object of sense merely: to perceive the beauty of a spreading oak, or of a flowing river, no more is required but fingly an act of vifion. The perception of relative beauty is accompanied with an act of understanding and reflection; for of a fine inftrument or engine, we perceive not the relative beauty, until we be made acquainted with its use and destination. In a word, intrinfic beauty is ultimate relative beauty is that of means relating to fome good end or purpose. Thefe different beauties agree in one capital circumftance, that both are equally perceived as belonging to the object. This is evident with respect to intrinfic beauty; but will not be fo readily admitted with refpect to the other: the utility of the plough, for example, may make it an object of admiration or of defire: but why fhould utility make it appear beautiful? A natural propensity mentioned above * will explain that doubt: the beauty of the effect, by an easy tranfition of ideas, is transferred to the caufe; and is perceived as one of the qualities of the cause. Thus a subject void of intrinfic beauty appears beautiful from its utility; an old Gothic tower, that has no beauty in itself, appears beautiful, confidered as proper to defend against an enemy; a dwelling-house void of all regularity, is however beautiful in the view of convenience; and the want of form or symmetry in a * Chap. 2. part 1. fect. 5. a tree, will not prevent its appearing beautiful, if it be known to produce good fruit. . When these two beauties coincide in any object, it appears delightful: every member of the human body poffeffes both in a high degree: the fine proportions and flender make of a horse destined for running, please every eye; partly from fymmetry, and partly from utility. The beauty of utility, being proportioned accurately to the degree of utility, requires no illuftration; but intrinfic beauty, fo complex as I have faid, cannot be handled diftinctly without being analyfed into its constituent parts. If a tree be beautiful by means of its colour, its figure, its fize, its motion, it is in reality poffeffed of fo many different beauties, which ought to be examined separately, in order to have a clear notion of them when combined. The beauty of colour is too familiar to need explanation. Do not the bright and chearful colours of gold and filver contribute to preserve these metals in high eftimation? The beauty of figure, arifing from various circumftances and different views, is more complex: for example, viewing any body as a whole, the beauty of its figure arises from regularity and fimplicity; viewing the parts with relation to each other, uniformity, proportion, and order, contribute to its beauty. The beauty of motion deferves a chapter by itfelf; and another chapter is deftined for grandeur being diftinguishable from beauty in its proper fenfe. N 4 fenfe. For a defcription of regularity, uniformity; proportion, and order, if thought neceffary, I remit my reader to the Appendix at the end of the book. Upon fimplicity I must make a few curfory obfervations, fuch as may be of ufe in examining the beauty of fingle objects. A multitude of objects crowding into the mind at once, disturb the attention, and pafs without making any impreffion, or any diftinct impreffion; in a group, no fingle object makes the figure it would do apart, when it occupies the whole attention *. For the fame reason, the impreffion made by an object that divides the attention by the multiplicity of its parts, equals not that of a more fimple object comprehended in a fingle view: parts extremely complex must be confidered in portions fucceffively; and a number of impreffions in fucceffion, which cannot unite becaufe not fimultaneous, never touch the mind like one entire impreffion made as it were at one ftroke. This juftifies fimplicity in works of art, as opposed to complicated circumftances and crowded ornaments. There is an additional reafon for fimplicity, in works of dignity or elevation; which is, that the mind attached to beauties of a high rank, cannot defcend to inferior beauties. The best artists accordingly have in all ages been governed by a tafte * See the Appendix, containing definitions, and explanation of terms, fect. 33. tafte for fimplicity. How comes it then that we find profufe decoration prevailing in works of art? The reafon plainly is, that authors and architects who cannot reach the higher beauties, endeavour to supply want of genius by multiplying thofe that are inferior. These things premised, I proceed to examine the beauty of figure as arifing from the abovementioned particulars, namely, regularity, uniformity, proportion, order and fimplicity. To exhaust this fubject would require a volume; and I have not even a whole chapter to fpare. To inquire why an object, by means of the particu lars mentioned, appears beautiful, would, I am afraid, be a vain attempt: it feems the most probable opinion, that the nature of man was originally framed with a relish for them, in order to answer wife and good purposes. To explain these purposes or final causes, though a fubject of great importance, has fcarce been attempted by any writer. One thing is evident, that our relish for the particulars mentioned adds much beauty to the objects that surround us; which of courfe tends to our happiness: and the Author of our nature has given many fignal proofs that this final cause is not below his care. We may be confirmed in this thought upon reflecting, that our taste for these particulars is not accidental, but uniform and univerfal, making a branch of our nature. At the fame time, it ought not to be overlooked, that regularity, uni formity, formity, order, and fimplicity, contribute each of them to readiness of apprehenfion; enabling us to form more diftinct images of objects, than can be done with the utmost attention where these particulars are not found. With respect to proportion, it is in fome inftances connected with a useful end, as in animals, where the best proportioned are the strongest and most active; but inftances are ftill more numerous, where the proportions we relish have no connection with utility. Writers on architecture infift much on the proportions of a column, and affign different proportions to the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian: but no architect will maintain, that the moft accurate proportions contribute more to ufe, than several that are less accurate and less agreeable; neither will it be maintained, that the length, breadth, and height of rooms affigned as the most beautiful proportions, tend alfo to make them the more commodious. With respect then to the final cause of proportion, I fee not more to be made of it but to reft upon the final caufe firft mentioned, namely, its contributing to our happiness, by increafing the beauty of visible objects. And now with respect to the beauty of figure as far as it depends on the other circumstances mentioned; as to which, having room only for a flight specimen, I confine myself to the fimpleft figures. A circle and a square are each of them perfectly regular, being equally confined to a precife |