and

more

beautiful than the maftiff ^

the delicacy of a gcnnct, a barb,

or an

Arabian horfe,

is

amiable

than the ftrength and ftability of fome I need here horfes of war or carriage.
the fair fex, where I believe fay little of the point will be eafily allowed me.

The

beauty of

women

is

owing and is even enhanced by

to their weaknefs,

conliderably or delicacy,

their timidity,

a quality of mind analogous to it. I would not here be underftood to fay,

that weaknefs betraying very bad health

has any fhare in beauty ; but the ill effe<9: of this is not becaufe it is weak*
nefs, but becaufe the
ill

ftate

of health
alters

which produces fuch weaknefs

the

other conditions of beauty ; the parts in *uch a cafe coUapfe ; the bright colour, the /umen purpureufn juventa is gone;

and the

fine variation

is loft

in wrinkles,

fudden breaks, and right

lines.

SECT,

220

On
S

the

SUBLIME
T.

E C

XVIL

Beauty in

COLO U R.

A
-^

S to the colours ufually found in beautiful bodies ; it may be fomedifficult to afcertain

what
an

them, becaufe
is

in the

feveral parts

of nature, there

infinite

variety.

this variety,

However, even in we may mark out fome-

Firft, the thing on which to fettle. colours of beautiful bodies muft not be

dufky or muddy, but clean and fain Set condly, they muft not be of the ftrongr
eft

kind.

Thofe which feem moft apr

light greens
foft

propriated to beauty, are the milder of

every fortj

bluest
violets.
vi?-

.weak whites;

pink reds;

and

Thirdly, if the colours be ftrong and

vid, they are always diverfified,
objefl: is

and the

are

never of one ftrong colour ; there almoft always fuch a number of

(as in variegated flowers) that the

them

ftrength

and

BEAUTIFUL.

221

each is confideraftrength and glare of In a fine complexion, there bly abated.

is

not only fome variety in the colourthe colours, neither the red ing, but

nor the white are ftrong and glaring. Befides, they are mixed' in fuch a mariner,

and with fuch gradations, that

it

is

impoflible to fix the bounds.

On the

farri

it is, that die dubious colour principle in the necks and tails of peacocks, and

about the heads of drakes,

agreeable.

is

fo

very-

In

reality, the beauty both

of fhape and colouring are as nearly related, as we can well fuppofe it poffible
for

things of fuch different natures to

be.
-I

E C

T-

222

On

the

SUBLIME
XVIIL

SECT.

RECAPITULATION.

ON
bk
to
Iky

the whole,

the

qudities

of

beauty, as they are merely fenfiFirft, qualities, are the following.

be comparatively fmaU.
he fmooth.

Thirdly ^

Secondly, to have a va-

riety in the direction of the parts ; but fourthly, to have thofe parts not angular,

but melted as

it

were into each other.

with-

Fifthly,

to be of a delicate frame,

out amy remarkable appearance of ftrength .

Sixthly,

to have

its

colours

clear arw$

bright

but not very ftrong and glaring. Seventhly, or if it fhould have any gla'y

ring colour, to have

others.
perties
perties
lefs

it

diverfified

with

Thefe

are,

I believe, the pro-

on which beauty depends ; prothat operate by nature, and are

be altered by caprice, or con-

liable to

and

BEAUTIFUL.
diveriity

223
than

confounded by a
any others.
S

of

taftes,

E C

T.

XIX.

The P

H Y S I O G N O M Y.

TH
tenance,

Phy/iognomy has a confiderable fhare in beauty, efpecially in

that of our

own

fpecies.

The manners

give a certain determinatron to the coun-

which being

obferv^ed to cor*

refpond pretty regularly with them, 13 capable of joining the efFed: of certain
agreeable qualities of the

mind

to thofe

of the body.

So that to form a finifhed

human

beauty, and to give it its full in fluence, the face muft be expreflivc of

fuch gentle and amiable qualities, as correfpond with the foftnefs, fmoothnefs,

and delicacy of the outward form.

E C

T,

224

On
S

the

SUBLIME
T.

E C
The

XX.

EYE.
purpofely

HAVE

hitherto

omitted
fo

I
mal

to Ipeak of the Eye,

which has

great a fhare in the beauty of the anicreation,

as it did

not

fall fo eafily

under the foregoing heads, though in fad: it is reducible to the fame principles.
I think then, that the beauty of the eye
conlifts, firft,

in its

cleanie/s

v/hat co-

loured eye fhall pieafe moft, depends a good deal on particular fancies; but

none are pleafed with an

eye,

whofe

water (to ufe that term) is dull and * are pleafed with the eye in muddy. this view, on the principle upon which

We

we Hke diamonds,

clear water, glafs,

and

fuch like tranfparent fubftances. Secondly, the motion of the eye contributes to
its

beauty, by continually fliifting

Part 4. fed. 25.'

its

di-

redlion

and
tedtion
;

BEAUTIFUL.

a^

but a flow and languid motion is more beautiful than a brilk one ; the latter

is

enlivening; the former lovely. Thirdly, with regard to the union of the eye with

the neighbouring parts,

it is

to hold the

fame

rule that
;

ful ones

it is

given of other beautinot to make a ftrong deis

viation

from the
',

line

of the neighbourBefides
all this,

ing parts

nor to verge into any exadt

the
as it

geometrical figure.

eye

stffedts,

is

expreffive
its

of fomcj
principal
;

qualities

of the mind,- and

arifes

power generally what we have juft

from

this

fo that

faid

of the phyfiog**

nomy

is

applicable here.

SECT.
/^
'>

XXI.

>'

UGLINESS.

IT
faid,

perhaps appear like a fort ojf repetition of what we have before

may

to infift here
-

upon the nature of

it

Uglinefs.

As- 1 imagine

t be in all

re-*

Q^

fpefts

126

On

the

SUBLlMfi
to

ipeds the oppofite which we have laid

flituents

thofe

qualities

down

for the

con-

But though uglinefs be the oppofite to beauty, it is ot ihe For' oppafite to proportion and fitnefs.
of beauty.
it is

poffible that a thing

may be

very

ugly with any proportions, and with a fitnefs to any ufes. Uglinefs 1 perfed:
i-magine likewife to be confijftent enough witli an idea of the fublime. But I would

by no means infinuate that

itfelf is

ugliriefs

of

a fublime
qualities

idea,
as

urilefs

unit^^
ftrong

with fuch
terrO'r.

excite a

SECT.

XXII.

GRACE.
t^RacefuInefs
rent
is

an idea not very

beauty;
it

diffe-*

from

confifts

in

the fame things. Gracefulnefs is an idea belonging to pojlure and motion.-

much

In both thefe, to be graceful,

it is

requi-

and
fite

BEAUTIFUL.
is
;

227

that there be no appearance of diffi-j

culty

there

of the body
parts,

required a fmall iiiflexioa and a compofure of the

in fuch a

manner,

as

not to in-

cumber each

other> nor to appear diviangles.

tliis

ded by fharp and fudden

this
eafe,

In

this roundnefs,

delicacy
all

of attitude and motion,

it is

that

the
is

magic
called
Cfbvious

of grace
its

confifts,

and what
as

je ne fcai quoiy

will

be

to

any obferver

who

confiders

attentively the

Venus de Medicis, the

Antinous, or any ftatue generally allow-* cd to be graceful in an high degree.

SECT.
ELEGANCE
and

XXIIL

SPECIOUSNESS*

any boay Is compofed of parts fmooth and poliihed, without prefling upon each other, without

WHEN
r
;

fhewing any ruggednefs or confufion,^ and at the fame time afFedting fome re'Ci

Q_2

gular

1228

On

the

SUBLIME
It is clofe^

gu/ar JhapCy

I call it elegant.

ly allied to the beautiful, differing

it

from

only in this regularity

it

which how-^

ever, as

makes

a very material diffe-

rence, in the affection produced,

very well conftitute another fpecies.

may Un-

der this head I rank thofe delicate and

regular

works of art, that imitate no denature,

as

terminate object in

elegant

buildings, and pieces of furniture. When any objedl partakes of the abovemention-

ed

qualities,
is

or of thofe

of beautiful

bodies, and
fions
;

withal of great dimenas

it is full

remote from the idea

I call
it

of mere beauty.
clous.

^ne

or Jpe-'

SECT,

and

BEAUTIFUL,

229

EC

T.

XXIV.
I

The

beautiful in

FEE L

N G.

THE
may

foregoingdefcriptlon of beauty,
is

fo far as

taken in by the eye,

be greatly illuftrated by defcribing the nature of objedts, which produce

a limilar effed through the touch. This I call the beautiful in It correFeeling,

fponds wonderfully with what caufes the fame fpecies of pleafure to the fight.

There

is

a chain in
all

all

our fenfations;
forts

ihey are

but different
to be

of

feel-

ing, calculated

affedled

by

vari-

of objefts, but all to be affe(flAll bodies cd after the fame manner.

ous
forts

that are pleafant to the touch, are fo by

the flightnefs of the refiftance they make,

Refiftance
is

either to

motion along the

furface, or to the prelTure

en one another

if

of the parts the former be flight,

^

we

c^l the body, fmooth

if

the latter.

^30
foft.

Oh
The
is

the

SUBLIME
and
if there

feeling,

chief pleafure we receive by in the one or the other of

j

thefe qualities

be a combiis

nation of both, pur pleafure

creafed.

greatly init
is

This
fit

is

fo plain,
illuftrate

that

ra-

other things, tiian to bq- illuftrated itfelf by any ex-

ther

more

to

next fource of pleafure in this fenfe, as in every other, is the conti-

ample.

The

nually prefenting

we

find that

fomewhat nev^; and bodies which continually

vary their furface, are

pleafant,

much

the moll

or beautiful, to the feeling, as

any one that pleafes

may

experience.
objects
is,

The

third property in fuch

that though the furfa(? continually varies its

diredtion,

it

never varies

it

fud-

The, application of any thing ^enly. fudden, even though the impreffion itfelf
is

have

little

or nothing of violence,

quick application of a finger a little warmer or colder than ufual, without notice, makes us ftart ; a
difagreeable.
flight tap

The

on the

flioulder,

not expedleda

and

BEAUTIFUL.
effed:.

2^1
It

eAy has the fame

Hence

is

that angular bodies, bodies that fuddendireftion of the outline, afly vary the

ford

fo

little

pleafure

to

the

feeling.

Every fuch change is a fort of climbing or falling in miniature ; fo that fquares,

triangles,

and other angular

figures, are

neither beautiful to the fight nor feeling.

Whoever compares
on
gular bodies,
finds bimfelf,

his ftate

of mind,

feeling foft, fmooth, variatcd,

unan-

with that in

which he

on the view of a beautiful

objed:, will perceive a very ftriking ana-

logy in the effcds of both ; and which may go a good way towards difcovering
their

Feeling and fight in this refped:, differ in but a few points. The touch takes in the pleafure of foftcaufe.
nefs,

common

which
;

of fight

not primarily an objed: the fight on the other hand

is

comprehends colour, which can hardly

be made perceptible to the touch ; the touch again has the advantage in a new idea of pleafure refulting frdm a mode--

C3L4

rate

.?3a

Qn

the

SUBLIME

of warmth; but the eye tri- umphs in the infinite extent and mul-f But there is fuch tiplicity of its objefts.
rate degree

firnilitude

in

the pleafures of thefq

apt to fancy, if
it

fenfes,

that I

am
is

wer^

by fome blind mer^ have done) that the fame colours, and the fame difpofition of colouring, which
poffible

that one
it

might
faid

difcern cqlour

feeUng, (as

are found beautiful to the fight,

|5e

would

fpund lil^ewife moft grateful to the But fetting afide conjedlures, let touch.
us pafs to the other fenfe
;

of hearing.

SECT.
The
beautiful
ii>

XXV,
S

OUND

S,

IN t^dp
licate

this fenfe

we
and

find an equal apti-

to be affected in a foft
;

and de-

manner

how

far

fweet or
our dethe

beautiful

founds

agree

with

fcriptxons of beauty in other fenfes,

experience of every

one rnuft

decide,

Miltou

and

BEAUTIFUL.
this Ipecles

^^^
of mu-

Milton has defcribed

fic

in one of his juvenile poems.

need not fay that Milton was perfe6Uy well verfed in that art ; and that no mart

with a happier mannei? of expreffing the affedtions of one fenfe by metaphors taken from another. The
finer ear,

had a

defcription

is

as follows.

^"^m^And tveragqinji eating

cares^
;
'

Lap me
In
notes

in foft Lydian airs

with many a windii^^^i9/

Of

linked fweetnefs long

heed^

drawn

out

With wanton
The melting
Untwifting

and giddy cunnings

mazes running 5
iye

voice through

all the chains that

The hidden foul of harmony ^

Let us

parallel

this

with the

foftnefs,

the

winding

furface,

the unbroken continu-

ance, the eafy gradation of the beautiiul in other

things

and

all

the diverfi-

II

allegro,

ties

^34
tiQS

On

the

SUBLIME
fenfqs^ 3^ith
all

of the fever^l
afFecfliQAS,

thtif

fcveral

will

r^tliot;

h^lp t9
to finiih

throw

lights,

ftom one another

pne clear,,., p^flfterit.idea of the whole, than to obfcureit. by their intricacy an4
variety.
,

To
;

fliall

1o gnfFi:;:.-p-. the abovementioned "^fcription I add one or two remarks. The firft
_

/...i.^/.^, ...

is

that the beautiful in mufic will not

bear that loudnefs and ftrength of founds, which may be ufed to raife other paffions;

nor notes, whict^.are

fhrill,

or harih, or
are

deep 3
clear,

it

agrees beft with fuch as

even, friiooth, ^nd weak.

is 5

T}ie

great variety, and quick tranfitions frorn one meafure or tone

fecond

that

to another, are contrary to the genius of Such -f* tranfithe beautiful in mufic.
tions often excite mirth, or other fud-'

den and tumultuous paffions; but not

that finking, that melting, that languor,
is

\vhich

the charafteriftical effed: of the

I ne'er

am

merry,

when

hear fweet mufic.

beau-^

and
beautiful, as

BEAUTIFU>>
it

235

regards every fenfe.

is

The

nearer paffion excited by beautg to a fpecies of melancholy, than to jollity

in -faft

and mirth.
fine

do not here mean to con-

mufic to any one fpecies of notes, or

it; ail

tones, neither i.^

^rt in

which

I cariv

f^ I
figti

have any great fkilL in this remark is, to

of beauty.
afi^eftiong

My
fettle

fole

de-

a confi-r

(lent idea
riety

The

infinite

vawii);
ear,,

of

tlie

bf the foul
fkilful
,

fijggeft

to a

good head, and

It

a rrariety of fuch founds,

raife
this,

a^^iu-e

fitted. tP

them.

can be no prejudice, tcx to clear and diflinguifli fom? few,

belong to the f^mq and ^v^ confiftent with each others
that

particulars,
^lafs,

from the immenfe crc^^of different, and fometimes contradictory ideas, that
rank
vulgarly

under

the ftandard of
it is

beauty.
to
as

And

of thefe

my

intention,

mark fuch only of the Reading

points

fhew the conformity, x^jf., the feofe of hearings with all the other fenfes in the
^ticlc of their pleafures.

SECT,

tLib

On

the

SUBLIME
XXVI.

_^_

SECT.
TASTE

and S

M E L L.

THIS
nutely
fmell.

general
is

agreement of the
thofe

fenfes

yet

more evident on miof

tafte

confidering

and

the metaphorically apply idea of fweetnefs to fights, and founds j

We

but as the qualities of bodies by which

they are

fitted to

excite either pleafure

or pain in thefe fenfes, are not fo obvi-^ ous as they are in the others, we ihall
refer

an explanation of their analogy,

is

which

a very clofe one, to that part,

to confider the com-t

wherein

we come

of beauty as It reI do not think gards all the fenfes. any better fitted to eftablifh a clear and thing
efficient caufe

mon

fettled

way

idea of vifual beauty, than this of examining the fimilar pleafures

of other fenfes; for one part is fome-' times clear in one of the fenfes, that is

mor^

and

BEAUTIFUL.
in another;
clear concurrence

2;J7

more obfcure
there
is

and where
of
all,

we

one of them.

may with more certainty fpeak of any By this means, they bear
;

witnefs to each other

nature

is,

as it

were, fcrutinized;

thing of her, but her own information.

we report nowhat we receive from

and

SECT.
The Sublime and

XXVIL

Beautiful compared.

ON
we
and in
tiful

clofing
it

this

general

view of

beauty,

naturally occurs, that

it

fhould compare
this

with the fublime ;

comparifon there appears a For fublime obremarkable contraft.

jciSs are vaft in their dimenlions,

beau-

ones comparatively fmall;

fliould

be fmooth,

beauty and polifhedj the

rugged and negligent; beauty fhould fhun the right line, yet deviate
great,

from

it

infenfibly; the great in

many
cafes

123S

On

the

StJBLiMEi
and when-ii
make's' a ftrong devia-

cafes loves the right line,

iieviates> it dftcii

beauty fhould not be dbfcure ; the great ought to be dark and gloomy; beauty ihould be light and delicate ; the
tion
3

^reat ought to be folid, and even mafiive. They are indeed ideas of a vdiy

one being founded on and howpain, the other on pleafure ; ever they may vary afterwards from the
different nature,
direfl:

nature of their caufes, yet thefe

caufes .keep

up an

eternal diftind:ion be-

tween them, a diftindion never to be

forgotten by any whofe bufinefs it is to :affe(3: the In the infinite vapaflions.
riety-

of natural combinations
to find

we muft

jcxpecft

of things the moft remote imaginable from each other united in the fame objecft.
the
qualities

We

mufl expedt- alfo to find combinations df the fame kind in the v/orics of art. But
^^hen

we

confider the
paflions,

upon our

power of an objed we mufl know that

when anything is

intended to affedt the

mind

and
iiiind

BEAUTIFUL.

^39

by the force of fome predominant

afFedlion produced is like property, the to be the more uniform and perfed, if
all

the other properties or qualities of the

of the fame nature, and tendobjedt be as the principal > ing to the fame defign
If
blacky

and white

hlend^ fofien^

and

unlti^

thoufand waysy are there no black and white P

If the qualities of the fublime and beautiful are fometimes found united, does
this prove, that they are the fame,
it

does

prove, that they are any way allied, does it prove even that they are not oppofite

and

contradidlory
foften,

Black

and

white

may

may

blend, but they

are not therefore the fame.

Nor when

they are fo foftened and blended with each other, or with different colours, is
the power of black as black, or of white as white, fo ftrong as when each ftands

uniform and diilinguifhed.

The

end of the Third Part,

241

A
Philofophical Enquiry

INTO THE
Origin
O

of our
F

Ideas

T HE

Sublime
P

and

Beautiful.
IV.
I.

A R T

SECT.
Of the efficient caufe
and

SUBLIME BEAUTIFUL.
cf the
I lay, I

WHEN
certain

intend to enquire into the efficient caufe of fub-

limity and beauty, I

would not

be underflood to

fay,

that I can
I

come

to

the ultimate caufe.

do not pretend

that I fhall ever be able to explain,

affedtions

why

of the body produce fuch

242

On
or

the

SUBLIME

fuch a diftind: emotion of mind, and no

other
the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.
',

why

little

thought will fhew

this to

be imdif-

poffible.

But

conceive, if

we

can

cover

of the mind produce certain emotions of the body ; and

what

affediions

what
body

diftindt feelings
fhall

and

qualities

of

produce certain determinate in the mind, and no others, I paffions fancy a great deal will be done ; fomething not
unufeful

towards a

diftincft

knowledge of our paffions, fo far at leaft as we have them at prefent under our
confideration.

This

is all,

I believe,

we

can do.
ther,

If

we

could advance a flep far-

difficulties
ftill

would

ftill

remain, as

we
firft

fhould be
caufe.

equally diftant from the

firft

When Newton

difcover-

ed the property of attraftion, and fettled its laws, he found it ferved very well to explain feveral of the moft remarkable phas-

nomena in nature ; but

yet with reference

to the general fyftem of things,

J-d

he could
confider

and

BE

A U T I F U L.
effe(ft,

243
whofe

confider attraction but as an

caufe at that time he did not attempt to trace. But when he afterwards began to

account for
this great

it

by a

fubtle elaftic xther,

man

(if in fo great a

man

it

be

not impious to difcover any thing like a

blemifli)

feemed

to

have

quiitted his ufual

;

cautious

manner of philofophifing
all

fince,

periiaps, allowing

that has been ad--

vanced on

this

fubjedt to be fufficiently
it

proved, I think
difficulties

leaves us

with

as

many
great

as it

found

us.

That

chain of caufcs, which linking one to another even to the throne of God himfelf,

can never be unravelled by any inWhen we go but one duftry of ours.

beyond the immediately fenfible qualities of things, we go out of our depth* All we do after, is but a faint ftruggle,
ftep

that fhews

we

are in an element

which

does not belong to us.

So that when 1

fpeak of caufe, and efficient caufe, I only mean, certain afFedlions of the mind, that
caufe certain changes in the body; or certain 2

244
certain

On

the

SUBLIME

powers and properties in bodies, As if that work a change in the mind.

were to explain the motion of a body it was falHng to the ground, I would fay
I

caufed by gravity, and I would endeavour

power fhew operated, without attempting to why it operated in this manner ; or if I

to

fhew

after

what manner

this

were

to

explain

the effefts of bodies

ftriking one another

by the

common

laws

of percuffion,
explain
cated.

ihould not endeavour to

itfelf is

how motion

communi-

SECT.

IL

ASSOCIATION.
is

ITenquiry

no fmall bar in the way of our

into the caufe of our paffions,

that the occafion of

many of them

are

given, and that their governing motions are communicated at a time when we

have not capacity to

I

relied:

on them ; at
a time

and
a time of

BEAUTIFUL.
all fort

245
is

which

of

memory

worn out of our minds. For

befides fuch

us in various manners acthings as affe6l cording to their natural powers, there

are affociations

made
it

at that early feafon,"

which we
diftinguiili

find

very hard afterwards to

efteds.

from natural

Not

to

mention the unaccountable antipathies

which we
find
fteep
it

find in

many

impoflible to

we all remember when a

perfons,
y

became more
or w^ater
;

terrible than a plain

or

fire

more dreadful than

all

clod of earth

though

thefe are very

probably either conclufions

rience, or arifing

from expe-

of others

from the premonitions and fome of them impreffed,

But
as it

in all likelihood, pretty late.

muft be allowed that many things affed: us after a certain manner, not by any napowers they have for that purpofe, but by aflbciation ; fo itwouldbeabfurdon
tural

the other hand, to fay that all things affedl us by aflbciation only; fince fome things

mull have been

originally

and naturally
agreeable

246

On

the

SUBLIME
which
;

agreeable

or difagreeable, from the others derive their affociated

powers

be, I fancy, to little pur-^ pofe to look for the caufe of our paffions in aflbciation, until we fail of it in
it

and

would

the natural properties of things.

SECT.
Caufe of

III.

PAIN

and

FEAR.

Have

I
I

before obferved, * that whatever

is
;

is

qualified to caufe terror,

a foun-

dation capable of the fublime

to

which

add, that not only thefe, but

many

things from which we cannot probably apprehend any danger have a fimilar ef-

fed, hecaufe they operate in a fimilar manner. I obferved too, that -f* whatever produces pleafure, pofitive and original pleafure,
gra^fted
is
fit

to

have beauty enit

on

it.

Therefore, to clear up the

nature of thefe qualities,

* Part
I. ka.. 8.

may be
i.

ne-

Part

fe^. 10.

cefTary

and

BE

A U T I F U L.

247
and

the nature of pain ceflary to explain

pleafure

on which they depend. A man who fufFers under violent bodily pain ; (I the moft violent, becaufe the fuppofe
efFed:

may be the more obvious.) I man in great pain has his teeth
is

fay
fet,

his

eye-brows are violently contrad:ed>

wrinkled, his
eyes are

his forehead

dragged inwards, and rolled with great vehemence, his hair ftands an end, the
voice
is

forced out in fhort flirieks and

totters.

groans, and the whole fabric Fear or terror, which is an

fion

apprehenof pain or death, exhibits exaftly

efFedls,

the fame

approaching in violence to thofe juft mentioned in proportion to the nearnefs of the caufe, and the weaknefs of the fubjed:. in the

This
but

is

not only fo

human

fpecies,

have more

than once obferved in dogs, under an apprehenfion of punifhment, that they have writhed their bodies, and yelped,

and howled,
felt

as

if

they

had
I

adtually

the blows.

From hence

conclude
that

248

On

the

SUBLIME

that pain, and fear, aft

parts
ner,
gree.

upon the fame of the body, and in the fame manthough fomewhat differing in de^

That pain and

fear confift in

an

unnatural
this
is

tenfion of the

nerves;

that

fometimes accompanied with an unnatural ftrength, which fometimes

fuddenly changes into an extraordinary
that thefe effedls often

weaknefs

come

on

alternately,

and are fometimes mixed

This
is

with each other.

^11

the nature of efpeci^Uy in are the moft

convulfive

agitations,

weaker
and
fear.

fubjedts,

which

liable to the fevereft impreffions

of pain

The

only difference between

is,

pain and terror,

that things

which

caufe pain operate, on the mind, by the intervention of the body ; whereas things
that
caufe
terror generally
affedt

the

bodily organs by

the operation of the mind fuggcfting the danger ; but both agreeing, either primarily, or fecondarily,

in

producing
Of
violent

tenfion,

contra^

ftiqn^

emotion

of

the

nerves^

and
nerves *,
thing
elfe.

BEAUTIFUL.
in

249
every

they agree likewife

For
this,

it

me, from

appears very clearly to as well as from many

other examples, that

dilpofed,

when

the body

is

by any means whatfoever, to fuch emotions as it would acquire by the means of a certain paffion ; it will
of

fomething veiy in the mind. paffion

S

itfelf excite

like that

E C

T.

IV,

Continued.

TO
*
I

this

purpofe

Mr. Spon,

in his

Recherches d'Antiquite, gives us a curious ftory of the celebrated phy-

man, it had not only made very accurate feems,

fiognomift

Campanella

this

do not here enter into the queftion debated among phyfiologifts, whether pain be the effect of a
contraction, or a tenfion of the nerves.
ferve

Either will

my

purpofe

for

by tcnfion, I mean no more

than a violent pulling of the fibres, which compofc any mufcle or membrane, in whatever way this is done.

obfer-

250

On

the

SUBLIME
faces,

obfervations

on human

but was

very expert in mimicking fuch, as were When he had any way remarkable.
a

mind

to penetrate into the inclinati-

ons of thofe he had to deal with, he

compofed his face, his whole body, as nearly

gefture,
as

and

his

he could into

the exadt fimilitude of the perfon he intended to examine; and then carefully
obferved

what turn of mind he feemed

by
this

to acquire

change.

So

that, fays

my

author,

he was able

to enter into

the diipolitions and thoughts of people,

he had been changed I have often obinto the very men. ferved, that on mimicking the looks and
as effeftually as if

geftures, of angry, or placid, or frighted,

or daring

found

my

whofe
tate
;

involuntarily to that paffion appearance I endeavoured to imi-

men,

have

mind turned

nay, I
it ;

am

convinced

it is

hard to

though one ftrove to feparate the paffion from its correfpondent geOur minda and bodies are fo ftures.
avoid
clofely

and
clofely

BEAUTIFUL.

251

one

is

and intimately connedled, that or pleafure withincapable of pain

out the other.

we

Campanella, of whom have been fpeaking, could fo abftradt

from any fufferings of his body, that he was able to endure the rack itfelf without much pain ; and in
his attention
leffer pains,

every body muft have obferved, that when we can employ our attention

on any thing

elfe,

the pain has

been for a time fufpended ; on the other hand, if by any means the body is in-*
fuch geftures, or to difpofed to perform be flimulated into fuch emotions as any
pafTion
fion

ufually produces in

it,

that paf-

itfelf

never can

arife,

though
ftrongly

its

caufe fhould
aftion

be

never

fo

in

; though it fhould be merely menand immediately affefting none of tal, the fenfes. As an opiate, or fpirituous

liquors

fufpend the operation of or fear, or anger, in ipite of all grief, our efforts to the contrary; and this
fhall

by inducing

in

the body a

difpofition

contrary

252

On

the

UBLIME
it

contrary to that
thefe paffions.

which

receives

from

E C

T.

V.
is

How

the Sublime

produced.

HAVINGan unnatural ducing

it eafily

confidered terror as protenfion

and
;

certain violent emotions of the nerves

follows,

from what we have

is

juft

faid,

that whatever

fitted to

fuch a tenfion, muft be

produce produdive of
con-

a paflion fimilar to terror *, and

fequently muft be a fource of the fublime, though

it

fhould have no idea of

danger connedled with it. So that little remains towards /hewing the caufe of the fublime,but to fhew that the inftances

we

have given of

it

in the fecond

part,,

relate to fuch

things, as are fitted

by na-

ture to produce this fort of tenfion, ei-

ther

by the primary operation of the

2.

* Part

fea. 2,

mind

and

BEAUTIFUL.
With

253

mind

or the body.

regard to fuch

the affociated idea of things as affcdt by

be no doubt but that danger, there can

they produce terror, and ad by fome modification of that paffion; and that
terror,

when

fufficiently

violent, raifes

the emotions of the body juft mentionBut if the ed, can as httle be doubted.

fublime

is

built

on

terror,

or fome paffor
its

fion like

it,

which has pain

ob-

ject;

it

is

previoufly proper to enquire

how

any fpecies of delight can be derived from a caufe fo apparently contrary to

it.

I fay, delight y
it is

becaufe, as I

have often remarked,

ly different in
its

very evidentits

caufe,

and in

own

nature,
fure.

from adlual and

pofitive plea-

E C

T.

:254

On

the

SUBLIME
VL

SECT.
How pain

can be a caufe of delight.

has fo ordered

it,

PROVIDENCE that a of
ftate

reft

and inaftion,
our indolence,

however
fhould

it

may
that
as

flatter

be produdtive of
;

many
force

incon-

veniencies
liich

it

fhould

diforders,

may

generate us to

have recourfe to fome labour,

abfolutely requilite to
lives

as a thing

make

us pafs our
;

with tolerable

fatisfaftion

for the

nature of

reft is to fuffer all

the parts of
relaxation,

our bodies

to

fall

into

that not only difables the

members from

performing their functions, but takes away the vigorous tone of fibre which
is

requifite for carrying

on the natural and

neceffary fecretions.

At

the fame time,

languid inadtive ftate, the nerves are more liable to the moft horthat in
this

rid convulfions,

than

when

they are fufficiently

and
ficiently

BEAUTIFUL.
defpair,

255

braced and ftrengthened.

dejeftion,
is

Me-

lancholy,

and often

felf-murder,

the confequence of the

in this

gloomy view we take of things

relaxed ftate of body.
for all thefe evils
is

The

beft

remedy
;

exercife or labour

and labour

is

a furmounting of

difficulties^'

an exertion of the contrad:ing power of the mufcles y and as fuch refembles pain,

which

confifts in

tenfion or contraction,

in every thing but degree.

Labour

is

not only requifite to preferve the coarfer organs in a ftate fit for their fundtions,

but

it is

equally necejSary to thefe finer

delicate organs,

and more

on which,

and by which, the imagination, and perhaps the other mental powers adt. Since
it is

probable, that not only the inferior as the parts of the foul, paffions are
called,

but the underftanding

itfelf makes

ufe of
its

fome

fine corporeal inftruments in

operation;

though what they

are,

and where they are, may be fomewhat hard to fettle ; but that it does make ufe
of

256

On

the

UBLIME

appears from hence; that a long exercife of the mental powers in-

of fuch,

duces a remarkable laffitude of the whole

body

and on the other hand> that great bodily labour, or pain, weakens, and fometimes actually deftroys the mental
;

faculties.

Now,

as a

due exercife

is

ef-

mufcular parts of the conftitution, and that without this

fential

to the

coarfe

roufing they would become languid, and difeafed, the very fame rule holds with

regard to thofe finer parts

tioned; to have

we

have men-

them

in proper order,

they muft be fliaken and worked to a

proper degree.

SECT.

VII.

EXERCISE neceflary for the finer organs*

AS

common

labour,
is

which

is

mode of

pain,

the exercife of

the grofler, a mode of terror is the exercife of the finer parts of the iyftem j

and

and
iarid

BEA

U T I F U L.

^<^j

if a certain

mode of pain be of fuch a

nature as to aft upon the eye or the ear, as

they are the mofl delicate organs, the affedlion

approaches more nearly to that which has a mental caufe. In all thefe cales,

if the pain

^nd

terror are fo modified as

not to be adtually noxious ; if the pain is not carried to violence, and the terror
is

not converfant about the prefent deftrudtion of the perfon, as thefe emotions
parts,

clear the

whether

fine, or

grofs,

of a dangerous and troublefome incumbrance>

delight
lightful
;

they are capable of producing not pleafure, but a fort of dehorror,

a
^

fort

of tranquility
as it

tinged with terror

to felf-prefervation
eft

which
is

belongs

of

all

one of the ftrongthe paffions. Its objedt is th

Its
'j

fublime *.
ajlonijhment

degree I call the fubcrdinate degrees are

higheft

which by the very etymology of the words fhew from what fource they are derived, and
awe, reverence,

and

refpeft,

Part

2.

feft.

2.

how

258

On

the

SUBLIME

how

they ftand diftinguiflied from pofi-

tive pleafure.

SEC
Why
*
things

T-

VIIL

not dangerous produce a

paffionlike

TERROR,
terror,

A
-/jL

Mode
terror,

or of pain, is always the caufe of the fublime.

or
aflbciated
is,

of

For

danger,

the,
fuffi-

foregoing explication
cient.
It

I believe,

will require fomething

more

trouble to Ihew, that fuch examples, as

I

have given of the fublime in the fecond part, are capable of producing a

mode of
to terror,

pain,

and of being tlius allied and to be accounted for on^

the fame principles.

And

firft

of fuch

objefts as are great in their dimeniions.

I

Ipeak of vifual objedts.

*
Part
I.

fea. 7.

Part 2. Tea. 2.

SECT.

and

feEAUtlFUL.

^59

SECT.
Why
vifual

IX.

objedls

of great dimenfions

are Sublime.

VISION a
light
jed:, painted in

performed by having formed by die rays of pidlure which are refledled from the ob-

is

ly,

one piece^ inftantaneouf-^ on the retina, or laft nervous part of

tiic eye*
is

Or, according to others, there but one point of any objedt painted on-

the eye in fuch a

manner

as to

be

per-*

ceived at once'; but by

we

moving the eye, gather up with great celerity> the fe-

of the objedt, fo as to form one uniform piece. If the former opiveral parts

nion be allowed, it will be cOnlidered, that * though all the light reflefted from' a large body fhould ftrike the eye in one
inftant; yet
Part
i
2.

we muft
fca 7.

fuppofe that the

82

body

a6Q
body

On
itfelf is

the

SUBLIME
vaft

formed of a

number of
or

diftincft

points,

every one of which,

the ray from every one,

preffion

makes an imSo that, though

on the

retina.

the image of one point fhould caufe but a fmall tenfion of this membrane, another,

and

afiother,

and another

ftroke,

muft in their progrefs caufe a very great

one, until
it

arrives at laft to the higheft

degree; and the whole capacity of the:

eye, vibrating in
all
its

parts

muft ap-

proach near to the nature of what caufes pain, and confequently muft produce an idea of the fublime. Again, if we take it,
that one point only of an objedt
guiftiable
at
is

diftin-

once

the

matter

will

amount
ther
it

nearly to the fame thing,

or ra-

will rliake the

origin of the fub-

lime from greatnefs of dimenfion yet clearer. For if but one point is obferv-

ed

at once, the eye

muft

traverfe the vaft

ipace of fuch bodies with great quicknefs,

and confequently the

^
v;

fine

nerves

and

and

BE A U TIF UL.
to

261

and mufeks deftined

the motion of

that part muft be very

and

their great fenfibility

much ftrained ; muft make them

highly afFedted by this ftraining. Befides, it to the efFed: produclignifies juft nothing
ed,

whether a body has

its

its

parts connedled

and makes

impreflion at

once; or
a point at

making but one impreffion of

a
time,
it

caufes

a fucceffion of the

fame, or others, fb quickly, as to make them feem united ; as is evident from the

common
if

cfFeft

of

whirling

about a
;

lighted torch or piece of

wood

which
of

done with

celerity,

feems a

circle

fire.

SECT.

X,

UNITY why requifite to vaftnefs.

IT that
equal

may be

objedted to this theory,

receives

the eye generally

rays
at all

an

number of

times,

and
that

S 3

^6.2

On

the

SUBLIME
rays,

that therefore a great objeca cannot affe<^

it

by the number of

more than
the eye

that variety

of objefts which

muft always difcern whilft it remaias Put to this I anfwer, that admitiDpen.
ting an equal

number of

rays,

or

aa

equal quantity of luminous particles to flrike the eye at all times, yet if thefe
rays frequently vary their to blue,

nature,

now

now

to red,

and

fo on,

or their

manner of

terniination as to a
triangles,

number

of petty fquares,
at every change,

or the like,

whether of colour qt

ihape, the organ has a fort of relaxation or reft ; but this relaxation and labour fo
often interrupted, is by no duftive of eafe ; neither has

means pror
it

the effed:

of vigorous and uniform labour.

ever has remarked the different

Whoeffecfts

of fome ftrong
piddling

exercife,

and fome

littl^

aftion,

will

underftand

why

a teazing fretful employment, which at pnce wearies and weakens the body,
fhould

and

BEAUTIFUL.

263

Ihould have nothing great ; thefe forts of impulfes which are rather teazing than

by continually and fuddenly aland diredtion, prevent tering their tenor that full tenfion, that fpecics of uniform
painful,

labour which

is

allied

to ftrong pain,

and caufes the fublime.

The fum

total
it

of things of various kinds, though

fliould equal the

number of the uniform

objed:,

parts
is

compofing fome one entire

its effeft

not equal in of our bodies*

afligned, there

upon

the organs

Befides the one already

is

another very ftrong rea^

fon

for

the difference.

The mind

in

can attend diligently to more than one if tiling at a time

reality hardly ever
-,

this thing

be

little,

the eifeft
little

is

little,

and a number of other

objedls

cannot engage the attention; the mind is bounded by the bounds of the objed:;

and what
does

is

not attended
are

to,

and what

not
;

exift,

much

the

fame

irl

the eiFed:

but the eye or the mipd (for

.

i8i4

in

s64
in
this

On
cafe

the
there

SUBLIME
is

no

difference) in

great uniform obje<5ts does

arrive
at their
it

bounds

it

not readily has no reft>

-,

whilft
is

much

the image contemplates them fame every where. So that the

its

every thing great by

quantity muft

neceffarily be, one, fimple

and

entire.

SECT.
The
artificial

Xi.

N F I N IT^E:'^

WE
tificial
fifl:s

have obferved, that a fpecies

of greatnefs arifes from the arinfinite ; and that this infinite con-

in an uniforrn fucceflion of great parts :

v^e obferved too, that the

fucceflion

famQ uniform
in

had

a like

power

founds.

But becaufe the effedls of many things are clearer in one of the fenfes than in another,

and that
to,

all

the fenfes bear an ana-

logy

and

illuftrate

one another

I jfhall

begin with this power in founds, as the caufe of the fublimity from fucceffioa
is

and

BEAUTIFUL.
I fhall

265
of
all

rather

more obvious

in the fenfe

hearing.

And

here once for

cbferve, that an inveftigation of the natural

lions,

and mechanical caufes of our pafbelides the curiolity of the fubgives,

if

jedt,

they are difcovered, a double ftrengtb and luftre to any rules we deliver on fuch matters. When the
it is

ear receives any fimple found,

ftruck

by a fingle pulfe of the air, which makes the ear-drum and the other membranous
parts vibrate according to the nature
Ipecies

and

of the llroke.

If the ftroke be

the organ of hearing fuffers a confiderable deo-ree of tenfion. If the

ftrong,

ftroke be repeated pretty foon after, the

repetition caufes an expedation

of ano-

ther ftroke.

And

it

muft be obferved,

that exped:ation itfelf caufes a tenfion.

This

is

apparent in

many

animals,

who,

when

they prepare for hearing any found,

roufe themfelves, and prick up their ears; ib that here the effedl of the founds is
jtonfidcrably

augmented by a new auxiliary.

266
liary,

On

the

SUBLIME
But though
afftill

the expeftation.

ter a

number of

ftrokes,

we

expedt

more, not being able to afcertain the exadl time of their arrival, when they
arrive,

they produce a

fort

of furprife,
at

which
time
I

increafes this tenfion yet further.

For, I have obferved, that

any have waited very earneftly for

at

when

fome found, that returned

(as the
fu'cceffive

intervals,

firing

of cannon) though

I fully expedled the return of the found,

when
a
fion,
it.

it
;

came,

it

always

made me

ftart

little

the ear-drum fuffered a convul-

and the whole body confented with

The

tenfion

of the part thus in-

creafing at every blow,

forces of the ftroke
tion,

by the united
the expe<3:a^

itfelf,

and the

furprife, it is

worked up

to fuch a pitch as to be capable of the fublime ; it is brought juft to the verge

of pain. Even when the caufe has ceafed^

the organs of hearing being often fucceffively

ftruck

in

fimilar

manner,

continue to vibrate in that manner for

fome

una

BEAUTIFUL.
;

267

fome time longer

this

is

an additional

of help to the greatnefs

tiic efFeft,

SEC
The

T.

Xil.

vibrations

muft be

fimilar.

BU

if

the vibration be not fimi-

lar at every impreffion, it

can never

fee carried

beyond the number of aftual for move any body, as k tmpreflions ;

pendulum,

in

one way, and

it

will con-^

tinue to ofcillate in an arch of the fame

circle, until the
reft
;

known

caufes

but

if after firft

putting

make it it in moit

tion in one direction,

you pufh

into
firft

another,
direftion
felf,

it
;

can never reaiTume the

becaufe
it

can never move

it-

and confequently it can have but the effedt of that laft motion ; whereas,
fame diredtion you
it

if in the

acft

upon

it

feveral times,

will defcribe a greater

arch, and

move

a longer time.

SECT.

268

On

the

SUBLIME
XIIL

>

SECT.
The
efFedls

of

SUCCESSION

in vifuaj

objed:s explained.

IF
reft.

can comprehend clearly how things operate upon one of our fenfes;
little

we

there can be very

ceiving in

difficulty

in con-

what manner they

affed:

the

To

fay a great deal therefore up-

on the correfponding affeftions of every fenfe, would tend rather to fatigue us by an ufelefs repetition, than to throw any

new
ple

upon the fubjeft, by that amand diifufe manner of treating it ; but

light

as in this difcourfe
felves

we

chiefly attach ourit

to the
fliall

fublime, as

aflfeds

the

eye,

we

confider particularly

why

fucceffive difpofition

the fame right line

of uniform parts in fhould be fublime, *

this

and upon what principle

is

difpofition

enabled to

make

a comparatively fmall

Part 2. fea, |0.

quantity

and

BEAUTIFUL.

269

quantity of matter produce a grander efFedt, than a much larger quantity difTo avoid the pofed in another manner.
perplexity of general notions
;

let us fet

before our eyes a colonnade of uniform

planted in a right line; let us take our ftand, in fuch a manner, that
pillars

the eye may fhoot along this colonnade, for it has its heft effedt in this view.

In our prefent fituation

it

Is

plain, that

the rays from the firft round pillar will eaufe in the eye a vibration of that fpeThe cles ; an image of the pillar itfelf.
pillar
it ;

Immediately fucceeding increafes that which follows renews and en;

forces the impreffion

as It fucceeds,

each in

its

order

after repeats impulfe

im-

puLfe,

and ftroke

after ftroke, until the

eye long exercifed in one particular

way

cannot
being

lofe that objedl

immediately; and

violently
agitation,
it

roufed

by

this

conti-

nued

prefents the

mind with
But in-

a grand or fublime conception.

iiead of viewing a rank of uniform pillars

;

^70

On

die

SUBLlMfi

lars; let us foppofe, that the)r fucceedlr

each other, a round and a fquare one al-* Tn diis cafe the vibration ternately^
caufed by the
as fbon as
it is

firft

round

pillar perifhes

formed; and one of quite

another fort (the fquare) diredtly occu-,

pies
its

place

which however

it

refigns.

as quickly to the

round one^ and thus-

the eye proceeds, alternately, taking

up

one image

and laying down another, as long as the building continues. From^

it
is

whence

obvious,
is

that at
as far

the laft

paiar, the impreflion

from eon^

betinning as it w^as at the very firft; caufe in fadt, the fenfory can receive aoi diftindt impreflion but from the laft;. and it can never of itfelf refume a diflir'
milar impreflion:
tion of the objedl tion to
reliefs

befides, every varia-*

is

refl:

and relaxa;

the organs of fight

and thefe

prevent that powerful emotion fo To; neceflary to produce the fublime.

in produce therefore a perfed grandeur fuch things as we have been mentioning.

and

BEAUTIFUL.

271

fhould be a perfedt fimplicity, ing, there an abfolute uniformity in difpofition,

fhape and colouring.

fucceflion ciple of

Upon

this

prinit

and uniformity

may

be afked,

why

a long bare wall fhould

not be a more fublime objedl than a co-

lonnade

',

fmce the fucceflion

fince

is

interrupted;

the

eye

no way meets no

check

fince nothing
?

more uniform can

long bare wall is ceran object as a colontainly not fo grand nade of the fame length and height. It

be conceived

is

not altogether
difference.

difficult

to

account for

this

When we
along
its

look at a

naked
and

wall,

from the evennefs of the obwhole fpace^

termination
;

jedt, the eye runs

arrives

quickly at

its

the eye meets nothing which may interrupt its progrefs ; but then it meets nothing which

may

detain

it

a proper time

to produce a very great and lafling effect.

The view

of a bare wall,
is

if it

be

of a great height and length,

edly grand
:

undoubt-

but this

is

only one idea,

and

272

On

the

SUBLIME
of Jimilar ideas
5

and not a
is

repetition

it

therefore great, not fo

much upon

the

principle of infinity y as
nefs.

upon that of vaftit

But we

are riot fo powerfully af-

fefted with any one impulfe> unlefs

be

one of a prodigious force indeed, as we are with a fucceffion of fimilar impulfes;

becaufe the nerves of the fenfory do not (if I may ufe the expreffion) acquire a
habit of repeating the fame feeling in
fiich a

manner

as

to continue it longer
;

tlian its caufe is in aftion

befides, all

the effefts which I have attributed to

expedtation and furprife in {t& have no place in a bare wall.
1 1
.

can

SECT.
Locke's
opinion

XIV.
darknefs>

concerning

confidered.

is

Mr. Locke's
is

IT
and

opinion, that dafk-

nefs

not naturally an idea of terror;

that,

though an

exceffive light is

pain-

ahd

B E A'U T
fenfe,

F tJ l;

'

273

piiinfur to the

that the gfelteft

ekcefs ofdarknefs^'is

n6 ^a^s tfbuMeindeed in

fome.

He

obfervfes

another

pta6e, that a

nurfe t)r an 'bid' Vonlati

afToCiated

having -once
ghofts
nefs
)

thd

ideas

bf

gobhn^ with that of dafkni^ht ever after becomes painful

aiid

and horrible to the imagination. The authority of this great min Is dbubtlefs
as

great, as
it

that of any

ftiah

can

fee,
^

and

feems to ftand in the

Way of our
cbrifidered
'

*
geiiefal principle.

We have

darknefs as a caufe of the fublime;

\Ve
as

arid
'

have

all

along cbnfidered the fiiblime

depending on fonle modification of pain or,' terror ; j(b ,tKat, if darknefs be

no way painful have not had

with

or' terrible

to any,

who

their
it

minds

early tainted

fuperftitions,

can be no fource of

the fublime to them.

But with
;

all

de-

ference to fuch an authority

it

feems to

me, that an
ral nature,

afibciation of a

an affociatioa
kd.
3.

more genewhich takes in

aU

* Part

2.

^74
all

On

the

SUBLIME
terrible;

mankind may make darknefs

in

for in utter darknefs, it is impoffible to

know

what degree of

fafety

we ftandj
ftrike
;

\ye are ignorant of the objedts that fur*

round us ;
againft

we may

every

moment

fome dangerous ohftrudtion

we
ftep

njay

fall

down

a precipice the

firft

we take ; and if an enemy we know not in what quarter

ourfelves
;

approach^ to defend
is
acS:

in fuch a cafe ftrength

no

fure protection;
giiefs
j

wifdom can only

elfe

the boldeft are ftaggered,

by and he

who would
his defence,

pray for nothing

is

towards

forced to pray for light*

Zii/ *Tctiip,

a\KA

ffu

pceuAif'* ijs^f viAi

Ax^^

As

to

the aflbciation of ghofts

and

goblins; furely it is more natural to think, that darknefs being originally an

idea of terror,
for fuch

was chofen

as a

fit

fcene

terrible

reprefentation J,

than
that

tJwt

fuch

rq^refentations

have

made
fbt"*

darknefe terrible^

The mind of manejE^ror

Very eafily

flides

into an

of the

mer

fort

but

it is

V^ h-ard to im^giiie>
Mea
fo univerfally

th^t the cfftGt of ail

ttrribfe in all f itttes,

and

in all countries,

a^ darknefs,

could pofTibly have been

owing

to

a fet of idle ftorie^, or to

ttivi^l,

caufe of a nature fo

any and of an

c^ration

fo precarious*

SECT.
BARKNESS terrible
it
.

XV.
'

in

its

own

nature.

may

appeal*

on

n-^'

n J)ERHAP& blacknefs quay, that

and darknefs

are in
tural

fome degree painful by their naoperation, independent of any afwhatfoever.

I

fociations

muft obferve,

that the ideas of darknefs and blacknefi

are'

much

the

fame

and

they differ
is
2I

only in

this,

that blacknefs

more
given*

confined idea.

Mr. Chefdden has

us

276

On

tlic

SUBLIME
blind,

us a very curious ftory of a boy, who

had been born

until

and continued fo

he was thirteen or fourteen years old; he was then couched for a cata-; raft, by which operation he received his
fight.

Among many

remarkable parti-^
firft

culars that attended his

perceptions,

and judgments on
felden
tells

vifiial

objedls,
firft

Che-

us, that

the

time the

boy faw a black objedt, it gave him greatuneafinefs; and that fome time after,

upon accidentally feeiilg a negro woman, he was ftruck with great horror at the
fight.

The

horror,

in

this
arife

cafe,

can

fcarcely be fuppofed to
aflbciation.

from any

The boy

appears by the ac-

count to have been particularly obferving,, and fenfible for one of his age and there:

fore, it

probable, nefs he felt at the

arifen

is

if the
firft

great uneafi-:

fight of black

had

from

its

connexion with any r

other difagreeable ideas, he would have

oiferved and mentioned
it.

For an

idea,r

has the difagreeable only by aflbciation, caufe

-^

and

BEAUTIFUL.
ill

^7^

caufe of its

efFedt

on the

pafllons evi;

dent enough
but
this

at the firft
it is

impreflion

in

jordinary cafes,
is,

indeed frequently

loft;

becaufe the original aflbciation was made very early, and the con-

In fequent impreflion repeated often. our inftance, there was no time for fuch

an habit
that the

-,

and there
effects

is

no reafon

to think,

ill

of black on his imato

its

were more owing nexion with any difagreeable

gination

con-

ideas,

than

that the good effefts of more cheerful colours were derived from their con-

nexion with pleafing ones. They had both probably their effedls from their
natural operation.

sf'cT^

4t,f&

On

the

SUBLIME
XVL
is

SECT-

Why DARKNESS

terrible,

may be worth while to exaniinc, how IT. darknefs can operate in fuch
Planner
vable,
as
thatp

^.

to

caufe pain.
as

It

is

obferi*

flill

the light,

nature
is

we rece4e fron^ has fo contrived it,

reti^i

that the pupil

ring

eiUarged by the
in proportion

of the

iris,

to

ouf

recefs.
it

Now
little,

inftead of declining

from

fuppofe that we withdraw entirely from the light; it is reafonable to think, that ihe contraftipn of the ra?-

but a

dial fibres

of the

iris \s

propqrtionably

greater; and that

this part

may by
it

great

darknefs

come

to be fo contrafted, as tq

ftrain the nerves that

conipofe

beyond

their natural tone;

and by

thi^ rrieans to

produce painful it feems there certainly

fenfation.
is,

Such a tenfion
whilft

we

ar^

Igvplv^d in darknefs/ for in fuch a ftate

whUft

and

BEAUTIFUL.

^79
is

whllft the eye remains open, there

continual nifus to receive light; this is

nifeft

ma-

from the

flafhes,

and luminous ap-

often feeni in thefe cirpearances which cumftances to play before it ; and which

can be nothing but the

efFedt

produced by
its

its

own

efforts in

of Ipalms, purfuit of
im-f

objeft

feveral

other

ftrong

pulfes will produce the

idea of light in

the eye, befides the fubftance of light itfelf, as we experience on many occa^ons.

Some who

allow darknefs to be

a caufe of the fublime, would infer from the dilatation of the pupil, that a relaxation

be produftive of the fubJime as well as a convulfion ; but they

may

jdo not, I believe, confider,

that although the circular ring of the iris be in fome

fenfe a iphinfter,

which may

poflibly

be

dilated

by a fimple
it

one refpeft
fiirnifhed

yet in differs from moil of the

relaxation,
it

other fphinfters of the body, that

is

with antagonift mufcles, which

?8q
^re -the

Oil

the

SUBLIME
fibres

radial

of the

iri

nq

fooner does the circular mufcle begin tq

relax,

than thefe

fibres

wanting

their

drawn back,, and open the pupil to a confiderable widenefs. But though we were not
CQunterpoife, are forcibly
.

apprized of
find if

this, I believe

any one will

he opens

his

eyes and

make^ an

effort to fee in a dark

place, that a ve|-y And I have perceivable pain enfues.

heard fome ladies remark, that after having worked a long tirne upon a ground of black, -their eye$ were fo pained and,

weakened they could hardly

fee.

.If

may perhaps be objeded to this, theory of the mechanical efFed: of dafknefs,;

that the
nefs
ill

effefts

of darknefs or black-

feem rather rnental than corporeal ; and I owi) it j^ true, tha^ they do fo;. and fo do all thofe that; depend on the Mfecaions of the finer parts of our fyftem.

The

ill

effedls

of bad weather
in
jt

appear often

no

otherwife, than

melan-

and

BEAUTIFUL.

281

melancholy and dejedlionof fpirits, though without doubt, in this cafe, the bodily
prgans fufFer
thefe organs.
iirft,

^nd the mind through

EC

T.

XVII.

The

effeds of

BLACKNESS.

but a partial darknefs ; and therefore it derives fome of its BLacknefs

is

powers from being mixed and furrounded with coloured bodies. In its own
nature,
lour.
it

cannot be confidered as a coreflefting none, or

Black bodies,

but a few rays, with regard to fight, are but as fo many vacant fpaces difperfed

among
ter

the objeds

we

view.

When

the

eye lights on one of thefe vacuities, af-

having been kept in fome degree of tenfion by the play of the adjacent colours

upon
;

laxation
f/ecovers

fuddenly out of which

it,

it

falls
it

into a re-t

as

fuddenly

by

a convulfive fpring.

To

iU*

luftratc

282

On
;

the

SUBLIME

when we intend to fit on a chair, and find it much lower than was expecfted, thd fhock is very violent ; much more violuftrate this
let us confider, that

lent than could

fall as

be thought from fo flight the difference between one chair can

poffibly
flight

^nd

another

make.
ftairs,

If,

after defcending a

of

we

iattempt inadvertently
ftep in the planner

to

take

another

the fhock
able
;

is

of the former ones^ extremely rude and difagree--

and by no art, can we caufe fuch a fhock by the fame means, when w0 When I fay,expe6t and prepare for it.
that this
is

owing

to having the
*,

made mean mean

contrary to expedtatxon
folely,

changd do not

when
for

likewife,
is

t the mind expedts. that when any organ

affedted

of fenfe

fome time
if it

in
af-^

fome pne manner,

motion
fuch

be fuddenly

fedted otherwife there enfues a

five
;

convuW
as
isi

a convulfion

caufed

when any

thing happens againfl

the expeftance of the niind.

And though
it

and
It

BEAUTIFUL.

283

appear ftrange that fuch a change as produces a relaxation, fhould immeT

may

jliately
Jt is

produce a fudden convulfion; yet moft certainly fo, and fo in all

fhe fenl^s.
is

Every one knows that fleep a relaxation ; and that filence, where

pothing l^eps the organs of hearing in

adiion,
is

in general fitteft to bring

j

on

this relaxation

yet

when

a fort of murr

piuring founds dilpofe a

let thefe

man

to fleep,

founds ccd,k fuddenly, and the

perfon imme4iately awakes; tliat is, the parts are braced up fuddenly, and he

gwakes.
piyfelf,

This
an4
I

have often experienced have heard the fame from

I

pbferving perfons.
perfon
in

In like manner, if a

^eep, would prevent

day light were falling tp introduce a fudden darknefs

broad
hjs flepp for that time,
in thcmfelves,

though filence and darknefs

not fuddenly introduced, are very This I knew only by favourable to it. ^onjedure on the analogy of the fenfc

^d

^vhen

firft

obfervations digefled fhefe

284
but
I
I

On

the

SUBLIME
firft

have fince experienced it. And have often experienced, and fo have a
In-

thoufand others; that on the

clining

towards

fleep,

we

have

been

fuddenly avv^akened with a moft violent

ftart
',

and that

this

preceded by a fort
ling

was generally of dream of our falftart

:

down

a precipice

whence does

this

ftrange motion arife ; but from the too fudden relaxation of the body, which

by fome mechanifm in nature reftores itfelf by as quick and vigorous an exertion of the

contrafting

power of the
caufed by

mufcles

the dream
;

itfelf is
It is

this relaxation

and

of too unlforni

a nature to be attributed to any other

caufe.

The
is

parts

relax

too

fuddenly,
;

which
this

in the nature

of

falling

and
this

accident of the
In the

body induces

image

mind.

When we

are in

of health and vigour, as all changes are then lefs fudden, and lefs on the extreme, we can feldohi complain of this difagrecable fenfatioh.
confirmed
ftate

SECT,

and

BEAUTIFUL.

285

SE-'tQT., XVIII.

T^S

effe<^^ osfJj^ACKNESS. jpfidergted,

HOUGH

the efFeas of black be

^^painfiil-; originally,

we muft
fo.'

not

think they always continue

reconciles us to ev^ry thing.

Guftom

After

we

have be^nufed

to; the fight

of black ob-

jefts, the terror abates,

and the fmoothagrejeable acci-;

nefs and gloffinefs pr

fome

dent of bodies fo coloured, foftens in fome^

meafure the horror and fternnefs of tlieir

original nature; yet the
original impreflion
ftill

nature of the!

continues.

Black

will always hafe fomething melancholy

in

it,

becaufe the

fenfory will always

find the

change
;

to it
it

from other colours

too violent

occupy the whole cpmpafs of the fight, it will then be darknefs; and. what was faid of darkor if
nefs, will

be applicable here.
all

do not

purpofe to go into
;..

that

might be
faid

./

*86

On

the

SUBLIME
of the
efTefits

faid to illuftrate this theory

cf

light

and darknefei ndther will

all

the different efFecSs produced by the various modifications and mixtHiies

examine

of thefe two

caufes.

obfervations have
turc, I conceive

foregoing foundation in itwaany

fiifflclent

If the

them very

to

account for

atl

the pha^riomeha ftat cart

arife froHi all

the combinations of blkcK'

with other colours.

Ta enter into erery

Wehave^

particular> or to ^rifWef every objea?Ion>

would be an

endlefs labour.

only jfbllowed the moft leading roadsj, and we ihall obferve the fame conduit
in

our enquiry into the caufe of beauty^

The

phyfical caufe of

L OVE^
fiicfi-

WHEN
placency, the
I

wfc

have before us

objetfts

as excite love
is

and Com-^

body

aiFedied, fo far as

could obferve,

much

in the following

manner*

ted
Inanner,

BEAUtlFUL.
reclines
;

287

The head

fomething

on one
than

fi(}e

the eyelids are

roll

more

clofed

ufual,

and the eyes

gently with

an
is

inclination to the objeft, the

mouth
drawa
:

a Uttle opened, and the breath

flowly, with

now and
body
is

then a low figh

All this

the whole

compofed, and the

is,

hands

fall idly

to the fides.

accompanied with an inward fenfe of melting and languor. Thefe appearances

are always proportioned to the degree of

beauty in the objed:, and of fenfibility in the obferver. And this gradation from
the higheft pitch of beauty and fenfibility,

even to the loweft of mediocrity and indifference, and their correlpondent

effeds, ought to be kept in view, elfei

this defcription will

which

it

certainly
it
is

is

feem exaggerated, not. But from this

tO;

defcription

almoft impoffible not

conclude, that beauty afts by relaxing the fohds of the whole fyftem. There
are
all
;

tion

the appearances of fuch a relaxaand a relaxation fomewhat below

the

288

On
all

the

SUBLIMET
me
to be thd^

the natural tone feems to

caufe of

pofitive pleafure.

Who is

at
'

ftranger to that

manner of

expreffion fo
all

common

in

all

times and in

countries,

of being foftened, relaxed^ enervated^' diffolved* melted away by pleafure ? The

univerfal voice of

mankind,

faithful

to'

their feelings,

concurs in affirming this'

-

uniform and general effedl ; and although fbme odd and particular inftance may perflaps

be found; wherein there appears i" confiderable degree of pofitive pleafure,

without

all

the charadlers of relaxation,

we muft not therefore rejeft the conclufion we had drawn from a concurrence of many experiments, but we muft ftill
retain
rriay
it,

'

fubjoining the exceptions

which

occur according to the judicious

laid

mle

down by

Sir Ifaac

the third book of his Optics.

will> I conceive,

Newton in Our polition'

appear confirmed beyond imy reafonable doubt, if we can ihew that fnch things as we have already obferved
to be the genuine conftituents of beauty,

have

and

BEAUTIFUL.

289

have each of them feparately taken a natendency to relax the fibres. And if it mufl be allowed us, that the appearance
tural

of the human body,

when all

thefe confti-

tuents are united together before the fenfory, further favours this opinion,

we may

venture, I believe, to conclude, that the

produced by this re^ laxation. By the fame method of reafoning, which we have ufed in the enquiry
is

paffion called love

into the caufes of the fubUme,

like wife conclude,,

we may
^

that as

beautiful

objed: prefented to die fenfe, by cauling a relaxation in the body, produces the
paffion of love in the

mind ,
iliould

(o
firft

if

any means the

its

paffion

by have

origin in the

mind, a relaxation of

the outward organs will as certainly enfue in a degree proportioned to the

taufe.

SECT,

290

On

the

SUBLIME
XX.
is

SECT.

Why SMOOTHNESS
is

beautiful.

IT

to explain the true caufe of vi-

beauty, that I call in the affiIf it appears ftance of the other fenfes.
fual
is

that fmoothnefs
pleafure

principal

caufe

of

to the touch, tafte, fmell,

it

and

hearing,
ftituent

will

be

eafily

admitted a conefpecially
as

of vifual beauty;

we
is

have before fhewn, that

this quality
all

found almoft without exception in

bodies that are by general confent held

beautiful.

There can be no doubt

are

that

bodies

which

and

vellicate

rough and angular, roufc the organs of feeling, caufing

a fenfe of pain, which confifts in the violent tenfion or contradtion of the mufcular fibres.

On

the contrar}^

tlie

ap-

relax ; gentle plication of fmooth bodies vioflroking with a fmooth hand allays

lent

and
lent pains
fufFering
fion
;

BEAUTIFUL.

291

and cramps, and relaxes the their unnatural tenparts from

it

and

has therefore very often no

mean

effeft in

obftru6lions.

removing fwellings and The fenfe of feeling is

highly gratified with fmooth bodies.

A
is,

bed fmoothly

laid,

and
is

foft,

that

v/here the reliflance

fiderable,
is

every

way

incon-

a great luxury, difpofing to

an univerfal relaxation, and inducing beyond any thing elfe, that fpecies of it

caDed

fleep.

SECT.

XXI.
nature.

SWEETNESS,

its

NOR
fare
tafle,

Is

it

only in the touch, that

pofitive plea^
finell

fmooth bodies caufe

relaxation.

by

In the

and
to

we

find all

things agreeable

them, and which are commonly called fweet, to be of a fmooth nature, and

that

292

On
all

the

SUBLIME
Let us
is

that they

their evidently tend to relax

firft

relpedlive fenfories.

confider

the

moft eafy to enof liquids, and quire into the property fince all things feem to want a fluid vetafte.

Since

it

hicle to

make them

tailed

at all, I in-

tend rather to confider the liquid than The vehithe folid parts of our food.
cles

of

all taftes

are water

and
is

oiL

And
fait,

w^hat determines the tafte

vv^hich affefts varioufly

fome

according to

its

nature, or

ed v^ith

manner of being combinWater and oil other things.

its

limply confidered are capable of giving fome pleafure to the tafte. Water, when
fimple,
is

infipid, inodorous, colourlefs,

-,

and fmooth

it is

found

when

not cold to

be a great refolver of fpafms, and lubricator of the fibres 3 this power it probably owes to
its

fmoothnefs.

For

as

according to the moft general opinion, on the roundnefs, fmoothfluidity depends,

nefs,

and weak cohefion of the component

and

BEA

U T I F U L.
;

293
water

nent parts of any body

ad:s

and
;

as
it

merely

as a fimple fluid
its

follows,

that the caufe of

fluidity is

likewife
;

the caufe of
ly,

its

relaxing quality

name-

the fmoothnefs and flippery texture

its

of

parts.
oil.

taftes is

The other fluid This too, when

and
tafle.

vehicle of fimple,
is

infipid, inodorous, colourlefs,

and fmooth
fmoother

to the touch

It is

than water, and in

many

cafes yet

more

Oil is in fome degree pleafant rekxing. to the eye, the touch and the tafte, infipid as
it is.

Water

is

not fo grateful,
principle
is

which

do not

know on what

to account for, other than that water

not fo

foft

this oil

Suppofe that to or water were added a certain

and fmooth.

quantity of a fpecific fait, which had a power of putting the nervous papillae of
the tongue into a gentle vibratory
tion
;

mo-

The

fuppofe fugar diflblved in it. fmoothnefs of the oil, and the vias

bratory

power of the

fait,
all

caufe the fenfe

wc

call fvveetnefs.

In
3

fweet bodies,
fugar.

294

On

the

SUBLIME
difFerent
;

fugar, or a fubftance very little

from

fugar,

is

conftantly found

every

fpecies of

fait

examined by the microdiftindl,

fcope has

its

ov^n

regular, invais

riable form.

That of nitre

oblong ; that of fea fait that of fugar a perfed; globe. If you have tried how fmooth globular bodies,

a pointed an exadt cube ;

with which boys amufe themfelves, have affedled the touch when
as the marbles

they are rolled backward and forward and over one another, you will eafily conceive
fait

how

fweetnefs,

which

confifts in a
j

of fuch nature,

affefts the tafte

for

a fingle globe, (though

fant to the feeling) yet

fomewhat

plea-

by the regularity

of its form, and the fomewhat too fudden

deviation of
it is

its

parts

from a right

line,

nothing near fo pleafant to the touch

as feveral globes,
rifes

where the hand gently

falls

to

one and
is

to another

and

this

pleafure

greatly increafed if the

globes are in motion, and Hiding over

one another

for this foft variety prevents

that

and

BE

A U T I F U L.

295
dif-

that wearinefs,

which the uniform

pofition of the feveral globes

would other-

Thus in fweet liquors, wife produce. the parts of the fluid vehicle though
moft probably round, are yet {o minute as to conceal the figure of their component parts from the niceft inquifition of
the microfcope; and confequently being
fo

exceflively minute, they

flat

have a

fort

of

fimplicity to the tafte, refembling

the eff'eds of plain fmooth bodies to the touch ; for if a body be compofed of

round parts exceflively fmall, and packed

pretty clofely together, the furface will

be both to the fight and touch were nearly plain and finooth.
clear

as if it
It
is

from

their

unveiling

their figure

to the microfcope, that the particles

of

fugar arc confiderably larger than thofe

of water or
their effedts

oil,

and confequently that

their

from

roundnefs will

be more
vous

diflind:

and palpable to the ner-

of that nice organ the tongue : they will induce that fenfe called fweetpapillae

nefs.

296
nefs,

On
which
oil,

the
in a

SUBLIME
weak manner we
difr,

cover in
ter
oil
;

for

and in a yet weaker in war water and infipid as they are,

are in

fome degree fweet;

and

it

may be
all

obferved, that infipid things of

kinds approach more nearly to the

nature of fweetnefs than to that of any

other

tafte.

SECT.

XXII.

SWEETNESS
the other fenfes

relaxing.

we

have remarkrelaxing.

IN

ed, that

fmooth things are

fmooth of
is

Now it ought to appear

which
are the
It

that fweet things,

tafte,

are re-

laxing too.

remarkable,

that in

fome languages foft and fweet have but one name. Dghx in French fignifies
foft as

well as fv/eet.
Italian DoIcCy

The

Latin Dulcis^
cafes

and the

have in many

the fame double fignification. That fweet

things are generally relaxing
I is

evident

becaufe

and B
becaufe
all

E A U T I F U L.

icj-j

fuch,efpecially thofe

which are

taken frequendy or in a large much enfeeble the tone quantity, very of the ftomach. Sweet fmells, which

moft

oily,

bear a great affinity to fweet

lax

taftes,

re-

very

remarkably.
people
is

The
to

fmell

of
;

flowers difpofes

drowfinefs

and
rent

this relaxing effedt

further appa-

from the prejudice which people of weak nerves receive from their ufe. It

were worth while

taftes

to examine,

whether
taftes

of this kind, fweet ones,

that are caufed by

fmooth

oils

and a re-

laxing
taftes.

fait

are not the originally pleafant

For many which ufe has rendered fuch, were not at all agreeable at
iirft.

The way

to

examine

this

is,

to

try

what nature has

originally provided

for us,

which fhe has undoubtedly made originally pleafant: and to analyfe this
provifion.

Milk

is

the

firft

fupport of
parts of

our childhood.

The component
and a
fort

this are water, oil,

of a very
All

fweet
\lciz{^

fait

called the fugar of milk.

when blended have

a great ffnoothnefs

298

On

the

SUBLIME
and a relaxing quality
next thing children

the tafte, nefs to

to the fkin.

The

covet

is

fruity and of fruits, thofe prinare fweet

;

cipally

and every one knows that the fweetnefs of fruit is caufed

which

by a

fubtle oil

and fuch a
laft

fait

as that

mentioned in the

feffion.

After-

wards, cuftom, habit, the defire of novelty,

and a thoufand other

caufes, con-

found, adulterate, and change our palates, fo that we can no longer reafon with any
fatisfaftion

about them.

Before
;

we

quit

this article

we muft

obferve

that as

fmooth things are, as fuch, agreeable to the tafte, and are found of a relaxing
quality; fo on the other hand, things which are found by experience to be of

a ftrengthening quality, and

fit

to brace

the fibres, are almoft univerfally rough

and pungent to the tafte, and in many We cafes rough even to the touch.
often

apply the

quality
to vifual

of fweetnefs,
objedts.

metaphorically,

For

the better carrying

on

this

remarkable
analogy

and

BEAUTIFUL.
we may

299

analogy of the fenfes,

here call

Iweetnefs the beautiful of the tafte.

SECT.
..VARIATION,

XXIII.

why

beautiful.

ANOTHER
of their parts diredion ; but
is
it

principal property of
is,

beautiful objects

that the line

its

continually varying
varies
it

by a very init

fenfible deviation, it

never varies

fo

quickly as to furprife, or by the fharpnefs of its angle to caufe

any twitching

or convulfion of the optic nerve. thing long continued in the fame

ner, nothing very fuddenly varied

Nomancan be

beautiful; becaufe both are oppofite to

that agreeable relaxation,

which

is

the

charaAeriftic efFed: of beauty.

in
all

It is

thus

the fenfes.
is

motion

in a right

line,

manner of moving next to a very gentle defcent, in which we meet

that

300

On

the

UBL

ME
it is

meet the
that

leafl

reliftance; yet

not
to

manner of moving, which next

wearies us the
;

defcent,

leaft.

Reft
is

certainly tends to relax

fpecies

yet there
relaxes

of motion which

more

than reft; a gentle ofcillatory motion,

a rifing and falling. Rocking fets children to fleep better than abfolute reft ;
indeed fcarce any thing at that age, which gives more pleafure than to be gently lifted up and down j the manthere
is

ner of playing which their nurfes ufe

with children,

and the weighing and

fwinging ufed afterwards by themfelves

as

favourite

amufement,

evince this

Moft people muft have very fufficiently. obferved the fort of fenfe they have had, on being fwiftly drav/n in an eafy coach, on a fmooth turf, with gradual afcents
and
This will give a better idea of the beautiful, and point out its
declivities.

probable caufe better

thing
is

elfe,

On

than almoft any the contrary ; when one

hurried over a rough, rocky,

broken
road>

and

BEAUTIFUL.
by

301

road, the pain felt

equalities

thefe fudden infights,

fhews

why

fimilar

feel-

ings and founds, are fo contrary to beau-

and with regard to the feeling, it is exactly the fame in its effedb, or very
ty
;

nearly the fame, whether," for inftance, I move my hand along the furface of a

body

of a certain fhape, or whetlier fuch a body is moved along my hand. But to bring this
analogy of the fenfes
a

home

to the eye

if

body prefented
from
it

to that fenfe has fuch

a waving furface that the rays of light

reflefted

are in a ^continual in-

fenfible deviation

from the ftrongeft to

is

the weakeft, (which

always the cafe in

it

a furface gradually unequal,)

exaftly fimilar in
its

muft be

effed:

on the eye and

it

touch; upon the one of which

diredly, on the other
this

operates

indiredily.

And
con-*-

body

will be beautiful if the lines

its

which compofe

furface are not

tinned, even fo varied, in a

manner that

may weary or
variation itfelf

diflipate

the attention.

The

mufl be continually

varied.

SECT.

302

On

the

SUBLIME
XXIV,

SECT.
Concerning

SMALLNESS.
which may

TO
tition

avoid a famenefs

from the too frequent repeof the fame reafonings, and of ilarife

luftrations

of the fame nature,

will

not enter very minutely into every particular that regards beauty, as it is found-

ed on the difpofition of its quantity, or In fpeaking of the its quantity itfelf. magnitude of bodies there is great uncertainty, becaufe the ideas
fiiiall,

of great and almoft entirely relative are terms

to the fpecies of the objcfts, which arc that having once It is true, infinite.
fixed the fpecies of any objedl, and the dimenfions common in the individuals

of that

fpecies,

we may
:

obferve
fall

fome

that exceed, and fome that

fhort of

the ordinary ftandard

are ly exceed,

thefe v^hich greatexcefs, provided

by that

the

and

BEAUTIFUL-

303

the Ipecies itfelf be not very fmall, rather great and terrible than beautiful;

but as in the animal world, and in a

good meafure in the vegetable world

likewife,

the

qualities

that

conftitute

beauty may poflibly be united to things of greater dimenlions ; when they ar^
they conftitute a ipecies Ibmething different both from the fublimo
fo united

and

beautiful,

which
this

have before
I

call-

ed Fine; but
ther as vaft

kind

imagine has
ei-*

not fuch a power on the pafTions,

bodies have

which

are en-*

dued with the correfpondent

the fublime
;

qualities

of

have when
affeftion

or as the qualities of beauty united in a flnall objedt. Th

produced by large bodies adorns ed with the fpoils of beauty, is a tenfion

to
if I

continually relieved

the

nature
to fay

which approaches of mediocrity. But

i

were

how

I find

myfelf af*
I

fefted
fay,

upon fuch

occaiions,

fliould

by ber ing united to fome of the qualities of

beauty.

that the fublime fuffers lefs

304

On

the

SUBLIME
There
is

beauty, than beauty does by being join-* ed to greatnefs of quantity, or any othe^
properties of the fublime.
fome-'

thing fo over-ruHng in whatever inipires us with awe, in all things which be-

long ever fo remotely to terror, that nothing elfe can ftand in their prefence? There lie the qualities of beauty either

dead and unoperative ; or at moil exerted to mollify the rigour and flerrinefs of
the terror, which
is

the natural concbBefides the extra-

mitant of greatnefs.

ordinary great in every fpecies, the oppofite to this, the dwarfifli and dimiiiu-^
tive

ought to be confidered.
as fuch, has

Littlenefs>

nothing contrary to merely the idea of beauty. The humming bird both In fhape arid colouring yields to

none of the winged fpecies, of which is the leaft ; and perhaps his beauty
enhanced by
are animals,
his fmallnefs.

it
is

But there
are ex-

which when they

beautitremely fmall are rarely (if ever) fuL There is a dwarfifh fize of men

and

and
"ind
fo

B E A:U T I FU hP
is

J05

women, which

almoft conftantly

grofs

and maflivc in coinpariibn of

their height, that they prefeiit us ivith a

But ihould a very difagreeable imager be found not above two or three feet man
high, fupf)ofmg fuch a perfcn 'to have all th^ parts of his 'body of^^- delicacy
fuitable to fuch a iize,

and other#ife en-

dued with the

beautiful

common qualities of other bodies, I am -pretty well con^

^

vinced that a pbrfon of fuch a ftature might be confidbred as beautiful ; might

might give U9 veiy pleafing ideasion viewing! him. The

.

be the ohjedt

.cif

love

only, thing which, could poffibly inters

pofe to .check our pleafurc

creatures^

i^,

th^t fuch

however formed,, ar^ u^ufual,

as

and are often therefore confidered

fomething mpnftrous.
gigantic,

The

large

and

though very conipatible with

the fublime^ is contrary to the beautiful.

It is impoffible to fuppofe a giant

objecft

the

of love.

When we

let

our

the ideas imaginations leofe in romance,

we

3o6

On

the

SUBLIME
injuftice,

naturally annex to that fize are thofe of

tyranny,

cruelty,

and every

paint thing horrid and abominable. the country, plunderthe giant ravaging ing the innocent traveller, and after-

We

wards
flefh
:

w^ith his gorged half-living fuch are Polyphemus, Cacus,

and
gure

others,

who make

fo great a

fi-

The

romances and heroic poems. event we attend to with the greatin

eft fatisfaftion is their defeat

and death.

I do not

remember

in all that multitude

Iliad is filled,

of deaths with which the

that the
fall

of any man remarkable for his great ftature and ftrength touches us with pity; nor does it appear that the
author, fd well read in ever intended
in the foft
his parents,
it fliould.

human

nature,

It is Simoifius

bloom of youth, torn from

fo

ill

tremble for a courage fuited to his ftrength ; k is ano-

who

ther hurried by war from the new braces of his bride, young, and

emfair^

and a novice

to the field,

who

melts us

by

and

BEAUTIFUL.

307^

by his untimely fate. Achilles, in fpite of the many qualities of beauty which Hemer has beftowed on his butward
form, and the

many

great viftues with

his

which he has adorned

that

mind, can never

make us love him. It may b^ obferved^ Homer has given the Trojans, whofe fate he has defigned to excite our com|>affion,

infinitely

niore of the amiable

focial

virtues

than he has diftributed

among

his Greeks.

With

Trojans, the paffion he is pity ; pity is a paffion founded on love

regard to the chufes to raife

;

and

thefe

/e//er,

and

if I

may fay,

domeftic

virtues, are

certainly the

moft amiable.
far their

But he has made the Greeks

fuperiors in the politic
tues.

and military virThe councils of Priam are weak ;

below that of

the arms of Hedlor comparatively feeble;

his courage far
Acliilles.

Yet we love Priam more than Agamemnon, and Hedlor more than his con-*
queror Achilles.
fion

Admiration

is

the paf-

which Homer would

excite in favour

of

3o8

On

the

SUBLIME
it

of the Greeks, and he has done

by on them the virtues which beftowing have but Uttle to do with love. TMs
;

fhort digreffion perhaps not wholly belide our purpofe, where our bufinefs is to fhew, that objefts of great dimenfiis

ons are incompatible with beauty, the

more incompatible
whereas the fmall,
beauty, this failure

as

they are greater;

if ever
is

they

fail

of

not to be attribu-

ted to their

fize.

SECT.
Of

XXVI.

COLOUR.

WITH

regard to colour, the difquifition is almoft infinite ;. but

I conceive the principles laid

down

in the

beginning of tliis part are fufficient to account for the effefts of them all, as
well as for the agreeable eiFed of tranlparent bodies, whether fluid or folid. Sup-

pofe I look at a bottle of

t
^:

muddy

liquor,

of

and

BEAUTIFUL.
:

309

t>f a blue or red colour

'rays

the blue or red

cannot pafs clearly to the eye, bnt

and unequally flopped by the intervention of little opaque bodies,

are fuddenly

which without preparation change the

idea,

and change
its

it

able in

own

too into onedifagreenature, conformable to

the principles laid

down

in fed:. 24.

But

when
'fition

the ray pafles without fuch oppothrough the glafs or liquor, when

the

glafs or liquor 'are quite tranfparent,

is

the light
palTage,

fomething foftened in the

it

which makes

more agreeable

all
it

even as light ; and the liquor refledting the rays of its proper colour evenly^

has fuch an efFed: on the eye, as fmooth opaque bodies have on the eye and touch.

So that the pleafure here is compounded of the foftnefs of the tranfmitted, and
the evennefs of the rcfledted light. pleafure may be heightened by the

Thia

comif

mon

principles

in other

things,

the

tranfihape of the glafs which holds the be fo judicioufly varied, a& parent liquor
^

to

3IO

On

the

SUBLIME

to prefent the colour gradually and inter-

changeably weakened and ftrengthened with all that variety which judgment in
affairs
a,

of

this

nature ihall fuggeft.

]^a&

On
;

review of ^U th^t
well
as-

beea

faid

of the

effedls., .as;

the caufes of both

it will appear, that the fublime

tiful

and beau-

are built

on

principles very different,

:

and that their

aflfedtions are as different

its bafis
;

the great has terror for

which,

when
in the

it is

modified, caufes that emotion

I

mind, which
;

have called
is

afto*-

nifhment

the beautiful

founded on

mere

pofitive pleafure,

and

excites in the
called love.

foul that feeling,

which

is

Their caufes have made the fubjeft of

this fourth part.

The end

of

t;he

Fourth Part*

PART

[3^1

A
Philofbphical Enquiry

INTO THE
Origin
6
of our Ideas
F

T HE

Sublime
P

and

Beautiful.
V.
I.

A R T

SECT.
"^^

Of

O R D
objeas

S.

affeft us,

by

NATURAL
tween
ings in our minds.

the laws of that connexion, which

Providence has eftablifhed be-

certain motions

and configurations
confequent feel-

of bodies, and certain

Painting affedts in the fame manner, but with the fuper-

added pleafure of imitation. Architedlure

aiFefts

312
affefts

On

the

S:UBLIME

by the laws of nature, and the law of reafon ; from which latter refult the
rules

of proportion, which

make

work

to be praifed or cenfured, in the

whole

or in fome part,

when
is

the end for

which

was deligned fwered. But as

it

or

is

not properly an5

to

words

they feem to

me to

affed: us in a

from that

in

manner very diiFerent which we are afFed:ed by

natural objects, or

by painting or archi*tefture ; yet words have as confiderable a fhare in exciting ideas of beauty and of
the fublime as any of thofe, and fometimes a much greater than any of them;
therefore an enquiry into die

manner by

which they excite fuch emotions is far from being unneceffary in a difcQ^rfe jof
this kind..
-,'

,.:

..y

SECT.

and

BEAUT fFUL.
SECT.
II.

313

The common
by

efFed of

POETRY;-

not

railing ideas of things.

notion of the power of poetry and eloquence, as well as that of words in ordinary converfa-

THE
in

common

tion, isj- that they afFed:

rjaifing
it

the

mind by
for

ideas

of thofe things of

which cuftom has appointed them

ftand/
notion,

to

To
it

examine the truth

this

may be requiiite to obferve that words may be divided into three forts. The iirft are fuch as reprefent many
fimplie ideas

united by

nature to form

fbme one determinate compofition, as man, horfe, tree, caflle, &c. Thefe I

The fecond, are aggregate words. they that ftand for one fimple idea of
call

fuch compofiti6ns and no more ; as red, blue, round, fquare, and the like. Thefe
J C2[\ Jimple ahfiradl words.

The

third,

arc

314

On

thd

SUBLIME
are

are thofe,

which

formed by an union,

an arbitrary union of both the others, and of the various relations between them,
in greater or leffer degrees of complexity;
as virtue,

honour, perfuafion, magiftrate,

and the

like.

Thefe

I call

compounded ab^

firadi words.

Words,

am fenfible,

are

capable of being clafled into more curious diftindions ; but (hefe feem to be
natural,

and enough

for our purpofe

and

they are difpofed in that order in

commonly taught, and the mind gets the ideas they are
they arc
ted for.
fort

in

which which

fubftitu-

I i3aall
;

begin with the third

abftrafts,

of words

compound

fucb

as

virtue,

honour, perfuafion,

docility.

Of

thefe I

am

convinced, that whatever

paffions,

power they may have on the

they do not derive
tation raifed in the
for
it fronct

any reprefenthe things

mind of As which they ftand.

think, any

compofiti-

otnSi they are not real ellences,

and hard-

ly caufe, I

real i-deas.

No
the

body,

I believe,

immediately on hearing.

and
tjbe

BEAUTIFUL.

315

founds, virtue, liberty, or honour, coi-

ceives
lar

any precife notion of the particumodes of adtion and thinking, to-

gether with the mixt and fimple ideas, and the feveral relations of them for

which

thefe

words are

fubftituted

nei-

ther has he any general idea,

compound-

ed of them ; for

if

he had, then fome

of thofe particular ones, though indifftindt perhaps, and confufed, might come
foon to be perceived. But this, I take it, is For put yourhardly ever the cafe. felf upon analyfing one of thefe words,

and you muft reduce it from one fet of .general words to another, and then into
the fimple abftrads and aggregates, in a

much

longer feries than may be at firft imagined, before any real idea emerges
to light,
before you come to difcover any thing like the firft principles of fuch

compofitions ; and when you have made fuch a difcovery of the original ideas,
the efFed: of the compofition
Joft.
is

utterly

traiiv

of thinking of

this fort,

3i6
i

On

the

SUBLIME

.much

too long to be purfued in the

ordinary ways^^ of converfation, nor is it Such at all neceflary that it fhould.

words are

in reality but

but. they are

mere founds; founds, which being ufed

wherein

<m
fee

particular occalions,

we
evil,

re-

ceive

fomegoodj or fuffer fome others affeded with good or

or
or

evil

which we hear applied to other interefting

things- or :ieients
.

and being applied

ia^ fuch a -ivariety! ofrncafes :that we .know readily by habit. i:oj:.what things
in the mind, ,thcy belong,, they prodiice whenever they are afterwards mentioned,
;

,effed:s fimilar
,

,to

thofe of their occafions.

The

founds being often ufed without retheir

firft

ference to any particular occafion, and

xarrying

ftill

imprefliQns, t^ey

.^tlaft utterly lofe their cpnnedlion

.the particular occafions that

w|th
rife

gave

to

.them

annexyet the found without any ed qption C0Utinu(?s to operate as before.

;

SECT.

ani BEAUTIFUL.

317

SECT.
r
'

IIL

Mia

General .words beforeiDEASi^noh

'

/;.

'1

r.n 7/

Locke has Ibmewhere obferved

MRv; with

his ufual fagacity, that itidft

general words, thofe belonging to virtue and vice, good and evil, efpeciaily, are

taught before the

acSion to

particular

modes of

ed to

which they belong are prefent-^ the mind ; and with them, the love

of the one, and the abhorrence of the

other; for the minds of children are fo
duftile, that a nurfe, or

any perfon about

a child, by feeming pleafed or difpleafed with any thing, or even any word, may
give the difpofition of the child a fimilar
turn.

When

afterwards, the feveral oc*

ciirrences in life

come

to be applied to
is

thefe

words y and that which

pleafant
evil
;

often appears under the

name of

and what
called

is

good

is difagreeable to nature and virtuous ; a ftrange con-

fufion

3i8

On

the

SUBLIME
afFeftions arifes in the

fufion of ideas

and

minds of many ; and an appearance of no fmall contradiftion between their notions

and their

aftions.

There

are

many,

who
and
tion,

love virtue,
this

and

who

deteft vice,

not from hypocrify or affedta-

who

notwithftanding
ill

very

fre-

quently adl

and wickedly
remorfe
;

in particulars

without the

leaft

becaufe thefe
into view,

particular occalions never

came

when
were

the paffions on the fide of virtue

fo

warmly

affefted

by certain words
hard to repeat

heated originally by the breath of other&^

and

for this reafon,

it

is

certain fets of words,

though owned by
if

themfelves unoperative, without being in

fome degree
,

ajfTefted,

efpecially

warm and affecfling

tone of voice accom^

panics them, as fuppofe,

ff^ife, valianf'y

generoiiSy

good and great.

Thefe words, by having no application, ought to be unoperative; but when

words

a>dJ5EAUTIFUL.
words commonly facred to great
ons are ufed,

319
occafi-

we

are

afFeded by them
occafions.

even

without

the

When

words which have been generally fo applied are put together without any rational view, or in fuch a

manner

that they

do not
ftile is

rightly agree

with each other, the

called bombaft.

And

it

requires

in feveral cafes

much good
;

fenfe

and ex^

perience to be guarded againft the force

of fuch language
neglefted,

for

when

propriety

is

greater

number of

thefe

afFeding words
vice,

may be taken

into the fer*

and a greater variety dulged in combining them.

may

be in-

SECT.
The
effed of

IV.

WORDS.
their poffiblc exeffedls
arife in

words have

all

1.F tent

of power, three the mind of the hearer.

The

firft is,

the

founJ} the fccond, the picture, or reprefentation

3^0

On

tte
'

SUBLIME
is,

fentation of. the thing Signified

found; the third

foul

the affedlion produced by one or by both of the

by th<^ of the

foregoing.

Compoujided abJiraSi words,

of which

we

have been

Ijpeaking, (ho-I

nour, juftice, Uberty, and the Hke,) produce the firft and the laft of thefeefFecSs,

but not the fecond.

Simple abjlrd6lsy are

ufed to fignify fome one fimple idea without much adverting to others which may. chance to attend it, as blue, green, hot/
cold,

and the
all

like

thefe are capable-; (#

-

afFefting

three of the

purp()fes

of

words j
caftle,

as the aggregate

words,

man^

horfe, &c*

are in

a yet higher

degree.

But

am

moft general

effed:

of opinion, that the even of thefe words,

does not arife from their forming piftures

of the
fent in

feveral things they

Would reprebecaufe on a

the imagination

very diligent examination of

my own
conjiidec

mind,

ajid .getting

others

to

do not find that once in twenty times any fuch pifture is formed, and
theirs, I

when

2nd
\vhen
it
is,

BEAUTIFUL,
there
is

3.21

moft commonly a

tlie imagination for particular effort of

that purpofe.

But the aggregate words

faid

operate as
ftradts^

of the compound ab-

not by prefenting any image to the mind, but by having from ufe the

fame

effedt

on being mentioned, that

their

original has

when

it is

feen.

Suppofe
'*

were
river

to read a paffage to this effedl.

we The

Danube
foil

riles in

a fnoift and

moun-

tainous

the heart of Germany, "Vvhere winding to and fro it waters fevein

ral

principalities, until turning into

Au-

flria

and leaving the walls of Vienna it paffes into Hungary ; there with a vail
flood

augmented by the Saave and the Drave it quits Chriftendom, and rolling
through the barbarous countries which
border on Tartar}% it enters by many mouths into the Black fea/* In this deicription

many

things are mentioned, as

cities,

mountains,

rivers,

the fea, &^c^

But
fee

any body examine himfelf, and whether he has had iniprefled on his
let

irna-

f2i

On

the

SUBLIME
and quick

Imagination any pidlures of a river, motir!*^ tain, watery foil, Germany, &c. Indeed.
it is

impoffible, in the rapidity

of words in converfation, to have ideas both of the found of the word,

fucceffion

and of the thing reprefented; befides, feme words expreffing real eflences, are
fo

mixed with others of a general and

nominal import, that it is impradicable to jump from fenfe to thought, from particulars to generals, from things to wordSj<
in fuch a

manner
5

as

to anfwer the purneceflary that

pofes of
fliould-

life

nor

is it

we

SECT.
Examples
*

V.

that

WORDS

maiy affefS

without railing
-J

IMAGES.
are
afFefted

>^

Find

it

-very

hard to perfuade fevera!

by words from whence they have no ideas > and yet harder to convince them, that

that their paffions

in

and

BEAUTIFUL.
cx)urfe

3^3

in the ordinary
fire

of converfation
without

we
rai-

fufficiently

underflood

fing any images of tlie tilings concern-

ing which

We

fpeak.

It

feems to be an

odd

fubjedl

of difpute with any man,

ideas in his

whether he has

mind

or not*

Of this at firft view, own forum, ought to

peal.

every man, in his

judge without apit

But ftrange

as

are often at a lofs

we

have of things,

may appear, we to know what ideas or whether we have

any ideas at all upon fome fubje<fts. It ^ven requires a good deal of attention to be
thoroughly fatisfied on this head. Since I wrote thefe papers I found two very
ftriklng inftances of the poffibility there
is,,

that a

man may

hear words witliout

having any idea of the things which they be capable reprefent, and yet afterwards

of returning them to others^ (Combined in a new way, and with great propriety, energy and inftrudtion. The iirft in-^
fiance,
is

that of

Mr. Blacklock,

a poet
blefled

blind from his birth.

Few men
1

with

324

On

the

SUBLIME
which cannot

with the maft perfedl fight can defcrlbe vifual objects with more fpirit and juft*
nefs than this

bhnd man

be attributed to his having a clearer conception of the things he depofHbly

fcribes

than

is

common
to the

to other perfons.

Mr. Spence,

in an elegant preface

which

he has written

works of

this poet,

reafons very ingenioufly> and I imagine

moft part very rightly upon the caufe of this extraordinary phenomenon ;
for the

cannot altogether agree with him, that fome improprieties in language and
I

but

thought which occur in thefe poems have arifen from the blind poet*s imperfec5l conception of vifual objefts, fince
fuch improprieties, and much greater, may be found in writers even of an

higher

clafs

than Mr. Blacklock,

poiTeffed

and

who, notwithftanding,
culty of feeing in
is
its full

the fa-

perfeftion.

Here
by

a poet doubtlefs as

much
as
is

afFedled

his

own

defcriptions
;

any that reads

afFeded with
this

them can be

and yet he

and

BEAUTIFUL.

325

by things of which he neither has, nor can poffibly have any

this ftrong enthuiiafm

idea further than that of a bare found

and

why may

not thofe
in

who

read his

works be
that he

aifefted

the fame

manner

was, with as Httle of any real

?

ideas of the things defcribed

The

fe-

cond inftance
feflbr

of Mr. Saunderfon, proof mathematics in the univerfity of

is

Cambridge.
in

This learned man had ac-

quired great knowledge in natural phi-

aftronomy, and whatever fciences depend upon mathematical iTcill.

lofophy,

What was
the moft to

the moft extraordinary, and

he g^ve excellent leftures upon light and colours ; and this man taught others the theory of thofe

my purpofe,

which they had, and which he But it is himfelf undoubtedly had not.
ideas

the words red, blue, green, probable, that anfwered to him as well as the ideas of the
colours themfelves
;

for the ideas of greater

or

leffer

applied

of refrangibility being to thcfe words, and the blind

degrees

maft

526

On

the

SUBLIME
re-,-

man

being inftrudled in what other

they were found to agree or to
it

fpe<5bs

dif-i

agree,

was* as eafy for hini tQ reafor^

as if

upon the words

rnafler

he had been
Indeed
it

fully

of the id^as.
could

muft be
difcove-

owned he
ries in

make no new
experiment.

the

way of

He

di4

nothing but what

common

difcourfe,

we do every day in When I wrote thisi

laft fentence,

and ufed the words every 4ay and common dlfcourfe, I had no images in my mind of any fucceffion of time;
nor of
other
j

men
nor do

in
I

conference

with each

imagine that the reader will have any fucb ideas on reading it. Neither when I fpoke of red, blue, ^nd
green,

of refrangibility y had I thefe fcveral coloqrs, or the rays of light

as
s^s

well

pafiing into

a.

different

medium,

and

there diverted frorn their coqrfe, painted of iniages. I know before me in the

way

very well that the

mind

poffeifes a faculty

fuch images at pleafure ; but then an adt of tl^e will is neceffary tQ

of

railing

thisi

and
thlsj

BEAUTIFUL.

327

and in ordinary converfation or

it is

reading
at all is

v^ry rarely that any image excited in the mind. If I

fay,
I

I fhall

go

to Italy next

fummer,"
I

am

well underftood.

Yet

believe

no

body has by

this painted

in his imagi-

nation the exad:

pafling

figure of the fpeaker

by land or by water, or both ; fometimes on horfeback, fometimes in a

carriage
;

with
Still

all

the particulars of the

journey.
Italy,

lefs

has he any idea of

the country to which I propofed to go ; or of the greennefs of the fields,

the ripening of the fruits, and the warmth pf the air, with the change to this from
a different feafon,
for

which

are

the ideas

which the word fummer is fubftituted ; but leaft of all has he any image
froni the

word next \

for this

word flanda
furely the

for the idea of many

fummers, with the

:

^xclufion of

all

but one

and

man who
of fuch a
fion.
;..

fays next fummer y has

no images
exclu-^

fucceflion,
fliort,
it

and fuch an

In

is

not only of thof(^

ideg*

328
ideas

On
which

the
are

SUBLIME
abftrad:,

commonly called

and of which no image

at all can

be

formed, but even of particular real beings, that we converfe without having

any idea of them excited

nation
;

in the

imagi-

as will certainly

appear on a di-

ligent examination

of our

own

minds.

Indeed

fo little

does poetry depend for

railing fenfible

its effed:

on the power of

images, that I aiTi convinced it would Jofe a very confiderable part of its energy, if this were the neceffary refult of all
defcription.

Becaufe that union of afis

fecting
ful

words which
all

the mofl power-

of

poetical
its

inflruments,

would
its

frequently lofe
propriety

force

along with

and confiftency, if the fenfible images were always excited. There is not perhaps in the whole Eneid a more
grand and laboured pafFage, than the defcription of Vulcan's cavern in Etna, and
the works that are there carried on. Virgil liwells particularly on the formation of
iht thunder which he defcribes unfinifh-

c4

and

BEAUTIFUL,

329

cd under the hammers of the Cyclops, But what are the principles of this extraordinary compofition
Trts imhris
torti ?

raMoSy tres nubis tiquopf

;

JMderanti

rutili tres ignis et alltis auflri

ierrificosy

Fulgores nunc

fonitumquey metumque

Mifcelant operi^ fiammifque fequacibus Iras*

This feems to
yet if

we

admirably fublime; attend coolly to the kind of

me

fenfible

image which a combination of ideas of this fort muft form, the chimeras of
wild
** **

madmen

and

cannot appear more abfurd than fuch a picture.

i'wijied fiowersy three

Three rays of

of

watry

clouds,

three of fire,

and

three

"
^f
*^

of the isinged fouth wind-, then mixed

they in the

work

terrific lightnings^

and

"

foundy and fear y and angery with purf^^^S fi^^^^'* This ftrange compoformed into a
grofs

fition is

body ;
it is

it is

hammered by
polifhed,

the Cyclops,
partly

in part

and

continues

rough.

The

330

On
truth

the
is,

SUBLIME
nobla

The

if poetry gives us a

aflemblage of words, correfponding to many noble ideas, which are connedled

by circumftances of time or
related to each other as caufe

place,

or

and

efFeft,

or aflbciated in any natural way, they

may

be moulded together in any form, and The pidluperfectly anfwer their end.
refque connexion
is

not demanded
is

bei$

caufe no real pifture

formed

nor
all
is

the effedl of the defcription at lefs upon this account. What

the
faid

of Helen by Priam and the old

his council,
is

men of

generally thought to give

us the higheft poffible idea of that fatal

beauty.

Join

J^'ctfA^t
i'''

yvvcuKt ToKvv x?^^*^ ct\yiA ta^X'^^

Ktva>^

A^AVtik'ntci

^im

m w^a ioimv*

^ey
For

crfd^

m wonder fuch cehjiial charms

!

nine long years have Jet the world in arms |

What

winning graces

what

majejiic mien !

She moves a goddefsy and Jh$ looks a queen,

PoPE,

and

BEAUTIFUL.
one word
faid
;

331
of the
nothing

Here

is

not

particulars

of her

beauty

which can
precife

in the leaft help us to any

;

idea of her perfon

but yet

we

^e much more

touched by this manner of mentioning her than by thefe

Jong and laboured defcriptions of Helen^

whether handed down by tradition, or formed by fancy, which are to be met

with in fbme authors.
affedts

am

fure

it

me much more
;

than the minute

fiefcriptioji

which Spenfer has given of

though
I

Belphebe
parts
0II

own

that there arc

in that defcription, as there are in

the defcriptions of that excellent wri-

ter,

extremely fine and poetical. terrible pidturc which Lucretius

The
has

drawn of

religion,

in order to difplay

the magnanipity of his philofophical hero dein oppofing her, is thought to be

signed with
great boldn^fs and
fpirit,

Humana
Jn

ante oculos

fade cum

vita jaceref^

terrisy epprejfa

gravi fub

religioru^

332

On

the

SUBLIME
;

^a caput

e cosli

regiomhm ofiendehat

Horrlbili defuper vifu mortalibus infiam

Primus Graius homo

EJl
ocidos aufus. ^
'

mortales tollere contra

What
\y
',

idea do you derive

?

from

fo excels

lent a picture

none

at ^11

moft certain*

has the poet faid a fingle vvord which n>ight in the leaft ferve to
neither

mark
in
all

a fingle

Hmb

or feature of the
to reprefent

phantom, which he intended

ceive. In reality poetry

the horrors imagination can con-^

and rhetoric do not

fucceed in

exadl:

defcription fo well as

painting does ; their bufinefs is to affecfl rather hy fympathy than imitation j to

difplay rather the efFedt

of

things

on

the mind of the fpeaker, or of others, than to prefent a clear idea of the things This is their moft extenthemfelves.
live province,

and that in which they

fucceed the beft*

SECT,

and

B:EAUTIFUL,
E C
T.
VI.

^jj

.a

POETRY not ftridly an

imitative art.

HE

N C E we may obferve that poetaken jn

ftridt
its

try,

moft general

fenfe,

cannot with

propriety be called an It is indeed an imiart of imitation.

it

tation fo far as

defcribes the

manners

and pafllons of men which their words can exprefs ; where animi motus effert
interprete
lingua.
-,

There
But
by

it

is

ftridly

imitation
try
is

and

all

merely dramatic poedeferiptive

of this

fort.

poe;

try operates chiefly

fubjiitiition

by
is

the means of founds, which by cuftom

have the

efFeft

of

realities.

Nothing
it

an imitation further than as

rcfembles

fome other thing j and words undoubtedto the ly have no fort of refemblance
ideas for

which they

ftand.

E C T^

^'34

On

the

SUBLIMfi
VII.

SECT.
How WORDS

influence the paffi(m*^i

NO
light
find
;

Wy

as

Words

afFe(9:,

not by any

original power,

But by reprefen-*
theif

iation, it

might be fuppofed^ that

it
is

influence over the paffions fliould be but

yet

quite otherwife

for

we

by experience that eloquence and

poetry are as capable, nay indeed

much
lively

more capable of making deep and

impreflions than any other arts, and even than nature itfelf in very many cafes. And
this arifes chiefly
Fii-ft,

from

thefe three caufes,

take an extraordinary part in the paffions of others, and that v^e'

that
are eafily affedled

we

and brought into fyni-

pathy by any tokens which are fhewrt 6f them ; ^nd there are no tokens which
can exprefs
all

the circumftances of mofl

as paffions fo fully
*

words

fo

that if a

perfon

ali^%^#AtJtlFtJL.
J!)erfon
iliot

335
he
can'
but'

Ipeaksupon

anj^'fiLibjcd:,
'

ohly (xmvcy the

"fiibritia

to yon,

Mkewife theriiafiner in
felf affe<fted

tv^hitli

he

is

him-^

by it. Certain it is, that the influetice of moft things on our paffions is not fo much from the things
themfelves,
as
;

frotn our opinions con-

cerning

and thefe again depend teiy mocii on the opinions of other men, conveyable for the moft part by

them

Words only.

Secondly

there are

many

things of a very affecfting nature, which can feldom occur in the reality, but the

words which reprefent them often do ; and thus they have an opportunity of

making

and taking root in the mind, whilft the idea of the

a deep

impreflion

reality

was

tranfient

and to Ibme perfliape,

haps never really occurred in any

to

whom
as

it

is

notwithftanding very af-

fedVing,
fides,

wtr, death, famine, &c. Beideas have never been at^ all

many

f>refented

to the fenfcs of^'any

Wft

but

by

336

On

the

SUBLIME

by words, as God, angels, devils, heaven and hell, all of w^hich have however a great influence over the paflions.

Thirdly; by words

we

have

it

in our

power

to

make

fuch combinations as

we

cannot poffibly do otherwife. By this power of combining we are able, by the

addition of well-chofen circumftances, to

give a
objedl.

new

life

and force to the fimple

In painting

we may
;

reprefent any

fine figure

we

pl^afe

but

we

never can

give

it

thofe enlivening touches

which

it

may

receive

from words.

To

reprefent

an angel in a pifture, you can only draw, a beautiful young man winged; but what
painting can furnifli out any thing fo " the grand as the addition of one word,

angel of ^Sx^LordT' It is true, I have here no clear idea, but thefe words afi^edt

'^

the
did,

mind more than the

which
is all

fenfible ima2:e
for.

contend

A piccxe--

ture of Priam dragged to the altar's foot>

and there murdered,

if it

were well

cuted

and

BEAUTIFUL.

337

cuted would undoubtedly be very moving ; but there are verj^ aggravating
circumftances which
preient.
it

could never re-

Sanguine fxdanttm quos ipfe facraverat

ignes^

As a

further inftance,

let

Tt|$;,coniidcr

thofe Unes of Milton,

where he

defcribcs

the travels of the fallen angels through

their difinal habitation^

^0\r many a darl and ^e^.ry val$

They pafs'd, and many a region
dolorous \

O'er many a frozen^ ,many a finy Alpi

Rocksy cavesy lakes,fens^ hogs, dens andjbades ofdeathj

A unlverfe of death.
Here
is

difplayed the force of union in

Jlochy caves i lakes y densy hgs, fens and jhades ;

which yet would

lofe

the greateft part of

their efFeft, if they

were not the

338

On

the

SUBLIME
fens and Jhades^-*

Rocks ^ caves^

lakes^ dens^ hogs,

of

Death.

This idea or

this

afFeffion caufed

by a

word, which nothing but a word could annex to the others, raifes a very great degree of the fubhme ; and this fublime
a
*'

is

raifed yet higher

by what follows,

univerfe of
ideas
;

Death"

Here

are again

two

not prefentible but by lan-

guage

and an union of them great and

amazing beyond conception; if they may no properly be called ideas which prefent
diftind:

image

to the

mind ; but

ftill it

will be

difficult to

conceive

how words

can move the paffions which belong to real objeds, without reprefenting thefe
objel3 clearly.

This

is difficult

to us,

becaufe
in

not Efficiently diftinguiffi, our obfervations upon language, beclear expreffion,

we do

tween a

and a ftrong
con-

expreffion.

Thefe

are frequently

founded with each other, though they

^re

knd

feEAUTIFUL.
;

^;^()

^c

in reality extremely different.

The
the

former regards the underftanding

latter

belongs to the paffions.

it is
;

The one
as there is

defcribes a thing as
fcribes it as it

the other de-

is felt.

Now,

moving tone of

voice, an impafTioned

^ffedl

countenance, an agitated gefture, vrhich independently of the things about

are

which they

exerted,

fo there

arc

words, and certain difpofitions of words, which being peculiarly devoted to paTfionate fubjedts,

and always ufed by thofe

who
iion
;

are under the influence of any paf-

they touch and

move

us

more than
and
dif-

thofe

which

far

more

clearly

tinftly exprefs the fubjeft matter.-

We
de-

yield to fympathy,
Icription.

what we
is,

refufe to de-

The
merely

truth
as

all

verbal

scription,

naked

defcription,

though never fo exadt, conveys fo poor and infufficient an idea of the thing deitribed, that
it

finalleft effed:^

could fcarcely have the if the fpeaker did not call

ia

340

On

the

SUBLIME

in to his aid thofe

modes of fpeech that mark a ftrong and lively feeling in himfelf. Then, by the contagion of our

paffions,

we

catch a

fire

already kindled

in another,

which probably might never

ftrongly conveying

have been ftruck out by the objed: de^

fcribed.

Words, by

the paffions, by thofe means which

we

have already mentioned, fully compenfate It for their weaknefs in other refpefts.

may be

obferved that very polifhed lanas are praifed for their guages, and fuch

fuperior clearnefs

and

perlpicuity, are ge-

nerally deficient in ftrength.

The French

language has that perfection, and that

defed:.

Whereas the

oriental tongues,

and in general the languages of moft unhave a great force and poliflied people,
energy of expreflion ; and this is but natural. Uncultivated people are but ordinary obfervers of things, and not critical

in diftinguifhing

them

but,

for

that

reafon, they admire more,

and are
Hiore

and

BEAUTIFUL
with what they
fee,

J41

more

afFedted

and

therefore exprcfs tliemfelves in a

warmer

and more paflionate manner. If the affcdtion be well conveyed, it will work
its effeft

without any clear idea ; often without any idea at all of the thing which
has originally given rife to it. It might be expedled from the
fertility of

the
as
ful

fubje(fl,
it

that

I fliould

eoniider poetiy

regards

the fublime and beautilarge;

more
and

at

but

it
it

mufl be
has been
It

obferved that in this light

often

well

handled
to

already.

was not mjj defign

criticifm
ful

enter

into

the

of the
art,

fublime

and beauti-

in

any
fuch

down
a
fort

but to attempt to lay principles as may tend to

diftinguifli,

afccrtain,

to

and

to
;

form

of ftandard

for

them

which
bcft
cf-

purpofes I thought
fedled

might be

by

an

enquiry into

the

pro-

fuch things in nature as raifc perties of love and aftoniflimcnt in us; and by Ihcwing

342

On

the

SUBLIME,

&c.

ing in what manner they operated to pro-

duce thefe

paffions.

Words were onfhew

ca-

ly fo far to be confidered, as to

upon what
pable
thefe

principle

they were
reprefentatives

of being
natural

the
things,

of

and
affefl:

by

what

powers they were able to

as ftrongly
as the things

us often

they reprefent/
ftrongly.

and fometimes much more

The

END.