The Temple of Nature; or, the Origin of Society: A Poem, with Philosophical Notes — John Shaqi
The Temple of Nature; or, the Origin of Society: A Poem, with Philosophical NotesDarwin, Erasmus
Philosophy
The Temple of Nature; or, the Origin of Society: A Poem, with Philosophical Notes
Darwin, Erasmus
Cosmology -- Poetry; Life -- Origin -- Poetry
As the novelty of our ideas is generally attended with
pleasurable sensation, from this arises Curiosity, or a
desire of examining a variety of objects, hoping to find
novelty, and the pleasure consequent to this degree of
surprise; see Additional Note VII. 3.]
[Footnote: _And meeting lips_, l. 152. Young children put
small bodies into their mouths, when they are satiated with
food, as well as when they are hungry, not with design to
taste them, but use their lips as an organ of touch to
distinguish the shape of them. Puppies, whose toes are
terminated with nails, and who do not much use their forefeet
as hands, seem to have no other means of acquiring a
knowledge of the forms of external bodies, and are therefore
perpetually playing with things by taking them between their
lips.]
III. "As the pure language of the Sight commands
The clear ideas furnish'd by the hands;
Beauty's fine forms attract our wondering eyes,
And soft alarms the pausing heart surprise.
Warm from its cell the tender infant born
Feels the cold chill of Life's aerial morn;
Seeks with spread hands the bosoms velvet orbs,
With closing lips the milky fount absorbs; 170
And, as compress'd the dulcet streams distil,
Drinks warmth and fragrance from the living rill;
Eyes with mute rapture every waving line,
Prints with adoring kiss the Paphian shrine,
And learns erelong, the perfect form confess'd,
IDEAL BEAUTY from its Mother's breast.
[Footnote: _Seeks with spread hands_, l. 169. These eight
beautiful lines are copied from Mr. Bilsborrow's Address
prefixed to Zoonomia, and are translated from that work;
Sect. XVI. 6.]
[Footnote: _Ideal Beauty_, l. 176. Sentimental Love, as
distinguished from the animal passion of that name, with
which it is frequently accompanied, consists in the desire or
sensation of beholding, embracing, and saluting a beautiful
object.
The characteristic of beauty therefore is that it is the
object of love; and though many other objects are in common
language called beautiful, yet they are only called so
metaphorically, and ought to be termed agreeable. A Grecian
temple may give us the pleasurable idea of sublimity, a
Gothic temple may give us the pleasurable idea of variety,
and a modern house the pleasurable idea of utility; music and
poetry may inspire our love by association of ideas; but none
of these, except metaphorically, can be termed beautiful, as
we have no wish to embrace or salute them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account