A.  MODE  of  terror  or  pain  is  always  the  cause  of  the  •
sublime. t  For  terror  or  associated  danger,  the  fore-
going explication  is,  I  believe,  sufficient.  It  will  re-
quire something  more  trouble  to  show,  that  such  ex-
amples 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  ob-
jects.
SECTION    IX.
WHY   VISUAL    OBJECTS    OF    GREAT    DIMENSIONS    ARE    SUB-
LIME.
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  ce-

*  Part  II.  sect.  1.    t  Part  I.  sect.  7.  Part  II.  sect.  2.
218  ON   THE   SUBLIME   AND   BEAUTIFUL.
