PREFACE

I F a preface was ever necessary, it may very likelybe thought so to the following work; the title ofwhich (in the proposals publish’d some time since)hath much amused, and raised the expectation of thecurious, though not without a mixture of doubt, thatits purport could ever be satisfactorily answered. Forthough beauty is seen and confessed by all, yet, fromthe many fruitless attempts to account for the cause ofits being so, enquiries on this head have almost beengiven up; and the subject generally thought to be amatter of too high and too delicate a nature to admit ofany true or intelligible discussion. Something thereforeintroductory ought to be said at the presenting a workwith a face so entirely new; especially as it will na-turally encounter with, and perhaps may overthrow,several long received and thorough establifh’d opinions:and since controversies may arise how far, and afterwhat manner this subject hath hitherto been consider’dand treated, it will also be proper to lay before thereader, what may be gathered concerning it, from theworks of the ancient and modern writers and painters.

It is no wonder this subject should have so longbeen thought inexplicable, since the nature of manyparts ot it cannot possibly come within the reach ofmere men of letters; otherwise those ingenious gende-

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