Cliap. VII. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. ^133. 



dominant principle in our nature, conneded more or lefs with every 

 adion proceeding from our will, or the determination of our intel- 

 led, and mixed even with our fenfual enjoyments ; for we require 

 that there fhould be finery, or at lead a certain propriety and decor- 

 um, attending our eating and drinking, fleeping or repofmg. A man, 

 who keeps a great table, does not do it fo much from fenfuality and 

 a love of eating, as from a notion that it is beautiful and fine. 



And not only is this fenfe of the Beautiful fo univerfal, and fd 

 predominant in our fpecies, but it is to be oblerved, at leaft to a cer- 

 tain degree, in fome of the brutes, particularly in the horfe, the nobleft 

 animal that we have in this country, next to man : He has certain- 

 ly fomething of that fenfe in him, which Virgil has obferved, whea- 

 he fays, fpeaking of a young horfe that is begun to be trained, 



Turn magis atque magis blandis gaudere magiftri 



Laudibus, et plaufx fonitum cervicis amare. Georg. 3. v. 186. 



Now, the love of praife is neceflariiy conneded with the fenfe of the- 

 Beautiful ; and I myfelf have feen my horfes in a field, by way 

 bf fport, running races with one another, with great emulation and 

 contention who fhould be firft ; and I am told, that the horfes in 

 Rome, that run races without any rider, run as keenly as ours do 

 with a rider, whipped too and fpurred; and they kick and juftle one 

 another in order to get foremoft ; and the horfe who gains the race 

 ftands very ftately at the goal, while the reft fneak awav. 



By this I would not have it underftood, that I think a horfe has 

 the idea of the Beautiful ; for he has no idea of any thing. But, 

 as things in this univerfe are wonderfully conneded together, and 

 run into one another like fliades of difierent colours ; — fo the horfe, 

 being the nobleft animal on this earth, at leaft in this country, next 

 to man, partakes fo far of the nature of man, that he defires, as man 



doe.-^. 



