drowning; it was very early in the day, and no one awake upon the fhore except a fawyer that was cutting wood; who, not being able to obtain from his phlegmatic neighbours that affiitance their cafe immediately required, ran directly to call the Emperor, who he knew would be stirring, and who came flying to give that help which from fome happy accident was no longer wanted; but Jofeph loft no good humour on the occafion; on the contrary, he congratulated the women on their deliverance, praifing at the fame time and rewarding the fellow for having disturbed him.

My informer told me likewife, that if two men difpute about any matter till mischief is expected, the wife of one of them will often cry out, "Come, have done, have done "directly, or I'll call our master, and he'll make you have done."

Now is it fair not to do every thing but adore a fovereign like this? when we know that if fuch tales were told us of Marcus Aurelius, or Titus Vefpafian, it would be our delight to repeat, our favourite learning to read of them. Such conduct would ferve fucceeding princes for models, nor could the weight of a dozen centuries fmother their ftill rifing fame. Yet is not my heart perfuaded that the reputation of Jofeph the Second, will be configned immaculate from age to age, like that of thefe immortal worthies, tho' dearly purchased by the lofs of ease and pleafure: while neither the mitred prelate, nor the blameless puritan pursue with bleffings a heart unawed by fplendour, unfortened by fimplicity; a hand ftretched forth rather to difpenfe juftice, than opening fpontaneously to diftribute charity.

B

EAUTY, in its native fignification, is appropriated to objects of fight. Objects of the other fenfes may be agreeable, fuch as the founds of mufical inftruments, the fmoothness and foftness of some fur faces; but the agreeablenefs called Beauty belongs to objects of fight.

Objects of fight are more complex than thofe of any other fense: in the fimpleft, we perceive colour, figure, length, breadth, thicknefs. A tree is compofed of a trunk, branches, and leaves; it has colour, figure, fize, and fometimes motion: by means of each of thefe particulars, feparately confidered, it appears beautiful but a complex perception of the whole greatly augments the beauty of the object. The human body is a compofition of numberless beauties arifing from the parts and qualities

of the object, various colours, various motions, figures, fize, &c. all united in one complex object, and ftriking the eye with combined force. Hence it is, that beauty, a quality fo remarkable in visible objects, lends its name to every thing that is eminently agreeable. Thus, by a figure of fpeech, we fay, a beautiful found, a beautiful thought, a beautiful difcovery, &c.

Confidering attentively the beauty of visible objects, two kinds are difcovered. The first may be termed intrinfic beauty, because it is difcovered in a fingle object, without relation to any other the other may be termed relative, being founded on the relation of objects. Intrinsic beauty is a perception of fenfe merely; for to perceive the beauty of a fpreading oak, or of a flowing river,

no

no more is required but fingly an act of vifion, Relative beauty is accompanied with an act of understanding and reflection: for we perceive not the relative beauty of a fine inftrument or engine until we learn its ufe and deftination. In a word, intrinfic beauty is ultimate; and relative beauty is that of means relating to fome good end or purpose. These different beauties agree in one capital circumftance, that both are equally perceived as belonging to the object; which will be readily admitted with refpect to intrinfic beauty, but is not fo obvious with refpect to the other. The utility of the plough, for example, may make it an object of admiration or of defire; but why should utility make it beautiful? A natural propenfity of the human mind will explain this difficulty: by an easy transition of ideas, the beauty of the effect is transferred to the caufe, and is perceived as one of the qualities of the cause. Thus a fubject void of intrinfic beauty appears beautiful by its utility; a dwellinghoufe void of all regularity is how ever beautiful in the view of convenience ; and the want of symmetry in a tree will not prevent its appearing beautiful, if it be known to produce good fruit.

When these two beauties concur in any object, it appears delightful. Every member of the human body poffeffes both in a high degree.

The beauty of utility, being accurately proportioned to the degree of utility, requires no illuftration: but intrinfic beauty, being more complex, cannot be handled diftinctly without being analysed. If a tree be beautiful by means of its colour, figure, motion, fize, &c it is in reality poffeffed of fo many different beauties. The beauty of colour is too familiar to need explanation. The beauty of figure is more; for example, viewing any body as a whole, the beauty of its figure arifes VOL. X. No. 55F

from regularity and fimplicity; viewing the parts with relation to each other, uniformity, proportion, and order, contribute to its beauty.

We fhall here make a few obfer

vations on fimplicity, which may be of ufe in examining the beauty of fingle objects. A multitude of objects crowding into the mind at once, disturb the attention, and país with-out making any lasting impreffion : in the fame manner, even a fingle object, confifting of a multiplicity of parts, equals not, in ftrength of impreffion, a more fimple object comprehended in one view. This justifies fimplicity in works of art, as oppofed to complicated circumstances and crowded ornaments.

It would be endless to enumerate the effects that are produced by the various combinations of the principles of beauty. A few examples will be fufficient to give the reader fome idea of this fubject. A circle and a fquare are each perfectly regular: a fquare, however, is lefs beautiful than a circle; and the reafon is, that the attention is divided among the fides and angles of a fquare; whereas the circumference of a circle, being a fingle object, makes one entire impreflion: and thus fimplicity contributes to beauty. For the fame reafon a fquare is more beautiful than a hexagon or octagon. A fquare is likewife more beautiful than a parallelogram, because it is more regular and uniform. But this holds with refpect to intrinfic beauty only: for in many instances, as in the doors and windows of a dwelling-houfe, utility turns the fcales on the fide of the parallelogram.

Again, a parallelogram depends, for its beauty, on the proportion of its fides: a great inequality of its fides annihilates its beauty: approximation toward equality hath the fame effect; for proportion there degenerates into imperfect uniformity, and

the

the figure appears an unfuccefsful attempt toward a fquare. And hence proportion contributes to beauty.

An equilateral triangle yields not to a fquare in regularity nor in uniformity of parts, and it is more fimple. But an equilateral triangle is lefs beautiful than a fquare; which must be owing to inferiority of order in the pofition of its parts; the order arifing from the equal inclination of the fides of fuch an angle is more obfcure than the parellelifm of the fides of a square. And hence order contributes to beauty not lefs than fimplicity, regularity, or proportion. Uniformity is fingular in one circumftance, that it is apt to disgust by excefs. A number of things deftined for the fame ufe, as windows, chairs, &c. cannot be too uniform. But a fcrupulous uniformity of parts in a large garden or field is far from being agreeable.

In all the works of nature fimplicity makes a capital figure. It alfo makes a figure in works of art: profufe ornament in painting, gardening, or architecture, as well as in drefs or in language, fhews a mean or corrupted tafte. Simplicity in behaviour and manners has an enchanting effect, and never fails to gain our affection. Very different are the artificial manners of modern times. A gradual progrefs from fimplicity to complex forms and profufe ornament, feems to be the fate of all the fine arts; resembling behaviour, which from original candour and fimplicity has degenerated into duplicity of heart and artificial refinements. At prefent, literary productions are crowded with words, epithets, figures in mufic, fentiment is neglected for the luxury of harmony, and for difficult movement.

With regard to the final caufe of beauty, one thing is evident, that our relish of regularity, uniformity, proportion, order, and fimplicity, contributes greatly to enhance the

beauty of the objects that furround us, and of course tends to our happinefs. We may be confirmed in this thought, upon reflecting, that our tafte for thefe particulars is not accidental, but uniform and universal, making a branch of our nature. At the fame time, regularity, uniformity, order, and fimplicity, contribute each of them to readiness of apprehenfion, and enable us to form more diftinct ideas of objects than can be done where thefe particulars are wanting. In fome inftances, as in animals, proportion is evidently connected with utility, and is the more agreeable on that account.

Beauty, in many inftances, promotes induftry; and as it is frequently connected with utility, it proves an additional incitement to enrich our fields and improve our manufactures. Thefe, however, are but flight effects, compared with the connections that are formed among individuals in fociety by means of beauty. The qualifications of the head and heart are undoubtedly the moft folid and most permanent foundations of fuch connections: But as external beauty lies more in view, and is more obvious to the bulk of mankind, than the qualities now mentioned, the fenfe of beauty has a more extenfive influence in forming thefe connections. At any rate, it concurs in an eminent degree with mental qualifications, in producing focial intersourfe, mutual good-will, and confequently mutual aid and fupport, which are the life of fociety: it muft not however be overlooked, that the fenfe of beauty does not tend to advance the interefts of fociety, but when in a due mean with refpect to strength. Love, in particular, arifing from a fenfe of beauty, loses, when exceffive, its focial character: the appetite for gratification, prevailing over affection for the beloved object, is ungovernable, and tends violently to its end, regardless

of

of the mifery that muft follow. Love, in this state, is no longer a fweet agreeable paffion: it becomes painful, like hunger or thirst; and produceth no happiness, but in the inftant of fruition. This fuggefts an important leffon, that moderation in our

defires and appetites, which fits us for doing our duty, contributes at the fame time the most to happiness; even focial paffions, when moderate, are more pleafant than when they fwell beyond proper bounds.

HE inhabitants of France and thofe of Spain, so oppofite in difpofition, probably require different kinds of government; but they are now nearly of the fame kind; and hence we may conclude one of them to be wrong, which is probably that of Spain. The French inconftancy, heat, impetuofity, and the Spanish fteady patience, natural pride and indolence, muft require different treatment. Different foils and fituations muft have different culture to make them productive. Thefe two nations can never find much to borrow from, or to like in, each other. They feem originally intended to be enemies; and, if left to themfelves, the leading principles of their governments would probably be as oppofite as their taste and character.

The character of the French, their peculiar humours, fire, and caprice, perhaps render them unfit to be trusted with that degree of liberty which, to other nations, seems neceffantke, Unable to judge of oppreffiononinjuftice but from fancy or falbhey muft, perhaps, be guided and restrained by a defpotic hand. And fo long as that can be confidered as the hand of a father, and defpotifm can conceal its cha'racter under the cloak of amiable and liberal manners and fentiments;

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while an open and amicable intercourfe is kept up between fovereign and people by proper media; it may long go on fmoothly, and even fometimes with a degree of profperity far beyond what could have been expected; but we have now probably feen its limits, or maximum of fuccefs, and may prophefy that it cannot go much farther. Though the prince acknowledged himself tied by no conftitutional bonds, these are partly, though precarioufly, fupplied by his attention to the national prejudices and public opinion, to the advices and remonttrances of his own tribunals, which, though originally inftituted to enlarge his authority, have gradually affumed a kind of right to control his edicts, and almoft to reprefent the nation, or at leaft to deceive it.

But the Spanish character feems to require and deferve a government of freedom and fecurity, as a neceffary incitement to the good, and proper remedy for its bad qualities. It would be requifite for the exercife of their natural good fenfe, of their rational and meditative turn of mind, and their other powerful and distinguishing qualities, as pride, honour, firmnefs, magnanimity, which we know they poffefs, when excited by fufficient motives. It would likewife ferve as a cure to their indo

lence