creases as the plot thickens, and ends most pleas'd,
when that is most distinctly unravell'd?
The eye hath this sort of enjoyment in winding
walks, and serpentine rivers, and all sorts of objects,
whose forms, as we shall see hereafter, are composed
principally of what, I call, the waving and serpentine
lines.
Intricacy in form, therefore, I shall define to be that
peculiarity in the lines, which compose it, that leads
the eye a wanton kind of chase, and from the pleasure
that gives the mind, intitles it to the name of beautiful:
and it may be justly said, that the cause of the idea
of grace more immediately resides in this principle,
than in the other five, except variety; which indeed
includes this, and all the others.
That this observation may appear to have a real
foundation in nature, every help will be requir'd, which
the reader himself can call to his assistance, as well as
what will here be suggested to him.
To set this matter in somewhat a clearer light, the
familiar instance of a common jack, with a circular fly,
may serve our purpose better than a more elegant form:
preparatory to which, let the † figure be consider'd,
which represents the eye, at a common reading distance
viewing a row of letters, but fix'd with most attention
to the middle letter A.
Now as we read, a ray may be supposed to be drawn
from the center of the eye to that letter it looks at first,

and to move successively with it from letter to letter,
the whole length of the line: but if the eye stops at
any particular letter, A, to observe it more than the
rest, these other letters will grow more and more im-
perfect to the sight, the farther they are situated on
either side of A, as is express'd in the figure: and
when we endeavour to see all the letters in a line equally
perfect at one view, as it were, this imaginary ray must
course it to and fro with great celerity. Thus though
the eye, strictly speaking, can only pay due attention to
these letters in succession, yet the amazing ease and
swiftness, with which it performs this task, enables us
to see considerable spaces with sufficient satisfaction at
one sudden view.
Hence, we shall always suppose some such principal
ray moving along with the eye, and tracing out the
parts of every form, we mean to examine in the most
perfect manner: and when we would follow with ex-
actness the course of any body takes, that is in motion,
this ray is always to be supposed to move with the
body.
In this manner of attending to forms, they will be
found whether at rest, or in motion, to give movement
to this imaginary ray; or, more properly speaking, to
the eye itself, affecting it thereby more or less pleasingly,
according to their different shapes and motions. Thus,
for example, in the instance of the jack, whether the
eye (with this imaginary ray) moves slowly down the

line,


[27]

line, to which the weight is fix'd, or attends to the slow
motion of the weight itself, the mind is equally fa-
tigu'd: and whether it swiftly courses round the circu-
lar rim of the flyer, when the jack stands; or nimbly
follows one point in its circumference whilst it is whirl-
ing about, we are almost equally made giddy by it.
But our sensation differs much from either of these un-
pleasant ones, when we observe the curling worm, into
which the worm-wheel is fixt †: for this is always
pleasing, either at rest or in motion, and whether that
motion is slow or quick.
That it is accounted so, when it is at rest, appears by
the ribbon, twisted round a stick (represented on one
side of this figure) which has been a long-establish'd
ornament in the carvings of frames, chimney-pieces,
and door-cases; and call'd by the carvers, the stick and
ribbon ornament: and when the stick, through the
middle is omitted, it is call'd the ribbon edge; both to
be seen in almost every house of fashion.
But the pleasure it gives the eye is still more lively
when in motion. I never can forget my frequent strong
attention to it, when I was very young, and that its be-
guiling movement gave me the same kind of sensation
then, which I since have felt at seeing a country-dance;
tho' perhaps the latter might be somewhat more en-
gaging; particularly when my eye eagerly pursued a
favourite dancer, through all the windings of the figure,
who then was bewitching to the sight, as the imaginary

ray, we were speaking of, was dancing with her all
the time
This single example might be sufficient to explain
what I mean by the beauty of a composed intricacy of
form, and how it may be said, with propriety, to lead
the eye a kind of chace.
But the hair of the head is another very obvious in
stance, whic, being design'd chiefly as an ornament,
proves more or less so, according to the form it natu-
rally takes,o or is put into by art. The most amiable in
itself is the flowing curl; and the many waving
and contrasted turns of naturally intermingling locks ravish
the eye with the pleasure of the pursuit especially
when they are put in motion by a gentle breeze.
The poet knows it, as well as the painter, and has de-
scribed the wanton ringlets waving in the wind.
And yet to shew how excess ought to be avoided in
intricacy, as well as in every other principle, the very
same head of hair, wisped and matted together, would
make the most disagreeable figure; because the eye
would be perplex'd, and at a fault, and unable to trace
such a confused number of uncomposed and entangled
lines; and yet notwithstanding this, the present fashion
the ladies have gone into, of wearing a part of the hair
of their heads braided together from behind like inter-
twisted serpernts, arising thickest from the bottom, les-
sening as it is brought forward, and naturally con-

forming


[29]

forming to the shape of the rest of the hair it is pin'd
over, is extemely picturesque. Their thus interlacing
the hair in distinct varied quantities is an artful way of
preserving as much of intricacy, as is beautiful.