of the fituation of his own mind in this particular, Virtue I love, fays he, without aufterity: Pleafure without effeminacy: And life without fearing its end*.

Who is not struck with any fignal inftance of GREATNESS of MIND or Dignity of Character; with elevation of fentiment, difdain of flavery, and with that noble pride and spirit, which arises from confcious virtue? The fublime, fays LONGINUS, is often nothing but the echo or image of magnanimity; and where this quality appears in any one, even though a fyllable be not uttered, it exites our applause and admiration; as may be observed of the famous filence of AJAX in the ODYSSEY, which expreffes more noble difdain and refolute indignation, than any language can convey t.

Were I ALEXANder, faid ParmENIO, I would accept of thefe offers made by DARIUS. So would I too, replied ALEXANDER, were I PARMENIO. This faying is admirable, fays LONGINUS, from a like principle ‡.

Go! cries the fame hero to his foldiers, when they refufed to follow him to the INDIES, go tell your countrymen, that you left ALEXANDER compleating the conqueft of the world. “Alexander," said the prince of CONDE, who always admired this paffage, "abandoned by his "foldiers, among Barbarians, not yet fully fubdued, felt "in himself fuch a dignity and right of empire, that he "could not believe it poffible, that any one would re"fufe to obey him. Whether in EUROPE or in ASIA, among GREEKS or PERSIANS, all was indifferent to "him: Wherever he found men, he fancied he should "find subjects."

"J'aime la vertu, fans rudeffe;

"J'aime le plaifir, fans moleffe ;

"J'aime la vie, & n'en crains point la fin." St. EVREMOND.

+ Cap. 9.

Idem.

The

The confident of MEDEA in the tragedy recommends caution and fubmiffion; and enumerating all the diftreffes of that unfortunate heroine, afks her, what he has to fupport her against her numerous and implacable enemies? Myfelf, replies the; Myfelf, I fay, and it is enough. BOILEAU justly recommends this paffage as an inftance of true fublime *

*.

When PHOCION, the modeft, the gentle PHOCION, was led to execution, he turned to one of his fellowfufferers, who was lamenting his own hard fate, Is it not glory enough for you, says he, that you die with PHOCION†?

Place in oppofition the picture, which TACITUS draws of VITELLIUS, fallen from empire, prolonging his ignominy from a wretched love of life, delivered over to the merciless rabble; toffed, buffeted, and kicked about; constrained, by their holding a poignard under his chin, to raise his head, and expofe himself to every contumely. What abject infamy! What low humiliation! Yet even here, fays the hiftorian, he discovered some symptoms of a mind not wholly degenerate. To a tribune, who infulted him, he replied, I am still your emperor t.

We never excufe the abfolute want of spirit and dignity of character, or a proper fenfe of what is due to one's felf, in fociety and the common intercourfe of life. This vice conftitutes what we properly call meanness; when a man can submit to the baseft slavery, in order to gain his ends; fawn upon those who abuse him; and degrade himfelf by intimacies and familiarities with undeferving inferiors. A certain degree of generous pride or felfvalue is fo requifite, that the abfence of it in the mind

*Reflection 10 fur Longin.

PLUTARCH in PнOC.

+ See NOTE [LL.]

difpleafes,

displeases, after the fame manner as the want of a nofe, eye, or any of the most material feature of the face or member of the body*.

The utility of COURAGE, both to the public and to the perfon poffeffed of it, is an obvious foundation of merit: But to any one who duly confiders of the matter, it will appear, that this quality has a peculiar luftre, which it derives wholly from itself, and from that noble ele vation infeparable from it. Its figure, drawn by painters and by poets, displays, in each feature, a fublimity and daring confidence; which catches the eye, engages the affections, and diffuses, by sympathy, a like sublimity of fentiment over every spectator.

Under what shining colours does DEMOSTHENESt reprefent PHILIP; where the orator apologizes for his own administration, and juftifies that pertinacious love of liberty, with which he had inspired the ATHENIANS. " I beheld PHILIP," fays he," he with whom was your " conteft, refolutely, while in pursuit of empire and do"minion, expofing himself to every wound; his eye "goared, his neck wrefted, his arm, his thigh pierced, "whatever part of his body fortune should feize on, that "cheerfully relinquishing; provided that, with what "remained, he might live in honour and renown. And "fhall it be faid, that he, born in PELLA, a place here"tofore mean and ignoble, fhould be infpired with fo "high an ambition and thirst of fame: While you, "ATHENIANS," &c. These praifes excite the most lively admiration; but the views prefented by the ora tor, carry us not, we fee, beyond the hero himself, nor ever regard the future advantageous confequences of his valour.

* See NOTE [MM.]

+ Pro corona.

The

qua

The martial temper of the ROMANS, inflamed by con tinual wars, had raised their efteem of courage so high, that, in their language, it was called virtue, by way of excellence and of diftinction from all other moral lities. The SUEVI, in the opinion of TACITUS*, dressed their hair with a laudable intent: Not for the purpofe of loving or being loved: They adorned themselves only for their enemies, and in order to appear more terrible. A fentiment of the hiftorian, which would found a little oddly in other nations and other ages.

The SCYTHIANS, according to HERODOTUS +, after fcalping their enemies, dressed the skin like leather, and used it as a towel; and whoever had the most of those towels were most esteemed among them. So much had martial bravery, in that nation, as well as in many others, destroyed the fentiments of humanity; a virtue furely much more useful and engaging.

It is indeed obfervable, that, among all uncultivated nations, who have not, as yet, had full experience of the advantages attending beneficence, juftice, and the focial virtues, courage is the predominant excellence; what is most celebrated by poets, recommended by parents and inftructors, and admired by the public in general. The ethics of HOMER are, in this particular, very different from those of FENELON, his elegant imitator; and fuch as were well suited to an age, when one hero, as remarked by THUCYDIDES †, could ask another, without offence, whether he were a robber or not. Such alfo, very lately, was the fyftem of ethics, which prevailed in many barbarous parts of IRELAND; if we

De moribus Germ.

+ Lib. iv.

+ Lib. i.

may

may credit SPENCER, in his judicious account of the ftate of that kingdom*.

Of the fame class of virtues with courage is that un difturbed philofophical TRANQUILLITY, fuperior to pain, forrow, anxiety, and each affault of adverse fortune. Conscious of his own virtue, fay the philofophers, the fage elevates himself above every accident of life; and fecurely placed in the temple of wisdom, looks down on inferior mortals, engaged in pursuit of honours, riches, reputation, and every frivolous enjoyment. These pretenfions, no doubt, when stretched to the utmost, are, by far, too magnificent for human nature. They carry, however, a grandeur with them, which feizes the spectator, and strikes him with admiration. And the nearer we can approach in practice to this fublime tranquillity and indifference (for we must diftinguish it from a ftupid infenfibility), the more fecure enjoyment shall we attain within ourselves, and the more greatnefs of mind shall we discover to the world. The philofophical tranquillity may, indeed, be confidered only as a branch of magnanimity.

Who admires not SOCRATES; his perpetual ferenity and contentment, amidst the greatest poverty and domestic vexations; his refolute contempt of riches, and his magnanimous care of preserving liberty, while he refused all affistance from his friends and disciples, and avoided even the dependence of an obligation? EPICTETUS had not fo much as a door to his little house or hovel; and there.

*It is a common ufe, fays he, amongst their gentlemen's fons, that, as foon as they are able to use their weapons, they strait gather to themfelves three or four ftragglers or kern, with whom wandering a while up and down idly the country, taking only meat, he at last falleth into fome bad occafion, that shall be offered; which being once made known, he is thenceforth counted a man of worth, in whom there is courage.

VOL. II.

X

fore