lt.

The beauty of every part of the human body, forming a _perfect_ whole,
is analogous to an instrument of music in perfect concord, and mere
exactitude of proportion in its parts, exclusive of the idea of mind,
would, I imagine, have no more effect upon the spectator than the mere
concord of the strings of an instrument has on the hearer; it amounts
to no more than blameless right, nor, till influenced by sentiment,
can it go farther.

But, as we are incapable of separating the idea of the human form from
the human mind, and as the touch of an instrument in perfect concord
gives a presentiment of harmony, so does the perception of the
concordance of the parts of a beautiful form give a perception of
grace. The mind, as I have observed before, cannot rest in fixed
perfection, the _Spotless white_; and its natural transition from
beauty must be into the region of grace.

Section 3. _Grace_.

The principles, which constitute grace, genius, or taste, are one;
which is denominated grace in the object, genius in the production of
the object, and taste in the perception of it.

The existence of grace _seems_ to depend more upon the character of
mental than of corporeal beauty. All its motions seem to indicate and,
to be regulated by the utmost delicacy of sentiment! I have placed it
between the highest sentiment of the human mind, _sublmity_, that
no rules can teach, and the highest sentiment that rules can teach,
_exact beauty_, the two extremes of the vrai reel and the vrai ideal.
Grace seems, as it were, to hang between the influence of both; the
irregular sublime giving character and relief to the negative and
determined qualities of beauty; and beauty, i.e. truth, confining
within due bounds the eccentric qualities of sublimity, forming, both
to sight and in idea, orderly variety, _the waving line_, neither
straight nor crooked. The waving line is the symbol, or memento, as
I may say, of grace, wherever it is seen in whatever form, animate or
inanimate; and may be justly styled the line of taste or grace!

The perception of grace seems not to be intirely new nor intirely
familiar to us; but is, as it were, what we have had a presentiment of
in the mind, without examining it, and which the graceful object, or
action, &c. calls forth to our view. Being so much our own idea, we
like to behold it, to dwell upon it; and yet, not being a familiar
idea, it creates a pleasing mild degree of admiration.

Grace seems