The beauty of motion still remains to be mention ed ; and, like the beauty of form, it arises principal ly, or solely, from expression. Slow and gentle mo tion, being indicative of ease and delicacy, is in ge neral the most beautiful ; such as the soft gliding of a stream, or the light traces of a summer breeze up on a field of corn. These are beautiful when in straight lines ; but still more so, when they describe serpentine or winding lines; because still more indi cative of ease. But though slow motion is, in gene ral, the most beautiful, rapid motion may become so, when the bodies moved excite only pleasing or mo derate affections. Thus the quick ascent of fire works, and the rapid shooting of the aurora borealis, are extremely beautiful • though the rapid shooting of lightning is too terrific to possess such a character. The motion of the humming-bird, too, though more rapid than that of the eagle, is considered as beauti ful, on account of the delicacy of the object moved.
It seems, then, to be clearly proved by Mr Alison, that the beauty of material objects does not result from any permanent qualities in the objects them selves, but from the expression of the objects, or, "from their being the signs or expressions of such qua lities as are fitted by the constitution of our nature to produce emotion." The expression that may be said most generally to prevail in beautiful objects, particularly those that are judged of by the eye, is that of gentleness, delicacy, or tenderness, a quality extremely well-suited to excite emotion blended with affection, or that kind of love which, according to our original definition, is the characteristic effect of beauty. Along with this expression of delicacy, or gentleness, there may, however, be combined-the ex pression of some other valuable quality, which will enhance the approbation and delight, with which we contemplate objects merely beautiful ; and produce an emotion of a more complicated and pleasing kind than that which beauty alone excites. Thus beauty may exist in combination with design, or a skilful com bination of parts, as in a poem, a painting, a musical composition, or a machine • and in consequence of this combination, our approbation will be enhanced. The beauty of design is a phrase or expression of frequent occurrence, and shews the connection be tween the emotions which belong to the perception of those several qualities. Another adventitious aid to beauty is fitness, or the proper adaptation of means to an end, subservient to which, and also to design, is the beauty of proportion." In the forms of furni ture, of machines, and instruments in the different arts, the greater part of their beauty arises from the con sideration of fitness; nor is there any form which does not become beautiful, in this sense, where it is found to be perfectly adapted to its end. " A ship which is well built, and which promises to sail well," says Mr Hogarth, " is called by sailors a beauty." " There is nothing more common, in books of ana tomy:, or natural history," says Mr Alison, " than the term beauty applieti to many common, and many disagreeable parts of the animal frame; nor is there any reader, who considers the subjects in the light of their fitness alone, who does not feel the same emo tion with the writers. A physician talks even of a beautiful theory of dropsies or fevers, a surgeon of a beautiful instrument for operations, an anatomist of a beautiful subject or preparation. These instances
are sufficient to shew, that even the objects which are most destitute of natural beauty, become beautiful, when they are regarded only in the light of their fit ness ; and that the reason why they do not always appear beautiful to us, is that we in general leave this quality out of our consideration." .Lastly, beauty may be combined with utility, as it actually is in almost all the productions of nature ; and by this combination, the delight with which we contemplate an object, is in the highest degree en hanced. On the superiority,, in this respect, of the works of nature over those of mere art, there is a fine observation by Mr Hogarth. " Here, I think," says that ingenious artist, " will be the proper place to speak of a most curious difference between the living machines of nature in respect of fitness, and such poor ones in comparison with them, as men are only capable of making. A clock by the govern ment's order has been made by Mr Harrison, for the keeping of true time at sea, which is, perhaps, one of the most exquisite movements ever made. Happy the ingenious contriver I although the form of the whole, or of every part of this curious machine, should be ever so confused, or displeasingly shaped to the eye, and although even its movements should be disagreeable to look at, provided it answers the end Proposed : an ornamental composition was no part of his scheme, otherwise than as a polish might be necessary; if ornaments are required to be added to mend its shape, care must be taken that they are no obstruction to the movement itself, and the more as they would be superfluous as to the main design. But in Nature's machines, how wonderfully do we see beauty and use go hand in hand ! Had a machine for this purpose been Nature's work, the whole and every individual part might have had exquisite beauty of form, without danger of destroying the exquisite ness of its motion, even as if ornament had been the sole aim; its movement, too, might have been graceful, without one superfluous tittle added for either of these lovely purposes." Thus have we endeavoured to ascertain the source of the quality of beauty in the various classes of ob jects, whether we take the term in its more appro priate, or in its more vague and indeterminate sense, that is, whether it denote a quality exciting a cer tain degree of affection and love, or a quality exciting only complacency and mental approbation. In both cases, we find beauty to arise, not so much from any determinate properties of matter, as from the ex pression of the whole, and the emotion which it is calculated to raise. Objects more strictly called beautiful, are generally expressive of delicacy or ten derness ; and those which are called beautiful, from analogy, and a certain relation to their objects, are expressive of some valuable property, such as design, fitness, proportion, or utility; which may be called beautiful, even when existing alone, but much more so, when united with real beauty and grace. It re mains, before finishing the subject, that we say a few words on the beautiful in human character, or on what is properly termed intellectual and moral beauty.