Beauty and the Beast

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

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Beauty and the Beast

AN ESSAY
IN
EVOLUTIONARY AESTHETIC

BY

STEWART A. McDOWALL, B.D.

Chaplain and Assistant Master at Winchester College
Author of Evolution and the Need of Atonement,
Evolution and Spiritual Life, Evolution and
the Doctrine of the Trinity, etc.

CAMBRIDGE
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
1920

For verily all men by nature were but vain who had no perceptionof God, and from the good things that are seen they gained notpower to know him that is, neither by giving heed to the worksdid they recognise the artificer; but either fire, or wind, or swift air,or circling stars, or raging water, or luminaries of heaven, theythought to be gods that rule the world. And if it was throughdelight in their beauty that they took them to be gods, let themknow how much better than these is their Sovereign Lord; for thefirst author of beauty created them: but if it was through astonishmentat their power and influence, let them understand from themhow much more powerful is he that formed them; for from thegreatness of the beauty even of created things in like proportiondoes man form the image of their first maker. But yet for these menthere is but small blame, for they too peradventure do but go astraywhile they are seeking God and desiring to find him. For livingamong his works they make diligent search, and they yield themselvesup to sight, because the things that they look upon are beautiful.But again even they are not to be excused. For if they had powerto know so much, that they should be able to explore the course ofthings, how is it that they did not sooner find the Sovereign Lordof these his works?

Wisdom xiii. 1-9.

PREFACE

I wish to take this opportunity of expressingmy gratitude to Mrs R. B. Goodden andMr R. M. Y. Gleadowe for the help they havegiven me in writing this book. With MrsGoodden the theory was discussed point bypoint, and her criticisms and suggestions arelargely responsible for the final shaping of theargument, as well as for an important developmentof the theory. To Mr Gleadowe I amindebted for some useful hints, which led to apartial rearrangement of the material, by whichthe form of the book has been greatly improved.

S. A. McD.

Winton,
October 1919.

CONTENTS