in, ridiculous: but the mere habit of seeing it will gradually overcome our averfion: and, when we have long feen it worn by perfons of rank, beauty, virtue, or wifdom, and on occafions of the greatest festivity or folemnity, it acquires in our fancy a connection with many pleafing ideas: and whatever is fo connected muft itself be pleafing.

An African negro has from his birth lived among people of a black colour, with flat noses, thick lips and woolly hair. His father, and

mother, and all his relations, his friend, his mistrefs, and his fovereign, have all the fame caft of features and complexion. He has heard, perhaps, of Europeans, or he may have feen fome of them; of whom he knows little more, than that their colour is white, that they come from a far country, and are remarkable for many ftrange customs; that they ensave and opprefs black men, because they are black, and buy and fell them, like cattle, in a market; force them away from their country and friends to remote regions, from which they never return; fcourge them for the flightest faults, and even put them to death on frivolous pretences. With what a multitude of difgufting ideas, in the mind of this negro, muft the European complexion be affociated; and, with how many agreeable ones, his own! Is it not, then, as natural for him, to have that predilection for African features, which we have for thofe of Europe,-as long, at leaft, as he remains in his own country? For, if he were to live among us, and to be treated with that humanity, which, as a man, and as a ftranger, he has a right to demand, and will certainly receive, from every Chriftian, his diflike to our lineaments

K 2

lineaments and colour would gradually abate, because they would foon come to be affociated with many pleasing images. Custom has, indeed, a very powerful influence, in determining our notions of beauty. The natives of a certain province among the Alps are distinguished by an extraordinary fwelling under the chin; owing, it is faid, to the fnow-water which they are obliged to drink a great part of the year; and there, we are told, that none are accounted handfome, but they whose chins hang down upon the breaft.

SECT.

SECT. IV.

in FIGURE,

-

Origin of our Ideas of Beauty, in COLOUR, - in ATTITUDE,-in MOTION, partly accounted for, from the Influence of Cuftom, as an affociating Principle. Countenance-Standard of Beauty.

I

Beauty of

Said, that, in determining our notions of Beauty, Cuftom has a very powerful influence. It might have been faid, more explicitly, that" from affociations founded in habit, many, "or perhaps moft, of thofe pleafing emotions "are derived, which accompany the percep"tion of what in things vifible is called Beauty: "thofe COLOURS, FIGURES, GESTURES, and мo"TIONS, being for the most part accounted "BEAUTIFUL, which convey to the mind plea"furable ideas; and thofe ugly, or not beau"tiful, which impart fuggeftions of an oppo"fite or different nature." This deferves a particular inquiry.

FIRST, as to COLOURS: It is true, that fome give pleasure, because they affect the mind with a lively fenfation. Gold, and filver, and flowers, and gaudy feathers, are admired by children and favages, on account of their brilliancy. The moon is to most infants a captivating object: I have seen a boy of fifteen months not a little offended, because he could not have it for a plaything.

plaything. Bright colours naturally draw attention. To look at burning coals is hurtful to fight yet few, even of those who know this, can keep from ftaring on the fire.-It is alfo true, that fome colours are accounted beautiful, because they cherish the organ of fight, as green; or because they have that character which we term delicacy, and yield a fenfation at once lively and gentle, as pale red, and light blue; or because they are fuppofed to be emblematical of moral qualities, as fcarlet, blue, and white, which we fometimes confider as the fymbols of valour, conftancy, and innocence. It is further admitted, that colours, which look as if they were stained or fullied, or which are fo mixed, or fo indefinite, that we scarce know what name to give them, are not generally admired; on account, perhaps, of the dulnefs or ambiguity of the fenfation wherewith they affect us. Thofe gradations, however, and fhades of colour, that appear in flowers, in the plumage of the peacock and other birds, in the rainbow, in the evening and morning fky, and in many natural objects, are wonderfully beautiful; when they fo melt away into one another, that, though we difcern the change, we cannot mark the boundary. But in these cafes, it is not fo much the mere delicacy or fplendour of the colours that charms the eye, as that inimitable art (if I may fo express myfelf) with which they are blended, and which inspires every beholder with pleasing admiration, as far furpaffing the highest efforts of human dexterity. Outward circumftances, too, must have fome effect. The calmnefs of an evening, and the freshness of a morning fky, the magnificent concave of heaven, the fragrance of the flowers, and the glorious arch of the rainbow, make us contemplate

contemplate their colours with particular delight. For where beauty of colour is united with elegance, or dignity of form, or with any other agreeable circumftance, these qualities mutually adorn each other and we love the beauty more, on account of the greatnefs or goodness; and adimire the greatnefs and approve the goodness more, on account of the beauty. Virtue itfelf, fays Virgil, appears to advantage in a beautiful perfon*.

In fact, the beauty of colours depends fo much on the ideas with which they may happen to have been affociated by cuftom, that the fame colour fhall be beautiful in one object, and in another ugly, for no other reafon, but because in the one it brings along with it fome pleafing, and in the other fome painful, recollection. Greenness in the fields is beautiful; because it conveys to the beholder many fweet ideas of fragrance, and plenty, and happy feasons, as well as because it refreshes the organ of fight: but in the human countenance the fame colour would ftrike with horror, by fuggefting a great variety of difagreeable thoughts. The liquid vermilion of the lips, and the "purple light of "love" that illuminates the cheek of youth, we admire as the figns of health, innocence, vivacity, and warm affection; but if the fame ideas had been fuggefted by white cheeks and white lips, we should certainly have given the preference to these. The glow of a blush is enchanting; as it betokens modefty and gentlenefs: but the fame colour, if known to be the

344.

Gratior et pulchro veniens in corpore virtus. Æn. 5.

effect

X