Beattie, James (1735-1803)

Of Imagination [from Dissertations Moral and Critical]

London

Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell ... and W. Creech

1783

"And the impression that such things [overlong parodies], when long continued, leave on the mind, is by no means desirable."

A parody of a short poem is often amusing: but one's mind must be in some degree perverted, before one can, without general dissatisfaction, and frequent fits of disgust, go through the whole of Scarron's, or even the two books of Cotton's, Virgil Travesti. And the impression that such things, when long continued, leave on the mind, is by no means desirable. To see wit misemployed, and what is sublime, or instructive, degraded and misrepresented, not in a slight effort of gaiety, but with perseverance and toil, suggests the idea, rather of malice, than of playfulness. It might raise a good-humoured smile, to clap a hat and wig, for a moment, on the bust of Socrates or Cicero: but is a statuary were to labour a year, in preparing such implements of marble, with a view to fix them on those venerable brows, we should hardly pay any compliment either to his heart, or to his fancy.--Besides, parodies, when far prosecuted, are never free from indecency: and if he, who at any time assumes the character of a buffoon, does not speedily lay it aside, his conduct is in danger of becoming immoral, as well as incongruous.
(V, p. 197)

Impressions

Reading

At least 2 entries in ESTC (1783).

Beattie, James. Dissertations Moral and Critical. Printed for Strahan, Cadell, and Creech: London, 1783. Facsimile-Reprint: Friedrich Frommann Verlag, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, 1970.

07/26/2005