Page images
PDF
EPUB

these sentiments on the human form, to the gentle breathing of the air on the face of nature. Its foft afpirations may be perceived; its nimble and delicate fpirit may diffuse itself through woods and fields, and its pervading influence cherish and invigorate all animal or vegetative being. Yet no external figns evidence its effects to sense. It acts invifibly, and therefore no power of imitation can give it form and colouring. Its impulfes muft, at least, have a certain degree of ftrength: it muft wave the grafs, incline trees, and Scatter leaves, before the painter can lay hold of it, and draw it into defcription. Juft fo it is with our calmer Sentiments. They feldom ftir or diforder the human frame. They fpring up cafually, and as circumstances concur, within us; but, as it were, fink and die away again, like paffing gales, without leaving any imprefs or mark of violence behind them. In short, when they do not grow out of fixed characters, or are prompted by paffion, they do not, I believe, ever make themselves visible.

And this obfervation reaches as well to event and action in life, as to the corporal figure of the perfon in whom they operate. VOL. III. The

F

The fentiments, here spoken of, however naturally or even neceffarily they may occur to the mind on certain occafions, yet have feldom or never any immediate effect on confequent action. And the reafon is, that we do not proceed to act on the fole conclufions of the understanding; unless fuch conclufions, by frequent meditation, or the cooperating influence of fome affection, excite a ferment in the mind, and impel the will by paffion. Such moral aphorifmns as these, "that friendship is the medicine of life," and, "that our country, as including all other "interefls, claims our first regard," though likely to obtrude themselves upon us on a thousand occafions, yet would never have urged Achilles to fuch a train of action, as makes the striking part of the Iliad; or Ulyffes, to that which runs through the intire Odyffey; if a strong, instinctive af fection in both had not conspired to produce it. When produced, therefore, they are to be confidered as the genuine confequences, not of these moral fentiments, taken fimply by themfelves, but of strong benevolence of foul, implanted by nature,

and

and strengthened by babit. They are properly then, the refult of the manners, or paffions, which have been already contemplated. Our fentiments, merely as fuch, terminate in themselves, and furnish no external apparent matter to defcription.

The fame conclufion would, it must be owned, hold of our religious, as moral fentiments, were we to regard them only in this view of difpaffionate and cool reflexions. For fuch reflexions produce no change of feature, no alteration in the form or countenance, nor are they neceffarily followed by any fenfible demonftration of their power in outward action. But then it ufually happens (which fets the wideft difference between the two cafes) that the one, as refpecting an object, whofe very idea interefts ftrongly, and puts all our faculties in motion, are, almost of neceffity, affociated with the impelling caufes of affection; and fo exprefs themselves in legible figns and characters. Whereas the other fentiments, respecting human nature and its neceffities, are frequently no other than a calm indifferent furvey of common life, unattended

[blocks in formation]

with any emotion or inciting principle of action. Hence religion, infpiriting all its meditations with enthufiafm, generally shews itfelf in outward figns; whereas we frequently difcern no traces, as neceffarily attendant upon moral. Which difference is worth the noting, were it only for the fake of feeing more diftinctly the vast advantage of poetry, above all other modes of imitation. For thefe, explaining themfelves by the help of natural media, which present a real refemblance, are able but imperfectly to defcribe religious fentiments; in as much as they exprefs the general vague difpofition only, and not the precife fentiments, themfelves. And in moral, they can frequently give us no image or reprefentation at all. While poetry, which tells its meaning by artificial figns, conveys diftin&t and clear notices of this clafs of moral and religious conceptions, which afford fuch mighty entertainment to the human mind. But it ferves to a further purpose, more immediately relative to the fubject of this inquiry. For thefe ethic and prudential conclufions, being feen to produce no immediate

diate effect in look, attitude, or action, we Its are to regard them only in their remoter

ני

and lefs direct confequences, as influencing,

at a distance, the civil and oeconomical affairs of life.

And in this view they open a fresh field for imitation; not quite fo ftriking to the fpectator, perhaps, but even larger, than that, into which religion, with all its multiform fuperftitions, before led us. For to thefe internal workings, affifted and pushed forward by the wants and neceffities of our nature, which fet the inventive powers on work, are ultimately to be referred that vaft congeries of political, civil, commercial, and mechanic inftitutions, of thofe infinite manufactures, arts, and exercises, which come in to the relief or embellishment of human life. Add to thefe all thofe namelefs events and actions, which, though determined by no fixed babit, or leading affection, human prudence, providing for its fecurity or interefts, in certain circumftances, naturally projects and prescribes. These are ample materials for description; and the greater poetry neceffarily compre

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »