215 



only belongs to nature itself; that is, to uni- 

 versal custom. 



It seems to me* that partial custom and 

 habit are more employed in reconciling us 

 to defects and deformities, than in absolutely 

 converting them into beauties; and that, if in 

 some particular cases they do convert them 

 into beauties, (as it is said that those who 

 have the goitres, think that excrescence be- 

 coming, and those who want it deformed,) 

 yet such a notion of beauty is confined to 

 the ignorant inhabitants of a few narrow 

 districts. The Ethiopians, indeed, and what 

 are in general called negroes, are much 

 more numerous ; and they probably prefer 

 their own form and colour to those of Euro- 

 peans ; but as Sir Joshua remarks, " the 

 " black and white nations must, in respect 

 " of beauty, be considered as of different 

 " kinds, or at least as different species of 



" the same kind/' 



As this part of Sir Joshua's Letter has 

 been thought to contain, not only a lively 

 and striking illustration of his own doctrines, 



q 2 



