to be affected by various sorts of objects, but all to be affected after the same manner.  All bodies that are pleasant to the touch, are so by the slightness of the resistance they make.  Resistance is either to motion along the surface, or to the pressure of the parts on one another:  if the former be slight, we call the body smooth; if the latter, soft.  The chief pleasure we receive by feeling, is in the one or the other of these qualities; and if there be a combination of both, our pleasure is greatly increased.  This is so plain, that it is rather more fit to illustrate other things, than to be illustrated itself by an example.  The next source of pleasure in this sense, as in every other, is the continually presenting somewhat new; and we find that bodies which continually vary their surface, are much the most pleasant or beautiful to the feeling, as any one that pleases may experience.  The third property in such objects is, that though the surface continually varies its direction, it never varies it suddenly.  The application of anything sudden, even though the impression itself have little or nothing of violence, is disagreeable.  The quick application of a finger a little warmer or colder than usual, without notice, makes us start; a slight tap on the shoulder, not expected, has the same effect.  Hence it is that angular bodies, bodies that suddenly vary the direction of the outline, afford so little pleasure to the feeling.  Every such change is a sort of climbing or falling in miniature; so that squares, triangles, and other angular figures are neither beautiful to the sight nor feeling.  Whoever compares his state of mind, on feeling soft, smooth, variated, unangular bodies, with that in which he finds himself, on the view of a beautiful object, will perceive a very striking analogy in the effects of both; and which may go a good way towards discovering their common cause.  Feeling and sight, in this respect, differ in but a few points.  The touch takes in the pleasure of softness, which is not primarily an object of sight; the sight, on the other hand, comprehends color, which can hardly he made perceptible to the touch:  the touch, again, has the advantage in a new idea of pleasure resulting from a moderate degree of warmth; but the eye triumphs in the infinite extent and multiplicity of its objects.  But there is such a similitude in the pleasures of these senses, that I am apt to fancy, if it were possible that one might discern color by feeling (as it is said some blind men have done) that the same colors, and the same disposition of coloring, which are found beautiful to the sight, would be found likewise most grateful to the touch.  But, setting aside conjectures, let us pass to the other sense; of hearing.

SECTION XXV.

THE BEAUTIFUL IN SOUNDS.

In this sense we find an equal aptitude to be affected in a soft and delicate manner; and how far sweet or beautiful sounds agree with our descriptions of beauty in other senses, the experience of every one must decide.  Milton has described this species of music in one of his juvenile poems.[27] I need not say that Milton was perfectly well versed in that art; and that no man had a finer ear, with a happier manner of expressing the affections of one sense by metaphors taken from another.  The description is as follows:—­