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and upon the ftricteft examination, the fame appears to hold in grace.

Confining then grace to man, the next inquiry is, whether, like beauty, it makes a constant appearance or in some circumstances only. Does a perfon display this attribute at reft as well as in motion, afleep as when awake? It is undoubtedly connected with motion; for when the most graceful perfon is at reft, neither moving nor fpeaking, we lofe fight of that quality as much. as of colour in the dark. Grace then is an agreeable attribute, infeparable from motion as opposed to reft, and as comprehending speech, looks geftures, and loco-motion.

As fome motions are homely, the oppofite to graceful, the next inquiry is, with what motions. is this attribute connected? No man appears graceful in a mask; and, therefore, laying afide the expreffions of the countenance, the other motions may be genteel, may be elegant, but of themselves never are graceful. A motion adjusted in the moft perfect manner to answer its end, is elegant; but ftill somewhat more is required to complete our idea of grace, or gracefulness.

What this unknown more may be, is the nice point. One thing is clear from what is faid, that this more muft arife from the expreffion of the countenance: and from what expreffions fo naturally as from thofe which indicate mental qualities, fuch as sweetness, benevolence, elevation, dignity? This promifes to be a fair analy

fis;

fis; because of all objects mental qualities affect us the moft; and the impreffion made by graceful appearance upon every spectator of tafte, is too deep for any cause purely corporeal.

The next step is, to examine what are the mental qualities, that, in conjunction with elegance of motion, produce a graceful appearance. Sweetness, cheerfulness, affability, are not feparately fufficient, nor even in conjunction. As it appears to me, dignity alone with elegant motion may produce a graceful appearance; but I still more graceful, with the aid of other qualities, those especially that are the moft exalted.

But this is not all. The most exalted virtues may be the lot of a perfon whose countenance has little expreffion: fuch a perfon cannot be graceful. Therefore, to produce this appearance, we must add another circumftance, namely, an expreffive countenance, displaying to every spectator of tafte, with life and energy, every thing that paffes in the mind.

Collecting thefe circumftances together, grace may be defined, that agreeable appearance which arifes from elegance of motion, and from a countenance expreffive of dignity. Expreffions of other mental qualities are not effential to that appearance, but they heighten it greatly.

Of all external objects, a graceful perfon is the moft agreeable.

Dancing affords great opportunity for displaying grace, and haranguing ftill more.

I conclude with the following reflection, That in vain will a perfon attempt to be graceful, who is deficient in amiable qualities. A man, it is true, may form an idea of qualities he is deftitute of; and, by means of that idea, may endeavour to exprefs these qualities by looks and geftures: but fuch ftudied expreffion will be too faint and obfcure to be graceful.

CHAP.

CHAP. XII.,

RIDICULE.

T

O define ridicule has puzzled and vexed every critic. The definition given by Ariftotle is obfcure and imperfect *. Cicero handles it at great length; but without giving any fatisfaction: he wanders in the dark, and miffes the diftinction between rifible and ridiculous. Quintilian is fenfible of the diftinction ‡, but has not attempted to explain it. Luckily this fubject lies no longer in obfcurity: a rifible object produceth an emotion of laughter merely a ridiculous object is improper as well as rifible; and produceth a mixt emotion, which is vented by a laugh of derifion or fcorn .

Having therefore happily unravelled the knotty part, I proceed to other particulars.

Burlesque, though a great engine of ridicule, is not confined to that fubject; for it is clearly diftinguishable

*Poet. cap. 5.

+ L. 2. De Oratore.

Ideoque anceps ejus rei ratio eft, quod a derifu

non procul abeft rifus; lib. 6. cap. 3. § 1.

§ See Chap. 7.

See Chap. 10.

ftinguishable into burlesque that excites laughter merely, and burlefque that provokes derifion or ridicule. A grave fubject in which there is no impropriety, may be brought down by a certain colouring fo as to be rifible; which is the cafe of Virgil Traveftie*; and alfo the cafe of the Secchia Rapita † the authors laugh first, in order to make their readers laugh. The Lutrin is a burlesque poem of the other fort, laying hold of a low and trifling incident, to expose the luxury, indolence, and contentious fpirit of a fet of monks. Boileau, the author, gives a ridiculous air to the fubject, by dreffing it in the heroic ftyle, and affecting to confider it as of the utmost dignity and importance. In a compofition of this kind, no image profeffedly ludicrous ought to find quarter, because fuch images deftroy the contraft; and, accordingly, the author fhows always the grave face, and never once betrays a fmile.

Though the burlefque that aims at ridicule, produces its effect by elevating the ftyle far above the fubject, yet it has limits beyond which the elevation ought not to be carried: the poet, confulting the imagination of his readers, ought to confine himself to fuch images as are lively, and readily apprehended: a ftrained elevation, foaring above an ordinary reach of fancy, makes not a pleasant impreffion: the reader, fatigued with

* Scarron.

+ Taffoni.

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