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portion to the height. If they be out of all pro portion, the oppofition feizes the mind and raises fome degree of wonder, which makes the difference appear greater than it really is.

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PART VI.

The Refemblance of Emotions to their Caufes.

THAT

HAT many emotions have fome resemblance to their caufes, is a truth that can be made clear by induction; though, as far as I know, the obfervation has not been made by any writer. Motion, in its different circumftances, is productive of feelings that refemble it fluggish motion, for example, causeth a languid unpleasant feeling; flow uniform motion, a feeling calm and pleasant; and brifk motion, a lively feeling that roufes the fpirits, and promotes activity. A fall of water through rocks, raifes in the mind a tumultuous confufed agitation, extremely fimilar to its caufe. When force is exerted with any effort, the fpectator feels a fimilar effort, as of force exerted within his mind. A large object fwells in the heart. An elevated object makes the fpectator stand erect. Sounds also produce emotions or feelings that refemble them. A found in a low key brings down the mind fuch a found in a full tone hath a certain folemnity, which it communicates to the feeling produced by it. A found in a high key cheers the mind by raifing it fuch a found in a full tone both elevates and fwells the mind,

Again, a wall or a pillar that declines from the perpendicular, produceth a painful feeling as of a tot

tering and falling within the mind: and a feeling fomewhat fimilar is produced by a tall pillar that ftands fo ticklish as to look like falling. * A column with a bafe looks more firm and ftable than upon the naked ground; and for that reafon is more agreeable; and though the cylinder is a more beautiful figure, yet the cube for a base is preferred; its angles being extended to a greater diftance from. the centre than the circumference of a cylinder. This excludes not a different reafon, that the bafe, the fhaft, and the capital, of a pillar, ought, for the fake of variety, to differ from each other: if the fhaft be round, the base and capital ought to be fquare.

A constrained pofture, uneafy to the man himself, is difagreeable to the fpectator; whence a rule in painting, that the drapery ought not to adhere to the body, but hang loofe, that the figures may appear eafy and free in their movements. The constrained pofture of a French dancing-mafter in one of Hogarth's pieces, is for that reafon difagreeable; and it is also ridiculous, because the constraint is affumed as a grace.

The foregoing obfervation is not confined to emotions or feelings raised by ftill life: it holds alfo in what are raised by the qualities, actions, and paffions, of a fenfible being. Love infpired by a fine woman, affumes her qualities: it is fublime, foft, tender, fevere, or gay, according to its caufe. This is ftill more remarkable in emotions raised by human actions: it hath already been remarked,† that any fignal inftance of gratitude, befide procuring esteem for the author, raiseth

Sunt enim Tempe faltus tranfitu difficiles: nam præter anguftias per quinque millia, qua exiguum jumento onufto iter eft, rupes utrinque ita abfciffæ funt, ut defpici vix fine vertigine quadam fimul oculorum animi que poffit. Titus Livius, lib. 44. fe&t. 6.

+ Part 1. of this chapter, feat. 4.

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raiseth in the spectator a vague emotion of gratitude, which difpofeth him to be grateful; and I now further remark, that this vague emotion hath a strong refemblance to its caufe, namely, the paffion that produced the grateful action: courage exerted infpires the reader as well as the fpectator with a like emotion of courage, a juft action fortifies our love of justice, and a generous action rouses our generofity. In fhort, with refpect to all virtuous actions, it will be found by induction, that they lead us to imitation by infpiring emotions refembling the paffions that produce thefe actions. And hence the advantage of choice books and choice company.

Grief as well as joy are infectious: the emotions they raife in a fpectator, refemble them perfectly. Fear is equally infectious and hence in an army, a few taking fright, even without caufe, fpread the infection till it becomes an univerfal panic. Pity is fimilar to its caufe: a parting fcene between lovers or friends produceth in the fpectator a fort of pity, which is tender like the diftrefs: the anguifh of remorfe, produceth pity of a harsh kind; and if the remorse be extreme, the pity hath a mixture of horror. Anger I think is fingular: for even where it is moderate, and caufeth no difguft, it difposes not the Spectator to anger in any degree.* Covetoufnefs, cruelty, treachery, and other vicious paffions, are so far from raifing any emotion fimilar to themfelves, to incite a fpectator to imitation, that they have an oppofite effect they raife abhorrence, and fortify the fpectator in his averfion to fuch actions. When anger is immoderate, it cannot fail to produce the fame effect.

PART

* Ariftotle, Poet. cap. 18. fect. 3. fays, that anger raifeth in the fpte tator a fimilar emotion of anger.

PART VII.

Final Caufes of the more frequent Emotions and

IT

Paffions.

T is a law in our nature, that we never act but by the impulfe of defire; which in other words. is faying, that paffion, by the defire included in it, is what determines the will. Hence in the conduct of life, it is of the utmost importance, that our paffions be directed to proper objects, tend to just and rational ends, and with relation to each other, be duly balanced. The beauty of contrivance, fo confpicuous, in the human frame, is not confined to the rational part of our nature, but is visible over the whole. Concerning the paffions in particular, however irregular, headstrong, and perverfe, in a flight view, they may appear, I hope to demonftrate, that they are by nature modelled and tempered with perfect wifdom, for the good of fociety as well as for private good. The fubject, treated at large, would be too extenfive for the prefent work: all there is room for are a few general obfervations upon the fenfitive part of our na ture, without regarding that ftrange irregularity of paffion discovered in fome individuals. Such topical irregularities, if I may use the term, cannot fairly be held an objection to the present theory: we are frequently, it is true, mifled by inordinate paffion; but we are alfo, and perhaps no lefs frequently, mifled by wrong judgment.

In order to fulfil my engagement, it must be premifed, that an agreeable caufe produceth always a'

pleasant

pleafant emotion; and a difagreeable cause, a painful emotion. This is a general law of nature, which admits not a fingle exception: agreeablenefs in the caufe is indeed fo effentially connected with pleafure in the emotion, its effect, that an agreeable cause cannot be better defined, than by its power of producing a pleafant emotion: and difagreeablenefs in the caufe has the fame neceffary connection with pain. in the emotion produced by it..

From this preliminary it appears, that in order to know for what end an emotion is made pleasant or painful, we muft begin with inquiring for what end its caufe is made agreeable or difagreeable. And, with respect to inanimate objects, confidered as the caufes of emotions, many of them are made agreeable in order to promote our happinefs; and it proves invincibly the benignity of the Deity, that we are placed in the midft of objects for the most part agree. able. But that is not all: the bulk of fuch objects, being of real ufe in life, are made agreeable in order to excite our industry; witness a large tree, a well dreffed fallow, a rich field of grain, and others that may be named without end. On the other hand, it is not eafy to fpecify a difagreeable object that is not at the fame time hurtful: fome things are made difagreeable, fuch as a rotten carcafs, because they are noxious others, a dirty marfh, for example, or a barren heath, are made difagrecable, in order, as above, to excite our induftry. And, with refpect to the few things that are neither agreeable nor difagreeable, it will be made evident, that their being left indifferent is not a work of chance, but of wisdom: of fuch I fhall have occafion to give several inftances.

Because inanimate objects that are agreeable fix our attention, and draw us to them, they in that respect are termed attractive: such objects infpire pleaf

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