ELEMENTS OF ORIGINATION.-OBSCURITY.

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gination in the section that follows, which therefore renders unnecessary any discussion of this subject at length in the present section.

VII. Having already endeavoured to demonstrate that the various originative efforts of the mind are respectively exercised through the operation of the faculties which have been described, the question next arises as to what are the actual materials upon which imagination is exerted, and what are the leading elements which serve for efforts and creations of this kind?

(ii.) The following appear to me to be the principal and essential elements which are made use of in the exercise of imagination, and the endowment of any subject or object with which serves to conduce mainly to its imaginative effect:-1. The idea of obscurity. 2. That of the possession of power. 3. That of the possession of energy. 4. That of novelty. 5. That of the possession of vastness. 6. That of supernaturality. 7. That of dignity. 8. That of the possession of the quality of noxiousness. 9. That of the possession of the quality of divineness.

Each of these elements, like those of delineation and of the picturesque, are characterized by the particular qualities and powers appertaining to them, as whether active or passive, originating or merely derivative; whether independent by themselves, or merely auxiliary to certain others; and also whether essential or dispensable in the constitution of the property to which they contribute.

These several elements will now be examined and analysed separately in their order.

(1.) By the element of obscurity, I mean such a degree of mystery or uncertainty that the nature of the being described, or the object represented, is but dimly to be discerned, and its whole character is but faintly perceivable. Obscurity is also an important element of imagination, because from its excitement of perplexity it conduces to fear. All our emotions of terror are more or less connected with obscurity, which at once sets the imagination at work to discover a new path, in order that the mind may extricate itself from the maze in which it is bewildered.

This element is passive as regards its operation, but in its nature originating. It is also independent in itself, and acts in a direct manner in the promotion of imaginative effects, for which, however, although very important, it is not in every case absolutely essential.

In some branches of artistical composition, nevertheless, definity in the description is absolutely necessary, as in the representation of form by sculpture, where everything is substantial and real, and nothing can be left uncertain, or for conjecture to supply. This is not always essential in painting, where on some occasions parts may be obscure, as by being thrown into a dense shade, when nothing but a general outline of the form of the object is rendered visible; or in the case of mere rough sketches, to which I have before alluded, where a few lines serve to create a general conception of the design, and set the mind at work to fill up the details and complete the composition. Indeed, darkness of itself seems to have a natural tendency to excite the imagination to activity. All our ideas of ghosts and goblins and supernatural beings, were generated in the dark, and obscurity is inseparably associated with them.

In poetry the introduction of this important element of imaginative description, may be availed of to a still greater extent. Here a mere vague obscure representation of some subjects may be far from inefficient, and what is wanting to complete the description may be more than supplied by the imagination being set at work by apt inferences and associations. to form the most original conceptions, and fill up the design.

Infinity and obscurity, so far as they both lead the mind to wander forth into the vast unlimited expanse of imaginative effort, and to conjure up new objects of wonder and curiosity, are closely allied to each other. Our notions of the Deity, which are mainly derived from what we hear of His attributes, are greatly heightened by our endless conjectures and dark speculations concerning Him.

The imaginative effect of obscurity in description is very finely and powerfully illustrated by the following quotation from the Book of Job,* representing the appearance of a spirit:

:

* Chapter iv. vs. 13–17.

IMAGINATIVE ELEMENT OF POWER.

141

"In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth

on men,

Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.
It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof:

An image was before mine eyes; there was silence, and I heard a

voice

Shall mortal man be more just than God ?"

In music great scope is allowed to the range of the imagination, from the obscurity and indefiniteness which are, indeed, almost inseparable from descriptions in this art.

Architecture, to a very limited, if to any extent, admits of the introduction of this element into its compositions. In costume it may be availed of so far as regards the colour of the materials, as in the case of certain armour, and in mourning dresses. In gardening it is effected through the gloomy shades and thick gloom which are produced by the particular disposition of the grounds, and by the introduction of trees or plants of this character, or the overhanging of rocks or steep banks. Some of the most imaginative poetical descriptions are those of dark and obscure scenes in the recesses of dense forests.

(2.) By the element of power is meant the possession of such a degree of strength or capacity of some kind, as is sufficient to accomplish certain great and important results connected with the transaction under consideration. No subject or object wholly devoid of power can be highly imaginative in its nature. Weakness is, probably, the surest foil to imaginative effort that can exist.

This element is active as regards its operation, and originating in its nature. It is, as regards its effect, independent of any other element, and operates in a direct manner, and is indispensable in the constitution of any representation or description which is highly imaginative.

The attribution to any being or object of powers or capacities of a vast or important nature, has a great effect in raising the imagination, and of exciting ideas in the mind concerning it corresponding with those qualities or powers. In the quotations which in some of the succeeding pages are given from Milton, it will be observed how prodigiously he has heightened

the imaginative description of the supernatural beings he has introduced, by the attribution to them in an extraordinary degree of the qualities and powers of vast strength and magnitude and courage and prowess.

In the following passage from Isaiah,* a very sublime, imaginative, and effective description is afforded of the Deity, not by any representation of his personal appearance or form, but by conveying to us ideas of the stupendous and amazing qualities and attributes with which he is endowed :

"Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?
And meted out heaven with the span,

And comprehended the dust of the earth in measure,
And weighed the mountains in scales,

And the hills in a balance ?

Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket,

And are counted as the small dust of the balance:
Behold He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,
And the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers;
That stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain,
And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in."

An extremely noble and imaginative account of the attributes of the Deity is contained in the following quotation from one of the Psalms,† especially as regards His omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience; and by a reference to which we are led to imbibe ideas of His general capacity and majesty :

"Whither shall I go from Thy spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
If I climb up into Heaven Thou art there;

If I go down to Hell Thou art there also.

:

If I take the wings of the morning, and remain in the uttermost parts

of the sea;

Even there also shall Thy hand lead me,

And Thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say peradventure the darkness shall cover me,

Then shall my night be turned to day;

Yea the darkness is no darkness with Thee,

But the night is as clear as the day,

The darkness and light to Thee are both alike."

Chapter xl. vs. 12–22.

+ Psalm cxxxix. vs. 7-12.

IMAGINATIVE ELEMENT OF ENERGY.

143

The following description of the Almighty is contained in another Psalm,* which, from the observance of the principle to which I have before referred, affords perhaps the loftiest and most effective and striking representation of the presence of the Deity that is anywhere to be found :

The earth trembled and quaked;

The very foundation also of the hills shook, and were removed,
Because he was wroth.

There went a smoke out in His presence,

And a consuming fire out of His mouth,
So that coals were kindled at it.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down,

And it was dark under His feet.

He rode upon the cherubims, and did fly;
He came flying upon the wings of the wind.

He made darkness His secret place;

His pavilion round about Him with dark water,
And thick clouds to cover Him."

Here the ideas of amazing power, of obscurity, of energy, of dignity, and of supernatural manifestations in the person of the Divinity Himself, all combine together, and conduce to the extraordinary imaginative effect of the representation.

The account of the attributes of the Almighty, which is contained in the Book of Job,† is one of transcendent imaginary power. Here the combination together of many sublime and terrible images, the obscurity with which the whole is invested, and the introduction of the supernatural, are the main elements which conduce to its effect. But the principal and leading one of all is the idea of the qualities of vast strength and might which the description affords, and with the attribution of which it winds up. Great grandeur is also infused into the representation :

"To whom hast Thou uttered words?

And whose spirit came from Thee ?

Dead things are formed under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof. Hell is naked before Him,

And destruction hath no covering.

He stretcheth out the north over the empty place,

And hangeth the earth upon nothing,

* Psalm xviii. vs. 7-11.

+ Chap. xxvi. vs. 4-14.