The Evolution of Beauty , 
381 
1878.] 
spread over an ugly and repulsive interior. The elements 
of the beautiful are inherent in all things ; that we cannot 
always recognise them is due to the limitation of our 
senses. 
Beauty is an abstract idea, of the same nature as Good- 
ness, Truth, Power, Charity, &c., and that which causes 
this idea to present itself in the human consciousness is 
the perception of relationship among a number of diverse sensa- 
tions, of unity coexistent with variety. The mental sense 
of ordered activity is always accompanied by the idea of 
Beauty more or less vividly impressed. When the attention 
of the mind is focussed upon a variety of points in rapid 
succession, and the intellect is able to recognise relationship 
among all those points as members of one group, then 
arises the idea of Beauty. It can only present itself under 
the conditions of mental activity coexistent with the per- 
ception of relationship, proportion, unity. 
Variety is necessary in order to secure the condition of 
mental activity, which is effected by the perpetual change 
implied in the successive contemplation of many points. 
Each a 61 of attention is a force-wave which is very rapidly 
dissipated. No natural phenomenon can ever be exaddly 
repeated ; but if there is repetition, with too little variation, 
temporary paralysis follows, the well-known result of mono- 
tonous sensation. To keep up a vigorous mental activity 
the force-waves of attention must be sufficiently varied. 
Hence it follows that the primary condition under which 
any objedd can appear beautiful to the human mind is that 
it be compounded of a variety of parts, and that these parts 
be so much varied that the mind which contemplates them 
is not paralysed by monotony. Every objedd in Nature is 
so compounded of various parts, but human minds are not 
equally sensitive to small shades of difference. Obtuse 
minds are paralysed by a succession of adds of attention 
whose difference is sufficient to keep wide awake and addive 
other minds of more delicate perceptivity. If any mind 
were absolutely sensitive to all shades of difference the 
paralysis due to monotony would be impossible to it. 
Addivity alone, however, is not sufficient to arouse the 
idea of Beauty ; it must be recognised as ordered addivity. 
The mind requires not only the perception of change, but 
also of relationship in passing from one add of attention to 
another, the perception that there is similarity as well as 
difference in those adds of attention. Similarity implies 
identity in at least one direddion, with difference in other 
direddions ; and the point of identity which must be 
