of the fublime. There appears to be no fublime objet, into the idea of which strength and force either enter not directly, or are not at least intimately affo ciated by conducting our thoughts to some astonishing power, as concerned in the production of the object. SUBLIMITY IN WRITING. THE foundation of the Sublime in Composition muft always be laid in the nature of the object defcribed. Unless it be fuch an object, as, if prefented to our fight, if exhibited to us in reality, would excite ideas of that elevating, that awful, and magnificent kind, which we call Sublime; the defcription, however finely drawn, is not entitled to be placed under this clafs. This excludes all objects, which are merely beautiful, gay or elegant. Befides, the object must not only in itself be fublime, but it must be placed before us in fuch a light, as is best calculated to give us a clear and full impreffion of it; it must be defcribed with ftrength, conciseness and fimplicity. This depends chiefly upon the lively impreffion, which the poet or orator has of the object, which he exhibits; and upon his being deeply affected and animated by the fublime idea, which he would convey. If his own feeling be languid, he can never infpire his reader with any strong emotion. Inftances, which on this. fubject are extremely neceffary, will clearly show the importance of all these requifites. It is chiefly among ancient authors, that we are to look for the most striking instances of the fublime. The early ages of the world and the uncultivated state of fociety were peculiarly favourable to the emotions of fublimity. The genius of men was then very prone to admiration and astonishment. Meeting continually new and ftrange objects, their imagination was kept glowing, and their paffions were often raised to the utmoft. They thought and expreffed themfelves boldly without restraint. In the progrefs of fociety the genius and manners of men have undergone a change more favourable to accuracy, than to ftrength or sublimity. Of all writings, ancient or modern, the facred fcriptures afford the most striking inftances of the fublime. In them the defcriptions of the Supreme Being are wonderfully noble, both from the grandeur of the object, and the manner of reprefenting it. What an affemblage of awful and fublime ideas is prefented to us in that paffage of the eighteenth Pfalm, where an appearance of the Almighty is defcribed ! "In my diftrefs I called upon the Lord; he heard my 66 my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before "him. Then the earth fhook and trembled; the "foundations of the hills were moved; because he was wroth. He bowed the heavens, and came "down, and darkness was under his feet; and he "did ride upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, he did "fly upon the wings of the wind. He made dark"nefs his fecret place; his pavilion round about him dark waters and thick clouds of the sky." The circumftances of darkness and terror are here applied with propriety and fuccefs for heightening the fublime. were The celebrated inftance, given by Longinus, from Mofes, "God faid, Let there be light; and there was light," belongs to the true fublime; and its fublimity arifes from the ftrong conception, it conveys, of an effort of power producing its effect with the utmost speed and facility. A fimilar thought is magnificently expanded in the following paffage of Isaiah :.(chap. xxiv. 24, 27, 28) "Thus faith the Lord, thy Redeem66 er, and he that formed thee from the womb; I "am the Lord, that maketh all things; that ftretch"eth forth the heavens alone; that fpreadeth abroad "the earth by myself; that faith to the deep, be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers; that faith of Cyrus, he is my fhepherd, and fhall perform all "my pleafure; even faying to Jerufalem, thou fhalt "be built; and to the temple, thy foundation fhall ❝ be laid." Homer has in all ages been univerfally admired for fublimity; and he is indebted for much of his grandeur to that native and unaffected fimplicity which characterizes his manner. His descriptions of conflicting armies; the fpirit, the fire, the rapidity, which he throws into his battles, present to every reader of the Iliad frequent inftances of fublime writing. The majesty of his warlike fcenes is often heightened in a high degree by the introduction of the gods. In the twentieth book, where all the gods take part in the engagement, according as they feverally favour either the Grecians or the Trojans, the poet appears to put forth one of his higheft efforts, and the defcription rifes into the moft awful magnificence. All nature appears in commotion. Jupiter thunders in the heavens; Neptune ftrikes the earth with his trident; the hips, the city, and the mountains fhake; the earth trembles to its centre; Pluto ftarts from his throne, fearing, left the fecrets of the infernal regions fhould be laid open to the view of mortals. We fhall tranfcribe Mr. Pope's tranflation of this paffage ; which, though inferiour to the original, is highly animated and fublime. But, when the powers defcending fwell'd the fight, And the tofs'd navies beat the heaving main. Deep in the dismal region of the dead Th' infernal monarch rear'd his horrid head, Leapt from his throne, left Neptune's arm should lay And pour in light on Pluto's drear abodes, Conciseness and fimplicity will ever be found effential to fublime writing. Simplicity is properly oppofed to studied and profuse ornament; and conciseness to superfluous expreffion. It will easily appear, why a C defect either in concifeness or fimplicity is peculiarly hurtful to the fublime. The emotion excited in the mind by fome great or noble object, raises it confiderably above its common pitch. A fpecies of enthusiafm is produced, extremely pleafing, while it lafts; but the mind is tending every moment to fink into its ordinary state. When an author has brought us, or is endeavouring to bring us into this ftate, if he multiply words unneceffarily; if he deck the fublime object on all fides with glittering ornaments; nay, if he throw in any one decoration, which falls in the leaft below the principal image; that moment he changes the key; he relaxes the tension of the mind; the ftrength of the feeling is emafculated; the beautiful may remain; but the fublime is extinguished. Homer's defcription of the nod of Jupiter, as fhaking the heavens, has been admired in all ages, as wonderfully fublime. Literally translated, it runs thus: "He "spoke, and bending his fable brows, gave the awful "nod; while he fhook the celeftial locks of his im"mortal head, all Olympus was fhaken." Mr. Pope tranflates it thus: He spoke; and awful bends his sable brows, The image is expanded, and attempted to be beautified; but in reality it is weakened. The third line"The stamp of fate, and fanction of a God," is entirely expletive, and introduced only to fill up the rhyme; for it interrupts the description, and clogs the |