writer gives 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 ftruck with any fignal instance of Greatness of Mind or Dignity of Character; with elevation of fentiment, difdain of flavery, and with that noble pride and fpirit, which arifes 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 excites our applause and admiration; as may be obferved of the famous filence of Ajax in the Odyffey, which expreffes more noble difdain and refolute indignation, than any language can convey †.

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 refused to follow him to the Indies, go tell your countrymen, that you left Alexander compleating the conqueft of the world. "Alexander," faid the Prince of Condé, who always admired this paffage," abandoned by his foldiers, among Barba"rians, not yet fully fubdued, felt in himself fuch

a dignity and right of empire, that he could not "believe it pofiible, that any one would refuse to obey him. Whether in Europe or in Afia, among Greeks or Perfians, all was indifferent to "him: Wherever he found men, he fancied he "fhould find fubjects."

The confident of Medea in the tragedy recom→ mends caution and fubmiffion; and enumerating all the diftreffes of that unfortunate heroine, asks her, what she has to fupport her against her numerous and implacable enemies, Myself, replies fhe; Myself, 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 fellow-fufferers, who was lamenting his own had fate. Is it not glory enough for you, fays 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; conftrained, by their holding a poniard 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 ‡.

We never excuse the abfolute want of spirit and dignity of character, or a proper sense 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 fubmit to the basest flavery, in order to gain his ends; fawn upon those who abufe him; and degrade himself by intimacies and familiarities with undeferving inferiors. A certain degree of generous pride or selfvalue is fo requifite, that the abfence of it in the mind difpleafes, after the fame manner as the

want

+ PLUTARCH in PHOс.

Reflection 10 fur Longin.
See NOTE [LL]

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 lufte, which it derives wholly from itself, and from that noble elevation inseparable from it. Its figure, drawn by painters and by poets, difplays, in each feature, a fublimity and daring confidence; which catches the eye, engages the affections, and diffuses, by fympathy, a like fublimity of fentiment over every spec

tator.

Under what fhining colours does Demofthenes t reprefent Philip; where the orator apologizes for his own adminiftration, and juftifies that pertinacious love of liberty, with which he had infpired the Athenians. "I beheld Philip," fays he," he "with whom was your conteft, refolutely, while "in pursuit of empire and dominion, expofing "himself to every wound; his eye goared, his "neck wrefted, his arm, his thigh pierced, what"ever part of his body fortune fhould feize on, that "cheerfully relinquishing; provided that, with "what remained, he might live in honour and «Ε renown. And fhall it be faid, that he, born "in Pella, a place heretofore mean and ignoble, "fhould be infpired with fo high an ambition " and thirst of fame: While you, Athenians, "&c." Thefe praises excite the most lively admiration; but the views prefented by the orator, carry us not, we fee, beyond the hero himfelf, nor ever regard the future advantageous confequences of his valour.

The martial temper of the Romans, inflamed by continual wars, had raised their efteem of courage

* See NOTE [MM].

† Pro corona.

courage fo high, that, in their language, it was called virtue, by way of excellence and of diftinction from all other moral qualities. The Suevi, in the opinion of Tacitus †, dreffed their hair with a laudable intent: Not for the purpose 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, dreffed their skin like leather, and used it as a towel; and whoever had the most of those towels was most esteemed among them. So much had martial bravery, in that nation, as well as in many others, deftroyed the fentiments of humanity; a virtue furely much more ufeful 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 moft 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 thofe of Fenelon, his elegant imitator; and fuch as were well fuited 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 may credit Spencer, in his judicious account of the state of that kingdom §.

Of

† De moribus Germ.

Lib. iv.

|| Lib. i.

§ It is a common use, fays he, amongst their gentlemen's fons,

that,

Of the fame clafs of virtues with courage is that undisturbed philofophical Tranquillity, fuperior to pain, forrow, anxiety, and each affault of adverfe fortune. Confcious of his own virtue, fay the philofophers, the fage elevates himfelf above every accident of life; and fecurely placed in the temple of wifdom, looks down on inferior mortals, engaged in pursuit of honours, riches, reputation, and every frivolous enjoyment. These pretenfions, no doubt, when ftretched to the utmoft, are, by far, too magnificent for human nature. They carry, however, a grandeur with them, which feizes the fpectator, 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 fhall we attain within ourselves, and the more greatness of mind fhall we difcover to the world. The philofophical tranquillity may, indeed, be confidered only as a branch of magnanimity.

Who admires not Socrates; his perpetual fe renity and contentment, amidst the greateft poverty and domeftic vexations; his refolute contempt of riches, and his magnanimous care of preferving liberty, while he refufed all affiftance from his friends and difciples, and avoided even the dependence of an obligation? Epictetus had not fo much as a door to his little houfe or hovel; and therefore, foon loft his iron lamp, the only furniture which he had worth taking. But VOL. II. refolving

X

that, as foon as they are able to use their weapons, they strait gather to themselves three or four ftraggles 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 fhall be offered; which being once made known, he is thenceforth counted a man of worth, in whom there is courage.

.