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INTRODUCTION.

THAT nothing external is perceived till fuft it makes an impreffion upon the organ of first fense, is an obfervation that holds equally in every one of the external fenfes. But there is a difference as to our knowledge of that impreffion in touching, tafting, and fmelling, we are fenfible of the impreffion; that, for example, which is made upon the hand by a stone, upon the palate the palate by an apricot, and upon the noftrils by a rofe: it is otherwife in fecing and hearing; for I am not fenfible of the impreffion made upon my eye, when I behold a tree; nor of the impreffion made upon my ear, when I liften to a fong.* That difference in the manner of perceiving external objects, diftinguifheth remarkably hearing and feeing from the other fenfes; and I am ready to fhow, that it diftinguitheth ftill more remarkably the feelings of the former from that of the latter; every feeling, pleafant or painful, muft be in the mind; and yet, because in tafting, touching, and smelling, we are fenfible of the impreffion

See the Appendix, 13.

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VOL. I.

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made upon the organ, we are led to place there alfo the pleasant or painful feeling caufed by that impreffion; but, with refpect to feeing and hearing, being infenfible of the organic impreffion, we are not mifled to affign a wrong place to the pleasant or painful feelings caufed by that impreffion; and therefore we naturally place them in the mind, where they really are upon that account, they are conceived to be more refined and fpiritual, than what are derived from tafting, touching, and fmclling; for the latter feelings, feeming to exift externally at the organ of fenfe, are conceived to be merely corporeal.

The pleafures of the eye and the ear, being thus elevated above thofe of the other external fenfes, acquire fo much dignity as to become a laudable entertainment. They are not, however, fet on a level with the purely intellectual; being no lefs inferior in dignity to intellectual,

pleasures,

* After the utmost efforts, we find it beyond our power to conceive the flavour of a rofe to exift in the mind: we are neceffarily led to conceive that pleafure as exilling in the norils along withthe impreffion made by the rofe upon that organ. And the fame will be the refuit of experiments with refpect to every feeling of tafte, touch, and finell. Touch affords the most fatisfactory experiments. Were it not that the delufion is detected by philofophy, no perfon would hefitate to pronounce, that the pleafure arifing from touching a fmooth, foft, and velvet furface, has its exiftence at the ends of the fingers, without once dreaming of its exifting any where elfe,

pleafures, than fuperior to the organic or corporeal they indeed refemble the latter, being, like them, produced by external objects; but they alfo refemble the former, being, like them, produced without any fenfible organic impreffion. Their mixt nature and middle place between organic and intellectual pleafures, qualify them to affociate with both; beauty heightens all the organic feelings, as well as the intellectual harmony, though it afpires to inflame. devotion, difdains not to improve the relish of a banquet.

The pleafures of the eye and the ear have other valuable properties befide thofe of dignity and elevation: being fweet and moderately exhilarating, they are in their tone equally diftant from the turbulence of paffion, and the langour of indolence; and by that tone are perfectly well qualified, not only to revive the fpirits when funk by fenfual gratification, but also to relax them when overftrained in any violent purfuit. Here is a remedy provided for many diftreffes; and, to be convinced of its falutary effects, it will be fufficient to run over the following particulars. Organic pleafures have naturally a fhort duration; when prolonged, they lofe their relifh; when indulged to excess, they beget fatiety and difguft: and, to reflore a proper

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a proper tone of mind, nothing can be more happily contrived than the exhilarating pleatures of the eye and ear. On the other hand, any intenfe exercife of intellectual powers, becomes painful by overftraining the mind ceffation from fuch exercife gives not inftant relief; it is neceffary that the void be filled with fome amufement, gently relaxing the fpirits: organic pleasure, which hath no relifh but while we are in vigour, is ill qualified for that office; but the finer pleafures of fenfe, which occupy without exhaufting the mind, are finely qualified to restore its ufual tone after fevere application to ftudy or bufinefs, as well, as after fatiety from fenfual gratification.

Our first perceptions are of external objects, and our firft attachments are to them. Organic pleasures take the lead; but the mind, gradually ripening, relifheth more and more the pleafures? of the eye and ear; which approach the purely mental, without exhaufting the fpirits; and exceed the purely fenfual, without danger of fatiety. The pleafures of the eye and ear have accordingly a natural aptitude to draw us from the immoderate gratification of fenfual appetite; and the mind, once accuftomed to enjoy a varicty of external objects without being fenfible of

*Du Bos judicioufly obferves, that filence doth not tend to calm an agitated mind; but that foft and flow mufic hath a fine effect.

of the organic impreffion, is prepared for enjoying internal objects where there cannot be an organic impreffion. Thus the author of pature, by qualifying the human mind for a fucceffion of enjoyments from low to high, leads it by gentle fteps from the moft grovelling corporcal pleafures, for which only it is fitted in the beginning of life, to thofe refined and fublime pleafures that are fuited to its maturity.

But we are not bound down to this fucceffion by any law of neceffity: the God of Nature offers it to us in order to advance our happinefs; and it is fufficient, that he hath enabled us to carry it on in a natural courfe. Nor has he made our talk either difagreeable or difficult.: on the contrary, the tranfition is fweet and cafy, from corporeal pleafures to the more refined pleasures of fenfe; and no less fo, from these to the exalted pleafures of morality and religion. We ftand therefore engaged in honour, as well as intereft to fecond the purposes of nature, by cultivating the pleafures of the eye and ear, thofe efpecially that require extraordinary culture;*

fuch

* A tafle for natural objects is born with usin perfection; for relifling a fine countenance, a rich landfcape, or a vivid colour, culture is unneceffary. The obfervation holds equally in natural founds, fuch as the finging of birds, or the murmuring of a brook.. Nature here, the artificer of the object as well as of the percipient, hath accurately fuited them to each other. But of a poem, a cântata, a picture, or other artificial production, a true relish is not commonly attained, without fome ftudy and much practice."

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