Many other passages in this justly celebrated poem produce the same effect; and we always observe, that if the disagreeableness of the subject be obscured by the beautiful description, this beauty is not less obscured by its discordant union with the disagreeableness of the subject. For the same reason, ascending smoke in a calm morning is improper in a picture full of violent action. The emotion of stillness and tranquillity inspired by the former, accords not with the lively and animated emotion inspired by the latter. A parterre, partly ornamented partly in disorder, produces a mixt feeling of the same sort. Two great armies in act to engage, mix the dissimilar emotions of grandeur and of terror. Sembra d’alberi densi alta foresta L’ un campo, e l’ altro; di tant’ aste abbonda. Son tesi gli archi, e son le lance in resta: Vibransi i dardi, e rotasi ogni fionda. Ogni cavallo in guerra anco s’ appresta: Gli odii, e’l furor del suo signor seconda: Raspa, batte, nitrisce, e si raggira, Gonfia le nari; e fumo, e fuoco spira. Bello in sì bella vista anco è l’orrore: E di mezzo la tema esce il diletto. Ne men le trombe orribili, e canore Sono a gli orecchi lieto, e fero oggetto. Pur il campo fedel, benchè minore, Par di suon più mirabile, e d’aspetto. E canta in più guerriero, e chiaro carme Ogni sua tromba, e maggior luce han l’arme. _Gerusalemme liberata, cant. 20. st. 29. & 30._ A virtuous man has drawn on himself a great misfortune, by a fault incident to human nature, and therefore venial. The remorse he feels aggravates his distress, and consequently raises our pity to a high pitch. We indeed blame the man; and the indignation raised by the fault he has committed, is dissimilar to pity. These two passions however proceeding from different views of the same object, are forced into a sort of union. But the indignation is so slight as scarce to be felt in the mixture with pity. Subjects of this kind, are of all the fittest for tragedy. But of this afterward[38].