have affected in the reality. On the other hand, the most lively and spirited verbal description I can give, raises a very obfcure and imperfect idea of fuch objects; but then it is in my power to raise a stronger emotion by the description than I could do by the best painting. This experience constantly evinces. The proper manner of conveying the affections of the mind from one to another, is by words; there is a great insufficiency in all other methods of communication; and so far is a clearness of imagery from being abfolutely neceffary to an influence upon the paffions, that they may be confiderably operated upon, without presenting any image at all, by certain founds adapted to that purpose; of which we have a fufficient proof in the acknowledged and powerful effects of inftrumental mufic. In reality, a great clearness helps but little towards affecting the paffions, as it is in fome fort an enemy to all enthusiasms whatsoever. TH SECT. [IV.] THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. HERE are two verses in Horace's Art of Poetry that feem to contradict this opinion, for which reason I fhall take a little more pains in clearing it up. The ver fes are, Segnius irritant animos demiffa per aures, Quam quæ funt oculis fubjecta fidelibus. On this the Abbé du Bos founds a criticifm, wherein he gives painting the preference to poetry in the article of moving the paffions; principally on account of the greater R 2 clearness clearness of the ideas it reprefents. I believe this excellent judge was led into this mistake (if it be a mistake) by his fyftem, to which he found it more conformable than I imagine it will be found by experience. I know feveral who admire and love painting, and yet who regard the objects of their admiration in that art with coolness enough in comparifon of that warmth with which they are animated by affecting pieces of poetry or rhetoric. Among the common fort of people, I never could perceive that painting had much influence on their paffions. It is true, that the best forts of painting, as well as the best forts of poetry, are not much understood in that sphere. But it is moft certain, that their paffions are very strongly roused by a fanatic preacher, or by the ballads of Chevy-chase, or the Children in the wood, and by other little popular poems and tales that are current in that rank of life. I do not know of any paintings, bad or good, that produce the fame effect. So that poetry, with all its obfcurity, has a more general, as well as a more powerful dominion over the paffions than the other art. And I think there are reafons in nature, why the obfcure idea, when properly conveyed, should be more affecting than the clear. It is our ignorance of things that causes all our admiration, and chiefly excites our paffions. Knowledge and acquaintance make the most striking caufes affect but little. It is thus with the vulgar; and all men are as the vulgar in what they do not understand. The ideas of eternity, and infinity, are among the most affecting we have; and perhaps there is nothing of which we really understand so little, as of infinity, and eternity. We do not any where meet a more fublime description than this justly-celebrated one of Milton, wherein he gives the portrait of Satan with a dignity fo fuitable to the subject: He He above the rest In shape and geflure proudly eminent Shorn of his beams; or from behind the moon On half the nations; and with fear of change Here is a very noble picture; and in what does this poetical picture confift? in images of a tower, an archangel, the fun rifing through mifts, or in an eclipfe, the ruin of monarchs, and the revolutions of kingdoms. The mind is hurried out of itself, by a crowd of great and confused images; which affect because they are crowded and confused. For separate them, and you lofe much of the greatnefs; and join them, and you infallibly lofe the clearnefs. The images raised by poetry are always of this obfcure kind; though in general the effects of poetry are by no means to be attributed to the images it raises; which point we fhall examine more at large hereafter. But painting, when we have allowed for the pleasure of imitation, can only affect fimply by the images it prefents; and even in painting, a judicious obfcurity in fome things contributes to the effect of the picture; because the images in painting are exactly fimilar to those in nature; and in nature dark, confufed, uncertain images have a greater power on the fancy to form the grander paffions, than thofe have which are more clear and determinate. But where and when this obfervation may be applied to *Part. V.. practice, practice, and how far it shall be extended, will be better deduced from the nature of the fubject, and from the occafion, than from any rules that can be given. There is I am sensible that this idea has met with opposition, and is likely ftill to be rejected by feveral. But let it be confidered, that hardly any thing can ftrike the mind with its greatnefs, which does not make some fort of approach towards infinity; which nothing can do whilst we are able to perceive its bounds; but to fee an object diftinctly, and to perceive its bounds, is one and the fame thing. A clear idea is therefore another name for a little idea. a paffage in the book of Job amazingly fublime, and this fublimity is principally due to the terrible uncertainty of the thing described: In thoughts from the vifions of the night, when deep fleep falleth upon men, fear came upon me and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Then a fpirit paffed before my face. The hair of my flesh food up. It food fill, but I could not difcern the form thereof; an image was before mine eyes; there was filence; and I heard a voice, -Shall mortal man be more just than God? We are first prepared with the utmost folemnity for the vifion; we are first terrified, before we are let even into the obscure cause of our emotion: but when this grand cause of terror makes its appearance, what is it? is it not wrapt up in the fhades of its own incomprehenfible darknefs, more aweful, more ftriking, more terrible, than the livelieft description, than the clearest painting, could poffibly represent it? When painters have attempted to give us clear reprefentations of thefe very fanciful and terrible ideas, they have, I think, almost always failed; infomuch that I have been at a lofs, in all the pictures I have feen of hell, whether the painter did not intend fomething ludicrous. Several painters have handled a subject of this kind with a view of assembling as many horrid phantoms as their imaginations could fuggeft; but all the defigns I have chanced to meet of the temptations of St. Anthony, were rather a fort of odd wild grotefques, than any thing capable of producing a ferious paffion. In all these subjects poetry is very happy. Its apparitions, its chimeras, its harpies, its allegorical figures, are grand and affecting; and though Virgil's Fame, and Homer's Discord, are obfcure, they are magnificent figures. These figures in painting would be clear enough, but I fear they might become ridiculous. SE C T. V. POWE R. BESIDES thofe things which directly fuggeft the idea of danger, and those which produce a fimilar effect from a mechanical cause, I know of nothing fublime, which is not fome modification of power. And this branch rises as naturally as the other two branches, from terror, the common stock of every thing that is fublime. The idea of power, at first view, feems of the class of these indifferent ones, which may equally belong to pain or to pleasure. But in reality, the affection arising from the idea of vast power, is extremely remote from that neutral character. For firft, we must remember, that the idea of pain, in its highest degree, is much stronger than the highest degree of pleafure; and that it preferves the fame fuperiority through all the fubordinate gradations. From hence it is, that where Part I. fect. 7. the |