Cooper, Anthony Ashley, third earl of Shaftesbury (1671-1713)

Sensus Communis, An Essay on the Freedom of Wit and Humour in a Letter to a Friend [collected in Characteristics]

London

Printed for Egbert Sanger

1709, 1714

"We may imagine what we please of a substantial solid Part of Beauty: but were the Subject to be well criticiz'd, we shou'd find, perhaps, that what we most admir'd, even in the Turn of outward Features, was but a mysterious Expression, and a kind of shadow of something inward in the Temper."

The Admirers of Beauty in the Fair Sex, wou'd laugh, perhaps, to hear of a moral Part in their Amours. Yet, what a stir is made about a Heart ! What curious Search of Sentiments, and tender Thoughts ! What Praises of a Humour, a Sense, a je ne sçai quoi of Wit, and all those Graces of a Mind which these Virtuoso-Lovers delight to celebrate! Let them settle this Matter among themselves; and regulate, as they think fit, the Proportions which these different Beautys hold one to another: They must allow still, there is a Beauty of the Mind; and such as is essential in the Case. Why else is the very Air of Foolishness enough to cloy a Lover, at first sight? Why does an Idiot-Look and Manner destroy the Effect of all those outward Charms, and rob the Fair One of her Power; tho regularly arm'd, in all the Exactness of Feature and Complexion? We may imagine what we please of a substantial solid Part of Beauty: but were the Subject to be well criticiz'd, we shou'd find, perhaps, that what we most admir'd, even in the Turn of outward Features, was but a mysterious Expression, and a kind of shadow of something inward in the Temper: and that when we were struck with a Majestick Air, a sprightly Look, an Amazon bold Grace, or a contrary soft and gentle one; 'twas chiefly the Fancy of these Characters or Qualitys that wrought on us: our Imagination being busy'd in forming beauteous Shapes and Images of this kind, which amus'd the Mind, and held it in admiration; whilst other Passions were employ'd another way. The preliminary Addresses, the Declarations, the Explanations, Confidences, Clearings; the Dependence on something mutual, something felt by way of Return; the Spes animi credula mutui: all these become necessary Ingredients in the Affair of Love, and are authentically establish'd by the Men of Elegance and Art in this way of Passion.
(pp. 137-8; pp. 63-4 in Klein)

Uncategorized::Shadow

Reading

A complicated publication history. At least 10 entries in ESTC (1709, 1711, 1714, 1733, 1744, 1751, 1757, 1758, 1773, 1790).

See Sensus Communis, An Essay on the Freedom of Wit and Humour in a Letter to a Friend. (London: Printed for Egbert Sanger, 1709). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO>

See also "Sensus Communis, An Essay on the Freedom of Wit and Humour in a Letter to a Friend" in Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times. In Three Volumes. (London: John Darby, 1711). <Link to ESTC>

Some text drawn from ECCO, most from Anthony Ashley Cooper, Third Earl of Shaftesbury. Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, ed. Lawrence E. Klein (Cambridge: CUP, 2001). Klein's text is based on the British Library's copy of the second edition of 1714. [Texts to be collated.]

Inner and Outer

07/09/2013