accordingly been the favourite fubjects of poetical defcription in all countries."

From colour we proceed to figure, which opens to us forms of beauty more complex and diverfified. Regularity firft occurs to be noticed as a fource of beauty. By a regular figure, is meant, one which we perceive to be formed according to fome certain rule, and not left arbitrary, or loofe, in the construction of its parts. Thus, a circle, a fquare, a triangle, or a hexagon, pleafe the eye, by their regularity, as beautiful figures. We muit not, however, conclude, that all figures pleale in proportion to their regularity; or that regularity is the fole, or the chief, foundation of beauty in figure. On the contrary, a certain graceful variety is found to be a much more powerful principle of beauty; and is therefore ftudied a great deal more than regularity, in all works that are defigned merely to please the eye. I am, indeed, inclined to think, that regularity appears beautiful to us, chiefly, if not only, on account of its fuggefting the ideas of fitnefs, propriety, and ufe, which have always a greater connexion with orderly and proportioned forms, than with thofe which appear not conftructed according to any certain rule. It is clear, that nature, who is undoubtedly the most graceful artift, hath, in all her ornamental works, purfued variety, with an apparent neglect of regularity. Cabinets, doors, and windows, are made after a regular form, in cubes and parallelograms, with exact proportion of parts; and by being fo formed, they please the eye; for this good reafon, that, being works of ufe, they are, by fuch figures, the better fuited to the ends for which they were defigned. But plants, flowers, and leaves are full of variety and diverfity. A ftraight canal is an infipid figure, in comparifon of the meanders of rivers. Cones and pyramids are beautiful;

but trees growing in their natural wildnefs, are infinitely more beautiful than when trimmed into pyramids and cones. The apartments of a houfe must be regular in their difpofition, for the conveniency of its inhabitants; but a garden, which is defigned merely for beauty, would be exceedingly difgufting, if it had as much uniformity and order in its parts as a dwelling houfe.

Mr. Hogarth, in his Analyfis of beauty, has obferved, that figures, bounded by curve lines, are, in general, more beautiful than thofe bounded by traight lines and angles. He pitches upon two lines, on which, according to him, the beauty of figure principally depends; and he has illuftrated and fupported his doctrine, by a furprifing number of inftances. The one is the waving line, or a curve bending backwards and forwards, fomewhat in the form of the letter S. This he calls the line of beauty; and fhows how often it is found in fhells, flowers, and fuch other ornamental works of nature; as is common alfo in the figures defigned by painters and fculptors, for the purpofe of decoration. The other line, which he calls the line of grace, is the former waving curve, twilted round fome folid body. The curling worm of a commion jack is one of the inftances he gives of it. Twifted pillars, and twifted horns, alfo exhibit it. In all the inftances which he mentions, variety plainly appears to be fo material a principle of beauty, that he feems not to err much, when he defines the art of drawing pleafing forms, to be the art of varying well. For the curve line, fo much the favourite of painters, derives, according to him, its chief advantage, from its perpetual bending and variation from the ftiff regularity of the ftraight line.

Motion furnishes another fource of beauty, diftinct from figure. Motion of itself is pleafing; and bodies in motion are, "cæteris paribus," preferred

to those in rest. It is, however, only gentle motion that belongs to the beautiful; for when it is very iwift, or very forcible, fuch as that of a torrent, it partakes of the fublime. The motion of a bird gliding through the air, is extremely beautiful the fwiftnefs with which lightning darts through the heavens, is magnificent and aftonifhing. And here, it is proper to obferve, that the fenfations of fublime and beautiful are not always diftinguished by very diftant boundaries; but are capable, in feveral inftances, of approaching towards each other. Thus, a fmooth, running ftream is one of the most beautiful objects in nature as it fwells gradually into a great river, the beautiful, by degrees, is loft in the fublime. A young tree is a beautiful object; a fpreading, ancient oak is a venerble and a grand one. The calmness of a fine morning is beautiful; the univerfal ftillness of the evening is highly fublime. But to return to the beauty of motion, it will be found, I think, to hold very generally, that motion in a ftraight line is not fo beauti ful as in an undulating, waving direction; and motion upwards is, commonly, too, more agreeable than motion downwards. The eafy curling motion of flame and fmoke may be inftanced, as an object fingularly agreeable and here mr. Hogarth's waving line recurs upon us as a principle of beauty. That artift obferves very ingenioufly, that all the common and neceffary motions for the bufinefs of life, are performed by men in ftraight or plain lines but that all the graceful and ornamental movements are made in waving lines; an obfervation not unworthy of being attended to, by all who study the grace of gefture and action.

Though colour, figure, and motion, be feparate. principles of beauty; yet in many beautiful objects, they all meet, and thereby render the beauty both greater, and more complex. Thus, in flowers,

trees, animals, we are entertained at once with the delicacy of the colour, with the gracefulnels of the figure, and fometimes alfo with the motion of the object. Although each of these produce a feparate agreeable fenfation, yet they are of fuch a fim lar nature, as readily to mix and blend in one general perception of beauty, which we afcribe to the whole object as its caufe for beauty is always conceived by us, as fomething refiding in the object which raises the pleaiant fenfation; a fort of glory which dwells upon, and invefts it. Perhaps the most complete affemblage of beautiful objects that can any where be found, is prefented by a rich natural landfcape, where there is a fufficient variety of objects: fields in verdure, fcattered trees and flowers, running water, and animals grazing. If to thefe be joined, fome of the productions of art, which fuit fuch a fcene-as a bridge with arches over a river, smoke rifing from cottages, in the midft of trees, and the diftant view of a fine building feen by the rifing fun-we then enjoy, in the highest perfection, that gay, cheerful, and placid fenfation which characterifes beauty. To have an eye and a taste formed for catching the peculiar beauties of fuch fcenes as thefe, is a neceifary requifite for all who attempt poetical description.

The beauty of the human countenance is more complex than any that we have yet confidered. It includes the beauty of colour, arifing from the delicate fhades of the complexion; and the beauty of figure, arifing from the lines which form the different features of the face. But the chief beauty of the countenance depends upon a mysterious expreffion, which it conveys, of the qualities of the mind; of good fenfe, or good humour; of fpright linefs, candour, benevolence, fenfibility, or other amiable difpofitions. How it comes to pafs, that a certain conformation of features is connected in our

idea with certain moral qualities; whether we are trught by instinct, or by experience, to form this connexion, and to read the mind in the countenance; belongs not to us now to enquire, nor is indeed eafy to refolve. The fact is certain, and acknowledged, that what gives the human countenance its moit diftinguishing beauty, is what is called its expreffion; or an image, which it is conceived to flow, of internal moral difpofitions.

This' leads us to obferve, that there are certain qualities of the mind, which, whether expreffed in the countenance, or by words, or by actions, always raife in us a feeling fimilar to that of beauty. There are two great claffes of moral qualities; one is of the high and the great virtues, which require extraordinary efforts; and turn upon dangers and fufferings; as heroifm, magnanimity, contempt of pleafures, and contempt of death. Thefe, as I have obferved in a former lecture, excite in the fpectator an emotion of fublimity and grandeur. The other clafs is generally of the focial virtues, and fuch as are of a fofter and gentler kind; as compaffion, mildnefs, friendship, and generofity. Thefe raife in the beholder a fenfation of pleafure, fo much akin to that produced by beautiful external objects, that, though of a more dignified nature, it may, without impropriety, be claffed under the fame head.

A fpecies of beauty, diftinct from any I have yet mentioned, arifes from defign or art; or, in other words, from the perception of means being adapted to an end; or the parts of any thing being well fitted to answer the defign of the whole. When, in confidering the ftructure of a tree or a plant, we obferve, how all the parts, the roots, the ftem, the bark, and the leaves, are fuited to the growth and nutriment of the whole-much more when we furvey all the parts and members of a living animal-or when we examine any of