and to enable them to approach, as near as their finite Abilities will admit, to Divinity itself. Upon these Principles, he accounts for the vaft Stretch and Penetration of the human Underftanding; to these he afcribes the Labours of Men of Genius; and by the Predominancy of them in their Minds, ascertains the Succefs of their Attempts. In the fame manner he accounts for that Turn in the Mind, which biaffes us to admire more what is great and uncommon, than what is ordinary and familiar, however ufeful. There are other mafterly Reflexions of this kind in the 33d and 34th Sections, which are only to be excelled by Mr. Addison's Essay on the Imagination. Whoever reads this part of Longinus, and that Piece of Mr. Addison's with Attention, will form Notions of them both, very much to their Honour.

Yet the telling us we were born to pursue what is great, without informing us what is so, would avail but little. Longinus declares for a close and attentive Examination of all Things. Outfides and Surfaces may be fplendid and allu ring, yet nothing be within deferving our Applause. He that fuffers himself to be dazled with a gay and gawdy Appearance, will be betrayed into Admiration of what the wife contemn; hisPursuits will be leyelled at Wealth, and

Power,

Power, and high Rank in Life, to the prejudice of his inward Tranquillity, and perhaps the Wreck of his Virtue. The Pageantry and Pomp of Life will be regarded by fuch a Perfon, as true Honour and Glory; and he will neglect the nobler Acquifitions, which are more fuited to the Dignity of his Nature, which alone can give Merit to Ambition, and centre in folid and fubftantial Grandeur.

The Mind is the Source and Standard of whatever can be confidered as great and illuftrious in any Light. From this our Actions and our Words muft flow, and by this must they be weighed. We must think well, before we can act or speak as we ought. And it is the inward Vigour of the Soul, tho' variously exerted, which forms the Patriot, the Philosopher, the Orator, or the Poet: This was the Rife of an Alexander, a Socrates, a Demofthenes, and a Homer. Yet this inward Vigor is chiefly owing to the Bounty of Nature, is cherished and improved by Education, but cannot reach Maturity, without other concurrent Causes, fuch as public Liberty, and the ftrictest Practice of Virtue.

That the Seeds of a great Genius in any kind must be implanted within, and cherished and improved by Education, are Points in which the whole World agrees. But the Importance

of

of Liberty in bringing it to Perfection, may perhaps be more liable to debate. Longinus is clear on the affirmative fide. He speaks feelingly, but with caution about it, because Tyranny and Oppreffion were triumphant at the Time he wrote.

He avers, with a Spirit of generous Indignati→ on, that Slavery is the Confinement of the Soul, and a public Dungeon.* On this he charges the Suppreffion of Genius, and Decay of the Sublime. The Condition of Man is deplorable, when he dares not exert his Abilities, and runs into imminent Danger by faying or doing what he ought. Tyranny,erected on the Ruins of Liberty, lays an immediate Restraint on the Minds of Vaffals, fo that the inborn Fire of Genius is quickly damped, and fuffers at laft a total Extinction. This must always be a neceffary Confequence, when what ought to be the Reward of an honourable Ambition, becomes the prey of Knaves and Flatterers. But the Infection gradually spreads, and Fear and Avarice will bend thofe to it, whom Nature formed for higher Employments, and fink lofty Orators into pompous Flatterers. The truth of this Remark will eafily appear, if we compare Cicero fpeaking to Catiline, to the fame Cicero pleading before Cafar for Marcellus.That Spirit of Adulation, which prevailed fo much in Eng

Sect. xliv.

Land

land about a Century ago, lowered one of the greatest Genius's that ever lived, and turned eveni the Lord Bacon into a Sycophant. And this will be the cafe, wherever Power incroaches on the Rights of Mankind: A fervile Fear will clog and fetter every rifing Genius, will ftrike fuch an Awe upon it in its tender and infant State; as will stick for ever after, and check its gene rous Sallies. No one will write or speak well in fuch a Situation, unless on Subjects of meer Amusement, and which cannot, by any indirect Tendency, affect his Mafters. For how fhall the Vassal dare to talk fublimely on any Point, wherein his Lord acts meanly?

But further, as defpotic and unbridled Power is generally obtained, so 'tis as often supported by unjustifiable Methods. The fplendid and oftentatious Pageantry of those at the Helm, gives Rife to Luxury and Profuseness among the Subjects. These are the fatal Sources of diffolute Manners, of degenerate Sentiments, of Infamy and Want. As Pleasure is fupplied by Money, no Method, however mean, is omitted to procure the latter, because it leads to the Enjoyment of the former. Men become corrupt and abject, their Minds are enervated and infenfible to Shame. "The Faculties of the Soul (in the "Words of Longinus) * will then grow ftupid, "their

See Sect. xliv.

"their Spirit will be loft, and good Senfe and "Genius muft lie in Ruins, when the Care and "Study of Man is engaged about the mortal, "the worthless part of himself, and he has ❝ceased to cultivate Virtue, and polish his no"bler part, the Soul."

The Scope of our Author's Reflexions in the latter part of the Section is this; that Genius can never exert itself or rise to Sublimity, where Virtue is neglected, and the Morals are depraved. Cicero was of the fame Opinion before him, and Quinctilian has a whole Chapter to prove, that the great Orator must be a good Man. Men of the finest Genius which have hitherto appeared in the World, have been for the most part not very defective in their Morals, and lefs in their Principles. I am fenfible there are Exceptions to this Obfervation, but little to the Credit of the Perfons, fince their Works become the fevereft Satyrs on themselves, and the manifeft Oppofition between their Thought and PraЯtice detracts its Weight from the one, and marks out the other for public Abhorrence.

An inward Grandeur of Soul is the common Center, from whence every Ray of Sublimity, either in Thought, or Action, or Discourse, is darted out. For all Minds are no more of the fame Complexion, than all Bodies of the fame Texture.

C