mitchell-P044_A-11_11_2

VERSO

Wherefore men admire those, who are able
to posses these things, but who through great-
ness of soul dispise them, more than
they do those, who do posses them. In this way
we must attentively consider among poems
and oration for sublime conceptions,
lest some one should have such an appear-
ance of sublimity, in which much ex-
ternal show should be presented,
but its parts being laid open, should be
found so bombastic, that the contempt
of them would be more honourable
than their admiration. For by nature
our mind so effected by sublimity,
that receiving something that is vast,
it is as full of gladness and inward
glorying, as if itself had produce that
which it had heard. When therefore
as it often happens, any thing discourse
is heard, by a man prudent and ac-
quanted with lanquage, does not direct
his mind to the sublime, nor leave
any more contemplation to the un-
derstanding the the words heard; but
fails, and if he would consider it in
connection, it tends to nothing at all;
this would not be true, but only the
security of the discourse alone.
For that is great, the contemplation of
which is extensive, and resistance to
which, is dificult, or rather imposible,
and the recolection of which is strong and unfailing.

RECTO

In a word Sublimity has a regard to
those things, that are both worthy, and true
and continualy pleasing to all. For when,
one and the same thing seem to be the same
concerning these things, to those of dif-
ferant occuptions, of life, zeal, age and
language, than this decission and concur-
rance, of discordant testimonies, obtains
a strong and irresistable belief for
sublimity.
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S VIII

Since, as one would say, there are five
prolific sources of sublimity (the
power of speech, without which nothing
can be done, being first laid down, as
were for a foundation for these mod-
els), the first and the best of these, is sub-
limity of thoughts, as I have said in
my remarks on Xenophon. The
second, a forcible and enthusiastic
pathos; but these two source of subli-
mity, for the most part, are indigenous
constituents. The third is the formation
of ornaments. And these are two-fold,
some of thoughts, and others of words )
The fourth, a noble style of utterance,
a part of which again, lies in the choice
of words, both in figurative and finishd
expression. The fifth, and that which
includes the preceeding ones, is