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PART VI.

THE RESEMBLANCE OF EMOTIONS TO THEIR

CAUSES.

TH

HAT many emotions have fome refemblance 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 caufe. 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 alfo 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 raifing 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 a feeling fomewhat fimilar is produced by a tall pillar that ftands fo ticklish as to look like falling*. A column with a bafe 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 reafon, that the base, the shaft, and the capital of a pillar, ought, for the fake of variety, to differ from each other: if the fhaft be round, the base and capital ought to be fquare.

A conftrained 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 eafy and free in their movements. The conftrained pofture of a French dancing master in one of Hogarth's pieces, is for that reafon disagreeable; and it is also ridiculous, because the conftraint is affumed as a grace.

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

The foregoing obfervation is not confined to emotions or feelings raised by still life: it holds alfo 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 difpofeth him to be grateful; and I now further remark, that this vague emotion hath a ftrong resemblance to its cause, namely, the paffion that produced the grateful action: courage exerted infpires the reader as well as the spectator with a like emotion of courage, a juft action fortifies our love of justice, and a generous action roufes our generofity. In fhort, with respect to all virtuous actions, it will be found by induction, that they lead us to imitation, by inspiring emotions resembling the paffions that produceth these actions. And hence the advantage of choice books and choice company.

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

* Part 1. of this chapter, fect. 4.

spread

spread the infection till it becomes an univerfal panic. Pity is fimilar to its caufe; a parting scene between lovers or friends, produceth in the fpectator a fort of pity, which is tender like the distress: the anguish of remorse, produceth pity of a harsh kind; and if the remorfe be extreme, the pity hath a mixture of horror. Anger I think is fingular; for even where it is moderate, and causeth no difguft, 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 themfelves, 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.

PART VII.

FINAL CAUSES OF THE MORE FREQUENT EMOTIONS AND PASSIONS.

IT

T is a law in our nature, that we never act but by the impulfe of defire; which in other words is faying, that paffion, by the defire inclu

M 3

* Ariftotle, Poet. cap. 18. fect. 3. fays, that anger feth in the spectator a fimilar emotion of anger.

ded

rai

'ded in it is what determines the will. Hence in the conduct of life, it is of the utmost importance, that our paffions be directed to proper objects, tend to just and rational ends, and with relation to each other, be duly balanced. The beauty of contrivance, fo confpicuous in the huIman frame, is not confined to the rational part of our nature, but is vifible: over the whole. Concerning the pallions in particular, however irregular, headstrong, and perverfe, in a flight view, they may appear, I hope to demonftrate, that they are by nature modelled and tempered with perfect wifdom, for the good of fociety as well as for private good. The fubject, treated at large, would be too extenfive for the prefent 'work: all there is room for are a few general obfervations upon the fenfitive part of our nature, without regarding that ftrange irregularity of paffion discovered in fome individuals. Such topical irregularities, if I may use the term, cannot fairly be held an objection to the prefent theory: we are frequently, it is true, mifled by inordinate paffion; but we are alfo, and perhaps no less frequently, mifled by wrong judgment.

In order to fulfil my engagement, it must be premised, that an agreeable caufe produceth always a pleasant emotion; and a difagreeable caufe, a painful emotion. This is a general law of nature, which admits not a fingle exception : agreeableness in the caufe is indeed fo effentially connected

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