30 OF TASTE. BOOK I. 



ing to those who are interested in it ; but destroy that property, 

 and it only excites our contempt. 



Fitness, or Proportion, is nearly allied with utility, and 

 always supposes that we are acquainted with the end or pur- 

 pose for which the animal or object is intended. We could 

 perceive no fitness in the proboscis of the bee, nor the broad 

 finny feet of the duck, did we not know their relative use. We 

 could not even judge of the fitness of a prop, or support, to 

 bear the weight placed on it, if we had not some previous 

 knowledge of the qualities of each. We have not always cor- 

 rect ideas on this subject; and hence we judge oftener from 

 their imaginary than from their real qualities. This is one 

 cause of the change of fashion in the proportions of the most 

 common implements, or pieces of furniture ; and it may serve 

 to expose the absurdity of taking any one relative proportion 

 as the standard of perfection for all kinds of columns. 



Fitness of the parts in relation to each other excites appro- 

 bation, even without knowing their use, or perceiving any other 

 • beauty in the whole. The opposite quality, insufficiency, al- 



ways excites dislike. 



Symmetry, or Conformity, is a term applied to that de 



