gra

on the contrary, overcoming the resistance of vity, makes an impreffion of a great effort, and thereby rouses, and enlivens the mind.

The public games of the Greeks and Romans, which gave so much entertainment to the fpectators, confifted chiefly in exerting force, wreftling, leaping, throwing great ftones, and fuch-like trials of ftrength. When great force is exerted, the effort felt internally is animating. The effort may be fuch, as in fome measure to over-power the mind: thus the explosion of gun-powder, the violence of a torrent, the weight of a mountain, and the crush of an earthquake, create aftonishment rather than pleasure.

No quality nor circumftance contributes more to grandeur than force, especially where exerted by fenfible beings. I cannot make the obfervation more evident than by the following quotations.

Him the almighty power

Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal fky,
With hideous ruin and combuftion, down

To bottomlefs perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire,
Who durft defy th' Omnipotent to arms.

Paradife loft, book 1.

Now ftorming fury rose,

And clamour fuch as heard in heaven till now
Was never; arms on armour clashing bray'd

Horrible

Horrible difcord, and the madding wheels

Of brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noife
Of conflict; over head the difmal hifs
Of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew,
And flying vaulted either hoft with fire.
So under fiery cope together rush'd

Both battles main, with ruinous affault
And inextinguishable rage; all heaven
Refounded; and had earth been then, all earth
Had to her centre fhook.

Ibid. book 6.

They ended parle, and both addrefs'd for fight Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue Of angels, can relate, or to what things Liken on earth confpicuous, that may lift Human imagination to fuch height

Of godlike pow'r ? for likest gods they seem'd, Stood they or mov'd, in ftature, motion, arms, Fit to decide the empire of great Heav'n. Now wav'd their fiery fwords, and in the air Made horrid circles: two broad funs their shields Blaz'd opposite, while Expectation stood In horror: from each hand with speed retir'd, Where erft was thickeft fight, th'angelic throng, And left large field, unfafe within the wind Of fuch commotion; fuch as, to fet forth Great things by small, if Nature's concord broke, Among the conftellations war were sprung, Two planets, rushing from afpect malign Of fierceft opposition, in mid sky

Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.

Ibid. book 6.

We

We shall next confider the effect of motion and force in conjunction. In contemplating the planetary system, what strikes us the most, is the fpherical figures of the planets, and their regular motions; the conception we have of their activity and enormous bulk being more obfcure: the beauty accordingly of that fyftem, raises a more lively emotion than its grandeur. But if we could comprehend the whole fyftem at one view, the activity and irresistible force of these immenfe bodies would fill us with amazement: nature cannot furnish another scene fo grand.

Motion and force, agreeable in themselves, are also agreeable by their utility when employ'd as means to accomplish fome beneficial end. Hence the fuperior beauty of fome machines, where force and motion concur to perform the work of numberlefs hands. Hence the beautiful motions, firm and regular, of a horfe trained for war: every fingle ftep is the fittest that can be, for obtaining the purposed end. But the grace of motion is vifible chiefly in man, not only for the reasons mentioned, but because every gefture is fignificant. The power however of agreeable motion is not a common talent: every limb of the human body has an agreeable and difagreeable motion; fome motions being extremely graceful, others plain and vulgar; fome expreffing dignity, others meannefs. But the pleasure here, arifing, not fingly from the beauty of motion, but from indicating

character

character and fentiment, belongs to different chap

ters *.

I fhould conclude with the final caufe of the relish we have for motion and force, were it not fo evident as to require no explanation. We are placed here in fuch circumftances as to make industry effential to our well-being; for without industry the plaineft neceffaries of life are not ob tained. When our fituation therefore in this world requires activity and a constant exertion of motion and force, Providence indulgently provides for our welfare by making these agreeable to us: it would be a grofs imperfection in our nature, to make any thing difagreeable that we depend on for existence; and even indifference would flacken greatly that degree of activity which is indifpenfable.

258

CHAP. VI.

NOVELTY, AND THE UNEXPECTED AP-
PEARANCE OF OBJECTS.

Ο

F all the circumftances that raise emotions, not excepting beauty, nor even greatness, novelty hath the most powerful influence. A new object produceth inftantaneously an emo→ tion termed wonder, which totally occupies the mind, and for a time excludes all other objects. Converfation among the vulgar never is more interesting than when it turns upon ftrange objects and extraordinary events. Men tear themselves from their native country in fearch of things rare and new; and novelty converts into a pleasure, the fatigues and even perils of travelling. To what cause fhall we afcribe these fingular appearances? To curiofity undoubtedly, a principle implanted in human nature for a purpose extremely beneficial, that of acquiring knowledge; and the emotion of wonder, raised by new and strange objects, inflames our curiofity to know more of them. This emotion is different from admira-A tion: novelty where-ever found, whether in a quality or action, is the cause of wonder; admiration is directed to the person who performs any thing wonderful.