1of Stones? the greater it is, the more we blame
the Folly of the Expence, and condemn the
Builder's inconſiderate Luſt of heaping up Stone
upon Stone without Contrivance. The having
ſatisfied Neceſſity is a very ſmall Matter, and
the having provided for Conveniency affords
no Manner of Pleaſure, where you are ſhocked
by the Deformity of the Work. Add to this,
that the very Thing we ſpeak of is itſelf no
ſmall help to Conveniency and Duration: For
who will deny that it is much more convenient
to be lodged in a neat handſome Structure,
than in a naſty ill-contrived Hole? or can any
Building be made ſo ſtrong by all the Contri
vance of Art, as to be ſafe from Violence and
Force? But Beauty will have ſuch an Effect
even upon an enraged Enemy, that it will diſ
arm his Anger, and prevent him from offering
it any Injury: Inſomuch that I will be bold to
ſay, there can be no greater Security to any
Work againſt Violence and Injury, than Beau
ty and Dignity. Your whole Care, Diligence
and Expence, therefore ſhould all tend to this,
that whatever you build may be not only uſe
ful and convenient, but alſo handſomely
adorned, and by that means delightful to the
Sight, that whoever views it may own the Ex
pence could never have been better beſtowed.
But what Beauty and Ornament are in them
ſelves, and what Difference there is between
them, may perhaps be eaſier for the Reader to
conceive in his Mind, than for me to explain
by Words. In order therefore to be as brief
as poſſible, I ſhall define Beauty to be a Har
mony of all the Parts, in whatſoever Subject it
appears, fitted together with ſuch Proportion
and Connection, that nothing could be added,
diminiſhed or altered, but for the Worſe. A
Quality ſo Noble and Divine, that the whole
Force of Wit and Art has been ſpent to pro
cure it; and it is but very rarely granted to any
one, or even to Nature herſelf, to produce any
Thing every Way perfect and compleat. How
extraordinary a Thing (ſays the Perſon intro
duced in Tully) is a handſome Youth in Athens!
This Critick in Beauty found that there was
ſomething deficient or ſuperfluous, in the Per
ſons he diſliked, which was not compatible
with the Perfection of Beauty, which I imagine
might have been obtained by Means of Orna
ment, by painting and concealing any Thing
that was deformed, and trimming and poliſhing
what was handſome; ſo that the unſightly
Parts might have given leſs Offence, and the
more lovely more Delight. If this be grant
ed we may define Ornament to be a Kind of
an auxiliary Brightneſs and Improvement to
Beauty. So that then Beauty is ſomewhat
lovely which is proper and innate, and diffuſed
over the whole Body, and Ornament ſome
what added or faſtened on, rather than proper
and innate. To return therefore where we
leſt off. Whoever would build ſo as to have
their Building commended, which every rea
ſonable Man would deſire, muſt build accord
ing to a Juſtneſs of Proportion, and this Juſt
neſs of Proportion muſt be owing to Art. Who
therefore will affirm, that a handſome and juſt
Structure can be raiſed any otherwiſe than by
the Means of Art? and conſequently this Part
of Building, which relates to Beauty and Orna
ment, being the Chief of all the Reſt, muſt
without doubt be directed by ſome ſure Rules
of Art and Proportion, which whoever ne
glects will make himſelf ridiculous. But there
are ſome who will by no means allow of this,
and ſay that Men are guided by a Variety of
Opinions in their Judgment of Beauty and of
Buildings; and that the Forms of Structures
muſt vary according to every Man's particular
Taſte and Fancy, and not be tied down to any
Rules of Art. A common Thing with the
Ignorant, to deſpiſe what they do not under
ſtand! It may not therefore be amiſs to confute
this Error; not that I think it neceſſary to
enter into a long Diſcuſſion about the Origin
of Arts, from what Principles they were de
duced, and by what Methods improved. I
ſhall only take Notice that all Arts were begot
by Chance and Obſervation, and nurſed by
Uſe and Experience, and improved and per
fected by Reaſon and Study. Thus we are
told that Phyſick was invented in a thouſand
Years by a thouſand thouſand Men; and ſo too
the Art of Navigation; as, indeed, all other
Arts have grown up by Degrees from the ſmall
eſt Beginnings.
the Folly of the Expence, and condemn the
Builder's inconſiderate Luſt of heaping up Stone
upon Stone without Contrivance. The having
ſatisfied Neceſſity is a very ſmall Matter, and
the having provided for Conveniency affords
no Manner of Pleaſure, where you are ſhocked
by the Deformity of the Work. Add to this,
that the very Thing we ſpeak of is itſelf no
ſmall help to Conveniency and Duration: For
who will deny that it is much more convenient
to be lodged in a neat handſome Structure,
than in a naſty ill-contrived Hole? or can any
Building be made ſo ſtrong by all the Contri
vance of Art, as to be ſafe from Violence and
Force? But Beauty will have ſuch an Effect
even upon an enraged Enemy, that it will diſ
arm his Anger, and prevent him from offering
it any Injury: Inſomuch that I will be bold to
ſay, there can be no greater Security to any
Work againſt Violence and Injury, than Beau
ty and Dignity. Your whole Care, Diligence
and Expence, therefore ſhould all tend to this,
that whatever you build may be not only uſe
ful and convenient, but alſo handſomely
adorned, and by that means delightful to the
Sight, that whoever views it may own the Ex
pence could never have been better beſtowed.
But what Beauty and Ornament are in them
ſelves, and what Difference there is between
them, may perhaps be eaſier for the Reader to
conceive in his Mind, than for me to explain
by Words. In order therefore to be as brief
as poſſible, I ſhall define Beauty to be a Har
mony of all the Parts, in whatſoever Subject it
appears, fitted together with ſuch Proportion
and Connection, that nothing could be added,
diminiſhed or altered, but for the Worſe. A
Quality ſo Noble and Divine, that the whole
Force of Wit and Art has been ſpent to pro
cure it; and it is but very rarely granted to any
one, or even to Nature herſelf, to produce any
Thing every Way perfect and compleat. How
extraordinary a Thing (ſays the Perſon intro
duced in Tully) is a handſome Youth in Athens!
This Critick in Beauty found that there was
ſomething deficient or ſuperfluous, in the Per
ſons he diſliked, which was not compatible
with the Perfection of Beauty, which I imagine
might have been obtained by Means of Orna
ment, by painting and concealing any Thing
that was deformed, and trimming and poliſhing
what was handſome; ſo that the unſightly
Parts might have given leſs Offence, and the
more lovely more Delight. If this be grant
ed we may define Ornament to be a Kind of
an auxiliary Brightneſs and Improvement to
Beauty. So that then Beauty is ſomewhat
lovely which is proper and innate, and diffuſed
over the whole Body, and Ornament ſome
what added or faſtened on, rather than proper
and innate. To return therefore where we
leſt off. Whoever would build ſo as to have
their Building commended, which every rea
ſonable Man would deſire, muſt build accord
ing to a Juſtneſs of Proportion, and this Juſt
neſs of Proportion muſt be owing to Art. Who
therefore will affirm, that a handſome and juſt
Structure can be raiſed any otherwiſe than by
the Means of Art? and conſequently this Part
of Building, which relates to Beauty and Orna
ment, being the Chief of all the Reſt, muſt
without doubt be directed by ſome ſure Rules
of Art and Proportion, which whoever ne
glects will make himſelf ridiculous. But there
are ſome who will by no means allow of this,
and ſay that Men are guided by a Variety of
Opinions in their Judgment of Beauty and of
Buildings; and that the Forms of Structures
muſt vary according to every Man's particular
Taſte and Fancy, and not be tied down to any
Rules of Art. A common Thing with the
Ignorant, to deſpiſe what they do not under
ſtand! It may not therefore be amiſs to confute
this Error; not that I think it neceſſary to
enter into a long Diſcuſſion about the Origin
of Arts, from what Principles they were de
duced, and by what Methods improved. I
ſhall only take Notice that all Arts were begot
by Chance and Obſervation, and nurſed by
Uſe and Experience, and improved and per
fected by Reaſon and Study. Thus we are
told that Phyſick was invented in a thouſand
Years by a thouſand thouſand Men; and ſo too
the Art of Navigation; as, indeed, all other
Arts have grown up by Degrees from the ſmall
eſt Beginnings.