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

PART VI.

Of the refemblance emotions bear to their causes.

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Hat many emotions bear a certain refemblance to their caufes, is a truth that can be made clear by induction; though, fo far as I know, the obfervation has not been made by any writer. Motion, in its different circumstances, is productive of feelings that resemble it. Sluggish motion, for example, caufeth a languid unpleasant feeling; flow uniform motion, a feeling calm and pleasant; and brifk motion, a lively feeling that rouses the spirits and promotes activity. A fall of water through rocks, raises in the mind a tumultuous confufed agitation, extremely fimilar to its : VOL. I. cause.

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caufe. When force is exerted with any effort, the spectator feels a fimilar effort as of force exerted within his mind. A large object swells the heart. An elevated object makes the spectator ftand erect.

Sounds alfo produce emotions that refemble them. A found in a low key, brings down the mind. Such a found in a full tone, hath a certain folemnity, which it communicates to the emotion produced by it. A found in a high key, chears the mind by raifing it. Such a found in a full tone, both elevates and fwells the mind.

Again, a wall or pillar that declines from the perpendicular, produceth a painful emo tion, as of a tottering and falling within the mind. An emotion fomewhat fimilar is produced by a tall pillar that ftands fo ticklifh as to look like falling. For this reason, a column upon a base looks better than upon the naked ground. The base, which makes a part of the column, infpires a feeling of firmness and ftability. The ground fupporting a naked column, is too large to be confidered as its bafe. And for the fame reason, a cube as a base, is preferred before

a cylinder, though the latter is a more beautiful figure. The angles of a cube, being extended to a greater diftance from the centre than the circumference of a cylinder, give the column a greater appearance of stability. This excludes not a different reafon, that the bafe, fhaft, and capital, of a pillar, ought, for the fake of variety, to differ from each other. If the shaft be round, the base and capital ought to be square.

A constrained posture, uneafy to the man himself, is disagreeable to the fpectator; which makes it a rule in painting, that the drapery ought not to adhere to the body, but hang loose, that the figures may appear eafy and free in their movements. Hence the difagreeable figure of a French dancingmafter is one of Hogarth's pieces. It is alfo ridiculous, because the constraint is affumed and not forced.

The foregoing obfervation is not confined to emotions raised by ftill life. It holds alfo in those which are raised by the qualities, actions, and paffions, of a fenfible being. Love infpired by a fine woman, affumes her qualities. It is fublime, soft, tender,

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der, fevere, or gay, according to its cause. This is ftill more remarkable in emotions raised by human actions. It hath already been remarked *, that any fignal instance of gratitude, beside procuring efsteem for the author, raiseth in the fpectator a vague emotion of gratitude, which difpofeth him to be grateful. I now further remark, that this vague emotion, being of the fame kind with what produced the grateful action, hath a strong refemblance to its caufe. Courage exerted infpires the reader as well as the spectator with a like emotion of courage. A juft action fortifies our love to justice, and a generous action rouses our generofity. In short, with refpect to all virtuous actions, it will be found by induction, that they lead us to imitation by inspiring emotions resembling the paffions that produced these actions. And hence the benefit of dealing in choice books and in choice company.

Grief as well as joy are infectious: the emotions they raife in a fpectator resemble

Part 1. of this chapter, fect. 3.

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them perfectly. Fear is equally infectious: and hence in an army, fear, even from the flightest cause, making an impreffion on a few, fpreads generally through all, and becomes an univerfal panic. Pity is fimilar to its cause. A parting scene betwixt lovers or friends, produceth in the spectator a fort of pity, which is tender like the distress. The anguish 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 disgust, it difpofes not the fpectator to anger in any degree*. Covetousness, cruelty, treachery, and other vicious paffions, are fo far from raifing any emotion fimilar to themselves, to incite a fpectator to imitation, that they have an oppofite effect. They raise abhorrence, and fortify the spectator in his averfion to fuch actions. When anger is immoderate, it cannot fail to produce the fame effect.

རྩྭ་

Ariftotle, poet. cap. 18. §3. fays, that anger raiseth in the fpectator a fimilar emotion of anger.

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