ploys; and able, by its own imagination, to co-operate with the efforts of his art.

It has been often remarked, that the general words which exprefs complex ideas, feldom convey precifely the fame meaning to different individuals, and that hence arifes much of the ambiguity of language. The fame obfervation holds, in no inconfiderable degree, with refpect to the names of fenfible objects. When the words River, Mountain, Grove, occur in a defcription, a perfon of lively conceptions naturally thinks of fome particular river, mountain, and grove, that have made an impreffion on his mind; and whatever the notions are, which he is led by his imagination to form of thefe objects, they muft neceffarily approach to the standard of what he has feen. Hence it is evident that, according to the different habits and education of individuals; according to the liveliness of their conceptions, and according to the creative power of their imaginations, the fame words will pro. duce very different effects on different minds. When a person who has received his education in the coun try, reads a defcription of a rural retirement; the house, the river, the woods, to which he was first accustomed, present themselves fpontaneoufly to his conception, accompanied, perhaps, with the recollection of his early friendfhips, and all thofe pleafing ideas which are commonly affociated with the fcenes of childhood and of youth. How different is the effect of the description upon his mind, from what it would produce on one who has paffed his tender years at a distance from the beauties of nature, and whofe infant fports are connected in his me

mory

mory with the gloomy alleys of a commercial city!

But it is not only in interpreting the particular words of a description, that the powers of Imagination and Conception are employed. They are farther necessary for filling up the different parts of that picture, of which the most minute defcriber can only trace the outline. In the best description, there is much left to the reader to fupply; and the effect which it produces on his mind will depend, in a confiderable degree, on the invention and tafte with which the picture is finished. It is therefore poffible, on the one hand, that the happiest efforts of poetical genius may be perufed with perfect indifference by a man of found judgment, and not deftitute of natural fenfibility; and on the other hand, that a cold and common-place defcription may be the means of awakening, in a rich and glowing imagination, a degree of enthusiasm unknown to the author..

All the different arts which I have hitherto mentioned as taking their rife from the imagination, have this in common, that their primary object is to please. This obfervation applies to the art of Poetry, no less than to the others; nay, it is this circumftance which characterifes Poetry, and diftinguishes it from all the other claffes of literary compofition. The object of the Philofopher is to inform and enlighten mankind; that of the Orator, to acquire an afcendant over the will of others, by bending to his own purposes their judgments, their imaginations, and their paffions: but the primary and the diftinguifhing aim of the Poet is, to pleafe; and the principal resource which

he

he poffeffes for this purpose, is by addreffing the imagination. Sometimes, indeed, he may seem to encroach on the province of the Philofopher or of the Orator; but, in thefe inftances, he only borrows from them the means by which he accomplishes his end. If he attempts to enlighten and to inform, he addreffes the understanding only as a vehicle of pleafure if he makes an appeal to the paffions, it is only to passions which it is pleafing to indulge. The Philofopher, in like manner, in order to accomplish his end of inftruction, may find it expedient, occafionally, to amuse the imagination, or to make an appeal to the paffions: the Orator may, at one time, state to his hearers a process of reasoning; at another, a calm narrative of facts; and, at a third, he may give the reins to poetical fancy. But ftill the ultimate end of the Philofopher is to inftruct, and of the Orator to perfuade; and whatever means they make use of, which are not fubfervient to this purpose, are out of place, and obftruct the effect of their labours.

The measured composition in which the Poet expreffes himself, is only one of the means which he employs to please. As the delight which he conveys to the imagination, is heightened by the other agreeable impreffions which he can unite in the mind at the fame time; he ftudies to bestow, upon the medium of communication which he employs, all the various beauties of which it is fufceptible. Among thefe beauties, the harmony of numbers is not the leaft powerful; for its effect is conftant, and does not interfere with any of the other pleafures which language produces. A fucceffion of agrecable percep

tions is kept up by the organical effect of words upon the ear; while they inform the understanding by their perfpicuity and precifion, or please the imagination by the pictures they fuggeft, or touch the heart by the affociations they awaken. Of all these charms of language, the Poet may avail himself; and they are all so many inftruments of his art. To the Philofopher and the Orator they may occafionally be of use; and to both they must be constantly so far an object of attention, that nothing may occur in their compofitions, which may distract the thoughts, by offending either the ear or the taste; but the Poet must not rest fatisfied with this negative praise. Pleasure is the end of his art; and the more numerous the fources of it which he can open, the greater will be the effect produced by the efforts of his genius..

The province of the poet is limited only by the variety of human enjoyments. Whatever is in the reality fubfervient to our happiness, is a fource of pleasure, when presented to our conceptions, and may fometimes derive from the heightenings of imagination, a momentary charm, which we exchange with reluctance for the substantial gratifications of the fenfes. The province of the painter, and of the ftatuary, is confined to the imitation of visible objects, and to the exhibition of fuch intellectual and moral qualities, as the human body is fitted to exprefs. In ornamental architecture, and in ornamental gardening, the fole aim of the artist is to give pleasure to the eye, by the beauty or fublimity of material forms. glories of external nature; interefting, or refpectable in

But to the poet all the all that is amiable or human character ; all

that

that excites and engages our benevolent affections; all those truths which make the heart feel itself better and more happy; all these fupply materials, out of which he forms and peoples a world of his own, where no inconveniences damp our enjoyments, and where no clouds darken our prospects.

That the pleasures of poetry arise chiefly from the agreeable feelings which it conveys to the mind, by awakening the imagination, is a propofition which may seem too obvious to stand in need of proof. As the ingenious Inquirer, however, into " the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful," has difputed the common notions upon this fubject, I fhall confider fome of the principal arguments by which he has fupported his opinion.

The leading principle of the theory which I am how to examine is, "That the common effect of po❝etry is not to raise ideas of things; " or, as I would rather chufe to exprefs it, its common effect is not to give exercise to the powers of conception and imagination. That I may not be accused of mifreprefentation, I shall state the doctrine at length in the words of the author. "If words have all their poffible ex"tent of power, three effects arife in the mind of the "hearer. The first is the found; the fecond, the

picture, or representation of the thing fignified by "the found; the third is, the affection of the foul "produced by one or by both of the foregoing. Com"pounded abstract words, (honour, justice, liberty, " and the like,) produce the firft and the last of these "effects, but not the fecond. Simple abftracts are "ufed to fignify fome one fimple idea, without much Kk 2

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