OfthePassionswhichtaketheiroriginfromthebody1。Itisindecenttoexpressanystrongdegreeofthosepassionswhicharisefromacertainsituationordispositionofthebody;becausethecompany,notbeinginthesamedisposition,cannotbeexpectedtosympathizewiththem。Violenthunger,forexample,thoughuponmanyoccasionsnotonlynatural,butunavoidable,isalwaysindecent,andtoeatvoraciouslyisuniversallyregardedasapieceofillmanners。Thereis,however,somedegreeofsympathy,evenwithhunger。Itisagreeabletoseeourcompanionseatwithagoodappetite,andallexpressionsofloathingareoffensive。Thedispositionofbodywhichishabitualtoamaninhealth,makeshisstomacheasilykeeptime,ifImaybeallowedsocoarseanexpression,withtheone,andnotwiththeother。Wecansympathizewiththedistressitinthewhichexcessivehungeroccasionswhenwereadthedescriptionofjournalofasiege,orofaseavoyage。Weimagineourselvesinthesituationofthesufferers,andthencereadilyconceivethegrief,thefearandconsternation,whichmustnecessarilydistractthem。Wefeel,ourselves,somedegreeofthosepassions,andthereforesympathizewiththem:butaswedonotgrowhungrybyreadingthedescription,wecannotproperly,eveninthiscase,besaidtosympathizewiththeirhunger。
ItisthesamecasewiththepassionbywhichNatureunitesthetwosexes。Thoughnaturallythemostfuriousofallthepassions,allstrongexpressionsofitareuponeveryoccasionindecent,evenbetweenpersonsinwhomitsmostcompleteindulgenceisacknowledgedbyalllaws,bothhumananddivine,tobeperfectlyinnocent。Thereseems,however,tobesomedegreeofsympathyevenwiththispassion。Totalktoawomanaswewouldtoamanisimproper:itisexpectedthattheircompanyshouldinspireuswithmoregaiety,morepleasantry,andmoreattention;
andanintireinsensibilitytothefairsex,rendersamancontemptibleinsomemeasureeventothemen。
Suchisouraversionforalltheappetiteswhichtaketheiroriginfromthebody:allstrongexpressionsofthemareloathsomeanddisagreeable。Accordingtosomeancientphilosophers,thesearethepassionswhichweshareincommonwiththebrutes,andwhichhavingnoconnexionwiththecharacteristicalqualitiesofhumannature,areuponthataccountbeneathitsdignity。Buttherearemanyotherpassionswhichweshareincommonwiththebrutes,suchasresentment,naturalaffection,evengratitude,whichdonot,uponthataccount,appeartobesobrutal。Thetruecauseofthepeculiardisgustwhichweconceivefortheappetitesofthebodywhenweseetheminothermen,isthatwecannotenterintothem。Tothepersonhimselfwhofeelsthem,assoonastheyaregratified,theobjectthatexcitedthemceasestobeagreeable:evenitspresenceoftenbecomesoffensivetohim;helooksroundtonopurposeforthecharmwhichtransportedhimthemomentbefore,andhecannowaslittleenterintohisownpassionasanotherperson。Whenwehavedined,weorderthecoverstoberemoved;andweshouldtreatinthesamemannertheobjectsofthemostardentandpassionatedesires,iftheyweretheobjectsofnootherpassionsbutthosewhichtaketheiroriginfromthebody。
Inthecommandofthoseappetitesofthebodyconsiststhatvirtuewhichisproperlycalledtemperance。Torestrainthemwithinthosebounds,whichregardtohealthandfortuneprescribes,isthepartofprudence。Buttoconfinethemwithinthoselimits,whichgrace,whichpropriety,whichdelicacy,andmodestyrequire,istheofficeoftemperance。
2。Itisforthesamereasonthattocryoutwithbodilypain,howintolerablesoever,appearsalwaysunmanlyandunbecoming。Thereis,however,agooddealofsympathyevenwithbodilypain。If,ashasalreadybeenobserved,Iseeastrokeaimed,andjustreadytofallupontheleg,orarm,ofanotherperson,Inaturallyshrinkanddrawbackmyownleg,ormyownarm:andwhenitdoesfall,Ifeelitinsomemeasure,andamhurtbyitaswellasthesufferer。Myhurt,however,is,nodoubt,excessivelyslight,and,uponthataccount,ifhemakesanyviolentout-cry,asIcannotgoalongwithhim,Ineverfailtodespisehim。Andthisisthecaseofallthepassionswhichtaketheiroriginfromthebody:theyexciteeithernosympathyatall,orsuchadegreeofit,asisaltogetherdisproportionedtotheviolenceofwhatisfeltbythesufferer。
Itisquiteotherwisewiththosepassionswhichtaketheiroriginfromtheimagination。Theframeofmybodycanbebutlittleaffectedbythealterationswhicharebroughtaboutuponthatofmycompanion:butmyimaginationismoreductile,andmorereadilyassumes,ifImaysayso,theshapeandconfigurationoftheimaginationsofthosewithwhomIamfamiliar。Adisappointmentinlove,orambition,will,uponthisaccount,callforthmoresympathythanthegreatestbodilyevil。
Thosepassionsarisealtogetherfromtheimagination。Thepersonwhohaslosthiswholefortune,ifheisinhealth,feelsnothinginhisbody。Whathesuffersisfromtheimaginationonly,whichrepresentstohimthelossofhisdignity,neglectfromhisfriends,contemptfromhisenemies,dependance,want,andmisery,comingfastuponhim;andwesympathizewithhimmorestronglyuponthisaccount,becauseourimaginationscanmorereadilymouldthemselvesuponhisimagination,thanourbodiescanmouldthemselvesuponhisbody。
Thelossofalegmaygenerallyberegardedasamorerealcalamitythanthelossofamistress。Itwouldbearidiculoustragedy,however,ofwhichthecatastrophewastoturnuponalossofthatkind。Amisfortuneoftheotherkind,howfrivoloussoeveritmayappeartobe,hasgivenoccasiontomanyafineone。
Nothingissosoonforgotaspain。Themomentitisgonethewholeagonyofitisover,andthethoughtofitcannolongergiveusanysortofdisturbance。Weourselvescannotthenenterintotheanxietyandanguishwhichwehadbeforeconceived。Anunguardedwordfromafriendwilloccasionamoredurableuneasiness。Theagonywhichthiscreatesisbynomeansoverwiththeword。Whatatfirstdisturbsusisnottheobjectofthesenses,buttheideaoftheimagination。Asitisanidea,therefore,whichoccasionsouruneasiness,tilltimeandotheraccidentshaveinsomemeasureeffaceditfromourmemory,theimaginationcontinuestofretandranklewithin,fromthethoughtofit。
Painnevercallsforthanyverylivelysympathyunlessitisaccompaniedwithdanger。Wesympathizewiththefear,thoughnotwiththeagonyofthesufferer。Fear,however,isapassionderivedaltogetherfromtheimagination,whichrepresents,withanuncertaintyandfluctuationthatincreasesouranxiety,notwhatwereallyfeel,butwhatwemayhereafterpossiblysuffer。
Thegoutorthetooth-ach,thoughexquisitelypainful,exciteverylittlesympathy;moredangerousdiseases,thoughaccompaniedwithverylittlepain,excitethehighest。
Somepeoplefaintandgrowsickatthesightofachirurgicaloperation,andthatbodilypainwhichisoccasionedbytearingtheflesh,seems,inthem,toexcitethemostexcessivesympathy。
Weconceiveinamuchmorelivelyanddistinctmannerthepainwhichproceedsfromanexternalcause,thanwedothatwhicharisesfromaninternaldisorder。Icanscarceformanideaoftheagoniesofmyneighbourwhenheistorturedwiththegout,orthestone;butIhavetheclearestconceptionofwhathemustsufferfromanincision,awound,orafracture。Thechiefcause,however,whysuchobjectsproducesuchviolenteffectsuponus,istheirnovelty。Onewhohasbeenwitnesstoadozendissections,andasmanyamputations,sees,everafter,alloperationsofthiskindwithgreatindifference,andoftenwithperfectinsensibility。Thoughwehavereadorseenrepresentedmorethanfivehundredtragedies,weshallseldomfeelsoentireanabatementofoursensibilitytotheobjectswhichtheyrepresenttous。
InsomeoftheGreektragediesthereisanattempttoexcitecompassion,bytherepresentationoftheagoniesofbodilypain。
Philoctetescriesoutandfaintsfromtheextremityofhissufferings。HippolytusandHerculesarebothintroducedasexpiringundertheseveresttortures,which,itseems,eventhefortitudeofHerculeswasincapableofsupporting。Inallthesecases,however,itisnotthepainwhichinterestsus,butsomeothercircumstances。Itisnotthesorefoot,butthesolitude,ofPhilocteteswhichaffectsus,anddiffusesoverthatcharmingtragedy,thatromanticwildness,whichissoagreeabletotheimagination。TheagoniesofHerculesandHippolytusareinterestingonlybecauseweforeseethatdeathistobetheconsequence。Ifthoseheroesweretorecover,weshouldthinktherepresentationoftheirsufferingsperfectlyridiculous。Whatatragedywouldthatbeofwhichthedistressconsistedinacolic。
Yetnopainismoreexquisite。Theseattemptstoexcitecompassionbytherepresentationofbodilypain,mayberegardedasamongthegreatestbreachesofdecorumofwhichtheGreektheatrehassettheexample。
Thelittlesympathywhichwefeelwithbodilypainisthefoundationoftheproprietyofconstancyandpatienceinenduringit。Theman,whoundertheseveresttorturesallowsnoweaknesstoescapehim,ventsnogroan,giveswaytonopassionwhichwedonotentirelyenterinto,commandsourhighestadmiration。Hisfirmnessenableshimtokeeptimewithourindifferenceandinsensibility。Weadmireandentirelygoalongwiththemagnanimouseffortwhichhemakesforthispurpose。Weapproveofhisbehaviour,andfromourexperienceofthecommonweaknessofhumannature,wearesurprised,andwonderhowheshouldbeabletoactsoastodeserveapprobation。Approbation,mixedandanimatedbywonderandsurprise,constitutesthesentimentwhichisproperlycalledadmiration,ofwhich,applauseisthenaturalexpression,ashasalreadybeenobserved。
OfthosePassionswhichtaketheiroriginfromaparticularturnorhabitoftheImaginationEvenofthepassionsderivedfromtheimagination,thosewhichtaketheiroriginfromapeculiarturnorhabitithasacquired,thoughtheymaybeacknowledgedtobeperfectlynatural,are,however,butlittlesympathizedwith。Theimaginationsofmankind,nothavingacquiredthatparticularturn,cannotenterintothem;andsuchpassions,thoughtheymaybeallowedtobealmostunavoidableinsomepartoflife,arealways,insomemeasure,ridiculous。Thisisthecasewiththatstrongattachmentwhichnaturallygrowsupbetweentwopersonsofdifferentsexes,whohavelongfixedtheirthoughtsupononeanother。Ourimaginationnothavingruninthesamechannelwiththatofthelover,wecannotenterintotheeagernessofhisemotions。Ifourfriendhasbeeninjured,wereadilysympathizewithhisresentment,andgrowangrywiththeverypersonwithwhomheisangry。Ifhehasreceivedabenefit,wereadilyenterintohisgratitude,andhaveaveryhighsenseofthemeritofhisbenefactor。Butifheisinlove,thoughwemaythinkhispassionjustasreasonableasanyofthekind,yetweneverthinkourselvesboundtoconceiveapassionofthesamekind,andforthesamepersonforwhomhehasconceivedit。Thepassionappearstoeverybody,butthemanwhofeelsit,entirelydisproportionedtothevalueoftheobject;andlove,thoughitispardonedinacertainagebecauseweknowitisnatural,isalwayslaughedat,becausewecannotenterintoit。Allseriousandstrongexpressionsofitappearridiculoustoathirdperson;andthoughalovermaybegoodcompanytohismistress,heissotonobodyelse。Hehimselfissensibleofthis;andaslongashecontinuesinhissobersenses,endeavourstotreathisownpassionwithrailleryandridicule。Itistheonlystyleinwhichwecaretohearofit;becauseitistheonlystyleinwhichweourselvesaredisposedtotalkofit。Wegrowwearyofthegrave,pedantic,andlong-sentencedloveofCowleyandPetrarca,whoneverhavedonewithexaggeratingtheviolenceoftheirattachments;butthegaietyofOvid,andthegallantryofHorace,arealwaysagreeable。