manners give a certain determination to the countenance; which being obferved to correfpond pretty regularly with them, is capable of joining the effects of certain agreeable qualities of the mind to thofe of the body. So that to form a finished human beauty, and to give it its full influence, the face must be expreffive of fuch gentle and amiable qualities, as correfpond with the foftnefs, fmoothnefs, and delicacy of the outward form.

SE C T. XX.

THE EYE.

I have hitherto purposely omitted to fpeak of the Eye, which has fo great a share in the beauty of the animal creation, as it did not fall fo eafily under the foregoing heads, though in fact it is reducible to the fame principles. I think then, that the beauty of the eye confifts, firft, in its clearness; what coloured eye fhall pleafe moft, depends a good deal on particular fancies; but none are pleased with an eye whofe water (to use that term) is dull and muddy*. We are pleafed with the eye in this view, on the principle upon which we like diamonds, clear water, glafs, and fuch like tranfparent fubftances. Secondly, the motion of the eye contributes to its beauty, by continually fhifting

*Part IV. Sect. 25.

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its direction; but a flow and languid motion is more beautiful than a brisk one; the latter is enlivening; the former lovely. Thirdly, with regard to the union of the eye with the neighbouring parts, it is to hold the fame rule that is given of other beautiful ones; it is not to make a ftrong deviation from the line of the neighbouring parts; nor to verge into any exact geometrical figure. Besides all this, the eye affects, as it is expreffive of fome qualities of the mind, and its principal power generally arifes from this; fo that what we have juft faid of the phyfiognomy is applicable here.

SECT. XXI.

UGLINESS.

IT may perhaps appear like a fort of repetition of what we have before faid, to infift here upon the nature of Uglinefs; as I imagine it to be in all refpects the oppofite to thofe qualities which we have laid down for the conftituents of beauty. But though uglinefs be the opposite to beauty, it is not the oppofite to proportion and fitnefs. For it is poffible that a thing may be very ugly with any proportions, and with a perfect fitnefs to any ufes. Uglinefs I imagine likewife to be confiftent enough with an idea of the fublime. But I would by no means infinuate that uglinefs of itfelf is a

fublime idea, unlefs united with fuch qualities as

excite a strong terrour.

SECT. XXII.

GRACE,

GRACEFULNESS is an idea not very different from beauty; it confifts in much the fame things. Gracefulness is an idea belonging to posture and motion. In both these, to be graceful, it is requifite that there be no appearance of difficulty; there is required a small inflection of the body; and a compofure of the parts in such a manner, as not to incumber each other, not to appear divided by fharp and fudden angles. In this cafe, this roundnefs, this delicacy of attitude and motion, it is that all the magick of grace confifts, and what is called its je ne fçai quoi; as will be obvious to any obferver, who confiders attentively the Venus de Medicis, the Antinous, or any statue generally allowed to be graceful in a high degree.

SECT. XXIII.

ELEGANCE AND SPECIOUSNESS.

WHEN any body is compofed of parts fmooth and polished, without preffing upon each other, without fhewing any ruggedness or confufion, and at the fame time affecting fome regular fhape, I call

it elegant. It is clofely allied to the beautiful, dif, fering from it only in this regularity; which, however, as it makes a very material difference in the affection produced, may very well conftitute another fpecies. Under this head I rank thofe delicate and regular works of art, that imitate no determinate object in nature, as elegant buildings, and pieces of furniture. When any object partakes of the above mentioned qualities, or of thofe of beautiful bodies, and is withal of great dimenfions, it is full as remote from the idea of mere beauty; I call it fine or fpecious.

SECT. XXIV.

THE BEAUTIFUL IN FEELING.

THE foregoing defcription of beauty, fo far as it is taken in by the eye, may be greatly illustrated by describing the nature of objects, which produce a fimilar effect through the touch. This I call the beautiful in Feeling. It correfponds wonderfully with what caufes the fame fpecies of pleasure to the fight. There is a chain in all our fenfations; they are all but different forts of feelings calculated to be affected by various forts of objects, but all to be affected after the fame manner. All bodies that are pleasant to the touch, are fo by the flightness of the refiftance they make. Refiftance is either to motion along the furface, or to the preffure

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preffure of the parts on one another: if the former be flight, we call the body smooth; if the latter, foft. The chief pleasure we receive by feeling, is in the one or the other of thefe qualities; and if there be a combination of both, our pleasure is greatly increased. This is fo plain, that it is rather more fit to illuftrate other things, than to be illuftrated itself by an example. The next fource of pleasure in this fenfe, as in every other, is the continually prefenting fomewhat new; and we find that bodies which continually vary their furface, are much the most pleasant or beautiful to the feeling, as any one that pleafes may experience. The third property in fuch objects is, that though the furface continually varies its direction, it never varies it fuddenly. The application of any thing fudden, even though the impreffion itself have little or nothing of violence, is difagreeable. The quick application of a finger a little warmer or colder than ufual, without notice, makes us ftart; a flight tap on the fhoulder, not expected, has the fame effect. Hence it is that angular bodies, bodies that fuddenly vary the direction of the outline, afford fo little pleasure to the feeling. Every fuch change is a fort of climbing or falling in miniature; fo that fquares, triangles, and other angular figures are neither beautiful to the fight nor feeling, Whoever compares his ftate of mind, on feeling foft, fmooth, variegated, unangular bodies, with

that