08-beauty-第3部分

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glazed；　and；　in　proportion　to　the　beauty　of　the　lines　drawn；　will　be

kept　for　centuries。　　Burns　writes　a　copy　of　verses；　and　sends　them　to

a　newspaper；　and　the　human　race　take　charge　of　them　that　they　shall

not　perish。



　　　　　　　　As　the　flute　is　heard　farther　than　the　cart；　see　how　surely　a

beautiful　form　strikes　the　fancy　of　men；　and　is　copied　and　reproduced

without　end。　　How　many　copies　are　there　of　the　Belvedere　Apollo；　the

Venus；　the　Psyche；　the　Warwick　Vase；　the　Parthenon；　and　the　Temple　of

Vesta？　　These　are　objects　of　tenderness　to　all。　　In　our　cities；　an

ugly　building　is　soon　removed；　and　is　never　repeated；　but　any

beautiful　building　is　copied　and　improved　upon；　so　that　all　masons

and　carpenters　work　to　repeat　and　preserve　the　agreeable　forms；

whilst　the　ugly　ones　die　out。



　　　　　　　　The　felicities　of　design　in　art；　or　in　works　of　Nature；　are

shadows　or　forerunners　of　that　beauty　which　reaches　its　perfection　in

the　human　form。　　All　men　are　its　lovers。　　Wherever　it　goes；　it

creates　joy　and　hilarity；　and　everything　is　permitted　to　it。　　It

reaches　its　height　in　woman。　　〃To　Eve；〃　say　the　Mahometans；　〃God　gave

two　thirds　of　all　beauty。〃　A　beautiful　woman　is　a　practical　poet；

taming　her　savage　mate；　planting　tenderness；　hope；　and　eloquence；　in

all　whom　she　approaches。　　Some　favors　of　condition　must　go　with　it；

since　a　certain　serenity　is　essential；　onsmustfurnishbut　we　love　its

reproofs　and　superiorities。　　Nature　wishes　that　woman　should　attract

man；　yet　she　often　cunningly　moulds　into　her　face　a　little　sarcasm；

which　seems　to　say；　‘Yes；　I　am　willing　to　attract；　but　to　attract　a

little　better　kind　of　a　man　than　any　I　yet　behold。'　French　_memoires_

of　the　fifteenth　century　celebrate　the　name　of　Pauline　de　Viguiere；　a

virtuous　and　accomplished　maiden；　who　so　fired　the　enthusiasm　of　her

contemporaries；　by　her　enchanting　form；　that　the　citizens　of　her

native　city　of　Toulouse　obtained　the　aid　of　the　civil　authorities　to

compel　her　to　appear　publicly　on　the　balcony　at　least　twice　a　week；

and；　as　often　as　she　showed　herself；　the　crowd　was　dangerous　to　life。

Not　less；　in　England；　in　the　last　century；　was　the　fame　of　the

Gunnings；　of　whom；　Elizabeth　married　the　Duke　of　Hamilton；　and　Maria；

the　Earl　of　Coventry。　　Walpole　says；　〃the　concourse　was　so　great；

when　the　Duchess　of　Hamilton　was　presented　at　court；　on　Friday；　that

even　the　noble　crowd　in　the　drawing…room　clambered　on　chairs　and

tables　to　look　at　her。　　There　are　mobs　at　their　doors　to　see　them　get

into　their　chairs；　and　people　go　early　to　get　places　at　the　theatres；

when　it　is　known　they　will　be　there。〃　〃Such　crowds；〃　he　adds；

elsewhere；　〃flock　to　see　the　Duchess　of　Hamilton；　that　seven　hundred

people　sat　up　all　night；　in　and　about　an　inn；　in　Yorkshire；　to　see

her　get　into　her　post…chaise　next　morning。〃



　　　　　　　　But　why　need　we　console　ourselves　with　the　fames　of　Helen　of

Argos；　or　Corinna；　or　Pauline　of　Toulouse；　or　the　Duchess　of

Hamilton？　　We　all　know　this　magic　very　well；　or　can　divine　it。　　It

does　not　hurt　weak　eyes　to　look　into　beautiful　eyes　never　so　long。

Women　stand　related　to　beautiful　Nature　around　us；　and　the　enamored

youth　mixes　their　form　with　moon　and　stars；　with　woods　and　waters；

and　the　pomp　of　summer。　　They　heal　us　of　awkwardness　by　their　words

and　looks。　　We　observe　their　intellectual　influence　on　the　most

serious　student。　　They　refine　and　consmustfurnishlear　his　mind；　teach

him　to　put　a　pleasing　method　into　what　is　dry　and　difficult。　　We　talk

to　them；　and　wish　to　be　listened　to；　we　fear　to　fatigue　them；　and

acquire　a　facility　of　expression　which　passes　from　conversation　into

habit　of　style。



　　　　　　　　That　Beauty　is　the　normal　state；　is　shown　by　the　perpetual

effort　of　Nature　to　attain　it。　　Mirabeau　had　an　ugly　face　on　a

handsome　ground；　and　we　see　faces　every　day　which　have　a　good　type；

but　have　been　marred　in　the　casting：　a　proof　that　we　are　all　entitled

to　beauty；　should　have　been　beautiful；　if　our　ancestors　had　kept　the

laws；　　as　every　lily　and　every　rose　is　well。　　But　our　bodies　do　not

fit　us；　but　caricature　and　satirize　us。　　Thus；　short　legs；　which

constrain　us　to　short；　mincing　steps；　are　a　kind　of　personal　insult

and　contumely　to　the　owner；　and　long　stilts；　again；　put　him　at

perpetual　disadvantage；　and　force　him　to　stoop　to　the　general　level

of　mankind。　　Martial　ridicules　a　gentleman　of　his　day　whose

countenance　resembled　the　face　of　a　swimmer　seen　under　water。　　Saadi

describes　a　schoolmaster　〃so　ugly　and　crabbed；　that　a　sight　of　him

would　derange　the　ecstasies　of　the　orthodox。〃　Faces　are　rarely　true

to　any　ideal　type；　but　are　a　record　in　sculpture　of　a　thousand

anecdotes　of　whim　and　folly。　　Portrait　painters　say　that　most　faces

and　forms　are　irregular　and　unsymmetrical；　have　one　eye　blue；　and　one

gray；　the　nose　not　straight；　and　one　shoulder　higher　than　another；

the　hair　unequally　distributed；　etc。　　The　man　is　physically　as　well

as　metaphysically　a　thing　of　shreds　and　patches；　borrowed　unequally

from　good　and　bad　ancestors；　and　a　misfit　from　the　start。



　　　　　　　　A　beautiful　person；　among　the　Greeks；　was　thought　to　betray　by

this　sign　some　secret　favor　of　the　immortal　gods：　and　we　can　pardon

pride；　when　a　woman　possesses　such　a　figure；　that　wherever　she

stands；　or　moves；　or　leaves　a　shadow　on　the　wall；　or　sits　for　a

portrait　to　the　artist；　she　confers　a　favor　on　the　world。　　And　yet　

it　is　not　beauty　that　inspires　the　deepesonsmustfurnisht　passion。

Beauty　without　grace　is　the　hook　without　the　bait。　　Beauty；　without

expression；　tires。　　Abbe　Menage　said　of　the　President　Le　Bailleul；

〃that　he　was　fit　for　nothing　but　to　sit　for　his　portrait。〃　　A　Greek

epigram　intimates　that　the　force　of　love　is　not　shown　by　the　courting

of　beauty；　but　when　the　like　desire　is　inflamed　for　one　who　is

ill…favored。　　And　petulant　old　gentlemen；　who　have　chanced　to　suffer

some　intolerable　weariness　from　pretty　people；　or　who　have　seen　cut

flowers　to　some　profusion；　or　who　see；　after　a　world　of　pains　have

been　successfully　taken　for　the　costume；　how　the　least　mistake　in

sentiment　takes　all　the　beauty　out　of　your　clothes；　　affirm；　that

the　secret　of　ugliness　consists　not　in　irregularity；　but　in　being

uninteresting。



　　　　　　　　We　love　any　forms；　however　ugly；　from　which　great　qualities

shine。　　If　command；　eloquence；　art；　or　invention；　exist　in　the　most

deformed　person；　all　the　accidents　that　usually　displease；　please；

and　raise　esteem　and　wonder　higher。　　The　great　orator　was　an

emaciated；　insignificant　person；　but　he　was　all　brain。　　Cardinal　De

Retz　says　of　De　Bouillon；　〃With　the　physiognomy　of　an　ox；　he　had　the

perspicacity　of　an　eagle。〃　It　was　said　of　Hooke；　the　friend　of

Newton；　〃he　is　the　most；　and　promises　the　least；　of　any　man　in

England。〃　〃Since　I　am　so　ugly；〃　said　Du　Guesclin；　〃it　behooves　that　I

be　bold。〃　Sir　Philip　Sidney；　the　darling　of　mankind；　Ben　Jonson　tells

us；　〃was　no　pleasant　man　in　countenance；　his　face　being　spoiled　with

pimples；　and　of　high　blood；　and　long。〃　Those　who　have　ruled　human

destinies；　like　planets；　for　thousands　of　years；　were　not　handsome

men。　　If　a　man　can　raise　a　small　city　to　be　a　great　kingdom；　can　make

bread　cheap；　can　irrigate　deserts；　can　join　oceans　by　canals；　can

subdue　steam；　can　organize　victory；　can　lead　the　opinions　of　mankind；

can　enlarge　knowledge；　'tis　no　matter　whether　his　nose　is　parallel　to

his　spine；　as　it　ought　to　be；　or　whether　he　has　a　nose　at　all；

whether　honsmustfurnishis　legs　are　straight；　or　whether　his　legs　are

amputated；　his　deformities　will　come　to　be　reckoned　ornamental；　and

advantageous　on　the　whole。　　This　is　the　triumph　of　expression；

degrading　beauty；　charming　us　with　a　power　so　fine　and　friendly　and

intoxicating；　that　it　makes　admired　persons　insipid；　and　the　thought

of　passing　our　lives　with　them　insupportable。　　There　are　faces　so

fluid　with　expression；　so　flushed　and　rippled　by　the　play　of　thought；

that　we　can　hardly　find　what　the　mere　features　really　are。　　When　the

delicious　beauty　of　lineaments　loses　its　power；　it　is　because　a　more

delicious　beauty　has　appeared；　that　an　interior　and　durable　form　has

been　disclosed。　　Still；　Beauty　rides　on　her　lion；　as　before。　　Still；

〃it　was　for　beauty　that　the　world　was　made。〃　The　lives　of　the　Italian

artists；　who　established　a　despotism　of　genius　amidst　the　dukes　and

kings　and　mobs　of　their　stormy　epoch；　prove　how　loyal　men　in　all

times　are　to　a　finer　brain；　a　finer　method；　than　their　own。　　If　a　man

can　cut　such　a　head　on　his　stone　gate…post　as　shall　draw　and　keep　a

crowd　about　it　all　day；　by　its　beauty；　good　nature；　and　inscrutable

meaning；　　if　a　man　can　build　a　plain　cottage　with　such　symmetry；　as

to　make　all　the　fine　palaces　look　cheap　and　vulgar；　can　take　such

advantage　of　Nature；　that　all　her　powers　serve　him；　making　use　of

geometry；　instead　of　expense；　tapping　a　mountain　for　his　water…jet；

causing　the　sun　and　moon　to　seem　only　the　decorations　of　his　estate；

this　is　still　the　legitimate　dominion　of　beauty。



　　　　　　　　The　radiance　of　the　human　form；　though　sometimes　astonishing；

is　only　a　burst　of　beauty　for　a　few　years　or　a　few　months；　at　the

perfection　of　youth；　and　in　most；　rapidly　declines。　　But　we　remain

lovers　of　it；　only　transferring　our　interest　to　interior　excellence。

And　it　is　not　only　admirable　in　singular　and　salient　talents；　but

also　in　the　world　of　manners。



　　　　　　　　But　the　sovereign　attribute　remains　to　be　noted。　　Things　are

pretty；　graceful；　rich；　elegant；　handsoonsmustfurnishme；　but；　until

they　speak　to　the　imagination；　not　yet　beautiful。　　This　is　the　reason

why　beauty　is　still　escaping　out　of　all　analysis。　　It　is　not　yet

possessed；　it　cannot　be　handled。　　Proclus　says；　〃it　swims　on　the

light　of　forms。〃　It　is　properly　not　in　the　form；　but　in　the　mind。　　It

instantly　deserts　possession；　and　flies　to　an　object　in　the　horizon。

If　I　could　put　my　hand　on　the　north　star；　would　it　be　as　beautiful？

The　sea　is　lovely；　but　wh