1000000030

e o

Gributcd into fereral ehamb. rs, aflcr the manner

our

or,i~es

and eoum: Ihe fir!l whereof is Ihe pnpe's

eongregalion, whofe bufinefs it is 10 prepare the molf

dilli,ull benefieiary mallers 10 be afterw"rJ

dcb~l~d

ill

Ihe confinory : Ihe feeond is Ihe eongregalion of rhe

holy oflice, or Ihe inquililion: lhe Ihird is Ihe eoogre·

gation

d, propagallda Id,

the founh is Ihe eoogre·

gation for explaining the councilof T, cnt: Ihefiflh is

rhe congreg.ltion of the iodex, deputed to examine io·

tO peroicious and herelical boo!:s: the fixth is Ihe

congregation of immunities, .nab!ilhed to obviale Ihe

difliculties that arife io the judgments of

fu~h

fuits as

are earried on againn churehmeo: Ihe feveoth is the

congregalion of biOlOpS and regulars : rhe eighlh is the

congregation for the examination of bilhops,

oc.

is alfo ufed for a company or fociety of religious, eao·

tooed out of any order, fo as to make a fubdivifion of

the oreler ilfelf; as the eongregolioo of Cluny,

&c.

among rhe Benediaines.

is I,kewife ufed for alfem·

blies of pious perfoos, i,n m. nner of fmeroilies.

CONGR EG,'\T[ONAL[STS. in ehureh· hinory, a fea

of prOlenants who rejea all cbureb'gOl'ernment, ex·

cept that of a fingle coogregarion,

CONGR ESS, io political aIFJirs, an alfembly of como

millioners, eovoys, depulies,

o,.

from feve ral eoum

meeting

concert

m~uers

for Iheir common good.

CONO

ss, in a judicial fenfe, the tri,l mde by ap'

pointment of a judge, before furgeoos aod matrOIlS,

in order tO prove whether or no a man be irupoteot,

before fentenee is palfed for the dilfollllioo of a mar·

riage, folicited upon fueh a eompl.int.

CONGRU[TY, a fuilablentfs or relatioo of agreement

between things,

The lerm,

congl'uil}

anel

pro!',i,,}

are nnt appliea.

ble to . ny fingle ohjeél: Ihey imply a pluralilv, and

obvioOOy fignify • pmieul., relationbelween diIFerent

objeas. Thus we fay currendy, Ihar aoeeen! garb is

f~it.b:e

or proper for a judge, modeH behal'iour for a

young woman, and a lofty lIyle for an epie poem: and,

on Ihe other hand, that it is unfuitableor ineongruous

to fee . Iinle wom, n funk io an overgrolVn f"

nhing.le

a eoat riehly embroidered eovering eoarfe anll diny

Jinen, a mean fu bjell in an ele..ted nyle, ao e!evmd

fubjell in a mean lIyle, a orn miniller Jarniug his

wife', tloeking, or a reverend prell re in lawn lIeeves

dancing a hornpipe.

The pereeption we have of Ihis relalion, which

feems peculiar to man,

~.nnot

proce<d froln ,ny orhtr

caufe, bUI from n

fo"fo

I)f congruily or pr0l'riely i

for, fuppofing us deflilure of Ihat feofe, Ihe terma

wonld be 10 u, uninlf.!hgible.

Jt is a matler of tgjlerience, Ihal congruily or pro·

priely, where·ever pcreeiveJ, is .gr«.ble i .nd Ihat

r~conl;rtllly

or improp,ielY. whcre·cver rerecived, is

dlfagree.blc. The unlydillicullY is, 10af,c'l.i" wh.1

are rhe paniculor "bjefl, rhal in cu"j,main" f"J:gcfls

thtfe re[¡rin"s i fur there ore m,uy

ut.jc

,9s tI,.'1 Jo

not ,: Ihe fea, for eXl1mpl/:, vicw<.,! in

cOl1il1n~liulI

will!

a y,élu1e,

lilan

vicwcd

in conjtlnttiun

with

moum.,n,

fug~efl

oot eitl,er ,ougruil y ur

inc"n~rui .

e o

ty.

(eems natur.1 to infer, what \ViII be found true

by indullion, Ihat we never pereci ve eongruity nor in.

eongruily hut among thines Ih.1 are eonncl'lcd to"cther

by lome rel'lion i fuch as aman . nd his aaíons,

prin·

eipal and ils aeeelfories, a fubjea and ils ornaments. We

are indeed fo fr.med by oature, as among thiogs fo con.

neaed, to require a eemin fuilablcnefs or eorrefpon.

denee, termed

COfIgruil}

pro!,ri,,};

and 10 be difplea–

fed whenwe find the oppofile rclalion of

incangruil}

imtrO!,rirl)'.

lhing~

eonneaed be lhe fubjea of eongruity, it is

reafonablebeforehand to expea, that adegree of congrui.

ty Ihould be required proponioned to the degree of the

conneaion. And upon examioation we find this to hold in

faa: where the relation is intimate, as b'ctlVeen a eaufeand

its eIFea, a whole and its pans, we require Ihe llriaen

eongruity; but where the relation is Oight, or aeeideo·

tal, as among Ihings jumbled togelher in the fame place,

we require liule or no cougruily: lhe nriflen propriety

is required io beh..iour and m' nner of living i becaufe a

man is eonneaed wilh Ihefe by the rdalion of eaufe a"d

efFtl'l: the relalion belweeo an edifice aod the ground

it flonds upon, is of Ihe mon intimale

~iod,

and there.

fore the filuarion of a great houfe ou¡;ht to be lofty; ill

relalion tOneighbouring hills, rivers, plains, being that

of propinquity only. demands but a fmalllhare of con..

gruity : among members of Ihe (ame club, the eongruity

oughl lo be eonliderable. as well as among things plaeed

for OIOW in the Can,e niche : among palfengers in a nage.

eoaeh, we require very little coogruitYi and lefs /lill at

a public fpellade.

Congruily is fo nearlyallied to beauty. as eommonly to

be held a Cpeeies of it i and yel they diIFer

elfemially,

never

coincide : be'"IY, like colour, is pl.red up·

on a fingle fubjea i eongruity upon a pluralilY: funher,

a thing be.uti!'ul in irlelf, may, \Vith reilHion to other

things, produce t:le /lrongeOfenfe of ineongruity.

Congruity and propriety are commooly reekoned fy–

oonymous terms; bUI Ihey are dillinguiOlable

anu Ihe

preeife meaning of eaeh mult be afcenained.

Congr~ity

i, lhe genus, of IVhieh propri<ly is a fpecies; for lVe eall

oorhing

pro/,rirl},

but thal eungruily or fuilabl eneCs,

which oughl 10 fubfi/l belwem fenfible beings and their

thoughls, 1V0rds, and aélions.

In order to give a full view of theCe fecondary rela–

tions, IVe fhall mce themIhrough fonte of themon con–

fiderable prinwy relation" The relation of a paTl te

lhe whole, being extremcly intimale, demands the Ut·

moO clegrce of eongruity i eveo the flighten deviation is

difguflful.

Examplcs ofeongruiry and ineongruity are furnifhed in

plcnl yby the relalionbetIVeena fuhjeé! and its ornaments.

A lil",.,yI,,:rform.nce intrnded merely for amuCemcnt, is

fufecpliblc of Illuch ornamento as IVell as a mufie roo"1,

or' play.houfe ; for in gaicly, Ihe mind halh a peculiu

rclilh fur IholV ¡lnd dccoralion. T he

010/1

gorgcous 'p.

p."tI, hOlVever impropcr in lragedy, is nOI unCuirahle

opera .élors: Ihe Irulh is, an opera, in its prefent

fMIll. is a IIlighlY fine lhing; but as it deviates from na.

ture in ilS eapil.1eircumflJllccs, we look not for nature

nOr.