m 



men, and not Only they, but when other 

 animals give us a sense of joy and plea- 

 sure in beholding them (and there are ma- 

 ny that do so) they inspire us with senti- 

 ments of tenderness and affection towards 

 their persons; we like to have them near 

 us, and we enter willingly into a kind of 

 relation with them*." 



These sentiments of tenderness and af- 

 fection, nature has taught us to express by 

 caresses, by gentle pressure ; these are the 

 endearments we make use of, where sex is 

 totally out of the question, to beautiful 

 children, to beautiful animals, and even to 

 things inanimate ; and where the size and 

 character, as in trees, buildings, &c. ex- 

 clude any such relation, still something of 

 the same difference of impression between 

 them and rugged objects appears to sub- 

 sist; that impression, however, is diminish- 

 ed, as the size of any beautiful object is 

 encreased; and as it approaches towards 



* Sublime and Beautiful, p, 66, 



