of tragedy-第3章

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receive　its　proper　punishment。

　　　　　Most　painters　appear　in　this　light　to　have　been　very　unhappy

in　their　subjects。　As　they　wrought　much　for　churches　and

convents；　they　have　chiefly　represented　such　horrible　subjects　as

crucifixions　and　martyrdoms；　where　nothing　appears　but　tortures；

wounds；　executions；　and　passive　suffering；　without　any　action　or

affection。　When　they　turned　their　pencil　from　this　ghastly

mythology；　they　had　commonly　recourse　to　Ovid；　whose　fictions；

though　passionate　and　agreeable；　are　scarcely　natural　or　probable

enough　for　painting。

　　　　　The　same　inversion　of　that　principle；　which　is　here　insisted

on；　displays　itself　in　common　life；　as　in　the　effects　of　oratory

and　poetry。　Raise　so　the　subordinate　passion　that　it　becomes　the

predominant；　it　swallows　up　that　affection　which　it　before

nourished　and　encreased。　Too　much　jealousy　extinguishes　love：　Too

much　difficulty　renders　us　indifferent：　Too　much　sickness　and

infirmity　disgusts　a　selfish　and　unkind　parent。

　　　　　What　so　disagreeable　as　the　dismal；　gloomy；　disastrous

stories；　with　which　melancholy　people　entertain　their　companions？

The　uneasy　passion　being　there　raised　alone；　unaccompanied　with

any　spirit；　genius；　or　eloquence；　conveys　a　pure　uneasiness；　and

is　attended　with　nothing　that　can　soften　it　into　pleasure　or

satisfaction。