[ 37 1 



but are alfo accompanied with circumftances that violently offend 

 and grate on the exterior fcnfes with fomething hideous and 

 difgufting. The fight of a wounded and mangled body, the 

 fcreams and groans of a wretch enduring torture, from any 

 caufe, whether accidental or defigned, are painful to the eyes 

 and ears ; intolerably fo to thofe of moft men. They produce 

 a loathing and naufea, and even fometimes caufe perfons, not 

 habituated to fuch fights and founds, to fwoon away *. Such 

 fpeaacles, however, by a frequent repetition, lofe much of 

 their horror. Phyfioal caufes, by repeated adion, lofe their 

 efficacy ; it is quite the reverfe with refped to moral caufes. 

 The fenfes become habituated to objeds that, at firft, offend 

 them; and the difagreeable phyfical effeds of fuch objects 

 become lefs and lefs violent. Perfons in the army, whofe duty 

 frequently leads th,rm to be prefent at military executions, will 

 be very fenfible of the truth of this obfervation. 



When cruel ads and fubjeds of acute and agonizing mifery 

 are reprefented, through the medium of the imitative arts, 

 the cafe is far different ; on thofe occafions, there is always 

 a perception, or perfuafion, that the exhibition is not real. 

 That perception fteps in to our relief, in the moment of dif- 

 trefs, and forms part of the pleafure, we experience at the 

 reprefentation of a tragedy. At the real fpedacle of cruelty 



the 



• Such was the efFeft of feeing two Negros burned 5a Jamaica on a perfon who 

 defcribed his feelings to me. 



