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might be exhibited in expreffions of fober grandeur. When 

 Macbeth declines the murder of Duncan, and is charged with 

 pufillanimity by his wife, his reply, which admits the charge, is 

 one of the fubHmeft thoughts any where to be found : — " I dare 

 " do all that may become a man, who dares do more is none." 

 Thus we fee this paffion derives a charader from its objedl or 

 the matter which gives it employment. 



The third circumftance which I mentioned, as giving the 

 paflion different modifications, was its degrees ; the objeft may be 

 great and becoming, yet fuch an exquifite fenfibility to this, as 

 might betray the fuccours of reafon, and prevent the applica- 

 tion of all proper refources, ceafes to deferve our admiration, 

 and by overleaping its proper bounds, falls on the other fide. 

 The paflion lofes all dignity of charader if it ufurp the 

 place of reafon where reafon ought to govern. All extravagance 

 and excefs ought as far as poflible to be avoided. The paflion 

 fhould rather excite the adion, than rebate the vigour of the 

 mind. Upon the whole then it appears that this paflion, as it 

 may fometimes be inconfiftent with the fublime, may at others 

 be highly favourable to it, and therefore that we muft under- 

 ftand the term ^oCoj ufed by Longinus in a reftrained fenfe. 

 Perhaps we may in general afi!ert, that the paflion ufually 

 called fear feldom can be employed in the fublime, while ano- 

 ther modification of the fame paflion, terror, might open a very 

 copious fource, and thus may the great antient and modern cri- 

 tics be reconciled. 



The fame principles, I imagine, might apply to the paflion 

 of revenge. Lord Kaims concludes from indudion, that dignity 



[B] is 



