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A jet d'eau makes an impreffion diftinguishable from that of a water fall. Downward motion being natural and without effort, tends rather to quiet the mind than to roufe it: upward motion, on the contrary, overcoming the refiftance of gravity, makes an impreffion of a great effort, and thereby roufes and enlivens the mind.

The public games of the Greeks and Rorians, which gave fo much entertainment to the fpectators, confifted chiefly in exerting force, wrestling, leaping, throwing great ftones, and fuch-like trials of ftrength. When great force is exerted, the effort felt internally is animating. The effort may be fuch, as in fome measure to overpower the mind: thus the explosion of gun-powder, the violence of a torrent, the weight of a mountain, and the crufh of an earthquake, create astonishment rather than pleasure.

No quality nor circumftance contributes more to grandeur than force, especially where exerted by fenfible beings. I cannot make the obfervation more evident than by the following quotations.

-Him the Almighty power

Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal fky,
With hideous ruin and combuftion, down
To bottomlefs perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire,
Who durft defy th' Omnipotent to arms.

Paradife Loft, book 1.

-Now ftorming fury rofe,

And clamour fuch as heard in heaven till now
Was rever; arms on armour clashing bray'd
Horrible difcord, and the madding wheels
Of brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noise
Of conflict; over head the dismal hifs
Of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew,
And flying vaulted either hoft with fire.
So under fiery cope together rufh'd
Both battles main, with ruinous affault

And

And inextinguishable rage; all heaven
Refounded; and had earth been then, all earth
Had to her center fhook.

Ibid. book 6.

They ended parle, and both addrefs'd for fight
Unfpeakable; for who, though with the tongue
Of angels, can relate, or to what things
Liken on earth confpicuous, that may lift
Human imagination to fuch height

Of god-like pow'r for likeft gods they feem'd,
Stood they or mov'd, in ftature, motion, arms,
Fit to decide the empire of great Heav'n.
Now wav'd their fiery fwords, and in the air
Made horrid circles: two broad funs their fhields
Blaz'd oppofite, while expectation stood

In horror: from each hand with speed retir'd,
Where erft was thickeft fight, th' angelic throng,
And left large field, unfafe within the wind
Of fuch commotion; fuch as, to fet forth
Great things by fmall, if Nature's concord broke,
Among the conftellations war were fprung,
Two planets, rushing from aspect malign
Of fiercest oppofition, in mid fky

Should combat, and their jarring fpheres confound.
Ibid. book 6.

We shall next confider the effect of motion and force in conjunction. In contemplating the planetary fyftem, what ftrikes us the moft, is the fpherical figures of the planets, and their regular motions; the conception we have of their activity and enormous bulk being more obfcure: the beauty accordingly of that fyftem, raises a more lively emotion than its grandeur. But if we could comprehend the whole fyftem at one view, the activity and irresistible force of thefe immenfe bodies would fill us with amazement nature cannot furnifh another scene fo grand.

Motion

Motion and force, agreeable in themselves, are alfo agreeable by their utility when employed as means to accomplish fome beneficial end. Hence the fu, perior beauty of fome machines, where force and motion concur to perform the work of numberless hands. Hence the beautiful motions, firm and regular, of a horse trained for war: every fingle step is the fittest that can be, for obtaining the purposed end. But the grace of motion is vifible chiefly in man, not only for the reafons mentioned, but because every gesture is fignificant. The power however of agreeable motion is not a common talent: every limb of the human body has an agreeable and difagreeable motion; fome motions being extremely graceful, others plain and vulgar; fome expreffing dignity, others meannefs. But the pleasure here, árifing, not fingly from the beauty of motion, but from indicating character and fentiment, belongs to different chapters.*

I fhould conclude with the final cause of the relifh we have for motion and force, were it not fo evident as to require no explanation. We are placed here in fuch circumstances as to make industry effential to our well-being; for without induftry the plaineft neceffaries of life are not obtained. When our fituation, therefore, in this world requires activity and a constant exertion of motion and force, Providence indulgently provides for our welfare by making these agreeable to us: it would be a grofs imperfection in our nature, to make any thing difagreeable that we depend on for exiftence: and even indifference would flacken greatly that degree of activity which is indispensable.

Chap. 11. and 15.

CHAP.

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OF all

F all the circumftances that raise emotions, not excepting beauty, nor even greatness, novelty hath the moft powerful influence. A new object produceth inftantaneously an emotion termed wonder, which totally occupies the mind, and for a time excludes all other objects. Conversation among the vulgar never is more interefting than when it turns upon strange objects and extraordinary events. Men tear themselves from their native country in fearch of things rare and new; and novelty converts into a pleasure, the fatigues and even perils of travelling. To what cause shall we afcribe these fingular appearances? To curiofity undoubtedly, a principle implanted in human nature for a purpose extremely beneficial, that of acquiring knowledge; and the emotion of wonder, raised by new and ftrange objects, inflames our curiofity to know more of them. This emotion is different from admiration: novelty wherever found, whether in a quality or action, is the caufe of wonder; admiration is directed to the per. fon who performs any thing wonderful.

During infancy, every new object is probably the occafion of wonder, in fome degree; becaufe, during infancy, every object at firft fight is ftrange as well as new: but as objects are rendered familiar by custom, we ceafe by degrees to wonder at new appearances, if they have any resemblance to what we are acquainted with; for a thing must be fingular as well

well as new, to raise our wonder. To fave multiplying words, I would be understood to comprehend both circumftances when I hereafter talk of novelty.

In an ordinary train of perceptions where one thing introduces another, not a single object makes its appearance unexpectedly:* the mind thus prepared for the reception of its objects, admits them one after another without perturbation. But when a thing breaks in unexpectedly, and, without the preparation of any connection, it raifes an emotion, known by the name of furprife. That emotion may be produced by the most familiar object, as when one unexpectedly meets a friend who was reported to be dead; or a man in high life lately a beggar. On the other hand, a new object, however ftrange, will not produce the emotion, if the fpectator be prepared for the fight: an elephant in India will not furprise a traveller who goes to fee one; and yet its novelty will raise his wonder: an Indian in Britain would be much furprised to stumble upon an elephant feeding at large in the open fields: but the creature itself, to which he was accuftomed, would not raise his wonder.

Surprife thus in feveral refpects differs from wonder unexpectednefs is the caufe of the former emotion; novelty is the cause of the latter. Nor differ they lefs in their nature and circumftances, as will be explained by and by. With relation to one circumftance they perfectly agree; which is, the fhortnefs of their duration: the inftantaneous production of these emotions in perfection, may contribute to that effect, in conformity to a general law, That things foon decay which foon come to perfection: the violence of the emotions may alfo contribute; for

See Chap. 1,

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