III.

SECT. alone, we may with Propriety and Precision determine the comparative Excellence and Dignity of those who afpire to the Palm of Eloquence. On this Principle it seems to be, that a fevere, but able, Judge prefers DEMOSTHENES to TULLY; and on this Principle he deferves the Preferencé.

THUS We are at length arrived at the Point where Eloquence and Argument, Perfuafion and Conviction unite; where the Orator's Art becomes fubfervient to the Interests of Truth, and only labours to adorn and recommend Her.

WE come now to the third Species of Composition, that of Argument: Which applying folely to the Reafon of Man, and to the Proof or Investigation of Truth, is of a more fimple and uncompounded Nature in its Principles, and therefore needs not to be fo particularly explained. For Pleasure being the primary End of Poetry, and Perfuafion that of Eloquence, the real Nature of Things is often in Part disguised, and compelled to bend to the Imagination

nous revenons toujours à ceux qui excellent par la beauté du deffein, qui eft le vrai caractere de l'antique, Sethos, 1. ii. p. 8o.

See Dr. Swift's Letter to a Young Clergyman.

and

IiI.

and the Paffions: But Truth being the End SECT. of Argument, the varying Colours of Imagination and Paffion must be drawn off; and human Reafon itself bend to the real, uniform Nature of Things.

YET on this Occafion it may be proper to remark, that the rational Faculty in Man cannot be comprehenfive or perfect in its Operations, without a Union with a strong Imagination. And this, not only in the Arts of Poetry or Eloquence, but in the fevereft Investigations of Truth. For Reafon alone cannot fearch out new Ideas, but only compare and distinguish those which Senfe and Imagination prefent to her, and the Senfes being of small Extent, Imagination is therefore the great univerfal Inftrument of human Knowledge and human Action. Without the Aids of Imagination therefore, Reafon works in a contracted Sphere; being destitute of Materials; unable to make the neceffary Excurfions into the Immensity of Nature; and wanting that Power which alone can range through the whole Extent of created Being, and bring Home all the poffible and apparent Analogies of Things, fetting them before her difcerning Eye, and fubmitting them to her fovereign Appro D 4

bation

III.

SECT. bation or Diflike. From this noble Union arifes that boundlefs Penetration, which fo far furpaffeth mere Judgment: and which, according as it is exerted in Poetry, Eloquence, Philofophy, Morals, or Religion, ftrikes into the various and untroden Paths of Nature

and Truth; forms the distinguished Names of HOMER, SHAKESPEAR, MILTON, DEMOSTHENES, TULLY, ARISTOTle, Bacon, LOCKE, BAYLE, PASCAL, NEWTON, HOOKER, BERKLEY, WARBURTON, giving that effential Superiority and Preheminence, which hath ever been, firft the Envy, and then the Admiration of Mankind.

THUS as it appeared above, how neceffary the Restraints of Reafon are, to the Perfection of Works of Imagination; fo here it is evident, that a full Union of Imagination is necessary to the perfect Operations of Reason. Taken fingly, they are each defective: When their Powers are joined, they conftitute TRUE GENIUS.

BUT, however requifite the Force of Imagination may be, to the Perfection of Reafon, and the Production of true Genius, yet ftill Reafon remains the fuperior and corrective Power: Therefore every Reprefentation of Poetry or Eloquence, which

'III.

only apply to the Fancy and Affections, must SE c T. finally be examined and decided upon, must be tried, rejected, or received, as the reafoning Faculty fhall determine.

AND thus REASON alone is the Detecter of Falsehood, and the TEST OF TRUTH.

SECTION IV.

IV.

HE who would judge aright of the SECT. Proportions of a fpacious Dome, must not creep from one Corner to another by the Help of a glimmering Taper, but rather light up a central Branch, which may illuminate the whole at once. By doing something like this in our Remarks on the three different Kinds of Compofition, we have enabled the intelligent Reader to see with ease; "That Wit, Raillery, and Ri"dicule, in every Shape they can poffibly "affume, are no other than fo many Species "of Poetry or Eloquence."

PURE Wit, when not applied to the Characters of Men, is properly a Species of Poetry. It amuses and delights the Imagination by those fudden Affemblages and pleafing Pictures of Things which it creates: and from every common Occafion can raise

fuch

SECT.fuch ftriking Appearances, as, throw the

IV.

moft phlegmatic Tempers into a Convulfion of good-humoured Mirth, and undefigning Laughter.

BUT Ridicule or Raillery, which is the Subject of our Inquiry, hath a further Scope and Intention. It folely regards the Opinions, Paffions, Actions, and Characters of Men: and may properly be denominated "that Species of Writing which excites "Contempt with Laughter."

STILL more particularly we may obferve, that as Eloquence in general is but the Application of Poetry to the End of Perfuafion, fo Ridicule in particular is no more than the Application of that particular Species of Poetry called Wit, to the fame End of Perfuafion. It tends to excite Contempt, in the fame Manner as the other Modes of Eloquence raise Love, Pity, Terror, Rage, or Hatred, in the Heart of Man.

Now, that Contempt which certain Objects raise in the Mind, is a particular Mode of Paffion. The Objects of this Paffion are apparent Falsehood, Incongruity, Impropriety, or Turpitude of certain Kinds. But as the Object of every excited Paffion must be examined by Reafon ere we can determine whether