СНАР.
I.

Of the Su-
blime and

in question was published: but the author happily lived to see it exploded, and left to chambermaids and waiting women; whose invariable Pathetic. characteristic it has been, from the time when the Princess Nausicaa went from her father's house to wash her garments, to that when Sophia Western went from hers to avoid her lover.

35. This sort of selfish timidity, or extreme solicitude for self-preservation, is always either a real or affected weakness; and is, in either case, equally odious and contemptible. But there is another quality of the mind, which is frequently called timidity, though very impro perly; as it is so far from being incompatible with personal courage, that it arises from that principle, which is its best, and most secure foundation. This is that delicate and modest reserve of behaviour, which proceeds from nice. sensibility, joined to a dignified, but not confident pride; and which, therefore, distinguishes a mind, that dreads shame, but not danger; and trembles at moral, while it scorns physical evil. Such a mind is surely not to be considered as a weak one; since, if it be, almost all human virtue is weakness.

36. Neither is the yielding pliability of a mild and gentle temper to be considered as a mental weakness, though often called so

for,

to comply or yield with ease, dignity, and pro-
priety, requires more real energy of mind, than
can be displayed in any stubbornness and ob-
stinacy of resistance: since that sort of stub-
bornness or obstinacy, which rests upon no
principle of reason, honour, or integrity, is like
the restiveness of a mule, nothing more than
sullen stupidity.
Hence fools are almost
always ill-tempered; and generally sulky and
obstinate; while persons of very enlarged
minds, and very vigorous understandings are,
as generally, good-tempered and compliant:
for the high pride of conscious worth, and great
talents, will not suffer its dignity to be discom-
posed by petty vexations; nor stoop to wrangle
upon those paltry subjects of contention, which
usually disturb the peace of families, and inter-
rupt the harmony of private societies. Feeling
how trivial such subjects of contention are, in
the scale of their own contemplations; and
knowing, at the same time, what serious conse-
quences result from them, in the collision of
little minds, they at once sacrifice their opi-
nions to their peace; and so get that credit
for amiable weakness, which they owe to ex-
alted energy of mind. Thus it is that men,
who lead armies, and govern empires, with the
utmost vigour and ability, are in their own
families often governed by their wives, their mis-
tresses, or their children :-That humoursome

A A

СНАР.

I.

Of the Sublime and Pathetic.

I.

CHAP. boy, said Themistocles pointing to his infant Of the Su- son, governs Greece; for he governs his moblime and ther, his mother governs me, I govern Athens, Pathetic. and Athens governs Greece.

37. Persons, on the contrary, of really weak characters, are always tenacious and opiniative in trifles: for, as their little vanity feels itself interested in maintaining any opinion, which they have once advanced, the more insignificant the object, and the more absurd the opinion, the more obstinately and violently will they contend; since the greater is the humiliation of confessing, and the shame of retracting error. Hence most of those opinions, in support of which much blood has been shed, and great persecutions either inflicted or endured, have been, either extravagant paradoxes, in which neither party could discover any real meaning; or frivolous distinctions, in which both would have been equally puzzled to point out any real differences.

38. Whatever tends to exalt the soul to enthusiasm, tends to melt it at the same time: whence tears are the ultimate effect of all very sublime impressions on the mind;-as much of those of a joyous, as those of a melancholy

cast:

my plenteous joys

Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves
In drops of sorrow

says the benevolent Duncan, on contemplating the prosperity of his kingdom, and the happiness and filial attachment of his subjects. Every generous, as well as every tender feeling of sympathy, when it reaches a certain pitch of rapture and enthusiasm, relieves its fulness in tears * ;-even those feelings, which are excited by the stern and unamiable passions of anger, hatred, envy, and jealousy. Of this we have very striking instances in the sudden bursts of anger in Lear, the gloomy effusions of hatred and envy in de Montford, and the impassioned expressions of jealousy in Othello; all of which, in the glowing and enthusiastic parts, equally draw tears from the audience: not, indeed, from our sympathizing with any of those rough and turbulent passions; but because the pressure of such passions, upon great and elevated minds, exhibits an interesting struggle of contending affections; from which emanate the most striking flashes of glowing, pathetic, sublime, and vigorous sentiment; with all which we sympathize, in proportion to the truth, spirit, and energy, with which they are expressed. The most perfect instance of this kind is the tragedy of Macbeth; in which the character of an ungrateful traitor, murderer, usurper, and tyrant, is made, in the highest degree, interesting, by

ὕτω κοινον τι αρα χαρα και λυπη δάκρυα εσιν. Xenoph. Hellenic. vii. 1. f. 22.

A A

CHAP.

I.

Of the Sublime and Pathetic.

CHAP. 1.

Of the Su

the sublime flashes of generosity, magnanimity, courage, and tenderness, which continually blime and burst forth in the manly, but ineffective struggle Pathetic. of every exalted quality, that can dignify and adorn the human mind, first against the allurements of ambition, and afterwards against the pangs of remorse, and horrors of despair. Though his wife has been the cause of all his crimes and sufferings, neither the agony of his distress, nor the fury of his rage, ever draw from him an angry word or upbraiding expression towards her: but even when, at her instigation, he is about to add the murder of his friend, and late colleague, to that of his sovereign, kinsman, and benefactor, he is chiefly anxious that she should not share the guilt of his blood. "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed." How much more real grandeur and exaltation of character is displayed in one such simple expression from the heart, than in all the laboured pomp of rhetorical amplification!

39. In the tragedy of Venice Preserved, the unprincipled malignity, and sanguinary atrocity of the conspirators are studiously exposed; and exaggerated to the utmost bounds of probability: while, in that of Julius Cæsar, their good qualities only are shown; the stern patriotism of the one leader; and the strict integrity, and amiable virtue of the other,