FORMS of magnitude, although ill-shaped, will
however, on account of their vastness, draw our
attention and raise our admiration.
Huge shapeless rocks have a pleasing kind of horror
in them, and the wide ocean awes us with its vast
contents; but when forms of beauty are presented to
the eye in large quantities, the pleasure increases on the
mind, and horror is soften'd into reverence.
How solemn and pleasing are groves of high grown
trees, great churches, and palaces? has not even a single
spreading oak, grown to maturity, acquir'd the character
of the venerable oak?
Windsor castle is a noble instance of the effect of
quantity. The hugeness of its few distinct parts strikes
the eye with uncommon grandeur at a distance, as well
as nigh. It is quantity, with simplicity, which makes
it one of the finest objects in the kingdom, tho' void
of any regular order of architecture.

The

[30]

The Facade of the old Louvre at Paris is also re-
markable for its quantity. This fragment is allow'd to
be the finest piece of building in France, tho' there are
many equal, if not superior, to it in all other respects,
except that of quantity.
Who does not feel a pleasure when he pictures in his
mind the immense buildings which once adorn'd the
lower Egypt, by imagining the whole complete, and
ornamented with colossal statues?
Elephants and whales please us with their unwieldy
greatness. Even large personages, merely for being so,
command respect : nay, quantity is an addition to the
person which often supplies a deficiency in his figure.
The robes of state are always made large and full,
because they give a grandeur of appearance, suitable to
the offices of the greatest distinction. The judge's robes
have an awful dignity given them by the quantity of
their contents, and when the train is held up, there is
a noble waving line descending from the shoulders of
the judge to the hand of his train-bearer. So when the
train is gently thrown aside, it generally falls into a great
variety of folds, which again employ the eye, and fix
its attention.
The grandeur of the Eastern dress, which so far sur-
passes the European, depends as much on quantity as on
costliness.
In a word, it is quantity which adds greatness to grace.
But then excess is to be avoided, or quantity will become
clumsy, heavy, or ridiculous.

The full-bottom wig, like the lion's mane, hath
something noble in it, and adds not only dignity, but
sagacity to the countenance: but were it to be worn
as large again, it would become a burlesque; or was an
improper person to put it on, it would then too be
ridiculous.
When improper, or incompatible excesses meet, they
always excite laughter; more especially when the forms
of those excesses are inelegant, that is, when they are
composed of unvaried lines.
For example, the figure refer'd to in the margin †,
represents a fat grown face of a man, with an infant's
cap on, and the rest of the child's dress stuff'd, and so
well placed under his chin, as to seem to belong to that
face. This is a contrivance I have seen at Bartholomew-
fair, and always occasion'd a roar of laughter. The
next ‡ is of the same kind, a child with a man's wig
and cap on. In these you see the ideas of youth and
agew jumbled together, in forms without beauty.
So a Roman general*, dress'd by a modern taylor and
peruke-maker, for tragedy, is a comic figure. ----The
dresses of the times are mix'd, and the lines which com-
pose them are straight or only round.
Dancing-masters, representing deities, in their grand
ballets on the stage, are no less ridiculous. See the
Jupiter §.
_ Nevertheless custom and fashion will, in length of
time, reconcile almost every absurdity whatever, to the
eye, or make it over-look'd.

It is from the same joining of opposite ideas that
makes us laugh at the owl and the ass, for under their
aukward forms, they seem to be gravely musing and
meditating, as if they had the sense of human beings.
A monkey too whose figure, as well as most of his
actions, so odly resembles the human, is also very co-
mical; and he becomes more so when a coat is put on
him, as he then becomes a greater burlesque on the
man.
There is something extremely odd and comical in
the rough shock dog. The ideas here connected are
the inelegant and inanimate figure of a thrum mop, or
muff, and that of a sensible, friendly animal; which
is as much a burlesque of the dog, as the monkey when
his coat is on, is of the man.
What can it be but this inelegance of the figure,
join'd with impropriety, that makes a whole audience
burst into laughter, when they see the miller's sack, in
Dr. Faustus, jumping cross the stage? was a well-shap'd
vase to do the same, it would equally surprise, but not
make every body laugh, because the elegance of the
form would prevent it.
For when the forms, thus join'd together, are each
of them elegant, and composed of agreeable lines, they
be so far from making us laugh, that they will be-
come entertaining to the imagination, as well as pleas-
ing to the eye. The sphinx and siren have been ad-
mired and accounted ornamental in all ages. The

former represents strength and beauty join'd; the
latter, beauty and swiftness, in pleasing and graceful
forms.
The griffin, a modern hieroglyphic, signifying strength
and swiftness, united in the two noble forms of the lion
and eagle, is a grand object. So the antique centaur
hath a savage greatness as well as beauty.
These may be said to be monsters, it's true, but then
they convey such noble ideas, and have such elegance
in their forms as greatly conpensates for their being un-
naturally join'd together.
I shall mention but one more instance of this sort,
and that the most extraordinary of all, which is an in-
fant's head of about two years old, with a pair of duck's-
wings placed under its chin, supposed always to be fly-
ing about, and singing psalms †.
A painter's representation of heaven would be nothing
without swarms of these little inconsistent objects, flying
about, or perching on the clouds; and yet there is some-
thing so agreeable in their form, that the eye is recon-
ciled and overlooks the absurdity, and we find them in
the carving and painting of almost every church. St.
Paul's is full of them.

As the foregoing principles are the very ground work
of what is to follow; we will, in order to make them
the more familiar to us, just speak of them in the way
they are daily put in practice, and may be seen, in every

F drefs

† Fig. 22:
R. p. I.

[34]

drefs that is worn; and we shall find not only that ladies
of fashion, but that women of every rank, who are said
to dress prettily, have known their force, without con-
sidering them as principles.

Fitness is first considered by them, as knowing that
their dresses should be useful, commodious, and fitted to
their different ages; or rich, airy, and loose, agreeable
to the character they would give out to the public by
their dress.

II. Uniformity is chiefly complied with in dress on
account of fitness, and seems to be extended not much
farther than dressing both arms alike, and having the
shoes of the same colour. For when any part of dress
has not the excuse of fitness or propriety for its unifor-
mity of parts, the ladies always call it formal.
For which reason, when they are at liberty to make
what shapes they please in ornamenting their persons,
those of the best taste choose the irregular as the more
engaging; for example, no two patches are ever chosen
of the same size, or placed at the same height; nor a
single one in the middle of a feature, unless it be to hide
a blemish. So a single feather, flower, or jewel is ge-
nerally placed on one side of the head; or if ever put in
front, it is turn'd awry to avoid formality.
It was once the fashion to have two curls of equal size,
stuck at the same height close upon the forehead, which

pro

[35]

probably took its rise from seeing the pretty effect of
curls falling loosely over the face.
A lock of hair falling thus cross the temples, and by
that means breaking the regularity of the oval, has an
effect too alluring to be strictly decent, as is very well
known to the loose and lowest class of women: but be-
ing pair'd in so stiff a manner, as they formerly were,
they lost the desired effect, and ill deserv'd the name of
favourites.

III. Variety in dress, both as to colour and form, is
the constant study of the young and gay ---- But then,

IV. That taudriness may not destroy the proper
effect of variety, simplicity is call'd in to restrain its
superfluities, and is often very artfully made use of
to set native beauty off to more advantage. I have
not known any set of people, that have more excell'd
in this principle of simplicity, or plainness, than the
Quakers.

V. Quantity, or fulness in dress has ever been a darling
principle; so that sometimes those parts of dress, which
would properly admit of being extended to a great de-
gree, have been carried into such strange excesses, that in
the reign of Queen Elizabeth a law was made to put a
stop to the growth of ruffs: nor is the enormous size of
the hoops at present, a less sufficient proof of the extra-

F2 or-


[36]

ordinary love of quantity in dress, beyond that of conve-
nience or elegance.

VI. The beauty of intricacy lies in contriving wind-
ing shapes, such as the antique lappets belonging to the
head of the sphinx *, or as the modern lappet when it
is brought before. Every part of dress, that will admit
of the application of this principle, has an air (as it is
term'd) given to it thereby; and altho' it requires dex-
terity and a taste to execute these windings well, we find
them daily practised with success.
This principle also recommends modesty in dress, to
keep up our expectations, and not suffer them to be too
soon gratified. Therefore the body and limbs should
all be cover'd, and little more than certain hints be
given of them thro' the cloathing.
The face indeed will bear a constant view, yet always
entertain and keep our curiosity awake, without the
assistance either of a mask, or veil; because vast variety
of changing circumstances keeps the eye and the mind
in constant play, in following the numberless turns of
expression it is capable of. How soon does a face that
wants expression, grow insipid, tho' it be ever so pretty?
---The rest of the body, not having these advantages in
common with the face, would soon satiate the eye, were
it to be as constantly exposed, nor would it have more
effect than a marble statue. But when it is artfully
cloath'd and decorated, the mind at every turn resumes

its

* Fig. 21.
p. I.

[37]

its imaginary pursuits concerning it. Thus, if I may
be allow'd a simile, the angler chooses not to see the fish
he angles for, until it is fairly caught.