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tion is disgustful. Every one must be senfible of a grofs incongruity in the Lutrin, a burlesque poem, being closed with a serious and warm panegyric on Lamoignon, one of the King's judges:

Amphora cœpit

Inftitui; currente rota, cur urceus exit?

No relation affords more examples of congruity and incongruity, than that betwixt a fubject and its ornaments. A literary performance intended merely for amusement, is fufceptible of much ornament, as well as a mufic-room or a play-house. In gaiety, the mind hath a peculiar relish for show and decoration. The moft gorgeous apparel, however unsuitable to an actor in a regular tragedy, difgufts not at an opera. The truth is, an opera, in its present form, is a mighty fine thing; but as it deviates from nature in its capital circumstances, we look not for any thing natural in those which are acceffory. On the other hand, a serious and important subject, admits not much orVOL. II.

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nament

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nament*: nor a subject that of itself is extremely beautiful. And a fubject that fills the mind with its loftinefs and grandeur, appears best in a drefs altogether plain.

To a person of a mean appearance, gorgeous apparel is unfuitable: which, befide the incongruity, has a bad effect; for by contraft it shows the meannefs of appearance in the strongest light. Sweetness of look and manner, requires fimplicity of drefs joined with the greatest elegance. A stately and majestic air requires fumptuous apparel, which ought not to be gaudy, or crowded with little ornaments. A woman of confummate beauty can bear to be highly adorned, and yet fhows beft in a plain drefs:

For lovelinefs

Needs not the foreign aid of ornament,
But is when unadorn'd, adorn'd the most.

Thomson's Autumn, 208.

* Contrary to this rule, the introduction to the third volume of the Characteristics, is a continued chain of metaphors. These in such profufion are too florid for the subject; and. have befide the bad effect of removing our attention from the principal fubject, to fix it upon fplendid trifles.

In judging of the propriety of ornament, we must attend, not only to the nature of the subject that is to be adorned, but also to the circumstances in which it is placed. The ornaments that are proper for a ball, will appear not altogether fo decent at public worship; and the fame perfon ought to dress differently for a marriage-feast and for a burial.

Nothing is more intimately related to a man, than his fentiments, words, and actions; and therefore we require here the ftrictest conformity. When we find what we thus require, we have a lively sense of propriety: when we find the contrary, our fense of impropriety is not lefs lively. Hence the univerfal diftaste of affectation, which confifts in making a fhew of greater delica

cy and refinement than is suited either to the character or circumftances of the perfon. Nothing hath a worse effect in a story than impropriety of manners. In Corneille's tragedy of Cinna, Emilia, a favourite of Auguftus, receives daily marks of his affection, and is loaded with benefits; yet all the while is laying plots to affaffinate her benefactor,

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nefactor, directed by no other motive but to avenge her father's death. Revenge against a benefactor founded folely upon filial piety, will never fuggeft unlawful means; because it can never exceed the bounds of justice. And yet the crime here attempted, murder under truft repofed, is what even a mifcreant will scarce attempt against his bitterest enemy.

What is faid may be thought fufficient to explain the qualities of congruity and propriety. But the fubject is not exhausted, On the contrary, the profpect enlarges up, on us, when we take under view the effects these qualities produce in the mind. Congruity and propriety, where-ever perceived, appear agreeable; and every agreeable object produceth in the mind a pleasant emotion. Incongruity and impropriety, on the other hand, are difagreeable; and confequently produce painful emotions. An emotion of this kind fometimes vanisheth without any confequence; but more fre quently is the occafion of other emotions

See act 1. fc. 2.

When

When any flight incongruity is perceived in an accidental combination of perfons or things, as of passengers in a stage-coach or of individuals dining at an ordinary, the emotion of incongruity, after a momentary existence, vanisheth without producing any effect. But this is not the cafe of propriety and impropriety. Voluntary acts, whether words or deeds, are imputed to the author: when proper, we reward him with our esteem: when improper, we punish him with our contempt. Let us suppose, for example, an heroic action fuitable to the character of the author, which raifes in him and in every fpectator the pleasant emotion of propriety. This emotion generates in the author both self-esteem and joy; the former when he confiders his relation to the action, and the latter when he confiders the good opinion that others will entertain of him. The fame emotion of propriety, produceth in the fpectators, efteem for the author of the action: and when they think of themselves, it also produceth, by means of contrast, an emotion of humility. To discover the effects of an unfuitable action,

we

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