in fome one manner, cannot quickly change their tenor or adapt themselves to other things; but they continue in their old channel until the ftrength of the first mover decays. This is the reason of an appearance very frequent in madmen; that they remain whole days and nights, fometimes whole years, in the constant repetition of fome remark, some complaint, or fong; which having struck powerfully on their difordered imagination in the beginning of their phrenzy, every repetition reinforces it with new ftrength; and the hurry of their spirits, unreftrained by the curb of reason, continues it to the end of their lives.

SECT. IX.

SUCCESSION AND UNIFORMITY.

SUCCESSION and uniformity of parts are what constitute the artificial infinite. 1. Succeffion; which is requifite that the parts may be continued so long and in such a direction, as by their frequent impulfes on the fenfe to impress the imagination with an idea of their progress beyond their actual limits. 2. Uniformity; because if the figures of the parts fhould be changed, the imagination at every change finds a check; you are presented at every alteration with the termination of one idea, and the beginning of another; by which means it becomes impoffible to continue that uninterrupted progreffion, which alone can ftamp on bounded objects the character of infinity. It is in this kind of artificial infinity, I believe, we ought to look for the cause why

* Mr. Addison, in the Spectators concerning the pleasures of the imagination, thinks it is because in the rotund at one glance you fee half the building. This I do not imagine to be the real caufe.

a rotund

a rotund has fuch a noble effect. For in a rotund, whether it be a building or a plantation, you can no where fix a boundary; turn which way you will, the fame object ftill feems to continue, and the imagination has no rest. But the parts must be uniform, as well as circularly difpofed, to give this figure its full force; becaufe any difference, whether it be in the difpofition or in the figure, or even in the colour of the parts, is highly prejudicial to the idea of infinity, which every change muft check and interrupt, at every alteration commencing a new feries. On the fame principles of fucceffion and uniformity, the grand appearance of the antient heathen temples, which were generally oblong forms, with a range of uniform pillars on every fide, will be cafily accounted for. From the fame caufe alfo may be derived the grand effect of the aifles in many of our own old cathedrals. The form of a crofs ufed in fome churches feems to me not fo eligible as the parallelogram of the antients; at leaft, I imagine it is not fo proper for the outfide. For fuppofing the arms of the crofs every way equal, if you stand in a direction parallel to any of the fide walls, or colonnades, inftead of a deception that makes the building more extended than it is, you are cut off from a confiderable part (two thirds) of its actual length; and to prevent all poffibility of progreffion, the arms of the crofs taking a new direction, make a right angle with the beam, and thereby wholly turn the imagination from the repetition of the former idea. Or fuppofe the fpectator placed where he may take a direct view of fuch a building, what will be the confequence? the neceffary confequence will be, that a good part of the bafis of each angle formed by the interfection of the arms of the cross, must be inevitably loft; the whole muft of course affume a broken unconnected figure; the lights must be unequal, here strong, and there weak; without that noble gradation,

T 2

gradation, which the perfpective always effects on parts difpofed uninterruptedly in a right line. Some or all of these objections will lie against every figure of a cross, in whatever view you take it. I exemplified them in the Greek cross, in which these faults appear the most strongly; but they appear in fome degree in all forts of croffes. Indeed there is nothing more prejudicial to the grandeur of buildings, than to abound in angles; a fault obvious in many; and owing to an inordinate thirst for variety, which, whenever it prevails, is fure to leave very little true tafte.

SECT. X.

MAGNITUDE IN BUILDING.

TO the fublime in building, greatness of dimenfion feems requifite; for on a few parts, and those small, the imagination cannot rise to any idea of infinity. No greatness in the manner can effectually compenfate for the want of proper dimenfions. There is no danger of drawing men into extravagant defigns by this rule; it carries its own caution along with it. Because too great a length in buildings deftroys the purpofe of greatnefs, which it was intended to promote; the perspective will leffen it in height as it gains in length; and will bring it at laft to a point; turning the whole figure into a sort of triangle, the poorest in its effect of almost any figure that can be prefented to the eye. I have ever obferved, that colonnades and avenues of trees of a moderate length, were without comparison far grander, than when they were fuffered to run to immenfe diftances. A true artist should put a generous deceit on the fpectators, and effect the nobleft defigns by eafy methods. Designs that are

vaft only by their dimenfions, are always the fign of a common and low imagination. No work of art can be great, but as it deceives; to be otherwife is the prerogative of nature only. A good eye will fix the medium betwixt an exceffive length or heighth (for the fame objection lies against both), and a fhort or broken quantity: and perhaps it might be afcertained to a tolerable degree of exactnefs, if it was my purpofe to defcend far into the particulars of any art.

SEC T. XI.

INFINITY IN PLEASING OBJECTS.

INFINITY, though of another kind, caufes much of our pleasure in agreeable, as well as of our delight in fublime images. The spring is the pleasantest of the seasons; and the young of moft animals, though far from being completely fashioned, afford a more agreeable fenfation than the full-grown; because the imagination is entertained with the promise of fomething more, and does not acquiefce in the. prefent object of the fenfe. In unfinished sketches of drawing, I have often seen something which pleased me beyond the best finishing; and this I believe proceeds from the cause I have just now affigned.

SEC T. XII.

DIFFICULTY.

ICULTY.

*ANOTHER fource of greatness is Difficulty. When any work feems to have required immenfe force and labour to effect it, the idea is grand. Stonehenge, neither for dif

pofition nor ornament, has any thing admirable; but thofe huge rude maffes of ftone, fet on end, and piled each on other, turn the mind on the immenfe force neceffary for fuch a work. Nay, the rudeness of the work incrcafes this caufe of grandeur, as it excludes the idea of art and contrivance; for dexterity produces another fort of effect, which is different enough from this.

MAGNIFICENCE is likewife a fource of the fublime. A great profufion of things, which are fplendid or valuable in themselves, is magnificent. The ftarry heaven, though it occurs fo very frequently to our view, never fails to excite an idea of grandeur. This cannot be owing to any thing in the ftars themfelves, feparately confidered. The number is certainly the cause. The apparent diforder augments the grandeur, for the appearance of care is highly contrary to our ideas of magnificence. Befides, the ftars lie in fuch apparent confufion, as makes it impoffible on ordinary occafions to reckon them. This gives them the advantage of a fort of infinity. In works of art, this kind of grandeur, which confifts in multitude, is to be very cautiously admitted; because a profusion of excellent things is not to be attained, or with too much difficulty; and because in many cafes this fplendid confufion would deftroy all use, which should be attended to in moft of the works of art with the greatest care; befides it is to be confidered, that unless you can produce an appearance of infinity by your diforder,

you