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re as riches, honours, fame, power, and all thole acquifitions "which are furrounded with a vast external pomp, but can "have no intrinfic excellence in the eyes of men of fenfe, who « know that it is rather an excellence to defpife them, and "that the poffeffors are by no means so justly the objects of "admiration, as those who might acquire them, but have « fuch dignity of foul, as to look down upon them with ins « difference. So are we to judge, of grandeur in poetry "and eloquence, and whether there may here be found a "certain outward fhew of greatness, supported by a profufion « of falfe and injudicious ornament, but fuch, as when ac "curately examined, proves devoid of folidity, and what it is "much more noble to contemn than to admire.It is "from NATURE that the foul is in fome fort elevated by the « true fublime, that it feels the generous tranfport, and « fwells with delight and exultation, as if, what is heard, « had been a conception of it's own. But when the fame thing, frequently repeated to a man of fenfe, and one conver"fant in works of genius, doth not raise his mind to generous "fentiments, doth not leave it filled with something greater

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ταύτην, (η πολὺ πρόσκειται τὸ εἰκῆ προσαναπλατζόμενον), ἀναπλυσσόμενα δὲ ἄλλως εὑρίσκοιτο χαῦνας ὧν τε θαυμάζειν τὸ περιφρονεῖν εὐγενέτερον· Φύσει γάρ πως ὑπὸ τἀληθῆς ὕψες ἐπαιρεταί τε ἡμῶν ἡ ψυχή, καὶ γαῦρόν τι ἀνάθημα λαμβάνεσα πληρᾶς ται χαρᾶς καὶ μεγαλαυχίας, ὡς αὐτὴ γεννήσασα ὅπερ ήκεσεν. Ὅταν ἦν ὑπ ̓ ἀνδρὸς ἔμφρονος καὶ ἐμπείρε λόγων πολλάκις. ἀκεόμενόν τι πρὸς μεγαλοφροσύνην τὴν ψυχὴν μὴ συνδιατιθῇ μηδ ̓ ἐκαταλείπῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ πλεῖον τῷ λεγομένη τὸ ἀναθεωρέμενον, πίπλη δ, ἂν τὸ συνεχές ἐπισκοπῆς, εἰς ἀπαύξησιν' ἐκ ἂν ἔτ ̓ ἀληθὲς ὕψος εἴη, μέχρι

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μόνης τῆς ἀκοῆς σωζόμενον. Τέτο γὰρ τῷ
ὄντι μέγα, ξ πολλὴ μὲν ἡ ἀναθεώρησις,
δύσκολος δὲ, μᾶλλον δ ̓ ἀδύνατος ἡ κατεξα-
νάςασις ἰσχυρὰ δὲ ἡ μνήμη, καὶ δυσεξά-
λειπίος,. Ὅλως δὲ καλὰ νόμιζε ὕψη καὶ
ἀληθινὰ, τὰ διαπανὶὸς ἀρέσκοντα καὶ πᾶσιν·
ὅταν γὰρ τοῖς ἀπὸ διαφόρων ἐπιτηδευμάτων,
βίων, ζήλων, ἡλικιῶν, λόγων ἕν τι καὶ ταυ
τὸν ἅμα περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἅπασι δοκῇ, τόν
ἡ ἐξ ἀσυμφώνων ὡς κρίσις καὶ συγκατάθεσις
τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ θαυμαζομένῳ πίσιν ἰχυρὰν
λαμβάνει καὶ ἀναμφίλεκτον. Long. S. 7.
Ed. Pearce.

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then the import of the bare expretion, but fiaks on rel peated examination, and leffens into meanneft; fich, we may be affured, can never be the true fublime, whose ef"fects remain no longer than the words are pronounced. But "the characters of real and genuine fublimity are these. It "Ells the mind with vat conceptions; it is difficult, nay impoffble to bear up against the force of its impretion; and "the remembrance of it is ftrong, foarcely ever to be effaced. * In a word, you are to eteem that really beautiful and fublime, which approves itself to all times and all perlas. “For when men of fuch various occupations, eget, MORRITI, and purite, write in one and the fame judgment upon any performance, this harmonious combination of opinions forms the real and indispatable criterion of what is truly "marvellous and fublime."

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We find then, that whatever is local or accidental, whatever is dignifed and ennobled by arbitrary or cafual connexions, is not that fublime of which the Critic fpeaks; is not that wonderful and affecting quality, which the man of judgment and experience in works of genius, [ANHP EM¢PON KAI ΕΜΠΕΙΡΟΣ ΛΟΓΩΝ] pronounces truly grand and tranfporting. He diftinguishes between external pomp, and intrinfic greatness; between the momentary impreffion, and that which is permanent and indelible, which reason and reflection confirm and enforce; which stands the shock of time; prevails over all accidental changes of manners; nor is impaired by the alteration of language; but however, and whenever it is proposed to those who are qualified for judging, must always be approved and admired.

СНАР. Х.

СНАР. Х.

UT not to rest folely upon authority however venerable,

Blet us now proceed to confider, whether this opinion of

the local and cafual nature of fublimity can abide the test of Y

reafon.

It can scarcely be controverted, I prefume, that fome fubjects are in themselves intrinfically and effentially greater and more elevated than others: and that whenever they are proposed to the mind, they must be received with superior emotion, reverence, awe, or terror, naturally and instinctively, or at least independant of any cafual affociation of ideas. We call the ocean a grander object than a rivulet, because it strikes the fenfes and imagination more forcibly. The ferious actions and engagements of human life, are really greater objects than it's amusements. A battle is still a more aweful subject than any of the calmer occupations of focial life. And the works and difpenfations of the Deity, ftill more auguft and aweful than the most striking actions of the Creature.

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There is also an effential difference between the fentiments and conceptions of different men, when employed on grand fubjects, according to their different degrees of judgment, knowledge, refinement, liveliness of fancy, and fuch like. He who conceived that the end of conqueft was to eat and drink," thought but meanly upon a magnificent fubject. The fentiment of Parmenio, on the fame fubject, was more exalted: that of Alexander, greater ftill, yet perhaps, without rifing to the utmost pitch of true dignity, or being entirely divested of ΤΟ ΕΧΩΘΕΝ ΠΡΟΣΤΡΑΓΩΔΟΥΜΕΝΟΝ.

There is no grander and more aweful fubject, on which a writer or speaker can be employed, than that of the Deityexecuting his justice publicly and fenfibly, upon his offending creatures. Let it then be confidered, whether there be not a real and intrinfic difference, as to the dignity of fentiment and conception, between two different writers, furnished with the fame grandeur of subject.—In one part of the Alcoran, Mahomet relates how the Lord defeated the Ethiopians, whọ came mounted on elephants to deftroy the temple of Mecca, by fending birds against them, which threw down ftones upon their heads. We are told, that each of these birds carried three ftones, one in the mouth, and the other two in the feet: that these ftones, tho' not much larger than peafe, were yet of such weight that they pierced the foldiers thro' their armour, and that on each of them was written the name of him who was to be flain by it.

I prefume, we can make no fcruple to declare, that the fentiments here expreffed, of the agency and inftruments of the Deity, are not fufficiently exalted for the subject; but rather mean and minute, and devoid of real dignity. At least we may appeal to the feelings of any man in any nation,

not

not intirely savage, and brutally ignorant, whether the following short account of the facred historian, be not infinitely more affecting and elevating.

"And it came to pass that night, that the ANGEL OF THE "LORD went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand; and when they arofe early in the morning, behold! they were all dead corpfes ! 2 Kings, 19. 35.

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In the account of Mahomet's journey into heaven, we meet with scarcely any circumftance, that is not difgufting by it's meanness and puerility.-His beast fo vicious, that nothing but a promise of a place in paradife could prevail on him to fuffer the prophet to mount him.-His angels in the shape of birds and beasts.-His cock as white as fnow, with his feet on the first heaven, and his head rifing to the distance of five hundred years journey; crowing fo loud, that all hear it that are in heaven and earth, except men and fairies.-Surely there is an intrinfic difference in point of fublime fentiment, between this motley mixture of the great and the ridiculous,*

*Here it may be obferved, that if a just dignity and elevation of fentiment be the first and most valuable part of fub-lime compofition, and if fublimity be fo effential an ingredient of Eloquence, it follows, that the Alcoran, in which are found fuch coldness, meanness, and puerility of fentiment, upon the nobleft fubjects, cannot merit that exalted character which my Lord Bishop of Gloucefter hath been pleased to beftow upon it, cannot be as real and fubflantial a pattern of eloquence, as any what

ever; much lefs, can it acquire this

character, in the way which his Lordfhip hath pointed out, from the prejudices and opinions of thofe who are faid to regulate their notions of what is grand and elegant, by this very compofition. To them it may be a pattern of eloquence: that is, they know no better pattern. But even in them it would be rashness to conclude that there is therefore really no better: (what is attempted to be proved with respect to fublimity, being equally applicable to Eloquence in general.)

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