men that Sparta ever produced, I mean Agefilaus, was lame of a leg. And it is found by experience, that, without being fubject to the reftraints proposed by this unnatural plan of policy, moft men enjoy as much health, as is requifite to all the ordinary bufinefs of life. Plato imagines further, that by his fcheme rebellion and fedition would be prevented; which, he feems to think, do commonly take their rife among perfons united by the ties of blood. But neither is this true. In civil commotions, we often fee parents and children attach themselves to oppofite parties; and one of the moft fhocking calamities attending civil war, is, that it promotes contention among kindred, and fets brother against brother, and the father against the fon.

As to that indifcreet fondnefs wherewith some parents treat their children; it is an evil, no doubt, and tends to produce evil; but it hurts a few individuals only, and its bad confequences are often fuccefsfully counteracted by a little knowledge of the world: whereas the propofed remedy would affect the whole commonwealth with evils incomparably greater, and withal incurable. Befides, teachers, as well as parents, have been partial to favourites; but nobody ever thought of abolishing education, to get rid of this inconvenience. It would be like cutting off the legs, in order to keep the gout out of the great toe; or like knocking out all the teeth, for the purpose of preventing the tooth ach. The beft fecurity against the evils of parental fondnefs, is parental love; and, where parents have good fenfe, that will always be fecurity fufficient. ILLUS.

A a 3

ILLUSTRATIONS

ON

SUBLIMIT Y.

L

ONGINUS, the secretary of Zenobia queen of Palmyra, who was conquered by the emperour Aurelian, about the middle of the third century, compofed many books of philophy and criticifin, and among others a difcourfe on Sublimity, which is the only part of his writings that has been preferved to our time. He is an author, not more remarkable for accuracy of judgment, than for the energy of his style, and a peculiar boldness and elevation of thought. And men of learning have vied with each other, in celebrating and expounding that work; which is indeed one of the beft fpecimens that remain of antient criticism, and well deferves the attention of every scholar.

But he has used the word * Hupfos in a more general fenfe, than is commonly annexed to the term Sublimity; not always diftinguishing what is fublime from what is elegant or beautiful. The diftinction, however, ought to be made. Both indeed give delight; but the gratification we derive from the one is different from that which accompanies the other. It is pleafing to behold a

fine face, or an apartment elegantly furnished and of exact proportion; it is alfo pleafing to contemplate a craggy mountain, a vaft cathedral, or a magnificent palace: but furely, the one fort of pleasure differs as much from the other, as complacency differs from admiration, or the foft melody of a flute from the overpowering tones of a full organ.

Grammarians are not agreed about the etymology of the word Sublime. The most probable opinion is, that it may be derived from fupra and limus; and fo denotes literally the circumftance of being raised above the flime, the mud, or the mould, of this world. Be that as it may, it uniformly fignifies in the Latin, whence we have taken it, elevation, or loftiness. And because whatever is much elevated, as a high building, or a high mountain, infufes into the beholder a fort of pleasing aftonishment; hence those things in art or nature, which have the fame effect on the mind, are, with a view to that effect, called by the fame name. Great depth, being the correlative of great height, and being indeed implied in it, (for whatever is high from below is deep from above) and because it aftonishes and pleafes the imagination, is alfo to be confidered as fublime. For, if we be ourfelves fecure, every one must have observed, that it is agreeable to look down, from a mountain, upon the plain, or from the top of a high building, upon the various objects below. Cotton fays, with the energy and enthufiafm of Dryden:

O my beloved rocks, that rife

To awe the earth, and brave the fkies!

From

From fome afpiring mountain's crown,

How dearly do I love,

Giddy with pleasure, to look down:

And from the vales to view the noble heights. above! *

"It is pleasant," fays Lucretius, "to behold. " from the land the labours of the mariner in a "tempeftuous ocean;-but nothing is more de

lightful, than from the heights of science to "look down on those who wander in the mazes of "error: not," fays he, "because we are grati"fied with another's diftrefs; but because there " is a pleasure in feeing evils from which we "ourselves are free." The fact is partly fo; but the poet entirely mistakes the caufe. It is pleafant to behold the fea in a storm, on account of its astonishing greatnefs and impetuofity; and it is pleasant to look down from an elevated fituation, because here too there is greatnefs and delightful aftonishment. But to fee others in danger, or unhappy in their ignorance, must always give pain to a confiderate mind, however confcious it may be of its own fecurity, and wifdom. Such a fentiment we need not wonder to find in an Epicurean poet; as all the views of his master terminated in self. But it is fomewhat ftrange, that Creech, in a note upon the paffage, fhould vindicate his author in thefe terms: Id afferit poeta, quod omnes fentiunt; qui dolore aut morbo laborantem videt, protinus, O me felicem: "The poet afferts nothing, but what is

See Walton's Angler.. Part ii.

"warranted