gruity is the genus, of which propriety is a fpecies; for we call nothing propriety, but that congruity or fuitableness, which ought to fubfift between fenfible beings and their thoughts, words, and actions. In order to give a full view of these secondary relations, I fhall trace them through fome of the moft confiderable primary relations. The relation of a part to the whole, being extremely intimate, demands the utmoft degree of congruity: even the flighteft deviation is disgustful; witness the Lutrin, a burlefque poem, which is clofed with a ferious and warm panegyric on Lamoignon, one of the King's judges: -Amphora cœpit Inftitui; currente rota, cur urceus exit? Examples of congruity and incongruity are furnished in plenty by the relation between a fubject and its ornaments. A literary performance intended merely for amusement is fufceptible of much ornament, as well as a muficroom or a playhoufe; for in gaiety the mind hath a peculiar relifh for fhow and decoration. The moft gorgeous apparel, however improper in tragedy, is not unfuitable to opera-actors: the truth is, an opera, in its present form, is a mighty fine thing; but, as it deviates from nature in its capital circumstances, we look not for nature nor propriety in those which are acceffory. On the other hand, a ferious and impor tant tant fubject admits not much ornament *; nor a fubject that of itself is extremely beautiful: and a fubject that fills the mind with its loftinefs and grandeur, appears beft in a dress altogether plain. To a perfon of a mean appearance, gorgeous apparel is unfuitable; which befide the incongruity, fhows by contraft the meannefs of appearance in the ftrongeft light. Sweetness of look and manner requires fimplicity of drefs joined with the greatest elegance. A ftately and majestic air requires fumptuous apparel, which ought not to be gaudy, nor crowded with little ornaments. A woman of confummate beauty can bear to be highly adorned, and yet fhows beft in a plain drefs, -For loveliness Needs not the foreign aid of ornament, Thomfon's Autumn, 208. Congruity regulates not only the quantity of ornament, but alfo the kind. Y 2 The decorations of * Contrary to this rule, the introduction to the third volume of the Characteristics, is a continued chain of metaphors these in fuch profufion are too florid for the fubject; and have befide the bad effect of removing our attention from the principal subject, to fix it upon fplen did trifles. of a dancing-room ought all of them to be gay. No picture is proper for a church but what has religion for its fubject. Every ornament upon a fhield fhould relate to war; and Virgil, with great judgment, confines the carvings upon the fhield of Æneas to the military hiftory of the Romans that beauty is overlooked by Homer; for the bulk of the fculpture upon the fhield of Achilles is of the arts of peace in general, and of joy and feftivity in particular: the author of Telemachus betrays the fame inattention, in defcribing the fhield of that young hero. In judging of propriety with regard to ornaments, we must attend, not only to the nature of the subject that is to be adorned, but also to the circumstances in which it is placed the ornaments that are proper for a ball will appear not altogether fo decent at public-worship and the fame perfon ought to drefs differently for a marriage-feaft and for a funeral. Nothing is more intimately related to a man than his fentiments, words, and actions; and therefore we require here the ftrictest conformity. When we find what we thus require, we have a lively fenfe of propriety: when we find the contrary, our sense of impropriety is no lefs lively. Hence the universal distaste of affection, which confifts in making a fhew of greater delicacy and refinement, than is suited either to the character or circumstances of the perfon. Nothing in epic or or dramatic compofitions is more disgustful than impropriety of manners. In Corneille's tragedy of Cinna, Emilia, a favourite of Auguftus, receives daily marks of his affection, and is loaded with benefits: yet all the while is laying plots to affaffinate her benefactor, directed by no other motive but to avenge her father's death*: revenge against a benefactor, founded folely upon filial piety, cannot be directed by any principle but that of juftice, and therefore never can fuggeft unlawful means; yet the crime here attempted, a treacherous murder, is what even a mifcreant will scarce attempt against his bittereft enemy. What is faid might be thought fufficient to explain the relations of congruity and propriety. And yet the fubject is not exhausted: on the contrary, the prospect enlarges upon us, when we take under view the effects these relations produce in the mind. Congruity and propriety, wherever perceived, appear agreeable; and every agreeable object produceth in the mind a pleasant emotion: incongruity and impropriety, on the other hand, are disagreeable; and of courfe produce painful emotions. These emotions, whether pleasant or painful, fometimes vanish without any confequence; but more frequently occafion other emotions, to which I ceed. Y 3 pro * See Act 1. Sc. 2. When any flight incongruity is perceived in an accidental combination of perfons or things, as of paffengers in a ftage-coach, or of individuals dining at an ordinary; the painful emotion of incongruity, after a momentary existence, vanisheth without producing any effect. But this is not the cafe of propriety and impropriety: voluntary acts, whether words or deeds, are imputed to the author; when proper, we reward him with our esteem; when improper, we punish him with our contempt. Let us fuppofe, for example, a generous action fuited to the character of the author, which raises in him and in every spectator the pleasant emotion of propriety this emotion generates in the author both self-esteem and joy; the former when he confiders his relation to the action, and the latter when he confiders the good opinion that others will entertain of him: the fame emotion of propriety produceth in the fpectators efteem for the author of the action; and when they think of themselves, it also produceth by contrast an emotion of humility. To difcover the effects of an unfuitable action, we must invert each of these circumstances: the painful emotion of impropriety generates in the author of the action both humility and fhame; the former when he confiders his relation to the action, and the latter when he confiders what others will think of him; the fame emotion of impropriety produceth in the spectators contempt for the author of the action; and it alfo produceth, by contraft when they think of |