smoothness." And yet, at the same time, he very justly observes, "The
end of playing, both at the first and now, is to hold, as it were, the
mirror up to nature." No one can deny but that violent passions will
naturally emit harsh and disagreeable tones; yet this great poet and
critic thought that this imitation of nature would cost too much, if
purchased at the expense of disagreeable sensations, or, as he expresses
it, of "splitting the ear." The poet and actor, as well as the painter
of genius who is well acquainted with all the variety and sources of
pleasure in the mind and imagination, has little regard or attention to
common nature, or creeping after common sense. By overleaping those
narrow bounds, he more effectually seizes the whole mind, and more
powerfully accomplishes his purpose. This success is ignorantly imagined
to proceed from inattention to all rules, and in defiance of reason and
judgment; whereas it is in truth acting according to the best rules, and
the justest reason.

He who thinks nature, in the narrow sense of the word, is alone to be
followed, will produce but a scanty entertainment for the imagination:
everything is to be done with which it is natural for the mind to be
pleased, whether it proceeds from simplicity or variety, uniformity or
irregularity: whether the scenes are familiar or exotic; rude and wild,
or enriched and cultivated; for it is natural for the mind to be pleased
with all these in their turn. In short, whatever pleases has in it what
is analogous to the mind, and is therefore, in the highest and best sense
of the word, natural.

It is this sense of nature or truth which ought more particularly to be
cultivated by the professors of art; and it may be observed that many
wise and learned men, who have accustomed their minds to admit nothing
for truth but what can be proved by mathematical demonstration, have