novelty as if he had returned after a longer interval from a place near home: the mind forms a connection between him and the remote country, and beftows upon him the fingularity of the objects he has feen. For the fame reason, when two things equally new and fingular are prefented, the fpectator balances between them; but when told that one of them is the product of a diftant quarter of the world, he no longer hesitates, but clings to it as the more fingular. Hence the preference given to foreign luxuries, and to foreign curiofities, which appear rare in proportion to their original distance.

The next degree of novelty, mounting upward, is found in objects of which we have fome information at fecond hand; for defcription, though it contribute to familiarity, cannot altogether remove the appearance of novelty when the object itself is prefented: the first fight of a lion occafions fome wonder, after a thorough acquaintance with the correcteft pictures and statues of that animal.

A new object that bears fome diftant resemblance to a known species, is an instance of a third degree of novelty: a strong resemblance among individuals of the fame fpecies, prevents almost entirely the ef fect of novelty, unless distance of place or fome other circumftance concur; but where the refemblance is faint, fome degree of wonder is felt, and the emotion rifes in proportion to the faintnefs of the refemblance.

The highest degree of wonder arifeth from unknown objects that have no analogy to any fpecies we are acquainted with. Shakespear in a fimile introduces that species of novelty:

As glorious to the fight

As is a winged meffenger from heaven

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Unto the white up-turning wond'ring eye
Of mortals, that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds,
And fails upon the bofom of the air.

Romeo and Juliet.

One example of that species of novelty deserves peculiar attention; and that is, when an object altogether new is feen by one perfon only, and but once. These circumftances heighten remarkably the emotion: the fingularity of the fpectator concurs with the fingularity of the object, to inflame wonder to its highest pitch.

In explaining the effects of novelty, the place a being occupies in the scale of existence, is a circumftance that muft not be omitted. Novelty in the individuals of a low clafs is perceived with indifference, or with a very flight emotion: thus a pebble, however fingular in its appearance, fcarce moves our wonder." The emotion rifes with the rank of the object; and, other circumstances being equal, is ftrongeft in the highest order of exiftence: a ftrange infect affects us more than a strange vegetable and a strange quadruped more than a strange infect.

However natural novelty may be, it is a matter of experience, that those who relifh it the most are careful to conceal its influence. Love of novelty, it is true, prevails in children, in idlers, and in men of fhallow understanding and yet, after all, why fhould one be afhamed of indulging a natural propensity? A diftinction will afford a fatisfactory anfwer. No man is ashamed of curiofity when it is indulged in order to acquire knowledge. But to prefer any thing merely because it is new, fhows a mean tafte, which one ought to be ashamed of: vanity is commonly at the

bottom,

CHAP. VI. bottom, which leads thofe who are deficient in taste to prefer things odd, rare, or fingular, in order to dif tinguifh themselves from others. And in fact, that appetite, as above mentioned, reigns chiefly among perfons of a mean tafte, who are ignorant of refined and elegant pleafures.

One final caufe of wonder, hinted above, is, that this emotion is intended to ftimulate our curiofity. Another, fomewhat different, is, to prepare the mind for receiving deep impreffions of new objects. An acquaintance with the various things that may affect us and with their properties, is effential to our wellbeing nor will a flight or fuperficial acquaintance be fufficient; they ought to be fo deeply engraved on the mind, as to be ready for use upon every occafion. Now, in order to make a deep impreffion, it is wifely contrived, that things fhould be introduced to our acquaintance with a certain pomp and folemnity productive of a vivid emotion. When the impreffion is once fairly made, the emotion of novelty, being no longer neceffary, vanifheth almost inftantaneously; never to return, unlefs where the impreffion happens to be obliterated by length of time or other means; in which cafe, the fecond introduction hath nearly the fame folemnity with the first.

Defigning wifdom is no where more legible than in this part of the human frame. If new objects did not affect us in a very peculiar manner, their impreffions would be fo flight as fcarce to be of any ufe in life on the other hand, did objects continue to affect us as deeply as at first, the mind would be totally engroffed with them, and have no room left either for action or reflection.

The final caufe of furprise is ftill more evident than of novelty. Self-love makes us vigilantly attentive to felf-prefervation; but felf-love, which operates by

means

means of reafon and reflection, and impels not the mind to any particular object or from it, is a principle too cool for a fudden emergency: an object breaking in unexpectedly, affords no time for deliberation; and, in that cafe, the agitation of surprise comes in seasonably to roufe felf-love into action: surprise gives the alarm; and if there be any appearance of danger, our whole force is inftantly fummoned up to fhun or to prevent it.

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CHAP.

CHAP. VII.

Rifible Objects

SUCH is the nature of man, that his that his powers and faculties are foon blunted by exercife. The returns of fleep, fufpending all activity, are not alone fufficient to preserve him in vigor : during his walking hours, amusement by intervals is requifite to unbend his mind from ferious occupation. To that end, nature hath kindly made a provifion of many objects, which may be diftinguifhed by the epithet of rifible, because they raise in us a peculiar emotion expreffed externally by laughter: that emotion is pleafant; and being alfo mirthful, it moft fuccefsfully unbends the mind, and recruits the fpirits. Imagination contributes a part by multiplying fuch objects without end.

Ludicrous is a general term, fignifying, as may ap pear from its derivation, what is playfome, fportive, or jocular. Ludicrous, therefore, feems the genus, of which rifible is a fpecies, limited as above to what makes us laugh.

However eafy it may be, concerning any particu lar object, to fay whether it be rifible or not, it feems difficult, if at all practicable, to establish any general character, by which objects of that kind may be diftinguished from others. Nor is that a fingular cafe; for, upon a review, we find the fame diffi culty in most of the articles already handled. There is nothing more eafy, viewing a particular object, than to pronounce that it is beautiful or ugly, grand

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