204 



monly found in objects during that state, 

 we surely may be said to obtain more just 

 and rational ideas of the qualities and prin- 

 ciples of beauty, than from any other source; 

 and those, I believe, Mr. Burke has very ac- 

 curately pointed out, though not on the 

 ground that I have taken, But although 

 these qualities, more or less, exist in all 

 beautiful objects, and though no object can 

 be beautiful that is totally deprived of them, 

 yet they still are only qualities or ingredi- 

 ents ; and beauty is a thing of much too re- 

 fined and delicate a nature to be made by a 

 receipt, or to be judged of with accuracy, 

 merely by an acquaintance with its general 

 qualities ; more especially with respect to 

 form, and, above all, the human form. It 

 required a long series of observations, to en* 

 able men to discriminate amidst the gene- 

 ral mass of beauty, what was in a pre-remi- 

 nent, and exquisite degree beautiful : this 

 has been done by men, who, in an age wheu 

 $11 the arts were in their highest perfec- 

 tion, in the happiest climate for producing 



