either by custom, or the idea of utility; there is no other way.

SECT. V.

Proportion further confidered.

F I am not mistaken, a great deal of

the rejudice in favour of proportion has arisen, not fo much from the observation of any certain measures found in beautiful bodies, as from a wrong idea of the relation which deformity bears to beauty, to which it has been confidered as the oppofite; on this principle it was concluded, that where the causes of deformity were removed, beauty must naturally and neceffarily be introduced. This I believe is a mistake. For defor mity is oppofed, not to beauty, but to the complete, common form. If one of the legs of a man be found shorter than the other, the man is deformed; 1 because there is fomething wanting to

com

complete the whole idea we form of a man; and this has the fame effect in natural faults, as maiming and mutilation produce from accidents. So if the back be humped, the man is deformed; because his back has an unusual figure, and what carries with it the idea of some disease or misfortune; fo if a man's neck be confiderably longer or fhorter than ufual, we fay he is deformed in that part, because men are not commonly. made in that manner; But fürely every hour's experience may convince us, that a man may have his legs of an equal length, and resembling each other in all respects, and his neck of a just size, and his back quite ftrait, without having at the fame time the least perceivable beauty. Indeed beauty is fo far from belonging to the idea of custom, that in reality what affects us in that manner is extremely rare and uncommon. The beautiful ftrikes us much by its novelty as the deformed itself. It is thus in those fpe

1

cies of animals with which we are acquainted; and if one of a new fpècies were prefented, we should by no means wait until cuftom had fettled an idea of proportion before we decided concerning its beauty or uglinefs. Which shews that the general idea of beauty, can be no more owing to customary than to natural proportion. Deformity arises from the want of the common proportions; but the neceffary refult of their existence in any object is not beauty. If we fuppofe proportion in natural things to be relative to custom and use, the nature of use and custom will fhew, that beauty, which is a pofitive and powerful quality, cannot refult from it. We are fo wonderfully formed that whilft we are creatures vehemently defirous of novelty, we are as ftrongly attached to habit and cuftom. But it is the nature of things which holds us by cuftom to affect us very little whilst we are in poffeffion of them, but ftrongly

when

when they are abfent. I remember to have frequented a certain place, every day for a long time together; and I may truly say, that so far from finding pleafure in it, I was affected with a fort of weariness and difguft; I came, I went, I returned without pleasure; yet if by any means I paffed by the usual time of my going thither, I was remarkably uneafy, and was not quiet till I had got into my old track. They who use fnuff take it almost without being fenfible that they take it, and the acute sense of fmell is deadened, fo as to feel hardly any thing from so sharp a ftimulus; yet deprive the fnuff-taker of his box, and he is the most uneafy mortal in the world. Indeed fo far are use and habit from being causes of pleasure, merely as fuch; that the effect of constant use is to make all things of whatever kind entirely unaffecting. For as ufe at laft takes off the painful effect of many things, it reduces the pleasurable effect of others in

the

the fame manner, and brings both to a fort of mediocrity and indifference. Very justly is ufe called a fecond nature; and our natural and common ftate is one of abfolute indifference, equally prepared for pain or pleasure. But when we are thrown out of this state, or deprived of any thing requifite to maintain us in it; when this chance does not happen by pleasure from fome mechanical caufe, we are always hurt. It is fo with the second nature, cuftom, in all things which relate to it. Thus the want of the ufual proportions in men and other animals is fure to difguft, though their presence is by no means any cause of real pleasure. It is true, that the proportions laid down as causes of beauty in the human body are frequently found in beautiful ones, because they are generally found in all mankind; but if it can be fhewn too that they are found without beauty, and that beauty frequently exifts without them, and that this beauty, where it exists always can be affigned