40

* Fig. ry.T. p. i.

ANALYSIS of BEAUTY.

and in some it would be ridiculously losing time is itcould-Yet there may be cases where it may be ne-

cessary to follow this method minutely; as for example,in architecture.

I am thoroughly convinc’d in myself, however it maystartle some, that a completely new and harmoniousorder of architecture in all its parts, might be producedby the following method of composing, but hardly withcertainty without it; and this I am the more apt to be-lieve, as upon the strictest examination, those sour ordersof the ancients, which are so well established for beautyand true proportion, perfectly agree with the scheme weshall now lay down.

This way of composing pleasing forms, is to be ac-complished by making choice os variety of lines, as totheir shapes and dimensions; and then again by varyingtheir situations with each other, by all the different waysthat can be conceived: and at the same time (if a solidfigure be the subject os the composition) the contents orspace that is to be inclosed within those lines, must beduly considered and vary’d too, as much as possible,with propriety. In a word, it may be said, the art ofcomposing well is .the art of varying well. It is notexpected that this should at first be perfectly compre-hended, yet I believe it will be made sufficiently clearby the help os the examples following.

. The figure f, represents the simple and pleasing figureof a bell; this shell, as we may call it, is composed of

waving