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the mind, as to be ready for ufe upon every occafion. Now, in order to a deep impreffion, it is wifely contrived, that things fhould be introduced to our acquaintance, with a certain pomp and folemnity productive of a vivid emotion. When the impreffion is once fairly made, the emotion of novelty, being no longer neceffary, vanisheth almoft inftantaneously; never to return, unless where the impreffion happens to be obliterated by length of time, or other means, in which cafe the fecond introduction hath nearly the fame folemnity with the first.

Defigning wifdom is no where more legible than in this part of the human frame. If new objects did not affect us in a very peculiar manner, their impreffions would be fo flight as fcarce to be of any use in life: on the other hand, did objects continue to affect us as deeply as at first, the mind would be totally ingroffed with them, and have no room left either for action or reflection.

The final cause of surprise is still more evident than of novelty. Self-love makes us vigilantly attentive to felf-prefervation; but felf-love, which operates by means of reafon and reflection, and impels not the mind to any particular object or from it, is a principle too cool for a fudden emergency: an object breaking in unexpectedly, affords no time for deliberation; and, in this cafe, the agitation of furprife is artfully contri

ved

ved to roufe felf-love into action: furprife gives the alarm; and if there be any appearance of danger, our whole force is inftantly fummoned up to fhun or to prevent it.

VOL. I.

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CHAP.

258

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С НА Р. VIL.

RISIBLE OBJECTS.

UCH is the nature of man, that his powers

and faculties are foon blunted by exercise.

The returns of fleep, fufpending all activity, are not alone fufficient to preserve him in vigor during his waking hours, amusement by intervals is requifite to unbend his mind from ferious occupation. The imagination, of all our faculties the most active, and not always at rest even in fleep, contributes more than any other cause to recruit the mind, and restore its vigor, by amufing us with gay and ludicrous images; and when relaxation is neceffary, fuch amusement is much relished. But there are other fources of amusement befide the imagination: many objects, natural as well as artificial, may be distinguished by the epithet of rifible, because they raise in us a peculiar emotion expreífed externally by laughter: this emotion is pleasant; and being alfo mirthful, it most fuccessfully unbends the mind, and recruits the fpirits,

Ludicrous is a general term, fignifying, as may appear from its derivation, what is playfome, fportive, or jocular. Ludicrous therefore feems the genus, of which rifible is a fpecies, limited as above to what makes us laugh,

However

However eafy it may be, concerning any particular object, to fay whether it be rifible or not; it feems difficult, if at all practicable, to establish any general character, by which objects of this kind may be diftinguished from others. Nor is this a fingular cafe; for upon a review, we find the fame difficulty in most of the articles already handled. There is nothing more easy, viewing a particular object, than to pronounce that it is beautiful or ugly, grand or little but were we to attempt general rules for ranging objects under different claffes, according to thefe qualities, we should find ourselves greatly at a lofs. There is a separate caufe, which increases the difficulty of distinguishing rifible objects by a general character all men are not equally affected by risible objects and even the fame person is more difpofed to laugh at one time than another; for in high spirits a thing will make us laugh outright, that will scarce provoke a fmile when we are in a grave mood. We must therefore abandon the thought, of attempting a general rule for diftinguishing rifible objects from others. They are however circumfcribed within certain limits; which I fhall fuggeft, without pretending to any degree of accuracy. And, in the first place, I observe, that no object is rifible but what appears flight, little, or trifling; for man is fo conftituted, as to be feriously affected with every thing that is of importance to his own interest, or to that of others. A real diftress raises pity, and

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and therefore cannot be rifible; but a flight or imaginary distress, which moves not pity, is rifible. The adventure of the fulling-mills in Don Quixote, is extremely rifible; fo is the scene where Sancho, in a dark night, tumbling into a pit, and attaching himfelf to the fide by hand and foot, there hangs in terrible difmay till the morning, when he difcovers himself to be within a foot of the bottom. A nofe remarkably long or fhort, is rifible; but to want the nose altogether, far from provoking laughter, raises horror in the fpectator. Secondly, With respect to works both of nature and of art, none of them are rifible but what are out of rule, fome re·markable defect or excefs; a very long visage, for example, or a very fhort one. Hence nothing juit, proper, decent, beautiful, proportioned, or grand, is rifible.

Even from this flight fketch it will readily be conjectured, that the emotion raised by a rifible object is of a nature fo fingular, as fcarce to find place while the mind is occupied with any other paffion or emotion: and this conjecture is verified by experience; for we fcarce ever find this emotion blended with any other. One emotion I must except; and that is, contempt raised by certain improprieties, fuch as what also provoke laughter every improper act infpires us with fome degree of contempt for the author; and fan improper act be at the fame time rifible to provoke laughter, of which blunders and abfurdities

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