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nature a profufion of beauties, which ar« lieal, and not fan- 

 ciful, and thoufaiiJs of which our faculties are too dull to 

 perceive. This author diftinguiflies our d<;termination,i with 

 regard to the beauty of objefts into two kinds, viz. inftinc- 

 tive and rational. In the former cafe, objefts ilrike us at 

 once, and appear beautiful at firll fight, without any reflec- 

 tion, and without our being able to fay why we call them 

 beautiful, or being able to fpecify any perfcclion which 

 jullifies our judgment. Whereas our rationaljudgment of 

 l)eauty is grounded on fome agreeable quality ot the objedl, 

 which is dillinclly conceived, and may be Ipccilied. Beauty 

 itfelf may be dillinguiflied into original, and derived. It is 

 natural and agreeable to the drain of human fentiments and 

 of human language, fays Dr. Reid, that in many cafes the 

 beauty which originally and properly exills in the things 

 fignified, fliould be transferred to the fign ; that which is in 

 the caufe to the efFeft ; that which is in the end to the 

 means ; and that which is in the agent to the inftrument. 

 E. G. The beauty of good breeding is not originally in the 

 external behaviour in which it conlifts ; it is derived from 

 the quahtics of mind, which it expreffes; and though there 

 may be good breeding without the amiable qualities of mind, 

 its beauty is ilill derived from what it naturally exprcfles. 

 Good breeding is the pifturc ; thefe agreeable qualities are 

 the original ; and it is the beauty of the original that is re- 

 fiefted to oiu- fenfes by the piflure. 



As to the ufe of the term beauty, fome have extended it 

 fo as to include every thing that pleafes a good tafte ; and 

 others have reftrifted it to the objefts of fight, when they 

 are either feen, remembered, or imagined. But the latter 

 fenfe is much too limited, as there are beauties of various 

 kinds, that are not objefts of fight, fnch as thofe of mufic, 

 compofition, charafler, afFeclions, and aftions ; and as per- 

 fons may be competent judges of feveral forts of beauty, who 

 are deprived of the faculty of fight. It may be obfervcd, 

 that as the proper objeft of admiration is grandeur, beauty 

 is the proper objedl of love and efteem : and this conneftiou 

 of beauty with real perfcftion was a capital doctrine of the 

 Socratic fchool. It is often afcribed to Socrates in the dia- 

 logues of Plato and of Xenophon. We may, therefore, jullly 

 afcribe beauty to thofe qualities that are the natural objefts 

 of love and kind affeflion : of this kind are thofe moral vir- 

 tues, which in a peculiar manner conftitute a lovely charafler, 

 fuch as innocence, gentlenefs, condefcenfion, humanity, na- 

 tural affeftion, public fpirit, and the whole train of the foft 

 and gentle virtues : qualities w hich are amiable from their 

 very nature, and on account of their intrinfic worth. There 

 are alfo many intelleftual talents, which excite our love and 

 efteem of thofe whopoflefs them, fuch are knowledge, good 

 fenfe, wit, humour, chearfulnefs, good tafte, excellence in 

 any of the fine arts, eloquence in dramatic aftion, and alio 

 excellence in every art of peace or war that it ufeful to fo- 

 ciety. There are likewife talents oraccompliQiments, which 

 we refer to the body, that have an original beauty and come- 

 linefs ; fuch as health, ftrengtli, and agility, the ufual at- 

 tendants of youtli, fl<ill in bodily exercife, and llcill in the me- 

 chanic arts. Dr. Reid is of opinion, that beauty originally 

 dwells in the moral and intelleftual perfeftions of mind, and 

 in its aftive powers, and that from this, as the fountain, all 

 the beauty which we perceive in the vifible world is derived. 

 This was the opinion of the ancient philolophers above 

 named ; and it has been adopted by lord Shaftfbury and Dr. 

 Akenfide among the moderns. 



" Mind, mind alone! bear witncfs earth and heav'n, 

 The living fountains in itftlf contains 

 Of beauteous and fublime. Here, hand in hand, 

 Sit paramount the graces. Here, enthren'd, 



Vol. IV. 



Celeftial Venus, with divineft airs, 

 InvitcB the foul to never- failing joy." Akenside. 



But neither mind, nor any one of its qualities or powers, is 

 an immediate objeft of perception to man. Thefe are per- 

 ceived through the medium of material objefts, on which 

 their fignaturcs are impreffcd. The figns of thefe qualities 

 are immediately perceived by the fenfes, and by them re- 

 fleftcd to the undcrftanding : and we are apt to attribute to 

 the fign tlie beauty whicti is properly and originally in the 

 thing fignified. Thus, the Invifible Creator hath (lamped 

 on his works fignaturcs of his divine wifdom, power, and be- 

 nignity, which are vifible to all men. The works of men in 

 fcicnce, in the arts of tafte, and in the mechanical arts, bear 

 the fignaturcs of thofe qualities of mind, which were em- 

 ployed in their produftion. Their external behaviour or 

 conduft in life expreffes the good or bad qualities of their 

 minds. In every fpecies of animals we perceive by vifible 

 figns their inftinfts, appetites, afFeflions, or fagacity ; and 

 even in the inanimate world, there are many things analo- 

 gous to the qualities of mind ; fo that there is hardly any 

 thing belonging to mind, which may not be reprefented by 

 images taken from the objefts of fenfe ; and, on the other 

 hand, every objeft of fenfe is beautiful, by borrowing attire 

 from attributes of the mind. Thus, the beauties of mind, 

 though invifible in themfelves, are perceived in the objefts of 

 fenfe, on which their beauty is impreffed. Thus alfo, in 

 thofe qualities of fenfible objefts to which we afcribe beauty, 

 we difcover in them fome relation to mind, and the greateft 

 in thofe that are moft beautiful. The qualities of inanimate 

 matter, in which we perceive beauty, are iound, colour, form, 

 and motion. The firft being an objeft of hearing ; and the 

 other three of fight. Thefe feveral qualities are particularly 

 illuftrated by Dr. Reid, with a view of evincing the beauty 

 that refpeftively belongs to them. Every beauty in the 

 vegetable creation, of which we form any rational judgment, 

 expreffes fome perfeftion in the objeft, or fome wife contriv- 

 ance in the author. In the animal kingdom we perceive i"u- 

 perior beauties, refulting from life, lenfe, aftivity, various 

 inftinfts and affeftions, and in many cafes, great fagacity ; 

 which are attributes of mind, and pofiefs an original beauty. 

 In their manner of life we obferve, that they poffefs powers, 

 outward form, and inward ftrufture, exaftly adapted to it; 

 and the more perfeftly any individual is fitted for its end and 

 manner of life, the greater is its beauty. But of all the ob- 

 jefts of fenfe, the moft ftriking and attraftive beauty is per- 

 ceived in the human fpecies, and particularly in the fairfex. 

 In the following well known paffage of Milton, this great 

 poet derives the beauty of the firft pair in paradife from thofe 

 cxpreffions of moral andintelleftual qualities, which appeared 

 in their outward form and demeanour. 



" Two of far nobler fhape, ereft and tall. 

 Godlike ereft ! with native honour clad. 

 In naked majefty, feem'd lords of all, 

 And worthy feem'd, for in their looks divine. 

 The image of their glorious Maker, (hone 

 Truth, wifdom, fanftitude fevere, and pure : 

 Severe, but in true filial freedom plac'd, 

 W^hence true authority in man ; though both 

 Not equal, as their fex not equal feem'd, 

 For contemplation he, and valour form'd. 

 For foftnefs fhe, and fweet attraftive grace." 

 The author of " Crito," or " a Dialogue on Beauty," 

 confidered in its reference to the human fpecies, and particu- 

 larly to the female fex, afcribed to the author of " Polyme- 

 tis," and re-publifhed by Dodfley, in his coUeftion of " Fu- 

 gative Pieces," reduces this fpecies of beauty to the four 

 heads of colour, form, expreflion, and grace : the t\yo former 



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