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forms are the best proofs of its excellence ; 

 but deprive his pictures, or those of Cor- 

 reggioorGuido, of that principle which per- 

 vades them, and you would rob them of 

 the charms to which they owe their greatest 

 reputation. It is true that undulation, gra- 

 dual variation, &c. like other general prin- 

 ciples, have been often absurdly applied, 

 and that they will not in themselves create 

 beauty ; but, it may safely be laid down 

 as a maxim, and it is one to which in 

 this discussion frequent reference may be 

 made — that those qualities, without which a 

 character cannot exist, must be essential to 

 that character. 



I may here observe, that, although the 

 method of considering beauty as the central 

 form, and as being produced by attending 

 only to the great general ideas inherent in 

 universal nature, be a grander way of treat- 

 ing the subject ; and though the discrimi- 

 nations of Mr. Burke may, in comparison, 

 appear minute ; yet, after all, each object, 

 or set of objects, according to it's charac- 

 ters, must be composed of qualities, the 



VOL. III. Q 



