will be preferred by thofe only who with rigidity adhere to order, and give no indulgence to natural emotions *.

It appears then that we are framed by nature to relish order and connection. When an object is introduced by a proper connection, we are conscious of a certain pleasure arifing from that circumftance. Among objects of equal rank, the pleasure is proportioned to the degree of connection; but among unequal objects, where we require a certain order, the pleasure arifes chiefly from an orderly arrangement. Of this one may be made fenfible, in tracing objects contrary to the course of nature, or contrary to our sense of order. The mind proceeds with alacrity from a whole to its parts, and from a principal to its acceffories; but in the contrary direction, it is fenfible of a fort of retrograde motion, which is unpleafant. And here may be remarked the great influence of order upon the mind of man. Grandeur, which makes a deep impreffion,

A train of perceptions or ideas, with respect to its uniformity and variety, is handled afterward, chap. 9.

inclines

inclines us, in running over any feries, to proceed from fmall to great, rather than from great to small. But order prevails over this tendency; and in paffing from the whole to its parts, and from a fubject to its ornaments, affords pleasure as well as facility, which are not felt in the oppofite courfe. Elevation touches the mind not less than grandeur doth; and in raising the mind to elevated objects, there is a sensible pleasure. But the course of nature hath still a greater influence than elevation; and therefore the pleasure of falling with rain, and descending gradually with a river, prevails over that of mounting upward. Hence the agreeableness of fmoke afcending in a calm morning. Elevation concurs with the course of nature, to make this object delightful.

I am extremely sensible of the disgust men generally have at abstract speculation; and for that reason I would avoid it altogether, were it poffible in a work which profeffes to draw the rules of criticism from human nature, their true fource. There is indeed no choice, other than to continue for fome

VOL. I.

E

time

time in the fame track, or to abandon the undertaking altogether. Candor obliges me to notify this to my readers, that fuch of them whose averfion to abstract speculation is invincible, may ftop fhort here; for till principles be explained, I can promise no entertainment to those who fhun thinking. But I flatter myself with a different taste in the bulk of readers. Some few, I imagine, will relish the abstract part for its own fake; and many for the useful purposes to which it may be applied. For encouraging the latter to proceed with alacrity, I affure them beforehand that the foregoing speculation leads to many important rules of criticism, which fhall be unfolded in the courfe of this work. In the mean time, for instant fatisfaction in part, they will be pleased to accept the following fpecimen.

It is required in every work of art, that, like an organic fyftem, the constituent parts be mutually connected, and bear each of them a relation to the whole, fome more intimate, fome lefs, according to their destination. Order is not less effential than connection; and when due regard is paid to thefe,

thefe, we have a fenfe of just compofition, and fo far are pleased with the performance. Homer is defective in order and connection; and Pindar more remarkably. Regularity, order, and connection, are painful restraints on a bold and fertile imagination; and are not patiently submitted to, but after much culture and discipline. In Horace there is no fault more eminent than want of connection. Inftances are without number. In the first fourteen lines of ode 7. lib. 1. he mentions feveral towns and districts which by fome were relished more than by others. In the remainder of the ode, Plancus is exhorted to drown his cares in wine. Having narrowly escaped death by the fall of a tree, this poet * takes occafion properly to observe, that while we guard against fome dangers, we are expofed to others we cannot foresee. He ends with displaying the power of mufic. The parts of ode 16. lib.2. are fo loosely connected as to disfigure a poem otherwise extremely beautiful. The Ift, 2d, 3d, 4th, 11th, 24th, 27th odes of the

Lib. 2. ode 13.

E 2

3d

3d book, lie open all of them to the fame cenfure. The 1ft fatire, book 1. is fo deformed by want of unity and connection of parts, as upon the whole to be fcarce agreeable. It commences with an importantquestion, How it happens that perfons who are so much fatisfied with themselves, are generally fo little with their condition? After illuftrating the obfervation in a fprightly manner by feveral examples, the author, forgetting his fubject, enters upon a declamation against avarice, which he purfues till the line 108. There he makes an apology for wandering, and promises to return to his fubject. But avarice having got poffeffion of his mind, he follows out that theme to the end, and never returns to the queftion propofed in the beginning.

In the Georgics of Virgil, though efteemed the most finished work of that author, the parts are ill connected, and the tranfitions far from being sweet and eafy. In the first book *he deviates from his fubject to give a defcription of the five

*Lin. 231.

zones.