330 COLORIFICATION IN GENERAL. 



tion, which makes the body which is called 

 black, to arise from the absorb tion of all the 

 rays, and, at the same time, affirms the sub- 

 stance which reflects all the rays, and ab- 

 sorbs none, to be the cause of white; making, 

 in fact and in truth, black to be white, and white 

 to be black. Much less is it justifiable to con^ 

 elude that neither black nor white are colors. 

 Instead of supposing that the infinite variety of 

 colors and of shades which the whole of animated 

 nature displays, that the black pigment which 

 gives to the eyes of animals in general, and of 

 the human species in particular, a character so 

 marked and striking, and that the beautiful bloom 

 of red and of white with which the complexion of 

 the fairer sex is adorned, wanning the coldest 

 heart with sentiments of admiration and of de- 

 light, proceed from the existence, within, of 

 original health and beauty : on the Newtonian 

 hypothesis, we must, on the contrary, conclude, 

 that the whole of our perceptions, in these'par- 

 ticulars, are founded in delusion and deceit: 

 we are bound to conclude that the most beau- 

 tiful complexion of the most beautiful woman, 

 appears to be what it is not in reality : that the 

 shades of red and of white mingled together in 

 such admirable proportions, as they often are, 

 instead of existing as parts separated from 

 the blood, and deposited on the skin, from 

 whence they are conveyed to our eyes by the 



