with regard to the number, bulk, and distance of its particular objects. The meaning then would be, that feeling is more limited than sight in this respect; that it is confined to a narrower circle, to a smaller number of objects.

The epithet particular, applied to objects, in the conclusion of the sentence, is redundant, and conveys no meaning whatever. Mr. Addison seems to have used it in place of peculiar, as indeed he does often in other passages of his writings. But particular and peculiar, though they are too often confounded, are words of dif ferent import from each other. Particular stands opposed to general; peculiar stands opposed to what is possessed in common with others. Particular, expresses what, in the logical style, is called species; peculiar, what is called differentia. Its peculiar objects, would have signified, in this place, the objects of the sense of feeling, as distinguished from the objects of any other sense; and would have had more meaning than its particular objects; though, in truth, neither the one nor the other epithet was requisite. It was sufficient to have said simply, its objects.

'Our sight seems designed to supply all these defects, and may be considered as a more delicate and diffusive kind of touch, that spreads itself over an infinite multitude of bodies, comprehends the largest figures, and brings into our reach some of the most remote parts of the universe.'

Here again the author's style returns upon us in all its beauty. This is a sentence distinct, graceful, well arranged, and highly musical. In the latter part of it, it is constructed with three members, which are formed much in the same manner with those of the second sentence, on which I bestowed so much praise. The construction is so similar, that if it had followed immediately after it, we should have been sensible of a faulty monotony. But the interposition of another sentence between them, prevents this effect.

'It is this sense which furnishes the imagination with its ideas; so that by the pleasures of the imagination or fancy, (which I shall use promiscuously,) I here mean such as arise from visible objects, either when we have them actually in our view; or when we call up their ideas into our minds by paintings, statues, descriptions, or any the like occasion.'

In place of, It is this sense which furnishes, the author might have said more shortly, This sense furnishes. But the mode of expression which he has used, is here more proper. This sort of full and ample assertion, it is this which, is fit to be used when a proposition of importance is laid down, to which we seek to call the reader's attention. It is like pointing with the hand at the object of which we speak. The parenthesis in the middle of the sentence, which I shall use promiscuously, is not clear. He ought to have said, terms which I shall use promiscuously; as the verb use relates not to the pleasures of the imagination, but to the terms of fancy and imagination, which he was to employ as synonymous. Any the like occasion. To call a painting or a statue an occasion, is not a happy expression, nor is it very proper to speak of calling up ideas by

occasions. The common phrase, any such means, would have been more natural.

'We cannot indeed have a single image in the fancy, that did not make its first entrance through the sight; but we have the power of retaining, altering, and compounding those images which we have once received, into all the varieties of picture and vision that are most agreeable to the imagination; for, by this faculty, a man in a dungeon is capable of entertaining himself with scenes and landscapes more beautiful than any that can be found in the whole compass of nature.'

It may be of use to remark, that in one member of this sentence, there is an inaccuracy in syntax. It is very proper to say, altering and compounding those images which we have once received, into all the varieties of picture and vision. But we can with no propriety say, retaining them into all the varieties; and yet, according to the manner in which the words are ranged, this construction is unavoidable. For retaining, altering, and compounding, are participles, each of which equally refers to, and governs, the subsequent noun, those images; and that noun again is necessarily connected with the following preposition, into. This instance shows the importance of carefully attending to the rules of grammar and syntax; when so pure a writer as Mr. Addison could, through inadvertence, be guilty of such an error. The construction might easily have been rectified, by disjoining the participle retaining from the other two participles, in this way: 'We have the power of retaining, altering, and compounding those images which we have once received; and of forming them into all the varieties of picture and vision.' The latter part of the sentence is clear and elegant.

There are few words in the English language which are employ ed in a more loose and uncircumscribed sense, than those of the fancy and the imagination.'

There are few words-which are employed. It had been better, if our author here had said more simply, few words in the English language are employed. Mr. Addison, whose style is of the free and full, rather than the nervous kind, deals, on all occasions, in this extended sort of phraseology. But it is proper only when some assertion of consequence is advanced, and which can bear an emphasis; such as that in the first sentence of the former paragraph. On other occasions, these little words, it is, and there are, ought to be avoided as redundant and enfeebling. Those of the fancy and the imagination. The article ought to have been omitted here. As he does not mean the powers of the fancy and the imagination, but the words only, the article certainly had no proper place; neither, indeed, was there any occasion for the other two words, those of Better if the sentence had run thus: 'Few words in the Englisn language are employed in a more loose and uncircumscribed sense, than fancy and imagination.'

'I therefore thought it necessary to fix and determine the notion of these two words, as I intend to make use of them in the thread of

my following speculations, that the reader may conceive rightly what is the subject which I proceed upon.'

Though fix and determine may appear synonymous words, yet a difference between them may be remarked, and they may be viewed, as applied here, with peculiar delicacy. The author had just said, that the words of which he is speaking were loose and uncircumscribed. Fix relates to the first of these, determine to the last. We fix what is loose; that is, we confine the word to its proper place, that it may not fluctuate in our imagination, and pass from one idea to another; and we determine what is uncircumscribed, that is, we ascertain its termini or limits, we draw the circle round it, that we may see its boundaries. For we cannot conceive the meaning of a word, or indeed of any other thing clearly, till we see its limits, and know how far it extends, These two words, therefore, have grace and beauty as they are here applied; though a writer, more frugal of words than Mr. Addison, would have preferred the single word ascertain, which conveys, without any metaphor, the import of them both.

The notion of these words, is somewhat of a harsh phrase, at least not so commonly used, as the meaning of these words;-as I intend to make use of them in the thread of my speculations; this is plainly faulty. A sort of metaphor is improperly mixed with words in the literal sense. He might very well have said, as I intend to make use of them in my following speculations. This was plain language; but if he chose to borrow an allusion from thread, that allusion ought to have been supported; for there is no consistency in making use of them in the thread of speculations; and indeed, in expressing any thing so simple and familiar as this is, plain language is always to be preferred to metaphorical-the subject which I proceed upon, is an ungraceful close of a sentence; better the subject upon which I proceed.

"I must therefore desire him to remember, that, by the pleasures of the imagination, I mean only such pleasures as arise originally from sight, and that I divide these pleasures into two kinds.'

As the last sentence began with, I therefore thought it necessary to fix, it is careless to begin this sentence in a manner so very similar, Imust therefore desire him to remember; especially, as the small variation of using, on this account, or, for this reason, in place of therefore, would have amended the style. When he says, I mean only such pleasures, it may be remarked, that the adverb only is not in its proper place. It is not intended here to qualify the word mean, but such pleasures; and therefore should have been placed in as close a connexion as possible with the word which it limits or qualifies. The style becomes more clear and neat, when the words are arranged thus; 'By the pleasures, of the imagination, I mean such pleasures only as arise from sight.'

'My design, being first of all, to discourse of those primary pleasures of the imagination, which entirely proceed from such objects as are before our eyes; and, in the next place, to speak of those secondary pleasures of the imagination, which flow from the ideas

of visible objects, when the objects are not actually before the eye, but are called up into our memories, or formed into agreeable visions of things, that are either absent or fictitious.'

It is a great rule in laying down the division of a subject, to study neatness and brevity as much as possible. The divisions are then more distinctly apprehended, and more easily remembered. This sentence is not perfectly happy in that respect. It is somewhat clogged by a tedious phraseology. My design being first of all, to discourse-in the next place to speak of-such objects as are before our eyes-things that are either absent or fictitious. Several words might have been spared here; and the style made more neat and compact. "The pleasures of the imagination, taken in their full extent, are not so gross as those of sense, nor so refined as those of the understanding.'

This sentence is distinct and elegant.

'The last are indeed more preferable, because they are founded on some new knowledge or improvement in the mind of man: yet it must be confessed, that those of the imagination are as great and as transporting as the other.'

In the beginning of this sentence, the phrase more preferable, is such a plain inaccuracy, that one wonders how Mr. Addison should have fallen into it; seeing preferable, of itself, expresses the comparative degree, and is the same with more eligible, or more excellent.

I must observe farther, that the proposition contained in the last member of this sentence, is neither clear nor neatly expressed-it must be confessed, that those of the imagination are as great and as transporting as the other. In the former sentence, he had compared three things together; the pleasures of the imagination, those of sense, and those of the understanding. In the beginning of this sentence, he had called the pleasures of the understanding the last; and he ends the sentence, with observing, that those of the imagination are as great and transporting as the other. Now, besides that the other makes not a proper contrast with the last, he leaves it ambiguous, whether, by the other, he meant the pleasures of the understanding, or the pleasures of the sense; for it may refer to either, by the construction; though, undoubtedly, he intended that it should refer to the pleasures of the understanding only. The proposition reduced to perspicuous language, runs thus: Yet it must be confessed, that the pleasures of the imagination, when compared with those of the understanding, are no less great and transporting.'

'A beautiful prospect delights the soul as much as a demonstration; and a description in Homer has charmed more readers than a chapter in Aristotle.'

This is a good illustration of what he had been asserting, and is expressed with that happy and elegant turn, for which our author is very remarkable.

Besides, the pleasures of the imagination have this advantage above those of the understanding, that they are more obvious, and more easy to be acquired.'

This is also an unexceptionable sentence.

'It is but opening the eye, and the scene enters.'

This sentence is lively and picturesque. By the gayety and briskness which it gives the style, it shows the advantage of intermixing such a short sentence as this amidst a run of longer ones, which never fails to have a happy effect. I must remark, however, a small inaccuracy. A scene cannot be said to enter: an actor enters; but a scene appears or presents itself.

"The colours paint themselves on the fancy, with very little attention of thought or application of mind in the beholder.'

This is still beautiful illustration; carried on with that agreeable floweriness of fancy and style, which is so well suited to those pleasures of the imagination, of which the author is treating.

'We are struck, we know not how, with the symmetry of any thing we see, and immediately assent to the beauty of an object, without inquiring into the particular causes and occasions of it."

There is a falling off here from the elegance of the former sentences. We assent to the truth of a proposition; but cannot so well be said to assent to the beauty of an object. Acknowledge would have expressed the sense with more propriety. The close of the sentence too is heavy and ungraceful-the particular causes and occasions of it; both particular and occasions, are words quite superfluous; and the pronoun it, is in some measure ambiguous, whether it refers to beauty or to object. It would have been some amendment to the style to have run thus: We immediately acknowledge the beauty of an object, without inquiring into the cause of that beauty.'

A man of a polite imagination is let into a great many pleasures that the vulgar are not capable of receiving.'

Polite is a term more commonly applied to manners or behaviour, than to the mind or imagination. There is nothing farther to be observed on this sentence, unless the use of that for a relative pronoun, instead of which; an usage which is too frequent with Mr. Addison. Which is a much more definitive word than that, being never employed in any other way than as a relative; whereas that is a word of many senses; sometimes a demonstrative pronoun, often a conjunction. In some cases we are indeed obliged to use that for a relative, in order to avoid the ungraceful repetition of which in the same sentence. But when we are laid under no necessity of this kind, which is always the preferable word, and certainly was so in this sentence. Pleasures which the vulgar are not capable of receiving, is much better than pleasures that the vulgar, &c.

'He can converse with a picture, and find an agreeable companion in a statue. He meets with a secret refreshment in a description; and often feels a greater satisfaction in the prospect of fields and meadows, than another does in the possession. It gives him, indeed, a kind of property in every thing he sees; and makes the most rude, uncultivated parts of nature, administer to his pleasures: so that he looks upon the world, as it were, in another light, and discovers in it a multitude of charms that conceal themselves from the generality of mankind.'