order to afford relief; and our fympathy cannot be otherwise gratified but by giving all the fuccour in our power. Thus external figns of diftrefs, though difagreeable, are attractive and the sympathy they infpire is a powerful cause, impelling us to afford relief even to a stranger as if he were our friend or relation +. The effects produced in all beholders by external figns of paffion, are fo finely contrived to advance the focial ftate, that I muft indulge my heart with a more narrow inspection of this admirable branch of the human conftitution. These external figns, being all of them refolveable into colour, figure, and motion, fhould not naturally See chap. 2. part 7. +It is a noted obfervation, that the deepeft tragedies are the moft crouded; which in an overly view will be thought an unaccountable bias in human nature. Love of novelty, defire of occupation, beauty of action, make us fond of theatrical reprefentations; and when once engaged, we must follow the story to the conclufion, whatever diftrefs it may create. But we generally become wife by experience; and when we foresee what pain we shall suffer during the courfe of the reprefentation, is it not surprising that perfons of reflection do not avoid such spectacles altogether? And yet one who has scarce recovered from the diftrefs of a deep tragedy, refolves coolly and deliberately to go to the very next, without the flightest obstruction from self-love. The whole mystery is explained by a single obfervation, that fympathy, though painful, is attractive, and attaches' us to an object in distress, instead of prompting us to fly from it. And by this curious mechanifm it is, that perfons of any degree of fenfibility are attracted by affliction ftill more than by joy. make make any deep impreffion on a spectator and fuppofing them qualified for making deep impreffions, we have feen above, that the effects they produce are not what would be expected. We cannot therefore account otherwife for the operation of these external figns, but by ascribing it to the original conftitution of human nature: to improve the focial ftate, by making us inftinctively rejoice with the glad of heart, weep with the mourner, and fhun those who threaten danger, is a contrivance not lefs illuftrious for its wisdom than for its benevolence. With refpect to the external figns of diftrefs in particular, to judge of the excellency of their contrivance, we need only reflect upon feveral other means feemingly more natural, that would not have answered the end propofed. To defcend to particulars, we shall in the first place reverse the truth, by fuppofing the external signs of joy to be disagreeable, and the external figns of distress agreeable; which is no whimsical fuppofition, because there does not appear any neceffary connection between thefe figns and the emotions produced by them. Admitting then the fuppofition, the queftion is, How would our fympathy operate? There is no occafion to deliberate for an answer: fympathy would be destructive, and not beneficial; for fuppofing the external figns of joy difagreeable, the happiness of others would be our aversion; and fuppofing the external figns of grief agreeable, the diftreffes of others would be our entertainment ment. I make a fecond fuppofition, That the external figns of diftrefs were indifferent to us, and productive neither of pleasure nor pain. This would annihilate the strongest branch of fympathy, that which is raised by means of fight and it is evident, that reflective fympathy, felt by thofe only who have great fenfibility, would not have any extenfive effect. I fhall approach nearer truth in a third fuppofition, That the external figns of distress being difagreeable, were productive of a painful repulfive emotion. Sympathy upon that fuppofition would not be annihilated: but it would be rendered ufelefs; for it would be gratified by flying from or avoiding the object, instead of clinging to it and affording relief: the condition of man would in reality be worse than if fympathy were totally eradicated; because fympathy would only ferve to plague those who feel it, without producing any good to the afflicted. Loath to quit fo interesting a fubject, I add a reflection, with which I fhall conclude. The external figns of paffion are a ftrong indication, that man, by his very constitution, is framed to be open and fincere. A child, in all things obedient to the impulfes of nature, hides none of its emotions; the favage and clown, who have no guide but pure nature, expofe their hearts to view, by giving way to all the natural figns. And even when men learn to diffemble their fentiments, and when behaviour degenerates into VOL. I. Ee art, art, there ftill remain checks, which keep diffi- CHAP. CHA P. XVI. 435 E SENTIMENT s. VERY thought prompted by paffion, is termed a sentiment *. To know the na ture of each paffion in general, will not alone enable an artift to make a juft reprefentation of any paffion he ought, over and above, to know the various appearances of the fame paffion in different perfons. Paffions, it is certain, receive a tincture from every peculiarity of character; and for that reafon, it rarely happens that a paffion, in the different circumftances of feeling, of fentiment, and of expreffion, is precifely the fame in any two perfons. Hence the following rule concerning dramatic and epic compofitions, That a paffion be adjusted to the character, the fentiments to the paffion, and the language to the fentiments. If nature be not faithfully copied in each of thefe, a defect in execution is perceived: there may appear fome resemblance; but the picture upon the whole will be infipid, through want of grace and delicacy. A painter, in order to represent the various attitudes of the body, ought to be intimately acquainted with *See Appendix, § 32. Ee 2 mufcular |