Chap. XVIII. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 277 



pleafure to that mind : Neither can they adniit that the fine 

 arts give any pleafure to our intelled, or any arts or fciences ; for I 

 fay that it is the beauty, which we difcover in fcience, that gives us 

 the pleafure it affords: — In fhort they muft deny 'hat our intclledlual 

 mind enjoys any pleafure ; and muft maintain that our whole hap- 

 pinefs confifts in the pleafures of the animal life, which the brutes 

 enjoy. 



I will conclude this long diflertation upon the Beautiful, by refer- 

 ring to a paflage in a preceding part of this Vol. (pp. 189 and 190), 

 where I have faid that the wifdom and goodnefs of God are rnani- 

 feited by his making the fenfe of the beautiful fo congenial to our na- 

 ture as intelligent beings, that we cannot have the le.ifl: degree of in- 

 telligence without fome fenfe of it ; and that, as it is the foundation 

 boti! of virtue and religion, wc appear to be " formed by Nature 

 " for both," To Avhich I will add, that the goodnefs of God is 

 manifeftcd, not only by giving an inllindl to our ani:ral nature, by 

 which we and other animals are diredied to do what is necelFary for 

 its prefervation, but alfo by giving an inftindlive tendency to our 

 intelledlual mind, by whicli it is prompted both to virtue and reli- 

 gion, which mufi: make its greatell happinefs. 



Thus I hope the reader will think I have faid enough to 

 prove the goodnefs, as well as the wiltiom of God, towards 

 man : For I have fliown that, according to the order of na- 

 ture, it was of neceflity that fome of the fpecies fhould fall ; 

 and, in confequence of that fall, lofe the ufe of intelled:, retain- 

 ing only the capacity of it ; — That, for being reftored to the ufe 

 of intelled, civil fociety was abfolutely neccffary ; and accord- 

 ingly by civil fociety we have recovered the ufe of intellc(ft, all 

 men more or lefs ; — That though civil fociety muft neccflarily pro- 

 duce, among men of weak and imperfecl intelleds, many vices and 



follies, 



