inward vigour of the foul, tho' variously exerted, which forms the patriot, the philosopher, the orator, or the poet: this was the rise 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 caufes, fuch as public liberty, and the ftricteft 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 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 tyand oppreffion were triumphant at the

ranny

time he wrote.

He avers, with a fpirit of generous indig nation, that flavery is the confinement of the foul, and a public dungeon *. On this he charges the fuppreffion of genius, and decay of the fublime. The condition of man is deplorable, when he dares not exert his abilities, and runs into imminent danger by saying or doing what he ought. Tyranny, erected on the

Sect. XLIV.

ruins

ruins of liberty, lays an immediate restraint on the minds of vaffals, fo that the inborn fire of genius is quickly damped, and suffers at last a total extinction. This must always be a neceffary confequence, when what ought to be the reward of an honourable ambition, be- comes the prey of knaves and flatterers. But the infection gradually spreads, and fear and avarice will bend those 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 speaking to Catiline, to the fame Cicero pleading before Cæfar for Marcellus. That spirit of adulation, which prevailed fo much in England about a century ago, lowered one of the greatest genius's that ever lived, and turned even the lord Bacon into a fycophant. 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 strike fuch an awe upon it in its tender and infant state, as will stick for ever after, and check its generous fallies. No one will write or speak well in such a situation, unless on fubjects of meer amusement, and which cannot, by any indirect tendency, affect his mafters. For how fhall the vaffal dare to talk

fub

fublimely on any point, wherein his lord acts meanly?

But further, as defpotic and unbridled power is generally obtained, fo 'tis as often supported by unjustifiable methods. The fplendid and oftentatious pageantry of thofe at the helm, gives rife to luxury and profufenefs among the fubjects. These are the fatal fources 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 "foul (in the words of Longinus) * will then grow ftupid, their fpirit will be loft, and

good fenfe and genius must lie in ruins, when "the care and study of man is engaged about "the mortal, the worthless part of himself, "and he has ceafed to cultivate virtue, and "polish his nobler part, the foul."

The scope of our author's reflexions in the latter part of the fection is this; that genius can never exert itself or rife to fublimity, where virtue is neglected, and the morals are depraved. Cicero was of the fame opinion before him, and Quintilian has a whole chapter to prove, that

Sect. XLIV.

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 fatires on themfeives, and the manifeft oppofition between their thought and practice detracts its weight from the one, and marks out the other for public abhorrence.

An inward grandeur of foul is the common center, from whence every ray of fublimity, 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. In the latter cafe, our eyes would meet only with the fame uniformity of colour in every object: In the former, we should be all orators or poets, all philofophers, or all blockheads. This would break in upon that beautiful and useful variety, with which the Author of nature has adorned the rational as well as the material creation. There is in every mind a tendency, tho' perhaps differently inclined, to what is great and excellent. Happy they, who know their own peculiar bent, who have been bleffed with opportunities of giving

it the proper culture and polish, and are not cramped or restrained in the liberty of shewing and declaring it to others! There are many fortunate concurrences, without which we cannot attain to any quickness of taste or relish for the Sublime.

I hope what has been faid will not be thought an improper Introduction to the following Treatise, in which (unless I am deceived) there is a just foundation for every Remark that has been made. The author appears fublime in every view, not only in what he has written, but in the manner in which he acted, and the bravery with which he died; by all acknowledged the Prince of Critics, and by no worfe judge than Boileau esteemed a Philofopher, worthy to be ranked with Socrates

and Cato.

LONGINUS