INTRODUCTIO N.

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HAT nothing external is perceived till firft it make an impreffion upon the or gan of fenfe, is an obfervation that holds equally in every one of the external fenfes. But there is a difference as to our knowledge of that impreffion in touching, tasting, and smelling, we are sensible of the impreffion; that, for example, which is made upon the hand by a stone, upon the palate by an apricot, and upon the noftrils. by a rofe it is otherwise in seeing and hearing ; for I am not fenfible of the impreffion made upon my eye, when I behold a tree; nor of the impreffion made upon my ear, when I listen to a fong * That difference in the manner of perceiving external objects, diftinguifheth remarkably hearing and seeing from the other fenfes ; and I am ready to fhow, that it diftinguifheth ftill more remarkably the feelings of the former from that of the latter; every feeling, pleasant or painful, muft be in the mind; and yet, because in tasting, touching, and fmelling, we are fenfible of the impreffion made upon the organ, we are led to place there alfo the pleasant or painful feeling

See the Appendix, § 13.

VOL. I.

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caufed

caused by that impreffion*; but, with respect to feeing and hearing, being infenfible of the organic impreffion, we are not mifled to affign a wrong place to the pleasant or painful feelings caused by that impreffion; and therefore we naturally place them in the mind, where they really are: upon that account, they are conceived to be more refined and spiritual, than what are derived from tafting, touching, and smelling; for the lat ter feelings, feeming to exift externally at the orof sense, are conceived to be merely corpo

gan

real.

The pleasures of the eye and the ear, being thus elevated above those of the other external fenfes, acquire fo much dignity as to become a laudable entertainment. They are not, however, fet on a level with the purely intellectual; being no less inferior in dignity to intellectual pleasures, than fuperior to the organic or corporeal : they indeed

After the utmost efforts, we find it beyond our power to conceive the flavour of a rofe to exift in the mind: we are neceffarily led to conceive that pleafure as exifting in the noftrils along with the impreffion made by the rofe upon that And the fame will be the refult of exorgan. periments with respect to every feeling of taste, touch, and fmell. Touch affords the most fatisfactory experiments. Were it not that the delufion is detected by philofophy, no perfon would hesitate to pronounce, that the pleasure arifing from touching a smooth, foft, and velvet furface, has its exiftence at the ends of the fingers, without once dreaming of its exifting any where else.

resemble

resemble the latter, being, like them, produced by external objects; but they also resemble the former, being, like them, produced without any fenfible organic impreffion. Their mixt nature and middle place between organic and intellec tual pleasures, qualify them to affociate with both; beauty heightens all the organic feelings, as well as the intellectual: harmony, though it afpires to inflame devotion, difdains not to improve the relish of a banquet.

The pleasures of the eye and the ear have other valuable properties befide those of dignity and elevation being sweet and moderately exhilarating, they are in their tone equally diftant from the turbulence of paffion, and the languor of indolence; and by that tone are perfectly well. qualified, not only to revive the spirits when funk by fenfual gratification, but also to relax them when overftrained in any violent purfuit. Here is a remedy provided for many distresses, and, to be convinced of its falutary effects, it will be fufficient to run over the following particulars. Organic pleafures have naturally a fhort duration; when prolonged, they lose their relish; when indulged to excefs, they beget fatiety and difguft: and, to restore a proper tone of mind, nothing can be more happily contrived than the exhilarating pleasures of the eye and ear. On the other hand, any intenfe exercise of intellectual powers, becomes painful by over ftraining the mind: ceflation from fuch exercife

gives not inftant relief; it is neceffary that the void be filled with fome amusement, gently relaxing the spirits *: organic pleasure, which hath no relish but while we are in vigour, is ill qualified for that office; but the finer pleasures of fense, which occupy without exhausting the mind, are finely qualified to reftore its usual tone after severe application to study or business, as well as after fatiety from fenfual gratification.

Our first perceptions are of external objects, and our first attachments are to them. Organic pleasures take the lead: but the mind, gradually ripening, relisheth more and more the pleasures of the eye and ear; which approach the purely mental, without exhaufting the fpirits; and exceed the purely fenfual, without danger of fatiety. The pleasures of the eye and ear have accordingly a natural aptitude to draw us from the immoderate gratification of fenfual appetite; and the mind, once accustomed to enjoy a variety of external objects without being fenfible of the organic impreffion, is prepared for enjoying internal objects where there cannot be an organic impreflion. Thus the Author of nature, by qualifying the human mind for a fucceflion of enjoyments from low to high, leads it by gentle. steps from the moft grovelling corporeal plea

Du Bos judiciously obferves, that filence doth not tend to calm an agitated mind; but that foft and flow mufic hath a fine effect.

fures,

fures, for which only it is fitted in the beginning of life, to those refined and fublime pleafures that are fuited to its maturity.

But we are not bound down to this fucceffion by any law of neceffity: the God of nature offers it to us, in order to advance our happiness; and it is fufficient, that he hath enabled us to carry it on in a natural courfe. Nor has he made our task either disagreeable or difficult on the contrary, the transition is sweet and easy, from corporeal pleasures to the more refined pleasures of sense; and no less fo, from these to the exalted pleasures of morality and religion. We stand therefore engaged in honour, as well as interest, to second the purposes of nature, by cultivating the pleasures of the eye and ear, those especially that require extraordinary culture, fuch as arife from poetry, painting, sculpture, mufic, gardening, and architecture. This especially is the duty of the opulent, who have leisure to improve their minds and their

A tafte for natural objects is born with us in perfection; for relifhing a fine countenance, a rich landscape, or a vivid colour, culture is unneceffary. The obfervation holds equally in natural founds, fuch as the finging of birds, or the murmuring of a brook. Nature here, the artificer of the object as well as of the percipient, hath accurately fuited them to each other. But of a poem, a cantata, a picture, or other artificial production, a true relish is not commonly attained, without fome study and much practice. 3 A

feelings.