Chip. II. S (force of the Beautiful in Comptfition, 465 



of colour juft mentioned. 4thly, Flowing eafy motion, 

 without that violence which gives a double fenfation of 

 pain, viz. befides the harfn effect to our fenfes, an 

 afibciated pain, by putting ourfelves in the place of 

 the object, fthly, The agitation which a water-fall, 

 a varied profpect, or an high afcent, produces, may be 

 a fource of that kind of pleafure we afcribe to beauty, 

 even independent of the aflbciated ideas. Hence it 

 folloivs, that figures, which pofTefs variety without any 

 thing harm or abrupt, the waving line, running water, 

 and many of thofe conftituents of beauty remarked by 

 painters, are naturally and primarily fuch. Thefe when 

 fo difpofed as not to contradict any attachment efta- 

 blifhed by cuftom, and ftill more when they coincide 

 with it, as when nature is imitated in a fine landlcape, 

 or defcribed in a poem, never fail to give pleafure j 

 and hence it appears, that authors have miftaken who 

 have defcribed that which is moft fit and regular as the 

 mod beautiful. Admitting, in the inftance adduced by 

 Plato *, that the wooden fpoon might be moft ufcful and 

 proper j yet if even the value is fet afide, I apprehend 

 the golden one would be allowed to poflefs the moft 

 intrinfic beauty. 



The afibciations that arife originally from the plea- 

 fures of fenfe may become fo diftant, that we lofe fight 

 of their origin ; and to an object in this cafe convey- 

 ing pleafure, men univerfally afiign the epithet beauti- 

 ful. Though it is probable, that moft frequently fome 

 of the primary conftituents of beauty will be com- 

 pounded with it, and of this mixed nature are moft of 

 the objects we denominate beautiful, as a fine houfe, 

 a landfcape, a running horfe, &c. On this account 

 it is worth obferving, we often find a whole to pofiefs 



\ Hippias Maj. 



VOL. III. H h beauty, 



