C

cause in tafting, touching, and fmelling,
we are conscious of the impreffion made
upon the organ, we naturally place there
alfo, the pleasant or painful feeling caufed
by that impreffion. And because fuch feel-
ings feem to be placed externally at the or-

gan
of fenfe, we, for that reason, conceive
them to be merely corporeal. We have a
different apprehenfion of the pleasant and
painful feelings derived from feeing and
hearing. Being infenfible here of the or-
ganic impreffion, we are not misled to af-
sign a wrong place to these feelings; and
therefore we naturally place them in the
mind, where they really exift. Upon that
account, they are conceived to be more
refined and spiritual, than what are deri-
ved from tasting, touching, and smelling.

The pleasures of the eye and ear being thus elevated above thofe of the other external fenfes, acquire fo much dignity as to make them a laudable entertainment. They are not, however, fet upon a level with those that are purely intellectual; being not less inferior in dignity to intellectual pleasures, than fuperior to the organic or corporeal.

They

They indeed resemble the latter, being like them produced by external objects: but they also resemble the former, being like them produced without any fenfible organic impreffion. Their mixt nature and middle place betwixt organic and intellectual pleasures, qualify them to affociate with either. Beauty heightens all the organic feelings, as well as thofe that are intellectual. Harmony, though it afpires to inflame devotion, difdains not to improve the relish of a banquet.

The pleasures of the eye and ear have other valuable properties befide those of dignity and elevation. Being fweet and moderately exhilerating, they are in their tone equally distant from the turbulence of paffion, and languor of inaction; and by that tone are perfectly well qualified, not only to revive the fpirits when funk by fenfual gratification, but alfo to relax them when overstrained in any violent pursuit. Here is a remedy provided for many diftreffes. And to be convinced of its falutary effects, it will be fufficient to run over the following particulars. Organic pleasures A 2 have

1

have naturally a short duration when continued too long, or indulged to excefs, they lofe their relish, and beget fatiety and dif guft. To relieve us from that uneafinefs, nothing can be more happily contrived than the exhilerating pleafures of the eye and ear, which take place imperceptibly, without much varying the tone of mind. · On the other hand, any intense exercise of the intellectual powers, becomes painful by overftraining the mind. Ceffation from fuch exercise gives not inftant relief: it is neceffary that the void be filled with fome amufement, gently relaxing the fpirits Organic pleasure, which hath no relish but while we are in vigour, is ill qualified for that office: but the finer pleafures of fenfe, which occupy without exhaufting the mind, are excellently well qualified to restore its ufual tone after fevere application to study or bufinefs, as well as after fatiety from fenfual gratification.

1

t

Our firft perceptions are of external ob

Du Bos judiciously obferves, that filence doth not tend to calm an agitated mind; but that foft and flow mufic hath a fine effect.

jects,

pure

jects, and our first attachments are to them. Organic pleasures take the lead. But the mind, gradually ripening, relifheth more and more the pleasures of the eye and ear; which approach the purely mental, without exhaufting the fpirits; and exceed the ly fenfual, without danger of fatiety. The pleasures of the eye and ear have accordingly a natural aptitude to attract us from the immoderate gratification of fenfual appetite. For the mind, once accustomed to enjoy a variety of external objects without being confcious of the organic impreffion, is prepared for enjoying internal objects where there cannot be an organic impreffion. Thus the author of nature, by qualifying the human mind for a fucceffion of enjoyments from the loweft to the highest, leads it by gentle fteps from the most groveling corporeal pleafures, for which folely it is fitted in the beginning of life, to those refined and fublime pleasures which are fuited to its maturity.

1

This fucceffion, however, is not governed by unavoidable neceffity. The God of nature offers it to us, in order to advance

Our

our happiness; and it is fufficient, that he hath enabled us to complete the fucceffion. Nor has he made our task disagreeable or difficult. On the contrary, the tranfition is sweet and easy, from corporeal pleasures to the more refined pleasures of fense; and not lefs fo, from thefe to the exalted pleafures of morality and religion. We stand therefore engaged in honour, as well as interest, to second the purposes of nature, by cultivating the pleasures of the eye and ear, those especially that require extraordinary culture*, fuch as are infpired by poetry, painting, sculpture, mufic, gardening, and architecture. This chiefly is the duty of the opulent, who have leisure to improve. their minds and their feelings. The fine arts are contrived to give pleasure to the eye

* A taste for natural objects is born with us in perfection. To relish a fine countenance, a rich landscape, or a vivid colour, culture is unneceffary. The obfervation holds equally in natural founds, fuch as the finging of birds, or the mur muring of a brook. Nature here, the artificer of the object as well as of the percipient, hath fuited them to each other with great accuracy. But of a poem, a cantata, a picture, and other artificial productions, a true relish is not commonly attained without study and practice.

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