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the social state, that I muft indulge my heart. with a more narrow inspection of this admirable branch of the human conftitution. Thefe external figns, being all of them refolvable into colour, figure, and motion, fhould not naturally make any deep impreffion on a spectator: and fuppofing them qualified for making deep impreffions, we have feen above, that the effects they produce are not fuch as might be expected. We cannot therefore account otherwise for the operation of these external figns, but by afcribing it to the original conftitution of human nature to improve the focial ftate, by making us inftinctively rejoice with the glad of heart, weep with the mourner, and fhun those who threaten danger, is a contrivance no less illuftrious for its wifdom than for its benevolence. With refpect to the external figns of diftrefs in particular, to judge of the excellency of their contrivance, we need only reflect upon feveral other means feemingly more natural, that would not have answered the end propofed. What if the external figns of joy were disagree

able,

fpectacles altogether? And yet one who has fearce recovered from the diftrefs of a deep tragedy, refolves coolly and deliberately to go to the very next, without the flightest obstruction from self-love. The whole mystery is explained by a single observation, That sympathy, though painful, is attractive, and attaches us to an object in diftrefs, the oppofition of felf-love notwithstanding, which should prompt us to fly from it. And by this curious mechanism it is, that perfons of any degree of fenfibility are attracted by affliction still more than by joy.

able, and the external figns of diftrefs agreeable? This is no whimsical fuppofition, because there appears not any neceffary connection between thefe figns and the emotions produced by them in a spectator. Admitting then the fuppofition, the question is, How would our fympathy operate? There is no occafion to deliberate for an anfwer: fympathy would be destructive, and not beneficial: for, fuppofing the external figns of joy disagreeable, the happiness of others would be our averfion; and fuppofing the external figns of grief agreeable, the diftreffes of others would be our entertainment. I make a second suppofition, That the external figns of diftrefs were indifferent to us, and productive neither of pleafure nor of pain. This would annihilate the strongest branch of fympathy, that which is raised by means of fight: and it is evident, that reflective fympathy, felt by thofe only who have great fenfibility, would not have any extenfive effect. I fhall draw nearer to truth in a third fuppofition, That the external figns of diftrefs being difagreeable, were productive of a painful repulfive emotion. Sympathy upon that fuppofition would not be annihilated: but it would be rendered ufelefs; for it would be gratified by flying from or avoiding the object, instead of clinging to it and affording relief: the condition of man would in reality be worse than if fympathy were totally eradicated; because fympa

VOL. I.

Ff

thy

thy would only serve to plague those who feel it, without producing any good to the afflicted.

Loth to quit fo interesting a subject, I add a reflection, with which I fhall conclude. The external figns of paffion are a ftrong indication, that man, by his very conftitution, is framed to be open and fincere. A child, in all things obedient to the impulfes of nature, hides none of its emotions: the favage and clown, who have no guide but pure nature, expose their hearts to view, by giving way to all the natural figns. And even when men learn to diffemble their fentiments, and when behaviour degenerates into art, there ftill remain checks, that keep diffimulation within bounds, and prevent a great part of its mifchievous effects: the total fuppreffion of the voluntary figns during any vivid paffion, begets the utmost uneafiness, which cannot be endured for any confiderable time: this operation becomes indeed lefs painful by habit; but, luckily, the involuntary figns cannot, by any effort, be fuppreffed, nor even diffembled. An abfolute hypocrify, by which the character is concealed, and a fictitious one affumed, is made impracticable; and nature has thereby prevented much harm to fociety. We may pronounce, therefore, that Nature, herself fincere and candid, intends that mankind fhould preserve the fame character, by cultivating fimplicity and truth, and banishing every fort of diffimulation that tends to mischief.

CHAP.

CHAP. XVI.

SENTIMENTS.

E

VERY thought prompted by paffion, is termed a fentiment *. To have a general notion of the different paffions, will not alone enable an artift to make a juft reprefentation of any paffion he ought, over and above, to know the various appearances of the fame paffion in different perfons. Paffions receive a tincture from every peculiarity of character; and for that reafon it rarely happens, that a paffion, in the different circumftances of feeling, of fentiment, and of expreffion, is precifely the fame in any two perfons. Hence the following rule concerning dramatic and epic compofitions. That a paffion be adjusted to the character, the fentiments to the paffion, and the language to the fentiments. If nature be not faithfully copied in each of thefe, a defect in execution is perceived there may appear fome resemblance; but the picture, upon the whole, will be infipid, through want of grace and delicacy. A painter, in order to reprefent the various attitudes of the body, ought to be intimately acquainted with Ff2 mufcular

* See Appendix, § 32.

mufcular motion: no lefs intimately acquainted with emotions and characters ought a writer to be, in order to reprefent the various attitudes of the mind. A general notion of the paffions, in their groffer differences of ftrong and weak, elevated and humble, fevere and gay, is far from being fufficient: pictures formed fo fuperficially have little refemblance, and no expreffion; yet it will appear by and by, that in many inftances our artists are deficient even in that fuperficial knowledge.

In handling the prefent fubject, it would be endlefs to trace even the ordinary paffions through their nice and minute differences. Mine fhall be an humbler task; which is, to felect from the best writers inftances of faulty fentiments, after paving the way by fome general obfervations.

To talk in the language of mufic, each paffion hath a certain tone, to which every fentiment proceeding from it ought to be tuned with the greateft accuracy which is no eafy work, especially where fuch harmony ought to be fupported during the course of a long theatrical representation. In order to reach fuch delicacy of execution, it is neceffary that a writer affume the precife character and paffion of the perfonage reprefented; which requires an uncommon genius. But it is the only difficulty; for the writer, who, annihilating himfelf, can thus become another perfon, need be in no pain about the fentiments that belong to the affumed

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