in general, more beautiful than those bounded by straight lines and angles.

Q. On what two lines does the beauty of figure principally depend?

A. The waving line, or a curve bending backwards and forwards, as the letter S ; and the waving curve twisted round some solid body, as twisted pillars and twisted horns.

Q. What affords another source of beauty, distinct from figure?

A. Motion.

Q. What kind of Motion belongs to the beautiful?

A. The gentle only; as the motion of a bird gliding through the air, or of a smooth running stream.

Q. In what direction should it be, to be most beautiful?

A. In a waving, undulating direction, rather than in a straight line; and upwards, rather than downwards, as in the easy curling motion of smoke.

Q. What difference is observable between those movements which are necessary, and those which are designed to please?

A. The former are in straight or plain lines; the latter, in waving.

Q. If Colour, Figure, and Motion all meet in one object, what is the effect?

A. It renders the beauty greater and more complex.

Q. Where is the most complete assemblage of beautiful objects to be found?

A. In a rich natural landscape, where are fields in verdure, scattered trees and flowers, and animals grazing.

Q. What is the beauty of the human countenance?

A. Very complex ;-comprehending the beauty of colour, and the beauty of figure.

Q. Upon what does the principal beauty of the human countenance depend?

A. Upon a mysterious expression which it conveys of the qualities of the mind; of good sense or good humour; of candour; benerolence; sensibility, or other amiable dispositions. Q. What qualities of the mind raise in us a feeling similar to that of beauty?

A. Compassion, mildness, friendship, and generosity.

Q. What may this be called?

A. Moral beauty; as the exercise of heroism, magnanimity, contempt of death, was called moral sublimity.

Q. What holds so high a rank among our perceptions as to regulate our other ideas of beauty?

If

A. Our sense of fitness and design. there is propriety in all the parts of a building, there is beauty; if there is a want of it, there is deformity.*

Q. What is beautiful writing?

A. That which is neither remarkably sub

*Twisted columns are ornamental; but if they are used to support a part of a building that is massy, they displease us, for there is an appearance of weakness.

lime, passionate, nor sparkling; but such as raises in the reader an emotion of the gentle, placid kind, similar to what is raised by the contemplation of beautiful objects in nature. Q. Who have furnished us with specimens of this?

A. Addison, Fenelon, Virgil, and Cicero.

OTHER PLEASURES OF TASTE.

Q What else delights the imagination besides sublimity and beauty?

A. Novelty and Imitation.

Q. What is the character of the emotion raised by Novelty ?

A. It is of a more lively and awakening nature than that produced by beauty, but much shorter in its duration.

Q. What passion does it gratify?
A. Curiosity.

Q. To what does Imitation give rise?

A. To the secondary pleasures of the Imagination, which form a very extensive class; for all imitation affords some pleasure.

Q. Do not the pleasures of Melody and Harmony also belong to Taste?

A. Yes. Every agreeable sensation we receive from Beauty or Sublimity, may be heightened by the power of musical sound. Wit; Humour; and Ridicule, also, open a variety of pleasures to Taste.

Q. To what class of all these pleasures of Taste is that to be referred, which we receive from poetry, eloquence, or fine writing? A. Not to any one, but to them all.

Q. Whence do Eloquence and Poetry derive this power of supplying Taste and Imagination with such a wide circuit of pleasures? A. From their great capacity of Imitation and Description.

Q. Has Discourse been considered as the chief of all the imitative arts?

A. Yes. It has been compared with painting and with sculpture; and, in many respects, justly preferred before them.

Q. Is there any difference between Imitation and Description?

A. There is considerable. Imitation is performed by means of some things which have a natural likeness to the thing imitated; such as statues and pictures. Description is the raising in the mind the conception of an object by means of some arbitrary symbols; such as words and writing.

RISE AND PROGRESS OF LANGUAGE.

Q. What is Language?

A. It is the expression of our ideas by certain articulate sounds, which are used as the signs of those ideas.

Q. What is the present state of language? A. Very perfect. It is even made an instrument of the most refined luxury.

Q. How may we well contemplate it?

A. With the highest astonishment; but, like the expanse of the firmament, it has become familiar, and we behold it without wonder.

Q. How may we form the best idea of its origin?

A. By contemplating the circumstances of mankind in their earliest and rudest state. Q. In what condition were they?

A. They were a wandering, scattered race; had no society among them except families; and this society very imperfect.

Q. In this situation, could they easily form language?

A. No. Great difficulties must have arisen; so that there is no small reason for referring language to divine inspiration.

Q. Suppose a period before any words were known, how would men communicate to others what they felt?

A. By cries of passion, accompanied with expressive motions and gestures.

Q. What then are we to suppose were among the first elements of speech?

A. Interjections.

Q. How can we suppose men to have proceeded in the formation of words?

A. By imitating the nature of the object named. Wind would be said to whistle and