Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-08-16
A Fragment from Montssqiiea.
Or EcsTaAs7s.

painters and sCuptors should preserve a
symmetry in the parts of their figures, she
requires too uthe other hand, that they
shoold make acontrast in their attitudes.
One foot set ike the other one member
placed Just like the other, are insupporta-,
b;s, tl- reason of which is, that this SYM
metry makes the attitudes always alike, as
we sec 10 the Gothic, which are by that
M cans all alike. Thus there remains no
longer any varieties in the productions OF
arr. Morcovernature has not so formed Us
she has given us motion, she has not fixed
us In our acrions and our manners like pa
COOS and if men thus bound up and con.
strained are insupportablc, what must such
productions of art be-!
The attitudes then must be contrasted,
especially in works of sculpture, which
from its natural eoldness admits OF no FIRE
by force of contrast and situation.
But as have said that the variety which
they have endeayored to put into the CO.
THE, has given II an uniformity, so It of
ten happens, that the variety which they
3 have, endeaversd at by means of the con.
trsst, is become a symmetry and VICIOUS
upiformity.t
This IS perceivable not only in certain
works of sculpture and painting; but also
IN the style of some writers, who IN every
phrase contrasts the beginning with the end
bv continual antithesis. sucha as St. Au-
gustine and other of the latter Roman wri-
ters :--and some modern as Saint Evre-
mont.
The turn of phrase always the same, &
always uniform, is extremely displeaslng.
This perpetual contrast becomes symme.
try. and that effected opposition becomes
uniformity.
The mind finds so little variety there
that whenyou have seen one part OF the
phrase, you always guess the other; you
see words that are opposed to one another,
but opposed in the same manner you see
turn in the phrase, but it is always the
same.
Many painters have fallen into the fault
of making contrasts every where, and with
Que art so that when you see one figure you
guess Immediately at the disposition OF
the one that is near it. This Continual d.
versity becamessomething like 1t: whereas
nature, who throws things into disorder,
never shews any ahectation of continued
contrast not to say that she does not put
ali bodies In motion, and IN a forced mos.
tion too, she is more varied than that; she
leaves some at rest and gives others differ.
ent sorts of motion,
Of the pleasures Of sufbrize.
That disposition of the soul which al.
ways inclines her to different objects
makes her taste all the pleasures that come
from surpfize: which is sensation pleas
ing to the soul, both from the view itself,
and from the qulckness of the action; for
she feels or. sees thing that she did
not expect, or in manner she did not
expect.
A thing may surprise US not only as it IS
marvellous, but also as new, and even
unexpected. And in this last case the
principal sentiment is Joined to an access
AIRY sentiment, founded on the things be-
ing new or unexpected.
It from hence that the, game of hazard
effects US; it lets US see { continual sue.
cession of unexpected evests.
1t is from hence too, that theatrical
pieces please US; they shew themselves by
degrees, they conceal events till they hap.
pen; always preparing for US new cause
of surprize, and often strike us in letting
US see them, such as we might have fore
seen them.
Surprise may be produced by the thing
or by the manner of perceiying it; for we
see thing greater or smalleri than 1t real
ly is, or different from what tits, or we
see the thing itself. but with an accessory
idea that pleases US, such as the difficulty
ofmaking it; or the person who made it
--or the time when it was made or the
manner in which it was made /; or some o.
Their circumstance that Is ioined 70 ii.