Beauty in woman: analysed and classified : with a critical view of the hypotheses of the most eminent writers, painters, and sculptors / by Alexander Walker.

  • Alexander Walker
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Beauty in woman: analysed and classified : with a critical view of the hypotheses of the most eminent writers, painters, and sculptors / by Alexander Walker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    142/396 (page 136)
    A more monstrous doctrine than this was never, perhaps, enunciated. A very little analysis will expose its fallacy. In relation to events of this kind, there are three very distinct cases—real occurrence, subsequent in- spection or historical narration, and dramatic re- presentation; in each, the affection of the mind is very different; and nearly all the errors on this subject seem to have occurred from confounding them. Burke has done this in the greatest degree. The real occurrence of unmerited suffering is beheld with no delight, but with unmixed pain, by every well constituted mind. Hume, ^ therefore, justly observes, that ‘‘the same object of distress, which pleases in a tragedy, were it really set before us, would give the most unfeigned uneasiness.” It is only by confounding this with the next case, of subsequent inspection or historical narration, that Burke gets into error here. “We do not,” says Burke, “ sufficiently distinguish what we would by no means choose to do [or to see done—he should have added] from what we should be eager enough to see if it was once done. We delight in seeing things [after they are done—he should have added], which so far from doing, our heartiest wishes would be to see redressed.” That the additions I have made, more truly state the case, seems as evident, as it is, that they afford a very different conclusion from Burke’s, of our beholding unmerited suffering with delight. But he himself proves this by the very instance which he gives in illustration of his doctrine. “ This noble capital,” he says, “ the pride of ^ Essay on Tragedy.