SECT. IV.

PROPORTION NOT THE CAUSE OF BEAUTY IN THE

HUMAN SPECIES.

THERE are fome parts of the human body, that are obferved to hold certain proportions to each other; but before it can be proved, that the effi cient cause of beauty lies in these, it must be shewn, that wherever thefe are found exact, the perfon to whom they belong is beautiful: I mean in the effect produced on the view, either of any member distinctly confidered, or of the whole body toge ther. It must be likewife fhewn, that these parts ftand in fuch a relation to each other, that the comparison between them may be eafily made, and that the affection of the mind may naturally result from it. For my part, I have at several times very carefully examined many of thofe proportions, and found them hold very nearly, or altogether alike in many fubjects, which were not only very diffe rent from one another, but where one has been very beautiful, and the other very remote from beauty. With regard to the parts which are found fo proportioned, they are often fo remote from each other, in fituation, nature, and office, that I cannot fee how they admit of any comparifon, nor confequently how any effect owing to proportion can refult from them. The neck, fay they

In beautiful bodies, fhould measure with the calf of the leg; it should likewise be twice the circum ference of the wrift, And an infinity of obfervations of this kind are to be found in the writings and conversations of many. But what relation has the calf of the leg to the neck; or either of these parts to the wrift? These proportions are certainly to be found in handsome bodies. They are as certainly in ugly ones; as any who will take the pains to try may find, Nay, I do not know but they may be leaft perfect in fome of the most beautiful. You may affign any proportions you please to every part of the human body; and I undertake that a painter shall religioufly obferve them all, and notwithstanding produce, if he pleafes, a very ugly figure. The fame painter fhall confiderably deviate from these proportions, and produce a very beau tiful one, And indeed it may be obferved in the mafter-pieces of the ancient and modern ftatuary, that feveral of them differ very widely from the proportions of others, in parts very confpicuous and of great confideration; and that they differ no lefs from the proportions we find in living men, of forms extremely ftriking and agreeable. And after all, how are the partifans of proportional beauty agreed amongst themselves about the proportions of the human body? fome hold it to be feven heads; fome make it eight; whilft others extend it even to ten; a vaft difference in such a

fmall number of divifions! Others take other methods of eftimating the proportions, and all with equal fuccefs. But are thefe proportions exactly the fame in all handfome men? or are they at all the proportions found in beautiful women? nobody will say that they are; yet both fexes are undoubtedly capable of beauty, and the female of the greatest; which advantage I believe will hardly be attributed to the superiour exactnefs of proportion in the fair fex. Let us reft a moment on this point; and confider how much difference there is between the measures that prevail in many fimilar parts of the body, in the two fexes of this fingle fpecies only. If you affign any determinate proportions to the limbs of a man, and if you limit human beauty to these proportions, when you find a woman who differs in the make and measures of almost every part, you must conclude her not to be beautiful, in fpite of the fuggeftions of your imagination; or, in obedience to your imagination, you must renounce your rules; you must lay by the scale and compafs, and look out for fome other caufe of beauty. For if beauty be attached to certain meafures which operate from a principle in nature, why fhould fimilar parts with different meafures of proportion be found to have beauty, and this too in the very fame fpecies? but to open our view a little, it is worth obferving, that almoft all animals have parts of very

much

much the fame nature, and destined nearly to the fame purposes? an head, neck, body, feet, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth; yet Providence, to provide in the beft manner for their feveral wants, and to display the riches of his wifdom and goodnefs in his creation, has worked out of these few and fimilar organs, and members, a diversity hardly fhort of infinite in their difpofition, meafures, and relation. But, as we have before obferved, amidst this infinite diversity, one particu lar is common to many species; several of the individuals which compofe them are capable of affecting us with a sense of loveliness; and whilst they agree in producing this effect, they differ extremely in the relative measures of those parts which have produced it. These confiderations were fufficient to induce me to reject the notion of any particular proportions that operated by nature to produce a pleafing effect; but thofe who will agree with me with regard to a particular proportion, are ftongly prepoffeffed in favour of one more indefinite. They imagine, that although beauty in general is annexed to no certain meafures common to the feveral kinds of pleasing plants and animals; yet that there is a certain proportion in each species abfolutely effential to the beauty of that particular kind. If we confider the animal world in general, we find beauty confined to no certain measures; but as fome pecu

liar measure and relation of parts is what diftin guishes each peculiar class of animals, it must of neceffity be, that the beautiful in each kind will be found in the measures and proportions of that kind; for otherwife it would deviate from its proper fpecies, and become in fome fort monftrous: however, no fpecies is fo ftrictly confined to any certain proportions, that there is not a con fiderable variation amongst the individuals; and as it has been fhewn of the human, fo it may be fhewn of the brate kinds, that beauty is found indifferently in all the proportions which each kind can admit, without quitting its common form and it is this idea of a common form that makes the proportion of parts at all regarded, and not the operation of any natural caufe: indeed a little confideration will make it appear, that it is not measure but manner that creates all the beauty which belongs to fhape. What light do we borrow from thefe boafted proportions, when we ftudy ornamental design? It feems amazing to me, that artists, if they were as well convinced as they pretend to be, that proportion is a principal cause of beauty, have not by them at all times acqurate measurements of all forts of beautiful animals to help them to proper proportions, when they would contrive any thing elegant, efpecially as they frequently affert, that it is from an obfervation of the beautiful in nature they direct their practice.