cost too much, if purchased at the expense of disagreeable

sensations, or, as he expresses it, of "splitting the ear." The

poet and actor, as well as the painter of genius who is well

acquainted with all the variety and sources of pleasure in the mind

and imagination, has little regard or attention to common nature,

or creeping after common sense. By overleaping those narrow

bounds, he more effectually seizes the whole mind, and more

powerfully accomplishes his purpose. This success is ignorantly

imagined to proceed from inattention to all rules, and in defiance

of reason and judgment; whereas it is in truth acting according to

the best rules, and the justest reason.

He who thinks nature, in the narrow sense of the word, is alone to

be followed, will produce but a scanty entertainment for the

imagination: everything is to be done with which it is natural for

the mind to be pleased, whether it proceeds from simplicity or

variety, uniformity or irregularity: whether the scenes are

familiar or exotic; rude and wild, or enriched and cultivated; for

it is natural for the mind to be pleased with all these in their

turn. In short, whatever pleases has in it what is analogous to

the mind, and is therefore, in the highest and best sense of the

word, natural.

It is this sense of nature or truth which ought more particularly

to be cultivated by the professors of art; and it may be observed

that many wise and learned men, who have accustomed their minds to

admit nothing for truth but what can be proved by mathematical

demonstration, have seldom any relish for those arts which address

themselves to the fancy, the rectitude and truth of which is known

by another kind of proof: and we may add that the acquisition of

this knowledge requires as much circumspection and sagacity, as to

attain those truths which are more open to demonstration. Reason

must ultimately determine our choice on every occasion; but this

reason may still be exerted ineffectually by applying to taste