Chap. V. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 267 



Beautiful and the Handfome is the chief and the only Intellectual 

 Pleafure : For Intellccfl delights in nothing, as I have elfewhere 

 fhown *, but what is Orderly, Regular, and therefore Beautiful ; 

 the contemplation and enjoyment of which \& the pcrfedion of our 



Nature, 



But, as there is neceflarily the fame knowledge of Contraries, it is 

 impofTible that we can know what is Beautiful and Graceful, with- 

 out knowing alfo what is Deformed ; and there are many men, who 

 have a great tafte for what is Deformed, Odd, Grotefque, or, to ex- 

 prefs it in one word. Ridiculous. The nature of this Tafte, feem- 

 ingly fo ftrange, and how it comes to belong to Human Nature, I 

 have elfewhere explained f ; and, though many may not agree with 

 me in what I have there faid, the fad; is moft certain that fuch a 

 Tafte there is ; and the imaginations of thofe who have it are filled 

 with objedts of the ridiculous kind. 



Moreover, there are Minds naturally weak and timorous. Of 

 fuch Men the Imaginations are filled with the objedls of terror and 

 affright. While there are others, whofe better turn of mind pre- 

 fents to them objedls of joy and pleafure. 



There is nothing more natural to Man than Imitation ; and A- 

 riftotle has very juftly charadterifed Man ' the moft Imitative of all 

 ' Anivials.' Thofe, who poflefs this talent in the higheft degree, 

 have their Imaginations filled with objedts that they have feen or 

 heard ; and, if they produce them into Adlion, they are what we 

 call Mimics. 



The Faffions, too, and Purfuits of Men, their Studies and Occu- 

 pations, fill the Imagination with correfponding Objeds. Thus, the 



L I a vain 



• Book II. Chap. 5. 



i- Page 129. of this Volume. 



