be comprehended at one diftinct look; confequently each of them will appear equal, or nearly equal, to what the whole did before the divifion. If, on the other hand, the whole be very small, fo as fcarce to fill the eye at one look, its divifion into parts will, I conjecture, make it appear ftill lefs: the minuteness of the parts is, by an easy transition of ideas, transferred to the whole; and we pafs the fame judgment on the latter that we do on the former.

The space marked out for a small garden is furveyed almoft at one view; and requires a motion of the eye fo flight, as to pass for an object that can be comprehended under the largest angle of diftinct vifion: if not divided into too many parts, we are apt to form the fame judgment of each part, and confequently to magnify the garden in proportion to the number of its parts.

A very large plain without protuberances is an object no lefs rare than beautiful; and in thofe who see it for the first time, it must produce an emotion of wonder. That emotion, however flight, imposes on the mind, and makes it judge that the plain is larger than it is in reality. Divide the plain into parts, and our wonder ceafes; it is no longer confidered as one great plain, but as fo many different fields or inclofures.

The first time one beholds the fea, it appears to be large beyond all bounds. When it becomes familiar, and ceases to raise our wonder, it appears lefs than it is in reality. In a ftorm it appears large,

being

being distinguishable by the rolling waves into a number of great parts. Islands scattered at confiderable distances, add in appearance to its fize: each intercepted part looks extremely large, and we infenfibly apply arithmetic to increase the appearance of the whole. Many iflands fcattered at hand, give a diminutive appearance to the fea, by its connection with its diminutive parts: the Lomond lake would undoubtedly look larger without its islands.

Furniture increaseth in appearance the fize of a fmall room, for the fame reason that divifions increase in appearance the fize of a garden. The emotion of wonder which is raised by a very large room without furniture, makes it look larger than it is in reality: if completely furnished, we view it in parts, and our wonder is not raised.

A low ceiling hath a diminutive appearance, which, by an easy transition of ideas, is communicated to the length and breadth, provided they bear any proportion to the height. If they be out of all proportion, the oppofition feizes the mind, and raises fome degree of wonder, which makes the difference appear greater than it really is.

VOL. I.

M

1

PART

PART VI

THE RESEMBLANCE OF EMOTIONS TO THEIR

CAUSES.

HAT many emotions have fome refem

THA
Tblance to their caufes, is a truth that can

be made clear by induction; though, as far as I know, the observation has not been made by any writer. Motion, in its different circumftances, is productive of feelings that refemble it: fluggish motion, for example, caufeth a languid unpleasant feeling; flow uniform motion, a feeling calm and pleasant; and brisk motion, a lively feeling that roufes the spirits, and promotes activity. A fall of water through rocks, raises in the mind a tumultuous confused agitation, extremely fimilar to its cause. When force is exerted with any effort, the spectator feels a fimilar effort, as of force exerted within his mind. A large object fwells in the heart. An elevated object makes the spectator stand erect.

Sounds also produce emotions or feelings that. resemble them. A found in a low key brings down the mind: fuch a found in a full tone hath a certain folemnity, which it communicates to the feeling produced by it. A found in a high key chears the mind by raising it: fuch a found in a full tone both elevates and fwells the mind.

Again,

Again, a wall or pillar that declines from the perpendicular, produceth a painful feeling, as of a tottering and falling within the mind: and at feeling fomewhat fimilar is produced by a tall pillar that stands fo ticklish as to look like falling*. A column with a base looks more firm and ftable than upon the naked ground; and for that reafon is more agreeable: and though the cylinder is a more beautiful figure, yet the cube for a base is preferred; its angles being extended to a greater distance from the centre than the circumference of a cylinder. This excludes not a different reason, that the base, the shaft, and the 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 fquare.

A constrained pofture, uneafy to the man himfelf, is difagreeable to the fpectator; whence a rule in painting, that the drapery ought not to adhere to the body, but hang loose, that the figures may appear easy and free in their movements. The constrained posture of a French dancing mafter in one of Hogarth's pieces, is for that reafon disagreeable; and it is also ridiculous, because the constraint is affumed as a grace.

* Sunt enim Tempe faltus tranfitu difficilis: nam præter anguftias per quinque millia, qua exiguum jumento onufto iter eft, rupes utrinque ita abfciffæ funt, ut despici vix fine vertigine quadam fimul oculorum animique poffit. Titus Livius, lib. 44. felt. 6.

The foregoing obfervation is not confined to emotions or feelings raised by ftill life: it holds also in what are raised by the qualities, actions, and paffions, of a fenfible being. Love infpired by a fine woman affumes her qualities: it is fublime, foft, tender, fevere or gay, according to its caufe. This is ftill more remarkable in emotions raised by human actions: it hath already been remarked, that any fignal inftance of gratitude, befide procuring efteem for the author, raiseth in the spectator a vague emotion of gratitude, which disposeth him to be grateful; and I now further remark, that this vague emotion hath a ftrong resemblance to its caufe, namely, the paffion that produced the grateful action: courage exerted infpires the reader as well as the fpectator with a like emotion of courage, a juft action fortifies our love of juftice, and a generous action roufes our generofity. In short, with respect to all virtuous actions, it will be found by induction, that they lead us to imitation, by infpiring emotions resembling the paffions that pro duceth these actions. And hence the advantage of choice books and choice company.

Grief as well as joy are infectious: the emotions they raise in a spectator resemble them perfectly. Fear is equally infectious: and hence in an army, a few taking fright, even without caufe, fpread

Part 1. of this chapter, fect. 4.