In the fame manner we must judge of whatever looks great both in poetry and profe. We must carefully examine whether it be not only appearance. We muft divest it of all fuperficial pomp and garnish. If it cannot stand this trial, without doubt it is only fwelled and puffed up, and it will be more for our honour to contemn than to admire it. (1) For the mind is naturally elevated by the true Sublime, and fo fenfibly affected with its lively ftrokes, that it fwells in tranfport and an inward pride, as if what was only heard had been the product of its own invention. He therefore, who has a competent share of natural and acquired tafte, may eafily dif cover the value of any performance from a bare recital of it. If he finds, that it tranfports not his foul, nor exalts his thoughts; that it calls not up into his mind ideas more enlarged than what the mere founds of the words convey, but on attentive examination its dignity leffens and declines; he may conclude, that whatever pierces no deeper than the ears, can never be the true Sublime. (2) That on the «finer ftill, because it is very sublime itself. But it is only "a description; and it does not appear that Longinus in"tended, any where in this treatise, to give an exact de"finition of it. The reafon is, because he wrote after "Cecilius, E 4 the contrary is grand and lofty, which the more we confider, the greater ideas we conceive of it; whofe force we cannot poffibly withstand; which immediately finks deep, and makes fuch impreffions on the mind, as cannot be easily worn out or effaced. In a word, you may pronounce that fublime, beautiful and genuine, which always pleases, and takes equally with all forts of men. For when perfons of different humours, ages, profeffions, and inclinations, agree in the fame joint approbation of any performance; then this union of affent, this combination of so many different judgments, ftamps an high and indifputable value on that performance, which meets with fuch general applause. SEC "Cecilius, who (as he tells us) had employed all his book, ❝in defining and fhewing what the Sublime is. But fince this book of Cecilius is loft, I believe it will not be amifs "to venture here a definition of it,my own way, which ઃઃ may give at least an imperfect idea of it. This is the ❝ manner in which I think it may be defined. The Sublime is a certain force in difcourfe, proper to elevate and tranfport the foul; and which proceeds, either from grandeur of thought and noblenefs of fentiment, or from "magnificence of words, or an harmonious, lively, and "animated turn of expreffion; that is to fay, from any "one of these particulars regarded feparately, or what "makes the perfect Sublime, from these three particulars "join'd together." Thus SECTION VIII. THERE are, if I may fo express it, five very copious fources of the Sublime, if we presuppose an ability of fpeaking well, as a common foundation for these five forts, and indeed without it, any thing befides will avail but little. I. The first and most excellent of these is a boldness and grandeur in the Thoughts, as I have shewn in my effay on Xenophon. II. The second is call'd the Pathetic, or the power of raifing the paffions to a violent and even enthufiaftic degree; and these two being genuine conftituents of the Sublime, are the Thus far are Boileau's own words in his 12th reflexion on Longinus, where, to illuftrate the preceding definition, he fubjoins an example from Racine's Athalie or Abner, of these three particular qualifications of fublimity join'd together. One of the principal officers of the court of Judah represents to Jehoiada the high-prieft, the exceffive rage of Athaliah against him and all the Levites; adding, that in his opinion, the haughty princess would in a fhort time come, and attack God even in his fanctuary. To this the highprieft, not in the leaft moved, answers: Celui qui met un frein à la fureur des flots, Je crains Dieu, cher Abner, & n'ai point d'autre crainte. (1) Some $ the gifts of nature, whereas the other forts depend in fome measure upon art. III. The third confifts in a skilful application of Figures, wich are two-fold, of fentiment and language. IV. The fourth is a noble and graceful manner of Expreffion, which is not only to chufe out fignificant and elegant words, but also to adorn and embellish the ftile, by the affiftance of Tropes. V. The (1) Some paffions are vastly diftant&c.] The pathetic without grandeur is preferable to that which is great without paffion. Whenever both unite, the paffage will be excellent; and there is more of this in the book of Job, than in any other composition in the world. Longinus has here quoted a fine inftance of the latter from Homer, but has produced none of the former, or the pathetic without grandeur. When a writer applies to the more tender paffions of love and pity, when a speaker endeavours to engage our affections, or gain our efteem, he may fucceed well, tho' there be nothing grand in what he says. Nay grandeur would fometimes be unfeasonable in such cases, as it ftrikes always at the imagination. There is a deal of this fort of pathetic in the words of our Saviour to the poor Jews, who were impos'd upon and deluded into fatal errors by the Scribes and Pharifees, who had long been guilty of the heaviest oppreffion on the minds of the people," Matt. xi. 28-30. Come unto me, all ye "that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you "reft. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I “am meek and lowly in heart, and ye fhall find rest unto 63 your V. The fifth fource of the Sublime, which compleats all the preceding, is the Structure or compofition of all the periods, in all poffible dignity and grandeur. I proceed next to confider each of these Sources apart, but must first observe, that, of the five, Cecilius has wholly omitted the Pathetic. Now, if he look'd upon the Grand and Pathetic as including one another, and in effect the fame, he was under a mistake. For (1) fome paffions 66 your fouls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is "light." So again in Matt. xxiii. 37. after taking notice of the cruelties, inhumanities, and murders, which the Jewish nation had been guilty of towards thofe, who had exhorted them to repentance, or would have recalled them from their blindness and fuperftition to the practice of real religion and virtue, he on a fudden breaks off with, "O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou that killest the prophets, "and ftoneft them which are fent unto thee, how often "would I have gathered thy children together, even as <a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye ❝ would not!" The expreffion here is vulgar and common, the allufion to the hen taken from an object, which is daily before our eyes, and yet there is as much tenderness and fignificance in it, as can any where be found in the fame compass. I beg leave to obferve farther, that there is a continued ftrain of this fort of Pathetic in St. Paul's farewel speech to the Ephefian elders in Acts xx. What an effect it had upon his audience is plain from ver. 36-38. It is fcarcely poffible to read it seriously without tears, (2) The |