But in these, so far is perfection,
considered
as such, from being the cause of beauty; that this quality, where it is highest, in the female sex, almost always carries with it an idea of weakness and imperfection.
Edmund Burke
They are as certainly in ugly ones; as any whO will take the pains to try may find.
Nay, I do not know but they may be least perfect in some of the most beautiful.
You may assign any proportions you please to every part of the human body; and I undertake that a painter shall religiously observe them all, and notwithstanding produce, if he pleases, a very ugly figure.
The same painter shall consider ably deviate from these proportions, and produce a very beautiful one.
And, indeed, it may be observed in the masterpieces of the ancient and modern statu ary, that several of them differ very widely from the
proportions of others, in parts very conspicuous and of great consideration; and that they differ no less from the proportions we find in living men, of forms extremely striking and agreeable. And after all, how are the partisans of proportional beauty agreed amongst themselves about the proportions of the
human body? Some hold it to be seven heads; some make it eight; whilst others extend it even to ten : a vast difference in such a small number of divisions! Others take other methods of estimating the proportions, and all with equal success. But are these proportions exactly the same in all handsome men? or are they at all the proportions found in beautifi1l women? Nobody will say that they are;
yet both sexes are undoubtedly capable of beauty, and the female of the greatest; which advantage I be lieve will hardly be attributed to the superior exact ness of proportion in the fair sex. Let us rest a moment on this point; and consider how much dif
ference there is between the measures that prevail in many similar parts of the body, in the two sexes of
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this single species only. If you assign any determi nate proportions to the limbs of a man, and if you limit human beauty to these proportions, when you find a woman who differs in the make and measures of almost every part, you must conclude her not to be beautiful, in spite of the suggestions of yo1u' imagi nation; or, in obedience to your imagination,
must renounce your rules; you must lay by the scale and compass, and look out for some other cause of beauty. For if beauty be attached to certain measures which operate from a principle in nature, why should similar parts with diiferent measures of proportion be found to have beauty, and this too in the very' same species? But to open our view a little, it is worth observing, that almost all animals have parts of very much the same nature, and destined nearly to the same purposes; a head, neck, body, feet, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth; yet Providence, to provide in the best manner for their several wants, and to display the riches of his wis dom and goodness in his creation, has worked out of these few and similar organs, and members, a diver sity hardly short of infinite in their disposition, meas ures and relation. But, as we have before observed, amidst this infinite diversity, one particular is com mon to many species: several of the individuals which compose them are capable of affecting us with a sense of loveliness: and whilst they agree in pro ducing this effect, they differ extremely in the rela tive measures of those parts which have produced it. These considerations were sufiicient to induce me to reject the notion of any particular proportions that operated by nature to produce a pleasing eifect ; but those who will agree with me with regard to a par
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ticular proportion, are strongly prepossessed in favor of one more indefinite. They imagine, that although beauty in general is annexed to no certain measures common to the several kinds of pleasing plants and animals; yet that there is a certain proportion in each species absolutely essential to the beauty of that particular kind. If we consider the animal world in general, we find beauty confined to no certain meas ures ; but as some peculiar measure and relation of parts is what distinguishes each' peculiar class of ani mals, it must of necessity be, that the beautiful in each kind will be found in the measures and propor tions of that kind; for otherwise it would deviate from its proper species, and become in some sort monstrous : however, no species is so strictly confined
to any certain proportions, that there is not a consider able variation amongst the individuals ; and as it has been shown of the human, so it may be shown of the brute kinds, that beauty is found indifferently in all the
? which each kind can admit, without quit ting its common form ; and it is this idea of a com mon form that makes the proportion of parts at all regarded, and not the operation of any natural cause : indeed a little consideration will make it appear, that
it is not measure, but manner, that creates all the beauty which belongs to shape. What light do we borrow from these boasted proportions, when we study ornamental design? It seems amazing to me, that artists, if they were as well convinced as they
pretend to be, that proportion is a principal . cause of beauty, have not by them at all times accurate meas urements of all sorts of beautiful animals to help them to proper proportions, when they would con trive anything elegant; especially as they frequently
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assert that it is from an observation of the beautiful in nature they direct their practice. I know that it has been said long since, and echoed backward and for ward from one writer to another a thousand times, that the proportions of building have been taken from those of the human body. To make this forced analo gy complete, they represent a man with his arms raised and extended at full length, and then describe a sort of square, as it is formed by passing lines along the ex tremities of this strange figure. But it appears very clearly to me that the human figure never supplied the architect with any of his ideas. For, in the first
place, men are very rarely seen in this strained pos ture; it is not natural to them; neither is it at all becoming. Secondly, the view of the human figure so disposed, does not naturally suggest the idea of a square, but rather of a cross ; as that large space be tween the arms and the ground must be filled with something before it can make anybody think of a square. Thirdly, several buildings are by no means of the form of that particular square, which are not withstanding planned by the best architects, and pro duce an effect altogether as good, and perhaps a
better. And certainly nothing could be more unac countably whimsical, than for an architect to model his performance by the human figure, since no two things can have less resemblance or analogy, than a man, and a house or temple: do we need to observe that their purposes are entirely different? What I am apt to suspect is this: that these analogies were devised to give a credit to the works of art, by show ing a conformity between them and the noblest works in nature ; not that the latter served at all to supply hints for the perfection of the former. And I am
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the more fully convinced, that the patrons of propor tion have transferred their artificial ideas to nature, and not borrowed from thence the proportions they usein works of art ; because in any discussion of this subject they always quit as soon as possible the open
field of natural beauties, the animal and vegetable
and fortify themselves within the artificial lines and angles of architecture. For there is in man kind an unfortunate propensity to make themselves, their views, and their works, the measure of excel lence in everything whatsoever. Therefore having observed that their dwellings were most commodious and firm when they were thrown into regular figures, with parts answerable to each other; they transferred these ideas to their gardens ; they turned their trees into pillars, pyramids, and obelisks ; they formed their hedges into so many green walls, and fashioned their walks into squares, triangles, and other mathe
matical figures, with exactness and symmetry; and they thought, if they were not imitating, they were at least improving nature, and teaching her to know her business. But nature has at last escaped from their discipline and their fetters ; and our gardens, if nothing else, declare, we begin to feel that mathemat- ical ideas are not the true measures of beauty. And surely they are full as little so in the animal as the vegetable world. For is it not extraordinary, that in these fine descriptive pieces, these innumerable odes
and elegies which are in the mouths of all the world, and many of which have been the entertainment of ages, that in these pieces which describe love with such
a passionate energy, and represent its object in such
an infinite variety of lights, not one word is said of
proportion, if it be, what some insist it the princi v0x. . 1. 12
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pal component of beauty; whilst, at the same time, several other qualities are very frequently and warm ly mentioned? But if proportion has not this power, it may appear odd how men came originally to be so prepossessed in its favor. It arose, I imagine, from the fondness I have just mentioned, which men bear so remarkably to their own works and notions; it arose from false reasonings on the effects of the cus tomary figure of animals; it arose from the Platonic theory of fitness and aptitude. For which reason, in the next section, I shall consider the effects of custom in the figure of animals; and afterwards the idea of fitness: since if proportion does not operate by a nat ural power attending some measures, it must be either by custom, or the idea of utility; there is no other way.
SECTION V. PROPORTION FURTHER CONSIDERED.
IF I am not mistaken, a great deal of the prejudice in favor of proportion has arisen, not so much from the observation of any certain measures found in beau tiful bodies, as from a wrong idea of the relation which deformity bears to beauty, to which it has been consid ered as the opposite; on this principle it was conclu ded that where the causes of deformity were removed, beauty must naturally and necessarily be introduced. This I believe is a mistake. For deformity is opposed
? If one of the legs of a man be found shorter than the
not to beauty, but to theeomplete common form.
other, the man is deformed; because there is some thing wanting to complete the whole idea we form of
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a man; and this has the same effect in natural faults, as maiming and mutilation produce from accidents. So if the back be humped, the man is deformed ; be cause his back has an unusual figure, and what car ries with it the idea of some disease or misfortune; so if a man's neck be considerably longer or shorter than usual, we say he is deformed in that part, be cause men are not commonly made in that manner.
But surely every hour's experience may convince us that a man may have his legs of an equal length, and resembling each other in all respects, and his neck of a just size, and his back quite straight, without hav ing at the same time the least perceivable beauty. In deed beauty is so far from belonging to the idea of custom, that in reality what affects us in that manner
is extremely rare and uncommon. The beautiful strikes us as much by its novelty as the deformed it self. It is thus in those species of animals with which we are acquainted ; and if one of a new species were represented, we should by no means wait until custom had settled an idea of proportion, before we decided concerning its beauty or ugliness: which shows that the general idea of beauty can be no more owing "to customary than to natural proportion. Deformity arises from the want of the common proportions ; but the necessary result of their existence in any object is not beauty. If we suppose proportion in natural things to be relative to custom and use, the nature of use and custom will show that beauty, which is a
positive and powerful quality, cannot result from it. We are so wonderfully formed, that, whilst we are creatures vehemently desirous of novelty, we are as strongly attached to habit and custom. But it is the
nature of things which hold us by custom, to affect
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us very little whilst we are in possession of them, but A strongly when they are absent. I remember to have frequented a certain place, every day for a long time together; and I may truly say that, so far from find ing pleasure in was affected with sort of weari ness and disgust; came, went, returned, without pleasure yet by any means passed by the usual time of my going thither,
was' remarkably uneasy, had got into my old track. almost without being sen
and was not quiet till
They who use snuff, take
sible that they take and the acute sense of smell deadened, so as to feel hardly anything from so sharp
? stimulus yet deprive the snuff-taker of his box, and he the most uneasy mortal in the world. Indeed so far are use and habit from being causes of pleasure merely as such, that the effect of constant use to make all things of whatever kind entirely unaffecting.
. For as use at last takes off the painful effect of many things, reduces the pleasurable effect in others in the same manner, and brings both to sort of medi ocrity and indifference. Very justly use called second nature; and our natural and common state one of absolute indifference, equally prepared for pain or pleasure. But when we are thrownout of this state, or deprived of anything requisite to maintain us in it; when this chance does not happen by pleasure from some mechanical cause, we are always hurt. It is so with the second nature, custom, in all things which relate to it. Thus the want of the usual proportions in men and other animals sure to disgust, though their presence by no means any cause of real pleasure. It
true that the proportions laid down as causes of beauty in the human body, are frequently found in beautiful ones, because they are generally found in
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all mankind; but if it can be shown too that they are
found without beauty, and that beauty frequently ex ists without them, and that this beauty, where it ex
ists, always can be assigned to other less equivocal causes, it will naturally lead us to conclude that pro portion and beauty are not ideas of the same nature. The true opposite to beauty is not disproportion or deformity, but ugliness : and as it proceeds from causes opposite to those of positive beauty, we cannot consider it until we come to treat of that. Between beauty and ugliness there is a sort of mediocrity, in which the assigned proportions are most commonly found ; but this has no effect upon the passions.
SECTION VI.
FITNESS NOT _TI1I-3 Cnus>>: or BEAUTY.
IT is said that the idea of utility, or of a part's being well adapted to answer its end, is the cause of beauty, or indeed beauty itself. If it were not for this opin ion, it had been impossible for the doctrine of pro portion to have held its ground very long; the world would be soon weary of hearing of measures which related to nothing, either of a natural principle, or of a fitness to answer some end; the idea which man kind most commonly conceive of proportion, is the suitableness of means to certain ends, and, where this is not the question, very seldom trouble themselves about the effect of different measures of things. Therefore it was necessary for this theory to insist that not only artificial, but natural objects took their beauty from the fitness of the parts for their several purposes. But in framing this theory, I am apprehen
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sive that experience was not sufficiently consulted. For, on that principle, the wedge-like snout of a swine, with its tough cartilage at the end, the little sunk eyes, and the whole make of the head, so well adapted to its offices of digging and rooting, would be extreme ly beautiful. The great bag hanging to the bill of a pelican, a thing highly useful to this animal, would be likewise as beautiful in our eyes. The hedge-hog, so well secured against all assaults by his prickly hide, and the porcupine with his missile quills, would be then considered as creatures of no small elegance. There are few animals whose parts are better con trived than those of a monkey: he has the hands of a man, joined to the springy limbs of a beast; he is admirably calculated for running, leaping, grap pling, and climbing; and yet there are few animals which seem to have less beauty in the eyes of all man kind. I need say little on the trunk of the elephant, of such various usefulness, and which is so far from contributing to his beauty. How well fitted is the wolf for running and leaping! how admirably is the lion armed for battle! but will any one therefore call the elephant, the wolf, and the lion, beautiful ani mals? I believe nobody will think the form of a man's leg so well adapted to running, as those of a horse, a dog, a deer, and several other creatures; at least they have not that appearance: yet, I believe, a well-fashioned human leg will be allowed to far ex ceed all these in beauty. If the fitness of parts was what constituted the loveliness of their form, the ac tual employment of them would undoubtedly much augment it ; but this, though it is sometimes so upon another principle, is far from being always the case. A bird on the wing is not so_beautiful as when it is
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perched; nay, there are several of the domestic fowls which are seldom seen to fly, and which are nothing the less beautiful on that account; yet birds are so ex tremely different in their form from the beast and hu man kinds, that you cannot, on the principle of fitness, allow them anything agreeable, but in consideration of their parts being designed for quite other purposes. I never in my life chanced to see a peacock fly; and yet before, very long before I considered any aptitude in his form 'for the aerial life, I was struck with the extreme beauty which raises that bird above many of
the best flying fowls in the world; though, for any thing I saw, his way of living was much like that of the swine, which fed in the farm-yard along with him. The same may be said of cocks, hens, and the like; they are of the flying kind in figure; in their man ner of moving not very different from men and beasts. To leave these foreign examples ; if beauty in our own species was annexed to use, men would be much more lovely than women; and strength and agility would be considered as the only beauties. But to call strength by the name of beauty, to have but one de nomination for the qualities of a Venus and Hercu les, so totally different in almost all respects, is surely a strange confusion of ideas, or abuse of words. The cause of this confusion, I imagine, proceeds from our frequently perceiving the parts of the human and other animal bodies to be at once very beautiful, and very well adapted to their purposes; and we are de ceived by a sophism, which makes us take that for a cause which is only a concomitant: this is the SOphism of the fly; who imagined he raised a great dust, because he stood upon the chariot that really raised it. The stomach, the lungs, the liver, as well
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as other parts, are incomparably well adapted to their purposes; yet they are far from having any beauty. Again, many things are very beautiful, in which it is impossible to discern any idea of use. And I appeal to the first and most natural feelings of mankind, whether on beholding a beautiful eye, or a well fashioned mouth, or a well-turned leg, any ideas of their being well fitted for seeing, eating, or running, ever present themselves. What idea of use is it that flowers excite, the most beautiful part of 'the vegeta ble world? It is true that the infinitely wise and good Creator has, of his bounty, frequently joined beauty to those things which he has made useful to us; but this does not prove that an idea of use and beauty are the same thing, or that they are any way dependent on each other.
SECTION VII.
THE REAL EFFECTS OF FITNEss.
WHEN I excluded proportion and fitness from any share in beauty, I did not by any means intend to say that they were of no value, or that they ought to be disregarded in works of art. \Vorks of art are the proper sphere of their power; and here it is that they have their full effect. Whenever the wisdom of our Creator intended that we should be affected with anything, he did not confide the execution of his de sign to the languid and precarious operation of our reason ; but he endued it with powers and properties that prevent the understanding, and even the will;
which, seizing upon the senses and imagination, cap tivate the soul, before the undcrstanding is ready
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e1ther to join with them, or to oppose them. It is by a long deduction, and much study, that we discover the adorable wisdom of God in his works: when we discover it the eifect is very different, not only in the inanner of acquiring but in its own nature, from that which strikes us without any preparation from the sublime or the beautiful. How different the satisfaction of an anatomist, who discovers the use of the muscles and of the skin, the excellent contrivance of the one for the various movements of the body, and the wonderful texture of the other, at once general covering, and at once general outlet as well
inlet; how dilferent this from the affection which possesses an ordinary man at the sight of delicate, smooth skin, and all the other parts of beau ty, which require no investigation to be perceived! In the former case, whilst we look up to the Maker with admiration and praise, the object which causes
may be odious and distasteful; the latter very of ten so touches us by its power on the imagination, that we examine but little into the artifice of its con trivance and we have need of strong effort of our
reason to disentangle our minds from the allurements of the object, to consideration of that wisdom which invented so powerful machine. The effect of pro
portion and fitness, at least so far as they proceed from mere consideration of the work itself, produce approbation, the acquiescence of the understanding, but not love, nor any passion of that species. When we examine the structure of watch, when we come
to know thoroughly the use of every part of satis fied as we are with the fitness of the whole, we are far enough from perceiving anything like beauty in the watch-work itself; but let us look on the case,
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the labor of some curious artist in engraving, with little or no idea of use, we shall have a much livelier idea of beauty than we ever could have had from the watch itself, though the masterpiece of Graham. In beauty, as I said, the effect is previous to any knowl edge of the use ; but to judge of proportion, we must know the end for which any work is designed. Ac cording to the end, the proportion varies. Thus there is one proportion of a tower, another of a house ; one proportion of a gallery, another of a hall, another of a chamber. To judge of the proportions of these, you must be first acquainted with the pur poses for which they were designed. Good sense and experience acting together, find out what is fit to be done in every work of art. We are rational crea tures, and in all our works we ought to regard their end and purpose; the gratification of any passion, how innocent soever, ought only to be of secondary consideration. Herein is placed the real power of fit ness and proportion ; they operate on the understand ing considering them, which approves the work and acquiesces in it. The passions, and the imagination which principally raises them, have here very little to do. When a room appears in its original nakedness, bare walls and a plain ceiling: let its proportion be ever so excellent, it pleases very little ; a cold appro bation is the utmost we can reach; a much worse proportioned room with elegant mouldings and fine festoons, glasses, and other merely ornamental furni ture, will make the imagination revolt against the reason ; it will please much more than the naked proportion of the first room, which the understanding has so much approved, as admirably fitted for its Pi11' poses. What I have here said and before concerning
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proportion, is by no means to persuade people absurd ly to neglect the idea of use in the works of art. It is only to show that these excellent things, beauty and proportion, are not the same ; not that they should either of them be disregarded. _
SECTION VIII. THE RECAPITULATION.
ON the whole ; if such parts in human bodies as are fo1md proportioned, were likewise constantly found beautiful, as they certainly are not; or if they were so situated, as that a pleasure might flow from the comparison, which they seldom are ; or if any assign able proportions were found, either in plants or ani mals, which were always attended with beauty, which never was the case ; or where parts were well adapt ed to their purposes, they were constantly beautiful, and when no use appeared, there was no beauty, which contrary to all experience; we might con clude that beauty consisted in proportion or utility.
But since, in all respects, the case quite otherwise we may be satisfied that beauty does not depend on these, let owe its origin to what else will.
N X. PERFECTION NOT THE cause 0F BEAUTY.
THERE another notion current, pretty closely allied to the former; that perfection the constit uent cause of beauty. This opinion has been made to extend much further than to sensible
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But in these, so far is perfection, considered as such, from being the cause of beauty; that this quality, where it is highest, in the female sex, almost always carries with it an idea of weakness and imperfection. Women are very sensible of this; for which reason they learn to lisp, to totter in their walk, to counterfeit weakness, and even sickness. In all this they are guided by nature. Beauty in distress is much the most affecting beauty. Blush ing has little less power: and modesty in general, which is a tacit allowance of imperfection, is itself considered as an amiable quality, and certainly height ens every other that is so. I know it is in every body's mouth, that we ought to love perfection. This is to me a sufficient proof, that it is not the proper object of love. Who ever said we ought to love a fine woman, or even any of these beautiful animals which please us? Here to be affected, there is no need of the concurrence of our will.
SECTION X.
HOW FAR THE IDEA OF BEAUTY MAY BE APPLIED TO THE QUALITIES OF THE MIND
NOR is this remark in general less applicable to the qualities of the mind. Those virtues which cause admiration, and are _of the sublimer kind, produce terror rather than love; such as fortitude, justice, wisdom, and the like. Never was any man amiable by force of these qualities. Those which engage our hearts, which impress us with a sense of loveliness, are the softer virtues; easiness of temper, compas sion, kindness, and liberality ; though certainly those
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latter are of less immediate and momentous concern to society, and of less dignity. But it is for that reason that they are so amiable. The great vir tues turn principally on dangers, punishments, and troubles, and are exercised, rather in preventing the worst mischiefs, than in dispensing favors; and are therefore not lovely, though highly venerable. The subordinate turn on reliefs, gratifications, and indul
gences; and are therefore more lovely, though infe rior in dignity. Those persons who creep into the hearts of most people, who are chosen as the compan ions of their softer hours, and their reliefs from care and anxiety, are never persons of shining qualities or strong virtues. It is rather the soft green of the soul on which we rest our eyes, that are fatigued with beholding more glaring objects. It is worth observ ing how we feel Ou. rS6lV6S affected in reading the
characters of Caesar and Cato, as they are so finely drawn and contrasted in Sallust. In one the igno scendo largiundo ; in the other, nil largiundo. In one, the miseris perfugium ; in the other, malis perniciem. In the latter we have much to admire, much to rev erence, and perhaps something to fear; we respect him, but we respect him at a distance, The former makes us familiar with him; we love him, and he leads us whither he pleases. To draw things closer
to our first and most natural feelings, I will add a re . mark made upon reading this section by an ingen
ious friend. The authority of a father, so useful to our well-being, and so justly venerable upon all ac counts, hinders us from having that entire love for him that we have for our mothers,where the parental authority is almost melted down into the mother's fondness and indulgence. But we generally have a
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great love for our grandfathers, in whom this au thority is removed a degree from us, and where the weakness of age mellows it into something of a fem inine partiality.
SECTION XI.
HOW FAR THE IDEA OF BEAUTY MAY BE APPLIED TO VIRTUE.
FROM what has been said in the foregoing section, we may easily see how far the application of beauty to virtue may be made with propriety. The general application of this quality to virtue has a strong ten dency to confound our ideas of things, and it has given rise to an infinite deal of whimsical theory; as the affixing the name of beauty to proportion, con gruity, and perfection, as well as to qualities of things yet more remote from our natural ideas of
and from one another, has tended to confound om' ideas of beauty, and left us no standard or rule to judge by, that was not even more uncertain and fal
lacious than our own fancies. This loose and inac. curate manner of speaking has therefore misled us both in the theory of taste and of morals; and in duced us to remove the science of our duties from their proper basis (our reason, our relations, and our necessities), to rest upon foundations alto gether visionary and unsubstantial.
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SECTION XIL THE REAL causs or BEAUTY.
HAVING endeavored to show what beauty is not, it remains that we should examine, at least with equal attention, in what it really consists. Beauty is a thing much too affecting not to depend upon some positive qualities. And since it is no creature of our reason, since it strikes us without any reference to use, and even where no use at all can be discerned, since the order and method of nature is generally very different from our measures and proportions, we must conclude that beauty for the greater part, some quality in bodies acting mechanically upon the hu
man mind by the intervention of the senses. We ought, therefore, to consider attentively in what man ner those sensible qualities are disposed, in such things as by experience we find beautiful, or which excite in us the passion of love, or some correspondent affec tion.
SE CTION XIII. BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS SMALL.
THE most obvious point that presents itself to us in examining any object its extent or quantity. And what degree of extent prevails in bodies that are held beautiful, may be gathered from the usual manner of expression concerning it. am told that, in most
languages, the objects of love are spoken of under dirninutive epithets. It so in all the languages of which have any knowledge. In Greek the mu and other diminutive terms are almost always the terms
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of affection and tenderness. These diminutives were commonly added by the Greeks to the names of per sons with whom they conversed on terms of friend ship and familiarity. Though the Romans were a people of less quick and delicate feelings, yet they naturally slid into the lessening termination upon the same occasions. Anciently, in the English language, the diminishing ling was added to the names of per sons and things that were the objects of love. Some we retain still, as darling (or little dear), and a few others. But to this day, in ordinary conversation, it is usual to add the endearing name of little to every thing we love ; the French and Italians make use of these affectionate diminutives even more than we. In the animal creation, out of our own species, it is the small we are inclined to be fond of; little birds, and some of the smaller kinds of beasts. A great beautiful thing is a manner of expression scarcely ever used; but that of a great ugly thing is very common. There is a wide difference between admi ration and love. The sublime, which is the cause of the former, always dwells on great objects, and terri blc; the latter on small ones, and pleasing ; we sub mit to what we admire, but we love what submits to us; in one case we are forced, in the other we are flattered, into compliance. In short, the ideas of the sublime and the beautiful stand on fo1mdations so different, that it is hard, I had almost said impossible, to think of reconciling them in the same subject, without considerably lessening the effect of the one or the other upon the passions. So that, attending to their quantity, beautiful objects are comparatively small.
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SECTION XIV. suoornnnss.
193
THE next property constantly observable in such objects is smoothness ; * a quality so essential to beau ty, that I do not now recollect anything beautiful that is not smooth. In trees and flowers, smooth leaves are beautiful; smooth slopes of earth in gar dens; smooth streams in the landscape; smooth coats of birds and beasts in animal beauties; in
fine women, smooth skins; and in several sorts of ornamental furniture, smooth and polished surfaces. A very considerable part of the effect of beauty is owing to this quality ; indeed the most considerable. For, take any beautiful object, and give it a broken and rugged surface; and, however well formed it may be in other respects, it pleases no longer. Whereas, let it want ever so many of the other constituents, if it wants not this, it becomes more pleasing than almost all the others without it. This seems to me so evident, that I am a good deal sur prised that none who have handled the subject have
made any mention of the quality of smoothness in the enumeration of those that go to the forming of beauty. For, indeed, any ruggedness, any sudden projection, any sharp angle, is in the highest degree contrary to that idea
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1' Part IV. sect. 20.
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SECTION XV. GRAD UAL VARIATION.
BUT as perfectly beautiful bodies are not composed of angular parts, so their parts never continue long in the same right line. * They vary their direction every moment, and they change under the eye by a deviation continually carrying on, but for whose be ginning or end you will find it difficult to ascertain a point. The view of a beautiful bird will illustrate this observation. Here we see the head increasing insensibly to the middle, from whence it lessens grad ually until it mixes with the neck; the neck loses itself in a larger swell, which continues to the middle of the body, when the whole decreases again to the tail ; the tail takes a new direction, but it soon varies its new course, it blends again with the other parts, and the line is perpetually changing, above, below, upon every side. In this description I have before me the idea of a dove ; it agrees very well with most of the conditions of beauty. It is smooth and downy; its parts are (to use that expression) melted into one another; you are presented with no sudden protu berance through the whole, and yet the whole is con tinually changing. Observe that part of a beautiful woman where she is perhaps the most beautiful, about the neck and breasts ; the smoothness, the soft ness, the easy and insensible swell ; the variety of the surface, which is never for the smallest space the same; the deceitful maze through which the un steady eye slides giddily, without knowing where to fix, or whither it is carried. Is not this a demonstra
* Part IV. sect. 23.
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tion of that change of surface, continual, and yet
at any point, which forms one of the great constituents of beauty? It gives me no
hardly perceptible
small pleasure to find that I can strengthen my the ory in this point by the opinion of the very ingenious Mr. Hogarth, whose idea of the line of beauty I take in general to be extremely just. But the idea of variation, without attending so accurately to the man
ner of the variation, has led him to consider angular figures as beautiful; these figures, it is true, vary greatly, yet they vary in a sudden and broken man ner, and I do not find any natural object which is angular, and at the same time beautiful. Indeed, few natural objects are entirely angular. But I think those which approach the most nearly to it are the
? I must add, too, that so far as I could ob serve of nature, though the varied line is that alone in which complete beauty is found, yet there is no particular line which is always found in the most completely beautiful, and which is therefore beautiful in preference to all other lines. At least I never could observe it.
ugliest.
SECTION XVI. nsuoacr.
AN air of robustness and strength is very prejudi
cial to beauty. An appearance of delicacy, and even of fragility, is almost essential to it. Whoever exam ines the vegetable or animal creation will find this observation to be founded in nature. It is not the oak, the ash, or the elm, or any of the robust trees of the forest which we consider as beautiful; they are
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awful and majestic, they inspire a sort of reverence. It is the delicate myrtle, it is the orange, it is the almond, it is the jasmine, it is the vine which we look on as vegetable beauties. It is the flowery spe cies, so remarkable for its weakness and momentary duration, that gives us the liveliest idea of beauty and elegance. Among animals, the greyhound is more beautiful than the mastiff, and the delicacy of a
jennet, a barb, or an Arabian horse, is much more amiable than the strength and stability of some horses of war or carriage. I need here say little of the fair sex, where I believe the point will be easily allowed me. The beauty of women is considerably owing to their weakness or delicacy, and is even enhanced by their timidity, a quality of mind analogous to it. I would not here be understood to say, that weakness betraying very bad health has any share in beauty; but the ill effect of this is not because it is weakness, but because the ill state of health, which produces such weakness, alters the other conditions of beauty; the parts in such a case collapse, the bright color, the lumen purpureum juventw is gone, and the fine varia tion is lost in wrinkles, sudden breaks, and right lines.
SECTION BEAUTY IN OOLOR.
As to the colors usually found in beautiful bodies, it may be somewhat difficult to ascertain them, be cause, in the several parts 'of nature, there is an infi nite variety. However, even in this variety, we may mark out something on which to settle. First, the colors of beautiful bodies must not be dusky O1
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muddy, but clean and fair. Secondly, they must not be of the strongest kind. Those which seem most appropriated to beauty, are the milder of every sort; light greens; soft blues; weak whites ; pink reds; and violets. Thirdly, if the colors be strong and vivid, they are always diversified, and the object is never of one strong color; there are almost always
such a number of them (as in variegated flowers) that the strength and glare of each is considerably abated. In a fine complexion there is not only some variety in the coloring, but the colors: neither the red nor the white are strong and glaring. Besides, they are mixed in such a manner, and with such gra dations, that it is impossible to fix the bounds. On the same principle it is that the dubious color in the necks and tails of peacocks, and about the heads of drakes, is so very agreeable. In reality, the beauty both of shape and coloring are as nearly related as we can well suppose it possible for things of such dif ferent natures to be.
SECTION XVIII. RECAPITULATION.
ON the whole, the qualities of beauty, as they are merely sensible qualities, are the following: First, to be comparatively small. Secondly, to be smooth. Thirdly, to have a variety in the direction of the parts; but, fourthly, to have those parts not angular, but melted, as it were, into each other. Fifthly, to be of a delicate frame, without any remarkable ap pearance of strength. Sixthly, to have its colors clear and bright, but not very strong and glaring.
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Seventhly, or if it should have any glaring color, to have it diversified with others. These are, I believe, the properties on which beauty depends; properties that operate by nature, and are less liable to be al tered by caprice, or confounded by a diversity of tastes, than any other.
SEC'1'ION XIX. THE rnrsioenomr.
THE physiognomy has a considerable share in beauty, especially in that of our own species. The manners
a certain determination to the countenance; which, being observed to correspond pretty regularly with them, is capable of joining the effect of certain agreeable qualities of the mind to those of the body. So that to form a finished human beauty, and to give it its full influence, the. face must be expressive of such gentle and amiable qualities, as correspond with the softness, smoothness, and delicacy of the outward form.
? give
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SECTION xx. THE EYE
I HAVE hitherto purposely omitted to speak of the eye, which has so great a share in the beauty of the animal creation, as it did not fall so easily under the foregoing heads, though in fact it is reducible to the same principles. I think, then, that the beauty of the eye consists, first, in its clearness; what colored eye shall please most, depends a good deal on particu lar fancies; but none are pleased with an eye whose
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water (to use that term) is dull and muddy? " We are pleased with the eye in this view, on the principle upon which we like diamonds, clear water, glass, and such like transparent substances. Secondly, the mo tion of the eye contributes to its beauty, by contin
ually shifting its direction; but a slow and languid motion is more beautiful than a brisk one; the latter is enlivening; the former lovely. Thirdly, with re gard to the union of the eye with the neighboring parts, it is to hold the same rule that is given of other beautiful ones; it is not to make a strong deviation
from the line of the neighboring parts; nor to verge into any exact geometrical figure. Besides all this, the eye affects, as it is expressive of some qualities of the mind, and its principal power generally arises from this ; so that what we have just said of the phys
? iognomy is applicable here.
_
SECTION XXI. U,sLInEss.
IT may perhaps appear like a sort of repetition of what we have before said, to insist here upon the na ture of ugliness; as I imagine it to be in all respects the opposite to those qualities which we have laid down for the constituents of beauty. But though ugliness be the opposite to beauty, it is not the oppo site to proportion and fitness. For it is possible that a thing may be very ugly with any proportions, and with a perfect fitness to any uses. Ugliness I ima gine likewise to be consistent enough with an idea of the sublime. But I would by no means insinuate
* Part IV. sect. 25.
?
proportions of others, in parts very conspicuous and of great consideration; and that they differ no less from the proportions we find in living men, of forms extremely striking and agreeable. And after all, how are the partisans of proportional beauty agreed amongst themselves about the proportions of the
human body? Some hold it to be seven heads; some make it eight; whilst others extend it even to ten : a vast difference in such a small number of divisions! Others take other methods of estimating the proportions, and all with equal success. But are these proportions exactly the same in all handsome men? or are they at all the proportions found in beautifi1l women? Nobody will say that they are;
yet both sexes are undoubtedly capable of beauty, and the female of the greatest; which advantage I be lieve will hardly be attributed to the superior exact ness of proportion in the fair sex. Let us rest a moment on this point; and consider how much dif
ference there is between the measures that prevail in many similar parts of the body, in the two sexes of
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this single species only. If you assign any determi nate proportions to the limbs of a man, and if you limit human beauty to these proportions, when you find a woman who differs in the make and measures of almost every part, you must conclude her not to be beautiful, in spite of the suggestions of yo1u' imagi nation; or, in obedience to your imagination,
must renounce your rules; you must lay by the scale and compass, and look out for some other cause of beauty. For if beauty be attached to certain measures which operate from a principle in nature, why should similar parts with diiferent measures of proportion be found to have beauty, and this too in the very' same species? But to open our view a little, it is worth observing, that almost all animals have parts of very much the same nature, and destined nearly to the same purposes; a head, neck, body, feet, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth; yet Providence, to provide in the best manner for their several wants, and to display the riches of his wis dom and goodness in his creation, has worked out of these few and similar organs, and members, a diver sity hardly short of infinite in their disposition, meas ures and relation. But, as we have before observed, amidst this infinite diversity, one particular is com mon to many species: several of the individuals which compose them are capable of affecting us with a sense of loveliness: and whilst they agree in pro ducing this effect, they differ extremely in the rela tive measures of those parts which have produced it. These considerations were sufiicient to induce me to reject the notion of any particular proportions that operated by nature to produce a pleasing eifect ; but those who will agree with me with regard to a par
you
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ticular proportion, are strongly prepossessed in favor of one more indefinite. They imagine, that although beauty in general is annexed to no certain measures common to the several kinds of pleasing plants and animals; yet that there is a certain proportion in each species absolutely essential to the beauty of that particular kind. If we consider the animal world in general, we find beauty confined to no certain meas ures ; but as some peculiar measure and relation of parts is what distinguishes each' peculiar class of ani mals, it must of necessity be, that the beautiful in each kind will be found in the measures and propor tions of that kind; for otherwise it would deviate from its proper species, and become in some sort monstrous : however, no species is so strictly confined
to any certain proportions, that there is not a consider able variation amongst the individuals ; and as it has been shown of the human, so it may be shown of the brute kinds, that beauty is found indifferently in all the
? which each kind can admit, without quit ting its common form ; and it is this idea of a com mon form that makes the proportion of parts at all regarded, and not the operation of any natural cause : indeed a little consideration will make it appear, that
it is not measure, but manner, that creates all the beauty which belongs to shape. What light do we borrow from these boasted proportions, when we study ornamental design? It seems amazing to me, that artists, if they were as well convinced as they
pretend to be, that proportion is a principal . cause of beauty, have not by them at all times accurate meas urements of all sorts of beautiful animals to help them to proper proportions, when they would con trive anything elegant; especially as they frequently
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assert that it is from an observation of the beautiful in nature they direct their practice. I know that it has been said long since, and echoed backward and for ward from one writer to another a thousand times, that the proportions of building have been taken from those of the human body. To make this forced analo gy complete, they represent a man with his arms raised and extended at full length, and then describe a sort of square, as it is formed by passing lines along the ex tremities of this strange figure. But it appears very clearly to me that the human figure never supplied the architect with any of his ideas. For, in the first
place, men are very rarely seen in this strained pos ture; it is not natural to them; neither is it at all becoming. Secondly, the view of the human figure so disposed, does not naturally suggest the idea of a square, but rather of a cross ; as that large space be tween the arms and the ground must be filled with something before it can make anybody think of a square. Thirdly, several buildings are by no means of the form of that particular square, which are not withstanding planned by the best architects, and pro duce an effect altogether as good, and perhaps a
better. And certainly nothing could be more unac countably whimsical, than for an architect to model his performance by the human figure, since no two things can have less resemblance or analogy, than a man, and a house or temple: do we need to observe that their purposes are entirely different? What I am apt to suspect is this: that these analogies were devised to give a credit to the works of art, by show ing a conformity between them and the noblest works in nature ; not that the latter served at all to supply hints for the perfection of the former. And I am
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the more fully convinced, that the patrons of propor tion have transferred their artificial ideas to nature, and not borrowed from thence the proportions they usein works of art ; because in any discussion of this subject they always quit as soon as possible the open
field of natural beauties, the animal and vegetable
and fortify themselves within the artificial lines and angles of architecture. For there is in man kind an unfortunate propensity to make themselves, their views, and their works, the measure of excel lence in everything whatsoever. Therefore having observed that their dwellings were most commodious and firm when they were thrown into regular figures, with parts answerable to each other; they transferred these ideas to their gardens ; they turned their trees into pillars, pyramids, and obelisks ; they formed their hedges into so many green walls, and fashioned their walks into squares, triangles, and other mathe
matical figures, with exactness and symmetry; and they thought, if they were not imitating, they were at least improving nature, and teaching her to know her business. But nature has at last escaped from their discipline and their fetters ; and our gardens, if nothing else, declare, we begin to feel that mathemat- ical ideas are not the true measures of beauty. And surely they are full as little so in the animal as the vegetable world. For is it not extraordinary, that in these fine descriptive pieces, these innumerable odes
and elegies which are in the mouths of all the world, and many of which have been the entertainment of ages, that in these pieces which describe love with such
a passionate energy, and represent its object in such
an infinite variety of lights, not one word is said of
proportion, if it be, what some insist it the princi v0x. . 1. 12
kingdoms,
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pal component of beauty; whilst, at the same time, several other qualities are very frequently and warm ly mentioned? But if proportion has not this power, it may appear odd how men came originally to be so prepossessed in its favor. It arose, I imagine, from the fondness I have just mentioned, which men bear so remarkably to their own works and notions; it arose from false reasonings on the effects of the cus tomary figure of animals; it arose from the Platonic theory of fitness and aptitude. For which reason, in the next section, I shall consider the effects of custom in the figure of animals; and afterwards the idea of fitness: since if proportion does not operate by a nat ural power attending some measures, it must be either by custom, or the idea of utility; there is no other way.
SECTION V. PROPORTION FURTHER CONSIDERED.
IF I am not mistaken, a great deal of the prejudice in favor of proportion has arisen, not so much from the observation of any certain measures found in beau tiful bodies, as from a wrong idea of the relation which deformity bears to beauty, to which it has been consid ered as the opposite; on this principle it was conclu ded that where the causes of deformity were removed, beauty must naturally and necessarily be introduced. This I believe is a mistake. For deformity is opposed
? If one of the legs of a man be found shorter than the
not to beauty, but to theeomplete common form.
other, the man is deformed; because there is some thing wanting to complete the whole idea we form of
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a man; and this has the same effect in natural faults, as maiming and mutilation produce from accidents. So if the back be humped, the man is deformed ; be cause his back has an unusual figure, and what car ries with it the idea of some disease or misfortune; so if a man's neck be considerably longer or shorter than usual, we say he is deformed in that part, be cause men are not commonly made in that manner.
But surely every hour's experience may convince us that a man may have his legs of an equal length, and resembling each other in all respects, and his neck of a just size, and his back quite straight, without hav ing at the same time the least perceivable beauty. In deed beauty is so far from belonging to the idea of custom, that in reality what affects us in that manner
is extremely rare and uncommon. The beautiful strikes us as much by its novelty as the deformed it self. It is thus in those species of animals with which we are acquainted ; and if one of a new species were represented, we should by no means wait until custom had settled an idea of proportion, before we decided concerning its beauty or ugliness: which shows that the general idea of beauty can be no more owing "to customary than to natural proportion. Deformity arises from the want of the common proportions ; but the necessary result of their existence in any object is not beauty. If we suppose proportion in natural things to be relative to custom and use, the nature of use and custom will show that beauty, which is a
positive and powerful quality, cannot result from it. We are so wonderfully formed, that, whilst we are creatures vehemently desirous of novelty, we are as strongly attached to habit and custom. But it is the
nature of things which hold us by custom, to affect
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us very little whilst we are in possession of them, but A strongly when they are absent. I remember to have frequented a certain place, every day for a long time together; and I may truly say that, so far from find ing pleasure in was affected with sort of weari ness and disgust; came, went, returned, without pleasure yet by any means passed by the usual time of my going thither,
was' remarkably uneasy, had got into my old track. almost without being sen
and was not quiet till
They who use snuff, take
sible that they take and the acute sense of smell deadened, so as to feel hardly anything from so sharp
? stimulus yet deprive the snuff-taker of his box, and he the most uneasy mortal in the world. Indeed so far are use and habit from being causes of pleasure merely as such, that the effect of constant use to make all things of whatever kind entirely unaffecting.
. For as use at last takes off the painful effect of many things, reduces the pleasurable effect in others in the same manner, and brings both to sort of medi ocrity and indifference. Very justly use called second nature; and our natural and common state one of absolute indifference, equally prepared for pain or pleasure. But when we are thrownout of this state, or deprived of anything requisite to maintain us in it; when this chance does not happen by pleasure from some mechanical cause, we are always hurt. It is so with the second nature, custom, in all things which relate to it. Thus the want of the usual proportions in men and other animals sure to disgust, though their presence by no means any cause of real pleasure. It
true that the proportions laid down as causes of beauty in the human body, are frequently found in beautiful ones, because they are generally found in
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all mankind; but if it can be shown too that they are
found without beauty, and that beauty frequently ex ists without them, and that this beauty, where it ex
ists, always can be assigned to other less equivocal causes, it will naturally lead us to conclude that pro portion and beauty are not ideas of the same nature. The true opposite to beauty is not disproportion or deformity, but ugliness : and as it proceeds from causes opposite to those of positive beauty, we cannot consider it until we come to treat of that. Between beauty and ugliness there is a sort of mediocrity, in which the assigned proportions are most commonly found ; but this has no effect upon the passions.
SECTION VI.
FITNESS NOT _TI1I-3 Cnus>>: or BEAUTY.
IT is said that the idea of utility, or of a part's being well adapted to answer its end, is the cause of beauty, or indeed beauty itself. If it were not for this opin ion, it had been impossible for the doctrine of pro portion to have held its ground very long; the world would be soon weary of hearing of measures which related to nothing, either of a natural principle, or of a fitness to answer some end; the idea which man kind most commonly conceive of proportion, is the suitableness of means to certain ends, and, where this is not the question, very seldom trouble themselves about the effect of different measures of things. Therefore it was necessary for this theory to insist that not only artificial, but natural objects took their beauty from the fitness of the parts for their several purposes. But in framing this theory, I am apprehen
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sive that experience was not sufficiently consulted. For, on that principle, the wedge-like snout of a swine, with its tough cartilage at the end, the little sunk eyes, and the whole make of the head, so well adapted to its offices of digging and rooting, would be extreme ly beautiful. The great bag hanging to the bill of a pelican, a thing highly useful to this animal, would be likewise as beautiful in our eyes. The hedge-hog, so well secured against all assaults by his prickly hide, and the porcupine with his missile quills, would be then considered as creatures of no small elegance. There are few animals whose parts are better con trived than those of a monkey: he has the hands of a man, joined to the springy limbs of a beast; he is admirably calculated for running, leaping, grap pling, and climbing; and yet there are few animals which seem to have less beauty in the eyes of all man kind. I need say little on the trunk of the elephant, of such various usefulness, and which is so far from contributing to his beauty. How well fitted is the wolf for running and leaping! how admirably is the lion armed for battle! but will any one therefore call the elephant, the wolf, and the lion, beautiful ani mals? I believe nobody will think the form of a man's leg so well adapted to running, as those of a horse, a dog, a deer, and several other creatures; at least they have not that appearance: yet, I believe, a well-fashioned human leg will be allowed to far ex ceed all these in beauty. If the fitness of parts was what constituted the loveliness of their form, the ac tual employment of them would undoubtedly much augment it ; but this, though it is sometimes so upon another principle, is far from being always the case. A bird on the wing is not so_beautiful as when it is
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perched; nay, there are several of the domestic fowls which are seldom seen to fly, and which are nothing the less beautiful on that account; yet birds are so ex tremely different in their form from the beast and hu man kinds, that you cannot, on the principle of fitness, allow them anything agreeable, but in consideration of their parts being designed for quite other purposes. I never in my life chanced to see a peacock fly; and yet before, very long before I considered any aptitude in his form 'for the aerial life, I was struck with the extreme beauty which raises that bird above many of
the best flying fowls in the world; though, for any thing I saw, his way of living was much like that of the swine, which fed in the farm-yard along with him. The same may be said of cocks, hens, and the like; they are of the flying kind in figure; in their man ner of moving not very different from men and beasts. To leave these foreign examples ; if beauty in our own species was annexed to use, men would be much more lovely than women; and strength and agility would be considered as the only beauties. But to call strength by the name of beauty, to have but one de nomination for the qualities of a Venus and Hercu les, so totally different in almost all respects, is surely a strange confusion of ideas, or abuse of words. The cause of this confusion, I imagine, proceeds from our frequently perceiving the parts of the human and other animal bodies to be at once very beautiful, and very well adapted to their purposes; and we are de ceived by a sophism, which makes us take that for a cause which is only a concomitant: this is the SOphism of the fly; who imagined he raised a great dust, because he stood upon the chariot that really raised it. The stomach, the lungs, the liver, as well
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as other parts, are incomparably well adapted to their purposes; yet they are far from having any beauty. Again, many things are very beautiful, in which it is impossible to discern any idea of use. And I appeal to the first and most natural feelings of mankind, whether on beholding a beautiful eye, or a well fashioned mouth, or a well-turned leg, any ideas of their being well fitted for seeing, eating, or running, ever present themselves. What idea of use is it that flowers excite, the most beautiful part of 'the vegeta ble world? It is true that the infinitely wise and good Creator has, of his bounty, frequently joined beauty to those things which he has made useful to us; but this does not prove that an idea of use and beauty are the same thing, or that they are any way dependent on each other.
SECTION VII.
THE REAL EFFECTS OF FITNEss.
WHEN I excluded proportion and fitness from any share in beauty, I did not by any means intend to say that they were of no value, or that they ought to be disregarded in works of art. \Vorks of art are the proper sphere of their power; and here it is that they have their full effect. Whenever the wisdom of our Creator intended that we should be affected with anything, he did not confide the execution of his de sign to the languid and precarious operation of our reason ; but he endued it with powers and properties that prevent the understanding, and even the will;
which, seizing upon the senses and imagination, cap tivate the soul, before the undcrstanding is ready
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e1ther to join with them, or to oppose them. It is by a long deduction, and much study, that we discover the adorable wisdom of God in his works: when we discover it the eifect is very different, not only in the inanner of acquiring but in its own nature, from that which strikes us without any preparation from the sublime or the beautiful. How different the satisfaction of an anatomist, who discovers the use of the muscles and of the skin, the excellent contrivance of the one for the various movements of the body, and the wonderful texture of the other, at once general covering, and at once general outlet as well
inlet; how dilferent this from the affection which possesses an ordinary man at the sight of delicate, smooth skin, and all the other parts of beau ty, which require no investigation to be perceived! In the former case, whilst we look up to the Maker with admiration and praise, the object which causes
may be odious and distasteful; the latter very of ten so touches us by its power on the imagination, that we examine but little into the artifice of its con trivance and we have need of strong effort of our
reason to disentangle our minds from the allurements of the object, to consideration of that wisdom which invented so powerful machine. The effect of pro
portion and fitness, at least so far as they proceed from mere consideration of the work itself, produce approbation, the acquiescence of the understanding, but not love, nor any passion of that species. When we examine the structure of watch, when we come
to know thoroughly the use of every part of satis fied as we are with the fitness of the whole, we are far enough from perceiving anything like beauty in the watch-work itself; but let us look on the case,
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the labor of some curious artist in engraving, with little or no idea of use, we shall have a much livelier idea of beauty than we ever could have had from the watch itself, though the masterpiece of Graham. In beauty, as I said, the effect is previous to any knowl edge of the use ; but to judge of proportion, we must know the end for which any work is designed. Ac cording to the end, the proportion varies. Thus there is one proportion of a tower, another of a house ; one proportion of a gallery, another of a hall, another of a chamber. To judge of the proportions of these, you must be first acquainted with the pur poses for which they were designed. Good sense and experience acting together, find out what is fit to be done in every work of art. We are rational crea tures, and in all our works we ought to regard their end and purpose; the gratification of any passion, how innocent soever, ought only to be of secondary consideration. Herein is placed the real power of fit ness and proportion ; they operate on the understand ing considering them, which approves the work and acquiesces in it. The passions, and the imagination which principally raises them, have here very little to do. When a room appears in its original nakedness, bare walls and a plain ceiling: let its proportion be ever so excellent, it pleases very little ; a cold appro bation is the utmost we can reach; a much worse proportioned room with elegant mouldings and fine festoons, glasses, and other merely ornamental furni ture, will make the imagination revolt against the reason ; it will please much more than the naked proportion of the first room, which the understanding has so much approved, as admirably fitted for its Pi11' poses. What I have here said and before concerning
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187
proportion, is by no means to persuade people absurd ly to neglect the idea of use in the works of art. It is only to show that these excellent things, beauty and proportion, are not the same ; not that they should either of them be disregarded. _
SECTION VIII. THE RECAPITULATION.
ON the whole ; if such parts in human bodies as are fo1md proportioned, were likewise constantly found beautiful, as they certainly are not; or if they were so situated, as that a pleasure might flow from the comparison, which they seldom are ; or if any assign able proportions were found, either in plants or ani mals, which were always attended with beauty, which never was the case ; or where parts were well adapt ed to their purposes, they were constantly beautiful, and when no use appeared, there was no beauty, which contrary to all experience; we might con clude that beauty consisted in proportion or utility.
But since, in all respects, the case quite otherwise we may be satisfied that beauty does not depend on these, let owe its origin to what else will.
N X. PERFECTION NOT THE cause 0F BEAUTY.
THERE another notion current, pretty closely allied to the former; that perfection the constit uent cause of beauty. This opinion has been made to extend much further than to sensible
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But in these, so far is perfection, considered as such, from being the cause of beauty; that this quality, where it is highest, in the female sex, almost always carries with it an idea of weakness and imperfection. Women are very sensible of this; for which reason they learn to lisp, to totter in their walk, to counterfeit weakness, and even sickness. In all this they are guided by nature. Beauty in distress is much the most affecting beauty. Blush ing has little less power: and modesty in general, which is a tacit allowance of imperfection, is itself considered as an amiable quality, and certainly height ens every other that is so. I know it is in every body's mouth, that we ought to love perfection. This is to me a sufficient proof, that it is not the proper object of love. Who ever said we ought to love a fine woman, or even any of these beautiful animals which please us? Here to be affected, there is no need of the concurrence of our will.
SECTION X.
HOW FAR THE IDEA OF BEAUTY MAY BE APPLIED TO THE QUALITIES OF THE MIND
NOR is this remark in general less applicable to the qualities of the mind. Those virtues which cause admiration, and are _of the sublimer kind, produce terror rather than love; such as fortitude, justice, wisdom, and the like. Never was any man amiable by force of these qualities. Those which engage our hearts, which impress us with a sense of loveliness, are the softer virtues; easiness of temper, compas sion, kindness, and liberality ; though certainly those
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latter are of less immediate and momentous concern to society, and of less dignity. But it is for that reason that they are so amiable. The great vir tues turn principally on dangers, punishments, and troubles, and are exercised, rather in preventing the worst mischiefs, than in dispensing favors; and are therefore not lovely, though highly venerable. The subordinate turn on reliefs, gratifications, and indul
gences; and are therefore more lovely, though infe rior in dignity. Those persons who creep into the hearts of most people, who are chosen as the compan ions of their softer hours, and their reliefs from care and anxiety, are never persons of shining qualities or strong virtues. It is rather the soft green of the soul on which we rest our eyes, that are fatigued with beholding more glaring objects. It is worth observ ing how we feel Ou. rS6lV6S affected in reading the
characters of Caesar and Cato, as they are so finely drawn and contrasted in Sallust. In one the igno scendo largiundo ; in the other, nil largiundo. In one, the miseris perfugium ; in the other, malis perniciem. In the latter we have much to admire, much to rev erence, and perhaps something to fear; we respect him, but we respect him at a distance, The former makes us familiar with him; we love him, and he leads us whither he pleases. To draw things closer
to our first and most natural feelings, I will add a re . mark made upon reading this section by an ingen
ious friend. The authority of a father, so useful to our well-being, and so justly venerable upon all ac counts, hinders us from having that entire love for him that we have for our mothers,where the parental authority is almost melted down into the mother's fondness and indulgence. But we generally have a
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great love for our grandfathers, in whom this au thority is removed a degree from us, and where the weakness of age mellows it into something of a fem inine partiality.
SECTION XI.
HOW FAR THE IDEA OF BEAUTY MAY BE APPLIED TO VIRTUE.
FROM what has been said in the foregoing section, we may easily see how far the application of beauty to virtue may be made with propriety. The general application of this quality to virtue has a strong ten dency to confound our ideas of things, and it has given rise to an infinite deal of whimsical theory; as the affixing the name of beauty to proportion, con gruity, and perfection, as well as to qualities of things yet more remote from our natural ideas of
and from one another, has tended to confound om' ideas of beauty, and left us no standard or rule to judge by, that was not even more uncertain and fal
lacious than our own fancies. This loose and inac. curate manner of speaking has therefore misled us both in the theory of taste and of morals; and in duced us to remove the science of our duties from their proper basis (our reason, our relations, and our necessities), to rest upon foundations alto gether visionary and unsubstantial.
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SECTION XIL THE REAL causs or BEAUTY.
HAVING endeavored to show what beauty is not, it remains that we should examine, at least with equal attention, in what it really consists. Beauty is a thing much too affecting not to depend upon some positive qualities. And since it is no creature of our reason, since it strikes us without any reference to use, and even where no use at all can be discerned, since the order and method of nature is generally very different from our measures and proportions, we must conclude that beauty for the greater part, some quality in bodies acting mechanically upon the hu
man mind by the intervention of the senses. We ought, therefore, to consider attentively in what man ner those sensible qualities are disposed, in such things as by experience we find beautiful, or which excite in us the passion of love, or some correspondent affec tion.
SE CTION XIII. BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS SMALL.
THE most obvious point that presents itself to us in examining any object its extent or quantity. And what degree of extent prevails in bodies that are held beautiful, may be gathered from the usual manner of expression concerning it. am told that, in most
languages, the objects of love are spoken of under dirninutive epithets. It so in all the languages of which have any knowledge. In Greek the mu and other diminutive terms are almost always the terms
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of affection and tenderness. These diminutives were commonly added by the Greeks to the names of per sons with whom they conversed on terms of friend ship and familiarity. Though the Romans were a people of less quick and delicate feelings, yet they naturally slid into the lessening termination upon the same occasions. Anciently, in the English language, the diminishing ling was added to the names of per sons and things that were the objects of love. Some we retain still, as darling (or little dear), and a few others. But to this day, in ordinary conversation, it is usual to add the endearing name of little to every thing we love ; the French and Italians make use of these affectionate diminutives even more than we. In the animal creation, out of our own species, it is the small we are inclined to be fond of; little birds, and some of the smaller kinds of beasts. A great beautiful thing is a manner of expression scarcely ever used; but that of a great ugly thing is very common. There is a wide difference between admi ration and love. The sublime, which is the cause of the former, always dwells on great objects, and terri blc; the latter on small ones, and pleasing ; we sub mit to what we admire, but we love what submits to us; in one case we are forced, in the other we are flattered, into compliance. In short, the ideas of the sublime and the beautiful stand on fo1mdations so different, that it is hard, I had almost said impossible, to think of reconciling them in the same subject, without considerably lessening the effect of the one or the other upon the passions. So that, attending to their quantity, beautiful objects are comparatively small.
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SECTION XIV. suoornnnss.
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THE next property constantly observable in such objects is smoothness ; * a quality so essential to beau ty, that I do not now recollect anything beautiful that is not smooth. In trees and flowers, smooth leaves are beautiful; smooth slopes of earth in gar dens; smooth streams in the landscape; smooth coats of birds and beasts in animal beauties; in
fine women, smooth skins; and in several sorts of ornamental furniture, smooth and polished surfaces. A very considerable part of the effect of beauty is owing to this quality ; indeed the most considerable. For, take any beautiful object, and give it a broken and rugged surface; and, however well formed it may be in other respects, it pleases no longer. Whereas, let it want ever so many of the other constituents, if it wants not this, it becomes more pleasing than almost all the others without it. This seems to me so evident, that I am a good deal sur prised that none who have handled the subject have
made any mention of the quality of smoothness in the enumeration of those that go to the forming of beauty. For, indeed, any ruggedness, any sudden projection, any sharp angle, is in the highest degree contrary to that idea
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SECTION XV. GRAD UAL VARIATION.
BUT as perfectly beautiful bodies are not composed of angular parts, so their parts never continue long in the same right line. * They vary their direction every moment, and they change under the eye by a deviation continually carrying on, but for whose be ginning or end you will find it difficult to ascertain a point. The view of a beautiful bird will illustrate this observation. Here we see the head increasing insensibly to the middle, from whence it lessens grad ually until it mixes with the neck; the neck loses itself in a larger swell, which continues to the middle of the body, when the whole decreases again to the tail ; the tail takes a new direction, but it soon varies its new course, it blends again with the other parts, and the line is perpetually changing, above, below, upon every side. In this description I have before me the idea of a dove ; it agrees very well with most of the conditions of beauty. It is smooth and downy; its parts are (to use that expression) melted into one another; you are presented with no sudden protu berance through the whole, and yet the whole is con tinually changing. Observe that part of a beautiful woman where she is perhaps the most beautiful, about the neck and breasts ; the smoothness, the soft ness, the easy and insensible swell ; the variety of the surface, which is never for the smallest space the same; the deceitful maze through which the un steady eye slides giddily, without knowing where to fix, or whither it is carried. Is not this a demonstra
* Part IV. sect. 23.
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tion of that change of surface, continual, and yet
at any point, which forms one of the great constituents of beauty? It gives me no
hardly perceptible
small pleasure to find that I can strengthen my the ory in this point by the opinion of the very ingenious Mr. Hogarth, whose idea of the line of beauty I take in general to be extremely just. But the idea of variation, without attending so accurately to the man
ner of the variation, has led him to consider angular figures as beautiful; these figures, it is true, vary greatly, yet they vary in a sudden and broken man ner, and I do not find any natural object which is angular, and at the same time beautiful. Indeed, few natural objects are entirely angular. But I think those which approach the most nearly to it are the
? I must add, too, that so far as I could ob serve of nature, though the varied line is that alone in which complete beauty is found, yet there is no particular line which is always found in the most completely beautiful, and which is therefore beautiful in preference to all other lines. At least I never could observe it.
ugliest.
SECTION XVI. nsuoacr.
AN air of robustness and strength is very prejudi
cial to beauty. An appearance of delicacy, and even of fragility, is almost essential to it. Whoever exam ines the vegetable or animal creation will find this observation to be founded in nature. It is not the oak, the ash, or the elm, or any of the robust trees of the forest which we consider as beautiful; they are
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awful and majestic, they inspire a sort of reverence. It is the delicate myrtle, it is the orange, it is the almond, it is the jasmine, it is the vine which we look on as vegetable beauties. It is the flowery spe cies, so remarkable for its weakness and momentary duration, that gives us the liveliest idea of beauty and elegance. Among animals, the greyhound is more beautiful than the mastiff, and the delicacy of a
jennet, a barb, or an Arabian horse, is much more amiable than the strength and stability of some horses of war or carriage. I need here say little of the fair sex, where I believe the point will be easily allowed me. The beauty of women is considerably owing to their weakness or delicacy, and is even enhanced by their timidity, a quality of mind analogous to it. I would not here be understood to say, that weakness betraying very bad health has any share in beauty; but the ill effect of this is not because it is weakness, but because the ill state of health, which produces such weakness, alters the other conditions of beauty; the parts in such a case collapse, the bright color, the lumen purpureum juventw is gone, and the fine varia tion is lost in wrinkles, sudden breaks, and right lines.
SECTION BEAUTY IN OOLOR.
As to the colors usually found in beautiful bodies, it may be somewhat difficult to ascertain them, be cause, in the several parts 'of nature, there is an infi nite variety. However, even in this variety, we may mark out something on which to settle. First, the colors of beautiful bodies must not be dusky O1
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muddy, but clean and fair. Secondly, they must not be of the strongest kind. Those which seem most appropriated to beauty, are the milder of every sort; light greens; soft blues; weak whites ; pink reds; and violets. Thirdly, if the colors be strong and vivid, they are always diversified, and the object is never of one strong color; there are almost always
such a number of them (as in variegated flowers) that the strength and glare of each is considerably abated. In a fine complexion there is not only some variety in the coloring, but the colors: neither the red nor the white are strong and glaring. Besides, they are mixed in such a manner, and with such gra dations, that it is impossible to fix the bounds. On the same principle it is that the dubious color in the necks and tails of peacocks, and about the heads of drakes, is so very agreeable. In reality, the beauty both of shape and coloring are as nearly related as we can well suppose it possible for things of such dif ferent natures to be.
SECTION XVIII. RECAPITULATION.
ON the whole, the qualities of beauty, as they are merely sensible qualities, are the following: First, to be comparatively small. Secondly, to be smooth. Thirdly, to have a variety in the direction of the parts; but, fourthly, to have those parts not angular, but melted, as it were, into each other. Fifthly, to be of a delicate frame, without any remarkable ap pearance of strength. Sixthly, to have its colors clear and bright, but not very strong and glaring.
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Seventhly, or if it should have any glaring color, to have it diversified with others. These are, I believe, the properties on which beauty depends; properties that operate by nature, and are less liable to be al tered by caprice, or confounded by a diversity of tastes, than any other.
SEC'1'ION XIX. THE rnrsioenomr.
THE physiognomy has a considerable share in beauty, especially in that of our own species. The manners
a certain determination to the countenance; which, being observed to correspond pretty regularly with them, is capable of joining the effect of certain agreeable qualities of the mind to those of the body. So that to form a finished human beauty, and to give it its full influence, the. face must be expressive of such gentle and amiable qualities, as correspond with the softness, smoothness, and delicacy of the outward form.
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SECTION xx. THE EYE
I HAVE hitherto purposely omitted to speak of the eye, which has so great a share in the beauty of the animal creation, as it did not fall so easily under the foregoing heads, though in fact it is reducible to the same principles. I think, then, that the beauty of the eye consists, first, in its clearness; what colored eye shall please most, depends a good deal on particu lar fancies; but none are pleased with an eye whose
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water (to use that term) is dull and muddy? " We are pleased with the eye in this view, on the principle upon which we like diamonds, clear water, glass, and such like transparent substances. Secondly, the mo tion of the eye contributes to its beauty, by contin
ually shifting its direction; but a slow and languid motion is more beautiful than a brisk one; the latter is enlivening; the former lovely. Thirdly, with re gard to the union of the eye with the neighboring parts, it is to hold the same rule that is given of other beautiful ones; it is not to make a strong deviation
from the line of the neighboring parts; nor to verge into any exact geometrical figure. Besides all this, the eye affects, as it is expressive of some qualities of the mind, and its principal power generally arises from this ; so that what we have just said of the phys
? iognomy is applicable here.
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SECTION XXI. U,sLInEss.
IT may perhaps appear like a sort of repetition of what we have before said, to insist here upon the na ture of ugliness; as I imagine it to be in all respects the opposite to those qualities which we have laid down for the constituents of beauty. But though ugliness be the opposite to beauty, it is not the oppo site to proportion and fitness. For it is possible that a thing may be very ugly with any proportions, and with a perfect fitness to any uses. Ugliness I ima gine likewise to be consistent enough with an idea of the sublime. But I would by no means insinuate
* Part IV. sect. 25.
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