that the influence of most things on our passions
is not so much from the things themselves, as from
our opinions concerning them; and these again
depend very much on the opinions of other men,
conveyable for the most part by words only.
Secondly, there are many things of
a very affect-
ing nature, which can seldom occur in the reality,
but the words that represent them often do;
and thus they have an opportunity of making a
deep impression and taking root in the mind,
whilst the idea of the reality was transient; and to
some perhaps never really occurred in any shape,
to whom it is notwithstanding very affecting, as
war, death, famine, &c. Besides, many ideas have
never been at all presented to the senses of any
men but by words, as God, angels, devils, heaven,
and hell, all of which have however a great in-
fluence over the passions. Thirdly, by words we
have it in our power to make such combinations
as we cannot possibly do otherwise. By this power
of combining, we are able, by the addition of well-
chosen circumstances, to give a new life and force
to the simple object. In painting we may repre-
sent any fine figure we please; but we never can
give it those enlivening touches which it may
receive from words. To represent an angel in a
picture, you can only draw a beautiful young man
winged but what painting can furnish out any
thing so grand as the addition of one word, "the
angel of the Lord?" It is true, I have here no
clear idea; but these words affect the mind more
than the sensible image did; which is all I contend
for. A picture of Priam dragged to the altar's foot,
and there murdered, if it were well executed,
would undoubtedly be very moving; but there are
very aggravating circumstances, which it could
never represent:

Sanguine fædantem quos ipse sacraverat ignes.
As a further instance, let us consider those lines
of Milton, where he describes the travels of the
fallen angels through their dismal habitation :

-O'er many a dark and dreary vale They pass'd, and many a region dolorous; O'er many a frozen, many a fiery Alp;

We

not presentable but by language; and an union
of them great and amazing beyond conception;
if they may properly be called ideas which present
no distinct image to the mind :—but still it will be
difficult to conceive how words can move the
passions which belong to real objects, without re-
presenting these objects clearly. This is difficult
to us, because we do not sufficiently distinguish,
in our observations upon language, between a clear
expression and a strong expression. These are
frequently confounded with each other, though
they are in reality extremely different. The for-
mer regards the understanding; the latter belongs
to the passions. The one describes a thing as it
is; the latter describes it as it is felt. Now, as there
is a moving tone of voice, an impassioned coun-
tenance, an agitated gesture, which affect inde-
pendently of the things about which they are
exerted, so there are words, and certain dispositions
of words, which being peculiarly devoted to pas-
sionate subjects, and always used by those who are
under the influence of any passion, touch and
move us more than those which far more clearly
and distinctly express the subject matter.
yield to sympathy what we refuse to description.
The truth is, all verbal description, merely as naked
description, though never so exact, conveys so
poor and insufficient an idea of the thing described,
that it could scarcely have the smallest effect, if the
speaker did not call in to his aid those modes of
speech that mark a strong and lively feeling in
himself. Then, by the contagion of our passions,
we catch a fire already kindled in another, which
probably might never have been struck out by the
object described. Words, by strongly convey-
ing the passions, by those means which we have
already mentioned, fully compensate for their
weakness in other respects. It may be observed,
that very polished languages, and such as are
praised for their superiour clearness and perspi-
cuity, are generally deficient in strength. The
French language has that perfection and that defect.
Whereas the oriental tongues, and in general the
languages of most unpolished people, have a great
force and energy of expression; and this is but
natural. Uncultivated people are but ordinary ob-
servers of things, and not critical in distinguishing

Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death, them; but, for that reason, they admire more,
A universe of death.-

Here is displayed the force of union in

Rocks, caves, lukes, dens, bogs, fens, and shades;

and are more affected with what they see, and therefore express themselves in a warmer and more passionate manner. If the affection be well conveyed, it will work its effect without any clear idea; often without any idea at all of the thing

which yet would lose the greatest part of their which has originally given rise to it. effect, if they were not the

Rocks, caves, lakes, dens, bogs, fens, and shades— of Death.

This idea or this affection caused by a word, which nothing but a word could annex to the others, raises a very great degree of the sublime; and this sublime is raised yet higher by what follows, a "universe of Death." Here are again two ideas

It might be expected from the fertility of the subject, that I should consider poetry, as it regards the sublime and beautiful, more at large; but it must be observed that in this light it has been often and well handled already. It was not my design to enter into the criticism of the sublime and beautiful in any art, but to attempt to lay down such principles as may tend to ascertain, to distinguish, and to form a sort of standard for them; which purposes I thought might be best effected by an

A

SHORT ACCOUNT

OF A LATE

SHORT ADMINISTRATION.

1766.

THE late administration came into employment, under the mediation of the Duke of Cumberland, on the tenth day of July 1765; and was removed, upon a plan settled by the Earl of Chatham, on the thirtieth day of July 1766, having lasted just one year and twenty days.

In that space of time

The distractions of the British empire were composed, by the repeal of the American stamp act; But the constitutional superiority of Great Britain was preserved, by the act for securing the dependence of the colonies.

Private houses were relieved from the jurisdiction of the excise, by the repeal of the cyder-tax. The personal liberty of the subject was confirmed, by the resolution against general war

rants.

The lawful secrets of business and friendship were rendered inviolable, by the resolution for condemning the seizure of papers.

The trade of America was set free from injudicious and ruinous impositions-its revenue was improved, and settled upon a rational foundation -its commerce extended with foreign countries; while all the advantages were secured to Great Britain, by the act for repealing certain duties, and encouraging, regulating, and securing the trade of this kingdom, and the British dominions in America.

That administration was the first which proposed and encouraged publick meetings and free consultations of merchants from all parts of the kingdom; by which means the truest lights have been received; great benefits have been already derived to manufactures and commerce; and the most extensive prospects are opened for further improvement.

Under them, the interests of our northern and southern colonies, before that time jarring and dissonant, were understood, compared, adjusted, and perfectly reconciled. The passions and animosities of the colonies, by judicious and lenient measures, were allayed and composed, and the foundation laid for a lasting agreement amongst them.

Whilst that administration provided for the liberty and commerce of their country, as the true basis of its power, they consulted its interests, they asserted its honour abroad, with temper and with firmness; by making an advantageous treaty of commerce with Russia; by obtaining a liquidation of the Canada bills, to the satisfaction of the proprietors; by reviving and raising from its ashes the negociation for the Manilla ransom, which had been extinguished and abandoned by their predecessors.

They treated their sovereign with decency; with reverence. They discountenanced, and, it is hoped, for ever abolished, the dangerous and unconstitutional practice of removing military officers for their votes in parliament. They firmly Materials were provided and insured to our adhered to those friends of liberty, who had run manufactures-the sale of these manufactures was all hazards in its cause; and provided for them in encreased the African trade preserved and ex-preference to every other claim. tended-the principles of the act of navigation pursued, and the plan improved-and the trade for bullion rendered free, secure, and permanent, by the act for opening certain ports in Dominica and Jamaica.

With the Earl of Bute they had no personal connexion; no correspondence of councils. They neither courted him nor persecuted him. They practised no corruption; nor were they even suspected of it. They sold no offices. They obtained