,,the    ,,analysis    ,,of    ,,beauty4
      ,written with a view of fixing the
 fluctuating ,,ideas of ,,taste4        
,,by ,,william ,,hogarth4          ,so  
vary'd he1 and of his tortuous train    
,curl'd many a wanton wreath1 in sight  
of ,eve1      ,to lure her              
eye4----,milton4      ,illustration3    
,variety      ,,london3    ,printed by  
,j4 ,,reeves for the ,,author1 ,and     
,sold by him at his ,house in           
,,leicester-,,fields4      ,,mdccliii4  
,,preface4      ,if a preface was ever  
necessary1 it may very likely be thought
 so to  the following work2 the title of
 which 7in the proposals publish'd  some
 time since7 hath much amused1 and      
raised the expectation of the  curious1 
though not without a mixture of doubt1  
that its purport  could ever be         
satisfactorily answered4 ,for though    
beauty is seen and  confessed by all1   
yet1 from the many fruitless attempts to
 account for  the cause of its being so1
 enquiries on this head have almost been

  given up2 and the subject generally   
thought to be a matter of too  high and 
too delicate a nature to admit of any   
true or intelligible  discussion4       
,something therefore introductory ought 
to be said at the  presenting a work    
with a face so entirely new2 especially 
as it will  naturally encounter with1   
and perhaps may overthrow1 several long 
received and thorough establish'd       
opinions3 and since controversies  may  
arise how far1 and after what manner    
this subject hath hitherto  been        
consider'd and treated1 it will also be 
proper to lay before the  reader1 what  
may be gathered concerning it1 from the 
works of the  ancient and modern writers
 and painters4    ,it is no wonder this 
subject should have so long been thought
  inexplicable1 since the nature of many
 parts of it cannot possibly come       
within the reach of mere men of letters2
 otherwise those ingenious  gentlemen   
who have lately published treatises upon
 it 7and who have  written much more    

learnedly than can be expected from one 
who never  took up the pen before7 would
 not so soon have been bewilder'd in    
their accounts of it1 and obliged so    
suddenly to turn into the  broad1 and   
more beaten path of moral beauty2 in    
order to extricate  themselves out of   
the difficulties they seem to have met  
with in  this3 and withal forced for the
 same reasons to amuse their readers    
with amazing 7but often misapplied7     
encomiums on deceased painters  and     
their performances2 wherein they are    
continually discoursing of  effects     
instead of developing causes2 and after 
many prettinesses1 in  very pleasing    
language1 do fairly set you down just   
where they first  took you up2 honestly 
confessing that as to ,,grace1 the main 
point in  question1 they do not even    
pretend to know any thing of the matter4
 ,and  indeed how should they8 when it  
actually requires a practical knowledge 
of the whole art of painting 7sculpture 
alone not being sufficient7  and that   

too to some degree of eminence1 in order
 to enable any one to  pursue the chain 
of this enquiry through all its parts3  
which ,i hope  will be made to appear in
 the following work4    ,it will then   
naturally be asked1 why the best        
painters within these  two centuries1   
who by their works appear to have       
excelled in grace  and beauty1 should   
have been so silent in an affair of such
 seeming  importance to the imitative   
arts and their own honour8 to which ,i  
answer1 that it is probable1 they       
arrived at that excellence in their     
works1 by the mere dint of imitating    
with great exactness the beauties  of   
nature1 and by often copying and        
retaining strong ideas of graceful      
antique statues2 which might            
sufficiently serve their purposes as    
painters1 without their troubling       
themselves with a farther enquiry  into 
the particular causes of the effects    
before them4 ,it is not  indeed a little
 strange1 that the great ,leonardo da   

,vinci 7amongst the  many philosophical 
precepts which he hath at random laid   
down in his  treatise on painting7      
should not have given the least hint of 
any thing  tending to a system of this  
kind2 especially1 as he was cotemporary 
with ,michael ,angelo1 who is said to   
have discover'd a certain principle  in 
the trunk only of an antique statue1    
7well known from this  circumstance by  
the name of ,michael ,angelo's ,torso1  
or ,back1 fig4 #ed p4  ,i7 which        
principle gave his works a grandeur of  
gusto equal to the best  antiques4      
,relative to which tradition1 ,lomazzo  
who wrote about painting  at the same   
time1 hath this remarkable passage1 vol4
 ,i4 book ,i4    ,illustration3 ,fig4   
#ed    ,and because in this place there 
falleth out a certaine precept of       
,michael ,angelo much for our purpose1  
,i wil not conceale it1 leaving  the    
farther interpretation and vnderstanding
 thereof to the iudicious  reader4 ,it  
is reported then that ,michael ,angelo  

vpon a time gaue this  observation to   
the ,painter ,marcus de ,sciena his     
scholler2 that he  should alwaies make a
 figure ,pyramidall1 ,serpentlike1 and  
multiplied  by one two and three4 ,in   
which precept 7in mine opinion7 the     
whole  mysterie of the arte consisteth4 
,for the greatest grace and life that  a
 picture can haue1 is1 that it expresse 
,motion3 which the ,painters  call the  
spirite of a picture3 ,nowe there is no 
forme so fitte to  expresse this motion1
 as that of the flame of fire1 which    
according  to ,aristotle and the other  
,philosophers1 is an elemente most      
actiue  of all others3 because the forme
 of the flame thereof is most apt for   
motion3 for it hath a ,conus or sharpe  
pointe wherewith it seemeth to  divide  
the aire1 that so it may ascende to his 
proper sphere4 ,so that a  picture      
having this forme will bee most         
beautifull4#a    #a ,see ,haydock's     
translation printed at ,oxford1 #aeih4  
,many writers since ,lomazzo have in the

 same words recommended the  observing  
this rule also2 without comprehending   
the meaning of it3 for  unless it were  
known systematically1 the whole business
 of grace could  not be understood4     
,du ,fresnoy1 in his art of painting1   
says large flowing1 gliding  outlines   
which are in waves1 give not only a     
grace to the part1 but  to the whole    
body2 as we see in the ,antinous1 and in
 many other of  the antique figures3 a  
fine figure and its parts ought always  
to have  a serpent-like and flaming     
form3 naturally those sort of lines have
  ,i know not what of life and seeming  
motion in them1 which very much         
resembles the activity of the flame and 
of the serpent4 ,now if he had          
understood what he had said1 he could   
not1 speaking of grace1 have  expressed 
himself in the following contradictory  
manner4--,but to say  the truth1 this is
 a difficult undertaking1 and a rare    
present1 which  the artist rather       
receives from the hand of heaven than   

from his own  industry and studies#b4   
,but ,de ,piles1 in his lives of the    
painters1  is still more contradictory1 
where he says1 that a painter can only  
have it 7meaning grace7 from nature1 and
 doth not know that he hath it1  nor in 
what degree1 nor how he communicates it 
to his works3 and that  grace and beauty
 are two different things2 beauty       
pleases by the rules1  and grace without
 them4    #b ,see ,dryden's translation 
of his latin poem on ,painting1 verse   
#bh1 and the remarks on these very      
lines1 page #aee1 which run thus1  ,it  
is difficult to say what this grace of  
painting is1 it is to be  conceiv'd1 and
 understood much more easy than to be   
expressed by words2  it proceeds from   
the illuminations of an excellent mind1 
7but not to be  acquired7 by which we   
give a certain turn to things1 which    
makes them  pleasing4    ,all the       
,english writers on this subject have   
echo'd these passages2  hence ,je ne sai
 quoi1 is become a fashionable phrase   

for grace4    ,by this it is plain1 that
 this precept which ,michael ,angelo    
deliver'd  so long ago in an oracle-like
 manner1 hath remain'd mysterious down  
to  this time1 for ought that has       
appear'd to the contrary4 ,the wonder   
that  it should do so will in some      
measure lessen when we come to consider 
that it must all along have appeared as 
full of contradiction as the  most      
obscure quibble ever deliver'd at       
,delphos1 because1 winding lines  are as
 often the cause of deformity as of     
grace1 the solution of  which1 in this  
place1 would be an anticipation of what 
the reader will  find at large in the   
body of the work4    ,illustration3     
,fig4 between ,figs4 #bb and #aje       
,there are also strong prejudices in    
favour of straight lines1 as            
constituting true beauty in the human   
form1 where they never should  appear4  
,a middling connoisseur thinks no       
profile has beauty without a  very      
straight nose1 and if the forehead be   

continued straight with it1  he thinks  
it is still more sublime4 ,i have seen  
miserable scratches  with the pen1 sell 
at a considerable rate for only having  
in them a  side face or two1 like that  
between fig4 #bb1 and fig4 #aje1 plate  
,i1  which was made1 and any one might  
do the same1 with the eyes shut4  ,the  
common notion that a person should be   
straight as an arrow1 and  perfectly    
erect is of this kind4 ,if a            
dancing-master were to see his  scholar 
in the easy and gracefully-turned       
attitude of the ,antinous  7fig4 #f1    
plate ,i17 he would cry shame on him1   
and tell him he looked  as crooked as a 
ram's horn1 and bid him hold up his head
 as he himself  did4 ,see fig4 #g1 plate
 ,i4    ,illustration3 ,figs4 #f and #g 
,the painters1 in like manner1 by their 
works1 seem to be no less  divided upon 
the subject than the authors4 ,the      
,french1 except such  as have imitated  
the antique1 or the ,italian school1    
seem to have  studiously avoided the    

serpentine line in all their pictures1  
especially ,anthony ,coypel1 history    
painter1 and ,rigaud1 principal         
portrait painter to ,lewis the #adth4   
,rubens1 whose manner of designing was  
quite original1 made use of a  large    
flowing line as a principle1 which runs 
through all his works1  and gives a     
noble spirit to them2 but he did not    
seem to be acquainted  with what we call
 the precise line2 which hereafter we   
shall be  very particular upon1 and     
which gives the delicacy we see in the  
best  ,italian masters2 but he rather   
charged his contours in general with too
  bold and ,s-like swellings4           
,raphael1 from a straight and stiff     
manner1 on a sudden changed his  taste  
of lines at sight of ,michael ,angelo's 
works1 and the antique  statues2 and so 
fond was he of the serpentine line1 that
 he carried it  into a ridiculous       
excess1 particularly in his draperies3  
though his  great observance of nature  
suffer'd him not long to continue in    

this  mistake4    ,peter de ,cortone    
form'd a fine manner in his draperies of
 this line4    ,we see this principle no
 where better understood than in some   
pictures  of ,corregio1 particularly his
 ,juno and ,ixion3 yet the proportions  
of  his figures are sometimes such as   
might be corrected by a common sign     
painter4    ,whilst ,albert ,durer1 who 
drew mathematically1 never so much as   
deviated into grace1 which he must      
sometimes have done in copying the      
life1 if he had not been fetter'd with  
his own impracticable rules of          
proportion4    ,but that which may have 
puzzled this matter most1 may be1 that  
,vandyke1  one of the best portrait     
painters in most respects ever known1   
plainly  appears not to have had a      
thought of this kind4 ,for there seems  
not to  be the least grace in his       
pictures more than what the life chanced
 to  bring before him4 ,there is a print
 of the ,dutchess of ,wharton 7fig4 #eb1
  plate ,,ii17 engraved by ,van ,gunst1 

from a true picture by him1 which is    
thoroughly divested of every elegance4  
,now1 had he known this line as  a      
principle1 he could no more have drawn  
all the parts of this picture  so       
contrary to it1 than ,mr4 ,addison could
 have wrote a whole spectator  in false 
grammar2 unless it were done on purpose4
 ,however1 on account  of his other     
great excellencies1 painters chuse to   
stile this want of  grace in his        
attitudes1 c4 simplicity1 and indeed    
they do often very  justly merit that   
epithet4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #eb    
,nor have the painters of the present   
times been less uncertain and           
contradictory to each other1 than the   
masters already mentioned1  whatever    
they may pretend to the contrary3 of    
this ,i had a mind to be  certain1 and  
therefore1 in the year #agde1 published 
a frontispiece  to my engraved works1 in
 which ,i drew a serpentine line lying  
on a  painter's pallet1 with these words
 under it1 ,,the ,,line ,,of ,,beauty4  

,the  bait soon took2 and no ,egyptian  
hierogliphic ever amused more than it   
did for a time1 painters and sculptors  
came to me to know the meaning  of it1  
being as much puzzled with it as other  
people1 till it came to  have some      
explanation2 then indeed1 but not till  
then1 some found it  out to be an old   
acquaintance of theirs1 tho' the account
 they could  give of its properties was 
very near as satisfactory as that which 
a  day-labourer who constantly uses the 
leaver1 could give of that machine  as a
 mechanical power4    ,others1 as common
 face painters and copiers of pictures1 
denied that  there could be such a rule 
either in art or nature1 and asserted it
  was all stuff and madness2 but no     
wonder that these gentlemen should  not 
be ready in comprehending a thing they  
have little or no business  with4 ,for  
though the picture copier may sometimes 
to a common eye  seem to vye with the   
original he copies1 the artist himself  
requires no  more ability1 genius1 or   

knowledge of nature1 than a             
journeyman-weaver  at the goblins1 who  
in working after a piece of painting1   
bit by  bit1 scarcely knows what he is  
about1 whether he is weaving a man or  a
 horse1 yet at last almost insensibly   
turns out of his loom a fine  piece of  
tapestry1 representing1 it may be1 one  
of ,alexander's battles  painted by ,le 
,brun4    ,as the above-mention'd print 
thus involved me in frequent disputes   
by explaining the qualities of the line1
 ,i was extremely glad to  find it      
7which ,i had conceiv'd as only part of 
a system in my mind7  so well supported 
by the above precept of ,michael        
,angelo3 which was  first pointed out to
 me by ,dr4 ,kennedy1 a learned         
antiquarian and  connoisseur1 of whom ,i
 afterwards purchased the translation1  
from which  ,i have taken several       
passages to my purpose4    ,let us now  
endeavour to discover what light        
antiquity throws upon the  subject in   
question4    ,egypt first1 and afterward

 ,greece1 have manifested by their works
  their great skill in arts and         
sciences1 and among the rest painting1  
and sculpture1 all which are thought to 
have issued from their great  schools of
 philosophy4 ,pythagoras1 ,socrates1 and
 ,aristotle1 seem to  have pointed out  
the right road in nature for the study  
of the painters  and sculptors of those 
times 7which they in all probability    
afterwards  followed through those nicer
 paths that their particular professions
  required them to pursue7 as may be    
reasonably collected from the  answers  
given by ,socrates to ,aristippus his   
disciple1 and ,parrhasius  the painter1 
concerning ,,fitness1 the first         
fundamental law in nature  with regard  
to beauty4    ,i am in some measure     
saved the trouble of collecting an      
historical  account of these arts among 
the ancients1 by accidentally meeting   
with a preface to a tract1 call'd the   
,beau ,ideal3 this treatise#c  was      
written by ,lambert ,hermanson ,ten     

,kate1 in ,french1 and translated  into 
,english by ,james ,christopher le      
,blon2 who in that preface  says1       
speaking of the ,author1 ,his superior  
knowledge that ,i am now  publishing1 is
 the product of the ,analogy of the     
ancient ,greeks2 or the  true key for   
finding all harmonious proportions in   
painting1 sculpture1  architecture1     
musick1 c4 brought home to ,greece by   
,pythagoras4 ,for  after this great     
philosopher had travell'd into          
,phoenicia1 ,egypt and  ,chaldea1 where 
he convers'd with the learned2 he       
return'd into ,greece  about ,anno      
,mundi #cdhd4 ,before the christian ra  
#ebj1 and brought with  him many        
excellent discoveries and improvements  
for the good of his  countrymen1 among  
which the ,analogy was one of the most  
considerable  and useful4    #c         
,publish'd in #agcb1 and sold by ,a4    
,millar4    ,after him the ,grecians1 by
 the help of this ,analogy1 began 7and  
not  before7 to excel other nations in  

sciences and arts2 for whereas before   
this time they represented their        
,divinities in plain human figures1  the
 ,grecians now began to enter into the  
,beau ,ideal2 and ,pamphilus1  7who     
flourish'd ,a4 ,m4 #cfda1 before the    
christian ra #cfc1 who taught1  that no 
man could excel in painting without     
mathematicks7 the scholar  of ,pausias  
and master of ,apelles1 was the first   
who artfully apply'd  the said ,analogy 
to the art of painting2 as much about   
the same time  the sculpturers1 the     
architects1 c4 began to apply it to     
their several  arts1 without which      
science1 the ,grecians had remain'd as  
ignorant as  their forefathers4    ,they
 carried on their improvements in       
drawing1 painting1 architecture1        
sculpture1 c4 till they became the      
wonders of the world2 especially  after 
the ,asiaticks and ,egyptians 7who had  
formerly been the teachers  of the      
,grecians7 had1 in process of time and  
by the havock of war1 lost  all the     

excellency in sciences and arts2 for    
which all other nations  were afterwards
 obliged to the ,grecians1 without being
 able so much as  to imitate them4      
,for when the ,romans had conquered     
,greece and ,asia1 and had brought  to  
,rome the best paintings and the finest 
artists1 we don't find they  discovered 
the great key of knowledge1 the ,analogy
 ,i am now speaking  of1 but their best 
performances were conducted by ,grecian 
artists1  who it seems cared not to     
communicate their secret of the         
,analogy2  because either they intended 
to be necessary at ,rome1 by keeping    
the secret among themselves1 or else the
 ,romans1 who principally  affected     
universal dominion1 were not curious    
enough to search after  the secret1 not 
knowing the importance of it1 nor       
understanding that1  without it1 they   
could never attain to the excellency of 
the ,grecians3  though nevertheless it  
must be owned that the ,romans used well
 the  proportions1 which the ,grecians  

long before had reduced to certain      
fixed rules according to their ancient  
,analogy2 and the ,romans could  arrive 
at the happy use of the proportions1    
without comprehending the  ,analogy     
itself4    ,this account agrees with    
what is constantly observed in ,italy1  
where the ,greek1 and ,roman work1 both 
in medals and statues1 are as           
distinguishable as the characters of the
 two languages4    ,as the preface had  
thus been of service to me1 ,i was in   
hopes from the  title of the book 7and  
the assurance of the translator1 that   
the author  had by his great learning   
discovered the secret of the ancients7  
to  have met with something there that  
might have assisted1 or confirmed  the  
scheme ,i had in hand2 but was much     
disappointed in finding nothing  of that
 sort1 and no explanation1 or even      
after-mention of what at  first         
agreeably alarmed me1 the word ,analogy4
 ,i have given the reader  a specimen1  
in his own words1 how far the author has

 discovered this  grand secret of the   
ancients1 or great key of knowledge1 as 
the  translator calls it4    ,the       
sublime part that ,i so much esteem1 and
 of which ,i have begun to  speak1 is a 
real ,je ne sai quoi1 or an             
unaccountable something to  most people1
 and it is the most important part to   
all the connoisseurs1  ,i shall call it 
an harmonious propriety1 which is a     
touching or moving  unity1 or a         
pathetick agreement or concord1 not only
 of each member to  its body1 but also  
of each part to the member of which it  
is a part3  ,it is also an infinite     
variety of parts1 however conformable1  
with  respect to each different subject1
 so that all the attitude1 and all  the 
adjustment of the draperies of each     
figure ought to answer or  correspond to
 the subject chosen4 ,briefly1 it is a  
true decorum1 a  bienseance or a        
congruent disposition of ideas1 as well 
for the face  and stature1 as for the   
attitudes4 ,a bright genius1 in my      

opinion1  who aspires to excel in the   
ideal1 should propose this to himself1  
as  what has been the principal study of
 the most famous artists4 ',tis  in this
 part that the great masters cannot be  
imitated or copied but  by themselves1  
or by those that are advanced in the    
knowledge of the  ideal1 and who are as 
knowing as those masters in the rules or
 laws of  the pittoresque and poetical  
nature1 altho' inferior to the masters  
in  the high spirit of invention4       
,the words in this quotation ,it is also
 an infinite variety of  parts1 seem at 
first to have some meaning in them1 but 
it is entirely  destroy'd by the rest of
 the paragraph1 and all the other pages 
are  filled1 according to custom1 with  
descriptions of pictures4    ,now1 as   
every one has a right to conjecture what
 this discovery of the  ancients might  
be1 it shall be my business to shew it  
was a key to the  thorough knowledge of 
variety both in form1 and movement4     
,shakespear1  who had the deepest       

penetration into nature1 has sum'd up   
all the  charms of beauty in two words1 
,,infinite ,,variety2 where1 speaking of
  ,cleopatra's power over ,anthony1 he  
says1        ----,nor custom stale      
,her infinite variety3----,act #b4      
,scene #c4    ,it has been ever         
observed1 that the ancients made their  
doctrines  mysterious to the vulgar1 and
 kept them secret from those who were   
not of their particular sects1 and      
societies1 by means of symbols1  and    
hieroglyphics4 ,lomazzo says1 chap4 #bi1
 book #a4 ,the ,grecians in  imitation  
of antiquity searched out the truly     
renowned proportion1  wherein the exact 
perfection of most exquisite beauty and 
sweetness  appeareth2 dedicating the    
same in a triangular glass unto ,venus  
the  goddess of divine beauty1 from     
whence all the beauty of inferior things
  is derived4    ,if we suppose this    
passage to be authentic1 may we not also
 imagine it  probable1 that the symbol  
in the triangular glass1 might be       

similar to  the line ,michael ,angelo   
recommended2 especially1 if it can be   
proved1  that the triangular form of the
 glass1 and the serpentine line itself1 
are the two most expressive figures that
 can be thought of to signify  not only 
beauty and grace1 but the whole order of
 form4    ,there is a circumstance in   
the account ,pliny gives of ,apelles's  
visit to ,protogenes1 which strengthens 
this supposition4 ,i hope ,i may  have  
leave to repeat the story4 ,apelles     
having heard of the fame of             
,protogenes1 went to ,rhodes to pay him 
a visit1 but not finding him at  home   
asked for a board1 on which he drew a   
line1 telling the servant  maid1 that   
line would signify to her master who had
 been to see him2  we are not clearly   
told what sort of a line it was that    
could so  particularly signify one of   
the first of his profession3 if it was  
only  a stroke 7tho' as fine as a hair  
as ,pliny seems to think7 it could not  
possibly1 by any means1 denote the      

abilities of a great painter4 ,but if   
we suppose it to be a line of some      
extraordinary quality1 such as the      
serpentine line will appear to be1      
,apelles could not have left a more     
satisfactory signature of the complement
 he had paid him4 ,protogenes  when he  
came home took the hint1 and drew a     
finer or rather more  expressive line   
within it1 to shew ,apelles if he came  
again1 that he  understood his meaning4 
,he1 soon returning1 was well-pleased   
with the  answer ,protogenes had left   
for him1 by which he was convinced that 
fame had done him justice1 and so       
correcting the line again1 perhaps  by  
making it more precisely elegant1 he    
took his leave4 ,the story thus  may be 
reconcil'd to common sense1 which1 as it
 has been generally  receiv'd1 could    
never be understood but as a ridiculous 
tale4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 over ,fig4
 #d    ,let us add to this1 that there  
is scarce an ,egyptian1 ,greek1 or      
,roman  deity1 but hath a twisted       

serpent1 twisted cornucopia1 or some    
symbol  winding in this manner to       
accompany it4 ,the two small heads 7over
 the  busto of the ,hercules1 fig4 #d1  
in plate ,i7 of the goddess ,isis1 one  
crowned with a globe between two horns1 
the other with a lily#d1 are  of this   
kind4 ,harpocrates1 the god of silence1 
is still more remarkably  so1 having a  
large twisted horn growing out of the   
side of his head1  one cornucopia in his
 hand1 and another at his feet1 with his
 finger  placed on his lips1 indicating 
secrecy3 7see ,montfaucon's antiquities7
  and it is as remarkable1 that the     
deities of barbarous and gothic  nations
 never had1 nor have to this day1 any of
 these elegant forms  belonging to them4
 ,how absolutely void of these turns are
 the pagods  of ,china1 and what a mean 
taste runs through most of their        
attempts in  painting and sculpture1    
notwithstanding they finish with such   
excessive  neatness2 the whole nation in
 these matters seem to have but one eye3

  this mischief naturally follows from  
the prejudices they imbibe by  copying  
one anothers works1 which the ancients  
seem seldom to have done4    #d ,the    
leaves of this flower as they grow1     
twist themselves various  ways in a     
pleasing manner1 as may be better seen  
by figure #dc1 in plate  ,i1 but there  
is a curious little flower called the   
,autumn ,syclamen1  fig4 #dg1 the leaves
 of which elegantly twist one way only4 
,illustration3 ,figs4 #dc and #dg       
,upon the whole1 it is evident1 that the
 ancients studied these arts  very      
differently from the moderns3 ,lomazzo  
seems to be partly aware of  this1 by   
what he says in the division of his     
work1 page #i1 ,there is  a two-folde   
proceeding in all artes and sciences3   
the one is called  the order of nature1 
and the other of teaching4 ,nature      
proceedeth  ordinarily1 beginning with  
the unperfect1 as the particulars1 and  
ending with the perfect1 as the         
universals4 ,now if in searching out the

  nature of things1 our understanding   
shall proceede after that order1  by    
which they are brought forth by nature1 
doubtlesse it will be the  most absolute
 and ready method that can bee imagined4
 ,for we beginne to  know things by     
their first and immediate principles1 c4
 and this is  not only mine opinion but 
,aristotles also1 yet1 mistaking        
,aristotle's  meaning1 and absolutely   
deviating from his advice1 he afterwards
 says1  all which if we could comprehend
 within our understanding1 we should  be
 most wise2 but it is impossible1 and   
after having given some dark  reasons   
why he thinks so1 he tells you he       
resolves to follow the order  of        
teaching1 which all the writers on      
painting have in like manner  since     
done4    ,had ,i observed the foregoing 
passage1 before ,i undertook this       
essay1 it probably would have put me to 
a stand1 and deterred me from  venturing
 upon what ,lomazzo calls an impossible 
task3 but observing  in the             

foremention'd controversies that the    
torrent generally ran  against me2 and  
that several of my opponents had turn'd 
my arguments  into ridicule1 yet were   
daily availing themselves of their use1 
and venting them even to my face as     
their own2 ,i began to wish the         
publication of something on this        
subject2 and accordingly applied  myself
 to several of my friends1 whom ,i      
thought capable of taking up  the pen   
for me1 offering to furnish them with   
materials by word of  mouth3 but finding
 this method not practicable1 from the  
difficulty  of one man's expressing the 
ideas of another1 especially on a       
subject  which he was either            
unacquainted with1 or was new in its    
kind1 ,i was  therefore reduced to an   
attempt of finding such words as would  
best  answer my own ideas1 being now too
 far engaged to drop the design4        
,hereupon1 having digested the matter as
 well as ,i could1 and thrown  it into  
the form of a book1 ,i submitted it to  

the judgment of such  friends whose     
sincerity and abilities ,i could best   
rely on1 determining  on their          
approbation or dislike to publish or    
destroy it3 but their  favourable       
opinion of the manuscript being publicly
 known1 it gave such  a credit to the   
undertaking1 as soon changed the        
countenances of those1  who had a better
 opinion of my pencil1 than my pen1 and 
turn'd their  sneers into expectation3  
especially when the same friends had    
kindly  made me an offer of conducting  
the work through the press4 ,and here   
,i must acknowledge myself particularly 
indebted to one gentleman for  his      
corrections and amendment of at least a 
third part of the wording4  ,through his
 absence and avocations1 several sheets 
went to the press  without any          
assistance1 and the rest had the        
occasional inspection  of one or two    
other friends4 ,if any inaccuracies     
shall be found in  the writing1 ,i shall
 readily acknowledge them all my own1   

and am1 ,i  confess1 under no great     
concern about them1 provided the matter 
in  general may be found useful and     
answerable in the application of it to  
truth and nature2 in which material     
points1 if the reader shall think  fit  
to rectify any mistakes1 it will give me
 a sensible pleasure1 and  be doing     
great honour to the work4               
,,advertisement4      ,for the more easy
 finding the figures referred to in the 
two prints  belonging to this work1 the 
references are for the most part placed 
in  the margin4 ,fig4 ,t p4 ,i signifies
 the top of plate ,i4 ,l p4 ,i the  left
 side4 ,r p4 ,i the right side4 ,b4 p4  
,i4 the bottom4 ,and where a  figure is 
referred to in the middle of either     
print1 it is only mark'd  thus1 fig4 p4 
,i or fig4 p4 ,,ii4    ,transcriber's   
note3 ,in this digital edition1 these   
marginal references  have been          
incorporated into the text within square
 brackets1 e4g4 fig4  #a ,t p4 ,i4 ,the 
two prints were not originally bound    

into the book2 they  are reproduced in  
their entirety below4 ,reproductions of 
the individual  figures have also been  
incorporated into the text at the       
appropriate  points4    ,illustration3  
,,plate ,i    ,illustration3 ,,plate    
,,ii            ,,contents4             
page      ,,preface4                    
iii      ,,advertisement4    ,the plates
 and figures4                    xxii   
,,introduction4    ,the use and         
advantage of considering    solid       
objects as only thin shells composed    
of lines1 like the outer-coat of an     
onion4  #a      ,,chapter ,i4    ,of    
,,fitness1                              
#ac      ,,chapter ,,ii4    ,of         
,,variety1                              
#af      ,,chapter ,,iii4    ,of        
,,uniformity1 ,,regularity1 or          
,,symmetry1                             
#ah      ,,chapter ,,iv4    ,of         
,,simplicity1 or    ,,distinctness1     
#ba      ,,chapter ,v4    ,of           
,,intricacy1                            

#bd      ,,chapter ,,vi4    ,of         
,,quantity1                             
#bi      ,,chapter ,,vii4    ,of        
,,lines1                                
#cg      ,,chapter ,,viii4    ,of what  
sort of parts and how ,,pleasing        
,,forms are composed1                   
#ci      ,,chapter ,,ix4    ,of         
,,compositions with the    ,,waving     
,,line1                                 
#dh      ,,chapter ,x4    ,of           
,,compositions with the    ,,serpentine 
,,line1                            #ej  
,,chapter ,,xi4    ,of ,,proportion1    
#fg      ,,chapter ,,xii4    ,of ,,light
 and ,,shade1 and    the manner in which
 objects are explained    to the eye by 
them1                         #ic       
,,chapter ,,xiii4    ,of ,,composition  
with regard to ,,light1    ,,shade1 and 
,,colours1                         #ajf 
,,chapter ,,xiv4    ,of ,,colouring4    
#aac      ,,chapter ,,xv4    ,of the    
,,face4    #a4 ,in the highest taste1   
and the reverse4    #b4 ,as to character

 and expression4    #c4 ,of the manner  
in which the lines of the    ,face alter
 from infancy upwards1 and shew    the  
different ,ages1                        
#abb      ,,chapter ,,xvi4    ,of       
,,attitude1                             
#ace      ,,chapter ,,xvii4    ,of      
,,action4    #a4 ,a new method of       
acquiring an easy and    graceful       
movement of the hand and arms4    #b4   
,of the head1 c4    #c4 ,of dancing1    
particularly the minuet4    #d4 ,of     
country-dancing1 and1 lastly1 of        
stage-action4                           
#ach      ,prints ,publish'd by ,w4     
,,hogarth4      ,,figures referr'd to in
 the ,,book4            ,,errata4       
,transcriber's note3 ,hogarth's         
corrections are now incorporated within 
the text4          ,,introduction4      
,i now offer to the public a short      
essay1 accompanied with two  explanatory
 prints1 in which ,i shall endeavour to 
shew what the  principles are in nature1
 by which we are directed to call the   

forms  of some bodies beautiful1 others 
ugly2 some graceful1 and others the     
reverse2 by considering more minutely   
than has hitherto been done1 the  nature
 of those lines1 and their different    
combinations1 which serve  to raise in  
the mind the ideas of all the variety of
 forms imaginable4  ,at first1 perhaps1 
the whole design1 as well as the prints1
 may seem  rather intended to trifle and
 confound1 than to entertain and inform3
  but ,i am persuaded that when the     
examples in nature1 referr'd to in  this
 essay1 are duly consider'd and examined
 upon the principles laid  down in it1  
it will be thought worthy of a careful  
and attentive  perusal3 and the prints  
themselves too will1 ,i make no doubt1  
be  examined as attentively1 when it is 
found1 that almost every figure in  them
 7how odly soever they may seem to be   
group'd together7 is referr'd  to singly
 in the essay1 in order to assist the   
reader's imagination1  when the original
 examples in art1 or nature1 are not    

themselves before  him4    ,and in this 
light ,i hope my prints will be         
consider'd1 and that the  figures       
referr'd to in them will never be       
imagined to be placed there  by me as   
examples themselves1 of beauty or grace1
 but only to point out  to the reader   
what sorts of objects he is to look for 
and examine in  nature1 or in the works 
of the greatest masters4 ,my figures1   
therefore1  are to be consider'd in the 
same light1 with those a mathematician  
makes with his pen1 which may convey the
 idea of his demonstration1  tho' not a 
line in them is either perfectly        
straight1 or of that  peculiar curvature
 he is treating of4 ,nay1 so far was ,i 
from aiming at  grace1 that ,i purposely
 chose to be least accurate1 where most 
beauty  might be expected1 that no      
stress might be laid on the figures to  
the  prejudice of the work itself4 ,for 
,i must confess1 ,i have but little     
hopes of having a favourable attention  
given to my design in general1  by those

 who have already had a more fashionable
 introduction into  the mysteries of the
 arts of painting1 and sculpture4 ,much 
less do ,i  expect1 or in truth desire1 
the countenance of that set of people1  
who  have an interest in exploding any  
kind of doctrine1 that may teach us  to 
see with our own eyes4    ,it may be    
needless to observe1 that some of the   
last-mention'd1 are  not only the       
dependents on1 but often the only       
instructors and leaders  of the former2 
but in what light they are so consider'd
 abroad1 may  be partly seen by ,fig4 #a
 ,t p4 ,i a burlesque representation of 
them1  taken from a print publish'd by  
,mr4 ,pond1 design'd by ,cavr4 ,ghezzi  
at  ,rome4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a   
,to those1 then1 whose judgments are    
unprejudiced1 this little work  is      
submitted with most pleasure2 because it
 is from such that ,i have  hitherto    
received the most obligations1 and now  
have reason to expect  most candour4    
,therefore ,i would fain have such of my

 readers be assured1 that  however they 
may have been aw'd1 and over-born by    
pompous terms of  art1 hard names1 and  
the parade of seemingly magnificent     
collections  of pictures and statues2   
they are in a much fairer way1 ladies1  
as  well as gentlemen1 of gaining a     
perfect knowledge of the elegant and    
beautiful in artificial1 as well as     
natural forms1 by considering them  in a
 systematical1 but at the same time     
familiar way1 than those who  have been 
prepossess'd by dogmatic rules1 taken   
from the performances  of art only3 nay1
 ,i will venture to say1 sooner1 and    
more rationally1  than even a tolerable 
painter1 who has imbibed the same       
prejudices4    ,the more prevailing the 
notion may be1 that painters and        
connoisseurs  are the only competent    
judges of things of this sort2 the more 
it  becomes necessary to clear up and   
confirm1 as much as possible1 what  has 
only been asserted in the foregoing     
paragraph3 that no one may be  deterr'd1

 by the want of such previous knowledge1
 from entring into  this enquiry4       
,the reason why gentlemen1 who have been
 inquisitive after knowledge in         
pictures1 have their eyes less qualified
 for our purpose1 than others1  is      
because their thoughts have been        
entirely and continually employ'd  and  
incumber'd with considering and         
retaining the various manners in  which 
pictures are painted1 the histories1    
names1 and characters of the  masters1  
together with many other little         
circumstances belonging to the          
mechanical part of the art2 and little  
or no time has been given for           
perfecting the ideas they ought to have 
in their minds1 of the objects          
themselves in nature3 for by having thus
 espoused and adopted their  first      
notions from nothing but imitations1 and
 becoming too often  as bigotted to     
their faults1 as their beauties1 they at
 length1 in a  manner1 totally neglect1 
or at least disregard the works of      

nature1  merely because they do not     
tally with what their minds are so      
strongly  prepossess'd with4    ,were   
not this a true state of the case1 many 
a reputed capital picture1  that now    
adorns the cabinets of the curious in   
all countries1 would  long ago have been
 committed to the flames3 nor would it  
have been  possible for the ,venus and  
,cupid1 represented by the figure under 
,fig4  #di ,t p4 ,i1 to have made its   
way into the principal apartment of a   
palace4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 under   
,fig4 #di    ,it is also evident that   
the painter's eye may not be a bit      
better  fitted to receive these new     
impressions1 who is in like manner too  
much captivated with the works of art2  
for he also is apt to pursue  the       
shadow1 and drop the substance4 ,this   
mistake happens chiefly to  those who go
 to ,rome for the accomplishment of     
their studies2 as they  naturally will1 
without the utmost care1 take the       
infectious turn of  the connoisseur1    

instead of the painter3 and in          
proportion as they  turn by those means 
bad proficients in their own arts1 they 
become the  more considerable in that of
 a connoisseur4 ,as a confirmation of   
this  seeming paradox1 it has ever been 
observ'd at all auctions of pictures1   
that the very worst painters sit as the 
most profound judges1 and are  trusted  
only1 ,i suppose1 on account of their   
disinterestedness4    ,i apprehend a    
good deal of this will look more like   
resentment1 and a  design to invalidate 
the objections of such as are not likely
 to set  the faults of this work in the 
most favourable light2 than merely for  
the encouragement1 as was said above1 of
 such of my readers1 as are  neither    
painters1 nor connoisseurs3 and ,i will 
be ingenuous enough to  confess         
something of this may be true2 but1 at  
the same time1 ,i cannot  allow that    
this alone would have been a sufficient 
motive to have made  me risk giving     
offence to any2 had not another         

consideration1 besides  that already    
alledg'd1 of more consequence to the    
purpose in hand1 made  it necessary4 ,i 
mean the setting forth1 in the strongest
 colours1 the  alterations objects      
seemingly undergo through the           
prepossessions and  prejudices          
contracted by the mind4----,fallacies1  
strongly to be guarded  against by such 
as would learn to see objects truly6    
,altho' the instances already given are 
pretty flagrant1 yet it is  certainly   
true1 7as a farther confirmation of     
this1 and for the  consolation of those1
 who may be a little piqued at what has 
been said7  that painters of every      
condition are stronger instances of the 
almost  unavoidable power of prejudice1 
than any people whatever4    ,what are  
all the manners1 as they are call'd1 of 
even the greatest  masters1 which are   
known to differ so much from one        
another1 and all  of them from nature1  
but so many strong proofs of their      
inviolable  attachment to falshood1     

converted into establish'd truth in     
their own  eyes1 by self-opinion8       
,rubens would1 in all probability1 have 
been  as much disgusted at the dry      
manner of ,poussin1 as ,poussin was at  
the extravagant of ,rubens4 ,the        
prejudices of inferior proficients in   
favour of the imperfections of their own
 performances1 is still more            
amazing4----,their eyes are so quick in 
discerning the faults of others1  at the
 same time they are so totally blind to 
their own6 ,indeed it  would be well for
 us all1 if one of ,gulliver's flappers 
could be placed  at our elbows to remind
 us at every stroke how much prejudice  
and  self-opinion perverts our sight4   
,from what has been said1 ,i hope it    
appears that those1 who have no  bias of
 any kind1 either from their own        
practice1 or the lessons of  others1 are
 fittest to examine into the truth of   
the principles laid  down in the        
following pages4 ,but as every one may  
not have had an  opportunity of being   

sufficiently acquainted with the        
instances1 that  have been given3 ,i    
will offer one of a familiar kind1 which
 may be a  hint for their observing a   
thousand more4 ,how gradually does the  
eye  grow reconciled even to a          
disagreeable dress1 as it becomes more  
and  more the fashion1 and how soon     
return to its dislike of it1 when it is 
left off1 and a new one has taken       
possession of the mind8--so vague is    
taste1 when it has no solid principles  
for its foundation6    ,notwithstanding 
,i have told you my design of           
considering minutely the  variety of    
lines1 which serve to raise the ideas of
 bodies in the mind1  and which are     
undoubtedly to be consider'd as drawn on
 the surfaces  only of solid or opake   
bodies3 yet the endeavouring to         
conceive1 as  accurate an idea as is    
possible1 of the inside of those        
surfaces1 if  ,i may be allow'd the     
expression1 will be a great assistance  
to us in  the pursuance of our present  

enquiry4    ,in order to my being well  
understood1 let every object under our  
consideration1 be imagined to have its  
inward contents scoop'd out  so nicely1 
as to have nothing of it left but a thin
 shell1 exactly  corresponding both in  
its inner and outer surface1 to the     
shape of  the object itself3 and let us 
likewise suppose this thin shell to be  
made up of very fine threads1 closely   
connected together1 and equally         
perceptible1 whether the eye is supposed
 to observe them from without1  or      
within2 and we shall find the ideas of  
the two surfaces of this  shell will    
naturally coincide4 ,the very word1     
shell1 makes us seem to  see both       
surfaces alike4    ,the use of this     
conceit1 as it may be call'd by some1   
will be seen to  be very great1 in the  
process of this work3 and the oftner we 
think of  objects in this shell-like    
manner1 we shall facilitate and         
strengthen  our conception of any       
particular part of the surface of an    

object we  are viewing1 by acquiring    
thereby a more perfect knowledge of the 
whole1 to which it belongs3 because the 
imagination will naturally  enter into  
the vacant space within this shell1 and 
there at once1  as from a center1 view  
the whole form within1 and mark the     
opposite  corresponding parts so        
strongly1 as to retain the idea of the  
whole1  and make us masters of the      
meaning of every view of the object1 as 
we  walk round it1 and view it from     
without4    ,thus the most perfect idea 
we can possibly acquire of a sphere1 is 
by conceiving an infinite number of     
straight rays of equal lengths1  issuing
 from the center1 as from the eye1      
spreading every way alike2  and         
circumscribed or wound about at their   
other extremities with close  connected 
circular threads1 or lines1 forming a   
true spherical shell4    ,but in the    
common way of taking the view of any    
opake object1 that  part of its surface1
 which fronts the eye1 is apt to occupy 

the mind  alone1 and the opposite1 nay  
even every other part of it whatever1   
is left unthought of at that time3 and  
the least motion we make to  reconnoitre
 any other side of the object1 confounds
 our first idea1 for  want of the       
connexion of the two ideas1 which the   
complete knowledge of  the whole would  
naturally have given us1 if we had      
considered it in the  other way before4 
,another advantage of considering       
objects thus merely as shells  composed 
of lines1 is1 that by these means we    
obtain the true and full  idea of what  
is call'd the out-lines of a figure1    
which has been  confin'd within too     
narrow limits1 by taking it only from   
drawings  on paper2 for in the example  
of the sphere given above1 every one of 
the imaginary circular threads has a    
right to be consider'd as an  out-line  
of the sphere1 as well as those which   
divide the half1 that  is seen1 from    
that which is not seen2 and if the eye  
be supposed to  move regularly round it1

 these threads will each of them as     
regularly  succeed one another in the   
office of out-lines1 7in the narrow and 
limited sense of the word37 and the     
instant any one of these threads1       
during this motion of the eye1 comes    
into sight on one side1 its  opposite   
thread is lost1 and disappears on the   
other4 ,he who will thus  take the pains
 of acquiring perfect ideas of the      
distances1 bearings1  and oppositions of
 several material points and lines in   
the surfaces of  even the most irregular
 figures1 will gradually arrive at the  
knack of  recalling them into his mind  
when the objects themselves are not     
before  him3 and they will be as strong 
and perfect as those of the most plain  
and regular forms1 such as cubes and    
spheres2 and will be of infinite        
service to those who invent and draw    
from fancy1 as well as enable  those to 
be more correct who draw from the life4 
,in this manner1 therefore1 ,i would    
desire the reader to assist his         

imagination as much as possible1 in     
considering every object1 as if  his eye
 were placed within it4 ,as straight    
lines are easily conceiv'd1  the        
difficulty of following this method in  
the most simple and regular  forms will 
be less than may be first imagined2 and 
its use in the more  compounded will be 
greater3 as will be more fully shewn    
when we come to  speak of composition4  
,but as ,fig4 #b ,l p4 ,i may be of     
singular use to young designers in  the 
study of the human form1 the most       
complex and beautiful of all1 in        
shewing them a mechanical way of gaining
 the opposite points in its  surface1   
which never can be seen in one and the  
same view2 it will be  proper to explain
 the design of it in this place1 as it  
may at the same  time add some weight to
 what has been already said4            
,illustration3 ,fig4 #b    ,it          
represents the trunk of a figure cast in
 soft wax1 with one wire  pass'd        
perpendicularly through its center1     

another perpendicularly to  the first1  
going in before and coming out in the   
middle of the back1  and as many more as
 may be thought necessary1 parallel to  
and at equal  distances from these1 and 
each other2 as is mark'd by the several 
dots in the figure4--,let these wires be
 so loose as to be taken out  at        
pleasure1 but not before all the parts  
of them1 which appear out  of the wax1  
are carefully painted close up to the   
wax1 of a different  colour from those1 
that lie within it4 ,by these means the 
horizontal  and perpendicular contents  
of these parts of the body 7by which ,i 
mean the distances of opposite points in
 the surface of these parts7  through   
which the wires have pass'd1 may be     
exactly known and compared  with each   
other2 and the little holes1 where the  
wires have pierced the  wax1 remaining  
on its surface1 will mark out the       
corresponding opposite  points on the   
external muscles of the body2 as well as
 assist and guide  us to a readier      

conception of all the intervening parts4
 ,these points  may be mark'd upon a    
marble figure with calibers properly    
used4    ,the known method1 many years  
made use of1 for the more exactly and   
expeditiously reducing drawings from    
large pictures1 for engravings2 or  for 
enlarging designs1 for painting cielings
 and cupolas1 7by striking  lines       
perpendicular to each other1 so as to   
make an equal number of  squares on the 
paper design'd for the copy1 that hath  
been first made  on the original2 by    
which means1 the situation of every part
 of the  picture is mechanically seen1  
and easily transferred7 may truly be    
said  to be somewhat of the same kind   
with what has been here proposed1 but   
that one is done upon a flat surface1   
the other upon a solid2 and that  the   
new scheme differs in its application1  
and may be of a much more  useful and   
extensive nature than the old one4      
,but it is time now to have done with   
the introduction3 and ,i shall  proceed 

to consider the fundamental principles1 
which are generally  allowed to give    
elegance and beauty1 when duly blended  
together1 to  compositions of all kinds 
whatever2 and point out to my readers1  
the  particular force of each1 in those 
compositions in nature and art1  which  
seem most to please and entertain the   
eye1 and give that grace  and beauty1   
which is the subject of this enquiry4   
,the principles ,i  mean1 are ,,fitness1
 ,,variety1 ,,uniformity1 ,,simplicity1 
,,intricacy and  ,,quantity2----all     
which co-operate in the production of   
beauty1  mutually correcting and        
restraining each other occasionally4    
,,chapter ,i4    ,of ,,fitness4         
,fitness of the parts to the design for 
which every individual thing  is form'd1
 either by art or nature1 is first to be
 consider'd1 as it  is of the greatest  
consequence to the beauty of the whole4 
,this is so  evident1 that even the     
sense of seeing1 the great inlet of     
beauty1  is itself so strongly bias'd by

 it1 that if the mind1 on account of    
this kind of value in a form1 esteem it 
beautiful1 tho' on all other            
considerations it be not so2 the eye    
grows insensible of its want of  beauty1
 and even begins to be pleas'd1         
especially after it has been a          
considerable time acquainted with it4   
,it is well known on the other hand1    
that forms of great elegance often      
disgust the eye by being improperly     
applied4 ,thus1 twisted columns are     
undoubtedly ornamental2 but as they     
convey an idea of weakness1 they  always
 displease1 when they are improperly    
made use of as supports to  any thing   
that is bulky1 or appears heavy4    ,the
 bulks and proportions of objects are   
govern'd by fitness and  propriety4 ,it 
is this that has establish'd the size   
and proportion of  chairs1 tables1 and  
all sorts of utensils and furniture4 ,it
 is this  that has fix'd the dimensions 
of pillars1 arches1 c4 for the support  
of great weight1 and so regulated all   

the orders in architecture1 as  well as 
the sizes of windows and doors1 c4 ,thus
 though a building were  ever so large1 
the steps of the stairs1 the seats in   
the windows must  be continued of their 
usual heights1 or they would lose their 
beauty  with their fitness3 and in      
ship-building the dimensions of every   
part  are confin'd and regulated by     
fitness for sailing4 ,when a vessel     
sails  well1 the sailors always call her
 a beauty2 the two ideas have such a    
connexion6    ,the general dimensions of
 the parts of the human body are adapted
 thus  to the uses they are design'd    
for4 ,the trunk is the most capacious on
  account of the quantity of its        
contents1 and the thigh is larger than  
the leg1 because it has both the leg and
 foot to move1 the leg only the  foot1  
c4    ,fitness of parts also constitutes
 and distinguishes in a great measure   
the characteristics of objects2 as for  
example1 the race-horse differs  as much
 in quality1 or character1 from the     

war-horse1 as to its figure1  as the    
,hercules from the ,mercury4    ,the    
race-horse1 having all its parts of such
 dimensions as best fit the  purposes of
 speed1 acquires on that account a      
consistent character of  one sort of    
beauty4 ,to illustrate this1 suppose the
 beautiful head and  gracefully-turn'd  
neck of the war-horse were placed on the
 shoulders  of the race-horse1 instead  
of his own aukward straight one3 it     
would  disgust1 and deform1 instead of  
adding beauty2 because the judgment     
would condemn it as unfit4              
,illustration3 ,fig4 #c    ,the         
,hercules1 by ,glicon ,fig4 #c p4 ,i1   
hath all its parts finely fitted  for   
the purposes of the utmost strength1 the
 texture of the human form  will bear4  
,the back1 breast and shoulders have    
huge bones1 and muscles  adequate to the
 supposed active strength of its upper  
parts2 but as  less strength was        
required for the lower parts1 the       
judicious sculptor1  contrary to all    

modern rule of enlarging every part in  
proportion1  lessen'd the size of the   
muscles gradually down towards the feet2
 and  for the same reason made the neck 
larger in circumference than any  part  
of the head ,fig4 #d p4 ,i2 otherwise   
the figure would have been  burden'd    
with an unnecessary weight1 which would 
have been a draw-back  from his         
strength1 and in consequence of that1   
from its characteristic  beauty4        
,illustration3 ,fig4 #d    ,these       
seeming faults1 which shew the superior 
anatomical knowledge as  well as        
judgment of the ancients1 are not to be 
found in the leaden  imitations of it   
near ,hyde-park4 ,these saturnine       
genius's imagin'd they  knew how to     
correct such apparent disproportions4   
,these few examples may be sufficient to
 give an idea of what ,i mean  7and     
would have understood7 by the beauty of 
fitness1 or propriety4                  
,,chapter ,,ii4    ,of ,,variety4       
,how great a share variety has in       

producing beauty may be seen in the     
ornamental part of nature4    ,the      
shapes and colours of plants1 flowers1  
leaves1 the paintings in  butterflies   
wings1 shells1 c4 seem of little other  
intended use1 than  that of entertaining
 the eye with the pleasure of variety4  
,all the senses delight in it1 and      
equally are averse to sameness4 ,the    
ear is as much offended with one even   
continued note1 as the eye is  with     
being fix'd to a point1 or to the view  
of a dead wall4    ,yet when the eye is 
glutted with a succession of variety1 it
 finds  relief in a certain degree of   
sameness2 and even plain space becomes  
agreeable1 and properly introduced1 and 
contrasted with variety1 adds  to it    
more variety4    ,i mean here1 and every
 where indeed1 a composed variety2 for  
variety  uncomposed1 and without design1
 is confusion and deformity4            
,observe1 that a gradual lessening is a 
kind of varying that gives  beauty4 ,the
 pyramid diminishing from its basis to  

its point1 and the  scroll or voluta1   
gradually lessening to its center1 are  
beautiful  forms4 ,so also objects that 
only seem to do so1 though in fact they 
do  not1 have equal beauty3 thus        
perspective views1 and particularly     
those  of buildings1 are always pleasing
 to the eye4    ,the little ship1       
between figure #dg and #hh p4 ,i1       
suppos'd moving  along the shore even   
with the eye1 might have its top and    
bottom  bounded by two lines at equal   
distances all the way1 as ,a2 but if the
  ship puts out to sea1 these lines at  
top and bottom would seem to  vary and  
meet each other by degrees1 as ,b1 in   
the point ,c1 which is  in the line     
where the sky and water meets1 call'd   
the horizon4 ,thus  much of the manner  
of perspectives adding beauty1 by       
seemingly varying  otherwise unvaried   
forms1 ,i thought1 might be acceptable  
to those1 who  have not learnt          
perspective4    ,illustration3 ,fig4    
between ,figs4 #dg and #hh              

,,chapter ,,iii4    ,of ,,uniformity1   
,,regularity1 or ,,symmetry4      ,it   
may be imagined that the greatest part  
of the effects of beauty  results from  
the symmetry of parts in the object1    
which is beautiful3  but ,i am very well
 persuaded1 this prevailing notion will 
soon appear  to have little or no       
foundation4    ,it may indeed have      
properties of greater consequence1 such 
as  propriety1 fitness1 and use2 and yet
 but little serve the purposes of       
pleasing the eye1 merely on the score of
 beauty4    ,we have1 indeed1 in our    
nature a love of imitation from our     
infancy1  and the eye is often          
entertained1 as well as surprised1 with 
mimicry1  and delighted with the        
exactness of counterparts3 but then this
 always  gives way to its superior love 
of variety1 and soon grows tiresom4     
,if the uniformity of figures1 parts1 or
 lines were truly the chief  cause of   
beauty1 the more exactly uniform their  
appearances were kept1  the more        

pleasure the eye would receive3 but this
 is so far from being  the case1 that   
when the mind has been once satisfied1  
that the parts  answer one another1 with
 so exact an uniformity1 as to preserve 
to the  whole the character of fitness  
to stand1 to move1 to sink1 to swim1 to 
fly1 c4 without losing the balance3 the 
eye is rejoiced to see the  object      
turn'd1 and shifted1 so as to vary these
 uniform appearances4    ,thus the      
profile of most objects1 as well as     
faces1 are rather more  pleasing than   
their full fronts4    ,whence it is     
clear1 the pleasure does not arise from 
seeing the exact  resemblance1 which one
 side bears the other1 but from the     
knowledge  that they do so on account of
 fitness1 with design1 and for use4 ,for
  when the head of a fine woman is      
turn'd a little to one side1 which      
takes off from the exact similarity of  
the two halves of the face1  and        
somewhat reclining1 so varying still    
more from the straight and  parallel    

lines of a formal front face3 it is     
always look'd upon as most  pleasing4   
,this is accordingly said to be a       
graceful air of the head4    ,it is a   
constant rule in composition in painting
 to avoid regularity4  ,when we view a  
building1 or any other object in life1  
we have it in our  power1 by shifting   
the ground1 to take that view of it     
which pleases  us best2 and in          
consequence of this1 the painter if he  
is left to his  choice1 takes it on the 
angle rather than in front1 as most     
agreeable  to the eye2 because the      
regularity of the lines is taken away by
 their  running into perspective1       
without losing the idea of fitness3 and 
when  he is of necessity obliged to give
 the front of a building1 with all  its 
equalities and parallelisms1 he         
generally breaks 7as it is term'd7  such
 disagreeable appearances1 by throwing a
 tree before it1 or the  shadow of an   
imaginary cloud1 or some other object   
that may answer the  same purpose of    

adding variety1 which is the same with  
taking away  uniformity4    ,if uniform 
objects were agreeable1 why is there    
such care taken to  contrast1 and vary  
all the limbs of a statue8              
,illustration3 ,figs4 #gb1 #f and #g    
,the picture of ,henry the ,eighth ,fig4
 #gb p4 ,,ii1 would be preferable to    
the finely contrasted figures of ,guido 
or ,correggio2 and the ,antinous's  easy
 sway ,fig4 #f p4 ,i1 must submit to the
 stiff and straight figure  of the      
dancing-master ,fig4 #g p4 ,i2 and the  
uniform out-lines of the  muscles in the
 figure ,fig4 #ee p4 ,i taken from      
,albert ,durer's book of  proportions1  
would have more taste in them than those
 in the famous  part of an antique      
figure ,fig4 #ed p4 ,i from which       
,michael ,angelo  acquired so much of   
his skill in grace4    ,illustration3   
,figs4 #ee and #ed    ,in short1        
whatever appears to be fit1 and proper  
to answer great  purposes1 ever         
satisfies the mind1 and pleases on that 

account4  ,uniformity is of this kind4  
,we find it necessary1 in some degree1  
to  give the idea of rest and motion1   
without the possibility of falling4     
,but when any such purposes can be as   
well effected by more irregular  parts1 
the eye is always better pleased on the 
account of variety4    ,how pleasingly  
is the idea of firmness in standing     
convey'd to the eye  by the three       
elegant claws of a table1 the three feet
 of a tea-lamp1 or  the celebrated      
tripod of the ancients8    ,thus you see
 regularity1 uniformity1 or symmetry1   
please only as they  serve to give the  
idea of fitness4          ,,chapter     
,,iv4    ,of ,,simplicity1 or           
,,distinctness4      ,simplicity1       
without variety1 is wholly insipid1 and 
at best does only  not displease2 but   
when variety is join'd to it1 then it   
pleases1  because it enhances the       
pleasure of variety1 by giving the eye  
the  power of enjoying it with ease4    
,there is no object composed of straight

 lines1 that has so much  variety1 with 
so few parts1 as the pyramid3 and it is 
its constantly  varying from its base   
gradually upwards in every situation of 
the eye1  7without giving the idea of   
sameness1 as the eye moves round it7    
that  has made it been esteem'd in all  
ages1 in preference to the cone1 which  
in all views appears nearly the same1   
being varied only by light and  shade4  
,steeples1 monuments1 and most          
compositions in painting and sculpture1 
are kept within the form of the cone or 
pyramid1 as the most eligible  boundary 
on account of their simplicity and      
variety4 ,for the same  reason          
equestrian statues please more than the 
single figures4    ,the authors 7for    
there were three concern'd in the work7 
of as fine  a group of figures in       
sculpture1 as ever was made1 either by  
ancients  or moderns1 7,i mean ,laocoon 
and his two sons7 chose to be guilty of 
the absurdity of making the sons of half
 the father's size1 tho' they  have     

every other mark of being design'd for  
men1 rather than not bring  their       
composition within the boundary of a    
pyramid ,fig4 #i ,t p4 ,i4  ,thus if a  
judicious workman were employ'd to make 
a case of wood1 for  preserving it from 
the injuries of the weather1 or for the 
convenience  of carriage2 he would soon 
find by his eye1 the whole composition  
would  readily fit and be easily pack'd 
up1 in one of a pyramidal form4         
,illustration3 ,fig4 #i    ,steeples1 c4
 have generally been varied from the    
cone1 to take  off from their too great 
simplicity1 and instead of their        
circular  bases1 polygons of different1 
but even numbers of sides1 have been    
substituted1 ,i suppose for the sake of 
uniformity4 ,these forms however  may be
 said to have been chosen by the        
architect1 with a view to the  cone1 as 
the whole compositions might be bounded 
by it4    ,yet1 in my mind1 odd numbers 
have the advantage over the even ones1  
as variety is more pleasing than        

uniformity1 where the same end  is      
answer'd by both2 as in this case1 where
 both polygons may be  circumscrib'd by 
the same circle1 or in other words1 both
 compositions  bounded by the same cone4
    ,and ,i can't help observing1 that  
nature in all her works of fancy1 if  ,i
 may be allow'd the expression1 where it
 seems immaterial whether even  or odd  
numbers of divisions were prefer'd1 most
 frequently employs the  odd2 as for    
example1 in the indenting of leaves1    
flowers1 blossoms1 c4    ,the oval also1
 on account of its variety with         
simplicity1 is as much  to be prefer'd  
to the circle1 as the triangle to the   
square1 or the  pyramid to the cube2 and
 this figure lessen'd at one end1 like  
the egg1  thereby being more varied1 is 
singled out by the author of all        
variety1  to bound the features of a    
beautiful face4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 
#aj    ,when the oval has a little more 
of the cone added to it than the egg    
has1 it becomes more distinctly a       

compound of those two most simple       
varied figures4 ,this is the shape of   
the pine-apple ,fig4 #aj ,t p4 ,i1      
which nature has particularly           
distinguish'd by bestowing ornaments of 
rich mosaic upon it1 composed of        
contrasted serpentine lines1 and the    
pips ,fig4 #aa ,t p4 ,i1 as the         
gardiners call them1 are still varied by
  two cavities and one round eminence in
 each4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aa      
,could a more elegant simple form than  
this have been found2 it is  probable   
that judicious architect1 ,sir          
,christopher ,wren1 would not  have     
chosen the pine-apples for the two      
terminations of the sides  of the front 
of ,st4 ,paul's3 and perhaps the globe  
and cross1 tho' a  finely varied figure1
 which terminates the dome1 would not   
have had  the preference of situation1  
if a religious motive had not been the  
occasion4    ,thus we see simplicity    
gives beauty even to variety1 as it     
makes it  more easily understood1 and   

should be ever studied in the works of  
art1  as it serves to prevent perplexity
 in forms of elegance2 as will be  shewn
 in the next chapter4          ,,chapter
 ,v4    ,of ,,intricacy4      ,the      
active mind is ever bent to be employ'd4
 ,pursuing is the business  of our      
lives2 and even abstracted from any     
other view1 gives pleasure4  ,every     
arising difficulty1 that for a while    
attends and interrupts the  pursuit1    
gives a sort of spring to the mind1     
enhances the pleasure1 and  makes what  
would else be toil and labour1 become   
sport and recreation4    ,wherein would 
consist the joys of hunting1 shooting1  
fishing1 and  many other favourite      
diversions1 without the frequent turns  
and  difficulties1 and disappointments1 
that are daily met with in the          
pursuit8--how joyless does the sportsman
 return when the hare has not  had fair 
play8 how lively1 and in spirits1 even  
when an old cunning one  has baffled1   
and out-run the dogs6    ,this love of  

pursuit1 merely as pursuit1 is implanted
 in our natures1  and design'd1 no      
doubt1 for necessary1 and useful        
purposes4 ,animals  have it evidently by
 instinct4 ,the hound dislikes the game 
he so  eagerly pursues2 and even cats   
will risk the losing of their prey to   
chase it over again4 ,it is a pleasing  
labour of the mind to solve the  most   
difficult problems2 allegories and      
riddles1 trifling as they are1  afford  
the mind amusement3 and with what       
delight does it follow the              
well-connected thread of a play1 or     
novel1 which ever increases as the  plot
 thickens1 and ends most pleas'd1 when  
that is most distinctly  unravell'd8    
,the eye hath this sort of enjoyment in 
winding walks1 and serpentine  rivers1  
and all sorts of objects1 whose forms1  
as we shall see  hereafter1 are composed
 principally of what1 ,i call1 the      
waving and  serpentine lines4           
,intricacy in form1 therefore1 ,i shall 
define to be that peculiarity  in the   

lines1 which compose it1 that leads the 
eye a wanton kind of  chace1 and from   
the pleasure that gives the mind1       
intitles it to the  name of beautiful3  
and it may be justly said1 that the     
cause of the  idea of grace more        
immediately resides in this principle1  
than in the  other five1 except variety2
 which indeed includes this1 and all the
  others4    ,that this observation may 
appear to have a real foundation in     
nature1  every help will be requir'd1   
which the reader himself can call to his
  assistance1 as well as what will here 
be suggested to him4    ,to set this    
matter in somewhat a clearer light1 the 
familiar instance  of a common jack1    
with a circular fly1 may serve our      
purpose better  than a more elegant     
form3 preparatory to which1 let the     
figure ,fig4 #ad  ,t p4 ,i be           
consider'd1 which represents the eye1 at
 a common reading  distance viewing a   
row of letters1 but fix'd with most     
attention to the  middle letter ,a4     

,illustration3 ,fig4 #ad    ,now as we  
read1 a ray may be supposed to be drawn 
from the center of  the eye to that     
letter it looks at first1 and to move   
successively with  it from letter to    
letter1 the whole length of the line3   
but if the eye  stops at any particular 
letter1 ,a1 to observe it more than the 
rest1  these other letters will grow    
more and more imperfect to the sight1   
the  farther they are situated on either
 side of ,a1 as is express'd in the     
figure3 and when we endeavour to see all
 the letters in a line equally  perfect 
at one view1 as it were1 this imaginary 
ray must course it to  and fro with     
great celerity4 ,thus though the eye1   
strictly speaking1  can only pay due    
attention to these letters in           
succession1 yet the  amazing ease and   
swiftness1 with which it performs this  
task1 enables  us to see considerable   
spaces with sufficient satisfaction at  
one  sudden view4    ,hence1 we shall   
always suppose some such principal ray  

moving along  with the eye1 and tracing 
out the parts of every form1 we mean to 
examine in the most perfect manner3 and 
when we would follow with  exactness the
 course any body takes1 that is in      
motion1 this ray is  always to be       
supposed to move with the body4    ,in  
this manner of attending to forms1 they 
will be found1 whether  at rest1 or in  
motion1 to give movement to this        
imaginary ray2  or1 more properly       
speaking1 to the eye itself1 affecting  
it thereby  more or less pleasingly1    
according to their different shapes and 
motions4 ,thus1 for example1 in the     
instance of the jack1 whether the  eye  
7with this imaginary ray7 moves slowly  
down the line1 to which the  weight is  
fix'd1 or attends to the slow motion of 
the weight itself1  the mind is equally 
fatigu'd3 and whether it swiftly courses
 round the  circular rim of the flyer1  
when the jack stands2 or nimbly follows 
one  point in its circularity whilst it 
is whirling about1 we are almost        

equally made giddy by it4 ,but our      
sensation differs much from either  of  
these unpleasant ones1 when we observe  
the curling worm1 into which  the       
worm-wheel is fixt ,fig4 #ae ,l p4 ,i3  
for this is always pleasing1  either at 
rest or in motion1 and whether that     
motion is slow or quick4                
,illustration3 ,fig4 #ae    ,that it is 
accounted so1 when it is at rest1       
appears by the ribbon1  twisted round a 
stick 7represented on one side of this  
figure7 which  has been a               
long-establish'd ornament in the        
carvings of frames1  chimney-pieces1 and
 door-cases2 and call'd by the carvers1 
the stick  and ribbon ornament3 and when
 the stick1 through the middle is       
omitted1 it is call'd the ribbon edge2  
both to be seen in almost  every house  
of fashion4    ,but the pleasure it     
gives the eye is still more lively when 
in  motion4 ,i never can forget my      
frequent strong attention to it1 when ,i
  was very young1 and that its beguiling

 movement gave me the same kind  of     
sensation then1 which ,i since have felt
 at seeing a country-dance2  tho'       
perhaps the latter might be somewhat    
more engaging2 particularly  when my eye
 eagerly pursued a favourite dancer1    
through all the  windings of the figure1
 who then was bewitching to the sight1  
as the  imaginary ray1 we were speaking 
of1 was dancing with her all the time4  
,this single example might be sufficient
 to explain what ,i mean by the  beauty 
of a composed intricacy of form2 and how
 it may be said1 with  propriety1 to    
lead the eye a kind of chace4    ,but   
the hair of the head is another very    
obvious instance1 which1 being  design'd
 chiefly as an ornament1 proves more or 
less so1 according to  the form it      
naturally takes1 or is put into by art4 
,the most amiable in  itself is the     
flowing curl2 and the many waving and   
contrasted turns  of naturally          
intermingling locks ravish the eye with 
the pleasure of  the pursuit1 especially

 when they are put in motion by a gentle
 breeze4  ,the poet knows it1 as well as
 the painter1 and has described the     
wanton  ringlets waving in the wind4    
,and yet to shew how excess ought to be 
avoided in intricacy1 as well  as in    
every other principle1 the very same    
head of hair1 wisp'd1 and  matted       
together1 would make the most           
disagreeable figure2 because  the eye   
would be perplex'd1 and at a fault1 and 
unable to trace  such a confused number 
of uncomposed and entangled lines2 and  
yet  notwithstanding this1 the present  
fashion the ladies have gone into1 of   
wearing a part of the hair of their     
heads braided together from behind1     
like intertwisted serpents1 arising     
thickest from the bottom1 lessening  as 
it is brought forward1 and naturally    
conforming to the shape of the  rest of 
the hair it is pin'd over1 is extremely 
picturesque4 ,their thus  interlacing   
the hair in distinct varied quantities  
is an artful way of  preserving as much 

of intricacy1 as is beautiful4          
,,chapter ,,vi4    ,of ,,quantity4      
,forms of magnitude1 although           
ill-shaped1 will however1 on account of 
their vastness1 draw our attention and  
raise our admiration4    ,huge shapeless
 rocks have a pleasing kind of horror in
 them1 and the  wide ocean awes us with 
its vast contents2 but when forms of    
beauty are  presented to the eye in     
large quantities1 the pleasure increases
 on the  mind1 and horror is soften'd   
into reverence4    ,how solemn and      
pleasing are groves of high grown trees1
 great churches1  and palaces8 has not  
even a single spreading oak1 grown to   
maturity1  acquir'd the character of the
 venerable oak8    ,windsor castle is a 
noble instance of the effect of         
quantity4 ,the  hugeness of its few     
distinct parts strikes the eye with     
uncommon  grandeur at a distance1 as    
well as nigh4 ,it is quantity1 with     
simplicity1 which makes it one of the   
finest objects in the kingdom1  tho'    

void of any regular order of            
architecture4    ,the ,faade of the old 
,louvre at ,paris is also remarkable for
 its  quantity4 ,this fragment is       
allow'd to be the finest piece of       
building  in ,france1 tho' there are    
many equal1 if not superior1 to it in   
all  other respects1 except that of     
quantity4    ,who does not feel a       
pleasure when he pictures in his mind   
the immense  buildings which once       
adorn'd the lower ,egypt1 by imagining  
the whole  complete1 and ornamented with
 colossal statues8    ,elephants and    
whales please us with their unwieldy    
greatness4 ,even  large personages1     
merely for being so1 command respect3   
nay1 quantity  is an addition to the    
person which often supplies a deficiency
 in his  figure4    ,the robes of state 
are always made large and full1 because 
they give  a grandeur of appearance1    
suitable to the offices of the greatest 
distinction4 ,the judge's robes have an 
awful dignity given them by the         

quantity of their contents1 and when the
 train is held up1 there is a  noble    
waving line descending from the         
shoulders of the judge to the  hand of  
his train-bearer4 ,so when the train is 
gently thrown aside1 it  generally falls
 into a great variety of folds1 which   
again employ the  eye1 and fix its      
attention4    ,the grandeur of the      
,eastern dress1 which so far surpasses  
the ,european1  depends as much on      
quantity as on costliness4    ,in a     
word1 it is quantity which adds         
greatness to grace4 ,but then  excess is
 to be avoided1 or quantity will become 
clumsy1 heavy1 or  ridiculous4          
,illustration3 ,fig4 #af    ,the        
full-bottom wig1 like the lion's mane1  
hath something noble in  it1 and adds   
not only dignity1 but sagacity to the   
countenance fig4  #af p4 ,i3 but were it
 to be worn as large again1 it would    
become a  burlesque2 or were an improper
 person to put it on1 it would then too 
be ridiculous4      ,when improper1 or  

incompatible excesses meet1 they always 
excite  laughter2 more especially when  
the forms of those excesses are         
inelegant1 that is1 when they are       
composed of unvaried lines4             
,illustration3 ,figs4 #ag and #ah       
,for example1 the figure refer'd to in  
the margin ,fig4 #ag p4 ,i1  represents 
a fat grown face of a man1 with an      
infant's cap on1 and the  rest of the   
child's dress stuff'd1 and so well      
placed under his chin1  as to seem to   
belong to that face4 ,this is a         
contrivance ,i have seen at             
,bartholomew-fair1 and always occasion'd
 a roar of laughter4 ,the next  ,fig4   
#ah p4 ,i is of the same kind1 a child  
with a man's wig and cap  on4 ,in these 
you see the ideas of youth and age      
jumbled together1 in  forms without     
beauty4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ai     
,so a ,roman general ,fig4 #ai p4 ,i1   
dress'd by a modern tailor and          
peruke-maker1 for tragedy1 is a comic   
figure4----,the dresses of the  times   

are mix'd1 and the lines which compose  
them are straight or only  round4       
,dancing-masters1 representing deities1 
in their grand ballets on the  stage1   
are no less ridiculous4 ,see the        
,jupiter ,fig4 #bj p4 ,i4               
,illustration3 ,fig4 #bj                
,nevertheless custom and fashion will1  
in length of time1 reconcile  almost    
every absurdity whatever1 to the eye1 or
 make it over-look'd4    ,it is from the
 same joining of opposite ideas that    
makes us laugh at  the owl and the ass1 
for under their aukward forms1 they seem
 to be  gravely musing and meditating1  
as if they had the sense of human       
beings4    ,a monkey too whose figure1  
as well as most of his actions1 so odly 
resembles the human1 is also very       
comical2 and he becomes more so when  a 
coat is put on him1 as he then becomes a
 greater burlesque on the man4    ,there
 is something extremely odd and comical 
in the rough shock dog4  ,the ideas here
 connected are the inelegant and        

inanimate figure of a  thrum mop1 or    
muff1 and that of a sensible1 friendly  
animal2 which is  as much a burlesque of
 the dog1 as the monkey when his coat is
 on1 is  of the man4    ,what can it be 
but this inelegance of the figure1      
join'd with  impropriety1 that makes a  
whole audience burst into laughter1 when
 they  see the miller's sack1 in ,dr4   
,faustus1 jumping across the stage8 was 
a well-shap'd vase to do the same1 it   
would equally surprise1 but not  make   
every body laugh1 because the elegance  
of the form would prevent  it4    ,for  
when the forms1 thus join'd together1   
are each of them elegant1  and composed 
of agreeable lines1 they will be so far 
from making us  laugh1 that they will   
become entertaining to the imagination1 
as  well as pleasing to the eye4 ,the   
sphinx and siren have been admired  and 
accounted ornamental in all ages4 ,the  
former represents strength  and beauty  
join'd2 the latter1 beauty and          
swiftness1 in pleasing and  graceful    

forms4    ,the griffin1 a modern        
hieroglyphic1 signifying strength and   
swiftness1  united in the two noble     
forms of the lion and eagle1 is a grand 
object4  ,so the antique centaur hath a 
savage greatness as well as beauty4     
,these may be said to be monsters1 it's 
true1 but then they convey  such noble  
ideas1 and have such elegance in their  
forms as greatly  compensates for their 
being unnaturally join'd together4    ,i
 shall mention but one more instance of 
this sort1 and that the most            
extraordinary of all1 which is an       
infant's head of about two years old1   
with a pair of duck's-wings placed under
 its chin1 supposed always to  be flying
 about1 and singing psalms ,fig4 #bb ,r 
p4 ,i4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bb    ,a
 painter's representation of heaven     
would be nothing without swarms  of     
these little inconsistent objects1      
flying about1 or perching on the        
clouds2 and yet there is something so   
agreeable in their form1 that the  eye  

is reconciled and overlooks the         
absurdity1 and we find them in the      
carving and painting of almost every    
church4 ,st4 ,paul's is full of them4   
99       99       99       99       99  
,as the foregoing principles are the    
very ground work of what is to  follow2 
we will1 in order to make them the more 
familiar to us1 just  speak of them in  
the way they are daily put in practice1 
and may be  seen1 in every dress that is
 worn2 and we shall find not only that  
ladies of fashion1 but that women of    
every rank1 who are said to  dress      
prettily1 have known their force1       
without considering them as  principles4
           99       99       99       99
       99    ,i4 ,fitness is first      
considered by them1 as knowing that     
their dresses  should be useful1        
commodious1 and fitted to their         
different ages2 or  rich1 airy1 and     
loose1 agreeable to the character they  
would give out  to the public by their  
dress4           99       99       99   

99       99    ,,ii4 ,uniformity is     
chiefly complied with in dress on       
account of fitness1  and seems to be    
extended not much farther than dressing 
both arms  alike1 and having the shoes  
of the same colour4 ,for when any part  
of  dress has not the excuse of fitness 
or propriety for its uniformity of      
parts1 the ladies always call it formal4
    ,for which reason1 when they are at 
liberty to make what shapes they  please
 in ornamenting their persons1 those of 
the best taste choose the  irregular as 
the more engaging3 for example1 no two  
patches are ever  chosen of the same    
size1 or placed at the same height2 nor 
a single one  in the middle of a        
feature1 unless it be to hide a blemish4
 ,so a single  feather1 flower1 or jewel
 is generally placed on one side of the 
head2  or if ever put in front1 it is   
turn'd awry to avoid formality4    ,it  
was once the fashion to have two curls  
of equal size1 stuck at the  same height
 close upon the forehead1 which probably

 took its rise from  seeing the pretty  
effect of curls falling loosely over the
 face4    ,a lock of hair falling thus  
cross the temples1 and by that means    
breaking the regularity of the oval1 has
 an effect too alluring to be  strictly 
decent1 as is very well known to the    
loose and lowest class of  women3 but   
being pair'd in so stiff a manner1 as   
they formerly were1  they lost the      
desired effect1 and ill deserv'd the    
name of favourites4           99        
99       99       99       99    ,,iii4 
,variety in dress1 both as to colour and
 form1 is the constant  study of the    
young and gay----,but then1           99
       99       99       99       99    
,,iv4 ,that taudriness may not destroy  
the proper effect of variety1           
simplicity is call'd in to restrain its 
superfluities1 and is often  very       
artfully made use of to set native      
beauty off to more advantage4  ,i have  
not known any set of people1 that have  
more excell'd in this  principle of     

simplicity1 or plainness1 than the      
,quakers4           99       99       99
       99       99    ,v4 ,quantity1 or 
fulness in dress has ever been a darling
 principle2  so that sometimes those    
parts of dress1 which would properly    
admit of  being extended to a great     
degree1 have been carried into such     
strange  excesses1 that in the reign of 
,queen ,elizabeth a law was made to put 
a  stop to the growth of ruffs3 nor is  
the enormous size of the hoops at       
present1 a less sufficient proof of the 
extraordinary love of quantity  in      
dress1 beyond that of convenience or    
elegance4           99       99       99
       99       99    ,,vi4 ,the beauty 
of intricacy lies in contriving winding 
shapes1 such as  the antique lappets    
belonging to the head of the sphinx     
,fig4 #ba p4 ,i1  or as the modern      
lappet when it is brought before4 ,every
 part of dress1  that will admit of the 
application of this principle1 has an   
air 7as it  is term'd7 given to it      

thereby2 and altho' it requires         
dexterity and a  taste to execute these 
windings well1 we find them daily       
practised with  success4                
,illustration3 ,fig4 #ba    ,this       
principle also recommends modesty in    
dress1 to keep up our  expectations1 and
 not suffer them to be too soon         
gratified4 ,therefore  the body and     
limbs should all be cover'd1 and little 
more than certain  hints be given of    
them thro' the cloathing4    ,the face  
indeed will bear a constant view1 yet   
always entertain and  keep our curiosity
 awake1 without the assistance either of
 a mask1 or  veil2 because vast variety 
of changing circumstances keeps the eye 
and the mind in constant play1 in       
following the numberless turns of       
expression it is capable of4 ,how soon  
does a face that wants expression  grow 
insipid1 tho' it be ever so             
pretty8--,the rest of the body1 not     
having these advantages in common with  
the face1 would soon satiate the  eye1  

were it to be as constantly exposed1 nor
 would it have more effect  than a      
marble statue4 ,but when it is artfully 
cloath'd and decorated1  the mind at    
every turn resumes its imaginary        
pursuits concerning it4  ,thus1 if ,i   
may be allow'd a simile1 the angler     
chooses not to see the  fish he angles  
for1 until it is fairly caught4         
,,chapter ,,vii4    ,of ,,lines4        
,it may be remember'd that in the       
introduction1 the reader is desired to  
consider the surfaces of objects as so  
many shells of lines1 closely  connected
 together1 which idea of them it will   
now be proper to call to  mind1 for the 
better comprehending not only this1 but 
all the following  chapters on          
composition4    ,the constant use made  
of lines by mathematicians1 as well as  
painters1  in describing things upon    
paper1 hath establish'd a conception of 
them1  as if actually existing on the   
real forms themselves4 ,this likewise   
we suppose1 and shall set out with      

saying in general--,that the  straight  
line1 and the circular line1 together   
with their different  combinations1 and 
variations1 c4 bound1 and circumscribe  
all visible  objects whatsoever1 thereby
 producing such endless variety of      
forms1 as  lays us under the necessity  
of dividing1 and distinguishing them    
into  general classes2 leaving the      
intervening mixtures of appearances to  
the  reader's own farther observation4  
,first1 ,fig4 #bc ,t p4 ,i objects      
composed of straight lines only1 as  the
 cube1 or of circular lines1 as the     
sphere1 or of both together1 as         
cylinders and cones1 c4                 
,illustration3 ,fig4 #bc    ,secondly1  
,fig4 #bd ,t p4 ,i those composed of    
straight lines1 circular  lines1 and of 
lines partly straight1 and partly       
circular1 as the  capitals of columns1  
and vases1 c4    ,illustration3 ,fig4   
#bd    ,thirdly1 ,fig4 #be ,t p4 ,i     
those composed of all the former        
together  with an addition of the waving

 line1 which is a line more productive  
of  beauty than any of the former1 as in
 flowers1 and other forms of the        
ornamental kind3 for which reason we    
shall call it the line of beauty4       
,illustration3 ,fig4 #be    ,fourthly1  
,fig4 #bf ,t p4 ,i those composed of all
 the former together  with the          
serpentine line1 as the human form1     
which line hath the power  of           
super-adding grace to beauty4 ,note1    
forms of most grace have least  of the  
straight line in them4    ,illustration3
 ,fig4 #bf    ,it is to be observed1    
that straight lines vary only in length1
 and  therefore are least ornamental4   
,that curved lines as they can be varied
 in their degrees of curvature  as well 
as in their lengths1 begin on that      
account to be ornamental4    ,that      
straight and curv'd lines join'd1 being 
a compound line1 vary more  than curves 
alone1 and so become somewhat more      
ornamental4    ,that the waving line1 or
 line of beauty1 varying still more1    

being  composed of two curves           
contrasted1 becomes still more          
ornamental and  pleasing1 insomuch that 
the hand takes a lively movement in     
making it  with pen or pencil4    ,and  
that the serpentine line1 by its waving 
and winding at the same  time different 
ways1 leads the eye in a pleasing manner
 along the  continuity of its variety1  
if ,i may be allowed the expression2 and
  which by its twisting so many         
different ways1 may be said to inclose  
7tho' but a single line7 varied         
contents2 and therefore all its  variety
 cannot be express'd on paper by one    
continued line1 without  the assistance 
of the imagination1 or the help of a    
figure2 see ,fig4  #bf ,t p4 ,i where   
that sort of proportion'd1 winding line1
 which will  hereafter be call'd the    
precise serpentine line1 or line of     
grace1  is represented by a fine wire1  
properly twisted round the elegant and  
varied figure of a cone4                
,,chapter ,,viii4    ,of what sort of   

,,parts1 and how ,,pleasing ,,forms are 
composed4      ,thus far having         
endeavoured to open as large an idea as 
possible of the  power of variety1 by   
having partly shewn that those lines    
which have  most variety in themselves1 
contribute most towards the production  
of  beauty2 we will next shew how lines 
may be put together1 so as to make      
pleasing figures or compositions4    ,in
 order to be as clear as possible1 we   
will give a few examples of  the most   
familiar and easy sort1 and let them    
serve as a clue to be  pursued in the   
imagination3 ,i say in the imagination  
chiefly1 for the  following method is   
not meant always to be put in practice1 
or follow'd  in every case1 for indeed  
that could hardly be1 and in some it    
would be  ridiculously losing time if it
 could----,yet there may be cases where 
it may be necessary to follow this      
method minutely2 as for example1 in     
architecture4    ,i am thoroughly       
convinc'd in myself1 however it may     

startle some1 that  a completely new and
 harmonious order of architecture in all
 its parts1  might be produced by the   
following method of composing1 but      
hardly with  certainty without it2 and  
this ,i am the more apt to believe1 as  
upon  the strictest examination1 those  
four orders of the ancients1 which are  
so well established for beauty and true 
proportion1 perfectly agree  with the   
scheme we shall now lay down4    ,this  
way of composing pleasing forms1 is to  
be accomplished by making  choice of    
variety of lines1 as to their shapes and
 dimensions2 and then  again by varying 
their situations with each other1 by all
 the different  ways that can be        
conceived3 and at the same time 7if a   
solid figure be  the subject of the     
composition7 the contents or space that 
is to be  inclosed within those lines1  
must be duly consider'd and vary'd too1 
as  much as possible1 with propriety4   
,in a word1 it may be said1 the art of  
composing well is the art of varying    

well4 ,it is not expected that this     
should at first be perfectly            
comprehended1 yet ,i believe it will be 
made sufficiently clear by the help of  
the examples following4                 
,illustration3 ,fig4 #bi    ,the figure 
,fig4 #bi ,t p4 ,i1 represents the      
simple and pleasing figure  of a bell2  
this shell1 as we may call it1 is       
composed of waving lines1  encompassing1
 or bounding within it1 the varied space
 marked with  dotted lines3 here you see
 the variety of the space within is     
equal to  the beauty of its form        
without1 and if the space1 or contents1 
were to  be more varied1 the outward    
form would have still more beauty4      
,illustration3 ,figs4 #cj1 #ca and #cb  
,as a proof1 see a composition of more  
parts1 and a way by which those  parts  
may be put together by a certain method 
of varying3 i4 e4 how the  one half of  
the socket of the candlestick ,a ,fig4  
#cj ,t p4 ,i1 may be  varied as the     
other half ,b4 ,let a convenient and fit

 height be first  given for a           
candlestick1 as ,fig4 #ca ,t p4 ,i1 then
 let the necessary  size of the socket  
be determined1 as at 7a7 ,fig4 #cb after
 which1  in order to give it a better   
form1 let every distance or length of   
divisions differ from the length of the 
socket1 as also vary in their  distances
 from each other1 as is seen by the     
points on the line under  the socket    
7a72 that is let any two points1        
signifying distance1 be  plac'd farthest
 from any other two near points1        
observing always that  there should be  
one distance or part larger than all the
 rest2 and you  will readily see that   
variety could not be so complete without
 it4--,in  like manner1 let the         
horizontal distances 7always keeping    
within the  bounds of fitness7 be varied
 both as to distances and situations1 as
  on the opposite side of the same      
figure 7b72 then unite and join all  the
 several distances into a complete      
shell1 by applying several parts  of    

curves and straight lines2 varying them 
also by making them of  different sizes1
 as 7c73 and apply them as at 7d7 in the
 same figure1  and you have the         
candlestick ,fig4 #cc ,t p4 ,i1 and with
 still more  variations on the other    
side4 ,if you divide the candlestick    
into many  more parts1 it will appear   
crouded1 as ,fig4 #cd ,t p4 ,i it will  
want  distinctness of form on a near    
view1 and lose the effect of variety at 
a distance3 this the eye will easily    
distinguish on removing pretty far  from
 it4    ,illustration3 ,figs4 #cc and   
#cd    ,simplicity in composition1 or   
distinctness of parts1 is ever to be    
attended to1 as it is one part of       
beauty1 as has been already said3 but   
that what ,i mean by distinctness of    
parts in this place1 may be better      
understood1 it will be proper to explain
 it by an example4    ,when you would   
compose an object of a great variety of 
parts1 let  several of those parts be   
distinguish'd by themselves1 by their   

remarkable difference from the next     
adjoining1 so as to make each of  them1 
as it were1 one well-shap'd quantity or 
part1 as is marked by  the dotted lines 
in figure #ce ,t p4 ,i 7these are like  
what they call  passages in music1 and  
in writing paragraphs7 by which means1  
not only  the whole1 but even every     
part1 will be better understood by the  
eye3  for confusion will hereby be      
avoided when the object is seen near1   
and  the shapes will seem well varied1  
tho' fewer in number1 at a distance2  as
 figure #cf p4 ,i supposed to be the    
same as the former1 but removed  so far 
off that the eye loses sight of the     
smaller members4    ,illustration3      
,figs4 #ce and #cf    ,the parsley-leaf 
,fig4 #cg ,t p4 ,i1 in like manner1 from
 whence a  beautiful foliage in ornament
 was originally taken1 is divided into  
three distinct passages2 which are again
 divided into other odd  numbers2 and   
this method is observ'd1 for the        
generality1 in the leaves  of all plants

 and flowers1 the most simple of which  
are the trefoil and  cinquefoil4        
,illustration3 ,fig4 #cg    ,light and  
shade1 and colours1 also must have their
 distinctness to  make objects          
completely beautiful3 but of these in   
their proper  places----only ,i will    
give you a general idea of what is here 
meant by  the beauty of distinctness of 
forms1 lights1 shades1 and colours1 by  
putting you in mind of the reverse      
effects in all them together4           
,observe the well-composed nosegay how  
it loses all its distinctness  when it  
dies2 each leaf and flower then shrivels
 and loses its distinct  shape2 and the 
firm colours fade into a kind of        
sameness3 so that the  whole gradually  
becomes a confused heap4    ,if the     
general parts of objects are preserv'd  
large at first1 they will  always admit 
of farther enrichments of a small kind1 
but then they must  be so small as not  
to confound the general masses or       
quantities4--thus  you see variety is a 

check upon itself when overdone1 which  
of course  begets what is call'd a petit
 taste and a confusion to the eye4      
,illustration3 ,figs4 #ch and #ci    ,it
 will not be amiss next to shew what    
effects an object or two  will have that
 are put together without1 or contrary  
to these rules  of composing variety4   
,figure #ch ,l p4 ,i1 is taken from one 
of those  branches fixt to the sides of 
common old-fashion'd stove-grates by way
  of ornament1 wherein you see how the  
parts have been varied by fancy  only1  
and yet pretty well3 close to which     
,fig4 #ci ,l p4 ,i is another1  with    
about the like number of parts2 but as  
the shapes1 neither are  enough varied  
as to their contents1 nor in their      
situations with each  other1 but one    
shape follows its exact likeness3 it is 
therefore  a disagreeable and tasteless 
figure1 and for the same reason the     
candlestick1 fig4 #dj ,t p4 ,i is still 
worse1 as there is less variety  in it4 
,nay1 it would be better to be quite    

plain1 as figure #da ,t p4  ,i1 than    
with such poor attempts at ornament4    
,illustration3 ,figs4 #dj1 #da and #db  
,these few examples1 well understood1   
will1 ,i imagine1 be sufficient  to put 
what was said at the beginning of this  
chapter out of all  doubt1 viz4 that the
 art of composing well is no more than  
the art  of varying well2 and to shew1  
that the method which has been here     
explain'd1 must consequently produce a  
pleasing proportion amongst  the parts2 
as well as that all deviations from it  
will produce the  contrary4 ,yet to     
strengthen this latter assertion1 let   
the following  figures1 taken from the  
life1 be examin'd by the above rules for
  composing1 and it will be found that  
the ,indian-fig or torch-thistle1       
figure #db ,t p4 ,i1 as well as all that
 tribe of uncouth shaped  exotics1 have 
the same reasons for being ugly1 as the 
candlestick1 fig4  #dj2 as also that the
 beauties of the ,lily ,fig4 #dc ,t p4  
,i and the  calcidonian ,iris ,fig4 #dd 

,t p4 ,i proceeds from their being      
composed  with great variety1 and that  
the loss of variety1 to a certain       
degree1  in the imitations of those     
flowers underneath them 7fig4 #de and   
#df7 is  the cause of the meanness of   
their shapes1 tho' they retain enough to
  be call'd by the same names4          
,illustration3 ,figs4 #dc and #dd       
,illustration3 ,figs4 #de and #df       
,hitherto1 with regard to composition1  
little else but forms made up of        
straight and curv'd lines have been     
spoken of1 and though these lines  have 
but little variety in themselves1 yet by
 reason of the great  diversifications  
that they are capable of in being join'd
 with one  another2 great variety of    
beauty of the more useful sort is       
produced  by them1 as in necessary      
utensils and building3 but in my        
opinion1  buildings as ,i before hinted1
 might be much more varied than they    
are1  for after fitness hath been       
strictly and mechanically complied with1

  any additional ornamental members1 or 
parts1 may1 by the foregoing  rules1 be 
varied with equal elegance2 nor can ,i  
help thinking1 but that  churches1      
palaces1 hospitals1 prisons1 common     
houses and summer houses1  might be     
built more in distinct characters than  
they are1 by contriving  orders suitable
 to each2 whereas were a modern         
architect to build a  palace in         
,lapland1 or the ,west-,indies1 ,paladio
 must be his guide1 nor  would he dare  
to stir a step without his book4        
,have not many gothic buildings a great 
deal of consistent beauty  in them8     
perhaps acquired by a series of         
improvements made from  time to time by 
the natural persuasion of the eye1 which
 often very  near answers the end of    
working by principles2 and sometimes    
begets  them4 ,there is at present such 
a thirst after variety1 that even       
paltry imitations of ,chinese buildings 
have a kind of vogue1 chiefly  on       
account of their novelty3 but not only  

these1 but any other  new-invented      
characters of building might be         
regulated by proper  principles4 ,the   
mere ornaments of buildings1 to be sure1
 at least might  be allow'd a greater   
latitude than they are at present2 as   
capitals1  frizes1 c4 in order to       
increase the beauty of variety4         
,nature1 in shells and flowers1 c4      
affords an infinite choice of  elegant  
hints for this purpose2 as the original 
of the ,corinthian  capital was taken   
from nothing more1 as is said1 than some
 dock-leaves  growing up against a      
basket4 ,even a capital composed of the 
aukward and  confin'd forms of hats and 
periwigs1 as fig4 #dh p4 ,i in a skilful
  hand might be made to have some       
beauty4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #dh     
,however1 tho' the moderns have not made
 many additions to the art of  building1
 with respect to mere beauty or         
ornament1 yet it must be  confess'd1    
they have carried simplicity1           
convenience1 and neatness of            

workmanship1 to a very great degree of  
perfection1 particularly in  ,england2  
where plain good sense hath prefer'd    
these more necessary  parts of beauty1  
which every body can understand1 to that
 richness of  taste which is so much to 
be seen in other countries1 and so often
  substituted in their room4    ,st4    
,paul's cathedral is one of the noblest 
instances that can be  produced of the  
most judicious application of every     
principle that  has been spoken of4     
,there you may see the utmost variety   
without  confusion1 simplicity without  
nakedness1 richness without taudriness1 
distinctness without hardness1 and      
quantity without excess4 ,whence the    
eye is entertain'd throughout with the  
charming variety of all its  parts      
together2 the noble projecting quantity 
of a certain number of  them1 which     
presents bold and distinct parts at a   
distance1 when the  lesser parts within 
them disappear2 and the grand few1 but  
remarkably  well-varied parts that      

continue to please the eye as long as   
the  object is discernable1 are evident 
proofs of the superior skill of ,sir    
,christopher ,wren1 so justly esteem'd  
the prince of architects4    ,it will   
scarcely admit of a dispute1 that the   
outside of this building  is much more  
perfect than that of ,st4 ,peter's at   
,rome3 but the inside1  though as fine  
and noble1 as the space it stands on1   
and our religion  will allow of1 must   
give way to the splendor1 shew1 and     
magnificence  of that of ,st4 ,peter's1 
on account of the sculptures and        
paintings1 as  well as the greater      
magnitude of the whole1 which makes it  
excel as to  quantity4    ,there are    
many other churches of great beauty1 the
 work of the same  architect1 which are 
hid in the heart of the city1 whose     
steeples  and spires are raised higher  
than ordinary1 that they may be seen at 
a distance above the other buildings2   
and the great number of them  dispers'd 
about the whole city1 adorn the prospect

 of it1 and give it  an air of opulence 
and magnificence3 on which account their
 shapes will  be found to be            
particularly beautiful4 ,of these1 and  
perhaps of any in  ,europe1 ,st4        
,mary-le-,bow is the most elegantly     
varied4 ,st4 ,bride's in  ,fleet-street 
diminishes sweetly by elegant degrees1  
but its variations1  tho' very curious  
when you are near them1 not being quite 
so bold1 and  distinct1 as those of     
,bow1 it too soon looses variety at a   
distance4  ,some gothic spires are      
finely and artfully varied1 particularly
 the  famous steeple of ,strasburg4     
,westminster-,abbey is a good contrast  
to ,st4 ,paul's1 with regard to         
simplicity and distinctness1 the great  
number of its filligrean  ornaments1 and
 small divided and subdivided parts     
appear confused  when nigh1 and are     
totally lost at a moderate distance2 yet
 there is  nevertheless such a          
consistency of parts altogether in a    
good gothic  taste1 and such propriety  

relative to the gloomy ideas1 they were 
then  calculated to convey1 that they   
have at length acquir'd an establish'd  
and distinct character in building4 ,it 
would be look'd upon as an  impropriety 
and as a kind of profanation to build   
places for mirth and  entertainment in  
the same taste4          ,,chapter ,,ix4
    ,of ,,composition with the          
,,waving-,,line4      ,there is scarce a
 room in any house whatever1 where one  
does not see  the waving-line employ'd  
in some way or other4 ,how inelegant    
would  the shapes of all our moveables  
be without it8 how very plain and       
unornamental the mouldings of cornices1 
and chimney-pieces1 without the  variety
 introduced by the ogee member1 which is
 entirely composed of  waving-lines4    
,illustration3 ,figs4 #di and #ej       
,though all sorts of waving-lines are   
ornamental1 when properly applied2  yet1
 strictly speaking1 there is but one    
precise line1 properly to be  called the
 line of beauty1 which in the scale of  

them ,fig4 #di ,t p4  ,i is number #d3  
the lines #e1 #f1 #g1 by their bulging  
too much in their  curvature becoming   
gross and clumsy2 and1 on the contrary1 
#c1 #b1 #a1 as  they straighten1        
becoming mean and poor2 as will appear  
in the next  figure #ej ,t p4 ,i where  
they are applied to the legs of chairs4 
,illustration3 ,fig4 #ec    ,a still    
more perfect idea of the effects of the 
precise waving-line1  and of those lines
 that deviate from it1 may be conceived 
by the row  of stays1 figure #ec ,b p4  
,i1 where number #d is composed of      
precise  waving-lines1 and is therefore 
the best shaped stay4 ,every whale-bone 
of a good stay must be made to bend in  
this manner3 for the whole  stay1 when  
put close together behind1 is truly a   
shell of well-varied  contents1 and its 
surface of course a fine form2 so that  
if a line1 or  the lace were to be      
drawn1 or brought from the top of the   
lacing of  the stay behind1 round the   
body1 and down to the bottom peak of the

  stomacher2 it would form such a       
perfect1 precise1 serpentine-line1  as  
has been shewn1 round the cone1 figure  
#bf in plate ,i4----,for this  reason   
all ornaments obliquely contrasting the 
body in this manner1  as the ribbons    
worn by the knights of the garter1 are  
both genteel  and graceful4 ,the numbers
 #e1 #f1 #g and #c1 #b1 #a1 are         
deviations into  stiffness and meanness 
on one hand1 and clumsiness and         
deformity on the  other4 ,the reasons   
for which disagreeable effects1 after   
what has been  already said1 will be    
evident to the meanest capacity4        
,illustration3 ,fig4 #bf    ,it may be  
worth our notice however1 that the stay1
 number #b1 would  better fit a         
well-shaped man than number #d2 and that
 number #d1 would  better fit a         
well-form'd woman1 than number #b2 and  
when on considering  them1 merely as to 
their forms1 and comparing them together
 as you  would two vases1 it has been   
shewn by our principles1 how much finer 

and more beautiful number #d is1 than   
number #b3 does not this our            
determination enhance the merit of these
 principles1 as it proves at  the same  
time how much the form of a woman's body
 surpasses in beauty  that of a man8    
,from the examples that have been given1
 enough may be gathered to carry  on our
 observations from them to any other    
objects that may chance to  come in our 
way1 either animate or inanimate2 so    
that we may not only  lineally account  
for the ugliness of the toad1 the hog1  
the bear1 and  the spider1 which are    
totally void of this waving-line1 but   
also for  the different degrees of      
beauty belonging to those objects that  
possess  it4          ,,chapter ,x4     
,of ,,compositions with the             
,,serpentine-,,line4      ,the very     
great difficulty there is in describing 
this line1 either in  words1 or by the  
pencil 7as was hinted before1 when ,i   
first mention'd  it7 will make it       
necessary for me to proceed very slowly 

in what ,i have  to say in this chapter1
 and to beg the reader's patience whilst
 ,i lead  him step by step into the     
knowledge of what ,i think the sublime  
in  form1 so remarkably display'd in the
 human body2 in which1 ,i believe1  when
 he is once acquainted with the idea of 
them1 he will find this  species of     
lines to be principally concern'd4      
,first1 then1 let him consider fig4 #ef 
,b p4 ,,ii1 which represents a  straight
 horn1 with its contents1 and he will   
find1 as it varies like  the cone1 it is
 a form of some beauty1 merely on that  
account4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ef    
,next let him observe in what manner1   
and in what degree the beauty of  this  
horn is increas'd1 in fig4 #eg ,b p4    
,,ii1 where it is supposed to  be bent  
two different ways4    ,illustration3   
,fig4 #eg    ,and lastly1 let him attend
 to the vast increase of beauty1 even to
  grace and elegance1 in the same horn1 
fig4 #eh ,b p4 ,,ii1 where it is        
supposed to have been twisted round1 at 

the same time1 that it was bent  two    
different ways1 7as in the last figure74
    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #eh    ,in the 
first of these figures1 the dotted line 
down the middle  expresses the straight 
lines of which it is composed2 which1   
without  the assistance of curve lines1 
or light and shade1 would hardly shew it
  to have contents4    ,the same is true
 of the second1 tho' by the bending of  
the horn1 the  straight dotted line is  
changed into the beautiful waving-line4 
,but in the last1 this dotted line1 by  
the twisting as well as  the bending of 
the horn1 is changed from the waving    
into the  serpentine-line2 which1 as it 
dips out of sight behind the horn in the
  middle1 and returns again at the      
smaller end1 not only gives play to  the
 imagination1 and delights the eye1 on  
that account2 but informs it  likewise  
of the quantity and variety of the      
contents4    ,i have chosen this simple 
example1 as the easiest way of giving a 
plain  and general idea of the peculiar 

qualities of these serpentine-lines1    
and the advantages of bringing them into
 compositions1 where the  contents you  
are to express1 admit of grace and      
elegance4    ,and ,i beg the same things
 may be understood of these             
serpentine-lines1  that ,i have said    
before of the waving-lines4 ,for as     
among the vast  variety of waving-lines 
that may be conceiv'd1 there is but one 
that  truly deserves the name of the    
line of beauty1 so there is only one    
precise serpentine-line that ,i call the
 line of grace4 ,yet1 even when  they   
are made too bulging1 or too tapering1  
though they certainly lose  of their    
beauty and grace1 they do not become so 
wholly void of it1  as not to be of     
excellent service in compositions1 where
 beauty and  grace are not particularly 
design'd to be express'd in their       
greatest  perfection4    ,though ,i have
 distinguish'd these lines so           
particularly as to give  them the titles
 of the lines of beauty and grace1 ,i   

mean that the  use and application of   
them should still be confined by the    
principles  ,i have laid down for       
composition in general2 and that they   
should be  judiciously mixt and combined
 with one another1 and even with those  
,i may term plain lines1 7in opposition 
to these7 as the subject in  hand       
requires4 ,thus the cornu-copia1 fig4   
#ei ,b p4 ,,ii1 is twisted  and bent    
after the same manner1 as the last      
figure of the horn2 but  more           
ornamented1 and with a greater number of
 other lines of the same  twisted kind1 
winding round it with as quick returns  
as those of a  screw4    ,illustration3 
,fig4 #ei    ,this sort of form may be  
seen with yet more variations1 7and     
therefore  more beautiful7 in the goat's
 horn1 from which1 in all probability1  
the  ancients originally took the       
extremely elegant forms they have given 
their cornu-copias4    ,there is another
 way of considering this last figure of 
the horn ,i  would recommend to my      

reader1 in order to give him a clearer  
idea of  the use both of the waving and 
serpentine-lines in composition4        
,this is to imagine the horn1 thus bent 
and twisted1 to be cut  length-ways by a
 very fine saw into two equal parts2 and
 to observe  one of these in the same   
position the whole horn is represented  
in2  and these two observations will    
naturally occur to him4 ,first1 that    
the edge of the saw must run from one   
end to the other of the horn  in the    
line of beauty2 so that the edges of    
this half of the horn  will have a      
beautiful shape3 and1 secondly1 that    
wherever the dotted  serpentine-line on 
the surface of the whole horn dips      
behind1 and is  lost to the eye1 it     
immediately comes into sight on the     
hollow surface  of the divided horn4    
,the use ,i shall make of these         
observations will appear very           
considerable in the application of them 
to the human form1 which we are  next to
 attempt4    ,it will be sufficient1    

therefore1 at present only to observe1  
first1  that the whole horn acquires a  
beauty by its being thus genteely bent  
two different ways2 secondly1 that      
whatever lines are drawn on its         
external surface become graceful1 as    
they must all of them1 from the  twist  
that is given the horn1 partake in some 
degree or other1 of the  shape of the   
serpentine-line3 and1 lastly1 when the  
horn is split1 and  the inner1 as well  
as the outward surface of its shell-like
 form is  exposed1 the eye is peculiarly
 entertained and relieved in the pursuit
  of these serpentine-lines1 as in their
 twistings their concavities  and       
convexities are alternately offer'd to  
its view4 ,hollow forms1  therefore1    
composed of such lines are extremely    
beautiful and pleasing  to the eye2 in  
many cases more so1 than those of solid 
bodies4    ,almost all the muscles1 and 
bones1 of which the human form is       
composed1 have more1 or less of these   
kind of twists in them2 and give  in a  

less degree1 the same kind of appearance
 to the parts which cover  them1 and are
 the immediate object of the eye3 and   
for this reason it  is that ,i have been
 so particular in describing these forms
 of the  bent1 and twisted1 and         
ornamented horn4    ,there is scarce a  
straight bone in the whole body4 ,almost
 all of  them are not only bent         
different ways1 but have a kind of      
twist1  which in some of them is very   
graceful2 and the muscles annex'd  to   
them1 tho' they are of various shapes1  
appropriated to their  particular uses1 
generally have their component fibres   
running in  these serpentine-lines1     
surrounding and conforming themselves to
 the  varied shape of the bones they    
belong to3 more especially in the limbs4
  ,anatomists are so satisfied of this1 
that they take a pleasure in            
distinguishing their several beauties4  
,i shall only instance in the           
thigh-bone1 and those about the hips4   
,illustration3 ,figs4 #fd and #fb       

,the thigh-bone fig4 #fb ,r p4 ,,ii1 has
 the waving and twisted turn  of the    
horn1 #eh3 but the beautiful bones      
adjoining1 call'd the ossa  innominata  
,fig4 #fj ,b p4 ,,ii1 have1 with greater
 variety1 the same  turns and twists of 
that horn when it is cut2 and its inner 
and outward  surfaces are exposed to the
 eye4    ,illustration3 ,figs4 #fj1 #fa 
and #fc    ,how ornamental these bones  
appear1 when the prejudice we conceive  
against them1 as being part of a        
skeleton1 is taken off1 by adding  a    
little foliage to them1 may be seen in  
fig4 #fa ,b p4 ,,ii----such  shell-like 
winding forms1 mixt with foliage1       
twisting about them1 are  made use of in
 all ornaments2 a kind of composition   
calculated merely  to please the eye4   
,divest these of their serpentine       
twinings1 and they  immediately lose all
 grace1 and return to the poor gothic   
taste they  were in an hundred years ago
 ,fig4 #fc ,b p4 ,,ii4    ,illustration3
 ,figs4 #fd and #fb    ,fig4 #fd ,b p4  

,,ii is meant to represent the manner1  
in which most of  the muscles1 7those of
 the limbs in particular7 are twisted   
round the  bones1 and conform themselves
 to their length and shape2 but with  no
 anatomical exactness4 ,as to the       
running of their fibres1 some           
anatomists have compared them to skains 
of thread1 loose in the middle1  and    
tight at each end1 which1 when they are 
thus consider'd as twisted  contrary    
ways round the bone1 gives the strongest
 idea possible of a  composition of     
serpentine-lines4    ,illustration3     
,figs4 #fe1 #ff and #fg    ,of these    
fine winding forms then are the muscles 
and bones composed1  and which1 by their
 varied situations with each other1     
become more  intricately pleasing1 and  
form a continued waving of winding forms
 from  one into the other1 as may be    
best seen by examining a good anatomical
  figure1 part of which you have here   
represented1 in the muscular leg  and   
thigh1 fig4 #fe p4 ,i3 which shews the  

serpentine forms and varied  situations 
of the muscles1 as they appear when the 
skin is taken off4  ,it was drawn from a
 plaster of paris figure cast off       
nature1 the  original of which was      
prepared for the mould by ,cowper1 the  
famous  anatomist4 ,in this last figure1
 as the skin is taken off the parts are 
too distinctly traced by the eye1 for   
that intricate delicacy which is        
necessary to the utmost beauty2 yet the 
winding figures of the muscles1  with   
the variety of their situations1 must   
always be allow'd elegant  forms3       
however1 they lose in the imagination   
some of the beauty1 which  they really  
have1 by the idea of their being flayed2
 nevertheless1  by what has already been
 shewn both of them and the bones1 the  
human  frame hath more of its parts     
composed of serpentine-lines than any   
other object in nature2 which is a proof
 both of its superior beauty  to all    
others1 and1 at the same time1 that its 
beauty proceeds from  those lines3 for  

although they may be required sometimes 
to be bulging  in their twists1 as in   
the thick swelling muscles of the       
,hercules1 yet  elegance and greatness  
of taste is still preserved2 but when   
these  lines lose so much of their      
twists as to become almost straight1 all
  elegance of taste vanishes4    ,thus  
fig4 #ff p4 ,i1 was also taken from     
nature1 and drawn in the same  position1
 but treated in a more dry1 stiff1 and  
what the painters call1  sticky manner1 
than the nature of flesh is ever capable
 of appearing  in1 unless when its      
moisture is dryed away3 it must be      
allowed1 that  the parts of this figure 
are of as right dimensions1 and as truly
  situated1 as in the former2 it wants  
only the true twist of the lines  to    
give it taste4    ,to prove this        
further1 and to put the mean effect of  
these plain or  unvaried lines in a     
stronger light1 see fig4 #fg p4 ,i1     
where1 by the  uniform1 unvaried shapes 
and situation of the muscles1 without so

 much  as a waving-line in them1 it     
becomes so wooden a form1 that he that  
can fashion the leg of a joint-stool may
 carve this figure as well as  the best 
sculptor4 ,in the same manner1 divest   
one of the best antique  statues of all 
its serpentine winding parts1 and it    
becomes from an  exquisite piece of art1
 a figure of such ordinary lines and    
unvaried  contents1 that a common       
stone-mason or carpenter1 with the help 
of his  rule1 calipers1 and compasses1  
might carve out an exact imitation of   
it3 and were it not for these lines a   
turner1 in his lathe1 might turn  a much
 finer neck than that of the grecian    
,venus1 as according to the  common     
notion of a beautiful neck1 it would be 
more truly round4 ,for  the same reason1
 legs much swoln with disease1 are as   
easy to imitate  as a post1 having lost 
their drawing1 as the painters call it2 
that  is1 having their serpentine-lines 
all effaced1 by the skin's being        
equally puffed up1 as figure #fh4       

,illustration3 ,fig4 #fh    ,if in      
comparing these three figures one with  
another1 the reader1  notwithstanding   
the prejudice his imagination may have  
conceiv'd  against them1 as anatomical  
figures1 has been enabled only to       
perceive  that one of them is not so    
disagreeable as the others2 he will     
easily  be led to see further1 that this
 tendency to beauty in one1 is not      
owing to any greater degree of exactness
 in the proportions of its  parts1 but  
merely to the more pleasing turns1 and  
intertwistings of  the lines1 which     
compose its external form2 for in all   
the three  figures the same proportions 
have been observ'd1 and1 on that        
account1  they have all an equal claim  
to beauty4    ,and if he pursues this   
anatomical enquiry but a very little    
further1  just to form a true idea of   
the elegant use that is made of the     
skin and fat beneath it1 to conceal from
 the eye all that is hard  and          
disagreeable1 and at the same time to   

preserve to it whatever  is necessary in
 the shapes of the parts beneath1 to    
give grace and  beauty to the whole     
limb3 he will find himself insensibly   
led into the  principles of that grace  
and beauty which is to be found in      
well-turn'd  limbs1 in fine1 elegant1   
healthy life1 or in those of the best   
antique statues2 as well as into the    
reason why his eye has so often         
unknowingly been pleased and delighted  
with them4    ,thus1 in all other parts 
of the body1 as well as these1 wherever1
 for  the sake of the necessary motion  
of the parts1 with proper strength  and 
agility1 the insertions of the muscles  
are too hard and sudden1  their         
swellings too bold1 or the hollows      
between them too deep1 for  their       
out-lines to be beautiful2 nature most  
judiciously softens these  hardnesses1  
and plumps up these vacancies with a    
proper supply of fat1  and covers the   
whole with the soft1 smooth1 springy1   
and1 in delicate  life1 almost          

transparent skin1 which1 conforming     
itself to the external  shape of all the
 parts beneath1 expresses to the eye the
 idea of its  contents with the utmost  
delicacy of beauty and grace4    ,the   
skin1 therefore1 thus tenderly          
embracing1 and gently conforming  itself
 to the varied shapes of every one of   
the outward muscles of the  body1       
soften'd underneath by the fat1 where1  
otherwise1 the same hard  lines and     
furrows would appear1 as we find come on
 with age in the  face1 and with labour1
 in the limbs1 is evidently a shell-like
 surface  7to keep up the idea ,i set   
out with7 form'd with the utmost        
delicacy  in nature2 and therefore the  
most proper subject of the study of     
every  one1 who desires to imitate the  
works of nature1 as a master should  do1
 or to judge of the performances of     
others as a real connoisseur  ought4    
,i cannot be too long1 ,i think1 on this
 subject1 as so much will be  found to  
depend upon it2 and therefore shall     

endeavour to give a clear  idea of the  
different effect such anatomical figures
 have on the eye1  from what the same   
parts have1 when cover'd by the fat and 
skin2 by  supposing a small wire 7that  
has lost its spring and so will retain  
every shape it is twisted into7 to be   
held fast to the out-side of the  hip   
7fig4 #fe4 plate ,i7 and thence brought 
down the other side of the  thigh       
obliquely over the calf of the leg1 down
 to the outward ancle  7all the while   
press'd so close as to touch and conform
 itself to the  shape of every muscle it
 passes over7 and then to be taken off4 
,if this  wire be now examined it will  
be found that the general uninterrupted 
flowing twist1 which the winding round  
the limbs would otherwise have  given to
 it1 is broken into little better than  
so many separate plain  curves1 by the  
sharp indentures it every where has     
receiv'd on being  closely press'd in   
between the muscles4    ,illustration3  
,figs4 #fe1 #ff and #fg    ,suppose1 in 

the next place1 such a wire was in the  
same manner twisted  round a living     
well-shaped leg and thigh1 or those of a
 fine statue2  when you take it off you 
will find no such sharp indentures1 nor 
any of  those regular engralings 7as the
 heralds express it7 which displeased   
the eye before4 ,on the contrary1 you   
will see how gradually the  changes in  
its shape are produced2 how             
imperceptibly the different  curvatures 
run into each other1 and how easily the 
eye glides along  the varied wavings of 
its sweep4 ,to enforce this still       
further1 if  a line were to be drawn by 
a pencil exactly where these wires have 
been supposed to pass1 the point of the 
pencil1 in the muscular leg  and thigh1 
would perpetually meet with stops and   
rubs1 whilst in the  others it would    
flow from muscle to muscle along the    
elastic skin1 as  pleasantly as the     
lightest skiff dances over the gentlest 
wave4    ,this idea of the wire1        
retaining thus the shape of the parts it

 passes  over1 seems of so much         
consequence1 that ,i would by no means  
have it  forgot2 as it may properly be  
consider'd as one of the threads 7or    
outlines7 of the shell 7or external     
surface7 of the human form3 and  the    
frequently recurring to it will assist  
the imagination in its  conceptions of  
those parts of it1 whose shapes are most
 intricately  varied3 for the same sort 
of observations may be made1 with equal 
justice1 on the shapes of ever so many  
such wires twisted in the same  manner  
in ever so many directions over every   
part of a well made man1  woman1 or     
statue4    ,and if the reader will      
follow in his imagination the most      
exquisite  turns of the chisel in the   
hands of a master1 when he is putting   
the  finishing touches to a statue2 he  
will soon be led to understand what  it 
is the real judges expect from the hand 
of such a master1 which  the ,italians  
call1 the little more1 ,il poco piu1 and
 which in reality  distinguishes the    

original master-pieces at ,rome from    
even the best  copies of them4    ,an   
example or two will sufficiently explain
 what is here meant2 for  as these      
exquisite turns are to be found1 in some
 degree of beauty  or other1 all over   
the whole surface of the body and limbs3
 we may  by taking any one part of a    
fine figure 7though so small a one that 
only a few muscles are express'd in it7 
explain the manner in which so  much    
beauty and grace has been given to them1
 as to convince a skilful  artist1      
almost at sight1 that it must have been 
the work of a master4    ,illustration3 
,fig4 #gf    ,i have chosen1 for this   
purpose1 a small piece of the body of a 
statue1  fig4 #gf ,t p4 ,,ii1           
representing part of the left side under
 the arm1  together with a little of the
 breast1 7including a very particular   
muscle1 which1 from the likeness its    
edges bear to the teeth of a saw1  is1  
if consider'd by itself1 void of beauty7
 as most proper to the  point in hand1  

because this its regular shape more     
peculiarly requires  the skill of the   
artist to give it a little more variety 
than it  generally has1 even in nature4 
,illustration3 ,fig4 #gg    ,first1     
then1 ,i will give you a representation 
of this part of the  body1 from an      
anatomical figure ,fig4 #gg ,t p4 ,,ii1 
to show what a  sameness there is in the
 shapes of all the teeth-like insertions
 of  this muscle2 and how regularly the 
fibres1 which compose it1 follow the    
almost parallel out-lines of the ribs   
they partly cover4    ,illustration3    
,fig4 #gh    ,from what has been said   
before of the use of the natural        
covering of  the skin1 c4 the next      
figure #gh ,t p4 ,,ii will easily be    
understood to  mean so tame a           
representation of the same part of the  
body1 that tho'  the hard and stiff     
appearance of the edges of this muscle  
is taken off  by that covering1 yet     
enough of its regularity and sameness   
remains to  render it disagreeable4     

,now as regularity and sameness1        
according to our doctrine1 is want of   
elegance and true taste1 we shall       
endeavour in the next place to show  how
 this very part 7in which the muscles   
take so very regular a form7  may be    
brought to have as much variety as any  
other part of the body  whatever4 ,in   
order to this1 though some alteration   
must be made in  almost every part of   
it1 yet it should be so inconsiderable  
in each1  that no remarkable change may 
appear in the shape and situation of    
any4    ,illustration3 ,figs4 #gi1 #hj  
and #ha    ,thus1 let the parts mark'd  
#a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 7which appear so exactly
  similar in shape1 and parallel in     
situation in the muscular figure  #gg7  
and not much mended in fig4 #gh1 be     
first varied in their sizes1  but not   
gradually from the uppermost to the     
lowest1 as in fig4 #gi ,t  p4 ,,ii1 nor 
alternately one long and one short1 as  
in fig4 #hj ,t p4  ,,ii1 for in either  
of these cases there would still remain 

too great  a formality4 ,we should      
therefore endeavour1 in the next place1 
to  vary them every way in our power1   
without losing entirely the true  idea  
of the parts themselves4 ,suppose them  
then to have changed their  situations a
 little1 and slip'd beside each other   
irregularly1 7some  how as is           
represented in fig4 #ha ,t p4 ,,ii1     
merely with regard to their  situation7 
and the external appearance of the whole
 piece of the body1  now under our      
consideration1 will assume the more     
varied and pleasing  form1 represented  
in fig4 #gf1 easily to be discern'd by  
comparing the  three figures1 #gf1 #gg1 
#gh1 one with another2 and it will as   
easily be  seen1 that were lines to be  
drawn1 or wires to be bent1 over these  
muscles1 from one to the other1 and so  
on to the adjoining parts2 they  would  
have a continued waving flow1 let them  
pass in any direction  whatever4    ,the
 unskilful1 in drawing these parts after
 the life1 as their  regularities are   

much more easily seen and copied than   
their fine  variations1 seldom fail of  
making them more regular and poor than  
they  really appear even in a           
consumptive person4    ,the difference  
will appear evident by comparing fig4   
#gh1 purposely  drawn in this tasteless 
manner1 with fig4 #gf4 ,but will be more
  perfectly understood by examining this
 part in the ,torso of ,michael  ,angelo
 ,fig4 #ed p4 ,i1 whence this figure was
 taken4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ed     
,note1 there are casts of a small copy  
of that famous trunk of a body  to be   
had at almost every plaster-figure      
makers1 wherein what has been  here     
described may be sufficiently seen1 not 
only in the part which  figure #gf was  
taken from1 but all over that curious   
piece of antiquity4    ,i must here     
again press my reader to a particular   
attention to the  windings of these     
superficial lines1 even in their passing
 over every  joint1 what alterations    
soever may be made in the surface of the

 skin  by the various bendings of the   
limbs3 and tho' the space allow'd for   
it1 just in the joints1 be ever so      
small1 and consequently the lines  ever 
so short1 the application of this       
principle of varying these  lines1 as   
far as their lengths will admit of1 will
 be found to have its  effect as        
gracefully as in the more lengthen'd    
muscles of the body4    ,it should be   
observ'd in the fingers1 where the      
joints are but short1  and the tendons  
straight2 and where beauty seems to     
submit1 in some  degree1 to use1 yet not
 so much but you trace in a full-grown  
taper  finger1 these little winding     
lines among the wrinkles1 or in 7what   
is more pretty because more simple7 the 
dimples of the nuckles4 ,as  we always  
distinguish things best by seeing their 
reverse set in  opposition with them2 if
 fig4 #hb ,t p4 ,,ii1 by the            
straightness of its  lines1 shews fig4  
#hc ,t p4 ,,ii1 to have some little     
taste in it1 tho' it  is so slightly    

sketch'd2 the difference will more      
evidently appear when  you in like      
manner compare a straight coarse finger 
in common life with  the taper dimpled  
one of a fine lady4    ,illustration3   
,figs4 #hb and #hc    ,there is an      
elegant degree of plumpness peculiar to 
the skin of the  softer sex1 that       
occasions these delicate dimplings in   
all their  other joints1 as well as     
these of the fingers2 which so perfectly
  distinguishes them from those even of 
a graceful man2 and which1  assisted by 
the more soften'd shapes of the muscles 
underneath1  presents to the eye all the
 varieties in the whole figure of the   
body1  with gentler and fewer parts more
 sweetly connected together1 and with   
such a fine simplicity as will always   
give the turn of the female  frame1     
represented in the ,venus ,fig4 #ac p4  
,i1 the preference to that  of the      
,apollo ,fig4 #ab p4 ,i4                
,illustration3 ,figs4 #ac and #ab       
,now whoever can conceive lines thus    

constantly flowing1 and delicately      
varying over every part of the body even
 to the fingers ends1 and will  call to 
his remembrance what led us to this last
 description of what  the ,italians     
call1 ,il poco piu 7the little more that
 is expected from  the hand of a master7
 will1 in my mind1 want very little more
 than what  his own observation on the  
works of art and nature will lead him   
to1 to  acquire a true idea of the word 
,taste1 when applied to form2 however   
inexplicable this word may hitherto have
 been imagined4    ,we have all along   
had recourse chiefly to the works of the
 ancients1  not because the moderns have
 not produced some as excellent2 but    
because the works of the former are more
 generally known3 nor would  we have it 
thought1 that either of them have ever  
yet come up to the  utmost beauty of    
nature4 ,who but a bigot1 even to the   
antiques1 will  say that he has not seen
 faces and necks1 hands and arms in     
living  women1 that even the ,grecian   

,venus doth but coarsely imitate8       
,and what sufficient reason can be given
 why the same may not be said of  the   
rest of the body8          ,,chapter    
,,xi4    ,of ,,proportion4      ,if     
anyone should ask1 what it is that      
constitutes a fine-proportion'd  human  
figure8 how ready and seemingly decisive
 is the common answer3 a  just symmetry 
and harmony of parts with respect to the
 whole4 ,but as  probably this vague    
answer took its rise from doctrines not 
belonging  to form1 or idle schemes     
built on them1 ,i apprehend it will     
cease to be  thought much to the purpose
 after a proper enquiry has been made4  
,preparatory to which1 it becomes       
necessary in this place1 to mention  one
 reason more which may be added to those
 given in the introduction1  for my     
having persuaded the reader to consider 
objects scoop'd out like  thin shells2  
which is1 that partly by this           
conception1 he may be the  better able  
to separate and keep asunder the two    

following general  ideas1 as we will    
call them1 belonging to form2 which are 
apt to  coincide and mix with each other
 in the mind1 and which it is necessary 
7for the sake of making each more fully 
and particularly clear7 should  be kept 
apart1 and consider'd singly4    ,first1
 the general ideas of what hath already 
been discussed in the  foregoing        
chapters1 which only comprehends the    
surface of form1 viewing  it in no other
 light than merely as being ornamental  
or not4    ,secondly1 that general idea1
 now to be discussed1 which we commonly 
have of form altogether1 as arising     
chiefly from a fitness to some  design'd
 purpose or use4    ,hitherto our main  
drift hath been to establish and        
illustrate the  first idea only1 by     
shewing1 first the nature of variety1   
and then its  effects on the mind2 with 
the manner how such impressions are made
 by  means of the different feelings    
given to the eye1 from its movements in 
tracing and coursing#e over surfaces of 

all kinds4    #e ,see ,chapter ,v1 page 
#be4    ,the surface of a piece of      
ornament1 that hath every turn in it    
that  lines are capable of moving into1 
and at the same time no way applied1    
nor of any manner of use1 but merely to 
entertain the eye1 would be  such an    
object as would answer to this first    
idea alone4    ,the figure like a leaf1 
at the bottom of plate ,i1 near to fig4 
#fg1 is  something of this kind2 it was 
taken from an ash-tree1 and was a sort  
of ,lusus natur1 growing only like an   
excressence1 but so beautiful  in the   
lines of its shell-like windings1 as    
would have been above the  power of a   
,gibbons to have equalled1 even in its  
own materials2 nor  could the graver of 
an ,edlinck1 or ,drevet1 have done it   
justice on  copper4    ,illustration3   
,fig4 near ,fig4 #fg    ,note1 the      
present taste of ornaments seems to have
 been partly taken  from productions of 
this sort1 which are to be found about  
autumn among  plants1 particularly      

asparagus1 when it is running to seed4  
,i shall now endeavour to explain what  
is included in what ,i have called  for 
distinction sake1 the second general    
idea of form1 in a much  fuller manner  
than was done in ,chapter ,i1 of        
,fitness4 ,and begin with  observing1   
that though surfaces will unavoidably be
 still included1 yet  we must no longer 
confine ourselves to the particular     
notice of them as  surfaces only1 as we 
heretofore have done2 we must now open  
our view to  general1 as well as        
particular bulk and solidity2 and also  
look into  what may have filled up1 or  
given rise thereto1 such as certain     
given  quantities and dimensions of     
parts1 for inclosing any substance1 or  
for  performing of motion1 purchase1    
stedfastness1 and other matters of  use 
to living beings1 which1 ,i apprehend1  
at length1 will bring us to a  tolerable
 conception of the word proportion4     
,as to these joint-sensations of bulk   
and motion1 do we not at first  sight   

almost1 even without making trial1 seem 
to feel when a leaver  of any kind is   
too weak1 or not long enough to make    
such or such a  purchase8 or when a     
spring is not sufficient8 and don't we  
find by  experience what weight1 or     
dimension should be given1 or taken     
away1 on  this or that account8 if so1  
as the general as well as particular    
bulks  of form1 are made up of materials
 moulded together under mechanical      
directions1 for some known purpose or   
other2 how naturally1 from these        
considerations1 shall we fall into a    
judgment of fit proportion2  which is   
one part of beauty to the mind tho' not 
always so to the eye4    ,our           
necessities have taught us to mould     
matter into various shapes1  and to give
 them fit proportions for particular    
uses1 as bottles1  glasses1 knives1     
dishes1 c4 ,hath not offence given rise 
to the  form of the sword1 and defence  
to that of the shield8 ,and what else   
but proper fitness of parts hath fix'd  

the different dimensions of  pistols1   
muskets1 great guns1 fowling-pieces and 
blunderbusses2 which  differences as to 
figure1 may as properly be called the   
different  characters of fire-arms1 as  
the different shapes of men are called  
characters of men4    ,we find also that
 the profuse variety of shapes1 which   
present  themselves from the whole      
animal creation1 arise chiefly from the 
nice fitness of their parts1 designed   
for accomplishing the peculiar          
movements of each4    ,and here ,i think
 will be the proper place to speak of a 
most curious  difference between the    
living machines of nature1 in respect of
  fitness1 and such poor ones1 in       
comparison with them1 as men are only   
capable of making2 by means of which    
distinction1 ,i am in hopes of  shewing 
what particularly constitutes the utmost
 beauty of proportion  in the human     
figure4    ,a clock1 by the government's
 order1 has been made1 and another  now 
making1 by ,mr4 ,harrison1 for the      

keeping of true time at sea2  which     
perhaps is one of the most exquisite    
movements ever made4  ,happy the        
ingenious contriver6 although the form  
of the whole1 or of  every part of this 
curious machine1 should be ever so      
confused1 or  displeasingly shaped to   
the eye2 and although even its movements
 should  be disagreeable to look at1    
provided it answers the end proposed4   
,an  ornamental composition was no part 
of his scheme1 otherwise than as  a     
pollish might be necessary4 ,if         
ornaments are required to be added  to  
mend its shape1 care must be taken that 
they are no obstruction to  the movement
 itself1 and the more as they would be  
superfluous1 as to  the main            
design4--,but in nature's machines1 how 
wonderfully do we see  beauty and use go
 hand in hand6    ,had a machine for    
this purpose been nature's work1 the    
whole and every  individual part would  
have had exquisite beauty of form       
without danger  of destroying the       

exquisiteness of its motion1 even as if 
ornament had  been the sole aim2 its    
movements too would have been graceful1 
without  one superfluous tittle added   
for either of these lovely              
purposes4--,now  this is that curious   
difference between the fitness of       
nature's  machines 7one of which is man7
 and those made by mortal hands3 which  
distinction is to lead us to our main   
point proposed2 ,i mean1 to the  shewing
 what constitutes the utmost beauty of  
proportion4    ,there was brought from  
,france some years ago1 a little        
clock-work  machine1 with a duck's head 
and legs fixt to it1 which was so       
contrived  as to have some resemblance  
of that animal standing upon one foot1  
and stretching back its leg1 turning its
 head1 opening and shutting  its bill1  
moving its wings1 and shaking its tail2 
all of them the  plainest and easiest   
directions in living movements3 yet for 
the  poorly performing of these few     
motions1 this silly1 but much extoll'd  

machine1 being uncover'd1 appeared a    
most complicated1 confused1 and         
disagreeable object3 nor would its being
 covered with a skin closely  adhering  
to its parts1 as that of a real duck's  
doth1 have much  mended its figure2 at  
best1 a bag of hob-nails1 broken hinges1
 and  patten-rings1 would have looked as
 well1 unless by other means it had     
been stuffed out to bring it into form4 
,thus again you see1 the more variety we
 pretend to give to our trifling        
movements1 the more confused and        
unornamental the forms become2 nay      
chance but seldom helps them4--,how much
 the reverse are nature's6 the  greater 
the variety her movements have1 the more
 beautiful are the  parts that cause    
them4    ,the finny race of animals1 as 
they have fewer motions than other      
creatures1 so are their forms less      
remarkable for beauty4 ,it is also  to  
be noted of every species1 that the     
handsomest of each move best3  birds of 
a clumsy make seldom fly well1 nor do   

lumpy fish glide so well  through the   
water as those of a neater make2 and    
beasts of the most  elegant form1 always
 excel in speed2 of this1 the horse and 
greyhound  are beautiful examples3 and  
even among themselves1 the most         
elegantly  made seldom fail of being the
 swiftest4    ,the war-horse is more    
equally made for strength than the      
race-horse1  which surplus of power in  
the former1 if suppos'd added to the    
latter1  as it would throw more weight  
into improper parts for the business  of
 mere speed1 so of course it would      
lessen1 in some degree1 that  admirable 
quality1 and partly destroy that        
delicate fitness of his  make2 but then 
a quality in movement1 superior to that 
of speed1 would  be given to him by the 
addition1 as he would be render'd       
thereby more  fit to move with ease in  
such varied1 or graceful directions1 as 
are so  delightful to the eye in the    
carriage of the fine manag'd war-horse2 
and as at the same time1 something      

stately and graceful would be added  to 
his figure1 which before could only be  
said to have an elegant  neatness4 ,this
 noble creature stands foremost among   
brutes2 and it is  but consistent with  
nature's propriety1 that the most useful
 animal in  the brute-creation1 should  
be thus signalized also for the most    
beauty4    ,yet1 properly speaking1 no  
living creatures are capable of moving  
in  such truly varied and graceful      
directions1 as the human species2 and   
it would be needless to say how much    
superior in beauty their forms  and     
textures likewise are4 ,and surely also 
after what has been said  relating to   
figure and motion1 it is plain and      
evident that nature  has thought fit to 
make beauty of proportion1 and beauty of
 movement1  necessary to each other3 so 
that the observation before made on     
animals1 will hold equally good with    
regard to man3 i4 e4 that he who  is    
most exquisitely well-proportion'd is   
most capable of exquisite  movements1   

such as ease and grace in deportment1 or
 in dancing4    ,it may be a sort of    
collateral confirmation of what has been
 said of  this method of nature's       
working1 as well as otherwise worth our 
notice1  that when any parts belonging  
to the human body are conceal'd1 and    
not immediately concern'd in movement1  
all such ornamental shapes1 as          
evidently appear in the muscles and     
bones#f1 are totally neglected as       
unnecessary1 for nature doth nothing in 
vain6 this is plainly the case  of the  
intestines1 none of them having the     
least beauty1 as to form1  except the   
heart2 which noble part1 and indeed kind
 of first mover1  is a simple and       
well-varied figure2 conformable to      
which1 some of the  most elegant ,roman 
urns and vases have been fashion'd4     
#f ,see ,chapter ,,ix on ,compositions  
with the ,serpentine-line4    ,now1 thus
 much being kept in remembrance1 our    
next step will be to  speak of1 first1  
general measurements2 such as the whole 

height of the  body to its breadth1 or  
the length of a limb to its thickness3  
and1  secondly1 of such appearances of  
dimensions as are too intricately       
varied to admit of a description by     
lines4    ,the former will be confined  
to a very few straight lines1 crossing  
each  other1 which will easily be       
understood by everyone2 but the latter  
will require somewhat more attention1   
because it will extend to the  precision
 of every modification1 bound1 or limit1
 of the human figure4    ,to be somewhat
 more explicit4 ,as to the first part1  
,i shall begin  with shewing what       
practicable sort of measuring may be    
used in order  to produce the most      
proper variety in the proportions of the
 parts of  any body4 ,i say1            
practicable1 because the vast variety of
 intricately  situated parts1 belonging 
to the human form1 will not admit of    
measuring the distances of one part by  
another1 by lines or points1  beyond a  
certain degree or number1 without great 

perplexity in the  operation itself1 or 
confusion to the imagination4 ,for      
instance1 say1 a  line representing one 
breadth and an half of the wrist1 would 
be equal  to the true breadth of the    
thickest part of the arm above the      
elbow2  may it not then be ask'd1 what  
part of the wrist is meant8 for if you  
place a pair of calipers a little nearer
 or further from the hand1 the  distance
 of the points will differ1 and so they 
will if they are moved  close to the    
wrist all round1 because it is flatter  
one way than the  other2 but suppose1   
for argument sake1 one certain diameter 
should be  fix'd upon2 may it not again 
be ask'd1 how is it to be apply'd1 if to
  the flattest side of the arm or the   
roundest1 and how far from the  elbow1  
and must it be when the arm is extended 
or when it is bent8  for this also will 
make a sensible difference1 because in  
the latter  position1 the muscle1 call'd
 the biceps1 in the front of that part  
of  the arm1 swells up like a ball one  

way1 and narrows itself another2 nay    
all the muscles shift their appearances 
in different movements1 so that         
whatever may have been pretended by some
 authors1 no exact mathematical         
measurements by lines1 can be given for 
the true proportion of a human  body4   
,illustration3 ,figs4 #fh and #ee    ,it
 comes then to this1 that no longer than
 whilst we suppose all  the lengths and 
breadths of the body1 or limbs1 to be as
 regular  figures as cylinders1 or as   
the leg1 figure #fh in plate ,i1 which  
is  as round as a rolling-stone1 are the
 measures of lengths to breadths        
practicable1 or of any use to the       
knowledge of proportion3 so that as  all
 mathematical schemes are foreign to    
this purpose1 we will endeavour  to root
 them quite out of our way3 therefore ,i
 must not omit taking  notice1 that     
,albert ,durer1 ,lomazzo1 7see two      
tasteless figures taken  from their     
books of proportion ,fig4 #ee p4 ,i7 and
 some others1 have  not only puzzled    

mankind with a heap of minute           
unnecessary divisions1  but also with a 
strange notion that those divisions are 
govern'd by  the laws of music2 which   
mistake they seem to have been led into1
 by  having seen certain uniform and    
consonant divisions upon one string     
produce harmony to the ear1 and by      
persuading themselves1 that similar     
distances in lines belonging to form1   
would1 in like manner1 delight  the eye4
 ,the very reverse of which has been    
shewn to be true1 in  ,chapter ,,iii1 on
 ,uniformity4 ,the length of the foot1  
say they1 in  respect to the breadth1   
makes a double suprabipartient1 a       
diapason1  and a diatesseron#g3 which1  
in my opinion1 would have been full as  
applicable to the ear1 or to a plant1 or
 to a tree1 or any other form           
whatsoever2 yet these sort of notions   
have so far prevail'd by time1  that the
 words1 harmony of parts1 seem as       
applicable to form1 as to  music4    #g 
,note1 these authors assure you1 that   

this curious method of  measuring1 will 
produce beauty far beyond any nature    
doth afford4  ,lomazzo1 recommends also 
another scheme1 with a triangle1 to     
correct the poverty of nature1 as they  
express themselves4 ,these              
nature-menders put one in mind of       
,gulliver's tailor at ,laputa1  who1    
having taken measure of him for a suit  
of clothes1 with a rule1  quadrant1 and 
compasses1 after a considerable time    
spent1 brought them  home ill-made4     
,notwithstanding the absurdity of the   
above schemes1 such measures  as are to 
be taken from antique statues1 may be of
 some service to  painters and          
sculptors1 especially to young          
beginners1 but nothing nigh  of such use
 to them1 as the measures1 taken the    
same way1 from ancient  buildings1 have 
been1 and are1 to architects and        
builders2 because the  latter have to do
 with little else but plain geometrical 
figures3 which  measures1 however1 serve
 only in copying what has been done     

before4    ,the few measures ,i shall   
speak of1 for the setting out the       
general  dimensions of a figure1 shall  
be taken by straight lines only1 for the
  more easy conception of what may      
indeed be properly call'd1 gaging the   
contents of the body1 supposing it solid
 like a marble statue1 as the  wires    
were described to do ,fig4 #b p4 ,i in  
the introduction3 by which  plain       
method1 clear ideas may be acquir'd of  
what alone seem to me to  require       
measuring1 of what certain lengths to   
what breadths make the  most eligible   
proportions in general4                 
,illustration3 ,fig4 #b    ,the most    
general dimensions of a body1 or limbs1 
are lengths1  breadths1 or thicknesses3 
now the whole gentility of a figure1    
according to its character1 depends upon
 the first proportioning these  lines or
 wires 7which are its measures7 properly
 one to another2 and  the more varied   
these lines are1 with respect to each   
other1 the more  may the future         

divisions be varied likewise1 that are  
to be made  on them2 and of course the  
less varied these lines are1 the parts  
influenced by them1 as they must conform
 themselves to them1 must have  less    
variety too4 ,for example1 the exact    
cross ,fig4 #fi ,r p4 ,,ii of two  equal
 lines1 cutting each other in the       
middle1 would confine the figure  of a  
man1 drawn conformable to them1 to the  
disagreeable character  of his being as 
broad as he is long4 ,and the two lines 
crossing each  other1 to make the height
 and breadth of a figure1 will want     
variety  a contrary way1 by one line    
being very short in proportion to the   
other1 and therefore1 also incapable of 
producing a figure of tolerable         
variety4 ,to prove this1 it will be very
 easy for the reader to make  the       
experiment1 by drawing a figure or two  
7tho' ever so imperfectly7  confin'd    
within such limits4    ,illustration3   
,fig4 #fi    ,there is a medium between 
these1 proper for every character1 which

 the  eye will easily and accurately    
determine4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gj  
,thus1 if the lines1 fig4 #gj ,r p4     
,,ii1 were to be the measure of the     
extreme length and breadth1 set out     
either for the figure of a man or a     
vase1 the eye soon sees the longest of  
these is not quite sufficiently  so1 in 
proportion to the other1 for a genteel  
man2 and yet it would  make a vase too  
taper to be elegant2 no rule or         
compasses would decide  this matter     
either so quickly or so precisely as a  
good eye4 ,it may be  observed1 that    
minute differences in great lengths1 are
 of little or  no consequence as to     
proportion1 because they are not to be  
discerned2  for a man is half an inch   
shorter when he goes to bed at night1   
than  when he rises in the morning1     
without the possibility of its being    
perceived4 ,in case of a wager the      
application of a rule or compasses  may 
be necessary1 but seldom on any other   
occasion4    ,thus much ,i apprehend is 

sufficient for the consideration of     
general  lengths to breadths4 ,where1 by
 the way1 ,i apprehend ,i have plainly  
shewn1 that there is no practicable     
rule1 by lines1 for minutely  setting   
out proportions for the human body1 and 
if there were1 the  eye alone must      
determine us in our choice of what is   
most pleasing to  itself4    ,thus      
having dispatch'd general dimension1    
which we may say is almost  as much of  
proportion1 as is to be seen when we    
have our cloaths on3 ,i  shall in the   
second1 and more extensive method       
proposed for considering  it1 set out in
 the familiar path of common            
observation1 and appeal as ,i  go on to 
our usual feeling1 or joint-sensation1  
of figure and motion4    ,perhaps by    
mentioning two or three known instances 
it will be found  that almost every one 
is farther advanced in the knowledge of 
this  speculative part of proportion    
than he imagines2 especially he who hath
  been used to observe naked figures    

doing bodily exercise1 and more         
especially if he be any way interested  
in the success of them2 and  the better 
he is acquainted with the nature of the 
exercise itself1  still the better judge
 he becomes of the figure that is to    
perform  it4 ,for this reason1 no sooner
 are two boxers stript to fight1 but    
even a butcher1 thus skill'd1 shews     
himself a considerable critic in        
proportion2 and on this sort of         
judgment1 often gives1 or takes the     
odds1 at bare sight only of the         
combatants4 ,i have heard a blacksmith  
harangue like an anatomist1 or sculptor1
 on the beauty of a boxer's  figure1    
tho' not perhaps in the same terms2 and 
,i firmly believe1 that  one of our     
common proficients in the athletic art1 
would be able to  instruct and direct   
the best sculptor living1 7who hath not 
seen1 or is  wholly ignorant of this    
exercise7 in what would give the statue 
of an  ,english-boxer1 a much better    
proportion1 as to character1 than is to 

be seen1 even in the famous group of    
antique boxers1 7or as some call  them1 
,roman wrestlers7 so much admired to    
this day4    ,indeed1 as many parts of  
the body are so constantly kept cover'd1
 the  proportion of the whole cannot be 
equally known2 but as stockings are  so 
close and thin a covering1 every one    
judges of the different shapes  and     
proportions of legs with great accuracy4
 ,the ladies always speak  skilfully of 
necks1 hands1 and arms2 and often will  
point out such  particular beauties or  
defects in their make1 as might easily  
escape  the observation of a man of     
science4    ,surely1 such determinations
 could not be made and pronounced with  
such  critical truth1 if the eye were   
not capable of measuring or judging of  
thicknesses by lengths1 with great      
preciseness4 ,nay more1 in order to     
determine so nicely as they often do1 it
 must also at the same time1  trace with
 some skill those delicate windings upon
 the surface which  have been described 

in page #fd and #fe1 which altogether   
may be observ'd  to include the two     
general ideas mention'd at the beginning
 of this  chapter4    ,if so1 certainly 
it is in the power of a man of science1 
with as  observing an eye1 to go still  
further1 and conceive1 with a very      
little turn of thought1 many other      
necessary circumstances concerning      
proportion1 as of what size and in what 
manner the bones help to make  up the   
bulk1 and support the other parts2 as   
well as what certain  weights or        
dimensions of muscles are proper        
7according to the principle  of the     
steelyard7 to move such or such a length
 of arm with this or  that degree of    
swiftness or force4    ,but though much 
of this matter1 may be easily understood
 by common  observation1 assisted by    
science1 still ,i fear it will be       
difficult to  raise a very clear idea of
 what constitutes1 or composes the      
utmost  beauty of proportion2 such as is
 seen in the ,antinous2 which is        

allowed to be the most perfect in this  
respect1 of any of the antique  statues2
 and tho' the lovely likewise seems to  
have been as much the  sculptor's aim1  
as in the ,venus2 yet a manly strength  
in its proportion  is equally express'd 
from head to foot in it4                
,illustration3 ,fig4 #f    ,let us try1 
however1 and as this master-piece of art
 is so well known1  we will set it up   
before us as a pattern1 and endeavour to
 fabricate1  or put together in the     
mind1 such kind of parts as shall seem  
to build  another figure like it4 ,in   
doing which1 we shall soon find that it 
is  chiefly to be effected by means of  
the nice sensation we naturally  have of
 what certain quantities or dimensions  
of parts1 are fittest to  produce the   
utmost strength for moving1 or          
supporting great weights2  and of what  
are most fit for the utmost light       
agility1 as also for  every degree1     
between these two extremes4    ,he who  
hath best perfected his ideas of these  

matters by common  observations1 and by 
the assistance of arts relative thereto1
  will probably be most precisely just  
and clear1 in conceiving the            
application of the various parts and    
dimensions1 that will occur to  him1 in 
the following descriptive manner of     
disposing of them1 in order  to form the
 idea of a fine-proportion'd figure4    
,having set up the ,antinous as our     
pattern1 we will suppose there were     
placed on one side of it1 the unwieldy  
elephant-like figure of an  ,atlas1 made
 up of such thick bones and muscles1 as 
would best fit him  for supporting a    
vast weight1 according to his character 
of extreme  heavy strength4 ,and1 on the
 other side1 imagine the slim figure of 
a  ,mercury1 every where neatly formed  
for the utmost light agility1 with      
slender bones and taper muscles fit for 
his nimble bounding from the            
ground4--,both these figures must be    
supposed of equal height1 and not       
exceeding six foot#h4    #h ,if the     

scale of either of these proportions    
were to exceed six  foot in the life1   
the quality of strength in one1 and     
agility in the  other1 would gradually  
decrease1 the larger the person grew4   
,there are  sufficient proofs of this1  
both from mechanical reasonings and     
common  observation4    ,our extremes   
thus placed1 now imagine the ,atlas     
throwing off by  degrees1 certain       
portions of bone and muscle1 proper for 
the attainment  of light agility1 as if 
aiming at the ,mercury's airy form and  
quality1  whilst on the other hand1 see 
the ,mercury augmenting his taper figure
  by equal degrees1 and growing towards 
an ,atlas in equal time1 by  receiving  
to the like places from whence they     
came1 the very quantities  that the     
other had been casting off1 when1 as    
they approach each other  in weight1    
their forms of course may be imagined to
 grow more and more  alike1 till at a   
certain point of time1 they meet in just
 similitude2  which being an exact      

medium between the two extremes1 we may 
thence  conclude it to be the precise   
form of exact proportion1 fittest for   
perfect active strength or graceful     
movement2 such as the ,antinous we      
proposed to imitate and figure in the   
mind#i4    #i ,the jocky who knows to an
 ounce what flesh or bone in a horse is 
fittest for speed or strength1 will as  
easily conceive the like process        
between the strongest dray-horse and the
 fleetest racer1 and soon  conclude1    
that the fine war-horse must be the     
medium between the two  extremes4    ,i 
am apprehensive that this part of my    
scheme1 for explaining exact            
proportion1 may not be thought so       
sufficiently determinate as could  be   
wished3 be this as it will1 ,i must     
submit it to the reader1 as my  best    
resource in so difficult a case3 and    
shall therefore beg leave  to try to    
illustrate it a little more1 by         
observing1 that1 in like  manner1 any   
two opposite colours in the rainbow1    

form a third between  them1 by thus     
imparting to each other their peculiar  
qualities2 as for  example1 the         
brightest yellow1 and the lively blue   
that is placed at  some distance from   
it1 visibly approach1 and blend by      
interchangable  degrees1 and1 as above1 
temper rather than destroy each other's 
vigour1 till they meet in one firm      
compound2 whence1 at a certain  point1  
the sight of what they were originally1 
is quite lost2 but in  their stead1 a   
most pleasing green is found1 which     
colour nature hath  chose for the       
vestment of the earth1 and with the     
beauty of which the  eye is never tired4
    ,from the order of the ideas which  
the description of the above three      
figures may have raised in the mind1 we 
may easily compose between  them1       
various other proportions4 ,and as the  
painter1 by means of a  certain order in
 the arrangement of the colours upon his
 pallet1  readily mixes up what kind of 
tint he pleases1 so may we mix up and   

compound in the imagination such fit    
parts as will be consistent with  this  
or that particular character1 or at     
least be able thereby to  discover how  
such characters are composed1 when we   
see them either in  art or nature4      
,but perhaps even the word character1 as
 it relates to form1 may  not be quite  
understood by every one1 tho' it is so  
frequently used3  nor do ,i remember to 
have seen it explained any where4       
,therefore on  this account--and also as
 it will further shew the use of        
thinking of  form and motion together1  
it will not be improper to              
observe1--that  notwithstanding a       
character1 in this sense1 chiefly       
depends on a figure  being remarkable as
 to its form1 either in some particular 
part1 or  altogether2 yet surely no     
figure1 be it ever so singular1 can be  
perfectly conceived as a character1 till
 we find it connected with some         
remarkable circumstance or cause1 for   
such particularity of appearance2  for  

instance1 a fat bloted person doth not  
call to mind the character  of a        
,silenus1 till we have joined the idea  
of voluptuousness with it2  so likewise 
strength to support1 and clumsiness of  
figure1 are united1  as well in the     
character of an ,atlas as in a porter4  
,when we consider the great weight      
chairmen often have to carry1 do we  not
 readily consent that there is a        
propriety and fitness in the tuscan     
order of their legs1 by which they      
properly become characters as to        
figure8    ,watermen too1 are of a      
distinct cast1 or character1 whose legs 
are  no less remarkable for their       
smallness3 for as there is naturally the
  greatest call for nutriment to the    
parts that are most exercised1 so of    
course these that lye so much stretched 
out1 are apt to dwindle1 or not  grow to
 their full size4 ,there is scarcely a  
waterman that rows upon  the ,thames1   
whose figure doth not confirm this      
observation4 ,therefore  were ,i to     

paint the character of a ,charon1 ,i    
would thus distinguish  his make from   
that of a common man's2 and1 in spite of
 the word low1  venture to give him a   
broad pair of shoulders1 and spindle    
shanks1  whether ,i had the authority of
 an antique statue1 or basso-relievo1   
for  it or not4    ,may be1 ,i cannot   
throw a stronger light on what has been 
hitherto  said of proportion1 than by   
animadverting on a remarkable beauty in 
the ,apollo-belvedere2 which hath given 
it the preference even to the           
,antinous3 ,i mean a super-addition of  
greatness1 to at least as much  beauty  
and grace1 as is found in the latter4   
,these two master-pieces of art1 are    
seen together in the same palace  at    
,rome1 where the ,antinous fills the    
spectator with admiration only1  whilst 
the ,apollo strikes him with surprise1  
and1 as travellers  express themselves1 
with an appearance of something more    
than  human2 which they of course are   
always at a loss to describe3 and  this 

effect1 they say1 is the more           
astonishing1 as upon examination  its   
disproportion is evident even to a      
common eye4 ,one of the best  sculptors 
we have in ,england1 who lately went to 
see them1 confirm'd to  me what has been
 now said1 particularly as to the legs  
and thighs being  too long1 and too     
large for the upper parts4 ,and ,andrea 
,sacchi1 one of  the great ,italian     
painters1 seems to have been of the same
 opinion1  or he would hardly have given
 his ,apollo1 crowning ,pasquilini the  
musician1 the exact proportion of the   
,antinous1 7in a famous picture of  his 
now in ,england7 as otherwise it seems  
to be a direct copy from the  ,apollo4  
,although in very great works we often  
see an inferior part neglected1  yet    
here it cannot be the case1 because in a
 fine statue1 just  proportion is one of
 its essential beauties3 therefore it   
stands  to reason1 that these limbs must
 have been lengthened on purpose1       
otherwise it might easily have been     

avoided4    ,so that if we examine the  
beauties of this figure thoroughly1 we  
may reasonably conclude1 that what has  
been hitherto thought so  unaccountably 
excellent in its general appearance1    
hath been owing to  what hath seem'd a  
blemish in a part of it3 but let us     
endeavour to  make this matter as clear 
as possible1 as it may add more force to
 what  has been said4    ,statues by    
being bigger than life1 7as this is one1
 and larger than  the ,antinous7 always 
gain some nobleness in effect1 according
 to the  principle of quantity#aj but   
this alone is not sufficient to give    
what  is properly to be called1         
greatness in proportion2 for were       
figures  #ag and #ah1 in plate ,i1 to be
 drawn or carved by a scale of ten feet 
high1 they would still be but pigmy     
proportions1 as1 on the other hand1  a  
figure of but two inches1 may represent 
a gigantic height4    ,illustration3    
,figs4 #ag and #ah    #aj ,see ,chapter 
,,vi4    ,therefore greatness of        

proportion must be considered1 as       
depending  on the application of        
quantity to those parts of the body     
where it  can give more scope to its    
grace in movement1 as to the neck for   
the  larger and swan-like turns of the  
head1 and to the legs and thighs1 for   
the more ample sway of all the upper    
parts together4    ,by which we find    
that the ,antinous's being equally      
magnified to the  ,apollo's height1     
would not sufficiently produce that     
superiority of  effect1 as to greatness1
 so evidently seen in the latter4 ,the  
additions  necessary to the production  
of this greatness in proportion1 as it  
there appears added to grace1 must then 
be1 by the proper application  of them1 
to the parts mention'd only4    ,i know 
not how further to prove this matter    
than by appealing to the  reader's eye1 
and common observation1 as before4      
,the ,antinous being allowed to have the
 justest proportion possible1 let  us   
see what addition1 upon the principle of

 quantity1 can be made to  it1 without  
taking away any of its beauty4    ,if we
 imagine an addition of dimensions to   
the head1 we shall  immediately conceive
 it would only deform--if to the hands  
or feet1  we are sensible of something  
gross and ungenteel1--if to the whole   
lengths of the arms1 we feel they would 
be dangling and aukward--if by  an      
addition of length or breadth to the    
body1 we know it would appear  heavy and
 clumsy--there remains then only the    
neck1 with the legs  and thighs to speak
 of2 but1 to these we find1 that not    
only certain  additions may be admitted 
without causing any disagreeable effect1
 but  that thereby greatness1 the last  
perfection as to proportion1 is  given  
to the human form2 as is evidently      
express'd in the ,apollo3 and  may still
 be further confirmed by examining the  
drawings of ,parmigiano1  where these   
particulars are seen in excess2 yet on  
this account his  works are said1 by all
 true connoisseurs1 to have an          

inexpressible  greatness of taste in    
them1 though otherwise very incorrect4  
,let us now return to the two general   
ideas we set out with at the  beginning 
of this chapter1 and recollect that     
under the first1 on  surface1 ,i have   
shewn in what manner1 and how far human 
proportion  is measureable1 by varying  
the contents of the body1 conformable to
  the given proportion of two lines4    
,and that under the second and more     
extensive general idea of form1 as      
arising from fitness for movement1  c4  
,i have endeavour'd to explain1 by every
 means ,i could devise1 that  every     
particular and minute dimension of the  
body1 should conform to  such purposes  
of movement1 c4 as have been first      
properly considered  and determined3 on 
which conjunctively1 the true proportion
 of every  character must depend2 and is
 found so to do1 by our joint-sensation 
of bulk and motion4 ,which account of   
the proportion of the human  body1      
however imperfect1 may possibly stand   

its ground1 till one more  plausible    
shall be given4    ,as the ,apollo ,fig4
 #ab p4 ,i has been only mention'd on   
account of  the greatness of its        
proportion1 ,i think in justice to so   
fine a  performance2 and also as it is  
not foreign to the point we have been   
upon1 we may subjoin an ,observation or 
two on its perfections4                 
,illustration3 ,fig4 #ab    ,besides1   
what is commonly allow'd1 if we consider
 it by the rules here  given for        
constituting or composing character1 it 
will discover the  author's great       
sagacity1 in choosing a proportion for  
this deity1 which  has served two noble 
purposes at once2 in that these very    
dimensions  which appear to have given  
it so much dignity1 are the same that   
are  best fitted to produce the utmost  
speed4 ,and what could characterise  the
 god of day1 either so strongly or      
elegantly1 to be expressive in a        
statue1 as superior swiftness1 and      
beauty dignify'd8 and how poetically    

doth the action it is put into1 carry on
 the allusion to speed1#aa as  he is    
lightly stepping forward1 and seeming to
 shoot his arrows from  him2 if the     
arrows may be allowed to signify the    
sun's rays8 ,this at  least may as well 
be supposed as the common surmise1 that 
he is killing  the dragon1 ,python2     
which certainly is very inconsistent    
with so erect  an attitude1 and benign  
an aspect#ab4    #aa----the sun3 which  
cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his 
chamber1  and rejoiceth as a giant to   
run his course4 ,psalm xix4 #e4    #ab  
,the accounts given1 in relation to this
 statue1 make it so highly  probable    
that it was the great ,apollo of        
,delphos1 that1 for my own  part1 ,i    
make no manner of doubt of its being so4
    ,nor are the inferior parts         
neglected3 the drapery also that depends
  from his shoulders1 and folds over his
 extended arm1 hath its treble  office4 
,as first1 it assists in keeping the    
general appearance within  the boundary 

of a pyramid1 which being inverted1 is1 
for a single  figure1 rather more       
natural and genteel than one upon its   
basis4  ,secondly1 it fills up the      
vacant angle under the arm1 and takes   
off the  straightness of the lines the  
arm necessarily makes with the body in  
such an action2 and1 lastly1 spreading  
as it doth1 in pleasing folds1  it helps
 to satisfy the eye with a noble        
quantity in the composition  altogether1
 without depriving the beholder of any  
part of the beauties  of the naked3 in  
short1 this figure might serve1 were a  
lecture to be  read over it1 to         
exemplify every principle that hath been
 hitherto  advanced4 ,we shall therefore
 close not only all we have to say on   
proportion with it1 but our whole lineal
 account of form1 except what  we have  
particularly to offer as to the face2   
which it will be proper  to defer1 till 
we have spoken of light and shade and   
colour4    ,as some of the ancient      
statues have been of such singular use  

to me1 ,i  shall beg leave to conclude  
this chapter with an observation or two 
on  them in general4    ,it is allowed  
by the most skilful in the imitative    
arts1 that  tho' there are many of the  
remains of antiquity1 that have great   
excellencies about them2 yet there are  
not1 moderately speaking1 above  twenty 
that may be justly called capital4      
,there is one reason1  nevertheless1    
besides the blind veneration that       
generally is paid  to antiquity1 for    
holding even many very imperfect pieces 
in some  degree of estimation3 ,i mean  
that peculiar taste of elegance which   
so visibly runs through them all1 down  
to the most incorrect of their          
basso-relievos3 which taste1 ,i am      
persuaded1 my reader will now  conceive 
to have been entirely owing to the      
perfect knowledge the  ancients must    
have had of the use of the precise      
serpentine-line4    ,but this cause of  
elegance not having been since          
sufficiently  understood1 no wonder such

 effects should have appear'd           
mysterious1 and  have drawn mankind into
 a sort of religious esteem1 and even   
bigotry1  to the works of antiquity4    
,nor have there been wanting of artful  
people1 who have made good profit  of   
those whose unbounded admiration hath   
run them into enthusiasm4  ,nay there   
are1 ,i believe1 some who still carry on
 a comfortable  trade in such originals 
as have been so defaced and maimed by   
time1  that it would be impossible1     
without a pair of double-ground         
connoisseur-spectacles1 to see whether  
they have ever been good or  bad3 they  
deal also in cook'd-up copies1 which    
they are very apt to  put off for       
originals4 ,and whoever dares be bold   
enough to detect such  impositions1     
finds himself immediately branded1 and  
given out as one of  low ideas1 ignorant
 of the true sublime1 self-conceited1   
envious1 c4    ,but as there are a great
 part of mankind that delight most in   
what  they least understand2 for ought  

,i know1 the emolument may be equal     
between the bubler and the bubled3 at   
least this seems to have been  ,butler's
 opinion3    ,doubtless the pleasure is 
as great  ,in being cheated1 as to      
cheat4          ,,chapter ,,xii4    ,of 
,,light and ,,shade1 and the manner in  
which objects are explained to  the eye 
by them4      ,although both this and   
the next chapter may seem more          
particularly  relative to the art of    
painting1 than any of the foregoing2    
yet1 as  hitherto1 ,i have endeavour'd  
to be understood by every reader1 so    
here  also ,i shall avoid1 as much as   
the subject will permit1 speaking of    
what would only be well-conceived by    
painters4    ,there is such a subtile   
variety in the nature of appearances1   
that  probably we shall not be able to  
gain much ground by this enquiry1       
unless we exert and apply the full use  
of every sense1 that will convey  to us 
any information concerning them4    ,so 
far as we have already gone1 the sense  

of feeling1 as well as that  of seeing1 
hath been apply'd to2 so that perhaps a 
man born blind1  may1 by his better     
touch than is common to those who have  
their sight1  together with the regular 
process that has been here given of     
lines1 so  feel out the nature of forms1
 as to make a tolerable judgment of what
  is beautiful to sight4    ,here again 
our other senses must assist us1        
notwithstanding in this  chapter we     
shall be more confined to what is       
communicated to the eye by  rays of     
light2 and tho' things must now be      
consider'd as appearances  only2        
produced and made out merely by means of
 lights1 shades1 and  colours4    ,by   
the various circumstances of which1     
every one knows we have  represented on 
the flat surface of the looking-glass1  
pictures equal to  the originals        
reflected by it4 ,the painter too1 by   
proper dispositions  of lights1 shades1 
and colours1 on his canvas1 will raise  
the like  ideas4 ,even prints1 by means 

of lights and shades alone1 will        
perfectly  inform the eye of every shape
 and distance whatsoever1 in which even 
lines must be consider'd as narrow parts
 of shade1 a number of them1  drawn or  
engrav'd neatly side by side1 called    
hatching1 serve as  shades in prints1   
and when they are artfully managed1 are 
a kind of  pleasing succedaneum to the  
delicacy of nature's4    ,could         
mezzo-tinto prints be wrought as        
accurately as those with the  graver1   
they would come nearest to nature1      
because they are done  without strokes  
or lines4    ,i have often thought that 
a landskip1 in the process of this way  
of  representing it1 doth a little      
resemble the first coming on of day4    
,the copper-plate it is done upon1 when 
the artist first takes it into  hand1 is
 wrought all over with an edg'd-tool1 so
 as to make it print  one even black1   
like night3 and his whole work after    
this1 is merely  introducing the lights 
into it2 which he does by scraping off  

the rough  grain according to his       
design1 artfully smoothing it most where
 light  is most required3 but as he     
proceeds in burnishing the lights1 and  
clearing up the shades1 he is obliged to
 take off frequent impressions  to prove
 the progress of the work1 so that each 
proof appears like the  different times 
of a foggy morning1 till one becomes so 
finish'd as to  be distinct and clear   
enough to imitate a day-light piece4 ,i 
have given  this description because ,i 
think the whole operation1 in the       
simplest  manner1 shews what lights and 
shades alone will do4    ,as light must 
always be supposed1 ,i need only speak  
of such privations  of it as are called 
shades or shadows1 wherein ,i shall     
endeavour to  point out and regularly   
describe a certain order and arrangement
 in  their appearance1 in which order we
 may conceive different kinds of        
softnings and modulations of the rays of
 light which are said to fall  upon the 
eye from every object it sees1 and to   

cause those more or  less-pleasing      
vibrations of the optic nerves1 which   
serve to inform the  mind concerning    
every different shape or figure that    
presents itself4    ,the best light for 
seeing the shadows of objects truly1 is1
 that which  comes in at a common sized 
window1 where the sun doth not shine2 ,i
  shall therefore speak of their order  
as seen by this kind of light3  and     
shall take the liberty in the present   
and following chapter1 to  consider     
colours but as variegated shades1 which 
together with common  shades1 will now  
be divided into two general parts or    
branches4    ,the first we shall call   
,,prime ,,tints1 by which is meant any  
colour or  colours on the surfaces of   
objects2 and the use we shall make of   
these  different hues will be to        
consider them as shades to one another4 
,thus  gold is a shade to silver1 c4    
exclusive of those additional shades    
which may be made in any degree by the  
privation of light4    ,the second      

branch may be called ,,retiring         
,,shades1 which gradate or go  off by   
degrees1 as figs4 #hd and #he ,t p4     
,,ii4 ,these shades1 as they vary  more 
or less1 produce beauty1 whether they   
are occasioned by the  privation of     
light1 or made by the pencilings of art 
or nature4    ,illustration3 ,figs4 #hd 
and #he    ,when ,i come to treat of    
colouring1 ,i shall particularly shew in
 what  manner the gradating of prime    
tints serve to the making a beautiful   
complexion2 in this place we shall only 
observe how nature hath by  these       
gradating shades ornamented the surfaces
 of animals2 fish  generally have this  
kind of shade from their backs downward2
 birds have  their feathers enriched    
with it2 and many flowers1 particularly 
the  rose1 shew it by the               
gradually-increasing colours of their   
leaves4    ,the sky always gradates one 
way or other1 and the rising or setting 
sun exhibits it in great perfection1 the
 imitating of which was ,claud4  de     

,loraine's peculiar excellence1 and is  
now ,mr4 ,lambert's3 there is so  much  
of what is called harmony to the eye to 
be produced by this shade1  that ,i     
believe we may venture to say1 in art it
 is the painter's gamut1  which nature  
has sweetly pointed out to us in what we
 call the eyes of  a peacock's tail3 and
 the nicest needle-workers are taught to
 weave it  into every flower and leaf1  
right or wrong1 as if it was as         
constantly  to be observed as it is seen
 in flames of fire2 because it is always
  found to entertain the eye4 ,there is 
a sort of needle-work called            
,irish-stitch1 done in these shades     
only2 which pleases still1 tho' it  has 
long been out of fashion4    ,there is  
so strict an analogy between shade and  
sound1 that they  may well serve to     
illustrate each other's qualities3 for  
as sounds  gradually decreasing and     
increasing give the idea of progression 
from1  or to the ear1 just so do        
retiring shades shew progression1 by    

figuring  it to the eye4 ,thus1 as by   
objects growing still fainter1 we judge 
of distances in prospects1 so by the    
decreasing noise of thunder1 we  form   
the idea of its moving further from us4 
,and with regard to their  similitude in
 beauty1 like as the gradating shade    
pleases the eye1 so  the increasing1 or 
swelling note1 delights the ear4    ,i  
have call'd it the retiring shade1      
because by the successive1  or continual
 change in its appearance1 it is equally
 instrumental  with converging lines#ac1
 in shewing how much objects1 or any    
parts  of them1 retire or recede from   
the eye2 without which1 a floor1 or     
horizontal-plane1 would often seem to   
stand upright like a wall4 ,and         
notwithstanding all the other ways by   
which we learn to know at what          
distances things are from us1 frequent  
deceptions happen to the eye on  account
 of deficiencies in this shade3 for if  
the light chances to be  so disposed on 
objects as not to give this shade its   

true gradating  appearance1 not only    
spaces are confounded1 but round things 
appear  flat1 and flat ones round4      
#ac ,see p4 #ag4 ,the two converging    
lines from the ship1 to the point ,c1   
under fig4 #dg1 plate ,i4               
,illustration3 ,fig4 #id    ,but        
although the retiring shade hath this   
property1 when seen with  converging    
lines1 yet if it describes no particular
 form1 as none  of those do in fig4 #id1
 on top of plate ,,ii1 it can only      
appear as a  flat-pencil'd shade2 but   
being inclosed within some known        
boundary or  out-line1 such as may      
signify a wall1 a road1 a globe1 or any 
other  form in perspective where the    
parts retire1 it will then shew its     
retiring quality3 as for example1 the   
retiring shade on the floor1 in  plate  
,,ii1 which gradates from the dog's feet
 to those of the dancer's1  shews1 that 
by this means a level appearance is     
given to the ground3  so when a cube is 
put into true perspective on paper1 with

 lines only1  which do but barely hint  
the directions every face of it is meant
 to  take1 these shades make them seem  
to retire just as the perspective  lines
 direct2 thus mutually compleating the  
idea of those recessions  which neither 
of them alone could do4                 
,illustration3 gradated shade           
,moreover1 the out-line of a globe is   
but a circle on the paper2 yet1         
according to the manner of filling up   
the space within it1 with this  shade1  
it may be made to appear either flat1   
globular1 or concave1 in  any of its    
positions with the eye2 and as each     
manner of filling up the  circle for    
those purposes must be very different1  
it evidently shews  the necessity of    
distinguishing this shade into as many  
species or  kinds1 as there are classes 
or species of lines1 with which they may
  have a correspondence4    ,in doing   
which1 it will be found1 that1 by their 
correspondency with1  and conformity to 
objects1 either composed of straight1   

curved1 waving1  or serpentine lines1   
they of course take such appearances of 
variety as  are adequate to the variety 
made by those lines2 and by this        
conformity  of shades we have the same  
ideas of any of the objects composed of 
the above lines in their front aspects1 
as we have of them by their  profiles2  
which otherwise could not be without    
feeling them4    ,now instead of giving 
engraved examples of each species of    
shade1 as ,i  have done of lines1 ,i    
have found that they may be more        
satisfactorily  pointed out and         
described by having recourse to the     
life4    ,but in order to the better and
 more precisely fixing upon what may be 
there seen1 as the distinct species1 of 
which all the shades of the  retiring   
kind in nature partake1 in some degree  
or other1 the following  scheme is      
offered1 and intended as an additional  
means of making such  simple impressions
 in the mind1 as may be thought adequate
 to the four  species of lines described

 in ,chapter ,,vii4 ,wherein we are to  
suppose  imperceptible degrees of shade 
gradating from one figure to another4   
,the first species to be represented by1
 #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e4  the second by1 #e1
 #d1 #c1 #b1 #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e4  and   
the third by1 #e1 #d1 #c1 #b1 #a1 #b1   
#c1 #d1 #e1 #d1 #c1 #b1 #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 
#e4  gradating from the dots underneath1
 repeated either way4    ,as the first  
species varies or gradates but one way1 
it is therefore  least ornamental1 and  
equal only to straight lines4    ,the   
second gradating contrary ways1 doubling
 the others variety1 is  consequently   
twice as pleasing1 and thereby equal to 
curved lines4    ,the third species     
gradating doubly contrary ways1 is      
thereby still  more pleasing in         
proportion to that quadruple variety    
which makes it  become capable of       
conveying to the mind an equivalent in  
shade1 which  expresses the beauty of   
the waving line1 when it cannot be seen 
as a  line4    ,the retiring shade1     

adequate to the serpentine line1 now    
should follow2  but as the line itself  
could not be expressed on paper1 without
 the  figure of a cone ,fig4 #bf p4 ,i1 
so neither can this shade be described  
without the assistance of a proper form1
 and therefore must be deferred  a      
little longer4    ,illustration3 ,fig4  
#bf    ,when only the ornamental quality
 of shades is spoken of1 for the sake   
of distinguishing them from retiring    
shades1 let them be considered as       
pencilings only2 whence another         
advantage will arise1 which is1 that    
then all the intervening mixtures1 with 
their degrees of beauty between  each   
species1 may be as easily conceived1 as 
those have been between  each class of  
lines4    ,and now let us have recourse 
to the experiments in life1 for such    
examples as may explain the retiring    
power of each species2 since1 as  has   
been before observed1 they must be      
considered together with their  proper  
forms1 or else their properties cannot  

be well distinguished4    ,all the      
degrees of obliquity that planes1 or    
flat surfaces are capable  of moving    
into1 have their appearances of         
recession perfected by the  first       
species of retiring shades1 which may   
evidently be seen by  setting opposite a
 door1 as it is opening outwards from   
the eye1 and  fronting one light4       
,but it will be proper to premise1 that 
when it is quite shut1 and  flat or     
parallel to the eye and window1 it will 
have only a penciling  shade gradating  
upon it1 and spreading all around from  
the middle1 but  which will not have the
 power of giving the idea of recession  
any way1  as when it opens1 and the     
lines run in perspective to a point2    
because  the square figure or parallel  
lines of the door1 do not correspond    
with  such shade2 but let a door be     
circular in the same situation1 and all 
without side1 or round about it1 painted
 of any other colour1 to make  its      
figure more distinctly seen1 and it will

 immediately appear concave  like a     
bason1 the shade continually retiring2  
because this circular  species of shade 
would then be accompanied by its        
corresponding form1 a  circle#ad4    #ad
 ,note1 if the light were to come in at 
a very little hole not far  from the    
door1 so as to make the gradation sudden
 and strong1 like what  may be made with
 a small candle held near a wall or a   
wainscot1 the  bason would appear the   
deeper for it4    ,note also1 that when 
planes are seen parallel to the eye in  
open  day-light1 they have scarce any   
round gradating or penciling shade  at  
all1 but appear merely as uniform prime 
tints1 because the rays  of light are   
equally diffused upon them4             
,nevertheless1 give them but  obliquity1
 they will more or less exhibit the     
retiring shade4    ,but to return2 we   
observ'd that all the degrees of        
obliquity in the  moving of planes or   
flat surfaces1 have the appearances of  
their  recession perfected to the eye by

 the first species of retiring shade4   
,for example1 then2 when the door opens1
 and goes from its parallel  situation  
with the eye1 the shade last spoken of1 
may be observed to  alter and change its
 round gradating appearance1 into that  
of gradating  one way only2 as when a   
standing water takes a current upon the 
least  power given it to descend4       
,note1 if the light should come in at   
the door-way1 instead of the  window1   
the gradation then would be reversed but
 still the effect of  recession would be
 just the same1 as this shade ever      
complies with the  perspective lines4   
,in the next place1 let us observe the  
ovolo1 or quarter-round in  a cornice1  
fronting the eye in like manner1 by     
which may be seen an  example of the    
second species2 where1 on its most      
projecting part1 a  line of light is    
seen1 from whence these shades retire   
contrary ways1  by which the curvature  
is understood4    ,and1 perhaps1 in the 
very same cornice may be seen an example

 of the  third species1 in that         
ornamental member called by the         
architects cyma  recta1 or talon1 which 
indeed is no more than a larger sort of 
waving  or ogee moulding2 wherein1 by   
the convex parts gently gliding into the
  concave1 you may see four contrasted  
gradating shades1 shewing so many       
varied recessions from the eye2 by which
 we are made as sensible of its  waving 
form as if we saw the profile out-line  
of some corner of it1  where it is      
miter'd1 as the joiners term it4 ,note1 
when these objects  have a little gloss 
on them these appearances are most      
distinct4    ,lastly1 the serpentine    
shade may be seen 7light and situation  
as  before7 by the help of the following
 figure1 as thus2 imagine the horn1     
figure #eg1 plate ,,ii1 to be of so soft
 a nature1 that with the fingers  only1 
it might be pressed into any shape2 then
 beginning gently from  the middle of   
the dotted line1 but pressing harder and
 harder all the  way up the lesser end1 

by such pressure there would be as much 
concave  above1 as would remain convex  
below1 which would bring it equal in    
variety or beauty to the ogee moulding2 
but after this1 by giving the  whole a  
twist1 like figure #eh1 these shades    
must unavoidably change  their          
appearances1 and in some measure1 twist 
about as the concave and  convex parts  
are twisted1 and consequently thereby   
add that variety1  which of course will 
give this species of shade1 as much the 
preference  to the foregoing1 as forms  
composed of serpentine lines have1 to   
those  composed only of the waving4 ,see
 ,chapter ,,ix and ,chapter ,x4         
,illustration3 ,figs4 #eg and #eh    ,i 
should not have given my reader the     
trouble of compleating1 by the  help of 
his imagination1 the foregoing figure1  
but as it may contribute  to the more   
ready and particular conception of that 
intricate variety  which twisted figures
 give to this species of shade1 and to  
facilitate  his understanding the cause 

of its beauty1 wherever it may be seen  
on  surfaces of ornament1 when it will  
be found no where more conspicuous  than
 in a fine face1 as will be seen upon   
further enquiry4    ,the dotted line    
,fig4 #ig ,b p4 ,i1 which begins from   
the concave part1  under the arch of the
 brow1 near the nose1 and from thence   
winding  down by the corner of the eye1 
and there turning obliquely with the    
round of the cheek1 shews the course of 
that twist of shades in a face1  which  
was before described by the horn2 and   
which may be most perfectly  seen in the
 life1 or in a marble busto1 together   
with the following  additional          
circumstances still remaining to be     
described4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ig  
,as a face is for the most part round1  
it is therefore apt to receive          
reflected light on its shadowy side#ae1 
which not only adds more  beauty by     
another pleasing tender gradation1 but  
also serves to  distinguish the         
roundness of the cheeks1 c4 from such   

parts as sink  and fall in3 because     
concavities do not admit of reflections1
 as convex  forms do#af4    #ae ,note1  
though ,i have advised the observing    
objects by a front  light1 for the sake 
of the better distinguishing our four   
fundamental  species of shades1 yet     
objects in general are more             
advantagiously1  and agreeably seen by  
light coming side-ways upon them1 and   
therefore  generally chose in paintings2
 as it gives an additional reflected    
softness1 not unlike the gentle tone of 
an echo in music4    #af ,as an instance
 that convex and concave would appear   
the same1 if  the former were to have no
 reflection thrown upon1 observe the    
ovolo  and cavetto1 or channel1 in a    
cornice1 placed near together1 and seen 
by a front light1 when they will each of
 them1 by turns1 appear either  concave1
 or convex1 as fancy shall direct4    ,i
 have now only to add1 that as before   
observed1 ,chapter ,,iv1 page #bc1  that
 the oval hath a noble simplicity in it1

 more equal to its variety  than any    
other object in nature2 and of which the
 general form of a  face is composed2   
therefore1 from what has been now shewn1
 the general  gradation-shade belonging 
to it1 must consequently be adequate    
thereto1  and which evidently gives a   
delicate softness to the whole          
composition  of a face2 insomuch that   
every little dent1 crack1 or scratch1   
the  form receives1 its shadows also    
suffer with it1 and help to shew the    
blemish4 ,even the least roughness      
interrupts and damages that soft        
gradating play of shades which fall upon
 it4 ,mr4 ,dryden1 describing the  light
 and shades of a face1 in his epistle to
 ,sir ,godfrey ,kneller the  portrait   
painter1 seems1 by the penetration of   
his incomparable genius1  to have       
understood that language in the works of
 nature1 which the  latter1 by means of 
an exact eye and a strict obeying hand1 
could only  faithfully transcribe2 when 
he says1        ,where light to shades  

descending1 plays1 not strives1         
,dies by degrees1 and by degrees        
revives4          ,,chapter ,,xiii4     
,of ,,composition with regard to        
,,light1 ,,shade and ,,colours4         
,under this head ,i shall attempt       
shewing what it is that gives the       
appearance of that hollow or vacant     
space in which all things move so       
freely2 and in what manner light1 shade 
and colours1 mark or point out  the     
distances of one object from another1   
and occasion an agreeable  play upon the
 eye1 called by the painters a fine     
keeping1 and pleasing  composition of   
light and shade4 ,herein my design is to
 consider this  matter as a performance 
of nature without1 or before the eye2 ,i
 mean1  as if the objects with their    
shades1 c4 were in fact circumstanced   
as they appear1 and as the unskill'd in 
optics take them to be4 ,and  let it be 
remarked throughout this chapter1 that  
the pleasure arising  from composition1 
as in a fine landskip1 c4 is chiefly    

owing to the  dispositions and          
assemblages of light and shades1 which  
are so order'd  by the principles called
 ,,opposition1 ,,breadth and            
,,simplicity1 as to  produce a just and 
distinct perception of the objects      
before us4    ,experience teaches us    
that the eye may be subdued and forced  
into  forming and disposing of objects  
even quite contrary to what it would    
naturally see them1 by the prejudgment  
of the mind from the better  authority  
of feeling1 or some other persuasive    
motive4 ,but surely this  extraordinary 
perversion of the sight would not have  
been suffer'd1  did it not tend to great
 and necessary purposes1 in rectifying  
some  deficiencies which it would       
otherwise be subject to 7tho' we must   
own  at the same time1 that the mind    
itself may be so imposed upon as to     
make the eye see falsely as well as     
truly7 for example1 were it not  for    
this controul over the sight1 it is well
 known1 that we should not  only see    

things double1 but upside down1 as they 
are painted upon the  retina1 and as    
each eye has a distinct sight4 ,and then
 as to distances2  a fly upon a pane of 
glass is sometimes imagined a crow1 or  
larger  bird afar off1 till some        
circumstance hath rectified the mistake1
 and  convinced us of its real size and 
place4    ,hence ,i would infer1 that   
the eye generally gives its assent to   
such  space and distances as have been  
first measured by the feeling1 or       
otherwise calculated in the mind3 which 
measurements and calculations  are      
equally1 if not more1 in the power of a 
blind man1 as was fully  experienced by 
that incomparable mathematician and     
wonder of his age1  the late professor  
,sanderson4    ,by pursuing this        
observation on the faculties of the     
mind1 an idea  may be formed of the     
means by which we attain to the         
perception or  appearance of an immense 
space surrounding us2 which cavity1     
being  subject to divisions and         

subdivisions in the mind1 is afterwards 
fashioned by the limited power of the   
eye1 first into a hemisphere1 and  then 
into the appearance of different        
distances1 which are pictured to  it by 
means of such dispositions of light and 
shade as shall next be  described4 ,and 
these ,i now desire may be looked upon1 
but as so many  marks or types set upon 
these distances1 and which are          
remember'd  and learnt by degrees1 and  
when learnt1 are recurred to upon all   
occasions4    ,if permitted then to     
consider light and shades as types of   
distinction1 they become1 as it were1   
our materials1 of which prime  tints are
 the principal2 by these1 ,i mean the   
fixed and permanent  colours of each    
object1 as the green of trees1 c4 which 
serve the  purposes of separating and   
relieving the several objects by the    
different strengths or shades of them   
being opposed to each other ,fig4  #hf  
,t p4 ,,ii4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hf 
,the other shades that have been before 

spoken of1 serve and help to  the like  
purposes when properly opposed2 but as  
in nature they are  continually fleeting
 and changing their appearances1 either 
by our or  their situations1 they       
sometimes oppose and relieve1 and       
sometimes not1  as for instance2 ,i once
 observed the tower-part of a steeple so
 exactly  the colour of a light cloud   
behind it1 that1 at the distance ,i     
stood1  there was not the least         
distinction to be made1 so that the     
spire 7of a  lead-colour7 seemed        
suspended in the air2 but had a cloud of
 the like  tint with the steeple1       
supplied the place of the white one1 the
 tower  would then have been relieved   
and distinct1 when the spire would have 
been lost to the view4    ,nor is it    
sufficient that objects are of different
 colours or shades1  to shew their      
distances from the eye1 if one does not 
in part hide or  lay over the other1 as 
in fig4 #hf4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ij
    ,for as fig4 #ij ,t p4 ,,ii the two 

equal balls1 tho' one were black and    
the other white1 placed on the separate 
walls1 supposed distant from  each other
 twenty or thirty feet1 nevertheless1   
may seem both to rest  upon one1 if the 
tops of the walls are level with the    
eye2 but when  one ball hides part of   
the other1 as in the same figure1 we    
begin  to apprehend they are upon       
different walls1 which is determin'd by 
the perspective#ag3 hence you will see  
the reason1 why the steeple  of         
,bloomsbury-church1 in coming from      
,hampstead1 seems to stand upon         
,montague-house1 tho' it is several     
hundred yards distant from it4    #ag   
,the knowledge of perspective is no     
small help to the seeing  objects truly1
 for which purpose ,dr4 ,brook ,taylor's
 ,linear perspective  made easy to those
 who are unacquainted with geometry1    
proposed to be  publish'd soon by ,mr4  
,kirby of ,ipswich1 may be of most      
service4    ,since then the opposition  
of one prime tint or shade to another1  

hath so great a share in marking out the
 recessions1 or distances in  a         
prospect1 by which the eye is led onward
 step by step1 it becomes a  principle  
of consequence enough to be further     
discussed1 with regard to  the          
management of it in compositions of     
nature1 as well as art4 ,as to  the     
management of it1 when seen only from   
one point1 the artist hath  the         
advantage over nature1 because such     
fix'd dispositions of shades as  he hath
 artfully put together1 cannot be       
displaced by the alteration  of light1  
for which reason1 designs done in two   
prime tints only1 will  sufficiently    
represent all those recessions1 and give
 a just keeping to  the representation  
of a prospect1 in a print2 whereas1 the 
oppositions  in nature1 depending1 as   
has been before hinted1 on accidental   
situations and uncertain incidents1 do  
not always make such pleasing           
composition1 and would therefore have   
been very often deficient1 had  nature  

worked in two colours only2 for which   
reason she hath provided  an infinite   
number of materials1 not only by way of 
prevention1 but to  add lustre and      
beauty to her works4    ,by an infinite 
number of materials1 ,i mean colours and
 shades of  all kinds and degrees2 some 
notion of which variety may be formed by
  supposing a piece of white silk by    
several dippings gradually dyed to  a   
black2 and carrying it in like manner   
through the prime tints of  yellow1 red1
 and blue2 and then again1 by making the
 like progress  through all the mixtures
 that are to be made of these three     
original  colours4 ,so that when we     
survey this infinite and immense        
variety1 it  is no wonder1 that1 let the
 light or objects be situated or changed
  how they will1 oppositions seldom     
miss2 nor that even every incident  of  
shade should sometimes be so completely 
disposed as to admit of no  further     
beauty1 as to composition2 and from     
whence the artist hath by  observation  

taken his principles of imitation1 as in
 the following  respect4                
,illustration3 ,fig4 #hi    ,those      
objects which are intended most to      
affect the eye1 and come  forwardest to 
the view1 must have large1 strong1 and  
smart oppositions1  like the fore-ground
 in fig4 #hi p4 ,,ii1 and what are      
designed to be  thrown further off1 must
 be made still weaker and weaker1 as    
expressed  in figures #hf1 #ib1 and #ic1
 which receding in order make a kind of 
gradation of oppositions2 to which1 and 
all the other circumstances  already    
described1 both for recession1 and      
beauty1 nature hath  added what is known
 by the name of aerial perspective2     
being that  interposition of air1 which 
throws a general soft retiring tint over
  the whole prospect2 to be seen in     
excess at the rising of a fog4 ,all     
which again receives still more         
distinctness1 as well as a greater      
degree of variety1 when the sun shines  
bright1 and casts broad shadows  of one 

object upon another2 which gives the    
skilful designer such hints  for shewing
 broad and fine oppositions of shades1  
as give life and  spirit to his         
performances4    ,illustration3 ,figs4  
#ib and #ic    ,,breadth of ,,shade is a
 principle that assists in making       
distinction  more conspicuous2 thus fig4
 #hg p4 ,i1 is better distinguish'd by  
its  breadth or quantity of shade1 and  
view'd with more ease and pleasure  at  
any distance1 than fig4 #hh p4 ,i1 which
 hath many1 and these but  narrow shades
 between the folds4 ,and for one of the 
noblest instances  of this1 let         
,windsor-castle be viewed at the rising 
or setting of the  sun4                 
,illustration3 ,figs4 #hg and #hh       
,let breadth be introduced how it will1 
it always gives great repose to  the    
eye2 as on the contrary1 when lights and
 shades in a composition  are scattered 
about in little spots1 the eye is       
constantly disturbed1  and the mind is  
uneasy1 especially if you are eager to  

understand every  object in the         
composition1 as it is painful to the ear
 when any one is  anxious to know what  
is said in company1 where many are      
talking at the  same time4              
,,simplicity 7which ,i am last to speak 
of7 in the disposition of a great       
variety1 is best accomplished by        
following nature's constant rule1  of   
dividing composition into three or five 
parts1 or parcels1 see  ,chapter ,,iv on
 simplicity3 the painters accordingly   
divide theirs into  fore-ground1        
middle-ground1 and distance or          
back-ground2 which simple  and distinct 
quantities mass together that variety   
which entertains  the eye2 as the       
different parts of base1 tenor1 and     
treble1 in a  composition in music1     
entertain the ear4    ,let these        
principles be reversed1 or neglected1   
the the light and shade  will appear as 
disagreeable as fig4 #ia ,t p4 ,,ii1    
whereas1 was this to  be a composition  
of lights and shades only1 properly     

disposed1 tho'  ranged under no         
particular figures1 it might still have 
the pleasing  effect of a picture4 ,and 
here1 as it would be endless to enter   
upon the  different effects of lights   
and shades on lucid and transparent     
bodies1  we shall leave them to the     
reader's observation1 and so conclude   
this  chapter4    ,illustration3 ,fig4  
#ia          ,,chapter ,,xiv4    ,of    
,,colouring4      ,by the beauty of     
colouring1 the painters mean that       
disposition of  colours on objects1     
together with their proper shades1 which
 appear  at the same time both          
distinctly varied and artfully united1  
in  compositions of any kind2 but1 by   
way of pre-eminence1 it is generally    
understood of flesh-colour1 when no     
other composition is named4    ,to avoid
 confusion1 and having already said     
enough of retiring  shades1 ,i shall now
 only describe the nature and effect of 
the prime  tint of flesh2 for the       
composition of this1 when rightly       

understood1  comprehends every thing    
that can be said of the colouring of all
 other  objects whatever4    ,and herein
 7as has been shewn in ,chapter ,,viii1 
of the manner of  composing pleasing    
forms7 the whole process will depend    
upon the art of  varying2 i4 e4 upon an 
artful manner of varying every colour   
belonging  to flesh1 under the direction
 of the six fundamental principles there
  spoken of4    ,but before we proceed  
to shew in what manner these principles 
conduce  to this design1 we shall take a
 view of nature's curious ways of       
producing all sorts of complexions1     
which may help to further our           
conception of the principles of varying 
colours1 so as to see why they  cause   
the effect of beauty4    ,it is well    
known1 the fair young girl1 the brown   
old man1 and the  negro2 nay1 all       
mankind1 have the same appearance1 and  
are alike  disagreeable to the eye1 when
 the upper skin is taken away3 now to   
conceal so disagreeable an object1 and  

to produce that variety of  complexions 
seen in the world1 nature hath contrived
 a transparent  skin1 called the        
cuticula1 with a lining to it of a very 
extraordinary  kind1 called the cutis2  
both which are so thin any little scald 
will make them blister and peel off4    
,these adhering skins are more  or less 
transparent in some parts of the body   
than in others1 and  likewise different 
in different persons4 ,the cuticula     
alone is like  gold-beaters-skin1 a     
little wet1 but somewhat thinner1       
especially  in fair young people1 which 
would shew the fat1 lean1 and all the   
blood-vessels1 just as they lie under   
it1 as through ,isinglass1 were it  not 
for its lining the cutis1 which is so   
curiously constructed1 as to  exhibit   
those things beneath it which are       
necessary to life and motion1  in       
pleasing arrangements and dispositions  
of beauty4    ,the cutis is composed of 
tender threads like network1 fill'd with
  different colour'd juices4 ,the white 

juice serves to make the very fair      
complexion2--yellow1 makes the          
brunnet2--brownish yellow1 the ruddy    
brown2--green yellow1 the olive2--dark  
brown1 the mulatto2--black1 the         
negro2--,these different colour'd       
juices1 together with the different     
meshes of the network1 and the size of  
its threads in this or that  part1      
causes the variety of complexions4    ,a
 description of this manner of its      
shewing the rosy colour of the  cheek1  
and1 in like manner1 the bluish tints   
about the temple1 c4 see  in the profile
 fig4 #ie ,t p4 ,,ii1 where you are to  
suppose the black  strokes of the print 
to be the white threads of the network1 
and where  the strokes are thickest1 and
 the part blackest1 you are to suppose  
the  flesh would be whitest2 so that the
 lighter part of it stands for the      
vermilion-colour of the cheek1 gradating
 every way4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ie 
,some persons have the network so       
equally wove over the whole body1 face  

and all1 that the greatest heat or cold 
will hardly make them change  their     
colour2 and these are seldom seen to    
blush1 tho' ever so bashful1  whilst the
 texture is so fine in some young women1
 that they redden1 or  turn pale1 on the
 least occasion4    ,i am apt to think  
the texture of this network is of a very
 tender  kind1 subject to damage many   
ways1 but able to recover itself again1 
especially in youth4 ,the fair fat      
healthy child of #c or #d years old     
hath it in great perfection2 most       
visible when it is moderately warm1  but
 till that age somewhat imperfect4      
,it is in this manner1 then1 that nature
 seems to do her work4--,and  now let us
 see how by art the like appearance may 
be made and penciled  on the surface of 
a uniform coloured statue of wax or     
marble2 by  describing which operation  
we shall still more particularly point  
out  what is to our present purpose3 ,i 
mean the reason why the order nature    
hath thus made use of should strike us  

with the idea of beauty2 which  by the  
way1 perhaps may be of more use to some 
painters than they will  care to own4   
,illustration3 ,fig4 #id    ,there are  
but three original colours in painting  
besides black and  white1 viz4 red1     
yellow and blue4 ,green1 and purple1 are
 compounded2  the first of blue and     
yellow1 the latter of red and blue3     
however these  compounds being so       
distinctly different from the original  
colours1  we will rank them as such4    
,fig4 #id ,t p4 ,,ii1 represents mixt   
up1 as  on a painter's pallet1 scales of
 these five original colours divided    
into seven classes--#a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1 
#f1 #g4--d1 is the medium1 and most     
brillant class1 being that which will   
appear a firm red1 when those of  #e1   
#f1 #g1 would deviate into white1 and   
those of #a1 #b1 #c1 would sink  into   
black1 either by twilight or at a       
moderate distance from the  eye1 which  
shews #d to be brightest1 and a more    
permanent colour than  the rest4 ,but as

 white is nearest to light it may be    
said to be equal  if not superior in    
value as to beauty1 with class #d4      
,therefore the  classes #e1 #f1 #g1 have
 also1 almost equal beauty with it too1 
because  what they lose of their        
brillancy and permanency of colour1 they
 gain  from the white or light2 whereas 
#c1 #b1 #a1 absolutely lose their beauty
  by degrees as they approach nearer to 
black1 the representative of  darkness4 
,let us then1 for distinction and       
pre-eminence sake1 call class #d of     
each colour1 bloom tints1 or if you     
please1 virgin tints1 as the  painters  
call them2 and once more recollect1 that
 in the disposition  of colours as well 
as of forms1 variety1 simplicity1       
distinctness1  intricacy1 uniformity and
 quantity1 direct in giving beauty to   
the  colouring of the human frame1      
especially if we include the face1 where
  uniformity and strong opposition of   
tints are required1 as in the eyes  and 
mouth1 which call most for our          

attention4 ,but for the general hue  of 
flesh now to be described1 variety1     
intricacy and simplicity1 are  chiefly  
required4    ,the value of the degrees  
of colour being thus consider'd and     
ranged in  order upon the pallet1 figure
 #id1 let us next apply them to a busto1
  fig4 #if ,r p4 ,,ii1 of white marble1 
which may be supposed to let every  tint
 sink into it1 like as a drop of ink    
sinks in and spreads itself  upon course
 paper1 whereby each tint will gradate  
all around4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #if 
,if you would have the neck of the busto
 tinged of a very florid and  lively    
complexion1 the pencil must be dipt in  
the bloom tints of  each colour as they 
stand one above another at ,no4 #d4--;if
 for a less  florid1 in those of ,no4   
#e--;if for a very fair1 from ,no4      
#f--;and so on  till the marble would   
scarce be ting'd at all3 let therefore  
,no4 #f1 be  our present choice1 and    
begin with penciling on the red1 as at  
r1 the  yellow tint at y1 the blue tint 

at b1 and the purple or lake tint at p4 
,these four tints thus laid on1 proceed 
to covering the whole neck and  breast1 
but still changing and varying the      
situations of the tints with  one       
another1 also causing their shapes and  
sizes to differ as much as  possible2   
red must be oftenest repeated1 yellow   
next often1 purple red  next1 and blue  
but seldom1 except in particular parts  
as the temples1  backs of the hands1 c4 
where the larger veins shew their       
branching  shapes 7sometimes too        
distinctly7 still varying those         
appearances4  ,but there are no doubt   
infinite variations in nature1 from what
 may  be called the most beautiful order
 and disposition of the colours in      
flesh1 not only in different persons1   
but in different parts of the  same1 all
 subject to the same principles in some 
degree or other4    ,now if we imagine  
this whole process to be made with the  
tender tints  of class #g1 as they are  
supposed to stand1 red1 yellow1 blue1   

green and  purple1 underneath each      
other2 the general hue of the           
performance will  be a seeming uniform  
prime tint1 at any little distance1 that
 is a very  fair1 transparent and       
pearl-like complexion2 but never quite  
uniform as  snow1 ivory1 marble or wax1 
like a poet's mistress1 for either of   
these  in living-flesh1 would in truth  
be hideous4    ,as in nature1 by the    
general yellowish hue of the cuticula1  
the  gradating of one colour into       
another appears to be more delicately   
soften'd and united together2 so will   
the colours we are supposed to  have    
been laying upon the busto1 appear to be
 more united and mellowed  by the oils  
they are ground in1 which takes a       
yellowish cast after a  little time1 but
 is apt to do more mischief hereby than 
good2 for which  reason care is taken to
 procure such oil as is clearest1 and   
will best  keep its colour#ah in oil    
painting4    #ah ,notwithstanding the   
deep-rooted notion1 even among the      

majority of  painters themselves1 that  
time is a great improver of good        
pictures1  ,i will undertake to shew1   
that nothing can be more absurd4 ,having
  mention'd above the whole effect of   
the oil1 let us now see in what  manner 
time operates on colours themselves2 in 
order to discover if any  changes in    
them can give a picture more union and  
harmony than has been  in the power of a
 skilful master1 with all his rules of  
art1 to do4  ,when colours change at all
 it must be somewhat in the manner      
following1  for as they are made some of
 metal1 some of earth1 some of stone1   
and others of more perishable materials1
 time cannot operate on them  otherwise 
than as by daily experience we find it  
doth1 which is1 that  one changes       
darker1 another lighter1 one quite to a 
different colour1  whilst another1 as   
ultramarine1 will keep its natural      
brightness  even in the fire4 ,therefore
 how is it possible that such different 
materials1 ever variously changing      

7visibly after a certain time7  should  
accidentally coincide with the artist's 
intention1 and bring  about the greater 
harmony of the piece1 when it is        
manifestly contrary  to their nature1   
for do we not see in most collections   
that much time  disunites1 untunes1     
blackens1 and by degrees destroys even  
the best  preserved pictures4    ,but if
 for argument sake we suppose1 that the 
colours were to fall  equally together1 
let us see what advantage this would    
give to any sort  of composition4 ,we   
will begin with a flower-piece3 when a  
master hath  painted a rose1 a lily1 an 
african1 a gentianella1 or violet1 with 
his best art1 and brightest colours1 how
 far short do they fall of  the         
freshness and rich brillancy of nature2 
and shall we wish to see  them fall     
still lower1 more faint1 sullied1 and   
dirtied by the hand  of time1 and then  
admire them as having gained an         
additional beauty1  and call them mended
 and heightened1 rather than fouled1 and

 in a  manner destroy'd2 how absurd6    
,instead of mellow and softened         
therefore1  always read yellow and      
sullied1 for this is doing time the     
destroyer1  but common justice4 ,or     
shall we desire to see complexions1     
which in  life are often1 literally1 as 
brillant as the flowers above-mention'd1
  served in the like ungrateful manner4 
,in a landskip1 will the water  be more 
transparent1 or the sky shine with a    
greater lustre when  embrown'd and      
darken'd by decay8 surely no4 ,i own it 
would be a pity  that ,mr4 ,addison's   
beautiful description of time at work in
 the gallery  of pictures1 and the      
following lines of ,mr4 ,dryden1 should 
want a  sufficient foundation2--        
,for time shall with his ready pencil   
stand1      ,retouch your figures with  
his ripening hand2      ,mellow your    
colours1 and imbrown the tint2      ,add
 every grace which time alone can grant2
      ,to future ages shall your fame   
convey1      ,and give more beauties    

than he takes away4   ,dryden to        
,kneller4    were it not that the error 
they are built upon1 hath been a        
continual  blight to the growth of the  
art1 by misguiding both the proficient1 
and the encourager2 and often compelling
 the former1 contrary to his  judgment1 
to imitate the damaged hue of decayed   
pictures2 so that when  his works       
undergo the like injuries1 they must    
have a double remove  from nature2 which
 puts it in the power of the meanest    
observer to see  his deficiencies4      
,whence another absurd notion hath taken
 rise1 viz4  that the colours now-a-days
 do not stand so well as formerly2      
whereas  colours well prepared1 in which
 there is but little art or expence1    
have1 and will always have1 the same    
properties in every age1 and  without   
accidents1 as damps1 bad varnish1 and   
the like 7being laid  separate and      
pure17 will stand and keep together for 
many years in  defiance of time itself4 
,in proof of this1 let any one take a   

view of the cieling at                  
,greenwich-hospital1 painted by ,sir    
,james ,thornhil1 forty years ago1      
which still remains fresh1 strong and   
clear as if it had been finished  but   
yesterday3 and altho' several french    
writers have so learnedly1  and         
philosophically proved1 that the air of 
this island is too thick1  or--too      
something1 for the genius of a painter2 
yet ,france in all  her palaces can     
hardly boast of a nobler1 more          
judicious1 or richer  performance of its
 kind4 ,note1 the upper end of the hall 
where the  royal family is painted1 was 
left chiefly to the pencil of ,mr4      
,andrea  a foreigner1 after the payment 
originally agreed upon for the work was 
so much reduced1 as made it not worth   
,sir ,james's while to finish the  whole
 with his own more masterly hand4       
,upon the whole of this account we find1
 that the utmost beauty of  colouring   
depends on the great principle of       
varying by all the means  of varying1   

and on the proper and artful union of   
that variety2 which  may be farther     
proved by supposing the rules here laid 
down1 all or any  part of them reversed4
    ,i am apt to believe1 that the not  
knowing nature's artful1 and  intricate 
method of uniting colours for the       
production of the  variegated           
composition1 or prime tint of flesh1    
hath made colouring1  in the art of     
painting1 a kind of mystery in all ages2
 insomuch1 that  it may fairly be said1 
out of the many thousands who have      
labour'd to  attain it1 not above ten or
 twelve painters have happily succeeded 
therein1 ,corregio 7who lived in a      
country-village1 and had nothing but    
the life to study after7 is said almost 
to have stood alone for this  particular
 excellence4 ,guido1 who made beauty his
 chief aim1 was always  at a loss about 
it4 ,poussin scarce ever obtained a     
glimpse of it1 as  is manifest by his   
many different attempts3 indeed ,france 
hath not  produced one remarkably good  

colourist#ai4    #ai ,the lame excuse   
writers on painting have made for the   
many great  masters that have fail'd in 
this particular1 is1 that they purposely
  deaden'd their colours1 and kept them1
 what they affectedly call'd  chaste1   
that the correctness of their outlines  
might be seen to  greater advantage4    
,whereas colours cannot be too brillant 
if properly  disposed1 because the      
distinction of the parts are thereby    
made more  perfect2 as may be seen by   
comparing a marble busto with the       
variegated  colours of the face either  
in the life1 or well painted3 it is     
true1  uncomposed variety1 either in the
 features or the limbs1 as being  daubed
 with many1 or one colour1 will so      
confound the parts as to  render them   
unintelligible4    ,rubens boldly1 and  
in a masterly manner1 kept his bloom    
tints bright1  separate1 and distinct1  
but sometimes too much so for easel or  
cabinet  pictures2 however1 his manner  
was admirably well calculated for great 

works1 to be seen at a considerable     
distance1 such as his celebrated        
cieling at ,whitehall-chapel#bj3 which  
upon a nearer view1 will  illustrate    
what ,i have advanc'd with regard to the
 separate brightness  of the tints2 and 
shew1 what indeed is known to every     
painter1 that  had the colours there    
seen so bright and separate1 been all   
smooth'd  and absolutely blended        
together1 they would have produced a    
dirty grey  instead of flesh-colour4    
,the difficulty then lies in bringing   
blue  the third original colour1 into   
flesh1 on account of the vast variety   
introduced thereby2 and this omitted1   
all the difficulty ceases2 and a  common
 sign-painter that lays his colours     
smooth1 instantly becomes1 in  point of 
colouring1 a ,rubens1 a ,titian1 or a   
,corregio4    #bj ,the front of this    
building by ,inigo ,jones1 is an        
additional  exemplification of the      
principles for varying the parts in     
building2  7explained by the            

candlesticks1 c4 ,chapter ,,viii7 which 
would appear  to be a stronger proof    
still1 were a building formed of        
squares1 on  squares2 with squares      
uniformly cut in each square to be      
opposed to it1  to shew the reverse4    
,,chapter ,,xv4    ,of the ,,face4      
,having thus spoken briefly of light1   
shade1 and colour1 we now return  to our
 lineal account of form1 as proposed    
7page #ia7 with regard to  the face4 ,it
 is an observation1 that1 out of the    
great number of faces  that have been   
form'd since the creation of the world1 
no two have  been so exactly alike1 but 
that the usual and common discernment of
  the eye would discover a difference   
between them3 therefore it is not       
unreasonable to suppose1 that this      
discernment is still capable of  further
 improvements by instructions from a    
methodical enquiry2 which  the ingenious
 ,mr4 ,richardson1 in his treatise on   
painting1 terms the  art of seeing4     
,illustration3 ,fig4 #ig    #a4 ,i shall

 begin with a description of such lines 
as compose the  features of a face of   
the highest taste1 and the reverse4 ,see
 fig4 #ig1  ,b p4 ,i1 taken from an     
antique head1 which stands in the first 
rank of  estimation3 in proof of this1  
,raphael ,urbin1 and other great        
painters  and sculptors1 have imitated  
it for the characters of their heroes   
and other great men2 and the old man's  
head1 fig4 #ih1 ,l p4 ,i was  model'd in
 clay1 by ,fiamingo 7and not inferior in
 its taste of lines1  to the best       
antique7 for the use of ,andrea ,sacchi1
 after which model he  painted all the  
heads in his famous picture of ,st4     
,romoaldo's dream2  and this picture    
hath the reputation of being one of the 
best pictures  in the world#ba4    #ba  
,note1 ,i must refer the reader to the  
casts of both these pieces  of          
sculpture1 which are to be found in the 
hands of the curious2  because it is    
impossible to express all that ,i       
intend1 with sufficient  accuracy1 in a 

print of this size1 whatever pains might
 have been taken  with it2 or indeed in 
any print were it ever so large4        
,illustration3 ,fig4 #ih    ,these      
examples are here chosen to exemplify   
and confirm the force  of serpentine    
lines in a face2 and let it also be     
observed1 that in  these master-pieces  
of art1 all the parts are otherwise     
consistent  with the rules heretofore   
laid down3 ,i shall therefore only shew 
the  effects and use of the line of     
beauty4 ,one way of proving in what     
manner the serpentine line appears to   
operate in this respect1 may be  by     
pressing several pieces of wire close up
 and down the different  parts of the   
face and features of those casts2 which 
wires will all  come off so many        
serpentine lines1 as is partly marked in
 figure #ig1 by  the dotted lines4 ,the 
beard and hair of the head1 fig4 #ih1   
being a set  of loose lines naturally1  
and therefore disposable at the         
painter's or  sculptor's pleasure1 are  

remarkably composed in this head of     
nothing  else but a varied play of      
serpentine lines1 twisting together in a
  flame-like manner4    ,but as         
imperfections are easier to be imitated 
than perfections1 we  shall now have it 
in our power to explain the latter more 
fully2 by  shewing the reverse in       
several degrees1 down to the most       
contemptible  meanness that lines can be
 form'd into4    ,illustration3 ,figs4  
#ii-aje    ,figure #ii1 is the first    
degree of deviation from figure #ig2    
where the  lines are made straighter1   
and reduced in quantity2 deviating still
  more in figure #ajj1 more yet in      
figure #aja1 and yet more visibly in    
#ajb2 figure #ajc1 still more so2 figure
 #ajd is totally divested of all  lines 
of elegance1 like a barber's block2 and 
#aje is composed merely  of such plain  
lines as children make1 when of         
themselves they begin to  imitate in    
drawing a human face4 ,it is evident1   
the inimitable ,butler  was sensible of 

the mean and ridiculous effect of such  
kind of lines1  by the description he   
gives of the shape of ,hudibras's beard1
 fig4 #ajf  ,l p4 ,i1        ,in cut and
 dye so like a tile1      ,a sudden view
 it would beguile4    ,illustration3    
,fig4 #ajf    #b4 ,with regard to       
character and expression2 we have daily 
many  instances which confirm the common
 received opinion1 that the face is  the
 index of the mind2 and this maxim is so
 rooted in us1 we can scarce  help 7if  
our attention is a little raised7       
forming some particular  conception of  
the person's mind whose face we are     
observing1 even  before we receive      
information by any other means4 ,how    
often is it  said1 on the slightest     
view1 that such a one looks like a      
good-natur'd  man1 that he hath an      
honest open countenance1 or looks like a
 cunning  rogue2 a man of sense1 or a   
fool1 c4 ,and how are our eyes riveted  
to the aspects of kings and heroes1     
murderers and saints2 and as we         

contemplate their deeds1 seldom fail    
making application to their looks4  ,it 
is reasonable to believe that aspect to 
be a true and legible  representation of
 the mind1 which gives everyone the same
 idea at first  sight2 and is afterwards
 confirm'd in fact3 for instance1 all   
concur in  the same opinion1 at first   
sight1 of a down-right idiot4    ,there 
is but little to be seen by childrens   
faces1 more than that  they are heavy or
 lively2 and scarcely that unless they  
are in motion4  ,very handsom faces of  
almost any age1 will hide a foolish or a
 wicked  mind till they betray          
themselves by their actions or their    
words3 yet  the frequent aukward        
movements of the muscles of the fool's  
face1 tho'  ever so handsom1 is apt in  
time to leave such traces up and down   
it1  as will distinguish a defect of    
mind upon examination3 but the bad  man1
 if he be a hypocrite1 may so manage his
 muscles1 by teaching them  to          
contradict his heart1 that little of his

 mind can be gather'd from  his         
countenance1 so that the character of an
 hypocrite is entirely out  of the power
 of the pencil1 without some adjoining  
circumstance to  discover him1 as       
smiling and stabbing at the same time1  
or the like4    ,it is by the natural   
and unaffected movements of the muscles1
 caused  by the passions of the mind1   
that every man's character would in some
  measure be written in his face1 by the
 time he arrives at forty years  of age1
 were it not for certain accidents which
 often1 tho' not always  prevent it4    
,for the ill-natur'd man1 by frequently 
frowning1 and  pouting out the muscles  
of his mouth1 doth in time bring those  
parts to  a constant state of the       
appearance of ill-nature1 which might   
have been  prevented by the constant    
affectation of a smile2 and so of the   
other  passions3 tho' there are some    
that do not affect the muscles at all   
simply of themselves1 as love and hope4 
,but least ,i should be thought to lay  

too great a stress on outward  shew1    
like a physiognomist1 take this with    
you1 that it is acknowledg'd  there are 
so many different causes which produce  
the same kind of  movements and         
appearances of the features1 and so many
 thwartings by  accidental shapes in the
 make of faces1 that the old adage1     
fronti  nulla fides1 will ever stand its
 ground upon the whole2 and for very    
wise reasons nature hath thought fit it 
should4 ,but1 on the other  hand1 as in 
many particular cases1 we receive       
information from the  expressions of the
 countenance1 what follows is meant to  
give a lineal  description of the       
language written therein4    ,it may not
 be amiss just to look over the passions
 of the mind1 from  tranquillity to     
extreme despair2 as they are in order   
described in the  common drawing-book1  
called1 ,le ,brun's passions of the     
mind2 selected  from that great master's
 works for the use of learners2 where   
you may  have a compendious view of all 

the common expressions at once4 ,and    
altho' these are but imperfect copies1  
they will answer our purpose in  this   
place better than any other thing ,i can
 refer you to2 because the  passions are
 there ranged in succession1 and        
distinctly marked with  lines only1 the 
shadows being omitted4    ,some features
 are formed so as to make this or that  
expression  of a passion more or less   
legible2 for example1 the little narrow 
chinese eye suits a loving or laughing  
expression best1 as a large  full eye   
doth those of fierceness and            
astonishment2 and round-rising  muscles 
will appear with some degree of         
chearfulness even in sorrow3  the       
features thus suiting with the          
expressions that have been often        
repeated in the face1 at length mark it 
with such lines as sufficiently         
distinguish the character of the mind4  
,the ancients in their lowest characters
 have shewn as much judgment1  and as   
great a degree of taste in the          

management and twisting of the  lines of
 them1 as in their statues of a sublimer
 kind2 in the former  varying only from 
the precise line of grace in some parts 
where the  character or action required 
it4 ,the dying gladiator and the dancing
  fawn1 the former a slave1 the latter a
 wild clown1 are sculptored in  as high 
a taste of lines as the ,antinous or the
 ,apollo2 with this  difference1 that   
the precise line of grace abounds more  
in the two  last3 notwithstanding which 
it is generally allow'd there is equal  
merit in the former1 as there is near as
 much judgment required for  the        
execution of them4 ,human nature can    
hardly be represented more  debased than
 in the character of the ,silenus1 fig4 
#ajg p4 ,i1 where  the bulging-line     
figure #di1 ,no4 #g1 runs through all   
the features of the  face1 as well as   
the other parts of his swinish body3    
whereas in the  satyr of the wood1 tho' 
the ancients have joined the brute with 
the  man1 we still see preserved an     

elegant display of serpentine lines1    
that make it a graceful figure4         
,illustration3 ,figs4 #ajg and #di      
,indeed the works of art have need of   
the whole advantage of this line  to    
make up for its other deficiencies3 for 
tho' in nature's works the  line of     
beauty is often neglected1 or mixt with 
plain lines1 yet so  far are they from  
being defective on this account1 that by
 this means  there is exhibited that    
infinite variety of human forms which   
always  distinguishes the hand of nature
 from the limited and insufficient  one 
of art2 and as thus she for the sake of 
variety upon the whole1  deviates       
sometimes into plain and inelegant      
lines1 if the poor artist  is but able  
now and then to correct and give a      
better taste to some  particular part of
 what he imitates1 by having learnt so  
to do from  her more perfect works1 or  
copying from those that have1 ten to one
  he grows vain upon it1 and fancies    
himself a nature-mender2 not            

considering1 that even in these1 the    
meanest of her works1 she is never      
wholly destitute of such lines of beauty
 and other delicacies1 as are  not only 
beyond his narrow reach1 but are seen   
wanting even in the most  celebrated    
attempts to rival her4 ,but to return1  
,as to what we call plain lines1 there  
is this remarkable effect  constantly   
produced by them1 that being more or    
less conspicuous in any  kind of        
character or expression of the face1    
they bring along with them  certain     
degrees of a foolish or ridiculous      
aspect4    ,it is the inelegance of     
these lines which more properly         
belonging to  inanimate bodies1 and     
being seen where lines of more beauty   
and taste  are expected1 that renders   
the face silly and ridiculous4 ,see     
,chapter  ,,vi1 p4 #ca4    ,children in 
infancy have movements in the muscles of
 their faces  peculiar to their age1 as 
an uninformed and unmeaning stare1 an   
open  mouth1 and simple grin3 all which 

expressions are chiefly formed of  plain
 curves1 and these movements and        
expressions ideots are apt to  retain2  
so that in time they mark their faces   
with these uncouth lines2  and when the 
lines coincide and agree with the       
natural forms of the  features1 it      
becomes a more apparent and confirmed   
character of an  ideot4 ,these plain    
shapes last mentioned1 sometimes happen 
to people of  the best sense1 to some   
when the features are at rest1 to others
 when  they are put into motion2 which a
 variety of constant regular movements  
proceeding from a good understanding1   
and fashioned by a genteel  education1  
will often by degrees correct into lines
 of more elegance4    ,that particular  
expression likewise of the face1 or     
movement of a  feature which becomes one
 person1 shall be disagreeable in       
another1  just as such expressions or   
turns chance to fall in with lines of   
beauty1 or the reverse2 for this reason 
there are pretty frowns and             

disagreeable smiles3 the lines that form
 a pleasing smile about the  corners of 
the mouth have gentle windings1 as fig4 
#ajh ,l p4 ,,ii1  but lose their beauty 
in the full laugh1 as fig4 #aji ,l p4   
,,ii1 the  expression of excessive      
laughter1 oftener than any other1 gives 
a  sensible face a silly or disagreeable
 look1 as it is apt to form  regular    
plain lines about the mouth1 like a     
parenthesis1 which  sometimes appears   
like crying2 as1 on the contrary1 ,i    
remember to  have seen a beggar who had 
clouted up his head very artfully1 and  
whose visage was thin and pale enough to
 excite pity1 but his features  were    
otherwise so unfortunately form'd for   
his purpose1 that what he  intended for 
a grin of pain and misery1 was rather a 
joyous laugh4    ,illustration3 ,figs4  
#ajh and #aji    ,it is strange that    
nature hath afforded us so many lines   
and shapes to  indicate the deficiencies
 and blemishes of the mind1 whilst there
 are  none at all that point out the    

perfections of it beyond the appearance 
of common sense and placidity4          
,deportment1 words1 and actions1 must   
speak the good1 the wise1 the witty1 the
 humane1 the generous1 the  merciful1   
and the brave4 ,nor are gravity and     
solemn looks always signs  of wisdom3   
the mind much occupied with trifles will
 occasion as grave  and sagacious an    
aspect1 as if it were charged with      
matters of the  utmost moment2 the      
balance-master's attention to a single  
point1 in  order to preserve his        
balance1 may look as wise at that time  
as the  greatest philosopher in the     
depth of his studies4 ,all that the     
ancient  sculptors could do1            
notwithstanding their enthusiastic      
endeavours to  raise the characters of  
their deities to aspects of sagacity    
above  human1 was to give them features 
of beauty4 ,their god of wisdom  hath no
 more in his look than a handsom        
manliness2 the ,jupiter is  carried     
somewhat higher1 by giving it a little  

more severity than  the ,apollo1 by a   
larger prominency of brow gently bending
 in seeming  thoughtfulness1 with an    
ample beard1 which being added to the   
noble  quantity of its other lines1     
invests that capital piece of sculpture 
with uncommon dignity1 which1 in the    
mysterious language of a profound       
connoisseur1 is stiled a divine idea1   
inconceivably great1 and above  nature4 
#c;dly and lastly1 ,i shall shew in what
 manner the lines of the face  alter    
from infancy upwards1 and specify the   
different ages4 ,we are now  to pay most
 attention to simplicity1 as the        
difference of ages we are  about to     
speak of1 turn chiefly upon the use made
 of this principle in  a greater or less
 degree1 in the form of the lines4      
,from infancy till the body has done    
growing1 the contents both of the  body 
and the face1 and every part of their   
surface1 are daily changing  into more  
variety1 till they obtain a certain     
medium 7see page #gh on  proportion7    

from which medium1 as fig4 #aac ,b p4   
,,ii1 if we return back  to infancy1 we 
shall see the variety decreasing1 till  
by degrees that  simplicity in the form1
 which gave variety its due limits1     
deviates  into sameness2 so that all the
 parts of the face may be circumscribed 
in several circles1 as fig4 #aaf ,l p4  
,,ii4    ,illustration3 ,figs4 #aac and 
#aaf    ,but there is another very      
extraordinary circumstance1 7perhaps    
never  taken notice of before in this   
light7 which nature hath given us to    
distinguish one age from another by2    
which is1 that tho' every feature  grows
 larger and longer1 till the whole      
person has done growing1 the  sight of  
the eye still keeps its original size2  
,i mean the pupil1 with  its iris or    
ring2 for the diameter of this circle   
continues still the  same1 and so       
becomes a fixt measure by which we1 as  
it were1 insensibly  compare the daily  
perceiv'd growings of the other parts of
 the face1  and thereby determine a     

young person's age4 ,you may sometimes  
find this  part of the eye in a new-born
 infant1 full as large as in a man of   
six  foot2 nay1 sometimes larger1 see   
fig4 #aaj ,b p4 ,,ii1 #aad ,b p4 ,,ii   
and  #aae ,t p4 ,i which represents     
three different sizes of the pupil of   
the  eye2 the least1 was exactly taken  
from the eye of a large-featur'd man1   
aged #aje1 the biggest1 from one of     
twenty1 who had this part larger  than  
ordinary1 and the other is the common   
size4 ,if this part of the  eye in the  
pictures of ,charles ,,ii4 and ,james   
,,ii4 painted by ,vandyke at            
,kensington1 were to be measured with a 
pair of compasses1 and compared  with   
their pictures painted by ,lilly when   
they were men1 the diameters  would be  
found in both pictures respectively the 
same4    ,illustration3 ,figs4 #aaj1    
#aad and #aae    ,in infancy the faces  
of boys and girls have no visible       
difference1 but  as they grow up the    
features of the boy get the start1 and  

grow faster  in proportion to the ring  
of the eye1 than those of the girl1     
which  shews the distinction of the sex 
in the face4 ,boys who have larger      
features than ordinary1 in proportion to
 the rings of their eyes1 are  what we  
call manly-featured children2 as those  
who have the contrary1  look more       
childish and younger than they really   
are4 ,it is this  proportion of the     
features with the eyes1 that makes      
women1 when they  are dressed in        
mens-cloaths1 look so young and boyish3 
but as nature  doth not always stick    
close to these particulars1 we may be   
mistaken  both in sexes and ages4    ,by
 these obvious appearances1 and the     
differences of the whole size1  we      
easily judge of ages till twenty1 but   
not with such certainty  afterwards2 for
 the alterations from that age are of a 
different kind1  subject to other       
changes by growing fatter or leaner1    
which it is well  known1 often give a   
different turn to the look of the       

person1 with  regard to his age4    ,the
 hair of the head1 which encompasses a  
face as a frame doth a  picture1 and    
contrasts with its uniform colour1 the  
variegated inclosed  composition1 adding
 more or less beauty thereto1 according 
as it is  disposed by the rules of art1 
is another indication of advanced age4  
,what remains to be said on the         
different appearances of ages1 being    
less pleasing than what has gone before1
 shall be described with more  brevity4 
,in the age from twenty to thirty1      
barring accidents1 there  appears but   
little change1 either in the colours or 
the lines of the  face2 for tho' the    
bloom tints may go off a little1 yet on 
the other  hand1 the make of the        
features often attain a sort of settled 
firmness  in them1 aided by an air of   
acquired sensibility2 which makes ample 
amends for that loss1 and keeps beauty  
till thirty pretty much upon a  par2    
after this time1 as the alterations grow
 more and more visible1  we perceive the

 sweet simplicity of many rounding parts
 of the face1  begin to break into      
dented shapes1 with more sudden turns   
about the  muscles1 occasioned by their 
many repeated movements2 as also by     
dividing the broad parts1 and thereby   
taking off the large sweeps of  the     
serpentine lines2 the shades of beauty  
also consequently suffering  in their   
softnesses4 ,something of what is here  
meant between the two  ages of thirty   
and fifty1 see in figures #aag and #aah 
,b p4 ,,ii1 and  what further havock    
time continues to make after the age of 
fifty1 is  too remarkable to need       
describing3 the strokes and cuts he then
 lays on  are plain enough2 however1 in 
spite of all his malice1 those          
lineaments  that have once been elegant1
 retain their flowing turns in venerable
  age1 leaving to the last a comely     
piece of ruins4    ,illustration3 ,figs4
 #aag and #aah          ,,chapter ,,xvi4
    ,of ,,attitude4      ,such          
dispositions of the body and limbs as   

appear most graceful when  seen at rest1
 depend upon gentle winding contrasts1  
mostly govern'd  by the precise         
serpentine line1 which in attitudes of  
authority1 are  more extended and       
spreading than ordinary1 but reduced    
somewhat below  the medium of grace1 in 
those of negligence and ease3 and as    
much  exaggerated in insolent and proud 
carriage1 or in distortions of pain     
7see figure #i1 plate ,i7 as lessen'd   
and contracted into plain and  parallel 
lines1 to express meanness1 aukwardness1
 and submission4    ,illustration3 ,fig4
 #i    ,the general idea of an action1  
as well as of an attitude1 may be given 
with a pencil in very few lines4 ,it is 
easy to conceive that the  attitude of a
 person upon the cross1 may be fully    
signified by the two  straight lines of 
the cross2 so the extended manner of    
,st4 ,andrew's  crucifixion is wholly   
understood by the ,x-like cross4        
,thus1 as two or three lines at first   
are sufficient to shew the  intention of

 an attitude1 ,i will take this         
opportunity of presenting  my reader    
7who may have been at the trouble of    
following me thus far7  with the sketch 
of a country-dance1 in the manner ,i    
began to set out  the design2 in order  
to shew how few lines are necessary to  
express the  first thoughts1 as to      
different attitudes2 see fig4 #ga ,t p4 
,,ii1 which  describe in some measure1  
the several figures and actions1 mostly 
of  the ridiculous kind1 that are       
represented in the chief part of plate  
,,ii4    ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ga       
,the most amiable person may deform his 
general appearance by throwing  his body
 and limbs into plain lines1 but such   
lines appear still in  a more           
disagreeable light in people of a       
particular make1 ,i have  therefore     
chose such figures as ,i thought would  
agree best with my  first score of      
lines1 fig4 #ga4    ,illustration3 ,the 
dancers    ,the two parts of curves next
 to #ga1 served for the figures of the  

old  woman and her partner at the       
farther end of the room4 ,the curve and 
two straight lines at right angles1 gave
 the hint for the fat man's  sprawling  
posture4 ,i next resolved to keep a     
figure within the bounds  of a circle1  
which produced the upper part of the fat
 woman1 between  the fat man and the    
aukward one in the bag wig1 for whom ,i 
had made  a sort of an ,x4 ,the prim    
lady1 his partner1 in the riding-habit1 
by  pecking back her elbows1 as they    
call it1 from the waste upwards1 made  a
 tolerable ,d1 with a straight line     
under it1 to signify the scanty         
stiffness of her peticoat2 and a ,z     
stood for the angular position the  body
 makes with the legs and thighs of the  
affected fellow in the  tye-wig2 the    
upper part of his plump partner was     
confin'd to an ,o1 and  this chang'd    
into a ,p1 served as a hint for the     
straight lines behind4  ,the uniform    
diamond of a card1 was filled up by the 
flying dress1 c4  of the little capering

 figure in the spencer-wig2 whilst a    
double ,l  mark'd the parallel position 
of his poking partner's hands and arms3 
and lastly1 the two waving lines were   
drawn for the more genteel turns  of the
 two figures at the hither end4    ,the 
best representation in a picture1 of    
even the most elegant dancing1  as every
 figure is rather a suspended action in 
it than an attitude1  must be always    
somewhat unnatural and ridiculous2 for  
were it possible  in a real dance to fix
 every person at one instant of time1 as
 in a  picture1 not one in twenty would 
appear to be graceful1 tho' each were   
ever so much so in their movements2 nor 
could the figure of the dance  itself be
 at all understood4    ,illustration3   
,the statues and pictures    ,the       
dancing-room is also ornamented         
purposely with such statues and         
pictures as may serve to a farther      
illustration4 ,henry viii4 fig4 #gb  p4 
,,ii1 makes a perfect ,x with his legs  
and arms2 and the position of  ,charles 

the first1 fig4 #ea p4 ,,ii1 is composed
 of less-varied lines  than the statue  
of ,edward the sixth1 fig4 #gc p4 ,,ii2 
and the medal  over his head is in the  
like kind of lines2 but that over ,q4   
,elizabeth1  as well as her figure1 is  
in the contrary2 so are also the two    
other  wooden figures at the end4       
,likewise the comical posture of        
astonishment  7expressed by following   
the direction of one plain curve1 as the
 dotted  line in a french print of      
,sancho1 where ,don ,quixote demolishes 
the  puppet shew1 fig4 #ge ,r p4 ,,ii7is
 a good contrast to the effect of the   
serpentine lines in the fine turn of the
 ,samaritan woman1 fig4 #gd ,l p4  ,,ii1
 taken from one of the best pictures    
,annibal ,carrache ever painted4        
,illustration3 ,figs4 #ge and #gd       
,,chapter ,,xvii4    ,of ,,action4      
,to the amazing variety of forms made   
still infinitely more various in        
appearance by light1 shade and colour1  
nature hath added another way  of       

increasing that variety1 still more to  
enhance the value of all her            
compositions4 ,this is accomplished by  
means of action2 the fullest  display of
 which is put into the power of the     
human species1 and which  is equally    
subject to the same principles with     
regard to the effects of  beauty1 or the
 reverse1 as govern all the former      
compositions2 as is  partly seen in     
,chapter ,,xi on proportion4 ,my        
business here shall be1 in  as concise a
 manner as possible1 to particularise   
the application of  these principles to 
the movement of the body1 and therewith 
finish this  system of variety in forms 
and actions4    ,there is no one but    
would wish to have it in his power to be
 genteel  and graceful in the carriage  
of his person1 could it be attained with
  little trouble and expence of time4   
,the usual methods relied on for  this  
purpose among well-bred people1 takes up
 a considerable part of  their time3 nay
 even those of the first rank have no   

other resource in  these matters1 than  
to dancing-masters1 and fencing-masters3
 dancing  and fencing are undoubtedly   
proper1 and very necessary              
accomplishments2  yet are they          
frequently very imperfect in bringing   
about the business  of graceful         
deportment4 ,for altho' the muscles of  
the body may  attain a pliancy by these 
exercises1 and the limbs1 by the elegant
  movement in dancing1 acquire a        
facility in moving gracefully1 yet for  
want of knowing the meaning of every    
grace1 and whereon it depends1          
affectations and misapplications often  
follow4    ,action is a sort of language
 which perhaps one time or other1 may   
come to be taught by a kind of          
grammar-rules2 but1 at present1 is only 
got by rote and imitation3 and contrary 
to most other copyings or  imitations1  
people of rank and fortune generally    
excel their originals1  the             
dancing-masters1 in easy behaviour and  
unaffected grace2 as a sense  of        

superiority makes them act without      
constraint2 especially when their       
persons are well turn'd4 ,if so1 what   
can be more conducive to that  freedom  
and necessary courage which make        
acquired grace seem easy and  natural1  
than the being able to demonstrate when 
we are actually just  and proper in the 
least movement we perform2 whereas1 for 
want of such  certainty in the mind1 if 
one of the most finish'd gentlemen at   
court  was to appear as an actor on the 
public stage1 he would find himself  at 
a loss how to move properly1 and be     
stiff1 narrow1 and aukward1 in          
representing even his own character3 the
 uncertainty of being right  would      
naturally give him some of that         
restraint which the uneducated  common  
people generally have when they appear  
before their betters4    ,it is known   
that bodies in motion always describe   
some line or other  in the air1 as the  
whirling round of a fire-brand          
apparently makes a  circle1 the         

water-fall part of a curve1 the arrow   
and bullet1 by the  swiftness of their  
motions1 nearly a straight line2 waving 
lines are  formed by the pleasing       
movement of a ship on the waves4 ,now in
 order  to obtain a just idea of action 
at the same time to be judiciously      
satisfied of being in the right in what 
we do1 let us begin with  imagining a   
line formed in the air by any supposed  
point at the end  of a limb or part that
 is moved1 or made by the whole part1 or
 limb2  or by the whole body together4  
,and that thus much of movements may be 
conceived at once is evident1 on the    
least recollection1 for whoever  has    
seen a fine arabian war-horse1 unback'd 
and at liberty1 and in a  wanton trot1  
cannot but remember what a large waving 
line his rising1  and at the same time  
pressing forward1 cuts through the air2 
the equal  continuation of which1 is    
varied by his curveting from side to    
side2  whilst his long mane and tail    
play about in serpentine movements4     

,after thus having form'd the idea of   
all movements being as lines1 it  will  
not be difficult to conceive1 that grace
 in action depends upon  the same       
principles as have been shewn to produce
 it in forms4    ,the next thing that   
offers itself to our consideration is   
the force of  habit and custom in       
action2 for a great deal depends        
thereon4    ,the peculiar movements of  
each person1 as the gate in walking1 are
  particularised in such lines as each  
part describes by the habits they  have 
contracted4 ,the nature and power of    
habit may be fully conceived  by the    
following familiar instance1 as the     
motions of one part of the  body may    
serve to explain those of the whole4    
,observe that whatever habit the fingers
 get in the use of the pen1  you see    
exactly delineated to the eye by the    
shapes of the letters4  ,were the       
movements of every writer's fingers to  
be precisely the same1  one hand-writing
 would not be known from another1 but as

 the fingers  naturally fall into1 or   
acquire different habits of moving1     
every  hand-writing is visibly          
different4 ,which movements must tally  
with  the letters1 tho' they are too    
quick and too small to be as perfectly  
traced by the eye2 but this shews what  
nice differences are caused1 and        
constantly retained by habitual         
movements4    ,it may be remark'd1 that 
all useful habitual motions1 such as are
  readiest to serve the necessary       
purposes of life1 are those made up of  
plain lines1 i4 e4 straight and circular
 lines1 which most animals have  in     
common with mankind1 tho' not in so     
extensive a degree3 the monkey  from his
 make hath it sufficiently in his power 
to be graceful1 but as  reason is       
required for this purpose1 it would be  
impossible to bring  him to move        
genteelly4    ,though ,i have said that 
the ordinary actions of the body are    
performed  in plain lines1 ,i mean only 
comparatively so with those of studied  

movements in the serpentine line1 for as
 all our muscles are ever ready  to act1
 when one part is moved1 7as an hand1 or
 arm1 by its proper  movers1 for raising
 up or drawing down7 the adjacent       
muscles act in  some degree in          
correspondence with them3 therefore our 
most common  movements are but seldom   
performed in such absolutely mean lines1
 as  those of jointed dolls and puppets4
 ,a man must have a good deal of        
practice to be able to mimic such very  
straight or round motions1 which  being 
incompatible with the human form1 are   
therefore ridiculous4    ,let it be     
observed1 that graceful movements in    
serpentine lines1  are used but         
occasionally1 and rather at times of    
leisure1 than  constantly applied to    
every action we make4 ,the whole        
business of life  may be carried on     
without them1 they being properly       
speaking1 only  the ornamental part of  
gesture2 and therefore not being        
naturally  familiarised by necessity1   

must be acquired by precept or          
imitation1  and reduced to habit by     
frequent repetitions4 ,precept is the   
means ,i  should recommend as the most  
expeditious and effectual way4 ,but     
before  we proceed to the method ,i have
 to propose1 for the more ready and sure
  way of accustoming the limbs to a     
facility in the ornamental way of       
moving2 ,i should observe1 that quick   
time gives it spirit and vivacity1  as  
slow time1 gravity1 and solemnity1 and  
further1 that the latter of  these      
allows the eye an opportunity of seeing 
the line of grace to  advantage1 as in  
the address of heroes on the stage1 or  
in any solemn  act of ceremony2 and that
 although time in movement is reduced to
  certain rules for dancing1 it is left 
more at large and at discretion  for    
deportment4    ,we come now to offer an 
odd1 but perhaps efficacious method of  
acquiring a habit of moving in the lines
 of grace and beauty4    ,illustration3 
,figs4 #aai and #abj    #a4 ,let any one

 chalk the line fig4 #aai ,l p4 ,,ii1 on
 a flat surface1  beginning at either   
end1 and he will move his hand and arm  
in a  beautiful direction1 but if he    
chalks the same sort of line on an      
ogee-moulding of a foot or two in       
breadth1 as the dotted line on figure   
#abj ,l p4 ,,ii1 his hand must move in  
that more beautiful direction1  which is
 distinguished by the name of grace2 and
 according to the  quantity given to    
those lines1 greatness will be added to 
grace1 and  the movement will be more or
 less noble4    ,gentle movements of    
this sort thus understood1 may be made  
at any time  and any where1 which by    
frequent repetitions will become so     
familiar to  the parts so exercised1    
that on proper occasion they make them  
as it  were of their own accord4    ,the
 pleasing effect of this manner of      
moving the hand1 is seen when a         
snuff-box1 or fan is presented          
gracefully or genteely to a lady1 both  
in the hand moving forward and in its   

return1 but care must be taken  that the
 line of movement be but gentle1 as ,no4
 #c1 fig4 #di1 plate ,i1  and not too   
,s-like and twirling1 as ,no4 #g in the 
same figure3 which  excess would be     
affected and ridiculous4                
,illustration3 ,fig4 #di    ,daily      
practising these movements with the     
hands and arms1 as also with  such other
 parts of the body as are capable of    
them1 will in a short  time render the  
whole person graceful and easy at       
pleasure4    #b4 ,as to the motions of  
the head2 the awe most children are in  
before strangers1 till they come to a   
certain age1 is the cause of  their     
dropping and drawing their chins down   
into their breasts1 and  looking under  
their foreheads1 as if conscious of     
their weakness1  or of something wrong  
about them4 ,to prevent this aukward    
shyness1  parents and tutors are        
continually teasing them to hold up     
their heads1  which if they get them to 
do it is with difficulty1 and of course 

in so constrain'd a manner that it gives
 the children pain1 so that  they       
naturally take all opportunities of     
easing themselves by holding  down their
 heads2 which posture would be full as  
uneasy to them were  it not a relief    
from restraint3 and there is another    
misfortune in  holding down the head1   
that it is apt to make them bend too    
much in  the back2 when this happens to 
be the case1 they then have recourse  to
 steel-collars1 and other iron-machines2
 all which shacklings are  repugnant to 
nature1 and may make the body grow      
crooked4 ,this daily  fatigue both to   
the children and the parents may be     
avoided1 and an  ugly habit prevented1  
by only 7at a proper age7 fastening a   
ribbon to a  quantity of platted hair1  
or to the cap1 so as it may be kept fast
 in  its place1 and the other end to the
 back of the coat1 as fig4 #aba ,l  p4  
,,ii1 of such a length as may prevent   
them drawing their chins into  their    
necks2 which ribbon will always leave   

the head at liberty to move  in any     
direction but this aukward one they are 
so apt to fall into4    ,illustration3  
,fig4 #aba    ,but till children arrive 
at a reasoning age it will be difficult 
by any  means to teach them more grace  
than what is natural to every well made 
child at liberty4    ,the grace of the  
upper parts of the body is most         
engaging1 and  sensible well made people
 in any station naturally have it in a  
great  degree1 therefore rules unless   
they are simple and easily retain'd and 
practis'd1 are of little use2 nay1      
rather are of disservice4    ,holding   
the head erect is but occasionally      
right1 a proper recline of  it may be as
 graceful1 but true elegance is mostly  
seen in the moving  it from one position
 to another4    ,and this may be        
attain'd by a sensibility within        
yourself1 tho' you  have not a sight of 
what you do by looking in the glass1    
when with your  head assisted by a sway 
of the body in order to give it more    

scope1 you  endeavour to make that very 
serpentine line in the air1 which the   
hands  have been before taught to do by 
the help of the ogee-moulding3 and ,i   
will venture to say1 a few careful      
repetitions at first setting out  will  
make this movement as easy to the head  
as to the hands and arms4    ,the most  
graceful bow is got by the head's moving
 in this direction1  as it goes downward
 and rises up again4 ,some aukward      
imitators of this  elegant way of       
bowing1 for want of knowing what they   
were about1 have  seem'd to bow with wry
 necks4 ,the low solemn bow to majesty  
should  have but a very little twist1 if
 any1 as more becoming gravity and      
submission4 ,the clownish nod in a      
sudden straight line is quite the       
reverse of these spoken of4    ,the most
 elegant and respectful curtesy hath a  
gentle1 or small degree  of the above   
graceful bowing of the head as the      
person sinks1 and  rises1 and retreats4 
,if it should be said1 that a fine      

curtesy consists  in no more than in    
being erect in person at the time of    
sinking and  rising2 ,madam ,catherine  
in clock-work1 or the dancing bears led 
about  the streets for a shew1 must be  
allow'd to make as good a curtesy as    
anybody4    ,n4 ,b4 ,it is necessary in 
bowing and curtesying to shun an exact  
sameness at all times2 for however      
graceful it may be on some  occasions1  
at other times it may seem formal and   
improper4 ,shakespear  seems to have    
meant the above spoken of ornamental    
manner of bowing1 in  ,enobarbus's      
description of ,cleopatra's             
waiting-women4----        ----,and made 
their bends adornings4    ,act #b4      
#c4 ,of ,dancing4 ,the minuet is allowed
 by the dancing-masters  themselves to  
be the perfection of all dancing4 ,i    
once heard an  eminent dancing-master   
say1 that the minuet had been the study 
of  his whole life1 and that he had been
 indefatigable in the pursuit of  its   
beauties1 yet at last he could only say 

with ,socrates1 he knew  nothing3       
adding1 that ,i was happy in my         
profession as a painter1 in  that some  
bounds might be set to the study of it4 
,no doubt1 as the  minuet contains in it
 a composed variety of as many movements
 in the  serpentine lines as can well be
 put together in distinct quantities1 it
  is a fine composition of movements4   
,illustration3 ,fig4 #abb    ,the       
ordinary undulating motion of the body  
in common walking 7as may  be plainly   
seen by the waving line1 which the      
shadow a man's head  makes against a    
wall as he is walking between it and the
 afternoon  sun7 is augmented in dancing
 into a larger quantity of waving by    
means of the minuet-step1 which is so   
contrived as to raise the body  by      
gentle degrees somewhat higher than     
ordinary1 and sink it again in  the same
 manner lower in the going on of the    
dance4 ,the figure of the  minuet-path  
on the floor is also composed of        
serpentine lines1 as fig4  #abb ,t p4   

,,ii1 varying a little with the fashion3
 when the parties by  means of this step
 rise and fall most smoothly in time1   
and free from  sudden starting and      
dropping1 they come nearest to          
,shakespear's idea of  the beauty of    
dancing1 in the following lines1        
----,what you do1      ,still betters   
what is done1----      ----,when you do 
dance1 ,i wish you      ,a wave o' th'  
sea1 that you might ever do             
,nothing but that2 move still1 still so1
      ,and own no other function4       
,,winter',s ,,tale4    ,the other       
beauties belonging to this dance1 are   
the turns of the head1  and twist of the
 body in passing each other1 as also    
gentle bowing and  presenting hands in  
the manner before described1 all which  
together1  displays the greatest variety
 of movements in serpentine lines       
imaginable1 keeping equal pace with     
musical time4    ,there are other dances
 that entertain merely because they are 
composed  of variety of movements and   

performed in proper time1 but the less  
they consist of serpentine or waving    
lines1 the lower they are in the        
estimation of dancing-masters3 for1 as  
has been shewn1 when the form of  the   
body is divested of its serpentine lines
 it becomes ridiculous as a  human      
figure1 so likewise when all movements  
in such lines are excluded  in a dance1 
it becomes low1 grotesque and comical2  
but however1 being  as was said composed
 of variety1 made consistent with some  
character1  and executed with agility1  
it nevertheless is very entertaining4   
,such  are ,italian peasant-dances1 c4  
,but such uncouth contortions of the    
body as are allowable in a man would    
disgust in a woman2 as the extreme      
graceful1 so very alluring in this sex1 
is nauseous in the other2 even  the     
minuet-grace in a man would hardly be   
approved1 but as the main  drift of it  
represents repeated addresses to the    
lady4    ,there is a much greater       
consistency in the dances of the        

,italian  theatre than of the ,french1  
notwithstanding dancing seems to be the 
genius of that nation2 the following    
distinctly marked characters were       
originally from ,italy2 and if we       
consider them lineally as to their      
particular movements1 we shall see      
wherein their humour consists4    ,the  
attitudes of the harlequin are          
ingeniously composed of certain  little1
 quick movements of the head1 hands1 and
 feet1 some of which  shoot out as it   
were from the body in straight lines1 or
 are twirled  about in little circles4  
,scaramouch is gravely absurd as the    
character is intended1 in               
over-stretch'd tedious movements of     
unnatural lengths of lines3 these  two  
characters seem to have been contrived  
by conceiving a direct  opposition of   
movements4    ,pierrott's movements and 
attitudes1 are chiefly in perpendiculars
 and  parallels1 so is his figure and   
dress4    ,punchinello is droll by being
 the reverse of all elegance1 both as to

  movement1 and figure1 the beauty of   
variety is totally1 and comically       
excluded from this character in every   
respect2 his limbs are raised and  let  
fall almost altogether at one time1 in  
parallel directions1 as if  his seeming 
fewer joints than ordinary1 were no     
better than the hinges  of a door4      
,dances that represent provincial       
characters1 as these above do1  or very 
low people1 such as gardeners1 sailors1 
c4 in merriment1  are generally most    
entertaining on the stage3 the ,italians
 have  lately added great pleasantry and
 humour to several french dances1       
particularly the wooden-shoe dance1 in  
which there is a continual  shifting    
from one attitude in plain lines to     
another2 both the man  and the woman    
often comically fix themselves in       
uniform positions1  and frequently start
 in equal time1 into angular forms1 one 
of which  remarkably represents two ,w's
 in a line1 as over figure #abb1 plate  
,,ii1  these sort of dances a little    

raised1 especially on the woman's side1 
in expressing elegant wantonness 7which 
is the true spirit of dancing7  have of 
late years been most delightfully done1 
and seem at present to  have got the    
better of pompous unmeaning grand       
ballets2 serious dancing  being even a  
contradiction in terms4                 
,illustration3 ,fig4 over ,fig4 #abb    
#dthly1 ,of ,country ,dancing4 ,the     
lines which a number of people  together
 form in country or figure dancing1 make
 a delightful play  upon the eye1       
especially when the whole figure is to  
be seen at one  view1 as at the         
playhouse from the gallery2 the beauty  
of this kind of  mystic dancing1 as the 
poets term it1 depends upon moving in a 
composed  variety of lines1 chiefly     
serpentine1 govern'd by the principles  
of  intricacy1 c4 ,the dances of        
barbarians are always represented       
without  these movements1 being only    
composed of wild skiping1 jumping1 and  
turning round1 or running backward and  

forward1 with convulsive shrugs1  and   
distorted gestures4    ,one of the most 
pleasing movements in country dancing1  
and which  answers to all the principles
 of varying at once1 is what they call  
the  hay2 the figure of it altogether1  
is a cypher of ,s's1 or a number of     
serpentine lines interlacing1 or        
intervolving each other1 which suppose  
traced on the floor1 the lines would    
appear as fig4 #abc ,t p4 ,,ii4  ,milton
 in his ,paradise lost1 describing the  
angels dancing about the  sacred hill1  
pictures the whole idea in words2       
,mystical dance6----      ----,mazes    
intricate1      ,eccentric1 intervolv'd1
 yet regular      ,then most1 when most 
irregular they seem4    ,illustration3  
,fig4 #abc    ,i shall venture1 lastly1 
to say a word or two of stage-action4   
,from  what has been said of habitually 
moving in waving lines1 it may  possibly
 be found that if stage-action1         
particularly the graceful1  were to be  
studied lineally1 it might be more      

speedily and accurately  acquired by the
 help of the foregoing principles than  
the methods  hitherto taken4 ,it is     
known that common deportment1 such as   
may  pass for elegant and proper off the
 stage1 would no more be thought        
sufficient upon it than the dialogue of 
common polite conversation1  would be   
accurate or spirited enough for the     
language of a play4 ,so  that trusting  
to chance only will not do4 ,the actions
 of every scene  ought to be as much as 
possible a compleat composition of well 
varied  movements1 considered as such   
abstractedly1 and apart from what may   
be merely relative to the sense of the  
words4 ,action consider'd with  regard  
to assisting the authors meaning1 by    
enforcing the sentiments  or raising the
 passions1 must be left entirely to the 
judgment of the  performer1 we only     
pretend to shew how the limbs may be    
made to have an  equal readiness to move
 in all such directions as may be       
acquired4    ,what ,i would have        

understood by action1 abstractedly and  
apart from  its giving force to the     
meaning of the words1 may be better     
conceived  by supposing a foreigner1 who
 is a thorough master of all the effects
  of action1 at one of our theatres1 but
 quite ignorant of the language  of the 
play2 it is evident his sentiments under
 such limitations1  would chiefly arise 
from what he might distinguish by the   
lines of the  movements belonging to    
each character2 the actions of an old   
man1 if  proper1 or not1 would be       
visible to him at once1 and he would    
judge of  low and odd characters1 by the
 inelegant lines which we have already  
shewn to belong to the characters of    
punch1 harlequin1 pierrott1 or  the     
clown2 so he would also form his        
judgment of the graceful acting  of a   
fine gentleman1 or hero1 by the elegance
 of their movements in  such lines of   
grace and beauty as have been           
sufficiently described4 ,see  chapters  
,v1 ,,vi1 ,,vii1 ,,viii1 on the         

composition of forms4 ,where note1  that
 as the whole of beauty depends upon    
continually varying the same  must be   
observed with regard to genteel and     
elegant acting3 and as  plain space     
makes a considerable part of beauty in  
form1 so cessation  of movement in      
acting is as absolutely necessary2 and  
in my opinion  much wanted on most      
stages1 to relieve the eye from what    
,shakespear  calls1 continually sawing  
the air4    ,the actress hath sufficient
 grace with fewer actions1 and those in 
less extended lines than the actor2 for 
as the lines that compose the  ,venus   
are simpler and more gently flowing1    
than those that compose the  ,apollo1 so
 must her movements be in like          
proportion4    ,and here it may not be  
improper to take notice of a mischief   
that  attends copied actions on the     
stage2 they are often confin'd to       
certain  sets and numbers1 which being  
repeated1 and growing stale to the      
audience1 become at last subject to     

mimickry and ridicule1 which would      
hardly be the case1 if an actor were    
possest of such general principles  as  
include a knowledge of the effects of   
all the movements that the  body is     
capable of4    ,the comedian1 whose     
business it is to imitate the actions   
belonging  to particular characters in  
nature1 may also find his account in the
  knowledge of lines2 for whatever he   
copies from the life1 by these          
principles may be strengthened1 altered1
 and adjusted as his judgment  shall    
direct1 and the part the author has     
given him shall require4      ,,finis4  
,prints ,publish'd by ,w4 ,,hogarth1 and
 are to be had at his ,house in         
,leicester ,fields4                     
l4 s4 d4    ,marriage a-la-mode1 in six 
prints            #a  #aa #f            
,harlot's ,progress1 in six prints      
#a  #a  #j    ,rake's ,progress1 in     
eight prints             #b  #b  #j     
,four ,times of the ,day1 in four prints
        #a  #j  #j    ,strolling        

,actresses dressing in a ,barn4      #j 
#e  #j    ,midnight ,conversation       
#j  #e  #j    ,southwark ,fair          
#j  #e  #j    ,bishop of ,winchester    
#j  #c  #j    ,calais1 or the ,roast    
,beef of ,old ,england     #j  #e  #j   
,before and ,after1 two prints          
#j  #e  #j    ,distress'd ,poet         
#j  #c  #j    ,enraged ,musician        
#j  #c  #j    ,various ,characters of   
,heads1 in five groups  #j  #b  #f      
,beer ,street and ,gin ,lane1 two prints
         #j  #c  #j    ,four ,stages of 
,cruelty1 four prints          #j  #f   
#j    ,moses brought to ,pharoah's      
,daughter          #j  #g  #f    ,paul  
before ,felix                           
#j  #g  #f    ,paul before ,felix in the
 manner of ,rembrant  #j  #j  #j    ,the
 ,effects of ,idleness and ,industry1   
exemplified in the ,conduct of two      
,fellow-,prentices1 in twelve prints    
#j  #ab #j    ,lord ,lovat              
#j  #a  #j    ,country-,inn ,yard       
#j  #a  #j    ,sleeping ,congregation   

#j  #a  #j    ,march to ,finchley       
#j  #aj #f    ,mr4 ,garrick in the      
,character of ,king  ,richard the third 
#j  #g  #f    ,columbus breaking the    
,egg                    #j  #a  #j      
,frontispiece                           
#j  #c  #j      ,n4 ,b4 ,if any one     
purchases the whole together1 they will 
have them  deliver'd bound1 at the      
,price of ten ,guineas1 and a sufficient
 ,margin  will be left for ,framing4    
,,figures referr'd to in the ,,book4    
,,plate ,i4    ,figure                  
,page  #a1                   #c  #b1    
#aj1 #gg  #c-d1                 #ae     
,fig4 over ,fig4 #d1    xix  #f1        
vi1 viii1 #bj1 #ha1 #hb1 #hc1 #hf1 #hh1 
#abh  #g1                   viii1 #bj   
#i1                   #bb1 #ace  #aj-aa1
               #bc  #ab1                
#ff1 #hf1 #hg1 #hh1 #hi1 #ij1 #ia1 #abh1
 #aec  #ac1                  #ff1 #aeb  
#ad1                  #be1 #bf  #ae1    
#bg  #af1                  #ca  #ag-ah1 
#ca1 #hg  #ai-bj1               #ca     

#ba1                  #cf  #bb1         
#cc  ,fig4 bet'n #bb  #aje  viii  #bc1  
#cg  #bd-be1               #ch  #bf1    
#ch1 #ci1 #ajj  #bi1                    
#dj  #cj-cb1               #da  #cc-cg1 
#db  #ch1                  #dc  #ci-db  
#dd  #dc1                  xix1 #dd     
#dd-df                #dd  #dg1         
xix1 #ai  ,fig4 bet'n #dg  #hh1  #ag1   
#ig  #dh1                  #df  #di1    
#di1 #abh1 #adc  ,fig4 under #di1       
#d  #ej1                  #di  #ec1     
#di1 #ej  #ed1                  v1 #bj1 
#fd  #ee1                  #bj1 #gf     
#fe1                  #ef1 #fj  #ff-fg1 
#eg  ,fig4 near #fg1        #fh  #fh1   
#eh1 #gf  #hg-hh1               #aaa    
#ig1                  #ajd1 #abc1 #abd  
#ih1                  #abc1 #abd        
#ii-aje1              #abd  #ajf1       
#abe  #ajg1                 #abh  #aae1 
#acc      ,,plate ,,ii4    ,figure      
,page  #ea1                  #acg  #eb1 
x  #ef1                  #ea  #eg1      
#ea1 #ajc  #eh1                  #ea1   

#ee1 #ajc  #ei1                  #ec    
#fj-fc1               #ee  #fd1         
#ef  #fi-gj1               #gh  #ga1    
#acf  #gb1                  #bj1 #acg   
#gc1                  #acg  #gd1        
#ach  #ge1                  #acg  #gf1  
#fb1 #fd  #gg1                  #fb1    
#fc1 #fd  #gh1                  #fc1 #fd
  #gi-hj1               #fc  #ha1       
#fd  #hb-hc1               #fe  #hd-he1 
#if  #hf1                  #ajh1 #aji1  
#aaa  #hi1                  #aaa  #ij1  
#aji  #ia1                  #aab  #ib1  
#aaa  #ic1                  #aaa  #id1  
#ih1 #aaf1 #aag1 #aah  #ie1             
#aae  #if1                  #aag        
#ajh-aji1             #acj  #aaj1       
#acc  #aac1                 #acb  #aad1 
#acc  #aaf1                 #acb        
#aag-aah1             #acd  #aai-abj1   
#adc  #aba1                 #add  #abb1 
#adg  #abc1                 #aea