pect, which, by the very etymology of the words, show
from what source they are derived, and how they stand distinguished from
positive pleasure.

SECTION VIII.

WHY THINGS NOT DANGEROUS SOMETIMES PRODUCE A PASSION LIKE TERROR.

A mode of terror or pain is always the cause of the sublime.[34] For
terror or associated danger, the foregoing explication is, I believe,
sufficient. It will require something more trouble to show, that such
examples as I have given of the sublime in the second part are capable
of producing a mode of pain, and of being thus allied to terror, and to
be accounted for on the same principles. And first of such objects as
are great in their dimensions. I speak of visual objects.

SECTION IX.

WHY VISUAL OBJECTS OF GREAT DIMENSIONS ARE SUBLIME.

Vision is performed by having a picture, formed by the rays of light
which are reflected from the object, painted in one piece,
instantaneously, on the retina, or last nervous part of the eye. Or,
according to others, there is but one point of any object painted on the
eye in such a manner as to be perceived at once, but by moving the eye,
we gather up, with great celerity, the several parts of the object, so
as to form one uniform piece. If the former opinion be allowed, it will
be considered,[35] that though all the light reflected from a large body
should strike the eye in one instant; yet we must suppose that the body
itself is formed of a vast number of distinct points, every one of
which, or the ray from every one, makes an impression on the retina. So
that, though the image of one point should cause but a small tension of
this membrane, another, and another, and another stroke, must in their
progress cause a very great one, until it arrives at last to the highest
degree; and the whole capacity of the eye, vibrating in all its parts,
must approach near to the nature of what causes pain, and consequently
must produce an idea of the sublime. Again, if we take it, that one
point only of an object is distinguishable at once; the matter will
amount nearly to the same thing, or rather it will make the origin of
the sublime from greatness of dimension yet clearer. For if but one
point is observed at once, the eye must traverse the vast space of such
bodies with great quickness, and consequently the fine nerves and
muscles destined to the motion of that part must be very much strained;
and their great sensibility must make them highly affected by this