﻿THE 
  FACT 
  OF 
  BEAUTY 
  273 
  

  

  that 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  exceptions 
  (which 
  are 
  too 
  difficult 
  for 
  us) 
  

   the 
  lines 
  of 
  living 
  creatures 
  are 
  such 
  that 
  they 
  give 
  us 
  

   aesthetic 
  pleasure. 
  This 
  is 
  as 
  true 
  of 
  the 
  microscopic 
  shells 
  

   of, 
  Foraminifera 
  and 
  Radiolarians 
  which 
  are 
  joys 
  for 
  ever 
  

   as 
  of 
  the 
  lines 
  of 
  the 
  crane 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  cedar 
  of 
  Lebanon. 
  

   It 
  is 
  as 
  true 
  of 
  the 
  carefully 
  hidden 
  down-feathers 
  of 
  the 
  

   eagle 
  as 
  of 
  the 
  tail 
  of 
  the 
  peacock. 
  It 
  is 
  as 
  true 
  of 
  the 
  

   internal 
  architecture 
  of 
  a 
  sea-urchin's 
  spine 
  as 
  of 
  the 
  external 
  

   moulding 
  of 
  a 
  tiger. 
  It 
  is 
  as 
  true 
  of 
  the 
  minute 
  chiselling 
  

   of 
  many 
  a 
  moth's 
  egg-shell 
  as 
  of 
  the 
  sweeping 
  lines 
  of 
  an 
  

   Iguanodon. 
  Is 
  there 
  no 
  significance 
  in 
  the 
  omnipresence 
  

   of 
  these 
  pleasing 
  lines 
  ? 
  

  

  The 
  second 
  element 
  in 
  organic 
  beauty 
  is 
  colour, 
  which 
  

   so 
  often 
  emphasises 
  and 
  enhances 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  form. 
  It 
  

   seems 
  that 
  all 
  wild 
  animals 
  and 
  plants, 
  living 
  an 
  independent 
  

   and 
  healthy 
  life 
  and 
  in 
  their 
  natural 
  surroundings, 
  are 
  

   beautiful 
  in 
  colour, 
  that 
  is 
  to 
  say, 
  a3sthetically 
  pleasing. 
  The 
  

   combinations 
  in 
  parrots, 
  humming-birds, 
  birds 
  of 
  Paradise, 
  

   coral-reef 
  fishes, 
  butterflies, 
  orchids, 
  and 
  the 
  like 
  are 
  often 
  

   daring, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  never 
  wrong. 
  That 
  is 
  to 
  say, 
  when 
  

   we 
  look 
  at 
  natural 
  schemes 
  of 
  colour 
  we 
  are 
  always 
  pleased, 
  

   which 
  means, 
  to 
  begin 
  with, 
  that 
  the 
  chemical 
  processes 
  

   set 
  up 
  in 
  our 
  retina 
  are 
  harmonious. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  remarked 
  

   that 
  some 
  skin-diseases 
  involve 
  vivid 
  colours, 
  and 
  that 
  they 
  

   displease 
  us, 
  partly 
  perhaps 
  because 
  associations 
  make 
  us 
  

   feel 
  them 
  uglier 
  than 
  they 
  are, 
  but 
  partly 
  because 
  they 
  are 
  

   ugly, 
  being 
  expressions 
  of 
  disharmonious 
  vital 
  processes, 
  

   non-viable 
  failures 
  which 
  Nature 
  scarce 
  troubles 
  to 
  look 
  at, 
  

   but 
  casts 
  at 
  once 
  as 
  rubbish 
  to 
  the 
  void. 
  The 
  coloration 
  of 
  

   a 
  scallop 
  shell, 
  of 
  a 
  peacock's 
  feather, 
  of 
  a 
  poppy's 
  petal, 
  

   and 
  so 
  forth, 
  depends 
  on 
  the 
  orderly 
  chemical 
  processes 
  of 
  

   a 
  healthy 
  life, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  perhaps 
  for 
  this 
  reason 
  primarily 
  

  

  