Q. Can you give an example of objects remarkable for their sublimity? A. The Deity; the source of happiness and the standard of perfection; who creates, preserves, pervades, and governs all things; whose power is unlimited, whose wisdom is perfect, whose goodness is without bounds, whose greatness is incomprehensible; who was from all eternity, and of whose dominion there can be no end: he is undoubtedly, and beyond all comparison, tne most sublime object which it is possible to conceive or to contemplate; and of all created sublimity, his works exhibit the most perfect and most astonishing examples. Such are the cloudless or starry sky-the troubled ocean-a majestic river-a deafening cataract--a lofty mount Lain-volcanoes-earthquakes-the solar system-the universe. Q. What, probably, was the design of our Creator in bestowing upon us a capacity for deriving pleasure from great and sublime objects? A. It was, to raise our minds above the present world, and to prepare us for the contemplation of the Divine nature, and of the works of creation and Providence, which will, no doubt, constitute the supreme and final felicity of the good. Our taste for the sublime, cherished into a habit and directed to proper objects, may, therefore, promote our moral improvement, by leading us to contemplate the Creator in his wonderful works; by keeping us at a distance from vice, which is the vilest of all things, and by recommending virtue for its intrinsic dignity and loveliness. Q. What gives occasion to the emotion of moral beauty and sublimity? A. The emotion of moral beauty arises where we observe a coincidence between the sense of duty and certain inferior principles of action. The emotion of moral sublimity is awakened when the sense of duty is opposed by inclination or affection, or by any or all the inferior principles of action, and triumphs over them. Its principle consists in a power of self-control and of self-sacrifice, in those cases in which they are difficult. Q. Can you illustrate these remarks by an example? A. The conduct of that young man, who labors hard and denies himself that he may support an aged mother, or add to her comfort, is highly beautiful; but natural affection co-operates with a sense of duty, and, therefore, it is not sublime. The act of our Savior upon the cross, of remembering his mother and providing for her wants, was beautiful - how beautiful! His prayer for his murderers was sublime. ← It is, in general, acts of tenderness, gentleness, condescension, pity, gratitude, humanity, that are beautiful; while it is, on the other hand, acts of magnanimity, of fortitude, of inflexible justice, of high patriotism, and, on proper occasions, of contempt of danger and of death, that are sublime. Hence we see why it is that periods of difficulty, and oppression, and persecution, are favorable to the exhibition of the moral sublime. Such was the Reformation under Luther. For an admirable view of this and kindred topics, you may consult two lectures by President Hopkins, on the "Connection between Taste and Morals," whence we have copied freely in this article. Q. Is the sense of the beautiful a part of our nature? A. It is as really so as the sense of the true or of the right, and "the forms, and shades, and groups of thought," that are fitted to produce the emotion of beauty in us, are as diversified as the sights or sounds which supply the ever-changing pleasures of the eye and the ear. Q. How is this sense of the beautiful to be improved? A. "It would seem,' says Professor Hadduck, "that the sense of beauty of which we are made capable by nature, is developed in the mind by exercise; and though, like other powers, it may be conferred ou men in different degrees, is always nourished and matured by its appropriate aliment - THE BEAUTIFUL. It is strengthened by being indulged. It is called out by being appealed to; and the aid which theory and criticism afford in its cultivation, is merely to point out and supply appropriate objects-the natural occasions for its exercise." Q. What do you mean by beauty of language? A. That quality which it possesses, when it may be read or listened to with a high degree of pleasure. Q. And what is sublimity in language? A. That quality which it possesses, when it excites in the mind of the reader or hearer, grand and exalted notions of the objects described. Q. What sort of language may be said to be most in accordance with correct taste? A. That in which beauty and sublimity are both conspicuous, the one quality serving to shed lustre upon the other. Q. Can you give examples of the beauty of language? A. The following are from the "Poetry of Life," by Mrs. Ellis: "There is poetry in the low-roofed cottage standing on the skirts of the wood, beneath the overshadowing oak, around which the children of many generations have gamboled, while the wreathing smoke coils up among the dark green foliage, and the gray thatch is contrasted with golden moss and glittering ivy. We stand and gaze, delighted with this picture of rural peace and privileged seclusion. We long to shake off the shackles of artificial society, the wearying cares of life, the imperative control of fashion, or the toil and traffic of the busy world, and to dwell, for the remainder of our days, in a quiet spot like this, where affection, that is too often lost in the game of life, might unfold her store of fireside comforts, and where we and ours might constitute one unbroken chain of social fellowship, under the shelter of serenity and peace." A "Nature is full of poetry, from the high mountain to the sheltered valley, from the bleak promontory to the myrtle grove, from the star-lit heavens to the slumbering earth." Speaking of a modern poet, Mrs. Ellis beautifully observes, "His charmed numbers flow on like the free current of a melodious stream, whose associations are with the sunbeams and the shadows, the leafy boughs, the song of the forest birds, the dew upon the flowery bank, and all things sweet, and genial, and delightful, whose influence is around us in our happiest moments, and whose essence is the wealth that lies hoarded in the treasury of nature." To exhibit the justness of the above criticism, are quoted the following among other fine specimens. E "I saw from the beach, when the morning was shining, I came when the sun o'er that beach was declining, The bark was still there, but the waters were gone." "Seldom, indeed, had Athens witnessed such a scene. The ground that formed the original site of the garden had from time to time received continual additions; and the whole extent was laid out with that perfect taste, which knows how to wed Nature with Art, without sacrificing her simplicity to the alliance. Walks leading through wildernesses of shade and fragrance-glades opening, as if to afford a pleasure-ground for the sunshine-temples, rising on the very spots where Imagination herself would have called them up-and fountains and lakes, in alternate motion and repose, either wantonly courting the verdure, or calmly sleeping in its embrace: such was the variety of feature that diversified these fair gardens; and animated, as they were on this occasion, by the living wit and loveliness of Athens, it afforded a scene such as my own youthful fancy, rich as it was then in images of luxury and beauty, could hardly have anticipated." THE SUBLIME IN WRITING. For the best and most perfect examples of this, the Bible must be consulted. In its very first chapter, how sublime is the declaration, "God said, Let there be light, and there was light!" Read, also, portions of the Psalms of David-the book of Job, and the prophecies of Isaiah, and others. These may be referred to again in the chapter on the Poetry of the Bible, which will deserve particular study. Milton, Young, Pollok, and other poets, abound in fine examples of the sublime. Dr. Chalmers excels among prose writers. Dr. Young thus addresses Night: "Night, sable goddess! from her ebon throne, Silence how dread! and darkness how profound' Q. When is poetry sublime? A. (1.) When it elevates the mind, and makes it, as it were, superior to the cares and troubles of this world (2.) when it infuses any sublime affection, as devoted piety, universal benevolence, the love of virtue and of our country: (3.) when it affects the mind with an awful and imaginary, but not unpleasing horror: (4.) when it describes the sentiments or actions of those persons whose character is very elevated, and (5.) when it conveys a lively idea of any grand appearance, natural, artificial, or imaginary. Q. What is properly termed a sublime style? A. That which makes us readily conceive any great object or sentiment in a lively manner; and this is often done when the words are very plain and simple. When bold figures and high-sounding expressions are employed without a corresponding elevation of thought, they become ridiculous, and are called bombust, or false sublime. CHAPTER IX OF STYLE AND IDIOM. Q. What do you understand by Style as applied to writing? A. The particular manner in which a writer or Speaker expresses his thoughts by means of language. Q. From what is the word style derived? A. From the Latin word stylus, a pointed steel instrument, with which the ancients used to write upon their waxen boards and tablets. Q. Is there much diversity of style among men? A. Very great; as almost every writer has a style or manner peculiar to himself; though in some this is more marked and striking than in others. Q. On what does this diversity of style depend? A. Partly on mental constitution; partly on the nature and quality of the education which a person may have received. Q. Who are the men that are most distinguished by peculiarity of style? A. Those, generally, of greatest genius, greatest vigor of mind, or of highest mental cultivation. Q. Can you state the difference between style and idiom? |