§2. THE BEAUTIFUL NEED NOT BE COSTLY. 169 



as they depend upon " arts of design ;" and as beauty of form 

 and proportion, exquisite detail, and high finish, were sought 

 for by the Greeks in their vases, lamps, and other common 

 utensils, so may our ordinary objects, whether intended solely 

 for ornament or for every-day use, be made beautiful as easily 

 as they are now generally hideous and misshapen. This 

 depends on the mind that devises them ; and to despair of 

 giving to the commonest object an elegant design is to 

 acknowledge incapacity and want of taste. The same maxims 

 laid down by Vitruvius for architecture apply to them: — 

 First, That they should answer the purpose for which they are 

 intended ; Second, That they should be durable, or of solid 

 workmanship ; and Third, That they should possess beauty — 

 and every one without these conditions must be faulty and 

 imperfect. But beauty is not to be obtained by capricious 

 ornament, such as overloads so many of our modern produc- 

 tions ; and unless the maker knows why the peculiar form, 

 and all the ornamental accessories, are given to his work, any 

 splendour of decoration, which may merely delight the igno- 

 rant, will only be looked upon by men of good judgment with 

 the greatest dissatisfaction. 



Taste, to be of use, must pervade all classes ; and by this 

 means, graceful and beautiful objects for every-day use will 

 come into general demand, and be generally made. They 

 will also be obtained at moderate prices, and thus be placed 

 within reach of all, instead of being confined to the wealthy 

 few who happen to be possessed of cultivated taste. For it is 

 not by making what is elegant dear to the purchaser that 

 it will be generally appreciated : this is an impediment, not 

 an encouragement to it ; and until good things are within the 

 reach of all, and recognised by the majority, it is vain to 

 hope for excellence in any country.] 



It is one of the greatest errors to suppose that wealth alone 

 can obtain objects of good taste ; it can certainly command 



