C

He publish'd many Books both in Philosophy and Criticism; all which, thro the Injury of Time, have perished, except a few Fragments and this small Treatise of the SUBLIME, or as One truly calls it, Libellus reverà aureolus de Grandiloquentiâ, which we have now before us, and which has always been so justly esteem'd, by all good Judges, the greatest Master-piece in Criticism that ever was wrote.

I intend, SIR, to send you the reft at proper Opportunities, if, upon a repeated Perusal, I like 'em myself, and find 'em not troublefome to you. Till when I beg leave to fubscribe myself, SIR,

OBS. III. C

Your most obedient humble Servant,

T

J. H.

ANNOTATIONS.
HE Books Liter de Fine. 11: An Epistle-
LONGINUS against Amelius. 12. Concerning
Justice according to Plato. 13.
On the Rhetoric of Hermogenes.
14. Concerning Ideas. 15. Pra-
lections to Hephæstion's Manual.
16. A Confutation of the Stoics
Doctrine of the Soul. These are
conjectur'd from the Fragments.
17. On the Sublime. 18. On
the Composition of Words. 19.
On the Paffions. 20. A Tract
concerning Xenophon. The three

1

I

SIR,

LETTER II.

Holt, Jan. 4.

N hopes my last did not interfere too much with your severer Studies, I proceed to my

second Epistle, which begins the Treatise itself

•MEMORABILIA

EX

LONGINI πεί Ὕψες LIBELLO

EXCERPТА.

LONGINUS ONGINUS in his First SECTION, after having shewn CECILIUS's Trea

d

tise on the Sublime to be imperfect both in Stile and Subject, describes SUBLIMITY thus

̓Ακρότης κὶ Ἐξοχή τις Λόγων ἐςὶ τὰ Ψψη.

Sublimity is the very Height and Excellency of good Writings. And declares to his Friend POSTHUMUS TERENTIANUS, that this is the only Virtue whereby the greatest Writers in all Ages have attained to their Height of Reputation and Immortality.

ΑΝΝΟΤATION S.

OBS. IV. d THIS CECILI
US, thought
to be the first that ever wrote
of the Sublime, was a Sicilian

Orator, in the Time of Angustus
Cafar, and an Acquaintance of
Dionyfius Halicarnaffæus.

As for RHETORIC, or the meer Art of Perfuafion, says he, it can have no more Influence over us than we please to let it; but it is not so with the SUBLIME, whose Force is irresistible, ever conquering and filling the Mind with Extasy and Admiration. He adds further- The Excellency of INVENTION or DISPOSITION is scarcely difcernible in one or two Passages of any Production, nor sometimes in the whole Contexture; but as for the e SUBLIME, no sooner doth it properly appear in an Author, but it captivates our Understandings, forces our Approbation, and like Lightening has, as it were already, driven all Objections before it, and at one Stroke discover'd the Orator's whole Power and Strength.

In SECTION II. our Author proceeding to inquire, Whether this SUBLIMITY be an

ANNOΤΑΤΙΟNS.

OBS. V. c MR. Pearce observes, that Longinus in this Treatise uses, as Synonymous Terms, for The Sublime or Sublimity, τὸ ύψ, τὰ ὕψη, τὰ ὑπερφυᾶ, τα μεγάλα, τὸ ὑπερτελαμένον, τὰ μεγέθη, τὸ μεγαλοφυές, τὸ θαυμάσιον, ὁ ὄγκα, τὸ βαθα, τὰ διημένα, &c. What's beyond Sublime, he calls μετεωρὰ, παρὰ τραγῳδα, &c. The same Gentleman likewise further remarks, that our Critic's Diction is as fublime as his Precepts, and gives us an Instance here; An ordinary Writer, says he, would languidly have said διαφερεῖ & ἐνδείκνυται, it drives away and discovers,

but Longinus uses the Time paft
διεφόρησεν & ἐνεδείξαλο, it hath
driven away and discover'd, in-
timating with what Celerity and
Force Sublimity like Lightning
(which while present we can't
say we fee, but when past soon
perceive it by its Effects) strikes
the Mind of the Auditor. Be-
fides, the Structure and rapid
Sound of the very Words feem
to give us a lively Picture both
of Lightning and Sublimity. Try
to pronounce them r
dὲ σε καιρίως ἐξενεχθὲν τα
τε πράγματα δίκην σκηπλε
πάντα διεφόρησεν, κὶ τὴν το
ῥήτορα ευθὺς ἀθρόαν ἐνεδείξα
αλο δύναμιν.

Effect

Effect of Art or Nature, He contradicts such as affert

Μία Τέχνη πρὸς αὐτὰ, τὸ πεφυκέναι,

The only Art to attain it is to be born to it. - Or

That the Force of Genius or meer Strength of Natural Parts produces it; and that Learning is so far from contributing any thing thereto, that by it's Precepts and Rules it rather cramps and hinders it.

He owns, that in all Productions, Nature ought to act freely and unconfin'd; however, not fo headlong or irrational, as to be subject to no Laws of Method. He confesses indeed the Force of Genius to be the Foundation and primogenial Principle of all that can be call'd SUBLIME; but then, that the Knowing in what Manner, Time and Place, for what End, and under what Restrictions it ought to be us'd, is solely owing to Art and Method. That Natural Abilities frequently want Ballast as well as Sail, a Bridle as well as a Spur. And that what DEMOSTHENES said of Common Life holds good in Stile, viz. That a Competency was the greatest Blessing; but that the next, and what was scarcely inferior to it, was the Prudent Skill to manage it, which if wanting, the other would be but of little Service or Significancy. In Stile, hints LONGINUS, call Genius that Competency, and Art that Prudence.

In

In SECTION III. f the Beginning of which is loft, he goes on to shew, that this SUBLIMITY consists not in

I. AN EMPTY SWELLING OF WORDS, such as ÆSCHYLUS puts into Boreas's Mouth, at firing an House, viz.

Whirlpools of Flames tow'rds Heav'n I vomit foon, Nor bad 1 whistled yet my Favrite Tune. Magnificently terrible at first Sight; but do but bring Whirlpools of Flames, Vomiting towards Heaven, and the Whistler Boreas, to the Test of Sense and Truth, And what vile fwoln frivolous contemptible Bombaft will these Images appear! Now, says he, if Tragedy, which is in it's Nature grand and lofty, will • not admit of this, who can forbear laughing to hear the Historian & GORGIAS LEONTINUS