Rafpa, batte, nitrisce, e fi raggira, Gerufalemme liberata, cant. 20. ft. 29. & 30. Suppofe a virtuous man has drawn on himself a great misfortune, by a fault incident to human nature, and therefore venial: the remorfe he feels aggravates his diftrefs, and confequently raises our pity to a high pitch: we at the fame time blame the man; and the indignation raised by the fault he has committed, is diffimilar to pity: these two paffions, however, proceeding from the fame object, are forced into a sort of union; but the indignation is fo flight, as fcarce to be felt in the mixture with pity. Subjects of this kind are of all the fitteft for tragedy; but of that afterward. Oppofite emotions are fo diffimilar as not to admit any fort of union, even where they proceed from causes the most intimately connected. Love to a mistress, and refentment for her infidelity, are of that nature: they cannot exift otherwise than in fucceffion, which by the conI 3 nection * Chap. 22. nection of their caufes is commonly rapid; and these emotions will govern alternately, till one of them obtain the afcendant, or both be fpent. A fucceffion opens to me by the death of a worthy man, who was my friend as well as my kinfman: when I think of my friend, I am grieved; but the fucceffion gives me joy. These two causes are intimately connected; for the fucceffion is the direct confequence of my friend's death the emotions however being oppofite, do not mix; they prevail alternately, perhaps for a course of time, till grief for my friend's death be banished by the pleasures of opulence. A virtuous man suffering unjustly, is an example of the fame kind: I pity him, and have great indignation at the author of the wrong. These emotions proceed from caufes nearly connected; but being directed to different objects, they are not forced into union: their oppofition preferves them diftinct and accordingly they are found to prevail alternately. I proceed to examples of diffimilar emotions arifing from unconnected caufes. Good and bad news of equal importance arriving at the fame instant from different quarters, produce oppofite emotions, the difcordance of which is not felt, because they are not forced into union: they govern alternately, commonly in a quick fucceffion, till their force be spent : Shylock. How now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? haft thou found my daughter? Tubal. Tubal. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her. Shy. Why there, there, there, there! a diamond gone, coft me two thousand ducats in Francfort? the curfe never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now: two thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels! I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear; O would she were hears'd at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin. No news of them; why, fo! and I know not what's spent in the fearch: why, thou lofs upon lofs! the thief gone with fo much, and fo much to find the thief; and no fatisfaction, no revenge, nor no ill luck ftirring but what lights o' my shoulders; no fighs but o' my breathing, no tears but o' my fhedding. Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too; Anthonio, as I heard in Genoa Shy. What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck? Tub. Hath an Argofie caft away, coming from Tripolis. Shy. I thank God, I thank God; is it true? is it true? Tub. I fpoke with fome of the failors that escaped the wreck. Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal; good news, good news, ha, ha: where, in Genoa? Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourscore ducats. Shy. Thou stick'st a dagger in me; I fhall-never see my gold again; fourfcore ducats at a fitting, fourscore ducats! Tub. There came divers of Anthonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that swear he cannot chufe but break. Shy. I am glad of it, I'll plague him, I'll torture him; I am glad of it. Tub. One of them shew'd me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monkey. Shy. Out upon her! thou tortureft me. Tubal; it was my Turquoife; I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor; I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkies. Tub. But Anthonio is certainly undone. Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true; go fee me an officer, bespeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandise I will. Go, go, Tubal, and meet me at our fynagogue; go, good Tubal; at our fynagogue, Tubal. Merchant of Venice, Act 111. Sc. 1. In the fame manner, good news arriving to a man labouring under diftrefs, occafions a vibration in his mind from the one to the other: Ofmyn. By Heav'n thou'ft rous'd me from my lethar gy. The fpirit which was deaf to my own wrongs, My foul is up in arms, ready to charge I hear em' call to lead 'em on to liberty, Τα To victory; their shouts and clamours rend My ears, and reach the heav'ns: where is the king? Where is Alphonfo? ha! where! where indeed ? O I could tear and burst the strings of life, To break these chains. Off, off, ye ftains of royalty! Off flavery! O curse, that I alone Can beat and flutter in my cage, when I Would foar, and stoop at victory beneath! Mourning Bride, Act 111. Sc. 2. If the emotions be unequal in force, the ftronger after a conflict will extinguifh the weaker. Thus the lofs of a house by fire, or of a fum of money by bankruptcy, will make no figure in oppofition to the birth of a long-expected fon, who is to inherit an opulent fortune: after fome flight vibrations, the mind fettles in joy, and the lofs is forgot. The foregoing obfervations will be found of great use in the fine arts. Many practical rules are derived from them, which fhall afterward be mentioned; but for inftant gratification in part, the reader will accept the following fpecimen, being an application of thefe obfervations to mufic. It must be premised, that no disagreeable combination of founds is entitled to the name of mufic for all mufic is refolvable into melody and harmony, which imply agreeablenefs in their very conception *. Secondly, the agreeableness of vocal mufic differs from that of inftrumental: : the * Sounds may be fo contrived as to produce horror, and several other painful feelings, which in a tragedy, or |