BUT we ought not to advance, before we clear the Point, whether or no there be any Art in the Sublime. For fome are intirely of opinion, that they are guilty of great mistake, who would reduce it to the Rules of Art. "The Sublime (say they) is born within us, "and is not to be learn'd by Precept. The "only Art to reach it is to have the Power "from Nature. And, as they reason, those Effects, which should be purely natural, are difpirited and weakened by the dry impoverishing Rules of Art." But I maintain that the contrary might eafily appear, would they only reflect that tho' Nature for the most part challenges a fovereign and uncontroulable Power in the Pathetic and Sublime, yet fhe is not altogether lawless, but delights in a proper Regulation. That again tho' fhe is the Foundation, and even the Source of all degrees of the Sublime, yet that Method is able to point out in the clearest manner the peculiar Tendencies of each, and to mark the proper Seafons in which they ought to be inforced and applied. And further that Flights of Grandeur are then in the utmost danger, when left at random to 131 them themselves; having no Ballaft properly to poife, no Helm to guide their course, but cumbred with their own weight, and bold without Discretion. Genius may fometimes want the Spur, but it ftands as frequently in need of the Curb. Demofthenes fomewhere judiciously observes, "That in common Life Succefs is the great"eft Good; that the next, and no lefs impor tant, is Conduct, without which the other "must be unavoidably of short continuance." Now the fame may be afferted of Compofition, where Nature will fupply the Place of Succefs, and Art the Place of Conduct. But further, there is one thing which deferves particular Attention. For tho' it must be own'd, that there is a Force in Eloquence, which depends not upon, nor can be learn'd by Rule, yet even this could not be known without that Light which we receive from Art. If therefore, as I faid before, he who condemns fuch Works as this in which I am now engaged, would attend to these Reflexions, I have very good reafon to believe, he would no longer think any Undertaking of this nature fuperfluous or useless. SECTION Let them the Chimney's flashing Flames repel. Streaming Curls of Flame, Spewing against Heaven, andʼmaking Boreas a Piper, with such like Expreffions, are not tragical, but fupertragical. For thofe forced and unnatural Images corrupt and debase the Style, and cannot poffibly adorn or raife it; and whenever carefully examined in the Light, their shew of being terrible gradually disappears, and they become contemptible and ridiculous. Trage dy will indeed by its nature admit of fome pompous and magnificent Swellings, yet even in Tragedy 'tis an unpardonable Offence to foar too high, much lefs allowable must it therefore be in Profe-writing, or those Works Here is a great Defect; but it is evident that the Author is treating of thofe Imperfections, which are oppofite to the true Sublime, and among thofe of extravagant Swelling or Bombaft, an Example of which he produces from fome old Tragic Poet, none of whofe Lines, except thefe here quoted, and fome Expreffans below, remain at prefent. which are founded in Truth. Upon this Account fome Expreffions of 2 Gorgias the Leontine are highly ridicul'd, who ftiles Xerxes The Perfian Jupiter, and calls Vulturs Living Sepulchres. Some Expreffions of 3 Callifthenes deferve the fame Treatment, for they fhine not like Stars, but glare like Meteors. And 4 Clitarchus comes under this Cenfure ftill more, who blufters indeed and blows, as Sophocles expreffes it, Loud founding Blafts not fweetned by the Stop. 5 Amphicrates, 6 Hegefias, and 7 Matris, may all be tax'd with the fame Imperfections. For often, when, in their own opinion, they are all divine, what they imagine to be godlike Spirit, proves empty fimple Froth. All Bombaft however is amongst those Faults, which are most difficult to be avoided. Men are naturally biafs'd to aim at Grandeur. Hence it is, that by fhunning with utmost Diligence the Cenfure of Impotence and Flegm, they are hurried into the contrary Extreme. They are mindful of the Maxim, that In great Attempts 'tis glorious evn to fall. But Tumors in Writing, as well as in the human Body, are certain Disorders empty and B 4 veil'd veil'd over with fuperficial Bignefs, they only delude, and work Effects contrary to those for which they were defigned. Nothing, according to the old Saying, is drier than a Perfon diftemper'd with a Dropfy. Now the only Failure in this fwoln and puff'd-up Style is, that it endeavours to go beyond the true Sublime, whereas Puerilities are directly oppofite to it. They are low and grov'ling, meanly and faintly express'd, and in a word are the most ungenerous and unpardonable Errors that an Author can be guilty of. But what do we mean by a Puerility? Why, 'tis certainly no more than a Schoolboy's Thought, which by too eager a Pursuit of Elegance becomes dry and infipid. And those Perfons commonly fail in this Particular, who by an ill-managed Zeal for a neat, correct, and above all, a sweet Style, are hurried into low Turns of Expreffion, into a heavy and naufeous Affectation. To these may be added a third fort of Imperfection in the Pathetic, which 8 Theodorus has named the Parenthyrfe, or an ill-timed Emotion. It is, an unneceffary Attempt to work upon the Paffions, where there is no need of a Pathos; or fome Excefs where Moderation is requifite. |