fic tender and pathetic, and that raised by the complaint of an unsuccessful lover. To apply these examples to the prefent fubject, I obferve, that the found even of a single word makes, in fome inftances, an impreffion refembling that which is made by the thing it fignifies; witnefs the word running, compofed of two fhort fyllables; and more remarkably the words rapidity, impetuofity, precipitation. Brutal manners produce in the fpectator, an emotion not unlike what is produced by a harsh and rough found. Hence the figurative expreffion, rugged manners; an expreffion peculiarly agreeable by the relation of the found to the fenfe. Again, the word little, being pronounced with a very small aperture of the mouth, has a weak and faint found which makes an impreffion refembling that made by any diminutive object. This refemblance of effects, is still more remarkable where a number of words are connected together in a period. Words pronounced in fucceffion make often a strong impreffion; and when this impreffion happens to accord with that made by the fenfe, a peculiar pleasure arifes. The thought or fentiment produces one pleafant emotion: the melody or tone of the words produces another. But the chief pleasure proceeds from having these two concordant emotions combined in perfect harmony, and carried on in the mind to a full clofe *. Except in the fingle cafe where found is described, all the examples given by critics of fenfe being imitated in found, refolve into a refemblance of effects. Emotions raised by found and fignification may have a refemblance. But found itself cannot have a resemblance to any thing but found. Proceeding now to particulars, and beginning with those cafes where the emotions have the * See chap. 2. part 4 strongest strongest resemblance, I observe, first, That in pronouncing a number of fyllables in fucceffion, an emotion is fometimes raifed extremely fimilar to that raifed by fucceffive motion. This may be made evident even to those who are defective in tafte, by the following fact, that the term movement in all languages is equally apply'd to both. In this manner, fucceffive motion, fuch as walking, running, galloping, can be imitated by a fucceffion of long or fhort fyllables, or by a due mixture of both. For example, flow motion may be aptly imitated in a verse where long fyllables prevail; efpecially when aided by a flow pronunciation: Illi inter fefe magnâ vi brachia tollunt. Georg. iv. 174. On the other hand, fwift motion is imitated by a fucceffion of short fyllables: Quadrupedante putrem fonitu quatit ungula cam Again: pum. Radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas. Thirdly, a line compofed of monofyllables, makes an impreffion, by the frequency of its paufes, fimilar to what is made by laborious interrupted motion: With many a weary ftep, and many a groan, First march the heavy mules, fecurely flow ; go. Iliad, xxiii. 138. Fourthly, Fourthly, the impreffion made by rough founds in fucceffion, refembles that made by rough or tumultuous motion. On the other hand, the impreffion of fmooth founds resembles that of gentle motion. The following is an example of both. Two craggy rocks projecting to the main, The roaring wind's tempestuous rage reftrain; Within, the waves in fofter murmurs glide, And ships fecure without their haulfers ride. Another example of the latter: Odyssey, iii. 118. Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows, Fifthly, prolonged motion is expreffed in an Alexandrine line. The first example shall be of flow motion prolonged : A needlefs Alexandrine ends the fong; along. That, like a wounded fnake, drags its flow length fhore. The last shall be of rapid motion prolonged : main. Not fo when swift Camilla fcours the plain, Still gath'ring force, it smokes, and, urg'd amain, Whirls, leaps, and thunders down, impetuous to the plain. Iliad, xii. 197. Sixthly, Sixthly, a period confifting moftly of long fyllables, that is, of fyllables pronounced flow, produceth an emotion refembling faintly that which is produced by gravity and folemnity. Hence the beauty of the following verfe. Olli fedato refpondit corde Latinus. Seventhly, a flow fucceffion of ideas is a circumstance that belongs equally to fettled melancholy, and to a period compofed of polyfyllables pronounced flow. Hence, by fimilarity of emotions, the latter is imitative of the former: In those deep folitudes and awful cells, Pope. Eloifa to Abelard. Eighthly, a long fyllable made fhort, or a fhort fyllable made long, raifes, by the difficulty of pronouncing contrary to custom, a feeling fimilar to that of hard labour: When Ajax strives fome rock's vaft weight to throw Ninthly, harsh or rough words pronounced with I fhall clofe with one other example, which of a all makes the fineft figure. In the firft fection mention is made of a climax in found, and in the fecond of a climax in fenfe. It belongs to the prefent fubject to obferve, that when thefe coincide in the fame paffage, the concordance of found and fenfe is delightful. The reader is confcious not only Ch. XVIII. only of pleasure from the two climaxes separately, but of an additional pleafure from their concordance, and from finding the fenfe fo justly imitated by the found. In this refpect, no periods are more perfect than those borrowed from Cicero in the firft fection. The concord betwixt fenfe and found is not lefs agreeable in what may be termed an anticlimax, where the progress is from great to little; for this has the effect to make diminutive objects appear still more diminutive. Horace affords a ftriking example: Parturiunt montes, nafcetur ridiculus mus. C The arrangement here is fingularly artful. The first place is occupied by the verb, which is the capital word by its fenfe as well as found. The clofe is referved for the word that is the meanėst in fense as well as in found. And it must not be overs looked, that the refembling founds of the two laft fyllables give a ludicrous air to the whole. Reviewing the foregoing examples, it appears to me, contrary to expectation, that in paffing from the strongest resemblances to thofe that are fainter, the pleasure rifes gradually in proportion. Can this be accounted for? or fhall I renounce my tafte as capricious? When I renew the experiment: again and again, I feel no wavering, but the greateft pleasure conftantly from the fainteft refemblan ces. And yet how can this be? for if the pleasure lie in imitation, muft not the strongest resemblance afford the greatest pleasure? From this vexing dilemma, I am happily relieved, by reflecting on a doctrine established in the chapter of refemblance and contraft, that the pleafure of refemblance is the greateft, where it is least expected, and where the objects compared are in their capital circumftances widely different. Nor will this appear furprifing |