Chap. VII. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 151 



. Deformed^ which is the obje£t of laughter ; for of contraries, as I 

 have faid, there is the fame knowledge*. 



So univerfc illy is this fenfe of the Beautiful diffufed, that we ob- 

 ferve it in perfons employed in the meaneft works, fuch as a fca- 

 venger, a fhoe-black, or a maid that cleans a room and is at pains 

 to fet in order the carpet, chairs, and tables, or whatever other 

 furniture may be in the room ; for all thefe lludy to do their 

 bufinefs with a certain neatnefs, order, and regularity: And what is 

 that but Beauty? And we ourfelves, with refpedt to our perfons and 

 our drefs, are offended with every thing that is out of order, though 

 it give us no pain, nor produce any inconvenience. Thus, if our 

 hair or wig is ill drefTed, it offends us ; and fo does a fpot upon our 

 coat, or our coat if it be only wrong buttoned. Of fuch irregularity 

 in Horace's drefs, Maecenas, he tells us, took notice, and laughed; 

 which is the proper expreffion of the ridiculous ; 



Si curatus injequali tonfore capillos 

 Occurro, rides: fi forte fubucula pexae 

 Trita fubeft tunicae, vel fi toga diffidet impar; 

 Rides. . Lib. LEpI/l. I. 



Julius Ccefar, who, I think, was the greatcft man the Romans ever 

 had, was attentive to what was graceful and becoming even in his 

 drefs : For Suetonius tells us, that he was circa corporis curam 

 morojiory ut non folum tonderetur diligenter^ ac raderetur^ fed vel- 

 hretiir etiam f . And this attention to what is decent and becoming 

 in his drefs, he preferved to the laft moment of his life ; for, when 

 he was falling with twenty-three wounds, which he had received in 

 the Senate, he drew down his gown to his legs, quo honejlius caderet 

 etiam inferlore corporis parte velata J. 



R 2 I 



* Ariftotle has very well defined the yiXo;**, or ridiculous, to be the uiryj,,, or df^ 

 formed, uuv $Xctfi-Ai ; for, if it be accompanied with hurt to any pirfon, it is not ridi- 

 culous, but mijchievous. 



t Cap. 4. f Ibid. Cap. 82. 



