Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition - Volume I, A-B.pdf/643

 B E A ( 535 ) B E A difturb the attention, and pafs vvitliour ful; but a complex perception of the whole greatly mind atanyonce,lading impreflion : In the fame manner, even augments the beauty of the objed. The human body making fingle objed, confiding of a multiplicity of parts, eis a compofition of numberleis beauties arifing from aquals not, in drength of impreflion, a more fimple obthe parts and qualities of the objed, various colours, comprehended in one view. This judifies fimplicity various motions, figures, fize, <bc. all united in one jed of art, as oppofed to complicated circumltances complex objed, and flriking the eye with combined inandworks ornaments. force. Hence it is, that beauty, a quality fo remark- Itcrowded would to enumerate the effeds that are able in vifible objeds, lends its name to every thing produced bybetheendlefs various combinations of the principles that is eminently agreeable. Thus, by a figure of of beauty A few will be fufficient to give fpeech, we fay, a beautiful found, a beautiful thought, the reader fome ideaexamples of this fubjed. A circle and a a beautiful difcovery, <bc. are each perfedly regular; a fquare, however, is Confidering attentively the beauty of vifible objeds, fquare beautiful than a circle; and the reafon is, that the two kinds are difcovered. The firfl may be termed lefs is divided among the fides and angles of a intriniic beauty, becaufe it is difcovered in a Angle attention fquare; whereas the circumference of a circle, being a objed, without relation to any other ; the other may fingle objed, makes one entire impreflion: And thus be termed rfilative, being founded- on the relation of fimplicity contributes to beauty. For the fame rcafon, objeds. Intrinfic beauty is a perception of fenfe merely ; for to perceive the beauty of a fpreading oak, or a fquare is more beautiful than a hexagon or odagon. iquare is likewife more beautiful than a parallelogram, of a flowing river, no more is required but fingly an Abecaufe it is more regular and uniform. But this holds ad of vifion. Relative beauty is accompanied with an refped to intrinfic beauty only; for in many inad of underftanding and refledion ; for we perceive with not the relative beauty of a fine inftrument or engine, dances, as in the doors and windows of a dwelling-houfe, until we learn its ufe and deilination. In a word, in- utility turns the fcales on the fide of the parallelogram. trinfic beauty is ultimate; and relative beauty is that Again, a parallelogram depends, for its beauty, on proportion of its fides: A great inequality of its of means relating to fome good end or purpofe. Thefe the different beauties agree in one capital circumflance, fides annihilates it* beauty: Approximation toward ethat both are equally perceived as belonging to the ob- quality hath the fame effed ; for proportion there degeinto imperfed uniformity, and the figure appears jed ; which will be readily admitted with refped to nerates intrinftc beauty, "but is not fo obvious with refped to an unfuccefsful attempt toward a fquare. And hence contributes to beauty. the other. The utility of the plough, for example, proportion An equilateral triangle yields not to a fquare in regumay make an objed of admiration or of defire; but larity in uniformity of parts, and it is more fimple.. why fhould utility make it beautiful ? A natural pro- But annorequilateral triangle is lefs beautiful than a fquare; penfity of the human mind will explain this difficulty : By an eafy tranfition of ideas, the beauty of the effed which mud be owing to inferiority of order in the pofition is transferred to the caufe, and is perceived as one of of its parts; the order arifing from theequal inclination the qualities of the caufe : Thus a fubjed void of in- of the fides of fuch an angle, is more obfcure than the trinfic beauty, appears beautiful by its utility, a parallelifm of the fides of a fquare. And hence order dwelling-houfe void of all regularity, is however beau- contributes to beauty not lefs than fimplicity, regularity, tiful in the view of convenience. and the want of fym- or proportion. metry in a tree, will not prevent its appearing beauti- Uniformity is Angular in one circnmdance, that it is apt to difgud by excefs. A number of things dedined. ful, if it be known to produce good fruit.. When thefe two beauties concur in any objed, it for the fame ufe. as windows, chairs, cb'c. cannot be too appears delightful. Every member of the human body uniform. But a fcrupulous uniformity of parts in. a large poffelfes both in a high degree. garden or field, is far from being agreeable.. The beauty of utility, being accurately proportioned In all the works of nature, fimplicity makes a capital; to the degree of utility, requires no illullration: But figure It alfo makes a figure in works of art: Profufe intrinfic beauty being more complex, cannot be handled ornament in painting„gardening, or architedure, as well as dillmdly without being analyfed. If a tree be beaur in drefs or in language, fhows a mean or corrupted tade. Simplicity in behaviour and manners has an- inchanting tiful by means of its colour, figure, motion, fize, it is in reality poflefied of fo many different beauties. effed, and never fails to gain our affedion. Very difThe beauty of colour ia too familiar to need explana- ferent are the artificial manners off modern times. A tion. The beauty of figure is more; for example, gradual progrefs from fimplicity to complex forms and viewing any body as a whole, the beauty of its figure profufe ornament, feems to be the fate of all the fine arifes from regularity and fimplicity ; viewing the parts arts; refembling behaviour, which from original candor with relation to each other, uniformity, proportion, and fimplicity, has degenerated into duplicity of heart and order, contribute to its beauty. The beauties of and artificial refinements. At prefent literary producgrandeur and motion mull be confidered feparately. tions are crowded with words, epithets, figures: In mufic, fentiment is negleded for the luxury of harmony, See Grandeur, and Motion. We (hall here make a few obfervations on fimplicity, and for difficult movement. which may be of ufe in examining the beauty of fingle With regard to the final caufe of beauty, one thing isobjeds. A multitude o£ objeds crowding into the evident, that our relilh of regularity, uniformity, proportion^