Sir  Joshua  bad  been  speaking  of  ex-
ternal nature  only.  This  abstract  idea
branches  off  into  classes,  from  man  as
man,  to  man  as  warrior,  statesman,
&e.,  and  so  from  childhood  to  every
age ;  but  the  more  perfect  is  that  first
of  man  as  man,  including  in  one  the
Hercules,  the  Apollo,  tho  Gladiator—,
that  form  which  shall  express  a  power
to  do  all  acts  that  all  men  do— the
"  general  form.*'  There  is  likewise  a
kind  of  symmetry  in  deformity.  *'  A
figure  lean  or  corpulent,  tall  or  shorty
though  deviating  from  beauty,  may
still  have  a  certain  union  of  the  various
parts,  which  may  contribute  to  make
them  on  the  whole  not  unpleasing.**
He  shows  the  difllcnlty  in  separating
fashions  from  habits  of  nature,  and
exemplifies  it  by  the  ridiculous  surs
and  graces  of  the  court  of  Louis  XIV.
given  to  Grecian  heroes.  The  whole
of  this  discourse  supposes  the  painter
to  aim  at  the  noblest  style — the  great
style — in  and  by  which  he  is  to  teach,
and  dignify,  and  honour  mankind,  by
showing  forth  the  absolute  perfhctions
of  human  nature ;  and  that  perfection,
mora),  intellectual,  as  well  as  formal,
is  within  his  reach.  Other  styles  he
does  not  condemn,  but  on  the  contrary
praises.  Even  Sir  Joshua  does  not
admit   the   great  teoral  purpose  of


774  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds*8  Discourses,  [Dec.
