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paffion, ftill recurring to the magnificent circumflances of its 

 former purfuits. In the fpeech in which he deliberates about 

 the admiflion of Emilia, there is much paflion, and yet little 

 fublimity. The perplexed agitation of his mind, in the former 

 part, gives me no fenfation which deferves that name; but, in 

 the latter part, the grcatnefs of his mind makes him think that 

 all nature fhould fympathize with the horror of the fcene. 

 It appears then, I think, that the grandeur of thofe paflages 

 confifls in the general elevation of Othello's mind, and not in 

 the violence of the paflion under which he is reprefented as 

 labouring. The emotions of love and jealoufy are not more 

 ftrongly drawn by Shakefpeare than by Sappho, but in the cha- 

 radter of Olhello they are reprefented as operating on a generous 

 and heroic mind ; and though we deny the praife of fublimity 

 to unrefifting weaknefs, however violently agitated, we view 

 with admiration the ftruggles of magnanimity. That it is not 

 the paflion, but the magnanimity which ftruggles againft it, that 

 gives us the idea of fublimity, may perhaps receive a further 

 confirmation, if we corifider the foliloquy of Othello when he 

 is preparing for the murder of his v/ife. The generofity of his 

 mind had been fubdued, and he no longer endeavours to reprefs 

 the attacks of paflion : love and jealoufy have entire dominion 

 over him ; and, as Lord Kaims has obferved, every thing is 

 done to reconcile the two oppofite paflions ; he is refolvcd to 

 put her to death, but he will not flied her blood, nor fo much 

 as ruffle her fliin. Nothing can be more natural or more pa- 

 thetic, but furely this is not fublime. The conclufions which 

 I would infer from thefe obfervations are, that where the cha- 



( E 2 ) rader 



