ht just to the verge
of pain. Even when the cause has ceased, the organs of hearing being
often successively struck in a similar manner, continue to vibrate in
that manner for some time longer; this is an additional help to the
greatness of the effect.

SECTION XII.

THE VIBRATIONS MUST BE SIMILAR.

But if the vibration be not similar at every impression, it can never be
carried beyond the number of actual impressions; for, move any body as a
pendulum, in one way, and it will continue to oscillate in an arch of
the same circle, until the known causes make it rest; but if, after
first putting it in motion in one direction, you push it into another,
it can never reassume the first direction; because it can never move
itself, and consequently it can have but the effect of that last motion;
whereas, if in the same direction you act upon it several times, it will
describe a greater arch, and move a longer time.

SECTION XIII.

THE EFFECTS OF SUCCESSION IN VISUAL OBJECTS EXPLAINED.

If we can comprehend clearly how things operate upon one of our senses,
there can be very little difficulty in conceiving in what manner they
affect the rest. To say a great deal therefore upon the corresponding
affections of every sense, would tend rather to fatigue us by an useless
repetition, than to throw any new light upon the subject by that ample
and diffuse manner of treating it; but as in this discourse we chiefly
attach ourselves to the sublime, as it affects the eye, we shall
consider particularly why a successive disposition of uniform parts in
the same right line should be sublime,[36] and upon what principle this
disposition is enabled to make a comparatively small quantity of matter
produce a grander effect, than a much larger quantity disposed in
another manner. To avoid the perplexity of general notions; let us set
before our eyes, a colonnade of uniform pillars planted in a right line;
let us take our stand in such a manner, that the eye may shoot along
this colonnade, for it has its best effect in this view. In our present
situation it is plain, that the rays from the first round pillar will
cause in the eye a vibration of that species; an image of the pillar
itself. The pillar immediately succeeding increases it; that which
follows renews and enforces the impression; each in its order as it
succeeds, repeats impulse after impulse, and stroke after stroke, until
the eye, long exercised in one particular way, cannot lo