204 



vanity might perhaps lead her to mistake 

 the motive*. 



As the excess of those qualities which 

 chiefly constitute beauty, produces insipi- 

 dity ; so likewise the excess of those which 

 constitute picturesqueness, produces defer* 

 mity. These mutual relations may be suf- 

 ficiently obvious in inanimate objects; yet 

 perhaps they will be more clearly per- 

 ceived, if we consider them in the human 

 countenance, supposing the general form of 

 the countenance to remain the same, and 

 only what may in some measure be consi- 

 dered as the accompaniments to be changed. 



Suppose then, what is no uncommon 

 style or degree of beauty, a woman with 

 fine features, but the character of whose 



* A celebrated anatomist is said to have declared, that 

 he had received in his life more pleasure from dead, than 

 from living women. This might perhaps be brought as a 

 similar, though a stronger instance of perverted taste ; but I 

 never heard of any painter's having made thesame declaration 

 with respect to age and youth. Whatever may be the fu- 

 ture refinements of painting and anatomy, I believe young 

 and live women, will never have reason to be jealous of old, 

 or dead rivals. 



