the expectation, and the furprise, it is worked up to fuch a pitch as to be capable of the fublime; it is brought just to the verge of pain. Even when the cause has ceased, the organs of hearing being often fucceffively ftruck in a fimilar manner, continue to vibrate in that manner for fome time longer; this is an additional help to the greatnefs of the effect.

SECT. XII.

The vibrations must be fimilar.

OUT if the vibration be not fimilar at every im

B preffon, it can never be

preffion, it can never be carried beyond the number of actual impreffions; for move any body as a pendulum, in one way, and it will continue to ofcillate in an arch of the fame circle, until the known causes make it reft; but if after first putting it in motion in one direction, you push it into another, it can never reaffume the first direction; because it can never move itself, and confequently it can have but the effect of that last motion; whereas, if in the fame direction you act upon it several times, it will describe a greater arch, and move a longer time.

SECT.

SECT. XIII.

The effect of SUCCESSION in visual objects explained.

[F we can comprehend clearly how things operate

I

upon one of our fenfes, there can be very little difficulty in conceiving in what manner they affect the reft. To fay a great deal therefore upon the corresponding affections of every fense, would tend rather to fatigue us by an useless repetition, than to throw any new light upon the fubject, by that ample and diffuse manner of treating it; but as in this difcourfe we chiefly attach ourselves to the fublime, as it affects the eye, we shall confider particularly why a fucceffive difpofition of uniform parts in the fame right line fhould be fublime *, and upon what principle this difpofition is enabled to make a comparatively small quantity of matter produce a grander effect, than a much larger quantity difpofed in another manner. To avoid the perplexity of general notions; let us fet before our eyes a colonnade of uniform pillars planted in a right line; let us take our stand in fuch a manner, that the eye may fhoot along this colonnade, for it has its beft effect in this view. In our prefent fituation it is plain, that the rays from the first round pillar will caufe in the eye a vibration of that fpecies: an image of the pillar itself. The pillar immediately fucceeding increases

Part II. fec. 10.

it; that which follows renews and enforces the im preffion; each in its order as it fucceeds, repeats impulfe after impulfe, and stroke after stroke, until the eye, long exercised in one particular way, cannot lofe that object immediately; and being violently roufed by this continued agitation, it prefents the mind with a grand or fublime conception. But inftead of viewing a rank of uniform pillars; let us fuppofe, that they fucceed each other, a round and a fquare one alternately. In this cafe the vibration caufed by the first round pillar perishes as foon as it is formed; and one of quite another fort (the fquare) directly occupies its place; which however it refigns as quickly to the round one; and thus the eye proceeds, alternately, taking up one image, and laying down another, as long as the building continues. From whence it is obvious, that at the laft pillar, the impreffion is as far from continuing as it was at the very first; because in fact, the fenfory can receive no distinct impreffion but from the laft; and it can never of itself refume a diffimilar impreffion: befides, every variation of the object is a reft and relaxation to the organs of fight; and these reliefs prevent that powerful emotion fo neceffary to produce the fublime. To produce therefore a perfect grandeur in fuch things as we have been mentioning, there should be a perfect fimplicity, an abfolute uniformity in difpofition, shape, and colouring. Upon this principle of fucceffion and uniformity it may be asked, why a long bare wall fhould not be a more fublime object than a colonnade; fince the fucceffion is no way interrupted; fince the eye meets no cheeck; fince nothing more uniform can be conceived? A long

bare

bare wall is certainly not fo grand an object as a colonnade of the fame length and height. It is not altogether difficult to account for this difference. When we look at a naked wall, from the evenness of the object, the eye runs along its whole fpace, and arrives quickly at its termination; the eye meets nothing which may interrupt its progrefs; but then it meets nothing which may detain it a proper time to produce a very great and lasting effect. The view of a bare wall, if it be of a great height and length, is undoubtedly grand: but this is only one idea, and not a repetition of fimilar ideas; it is therefore great, not fo much upon the principle of infinity, as upon that of vaftness. But we are not fo powerfully affected with any one impulfe, unlefs it be one of a prodigious force indeed, as we are with a fucceffion of fimilar impulfes; because the nerves of the fenfory do not (if I may use the expreffion) acquire a habit of repeating the fame feeling in fuch a manner as to continue it longer than its caufe is in action; befides, all the effects which I have attributed to expectation and surprise in fect. 11. can have no place in a bare wall.

SECT. XIV:

Locke's opinion concerning darkness,
confidered.

T is Mr. Locke's opinion, that darkness is not naturally an idea of terror; and that though an exceffive light is painful to the fenfe, that the greatest

excess of darkness is no ways troublesome. He obferves indeed in another place, that a nurse or an old woman having once affociated the ideas of ghosts and goblins with that of darkness, night ever after becomes painful and horrible to the imagination. The authority of this great man is doubtless as great as that of any man can be, and it feems to ftand in the way of our general principle *. We have confidered darkness as a cause of the fublime; and we have all along confidered the fublime as depending on fome modification of pain or terror: fo that, if darkness be no way painful or terrible to any, who have not had their minds early tainted with fuperftitions, it can be no fource of the fublime to them. But, with all deference to fuch an authority, it seems to me, that an affociation of a more general nature, an affociation which takes in all mankind, may make darkness terrible, for in utter darkness it is impoffible to know in what degree of fafety we ftand; we are ignorant of the objects that furround us; we may every moment strike against fome dangerous obftruction; we may fall down a precipice the firft ftep we take; and if an enemy approach, we know not in what quarter to defend ourfelves; in fuch a cafe ftrength is no fure protection; wisdom can only act by guefs; the boldeft are staggered, and he who would pray for nothing else towards his defence, is forced to pray for light.

Ζου πάτερ αλλά συ ρύσαι υπ' μέρος υιάς Αχαιων

Ποίησον δ' αιθρηγ, δος δ' οφθαλμοισιν ιδέσθαι,

Εν δε φαει και ολέσσον

As to the affociation of ghofts, and goblins; furely it is more natural to think, that darknefs, being