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Love and jealoufy connected by a common object, occupy the mind alternately when the object is confidered as beautiful, love prevails; when confidered as poffibly unfaithful, jealousy prevails. A fituation of that kind affords great fcope for fluctuation of paffion; which is painted to the life by several masterly hands in words as well as in colours. Shakespeare handles the fame fubject, but in a manner uncommon, and peculiar to himself: in Othello's foliloquy before putting his wife to death, love and jealousy are represented, each exerting its whole force, but without any struggle: Othello was naturally inflexible; and the tendereft love could not divert him from a purpofe he approved as right, not even for a moment: but every thing confiftent with fuch a character is done to reconcile the two oppofite paffions; he is refolved to put her to death, but he will not fhed her blood, nor fo much as ruffle her skin:

Othello. It is the caufe, it is the caufe, my foul ;Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!

It is the caufe.Yet I'll not shed her blood,
Nor fcar that whiter skin of her's than fnow,

And smooth as monumental alabaftar.

[Lays down the sword.

Yet fhe muft die; elfe fhe'll betray more men.

Put out the light, and then-Put out the light!—
If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,

I can again thy former light restore,

Should I repent: but once put out thy light,

Thou

Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature,
I know not where is that Promethean heat
That can thy light relumine.

When I have pluck'd thy rose,

-[Sets down the taper.

I cannot give it vital growth again;

It needs must wither.-I'll smell thee on the tree :

O balmy breath, that dost almost persuade

[Kiffing her.

Justice to break her sword !-One more; one more ;
Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,
And love thee after.One more, that's the last;
So fweet was ne'er fo fatal! I must weep,

But they are cruel tears! this forrow's heav'nly;
It strikes where it doth love.

Act. v. Sc. 6.

In Otway's Orphan, we have an illuftrious example of the addrefs employed to gratify oppofite paffions directed to the fame object. Caftalio and Polydore, brothers and rivals, had fworn mutual confidence: Caftalio broke his faith by a private marriage; which unwarily betrayed Polydore into a difmal deed, that of polluting his brother's bed. Thus he had injured his brother, and was injured by him: juftice prompted him to make full atonement by his own death; refentment against his brother, required a full atonement to be made to himself. In coexiftent paffions fo contradictory, one of them commonly prevails after a ftruggle: but here happily an expedient occurred to Polydore for gratifying both; which was, that he should provoke

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voke his brother to put him to death. Polydore's crime, in his own opinion, merited that punishment; and juftice was fatisfied when he fell by the hand of the man he had injured: he wanted at the fame time to punish his brother for breach of faith; and he could not punish more effectually than by betraying his brother to be his executioner.

If difference of aim prevent the union of two paffions, though having the fame object; much more will it prevent their union, when their objects are alfo different: in both cafes there is a fluctuation; but in the latter the fluctuation is flower than in the former. A beautiful fituation of that kind is exhibited in the Cid of Corneille. Don Diegue, an old foldier worn out with age, having received a mortal affront from the Count, father to Chimene, employs his fon Don Rodrigue, Chimene's lover, to demand fatisfaction. This fituation occafions in the breast of Don Rodrigue a cruel ftruggle between love and honour, one of which must be facrificed. The fcene is finely conducted, chiefly by making love in fome degree take part with honour, Don Rodrigue reflecting, that if he loft his honour he could not deferve his mistress: honour triumphs; and the Count provoked to a fingle combat, falls by the hand of Don Rodrigue.

This produceth another beautiful fituation refpecting Chimene, which making part of the

fame

fame ftory, is placed here, though it properly belongs to the foregoing head. It became the duty of that lady to demand juftice against her lover, for whofe prefervation, in other circumftances, fhe chearfully would have facrificed her own life. The ftruggle between these oppofite paffions directed to the fame object is finely expreffed in the third scene of the third act:

Elvire. Il vous prive d'un pére, et vous l'aimez

encore !

Chimene. C'ft peu de dire aimer, Elvire, je l'adore ; Ma paffion s'oppose à mon resentiment,

Dedans mon ennemi je trouve mon amant,
Et je fens qu'en depit de toute ma colere,
Rodrigue dans mon cœur combat encore mon pére.
Il l'attaque, il le preffe, il céde, il fe défend,
Tantôt fort, tantôt foible, et tantôt triomphant ;
Mais en ce dur combat de colére et de flame,
Il déchire mon cœur fans partager mon ame,
Et quoique mon amour ait fur moi de pouvoir,
Je ne confulte point pour fuivre mon devoir.
Je cours fans balancer où mon honneur m'oblige;
Rodrigue m'eft bien cher, fon interêt m'afflige,
Mon cœur prend fon parti; mais malgré fon effort,
Je fai que je fuis, et que mon pére est mort.

Not lefs when the objects are different than when the fame, are means fometimes afforded to gra tify both paffions; and fuch means are greedily embraced. In Taffo's Gerufalemme, Edward and Gildippe, husband and wife, are introduced fighting gallantly against the Saracens : Gildippe re

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ceives a mortal wound by the hand of Soliman : Edward inflamed with revenge, as well as concern for Gildippe, is agitated between the two different objects. The poet * describes him endeavouring to gratify both at once, applying his right hand against Soliman, the object of his refentment, and his left hand to fupport his wife, the object of his love.

PART V.

INFLUENCE OF PASSION WITH RESPECT TO OUR PERCEPTIONS, OPINIONS, AND BELIEF.

NONSIDERING how intimately our percep

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tions, paffions, and actions are mutually connected, it would be wonderful if they fhould have no mutual influence. That our actions are too much influenced by paffion, is a known truth; but it is not lefs certain, though not fo well known, that paffion hath alfo an influence upon our perceptions, opinions, and belief, For example, the opinions we form of men and things, are generally directed by affection: an advice given by a man of figure, hath great weight; the fame advice from one in a low condition is despised or neglected: a man of cou

rage

# Canto 20. ft. 97.

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