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scapeo The prospect is greatly enriched, by the multiplication of agreeable objects. It appears now, that nothing is overlooked, nothing left undone, that can poffibly contribute to the enforcing social duty. For to all the sanctions that belong to it singly, are fuperadded the sanctions of self-duty. A familiar example shall suffice for illustration. An act of ingratitude confidered in itself, is to the author disagreeable as well as to every spectator: confidered by the author with relation to himself, it raises self-contempt: confidered by him with relation to the world, it makes him ashamed. Again, confidered by others, it raises their contempt and indignation against the author. These feelings are all of them occafioned by the impropriety of the action. When the action is confidered as unjust, it occafions another set of feelings. In the author it produces remorse, and a dread of merited punishment; and in others, the benefactor chiefly, indignation and hatred directed upon the ungrateful person. Thus

shame and remorse united in the ungrateful

perfon

person, and indignation united with hatred in the hearts of others, are the punishments provided by nature for injustice. Stupid and insensible must he be in extreme, who, in a contrivance so exquifite, perceives not the hand of the Sovereign Architect.

CHAP. CHAP. ΧΙ.

Of Dignity and Meanness.

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HESE terms are applied to man in point of character, sentiment, and behaviour. We say, for example, of one man, that he hath a natural dignity in his air and manner; of another, that he makes a mean figure. There is a dignity in every action and fentiment of fome perfons: the actions and sentiments of others are mean and vulgar. With respect to the fine arts, fome performances are faid to be manly and fuitable to the dignity of human nature : others are termed low, mean, trivial. Such expreffions are though they have not always a precise meaning. With respect to the art of criticism, it must be a real acquifition to afcertain what these terms truly import; which poffibly may enable us to rank every performance in the fine arts according to its dignity. D 2

common,

Inquiring

Inquiring first to what subjects the terms dignity and meannefs are appropriated, we foon discover, that they are not applicable to any thing inanimate. The most magnificent palace ever built, may be lofty, may be grand, but it has no relation to dignity. The most diminutive shrub may be little, but it is not mean. These terms must belong to fenfitive beings, probably to man only; which will be evident when we advance in the inquiry.

Of all objects, human actions produce in a spectator the greatest variety of feelings. They are in themselves grand or little: with refpect to the author, they are proper or improper: with respect to those affected by them, just or unjust. And I must now add, that they are also diftinguished by dignity and meanness. It may possibly be thought, that with respect to human actions, dignity coincides with grandeur, and meanness with littleness. But the difference will be evident upon reflecting, that we never attribute dignity to any action but what is virtuous, nor meanness to any but what in some degree is faulty. But an action may be grand without being virtuous, or little without being faulty. Every action of dignity creates respect and esteem for the author, and a mean action draws upon him contempt. A man is always admired for a grand action, but frequently is neither loved nor esteemed for it: neither is a man always contemned for a low or little action.

As it appears to me, dignity and meanness are founded on a natural principle not hitherto mentioned. Man is endued with a fenfe of the worth and excellence of his nature. He deems it to be more perfect than that of the other beings around him; and he feels that the perfection of his nature confifts in virtue, particularly in virtue of the highest rank. To express this sense, the term dignity is appropriated. Further, to behave with dignity, and to refrain from all mean actions, is felt to be, not a virtue only, but a duty: it is a duty every man owes to himself. By acting in this manner, he attracts love and esteem. By acting meanly or below himself, he is disapproved and contemned.

According

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