er fights of science. By looking into physical causes, our minds are opened and enlarged ; and in this pursuit, whether we take or whether we lose our game, the chace is certainly of service. Cicero, true as he was to the academick philosophy, and consequently led to reject the certainty of physical, as of every other kind of knowledge, yet freely confesses its great importance to the human understanding ; « Est animo“ rum ingeniorumque nostrorum nuturale quaddam quasi pabu« lum consideratio contemplatioque naturæ.” If we can direct the lights we derive from such exalted speculations, upon the humbler field of the imagination, whilst we investigate the springs, and trace the courses of our passions, we may not only communicate to the taste a sort of philosophical solidity, but we may reflect back on the severer sciences some of the and elegancies of taste, without which the greatest proficiency in those sciences will always have the appearance of something illiberal. graces CONTENTS PAGE A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful 81 [The first edition of this work was published in 1756: the second, with large additions, in the year 1757.] Introduction. On Taste 63 81 82 84 85 87 PART I. SECT. 1. Novelty II. Pain and Pleasure III. The Difference between the removal of Pain and positive Pleasure IV. Of Delight and Pleasure, as opposed to each other vation Passions belonging to self-preservation, and those which regard the Society of the sexes others 88 ibid 89 90 91 92 93 ibid 94 I. Of the Passion caused by the Sublime II. Terrour ibid IV. Of the difference between Clearness and Ob- scurity with regard to the Passions [IV]. The same subject continued XI. Infinity in pleasing Objects XVI. Colour considered as productive of the Sublime ibid III. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in Animals 137 IV. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in the V. Proportion further considered VI. Fitness not the cause of Beauty VII. The real effects of Fitness IX. Perfection not the cause of Beauty X. How far the idea of Beauty may be applied XI. How far the idea of Beauty may be applied XXII. Grace ibid XXIII. Elegance and Speciousness Beautiful II. Association III. Cause of Pain and Fear IV. Continued V. How the Sublime is produced VI. How Pain can be a cause of Delight 167 168 169 171 172 ibid VII. Exercise necessary for the finer Organs 174 VIII. Why things not dangerous sometimes pro- ibid IX. Why visual objects of great dimensions are X. Unity, why requisite to Vastness XII. The vibrations must be similar XIII. The effects of succession in visual objects ex- ibid XIV. Locke's opinion concerning Darkness con- XV. Darkness terrible in its own nature XVII. The effects of Blackness XVIII. The effects of Blackness moderated XIX. The physical cause of Love XX. Why Smoothness is Beautiful ideas of things III. General words before ideas IV. The effect of Words V. Examples that words may affect without rais- ing images VI. Poetry not strictly an imitative art VII. How Words influence the Passions 198 199 201 202 206 207 |