Edmund Burke: On Taste - On the Sublime and Beautiful - Reflections on the French Revolution - A Letter to a Noble Lord

THE HARVARD CLASSICS. EDMUND BURKE: ON TAST- ON THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL- REFLECTIONS ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. Contents include: PREFACE . 7 ON TASTE INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE . . . n THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL PART I SECT-ION L NOVELTY . ., 29 SECT. II PAIN AND PLEASURE 30 SECT. III. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REMOVAL OF PAIN, AND POSITIVE PLEASURE 31 SECT. IV. OF DELIGHT AND PLEASURE AS OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER 33 SECT. V, JOY AND GRIEF 34 SECT. VI OF THE PASSIONS WHICH BELONG TO SELF PRESERVATION 35 SECT. VII OF THE SUBLIME 36 SECT. VIII OF THE PASSIONS WHICH BELONG TO SOCIETY 37 SECT. IX. THE FINAL CAUSE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PASSIONS BELONGING TO SELF PRESERVATION, AND THOSE WHICH REGARD THE SOCIETY OF THE SEXES 38 SECT. X. OF BEAUTY 38 SECT. XL SOCIETY AND SOLITUDE 40 SECT. XIL SYMPATHY, IMITATION, AND AMBITION. . 40 SECT. XIII. SYMPATHY 40 SECT. XIV. THE EFFECTS OF SYMPATHY IN THE DIS TRESSES OF OTHERS 41 SECT. XV OF THE EFFECTS OF TRAGEDY 43 HC 1 A VOL, xxiv 6109558 s PAGE SECT. V. PROPORTION FURTHER CONSIDERED ...... 87 SECT. VI. FITNESS NOT THE CAUSE OF BEAUTY . . . 8g SECT. VII. THE REAL EFFECTS OF FITNESS 91 SECT. VIIL THE RECAPITULATION ...*.... 93 SECT. IX. PERFECTION NOT THE CAUSE OF BEAUTY . . 93 SECT. X. How FAR THE IDEA OF BEAUTY MAY BE AP PLIED TO THE QUALITIES OF THE MIND 94 SECT. XL How FAR THE IDEA OF BEAUTY MAY BE AP PLIED TO VIRTUE 95 SECT. XII. THE REAL CAUSE OF BEAUTY 96 SECT. XIII. BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS SMALL ...... 96 SECT. XIV. SMOOTHNESS 97 SECT. XV. GRADUAL VARIATION 98 SECT. XVI. DELICACY 99 SECT. XVII BEAUTY IN COLOUR . . 100 SECT. XVIII. RECAPITULATION 100 SECT. XIX. TEE PHYSIOGNOMY 101 SECT. XX. THE EYE 101 SECT. XXL UGLINESS 102 SECT. XXII GRACE 102 SECT. XXIII. ELEGANCE AND SPECIOUSNESS .... 102 SECT. XXIV. THE BEAUTIFUL IN FEELING . . . * . 103 SECT. XXV. THE BEAUTIFUL IN SOUNDS 104 SECT. XXVI. TASTE AND SMELL 106 SECT. XXVIL THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL COM PARED . ., 106 PART IV. SECTION I. OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL 108 SECT. II. ASSOCIATION 109 SECT. III. CAUSE OF PAIN AND FEAR no SECT. IV CONTINUED m SECT. V. How THE SUBLIME is PRODUCED 112 SECT. VL How PAIN CAN BE A CAUSE OF DELIGHT . 113 SECT. VIL EXERCISE NECESSARY FOR THE FINER OR GANS * * JI 4 SECT. VIIL WHY THINGS NOT DANGEROUS PRODUCE A PASSION LIKE TERROR 114 4 CONTENTS PAGE SECT, IX, WHY VISUAL OBJECTS OF GREAT DIMEN SIONS ARE SUBLIME 115 SECT. X. UNITY, WHY REQUISITE TO VASTNESS . . .116 SECT. XL THE ARTIFICIAL INFINITE 117 SECT. XII. THE VIBRATIONS MUST BE SIMILAR . . .118 SECT. XIII. THE EFFECTS OF SUCCESSION IN VISUAL OBJECTS EXPLAINED n8 SECT. XIV. LOCKE'S OPINION CONCERNING DARKNESS CONSIDERED 120 SECT. XV. DARKNESS TERRIBLE IN ITS OWN NATURE . 121 SECT. XVI WHY DARKNESS is TERRIBLE 122 SECT. XVII THE EFFECTS OF BLACKNESS 123 SECT. XVIIL THE EFFECTS OF BLACKNESS MODERATED 125 SECT. XIX. THE PHYSICAL CAUSE OF LOVE .... 125 SECT. XX. WHY SMOOTHNESS is BEAUTIFUL .... 127 SECT. XXL SWEETNESS, ITS NATURE 127 SECT. XXII. SWEETNESS RELAXING 129 SECT. XXIIL VARIATION, WHY BEAUTIFUL .... 130 SECT. XXIV. CONCERNING SMALLNESS 131 SECT. XXV. OF COLOUR 134 PART V. SECTION L OF WORDS 136 SECT. II. THE COMMON EFFECTS OF POETRY, Nor BY RAISING IDEAS OF THINGS 136 SECT. III. GENERAL WORDS BEFORE IDEAS 138 SECT. IV. THE EFFECT OF WORDS 139 SECT. V. EXAMPLES THAT WORDS MAY AFFECT WITH OUT RAISING IMAGES 140 SECT. VL POETRY NOT STRICTLY AN IMITATIVE ART . . 144 SECT. VII. How WORDS INFLUENCE THE PASSIONS . . 145 REFLECTIONS ON THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE 151 A LETTER FROM THE RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE TO A NOBLE LORD 401. GENERAL INTRODUCTION: EDMUND BURKE was born in Dublin In January, 1729, the son of an attorney. His father was Protestant, his mother Catholic; and though the son followed his father's religion, he was alway