The Art of Beauty, or, The best methods of improving and preserving the shape, carriage and complexion : together with, The theory of beauty.

Date:
1825
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Art of Beauty, or, The best methods of improving and preserving the shape, carriage and complexion : together with, The theory of beauty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    dunghill, or a pig-stye. Individuals, again, will fix upon a word that is not usual among the generality. The words, vast and vastly, are favourites with some; and terrible and terribly, with others. It is on this very principle, we are convinced, that the word beauty has become so miscellaneously applied; and now we have philosophers wrangling about the cause of this beauty, which is, in many cases, an unmeaning generality, and good for nothing, but for filling up a sentence, and rounding a period. What would be thought of the philosopher who would institute an inquiry into the vastness of a rose-bud, because many will call it vastly prettv? Such, however, are many of the philosophical investiga- tions respecting beauty. The word beauty, it has been contended by some, is originally referable only to objects of sight, and all its other applications are metaphorical. If so, then why is it thought necessary to inquire after beauty in general, when there can be no such thing as beauty in general, separate, independent, and away from some particular object which is beauti- ful ? Yet this beauty, in general, seems to be the only object of inquiry among our writers on taste. It would be obliging in these writers, if they would have the goodness to show us this beauty in general, that they would exhibit it in some tangible or view- able form, that we might know exactly what we were searching for, and know certainly when we