Elements of Criticism. Henry Home, Lord Kames

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СКАЧАТЬ other. Both of them are agreeable, because both of them include activity. It is agreeable to see a thing move: to see it moved, as when it is dragged or pushed along, is neither agreeable nor disagreeable, more than when at rest. It is agreeable to see a thing exert force; but it makes not the thing either agreeable or disagreeable, to see force exerted upon it.<253>

      Tho’ motion and force are each of them agreeable, the impressions they make are different. This difference, clearly felt, is not easily described. All we can say is, that the emotion raised by a moving body, resembling its cause, is felt as if the mind were carried along: the emotion raised by force exerted, resembling also its cause, is felt as if force were exerted within the mind.

      To illustrate that difference, I give the following examples. It has been explained why smoke ascending in a calm day, suppose from a cottage in a wood, is an agreeable object;^* so remarkably agreeable, that landscape-painters introduce it upon all occasions. The ascent being natural, and without effort, is pleasant in a calm state of mind: it resembles a gently-flowing river, but is more agreeable, because ascent is more to our taste than descent. A fire-work or a jet d’eau² rouses the mind more; because the beauty of force visibly exerted, is superadded to that of upward motion. To a man reclining indolently upon a bank of flowers, ascending smoke in a still morning is charming; but a fire-work or a jet d’eau rouses him from that supine posture, and puts him in motion.

      A jet d’eau makes an impression distinguishable from that of a waterfall. Downward motion being natural and without effort, tends rather to quiet the mind than to rouse it: upward motion,<254> on the contrary, overcoming the resistance of gravity, makes an impression of a great effort, and thereby rouses and enlivens the mind.

      The public games of the Greeks and Romans, which gave so much entertainment to the spectators, consisted chiefly in exerting force, wrestling, leaping, throwing great stones, and such-like trials of strength. When great force is exerted, the effort felt internally is animating. The effort may be such, as in some measure to over-power the mind: thus the explosion of gun-powder, the violence of a torrent, the weight of a mountain, and the crush of an earthquake, create astonishment rather than pleasure.

      No quality nor circumstance contributes more to grandeur than force, especially where exerted by sensible beings. I cannot make the observation more evident than by the following quotations.

      ——— ——— Him the almighty power

      Hurl’d headlong flaming from th’ ethereal sky,

      With hideous ruin and combustion, down

      To bottomless perdition, there to dwell

      In adamantine chains and penal fire,

      Who durst defy th’ Omnipotent to arms.

      Paradise lost, book 1.

      ——— ——— Now storming fury rose,

      And clamour such as heard in heaven till now

      Was never; arms on armour clashing bray’d<255>

      Horrible discord, and the madding wheels

      Of brazen chariots rag’d; dire was the noise

      Of conflict; over head the dismal hiss

      Of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew,

      And flying vaulted either host with fire.

      So under fiery cope together rush’d

      Both battles main, with ruinous assault

      And inextinguishable rage; all heaven

      Resounded; and had earth been then, all earth

      Had to her centre shook.

      Ibid. book 6.

      They ended parle, and both address’d for fight

      Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue

      Of angels, can relate, or to what things

      Liken on earth conspicuous, that may lift

      Human imagination to such height

      Of godlike pow’r? for likest gods they seem’d,

      Stood they or mov’d, in stature, motion, arms,

      Fit to decide the empire of great Heav’n.

      Now wav’d their fiery swords, and in the air

      Made horrid circles: two broad suns their shields

      Blaz’d opposite, while Expectation stood

      In horror: from each hand with speed retir’d,

      Where erst was thickest fight, th’ angelic throng,

      And left large field, unsafe within the wind

      Of such commotion; such as, to set forth

      Great things by small, if Nature’s concord broke,

      Among the constellations war were sprung,

      Two planets, rushing from aspect malign

      Of fiercest opposition, in mid sky

      Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.

      Ibid. book 6.<256>

      We shall next consider the effect of motion and force in conjunction. In contemplating the planetary system, what strikes us the most, is the spherical figures of the planets, and their regular motions; the conception we have of their activity and enormous bulk being more obscure: the beauty accordingly of that system, raises a more lively emotion than its grandeur. But if we could comprehend the whole system at one view, the activity and irresistible force of these immense bodies would fill us with amazement: nature cannot furnish another scene so grand.

      Motion and force, agreeable in themselves, are also agreeable by their utility when employ’d as means to accomplish some beneficial end. Hence the superior beauty of some machines, where force and motion concur to perform the work of numberless hands. Hence the beautiful motions, firm and regular, of a horse trained for war: every single step is the fittest that can be, for obtaining the purposed end. But the grace of motion is visible chiefly in man, not only for the reasons mentioned, but because every gesture is significant. The power however of agreeable motion is not a common talent: every limb of the human body has an agreeable and disagreeable motion; some motions being extremely graceful, others plain and vulgar; some expressing dignity, others meanness. But the pleasure here, arising, not singly from the beauty of motion, but from indicating<257> character and sentiment, belongs to different chapters.^*

      I should conclude with the final cause of the relish we have for motion and force, were it not so evident as to require no explanation. We are placed here in such circumstances as to make industry essential to our well-being; for without industry the plainest necessaries of life are not obtained. When our situation therefore in this world requires activity and a constant exertion of motion and force, Providence indulgently provides for our welfare by making these agreeable СКАЧАТЬ