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enfues in the imagination from its ineffectual 

 efforts to conceive fome dark, obfcure idea 

 beyond it's grafp. Bring the fame within the 

 compafs of it's comprehenfion, and it may 

 continue great ; but it will ceafe to be fublime, 

 This fpecies of the fublime is oftener found in 

 the compolition of the poet than of the 

 painter. In general, the poet has great ad- 

 vantages over the painter, in the procefs of 

 jublimication^ if the term may be allowed. 

 The bulinefs of the former is only to excite 

 ideas ; that of the latter, to reprefent them. 

 The advantage of excited, over reprefented 

 ideas is very great, inafmuch as they are in 

 fome degree the reader's own production, and 

 are fufceptible of thofe modifications, which 

 make them peculiarly acceptable to the mind, 

 in which they are raifed. Whereas the others 

 being confined within a diftincl, and unal- 

 terable outline, admit of none of the modi- 

 fications, which flatter the particular tafte of 

 the fpeftator, but muft make their way by 

 their own intrinfic force. 



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