fing Show in Nature, than what appears in the Heavens at the rifing and fetting of the Sun, which is wholly made up of thofe different Stains of Light that flew themselves in Clouds of a different Situation. For, this Reafon we find the Poets, who are always addreffing themselves to the Imagination, borrowing more of their Epithets from Colours than from any other Topic. As the Fancy delights in every thing that is Great, Strange, or Beautiful, and is ftill more pleafed the more it finds of thefe Perfections in the fame Object, fo is it capable of receiving a new Satisfaction by the Affiftance of another Senfe. Thus any continued Sound, as the Mu fick of Birds, or a Fall of Water, awakens every Moment the Mind of the Beholder, and makes him more attentive to the feveral Beauties of the Place that lye before him. Thus if there arifes a Fragrancy of Smells or Perfumes, they heighten the Pleasures of the Imagination, and make even the Colours and Verdure of the Landskip appear more agreeable; for the Ideas of both Senfes recommend each other, and are pleasanter together than when they enter the Mind feparately: Ast the different Colours of a Picture, when they are well difpofed, fet off one another, and receive an additional Beauty from the Advantage of their Situation. N° 413. Tuesday, June 24. -Caufa latet, vis eft notiffima-Ovid. HOUGH in Yesterday's Paper we confi Tdered how every thing that is Great, New, or Beautiful, is apt to affect the Imagination with Pleasure, we must own that it is impoffible for us to affign the neceffary Cause of this Pleasure, be because we know neither the Nature of an Idea, nor the Substance of a Human Soul, which might help us to discover the Conformity or Difagreeableness of the one to the other; and therefore, for want of fuch a Light, all that we can do in Speculations of this kind, is to reflect on those Operations of the Soul that are most agreeable, and to range, under their proper Heads, what is pleating or difpleafing to the Mind, without being able to trace out the feveral neceffary and efficient Causes from whence the Pleasure or Difpleasure arifes. FINAL Caufes lye more bare and open to our Obfervation, as there are often a greater Variety that belong to the fame Effect; and thefe, tho' they are not altogether fo fatisfactory, are generally more useful than the other, as they give us greater Occafion of admiring the Goodness and Wisdom of the first Contriver. ONE of the Final Caufes of our Delight, in any thing that is great, may be this. The Supreme Author of our Being has fo formed the Soul of Man, that nothing but himself can be its laft, adequate, and proper Happiness. Because, therefore, a great Part of our Happiness muft arife from the Contemplation of his Being, that he might give our Souls a juft Relish of fuch a Contemplation, he has made them naturally delight in the Apprehenfion of what is Great or Unlimited. Our Admiration, which is a very pleafing Motion of the Mind, immediately rifes at the Confideration of any Object that takes up a great deal of Room in the Fancy, and, by Confequence, will improve into the highest Pitch of Aftonishment and Devotion when we contemplate his Nature, that is neither circumfcribed by Time nor Place, nor to be comprehended by the Jargeft Capacity of a Created Being. HE HE has annexed a fecret Pleasure to the Idea of any thing that is new or uncommon, that he might encourage us in the Purfuit after Knowledge, and engage us to fearch into the Wonders of his Creation; for every new Idea brings fuch a Pleafure along with it, as rewards any Pains we have taken in its Acquifition, and confequently ferves as a Motive to put us upon fresh Discoveries. HE has made every thing that is beautiful in our own Species pleafant, that all Creatures might be tempted to multiply their Kind, and fill the World with Inhabitants; for 'tis very remarkable that where-ever Nature is croft in the Production of a Monster (the Refult of any unnatural Mixture) the Breed is incapable of propagating its Likenefs, and of founding a new Order of Creatures; fo that unless all Animals were allured by the Beauty of their own Species, Generation would be at an End, and the Earth unpeopled. IN the laft Place, he has made every thing that is beautiful in all other Objects pleafant, or rather has made so many Objects appear beautiful, that he might render the whole Creation more gay and delightful. He has given almost every thing about us the Power of raifing an agreeable Idea in the Imagination: So that it is impoffible for us to behold his Works with Coldness or Indifference, and to furvey fo many Beauties without a fecret Satisfaction and Complacency. Things would make but a poor Appearance to the Eye, if we saw them only in their proper Figures and Motions: And what Reafon can we affign for their exciting in us many of those Ideas which are different from any thing that exifts in the Objects themselves, (for such are Light and Colours) were it not to add Supernumerary Ornaments to the Universe, and make it more agreeable to the Imagination? We are every where entertained with pleasing Shows and Apparitions, we difcover Imaginary Glories in the Heavens, and in the Earth, and fee some of this Vifionary Beauty poured out upon the whole Creation; but what a rough unfightly Sketch of Nature fhould we be entertained with, did all her Colouring difappear, and the feveral Diftin&tions of Light and Shade vanish? In fhort, our Souls are at prefent delightfully loft and bewildered in a pleafing Delufion, and we walk about like the Enchanted Hero of a Romance, who fees beautiful Caftles, Woods and Meadows; and at the fame time hears the warbling of Birds, and the purling of Streams; but upon the finishing of fome fecret Spell, the fantastick Scene breaks up, and the difconfolate Knight finds himself on a barren Heath, or in a folitary Defart. It is not improbable that fomething like this may be the State of the Soul after its first Separation, in respect of the Images it will receive from Matter, tho' indeed the Ideas of Colours are fo pleafing and beautiful in the Imagination, that it is poffible the Soul will not be deprived of them, but perhaps find them excited by fome other Occafional Caufe, as they are at prefent by the different Impreffions of the fubtile Matter on the Organ of Sight. I have here fuppofed that my Reader is acquainted with that great Modern Discovery, which is at prefent univerfally acknowledged by all the Enquirers into Natural Philofophy: Namely, that Light and Colours, as apprehended by the Imagination, are only Ideas in the Mind, and not Qualities that have any Exiftence in Matter. As this is a Truth which has been proved incontestably by many Modern Philofophers, and is indeed one of the finest Speculations in that Science, if the English Reader would fee the Notion explained at large, he may find it in the Eighth Chapter of the Second Second Book of Mr. Lock's Effay on Human Understanding. N°414. Wednesday, June 25. Alterius fic Altera pofcit opem res & conjurat amicè. IF Hor. F we confider the Works of Nature and Art, as they are qualified to entertain the Imagination, we fhall find the laft very defective, in Comparison of the former; for though they may fometimes appear as Beautiful or Strange, they can have nothing in them of that Vaftness and Immenfity, which afford fo great an Entertainment to the Mind of the Beholder. The one may be as Polite and Delicate as the other, but can never fhew her felf fo Auguft and Magnificent in the Defign. There is fomething more bold and masterly in the rough careless Strokes of Nature, than in the nice Touches and Embellishments of Art. The Beauties of the most stately Garden of Palace lie in a narrow Compass, the Imagination immediately runs them over, and requires fomething elfe to gratifie her; but, in the wide Fields of Nature, the Sight wanders up and down without Confinement, and is fed with an infinite variety of Images, without any certain Stint or Number. For this Reason we always find the Poet in love with a Country-Life, where Nature appears in the greateft Perfection, and furnishes out all thofe Scenes that are most apt to delight the Imagination. Scriptorum chorus omnis amat nemus & fugit Urbes. Hic Secura quies, & nefcia fallere vita, BUT |