ftituent parts. The foregoing definition, which at best is but obfcurely expreffed, is only applicable to a number of objects in a group or in fucceffion, among which indeed a due mixture of uniformity and variety is always agreeable, provided the particular objects, feparately confidered, be in any degree beautiful. Uniformity amidst variety among ugly objects, affords no pleasure. This circumftance is totally omitted in the definition; and indeed to have mentioned it, would at first glance how the definition to be imperfect. To define beauty as arifing from beautiful objects blended together in a due proportion of uniformity and variety, would be too grofs to pafs current; as nothing can be more grofs, than to employ in a definition the very term that is proposed to be explained.

APPENDIX to Chap. IX. Concerning the works of

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nature.

N natural objects, whether we regard their internal or external ftructure, beauty and defign are equally confpicuous. We fhall begin with the outfide of nature, as what first prefents itself.

The figure of an organic body, is generally regular. The trunk of a tree, its branches, and their ramifications, are nearly round, and form a feries regularly decreafing from the trunk to the smallest fibre. Uniformity is no where more remarkable than in the leaves which, in the fame fpecies, have all the fame colour, fize, and shape. The feeds and fruits are all regular figures, approaching for the most part to the globular form. Hence a plant, especially of the larger kind, with its trunk, branches, foliage, and fruit, is a delightful object.

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Ch. IX. In an animal, the trunk, which is much larger than the other parts, occupies a chief place. Its fhape, like that of the ftem of plants, is nearly round; a figure which of all is the most agreeable. Its two fides are precifely fimilar. Several of the under parts go off in pairs; and the two individuals of each pair are accurately uniform. The fingle parts are placed in the middle. The limbs, bearing a certain proportion to the trunk, ferve to fupportit, and to give it a proper elevation. Upon one extremity are difpofed the neck and head, in the direction of the trunk. The head being the chief part, poffeffes with great proprety the chief place. Hence, the beauty of the whole figure, is the refult of many equal and proportional parts orderly disposed; and the smallest variation in number, equality, proportion, or order, never fails to produce a perception of uglinefs and deformity.

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Nature in no particular feems more profufe of ornament, than in the beautiful colouring of her works. The flowers of plants, the furs of beasts, and the feathers of birds, vie with each other in the beauty of their colours, which in luftre as well as in harmony are beyond the power of imitation. Of all natural appearances, the colouring of the human face is the moft-exquifite. It is the ftrongest inftance of the ineffable art of nature, in adapting and proportioning its colours to the magnitude, figure, and pofition, of the parts. In a word, colour feems to live in nature only, and to languifh under the finest touches of art.

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When we examine the internal structure of a plant or animal, a wonderful fubtility of mechanifm is difplayed. Man, in his mechanical operations, is confined to the surface of bodies. But the perations of nature are exerted through the whole fubftance, fo as to reach even the elemen

tary

tary parts. Thus the body of an animal, and of a plant, are composed of certain great vessels ; thefe of fmaller; and these again of still fmaller, without end. fo far as we can discover. This power of diffufing mechanism through the most intimate parts, is peculiar to nature; and diftinguishes her operations, most remarkably, from every work of art. Such texture, continued from the groffer parts to the most minute, preferves all along the ftricteft regularity. The fibres of plants are a bundle of cylindric canals, lying in the fame direction, and parallel or nearly parallel to each other. In fome instances, a most accurate arrangement of parts is discovered, as in onions, formed of concentric coats one within another to the very centre. An animal body is ftill more admirable, in the difpofition of its internal parts, and in their order and fymmetry. There is not a bone, a muscle, a blood-vessel, a nerve, that hath not one Correfponding to it on the oppofite fide of the animal, and the fame order is carried through the moft minute parts. The lungs are compofed of two parts, which are difpofed upon the fides of the thorax; and the kidneys, in a lower fituation, have a pofition not lefs orderly. As to the parts that are fingle, the heart is advantageously fituated nigh the middle. The liver, ftomach, and fpleen, are difpofed in the upper region of the abdomen, about the fame height: the bladder is placed in the middle of the body; as well as the intestinal canal,, which fills the whole cavity by its convolutions.

The mechanical power of nature, not confined to fmall bodies, reacheth equally those of the greatest fize; witness the bodies that compofe the folar fyftem, which, however large, are weighed, meafured, and fubjected to certain laws, with the ut moft accuracy. Their places around the fun, with their

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their distances, are determined by a precife rule, correfponding to their quantities of matter. The fuperior dignity of the central body, in refpect of its bulk and lucid appearance, is fuited to the place it occupies. The globular figure of these bodies, is not only in itself beautiful, but is above all others fitted for regular motion. Each planet revolves about its own axis in a given time; and each moves round the fun, in an orbit nearly circular, and in a time proportioned to its diftance. Their velocities, directed by an established law are perpetually changing by regular accelerations and retardations. In fine, the great variety of regular appearances, joined with the beauty of the fyftem itself, cannot fail to produce the highest delight in every person who can tafte defign, power, or beauty.

Nature hath a wonderful power of connecting fyftems with each other, and of propagating that connection through all her works. Thus the conftituent parts of a plant, the roots, the ftem, the branches, the leaves, the fruit, are really different fyftems, united by a mutual dependence on each other. Thus in an animal, the lymphatic and lacteal ducts, the blood-veffels and nerves, the mufcles and glands, the bones and cartilages, the membranes and vifcera, with the other organs, form diftinct fyftems, which are united into one whole. There are, at the fame time, other connections lefs intimate. Thus every plant is joined to the earth by its roots; it requires rain and dews to furnish it with juices; and it requires heat to preferve thefe juices in fluidity and motion. Thus every animal, by its gravity, is connected with the earth, with the element in which it breathes, and with the fun, by deriving from it cherishing and enlivening heat. The earth furnisheth aliment to plants, these to animals, and thefe again to other animals, in a long train of dependence. That the earth is part of a

greater

greater fyftem, comprehending many bodies mutually attracting each other, and gravitating all toward one common centre, is now thoroughly explored. Such a regular and uniform feries of connections, propagated through so great a number of beings and through fuch wide spaces, is wonderful: and our wonder must increase, when we observe this connection propagated from the minutest atoms to bodies of the most enormous size,and widely diffufed, fo as that we can neither perceive its begin ing nor its end. That it doth not terminate within our own planetary fyftem, is certain. The connection is diffufed over fpaces ftill more remote, where new bodies and fyftems rife to our view, without end. All fpace is filled with the works of God, which, being the operation of one hand, are formed by one plan, to answer one great end.·

But the most wonderful connection of all, though not the moft confpicuous, is that of our internal frame with the works of nature. Man is ob- viously fitted for contemplating these works, be caufe in this contemplation he has great delight. The works of nature are remarkable in their uni formity not lefs than in their variety; and the mind of man is fitted to receive pleasure equally from both. Uniformity and variety are interwoven in the works of nature with furprizing art. Variety, however great, is never without fome degree of uniformity; nor the greatest uniformity, without fome degree of variety. There is great variety in the fame plant, by the different appearances of its ftem, branches, leaves, bloffoms, fruit, fize, and colour; and yet when we trace this variety through different plants, especially of the fame kind, there is difcovered a furprising uniformity. Again, where nature feems to have intended the moft exact uniformity, as among individuals of the fame kind, there fill appears a diversity, which ferves readily to diftin

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guish