He then gives an analysis of the peculiar exercise of the imagination.There is, in all cases, the indulgence of a train of thought.But then, every train of thought does not raise emotions of beauty; and so he investigates the nature of those trains of thought that are produced by object, of sublimity and beauty, and their difference from those ordinary trains which are unaccompanied with such pleasure.
This difference consists in two things: first, in the nature of the ideas or conceptions which compose such trains; and, secondly, in the nature of the law of their succession.Some ideas are fitted to raise emotions: these he calls " ideas of emotions; " and the train of thought which produces beauty is in all cases composed of ideas capable of exciting some affection or emotion." Thus, the ideas suggested by the scenery of spring are ideas productive of emotions of cheerfulness, of gladness, and of tenderness.The images suggested by the prospect of ruins are images belonging to pity, to melancholy, to admiration.The ideas in the same manner awakened by the view of the ocean in a storm are ideas of power, of majesty, and of terror.But farther the {311} ideas themselves must have some general principle of connection, subsisting through the whole extent of the train, giving them a certain and definite character, and a conformity to that peculiar emotion which first excited them.It appears, that " in every operation of taste, there are thus two different faculties employed; viz., some affection or emotion raised, and the imagination excited to a train of thought corresponding to this emotion.The peculiar pleasure which attends and which constitutes the emotions of taste, may naturally be considered as composed of the pleasures which separately attend the exercise of those faculties, or, in other words, as produced by the union of pleasing emotion with the pleasure which by the constitution of our nature is annexed to the exercise of the imagination." Our consciousness testifies that there is truth and very important truth in all this.Every form of beauty in nature and art, music for instance, raises a train of ideas which are accompanied with emotions all of a certain kind.While he has brought before us a body of facts, it may be doubted whether he has seen himself, or exposed to the view of others, the whole of the mental phenomena.The question arises, What starts the train? and a farther question follows, What gives the unity and harmony to the train? An answer to these questions, or rather to this question, -- for the questions are one, -- may disclose to our view an objective beauty and sublimity very much overlooked by Alison, and the supporters of the association theory.
(2) It is proper to state that Alison does speak in the second and longest essay of the beauty and sublimity of the material world.He treats of the beauty of sound, color, form, motion, and of the human countenance and form.He says matter in itself is unfitted to produce any kind of emotion, and can raise an emotion of beauty only by an association with other qualities, and "as being either the signs or expressions of such qualities as are fitted by the constitution of our nature to produce emotion." To those who consider sounds simply as sounds they have no beauty.There is surely an oversight here: for music has in itself a beauty which can be mathematically expressed; but then the feeling of beauty is prolonged and intensified by the train of emotional ideas which is set a going.Alison traces the associations raised by sounds.The sublimity of thunder is founded on awe and some degree of {312} terror.Sounds arc no longer sublime when they do not awaken such feelings.
"There is nothing more common than for people who are afraid of thunder to mistake some very common and indifferent sound for it; as, the rumbling of a cart, or the rattling of a carriage.While their mistake continues, they feel the sound as sublime: the moment they are undeceived, they are the first to laugh at their terror and to ridicule the sound which occasioned it.Children, at first, are as much alarmed at the thunder of the stage as at real thunder.Whenever they find that it is only a deception, they amuse themselves by mimicking it." He represents the real power of music as consisting in its imitation of those signs of emotion or passion which take place in the human voice.
In respect of colors, he holds that they are not beautiful, except as " expressive to us of pleasing or interesting qualities." He is successful in showing that there is a beauty of color arising from association of color, as in dress for instance: but science announces that there is a harmony of colors, as of complementary colors, that is, of colors making up the white beam, which is beautiful physiologically.He maintains that "the beauty of forms arises altogether from the associations we connect with them," or the qualities of which they are expressive to us.Sublimity of forms arises from their suggesting ideas of danger or power, or from their magnitude.Among natural objects, angular forms are associated with hardness, strength, or durability, suggesting force; and winding forms, with freewill, fineness, delicacy, ease.He labors to prove that proportion, as in architecture, is felt to be beautiful, because expressive of fitness.Aesthetic science maintains in opposition that there are certain proportions in length and composition which to our eye have a beauty in themselves.As to motion, it is felt to be beautiful, because associated with power.Rapid motion in a straight line is simply expressive of great power.Slow motion in curves is expressive of gentle power, united with ease, freedom, and playfulness.
