38 OF TASTE. BOOK I. 



Beauty. — Such objects only as excite our love of possession, 

 whether from their rarity, or suitableness to our ideas of com- 

 municating pleasure, are generally termed beautiful. Supreme 

 beauty, to the mind of man, is only found in a lovely wo- 

 man; the beauty of all other objects may be termed relative. 

 With respect to forms, and other qualities of surface, we 

 consider those as most beautiful, which approach nearest to 

 that of woman : thus gentle undulations, insensible transitions, 

 smooth and soft surfaces, circular or conical forms, are all 

 termed beautiful, except when ( they are connected with some 

 moral evil or deformity in relation to man. 



The most beautiful women, either in form or colour, are 

 always tender and delicate. Delicacy and refinement, indeed, 

 seem necessary properties of beauty ; for it is in these respects 

 that the form of woman differs chiefly from that of man. Ac- 

 cordingly, whatever communicates the appearance of delicacy 

 to objects or scenes renders them beautiful. This appearance 

 may be given in supports, by employing a smaller quantity of 

 materials, as in elegant furniture or columns; and in other 

 bodies by undulations, smoothness, and tender ornaments or 

 colours, as in fine veined mahogany ; or by clearness, as in works 

 in iron or glass, as grates, chandeliers, &c. Such properties in 

 these kinds of objects are universally called beautiful or ele- 

 gant (for the terms are synonimous when both are in fashion), 



