CHAPTER VII. 



OF THE BEAUTIFUL. 

 I. 



IN the course of this history I have had occasion to 

 characterise nineteenth century thought by various 

 epithets. Two of them have been prominent. I have 

 in the first part called the nineteenth century, so far 

 as its thought is concerned, the Scientific century. And 

 secondly, in the present portion of my narrative which 

 deals with philosophical thought I have called the 

 nineteenth century the Critical century. I shall now i. 



The /Esthe- 



introduce the problem with which this chapter will ticai cen- 

 tury. 



deal by calling the nineteenth century the ^Esthetical 

 century. I wish to emphasise the difference between 

 sesthetical and artistic as, in itself, characteristic of 

 modern thought. An age or a nation may be called 

 artistic which produces great works of art; an age may 

 be called aesthetic which writes and talks about them. 



In spite of the fact that a great deal has been done 

 during the nineteenth century to diffuse a love and 

 understanding of art, I do not think that anyone would 

 venture to call the nineteenth century an artistic 



