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Many have wished to fee a monthly pamphlet on a more useful and entertaining, if not a more extenfive plan, than any thing of the kind already extant; but their wishes have been made and forgotten; the want of time has prevented fome from undertaking it, and the pains and labour neceffary in the execution, have deterred others. How far the authors of the prefent undertaking may be equal to this arduous task is not for them to fay: the public will judge of their abilities from their works, which are most readily submitted to their decifion.

Among other fubjects of general entertainment, the authors propofe to give, in the courfe of this Magazine, complete fyftems of every branch of useful learning, enriched with all the improvements of modern writers. They do not, however, propofe to confine their labours entirely to the elucidation of the fciences; they propofe to give a large account of the political and other transactions in different parts of the world, especially in our own country; every remarkable event, every uncommon debate, and every interesting turn of affairs will be recorded.

A copious and authentic hiftory of foreign and domeftic occurrences will also be given, digefted in a chronological feries, containing all the material news of the month.

To render this performance agreeable to every clafs of readers, care will be taken to furnish it with pieces calculated for general entertainment. The elegant amusements of literature, the flights of poetical fancy, and the brilliant fallies of inoffenfive wit, fhall find a place in our Magazine. In a word, refearches into antiquity; elucidations of ancient writers; criticisms on every branch of literature; effays in profe and verfe; vifions, fables, moral tales, &c. will make a part of this performance.

The correfpondence of the ingenious is therefore requested, which will be kindly acknowledged and received at Mr. Bladon's in Paternofter-row, and the utmost attention paid to any favours they may confer. We have only to add, that nothing in our power fhall be wanting to render the OXFORD MAGAZINE equally useful and entertaining. We hope for the encouragement of the Public, and we are fenfible it cannot be obtained without the greatest care and affiduity.

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The Oxford Magazine;

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For JULY, 1768.

Of the Power of the Passions, an Essay.

Affions are in the moral, what motion is in the natural world. If motion creates, deftroys, preferves, animates the whole, that without it every thing is dead; fo the paffions animate the moral world. It is avarice which conducts fhips over the deferts of the ocean; it is pride which fills up vallies, levels mountains, hews itself a paffage through rocks, raises the pyramids of Memphis, digs the lake Mœris, and cafts the Colofius of Rhodes. Love, it is faid, formed the crayon for the firft defigner. In a country where revelation had never penetrated, it was love, which, to footh the grief of a widow, rendered difconfolate by the death of her young fpouse, intimated to her the fyftem of the immortality of the foul. It was the enthusiasm of gratitude which claffed the benefactors of mankind among the gods; which invented the falfe religions and fuperftitions, all of which, however, have not their fource in fuch noble paffions as love and gratitude.

It is therefore to ftrong paffions that we owe the invention and wonders of arts; and confequently they are to be confidered as the germ productive of genius, and the powerful fpring that carries men to great actiBut before we proceed, it may be proper to fix the idea I intend to

ons.

convey by the word Strong Paffion. If men in general speak without understanding each other, it is owing. to the obfcurity of words; to this caufe may be attributed the prolongation of the miracle wrought at the tower of Babel. For inftance, if the word Red contains the feveral gradations from scarlet to carnation, let us fuppofe two men, one has feen only fcarlet, and the other carnation; the firft will very juftly fay, that red is a vivid colour; the other will be as pofitive that it is a faint colour. For the like reafon, two men may pronounce the word Will without underftanding each other; for this word extends from the coldeft to the most vehement degree of volition, which furmounts all obftacles. It is with the word Paffion, as with that of Understanding, its fignification depends on the pronounciation. A man, who in a fociety of fhallow perfons is confidered as weak, may be concluded fimple: it is otherwise with him who is looked upon as a perfon of tolerable parts by geniufes of the first class; the choice of his company proves his fuperiority to com

mon men.

Here he is a midling orator, but would be the first in any other fociety.

By the word Strong Paffion, I mean a paffion, the cbject of which is fo

neceffary

neceffary to our happiness, that without the poffeffion of it life would be infupportable. This was Omar's idea of the paffion, when he faid, "Whoever thou art, that loveft liberty, defireft to be wealthy with"out riches, powerful without fub'jects, a fubject without a matter; "dare to contemn death: kings "will then tremble before thee, "whilft thou alone halt fear no "perfon."

It is indeed only paffions carried to this degree of force that can execute the greatest actions, defy dangers, pain, death, and Heaven itself.

Dicearchus, the general of Philip, in prefence of his whole army erects two altars, one to impiety, the other to injuftice, facrifices on them, and marches against the Cyclades,

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Some days before the affaffination of Cæfar, conjugal love, united with a noble pride, prevailed on Portia to make an incition in her thigh, to fhew the wound to her husband; and at the fame time to fay to him, Brutus, you are meditating fome great defign which you conceal " from me. I never before afked you an indifcrect queftion: Iknew "that our fex, however weak in itfelf, gathers ftrength by converf ing with wife and virtuous men; "and that I was daughter to Cato, "and spouse to Brutus; but love ren"dered me fo timorous, that I mif"trusted my weaknefs. You fee the effay I have made of my fortitude: judge from this trial of pain, "whether I am worthy of your con"fidence."

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It was the paffion of honour and philofophic fanatifcifm alone that could induce Timicha, the Pythagorean, in the midst of torture, to bite off her tongue, that the might not expofe herself to reveal the fecrets of her fect.

Cato, when a child, going with his tutor to Sylla's palace, at feeing the bloody heads of the profcribed, asked

with impatience, the name of the monfter who had caufed fo many Roman citizens to be murdered. He was answered, it was Sylla: "How, "fays he, does Sylla murder thus, " and is Sylla till alive?" Yes, it was replied, the very name of Sylla difarms our citizen. "O Rome, cri"ed Cato, deplorable is thy fate, "fince within the vait compafs of thy “walls, not á man of virtue can be "found, and the arm of a feeble "child is the only one that will op "pose itself against tyranny!" Then turning towards his governor, "Give. "me, faid he, your fword; I will "conceal it under my robė, ap"proach Sylla, and kill him. Cato lives, and Rome is again free.”

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It was the fame Cato who, when retiring to Utica, being urged to confult the oracle of Jupiter Ammon, anfwered, "Oracles are for the fear

ful and the ignorant. The brave "man is independent of the gods, "and knows when to live or die: "he with compofure offers himself to "his fate, whether it be known or "concealed." Cæfar, after having fallen into the hands of pirates is ftill the fame man, threatens them with death, and at landing makes good his words.

In what climates has not this virtuous love of one's country performed heroic actions? In China, an emperor being purfued by the victorious forces of a private patriot, in order to oblige this victor to difband his troops, had recourfe to that fuperftitious refpect, which in that country a fon pays to the orders of his mo ther. He dispatched an officer, who approaching her with his drawn poniard in his hand, told her, peremptorily, the must comply or perish. "Does thy master, answered she; "with a difdainful fmile, flatter him"felf that I am ignorant of the tacit "but facred conventions between the people and their fovereigns, by

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Of the Power of the Paffions.

which the people are to obey, and "the kings to render them happy ? He firft broke the conventions. And thou, bafe tool of a tyrant, "learn from a woman what in fuch "cafes is due to thy country." Then fnatching the poniard from the officer's hand, plunged it in her breaft; faying, "Slave, if thou haft

ftill any virtue, carry this bloody "poniard to my fon; bid him revenge the nation, and punish the "tyrant. He has now nothing to fear, no cautions to obferve for "me: he is now at liberty to be "virtuous."

The paffion of duty also animated Abdalla's mother, when her fon, being forfaken by his friends, befieged in a castle, and urged to accept of an honourable capitulation offered him by the Syrians, confulted her how he fhould act, and fhe gave him this anfwer, "Son, when thou tookest up "arms against the house of Ommiah, "did't thou think it was efpoufing the cause of juftice, and virtue? Yes, anfwered he. O then, re"plied his mother, What caufe is "there for deliberation? Doft thou "not know that cowards only are fwayed by fear? Wilt thou be the contempt of the Ommites? And fhall it be faid, that when thou "waft to determine between life and duty, thou didit prefer the for

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It is the fame paffion for glory, that, when the Roman army, perishing with cold for want of cloathing, was on the point of difperfing, brought to the affiftance of Septiemus Severus the philofopher Antiochus, who, ftripping himself before the army, leaped into a heap of fnow, at which the troops chearfully perfeyered in their duty.

Thrafea being one day counfelled to make fome fubmiffion to Nero, "How, faid he, fhall I ftoop fo low

to prolong my life, a few days?

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"No, death is a debt: I'll discharge "it like a free man, and not pay it "like a flave."

Vefpafian, in a guit of paffion, threatening Helvidius with death, received this answer: "Did I ever "tell you I was immortal? By putting me to death, you will act in "character like a tyrant; I like a "citizen in receiving it without "fear."

If the generous pride, the paffion of patriotifm and glory, determine citizens to fuch heroic actions, with what refolution and intrepidity do not the paffions infpire those who aim at diftinction in the arts and fciences, and whom Cicero calls, the peaceable heroes? It is from a defire of glory, that the altronomer is feen, on the icy fummits of the Cordeleras, placing his inftruments in the midit of fnows and froft; which conducts the botanift to the brinks of precipices in queft of plants; which anciently carried the juvenile lovers of the sciences into Egypt, Ethiopia, and even into the Indies, for vifiting the most celebrated philofophers, and acquiring from their converfation the principles of their doctrine.

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How ftrongly did this paffion exert itself in Demofthenes, who, for perfecting his pronounciation, used every day to ftand on the fea-fhore, and with his mouth full of pebbles harangue the agitated waves! was from the fame defire of glory, that the young Pythagoreans fubmitted to a filence of three years in or der to habituate themselves to recollection and meditation; it induced Democritus to fhun the diftractions of the world, and retire among the tombs, to meditate on those valuable truths, the difcovery of which, as it is always very difficult, is alfo very little etteemed in fine, it was this, that prompted Heraclitus to cede to his younger brother the throne of Ephefus, to which he had the right

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of primogeniture, that he might give himself up entirely to philofophy; which made the Athletic improve his ftrength, by denying himself the pleasures of love; it was alfo from a defire of popular applaufe that certain ancient priests renounced the fame pleasures, and often, as Boindin pleasantly obferves of them, without any other recompence for their continence than the perpetual temptation it occafions.

I have fhewn that it is to the paffions we owe most of the objects of our admiration; under their powerful influence we fuftain dangers, pain, and death; and that they animate us to take the boldeft refolutions.

I am now going to prove that, in critical occafions, it is by their affiftance only that great men are infpired to fay, and act, and do the best.

Let us here call to remembrance the memorable and celebrated speech of Hannibal to his foldiers on the day of the battle of Ticinus; and we fhalt own that it could be infpired only by his hatred of the Romans and his paffion for glory. "Fellow foldiers, faid he, Heaven affures me of the victory. Let the Romans, not you, tremble. View this field of battle it offers no retreat for cowards : we all perish, if any retire. What can be a more certain pledge of triumph? What plainer indication of the protection of the Gods? They have placed us between victory and death."

Can it be doubted that Sylla was not animated with thefe fame paffions? When Craffus afked an efcort to go and raise new levies in the country of the Marfians, Sylla anfwered, "If you are afraid of the enemy, the efcort I give you are your fathers, brothers, relations, and friends, who, mafacred by the ty

rants, cry for vengeance, and expect it from you."

When the Macedonians, wearied with the toils of war, defired Alexander to discharge them, it was pride, and the love of glory, that dictated to him this fpirited answer, "Away, ingrates, lazy cowards; I'll fubdue the world without you; Alexander will never want fubjects and foldiers, where there are men."

It is only from men of ftrong pasfions that fuch fpeeches can be expected. Genius itself, in fuch cafes, can never fupply the want of fentiment. We are ignorant of the language of paffions we never felt.

Befides, it is not only in a fingle act, as eloquence in the paffions, every kind are to be esteemed as the germ productive of fuperior underftanding: it is they, which, keeping a perpetual fermentation in our ideas, fertilize in us the fame ideas, which, in frigid fouls, are barren, and would be no more than feed fcattered on a rock.

It is the paffions which, having ftrongly fixed our attention on the object of our defire, caufes us to view it under appearances unknown to other men; and which confequently prompt heroes to plan and execute thofe hardy enterprizes which, till fuccefs has proved the propriety of them, appear ridiculous, and indeed muft appear fo to the multitude,

The caufe, fays the cardinal de Richlieu, why a timorous mind perceives an impoffibility in the moft fimple projects, when to an elevated mind, the most arduous feems eafy, is, becaufe, before the latter the mountains fink, and before the former mole-hills are metamorphofed

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