Neitherisitonlyovertheproductionsofthearts，thatcustomandfashionexerttheirdominion。Theyinfluenceourjudgments，inthesamemanner，withregardtothebeautyofnaturalobjects。Whatvariousandoppositeformsaredeemedbeautifulindifferentspeciesofthings？Theproportionswhichareadmiredinoneanimal，arealtogetherdifferentfromthosewhichareesteemedinanother。Everyclassofthingshasitsownpeculiarconformation，whichisapprovedof，andhasabeautyofitsown，distinctfromthatofeveryotherspecies。ItisuponthisaccountthatalearnedJesuit，fatherBuffier，hasdeterminedthatthebeautyofeveryobjectconsistsinthatformandcolour，whichismostusualamongthingsofthatparticularsorttowhichitbelongs。Thus，inthehumanform，thebeautyofeachfeatureliesinacertainmiddle，equallyremovedfromavarietyofotherformsthatareugly。Abeautifulnose，forexample，isonethatisneitherverylong，norveryshort，neitherverystraight，norverycrooked，butasortofmiddleamongalltheseextremes，andlessdifferentfromanyoneofthem，thanallofthemarefromoneanother。ItistheformwhichNatureseemstohaveaimedatinthemall，which，however，shedeviatesfrominagreatvarietyofways，andveryseldomhitsexactly；buttowhichallthosedeviationsstillbearaverystrongresemblance。Whenanumberofdrawingsaremadeafteronepattern，thoughtheymayallmissitinsomerespects，yettheywillallresembleitmorethantheyresembleoneanother；thegeneralcharacterofthepatternwillrunthroughthemall；themostsingularandoddwillbethosewhicharemostwideofit；
andthoughveryfewwillcopyitexactly，yetthemostaccuratedelineationswillbearagreaterresemblancetothemostcareless，thanthecarelessoneswillbeartooneanother。Inthesamemanner，ineachspeciesofcreatures，whatismostbeautifulbearsthestrongestcharactersofthegeneralfabricofthespecies，andhasthestrongestresemblancetothegreaterpartoftheindividualswithwhichitisclassed。Monsters，onthecontrary，orwhatisperfectlydeformed，arealwaysmostsingularandodd，andhavetheleastresemblancetothegeneralityofthatspeciestowhichtheybelong。Andthusthebeautyofeachspecies，thoughinonesensetherarestofallthings，becausefewindividualshitthismiddleformexactly，yetinanother，isthemostcommon，becauseallthedeviationsfromitresembleitmorethantheyresembleoneanother。Themostcustomaryform，therefore，isineachspeciesofthings，accordingtohim，themostbeautiful。Andhenceitisthatacertainpracticeandexperienceincontemplatingeachspeciesofobjectsisrequisite，beforewecanjudgeofitsbeauty，orknowwhereinthemiddleandmostusualformconsists。Thenicestjudgmentconcerningthebeautyofthehumanspecies，willnothelpustojudgeofthatofflowers，orhorses，oranyotherspeciesofthings。Itisforthesamereasonthatindifferentclimates，andwheredifferentcustomsandwaysoflivingtakeplace，asthegeneralityofanyspeciesreceivesadifferentconformationfromthosecircumstances，sodifferentideasofitsbeautyprevail。ThebeautyofaMoorishisnotexactlythesamewiththatofanEnglishhorse。Whatdifferentideasareformedindifferentnationsconcerningthebeautyofthehumanshapeandcountenance？AfaircomplexionisashockingdeformityuponthecoastofGuinea。Thicklipsandaflatnoseareabeauty。Insomenationslongearsthathangdownupontheshouldersaretheobjectsofuniversaladmiration。InChinaifalady’sfootissolargeastobefittowalkupon，sheisregardedasamonsterofugliness。
SomeofthesavagenationsinNorth-Americatiefourboardsroundtheheadsoftheirchildren，andthussqueezethem，whilethebonesaretenderandgristly，intoaformthatisalmostperfectlysquare。Europeansareastonishedattheabsurdbarbarityofthispractice，towhichsomemissionarieshaveimputedthesingularstupidityofthosenationsamongwhomitprevails。Butwhentheycondemnthosesavages，theydonotreflectthattheladiesinEuropehad，tillwithintheseveryfewyears，beenendeavouring，fornearacenturypast，tosqueezethebeautifulroundnessoftheirnaturalshapeintoasquareformofthesamekind。Andthat，notwithstandingthemanydistortionsanddiseaseswhichthispracticewasknowntooccasion，customhadrendereditagreeableamongsomeofthemostcivilizednationswhich，perhaps，theworldeverbeheld。
SuchisthesystemofthislearnedandingeniousFather，concerningthenatureofbeauty；ofwhichthewholecharm，accordingtohim，wouldthusseemtoarisefromitsfallinginwiththehabitswhichcustomhadimpressedupontheimagination，withregardtothingsofeachparticularkind。Icannot，however，beinducedtobelievethatoursenseevenofexternalbeautyisfoundedaltogetheroncustom。Theutilityofanyform，itsfitnessfortheusefulpurposesforwhichitwasintended，evidentlyrecommendsit，andrendersitagreeabletous，independentofcustom。Certaincoloursaremoreagreeablethanothers，andgivemoredelighttotheeyethefirsttimeiteverbeholdsthem。Asmoothsurfaceismoreagreeablethanaroughone。Varietyismorepleasingthanatediousundiversifieduniformity。Connectedvariety，inwhicheachnewappearanceseemstobeintroducedbywhatwentbeforeit，andinwhichalltheadjoiningpartsseemtohavesomenaturalrelationtooneanother，ismoreagreeablethanadisjointedanddisorderlyassemblageofunconnectedobjects。ButthoughIcannotadmitthatcustomisthesoleprincipleofbeauty，yetIcansofarallowthetruthofthisingenioussystemastogrant，thatthereisscarceanyoneexternalformsobeautifulastoplease，ifquitecontrarytocustomandunlikewhateverwehavebeenusedtointhatparticularspeciesofthings:orsodeformedasnottobeagreeable，ifcustomuniformlysupportsit，andhabituatesustoseeitineverysingleindividualofthekind。
OftheInfluenceofCustomandFashionuponMoralSentimentsSinceoursentimentsconcerningbeautyofeverykind，aresomuchinfluencedbycustomandfashion，itcannotbeexpected，thatthose，concerningthebeautyofconduct，shouldbeentirelyexemptedfromthedominionofthoseprinciples。Theirinfluencehere，however，seemstobemuchlessthanitiseverywhereelse。