Non altramente 'il tauro, oue l'irriti Taffo, canto 7. ft. 55. So full of valour that they smote the air Tempeft, act. 4. Sc. 4. The emotions raifed by mufic independent of words, must be all of this nature: courage roufed by martial mufic performed upon inftruments without a voice, cannot be directed to any object; nor can grief or pity raised by melancholy mufic of the fame kind have an object. For another example, let us figure fome grand and heroic action, highly agreeable to the spectator. Befide a fingular veneration for the author, the spectator feels in himself an unusual dignity of character, which difpofeth him to great and noble actions and herein chiefly confifts the extreme delight every one hath in the hiftories of conquerors and heroes. This fingular feeling, which may be termed the Sympathetic emotion of virtue, resembles, in one respect, the well-known appetites that lead to the propagation and preservation of the fpecies. The appetites of hunger, thirft, and animal love, arife in the mind before they are directed to any object; and in no cafe whatever is the mind more folicitous D4 folicitous for a proper object, than when under the influence of any of thefe appetites. The feeling I have endeavoured to unfold, may well be termed the Sympathetic emotion of virtue; for it is raised in a spectator by virtuous actions of every kind, and by no other fort. When we contemplate a virtuous action, which never fails to delight us, and to prompt our love for the author, the mind is warmed, and put into a tone fimilar to that which infpired the virtuous action; and the propenfity we have to fuch actions is fo much enlivened, as to become for a time an actual emotion. But no man hath a propensity to vice as fuch on the contrary, a wicked deed difgufts him, and makes him abhor the author; and this abhorrence is a strong antidote against vice, fo long as any impreffion remains of the wicked action. : In a rough road, a halt to view a fine country is refreshing; and here a delightful profpect opens upon us. It is indeed wonderful to obferve what incitements there are to virtue in the human frame: justice is perceived to be our duty, and it is guarded by natural punishments, from which the guilty never escape; to perform noble and generous actions, a warm sense of their dignity and fuperior excellence is a most efficacious incitement *. And to leave virtue in no quarter ch. *See Effays upon morality and natural religion, part 1. eff. 2. 4. unfupported, unfupported, here is unfolded an admirable contrivance, by which good example commands the heart, and adds to virtue the force of habit. Did our moral feelings extend (no farther than to approve the action, and to bestow our affection on the author, good example would not have great influence but to give it the utmoft force, nothing can be better contrived than the sympathetic emotion under confideration, which prompts us to imitate what we admire. This fingular emotion will readily find an object to exert itself upon: and at any rate, it never exifts without producing fome effect; because virtuous emotions of this fort, are in fome degree an exercise of virtue; they are a mental exercise at least, if they fhow not externally. And every exercise of virtue, internal and external, leads to habit; for a difpofition or propenfity of the mind, like a . limb of the body, becomes ftronger by exercife. Proper means, at the fame time, being ever at hand to raise this fympathetic emotion, its frequent reiteration may, in a good measure, fupply the want of a more complete exercife. Thus, by proper difcipline, every perfon may acquire a fettled habit of virtue: intercourfe with men of worth, histories of generous and difinterested actions, and frequent meditation upon them, keep the fympathetic emotion in conftant exercife, which by degrees introduceth a habit, and confirms the authority of virtue: with refpect to e ducation ducation in particular, what a fpacious and com modious avenue to the heart of a young perfon, is here opened! SECT. IV. In many inftances one emotion is productive of another. The fame of paffions. N the first chapter it is observed, that the rela things mutually connected, have a remarkable influence upon the train of our ideas. I here add, that they have an influence not lefs remarkable, in the production of emotions and paffions. Beginning with the former, it holds in fact, that an agreeable object makes every thing connected with it appear agreeable: the mind gliding fweetly and easily through related objects, carries along the beauties it meets with in its paffage, and blends them with the beauty of the prefent object, which thereby appears more agreeable than when confidered apart*. This reason may appear obscure and metaphyfical, *Such proneness has the mind to this communication of properties, that we often find a property ascribed to a related object, of which naturally it is not fufceptible. Sir Richard Greenville in a single ship being furprised by the Spanish fleet, was advised to retire. He utterly refused to turn from the enemy; declaring, "he would rather die, than difhonour himself, his country, and "her taphysical, but it must be relished when we at tend to the following examples, which establish the fact beyond all difpute. No relation is more intimate than that between a being and its qualities and accordingly, the affection I bear a man expands itself readily upon all his qualities, which by that means make a greater figure in my mind, than more fubftantial qualities in others: the talent of speaking in a friend, is more regarded than prudent conduct in a person with whom I have no connection: and graceful motion in a mistress, gives more delight than confummate prudence in any other woman.. Affection fome→ times rifes fo high, as to convert defects into properties the wry neck of Alexander was imitated by his courtiers as a real beauty, without intention to flatter: Lady Piercy, fpeaking of her husband Hotspur, By his light Did all the chivalry of England move, To do brave acts. He was indeed the glass, *her Majefty's fhip." Hakluyt, vol. 2. part 2 p. 169. To aid the communication of properties in fuch inftances, there always must be a momentary perfonification: a fhip must be imagined a fenfible being, to make it fufceptible of honour or dishonour. In the battle of Mantinea, Epaminondas being mortally wounded, was carried to his tent in a manner dead: recovering his fenfes, the first thing he inquired about was his fhield; which being brought, he kiffed it as the companion of his valour and glory. It must be remarked, that among the Greeks and Romans it was deemed infamous for a foldier to return from battle without his shield. He |