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nary or trifling caufe, if its objed be mean or unworthy, or if 

 its exccfles be fo great as to betray a vrant of all natural re- 

 fources in the mind, the paffion is in all fuch cafes what we 

 ufually call fear, and is the property of a weak and abjed 

 mind. But where the caufe that inflids it lies above our reach, 

 and exceeds every natural effort of the mind to cope withal, and 

 efpecially when under its fcourge the mind exhibits figns of its 

 native dignity and courage, fuch a fubjed is fitted to produce 

 our admiration, and of courfe to raife exalted and fublime 

 ideas. When, for inftance, in the field of battle two combatants 

 meet on equal terms, fliould one of them fuddenly refign him- 

 felf to his fears, and betake himfelf to flight, I believe the 

 ftrongefl defcription of fuch terrors could excite no great idea, 

 and we fhould only feel that he was a mean and daflardly 

 coward : But when Macbeth flirinks from the fight of Macduff, 

 penetrated with a lively fcnfe of the wrongs which he had done 

 him, and overwhelmed by his own guilt, it is a bold and fublime 

 defcription of the power of confciencc, which can fometimes 

 caufe the floutefl heart to tremble. Upon the fame account I 

 efteem another exprelTion of his terror to be truly fublime, 

 " How is't with me when every noife appals me." A third 

 example I think may be taken from that celebrated pafTage of 

 Homer, where Minerva appears flaflling terror from her aegis 

 upon the eyes of the Trojan warriors. I acknowledge the fub- 

 limity of this pafTage is in a high degree owing to the grandeur 

 of the image which it prefents ; but yet the effed produced does 

 not in the leaft impair that fubhmity ; however funk and bewil- 

 dered and lofl to all powers of refiftancc the objeds appear, this 

 defcription of them rather heightens than diminiflies the fublime 

 effed. I cannot fay that I am fo well fatisfied with the con- 

 dud 



