Of Beauty

                                        Francis Bacon

Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set; and surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely, though not of delicate features; and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect.

Neither is it almost seen, that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were rather busy, not to err, than in labor to produce excellency. And therefore they prove accomplished, but not of great spirit; and study rather behavior, than virtue.

But this holds not always: for Augustus Caesar. Titus Vespasianus. Philip le Belle of France, Edward the Fourth of England, Alcibides of Athens, Ismael the Sophy of Persia, were all high and great spirits; and yet the most beautiful men of their times.

In beauty, that of favor, is more than that of color; and that of decent and gracious motion, more than that of favor.

That is the best part of beauty, which a picture cannot express; no, nor the first sight of the life.

There is no excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.

A man cannot tell whether Apelles, or Albert Durer, were the more trifler; whereof the one, would make a personage by geometrical proportions; the other, by taking the best parts out of divers faces, to make one excellent. Such personages, I think, would please nobody, but the painter that made them.

Not but I think a painter may make a better face than ever was; but he must do it by a kind of felicity (as a musician that maketh an excellent air in music), and not by rule.

A man shall see faces, that if you examine then part by part, you shall find never a good; and yet altogether do well. if it be true that the principal part of beauty is in decent motion, certainly it is no marvel, though persons in years seem many times more amiable; pulchrorum autumnus pulcher; for no youth can be comely but by pardon, and considering the young, as to make up the comeliness. Beauty is as summer fruits, which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last; and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth, and an age a little out of countenance; but yet certainly again, if it light well, it maketh virtue shine, and vices blush.

                                         论美

                             弗兰西斯·培根 （编译：王科军）

美德好比宝石，是最朴实无华的摆件；虽然不眉清目秀，体貌不比仙子，却有尊严，所以对人来说美德确实是美的最高标准。

拥有亮丽外表的人很少见有内在的美；好似忙碌的造物主一样，产优不及出恶。内外兼修很是麻烦的，外在美不是一种精神，跟心灵美相比只是一种习得的行为而已。

但并不能持有这种观点：因为奥古斯都，菲斯帕斯、菲力普王、爱德华四世、阿尔西巴底斯，伊斯梅尔等都是当时高大尚的美男子。

相对美貌的人来说，因宠爱胜过肤色，而正派优雅的行为之美又胜过宠爱。

内在和行为美是至美，是画家不能表现的画面；因为实在不可能看一眼就能捕捉到人生的内在。

画不能表现这种极致的美，也没有某些奇怪比例。

我们不能指出是阿皮雷斯和艾伯特丢勒是两画家还是浪得虚名的人，其一人曾以几何比例画了个要人；而另一人以众脸谱的最漂亮部分勾勒出个貌美要人。我想这些形象不能取悦任何人，因其杜撰。

我想一个画家可画出比以前更姣好美眉，重要是凭借某种灵感（这点正如音乐家创造乐曲一样），而非某种规则。

我们见到许多脸型，就每个部分看决不美丽，整体看却非常动人。如果美的重要组成部分体现在体面的行为上，而不奇迹上，那么有些老年人和蔼可爱——暮秋之色更美。年轻人的美貌不是特权，但青春活力能，弥补貌美。美丽如盛夏水果，易腐难持久。世上许多美人，他们有过放荡的青春，晚年在悔悟中度过。因而，毫无疑问：若光线充足，美德该发扬光大，而不检点行为是要脸红的。