be comprehended at one diftin&t look; confequently each of them will appear equal, or nearly equal, to what the whole did before the divifion. If, on the other hand, the whole be very small, fo as scarce to fill the eye at one look, its divifion into parts will, I conjecture, make it appear ftill lefs: the minuteness of the parts is, by an eafy tranfition of ideas, transferred to the whole; and we pafs the fame judgment on the latter that we do on the former.

The space marked out for a small garden is furveyed almoft at one view; and requires a motion of the eye fo flight, as to pafs for an object that can be comprehended under the largest angle of diftinct vifion: if not divided into too many parts, we are apt to form the fame judgment of each part, and confequently to magnify the garden in proportion to the number of its parts.

A very large plain without protuberances is an object no lefs rare than beautiful; and in thofe who fee it for the first time, it must produce an emotion of wonder. That emotion, however flight, imposes on the mind, and makes it judge that the plain is larger than it is in reality. Divide the plain into parts, and our wonder ceafes: it is no longer confidered as one great plain, but as fo many different fields or inclosures.

The first time one beholds the fea, it appears to be large beyond all bounds. When it becomes familiar, and ceases to raise our wonder, it appears lefs than it is in reality. In a ftorm it appears large, being

being distinguisheable by the rolling waves into a number of great parts. Iflands fcattered at confiderable distances, add in appearance to its fize: each intercepted part looks extremely large, and we infenfibly apply arithmetic to increase the appearance of the whole. Many islands scattered at hand, give a diminutive appearance to the fea, by its connection with its diminutive parts: the Lomond lake would undoubtedly look larger without its islands.

Furniture increaseth in appearance the fize of a small room, for the fame reason that divifions increase in appearance the size of a garden. The emotion of wonder which is raised by a very large room without furniture, makes it look larger than it is in reality: if completely furnifhed, we view it in parts, and our wonder is not raised.

A low ceiling hath a diminutive appearance, which, by an easy transition of ideas, is communicated to the length and breadth, provided they bear any proportion to the height. If they be out of all proportion, the oppofition feizes the mind, and raises fome degree of wonder, which makes the difference appear greater than it really is.

VOL. I.

M

PART

PART VI.

The Refemblance of Emotions to their Causes.

T

HAT many emotions have some refein

blance to their causes, 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, causeth a languid unpleasant feeling; flow uniform motion, a feeling calm and pleasant; and brisk motion, a lively feeling that roufes the fpirits, and promotes activity. A fall of water through rocks, raïfes 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 A large object fwells in the heart. elevated object makes the fpectator ftand erect.

An

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 raising 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 somewhat fimilar is produced by a tall pillar that stands so ticklish as to look like falling *. A column with a base looks more firm and stable than upon the naked ground; and for that reafon is more agreeable: and tho' 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 bafe and capital ought to be square.

A conftrained posture, uneasy to the man him felf, is disagreeable to the spectator; 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 move. ments. The constrained posture of a French dancing-mafter in one of Hogarth's pieces, is for that reafon disagreeable; and it is also ridiculous, because the constraint is affumed as a grace.

* Sunt enim Tempe faltus tranfitu difficilis: nam præ. ter 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 Livisu, 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 inspired 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 instance of gratitude, befide procuring esteem for the author, raiseth in the spectator a vague emotion of grati tude, which disposeth him to be grateful; and I now further remark, that this vague emotion hath a ftrong refemblance to its caufe, namely, the paffion that produced the grateful action:

-rage exerted infpires the reader as well as the

fpectator with a like emotion of courage, a just action fortifies our love of juftice, and a gene rous action roufes our generofity. In fhort, with refpect to all virtuous actions, it will be found by induction, that they lead us to imitation by infpiring 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 refemble 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.

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