DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48954#0143
Part IV. EMOTIONS AND PASSIONS. 127
angry and satisfied, proud and humble : diffimilar
emotions may succeed each other with rapidity,
but they cannot exist simultaneoussy.
Between these two extremes, emotions unite
more or less , in proportion to the degree of their
resemblance, and the degree in which their causes
are conneded. Thus the emotions producedby a
sine landscape and the singing of birds, being simi-
lar in a considerabie degree , readily unite , though
their causes are little conneded. And the same
happens where the causes are intimately conned-
ed, though the emotions themselves have little resem-
blance to each other : an example of which is a
mistress in distress, whose beauty gives pleasure,
and her distress pain : these two emotions,proceed-
ing from different views of the objed, have very
little resemblance to each other ; and yet so inti-
mately conneded are their causes , as to force them
into a sort of complex emotion , partly pleasant
partly painful. This clearly explains some expres-
sions common in poetry, a Jwect diftrefs, a plea-'
Jant pain.
It was necessary to describe, with some accura-
cy, in what manner similar and dissimilar emotions
coexist in the mind, in order to explain their dif-
ferent effeds, both internal and external. This
subjed, though obseure, is capable to be setin a clear
light; andit merits attention , not only for its ex-
tensiveusein criticism, but for the nobler purpose
of deciphering may intricacies in the adions of
angry and satisfied, proud and humble : diffimilar
emotions may succeed each other with rapidity,
but they cannot exist simultaneoussy.
Between these two extremes, emotions unite
more or less , in proportion to the degree of their
resemblance, and the degree in which their causes
are conneded. Thus the emotions producedby a
sine landscape and the singing of birds, being simi-
lar in a considerabie degree , readily unite , though
their causes are little conneded. And the same
happens where the causes are intimately conned-
ed, though the emotions themselves have little resem-
blance to each other : an example of which is a
mistress in distress, whose beauty gives pleasure,
and her distress pain : these two emotions,proceed-
ing from different views of the objed, have very
little resemblance to each other ; and yet so inti-
mately conneded are their causes , as to force them
into a sort of complex emotion , partly pleasant
partly painful. This clearly explains some expres-
sions common in poetry, a Jwect diftrefs, a plea-'
Jant pain.
It was necessary to describe, with some accura-
cy, in what manner similar and dissimilar emotions
coexist in the mind, in order to explain their dif-
ferent effeds, both internal and external. This
subjed, though obseure, is capable to be setin a clear
light; andit merits attention , not only for its ex-
tensiveusein criticism, but for the nobler purpose
of deciphering may intricacies in the adions of