erned only by a taste
or sensation, we may conclude, that beauty is nothing but a form, which
produces pleasure, as deformity is a structure of parts, which conveys
pain; and since the power of producing pain and pleasure make in this
manner the essence of beauty and deformity, all the effects of these
qualities must be derived from the sensation; and among the rest
pride and humility, which of all their effects are the most common and
remarkable.

This argument I esteem just and decisive; but in order to give greater
authority to the present reasoning, let us suppose it false for a
moment, and see what will follow. It is certain, then, that if the
power of producing pleasure and pain forms not the essence of beauty and
deformity, the sensations are at least inseparable from the qualities,
and it is even difficult to consider them apart. Now there is nothing
common to natural and moral beauty, (both of which are the causes of
pride) but this power of producing pleasure; and as a common effect
supposes always a common cause, it is plain the pleasure must in both
cases be the real and influencing cause of the passion. Again; there is
nothing originally different betwixt the beauty of our bodies and the
beauty of external and foreign objects, but that the one has a near
relation to ourselves, which is wanting in the other. This original
difference, therefore, must be the cause of all their other differences,
and among the rest, of their different influence upon the passion of
pride, which is excited by the beauty of our person, but is not affected
in the lcast by that of foreign and external objects. Placing, then,
these two conclusions together, we find they compose the preceding
system betwixt them, viz, that pleasure, as a related or resembling
impression, when placed on a related object by a natural transition,
produces pride; and its contrary, humility. This system, then, seems
already sufficiently confirmed by experience; that we have not yet
exhausted all our arguments.

It is not the beauty of the body alone that produces pride, but also
its strength and force. Strength is a kind of power; and therefore the
desire to excel in strength is to be considered as an inferior
species of ambition. For this reason the present phaenomenon will be
sufficiently accounted for, in explaining that passion.

Concerning all other bodily accomplishments we may observe in general,
that whatever in ourselves is either useful, beaut