to the fenfes of any men but by words, as God, angels, devils, heaven, and hell, all of which have however a great influence over the paffions. Thirdly, by words we have it in our power to make fuch combinations as we cannot poffibly do otherwife. By this power of combining we are able, by the addition of well-chofen circumstances, to give a new life and force to the fimple object. In painting we may represent 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 furnith out any thing fo 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 fenfible 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 reprefent: Sanguine fœdantem quos ipfe facraverat ignes. As a further inftance, let us confider those lines of Milton, where he defcribes the travels of the fallen angels through their difmal habitation; O'er many a dark and dreary vale Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and fhades of death, Here is displayed the force of union in Rocks, caves, lakes, dens, bogs, fens, and shades; which yet would lose the greatest part of the effect, if they were not the Rocks, Rocks, caves, lakes, dens, bogs, fens, and fhades--- of Death. This idea or this affection caufed by a word, which nothing but a word could annex to the others, raifes a very great degree of the sublime; and this fublime is raised yet higher by what follows, a "univerfe of Death." Here are again two ideas not prefentable but by language; and an union of them great and amazing beyond conception; if they may properly be called ideas which present no diftinct imagé to the mind:-but ftill it will be difficult to conceive how words can move the paffions which belong to real objects, without representing thefe objects clearly. This is difficult to us, because we do not fufficiently diftinguish, in our obfervations upon language, between a clear expreffion, and a strong expreffion. These are frequently confounded with each other, though they are in reality extremely different. The former regards the understanding; the latter belongs to the paffions. The one describes a thing as it is; the other defcribes it as it is felt. Now, as there is a moving tone of voice, an impaffioned countenance, an agitated gesture, which affect independently of the things about which they are exerted, fo there are words, and certain difpofitions of words, which being peculiarly devoted to paffionate subjects, and always used by thofe who are under the influence of any paffion, touch and move us more than thofe which far more clearly and diftinctly exprefs the fubject matter. We yield to fympathy what we refufe to description. The truth is, all verbal description, merely as naked description, though never fo exact, conveys fo poor and infufficient an idea of the thing defcribed, that it could fcarcely have the fmalleft effect, if the fpeaker did not call in to his aid thofe modes of speech that mark a strong and lively feeling in himself. Then, by the contagion of our paffions, we catch a fire already kindled in another, which probably might VOL. I. K k never never have been ftruck out by the object defcribed. Words, by strongly conveying the paffions, by thofe means which we have already mentioned, fully compenfate for their weakness in other refpects. It may be obferved, that very polifhed languages, and fuch as are praised for their fuperior clearness and perfpicuity, 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 expreffion; and this is but natural. Uncultivated people are but ordinary observers of things, and not critical in distinguishing them; but, for that reason, they admire more, and are more affected with what they fee, and therefore express themselves in a warmer and more paffionate 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 has originally given rise to it. It might be expected from the fertility of the fubject, that I fhould confider poetry as it regards the fublime 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 defign to enter into the criticifm of the fublime and beautiful in any art, but to attempt to lay down fuch 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 enquiry into the properties of fuch things in nature, as raife love and aftonishment in us; and by fhewing in what manner they operated to produce these paffions. Words were only fo far to be confidered, as to shew upon what principle they were capable of being the reprefentatives of thefe natural things, and by what powers they were able to affect us often as ftrongly as the things they reprefent, and fometimes much more strongly. A SHORT |