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with a mafterly hand. In a work of fine imagination and phi- 

 lofophic enquiry he has endeavoured to prove that terror is in 

 all cafes whatfoever, either more openly or latently, the ruling 

 principle of the fublime; and he invefligates the different qua- 

 lities of objeds which are moft apt to excite terror. His theory 

 feems in moft refpeds perfedly juft, in all its parts beautifully 

 ingenious: But befide its being queftioncd, whether trrror be 

 the only principle of the fublime, he has not explained any 

 further connexion between the fublime and the pathetic, nor 

 flicwn how far or in what circumftances the expreffions of the 

 paffions, with their feveral energies, can excite this principle, 

 whatfoever it be. 



This part of the fubjed then being left open to conjedure, I 

 prefume to offer fome refledtions to the academy, not fo much in 

 the hope of their proving ftridly juft and true, as to engage 

 men of more critical judgment and tafte in the enquiry. If 

 there (hould be any truth in.thefe refledions, they will ferve as 

 general principles to dired us in particular cafes. 



Although it may be impoffible to give a proper definition of 

 the term fublime as it relates x.o writing and compofition, yet 

 every body feems fufficiently to underftand its meaning. Whatever 

 infpires the mind with grand and lofty conceptions, as it were 

 enlarges its dimenfions, and at the fame time fills it with a fort 

 of delightful aftoniihment, is what we generally call fublime. 

 Let us fee then how far fome of the paffions have in their 

 natural cxpreffion a tendency this way. It feems to me that 

 all emotions of the foul, which tend to fink its native dignity 

 and impair its ftrength, and which at the fame time prefent it 



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