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ception of the fublime. As the emotions excited by the fublimity 

 of viilble objeds are of different kinds, the qualities which ex- 

 cite them muft be different. Greatnefs or elevation are the general 

 charaderiftics, which, to produce emotions of the chearful kind, 

 muft be accompanied by fome degree of thofe qualities which 

 conftitute beauty, as regularity, proportion, order and colour. 

 To excite fenfations of awful apprehenfion muft be attended by 

 circumftances which indicate mighty power, or which tend to. 

 alarm the mind, as darknefs, folitude and iilence. The regula- 

 rity which is required in the former cafe muft however not be 

 very exadt. " In things which are ftriilly regular," Dodlor Blair 

 has obferved, " we feel ourfelves confined, and there is no room 

 " for the mind's exerting any great effort." 



To this clafs of fublime objeds I muft annex the ideas of 

 number and duration, though not objeds of fenfe. They evi- 

 dently excite emotions fimilar to that produced by the contem- 

 plation of wide-extended fpace. Belonging to all kinds of beings, 

 and yet containing in them nothing of intelligence, they appear 

 to be moft properly elaffed with the inanimate objeds of nature. 

 Perhaps the whole might be included in the general defcription of 

 inanimate or unintelligent fublime objeds. 



The fecond clafs has been defined by Dodor Blair, as " arifing 

 " from certain exertions of the human mind, from certain af- 

 " fedions and adions of our fellow-creatures." " Thefe," he has 

 obferved, " produce an efted extremely fimilar to what is pro- 



" duced 



