enlarge the sphere of any one's ideas in conversation; who would speak with a just confidence upon subjects relating to it, when he did not start an opinion of his own, but only drew inferences from rules of composition which had been already approved of. I will here, once for all, observe, that critics and artists who collect together all the elements of an art lying scattered, as Cicero describes them, in nature, deserve much praise; and those are influenced by a spirit of theory, who, in their impatience for the fame of producing something, confound the few that they can trace out with heterogeneities; or who, with an equal indifference to truth, deny that any elements can reward our patient search. To form systems (as it has been observed) is inevitable; we can only avoid admitting the phenomena that merely exist in the imagination. Neither Aristotle, Horace, nor Boileau, have attempted to found composition upon reason. Bacon's division of learning, in which he includes all the arts, approaches the nearest to such an attempt; but every species of composition must surely be capable of being so founded. Thus, epic poetry arises from our disposition to relate, and to hear related, the actions of men: the drama, from the power we have discovered of exhibiting them by perfect imitation: pastoral poetry, from that of giving, by both these means, a picture of rural simplicity: the ode and elegy, from an inclination to express fully our sentiments, and to indulge our fancy upon particular occasions. In doing this, we adopt, according to our subject, either a contemplative style, as in the elegy; or a brisk and animated one, as in the ode; and these two, respectively and with great exactness, just agree with the beautiful and sublime of Burke. For instance, the brisk and animated style, is of two sorts; for either it is produced by admiration, and is much employed in panegyric, as in the greater ode: or it is produced by a rapturous delight, and is employed in celebrating more sportively, as in the smaller ode. Now, in the Essay that I refer to, mirth is ranked with the sudden and tumultuous passions, and is separated from the beautiful. According to this idea, it must seem that there have been odes on subjects better suited for elegy; and elegies on those which would have been better treated in odes. Thus English poetry, which is furnished with measures somewhat in proportion to all the various kinds, of poetry, falls easily into beautiful order, and forms a natural system which can alone be improved by the patience and caution of true taste, in listening to the critical suggestions of individuals. In ancient sculpture, in which such excellence was attained, it is well known how systematically, without being superstitiously systematic, and according to what a regular discrimination of characters, celestial, terrestrial, and infernal, the artist was used to proceed. Therefore, this nice arrangement in poetry I may naturally wish for, not only because attention to reason in art is always an earnest of progress in it, and argues a higher degree of civilization, as well as encreases our knowledge of the human mind; but because, by the help and guidance of method, it ENCOURAGES, IN EVERY SORT OF POETRY, THE PRODUCTION OF MORE APPROPRIATE BEAUTIES. Yet as, after some time, habit would, perhaps, impart a charm to a particular measure of which it was not naturally possessed, I would, as great light has been thrown upon the inadequacy of metre always to ASSIST, so far extend my system, as to recommend giving it, in this manner, the additional importance of another object, namely, to DIS TINGUISH. It should be recollected here, that theory, as I have always applied it, tends to the preservation, and not the destruction, of established opinions. I will add one word more upon the subject of architecture before I take my leave of it; and observe, that much less is wanting to render it as universally rational in every part as all the other fine arts, than I once had thought. Utility on the one hand, and variety, proportion, and propriety on the other, appear to me to be the most prominent principles of this art. Metaphysics alone might arrange these qualities differently; because the first and the two last are ideas appertaining to reason; although the expression "beautiful proportion," may shew how perceptibly some of them mingle with sentiment. For example; according to the first, the proper degree of strength will be given to the different props of the building; according to the second, those props will be so distributed, that we shall be attracted by diversity of objects and appearances; according to the third and fourth, those objects and appearances will be divested of every thing disagreeable to the eye. By such principles we are enabled to form a judgment sufficiently accurate of a room or a column, without that magical and mysterious operation of taste that has been supposed. I think likewise, that Lord Kaims mentions too theoretically three sorts of columns as being founded in any thing but prescription; though we ought to keep within the extreme bounds of the three sorts, in respect to dimensions; very much, because they will, as objects, want importance if smaller, and distinctness and compactness if larger, and will upon the whole vary space with less effect. |