1 ■••.k>2^ ' /is- \ Va / I i I t f ‘ \ \ \ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Getty Research Institute A https://archiye.org/details/lettersconcernin00coop_1 LETTERS CONCERNING T A S T E. THE THIRD EDITION. TO WHICH ARE ADDED ESSAYS O N SIMILAR AND OTHER SUBJECTS. OTSIS »{ji,otxov EPHTA lvi(^v: o I T : a •! a f: rri t .h i::j' t*' • ci ;c ' ,• ;■ .'iA :: ;• : l-v/ o'V ^ A ty .•> .1 . i' c. 1 ^ v.V. .4 .. -iV. tk% VV:i'^^-1 3HT •>. > JU itVi ■ A'ti: i.T y « ' ■>>■■,' -'J ,vi ty ,. <:; ,'/. o a A ii?f ;V 3 J '^a ;=5>4: ril . .U ' w ■ » T -tr ▼ » .-» Ir - . ' ^ vi V i .u . JC.' t f-'-’ . .1 • t- \ ‘ ■'• w... ^ V.JMZWt > '• i. : if® if THE editors ADVERTISEMENT T O THE THIRD EDITION. T H E two former Editions of The Letters concerning Taste, having been fome time out of Print, and a Demand being ftill made for them by the Publick, I have prevailed on the Author to let them pafs the Prefs again, and to fubjoin a few Effays feledted from many others, on limilar Subjedls, which were publilhed fome Years ago in periodical Papers. He did not intend at firft that either the Letters or the Essays ffiould be known to be written by himj but feveral of his Friends having -( .i >< y.' A ' -t. r - ' r ‘n ^ •>' t v; r ■t ■ .^ s i: t THE E D I T O R ’S ADVERTISEMENT T O THE THIRD EDITION. T H E two former Editions of The Letters concerning Taste, having been fome time out of Print, and a Demand being ftill made for them by the Publick, I have prevailed on the Author to let them pafs the Prefs again, and to fubjoin a few Eflays feleded from many others, on hmilar Subjects, which were publifhed fome Years ago in periodical Papers. He did not intend at firft that either the Letters or the Essays fliould be known to be written by him; but feveral of his Friends having ADVERTISEMENT. having made the Difcovery, and they and others, whom it was no fmall Credit to pleafe, having ex- prefled their Approbation he feared it might look like AfFedlation to conceal any longer how high a Re- gard he had for their favourable Opinion, and therefore, after an en- deavour to make this Edition more correct than the former, he was induced to acknowledge them as his own. CONTENTS. CONTEN rS. ■ r ' * * To Euphemius. Page i Letter I, A Good l^ajlean infiantarteous FeeU ^ ^ beautifuL T^ruth^ Beauty^ and Utility coincident ^ in- panced in a view of a rural ProfpeBy ' inArchiteblurCy in the mimetic ArtSy ' and in CharaSlers and in Manners, fhat "Fafe precedes the fower Facul- j “ 'ties of the Reafony and thofe of Ima- ginationy but is never repugnant to ' 'the former. Why God implanted ihis internal Perception in us . , 'V ‘ To the Same. p. 9, II, ^hat Beauty may receive fome addi- tionalCharmSy but thefe fill confiflent withTtruth, What thofe Charms are^ known by the Wordliz^tix^Xy by way of DifinBion, in all Objects. Re- ducible upon Examination to an Ana- logy with pleafurable moral Ideas in the CONTENTS. the human Mind. T!hat the ptojl faithful Difciples of Nature are the mojl admired Artijls. To the Same. p. 13. Letter III. Probable Conje Bures to be made con^ cerning a Man^s T^afe in Morals from his Tafe of ObjeBs in the Phy-- fical World. Why. Injlances given. To the Same, p. 20. IV. fhat Artijls cannot avoid difeover^ ing their own tempers in theit^ WorkSy inftanced in the remarkable jL/wj ^Raphael Urbin, Mi- chael Angelo Buonaroti5<2W ' the Family of the Bassans. How far Men are indebted to the Fair for a Delicacy of FaJlCy particularly Raphael. To the Same. p. 27 V , T^hat a fine Fafie does not depend upon any one Branch of the human Syfiemy viz. not upon the intelleBual Powers alone -y nor upon the Organs of Senfe alone -y nor upon thelmagination alone\ but c O N t'e N T s. but upon a happy Union of all three: Mr. Addison had an exquifitefafe^ but no great falents for Poetry. A beautiful Defoription in the Iliad equalled by Mr. Pope's Pranfation. An Encomium on a Latin Poem, and a Criticijm on the bad fajie of two franjlators of the fame. Letter To the Same. T* 3 ^* VI. An Opinion in the lafi Letter concern^ ing Mr. Addison fupported. A Cri» ticifm on two celebrated PaJJages in his Works, and Commendation of his franfations of Ovid. To the Same. p. 41. VII, Poetry and Painting compared. Some Subjedts peculiar to one, and fome in common to both. T’he Superiority of the former to the latter. Night-Pieces c/'Milton, Homer, and Shake- spear. fhe inimitable fafte and Excellence of the Idjl in Defcription. Obfervations on a J}:ort Sketch of the , Evening H o m e R . Part of an Ode to the Evening by Mr. Collins. His animating Group of Figures. b To C b N T E N T S. Letter To the Same. p. 49, VllL "Jbe bad T^ajle of many modern iijls in the choice of their Subjedls, Tdbat every Art fould regard its pro- per End^ which is the Improvement cj Mankind in moral Science, Pro- per Subjedis pointed out, Piblures ^'Infancy, Youth, Manhood, and Old Age. A beautiful Subjedl for the Pathetick in Painting, Where a good Pafie in Morals prevails^ a good Pafte in Nature and the Arts will accompany it. To the Same. p. 57. IX. rhe wretched Pafefor ArchitediurCy and domefic Ornament Sy that prevails about London. Mucio’s Palace a contemptible Pieap of tafelefs Magni- ficence, To E u GEN 10. p. 62. X. 5/r John Davies, in his Poem on the Immortality of the Soul, ac- ccunts for the Spirits of Senfe, /. e. Taste. A true Relijh for proper Means to procure Happinefs dependent upona corre£i?jefsofFancy, Eugenio warned CONTENTS. warned againji the Delufion of a falfe one by an Arabian ^tory. Letter To Euphemius. p. 67. XL Nothing corrupts a good Tafe more than frequently reading' the Italian Poets. A Criticifm- on the Aminta and Paftcr Fido. SomePafagesinboth cenfured for had T'afte. Milton's Comus, and Fletcher’s Faithful f\\t^\\txAtk^ 7 niich fuperiorto thetwo Italian dramatic Pajlorals. Some Paf fages cited from the Faithful Shep- herdefs. To Philemon. p. 76. .'NWr Concerning the Ruins ^Palmyra, Phe great AJjiduity of Mr . D a w kins and- Mr. Wood applauded. ^Pheir Pajle an Honour to our Country. A ’ ' ConjeBure that the Pemple of the Sun was built by LoNGiNUSjy/wi a fmi^- larky of Pajle in other Arts. A Cri^ ticifm upon the Ufe of the Corin- thian Order only in that City. A Reafon why that Order was fo much admired there. A Pajfage in Lon- ginus's Treatife on the Sublime b 2 cited^ CONTENTS. cited, defcribing theProgrefs of Wealth to Luxury, and of Luxury to a Cor- ruption of L^ajle in Morals. A na- tional Corruption of Lafe in Morals always produdlive of a bad one in ArtSy &c. Letter To Leonora. P* ^3* XIII. Congratulations on her Marriage with Aristus. L’hat a fafe for Elegance in the leffer Concerns of Life is necef- ' fary to retain the Affections of a Huff hand, as well as the more effential Du- ties. A Fable concerning Cupid, Psyche, a?td Taste. To the Same. p. 89. XIV. L^cfle for conjugal Joys expreffed in an old Song written by a Bridegroom, To E u p H E M I u s. p. 94. XV. A Cenfure on that common ffalfe, tajle- kfs Remark, that we have 7 iow no Poets. Axn Eidogium on Dr. Akin- side, Mr, Gray, Mr. Nugent, Mr. Collins, a?2d Mr. Mason, and others, Lheir Fafle and Genius in their refpeClive Compoftions, fu- 4 perior CONTENTS. per tor to the Romans in the fame Species of Poetry^ a?2d equal to the Grecians. Letter ToPhilethes. ' p. 99. XVI. T*he wretchedT^aJie of playing Tra- gedy till Garrick refored Nature to her lawful Empire on the Stage. A Criticifm on a Line in Horace, mifunderjlood by the generality of Commentators, A Comparifon of Garrick with the Roman Ros- cius. "Lhe EffeSl a well regulated T'keatre has upon the T’ajie of a whole Nation. To Eugenio. p. ip6. XVII. Euphemius’s happy Tajie in Con-- njerfation, "Phis Talent defcribed by Shakefpear in the Char abler of Bi- ron. Y{oM^KandP>KYDE^ ufe the fame Exprefjion in defcribing the Grace of [peaking, A refined Tafie herein acquired by Converfation with Women infianced in a Comparifon betwixt Voiture and Balsac, whofe Writings are here contrafied. To CONTENTS. Letter ToAristus; p. loi. XVIII. TChe graceful Manner of conferring aBenefit as much admired in theCha- raster oj ho AT as the Deed of Charity itfelf An e?nblematical Prelude of the beneficent Reign of Omar, an Emperor of the Saracens. T’hat without a tafieful and tender Addrefs in relieving the Difirejfed^ Munificence may encreafe theirMife- ry : infianced in the remarkable Fate g/'PANDOLFo Malatesta Sove -^ reign of Remini. Fhat Nature herfelf will fuggejl this lenient Art to thofe who have Souls truly benevolent. ToCritophilus. p. ii8. XIX. What Addrefs a?2d Fafie of Compofi- tion is required in Works of Critic cifm. Able Scholars have mifcar-- ried for want of this proper De^ Itcacy : infianced in Mr. Anthony Blackwall's Introduflion to the Claffics. A Criticifm on Pajfages extracted from that Worky as Spe- cimens of falfe Fafie and aukward Compofition. — Fhe revival of true CONTENTS. Criticifm in the Writings of thofe three celebrated Geniufes^ the Author (^/Refleftions Critiques fur la Pein- ture et la Poefie ; the Author of the Enquiry into the Life and Writ- ings of Homer ; and the Author of the Notes and Commentary on Horace’s two critical Epiftles. What their Excellence conffs in. ToEupkemius. p. 126. Letter XX. A mythological Genealogy o/Taste. Contemplation was the Daugh-- ter ^Jupiter, {%vho fprung from his Brainy like Pallas) by whom Apollo had a Son named Eudoxus [/. e, true Knowledge'] who begot Calocagathia, or Taste, on one of the Graces. ESSAY Contents of the Essays. essay On Education. ESSAY I. P- 137* II. On the Power g/' H abit, p. 145. essay III. On Good and Beauty. p. 160. essay IV. ■On Self-Love. A Fable, p. 169. essay V. On True and False Religion, p. 176. essay VI. 0 « Friendship. p. 191. essay VII. On Conjugal Love. P- 197. essay VIII. 0« So L I T u D E and Society, p.204, essay IX. 0«CoNTENTMENT. Fable, p. 2 I 2. LETTERS CONCERNING T A S T E. LETTER L To E U P H E M I U S. W HENCE comes it, Euphe- Mius, that you, who are feeU ingly alive to each fine Senfa- tion that Beauty or Harmony gives the Soul, fhould fo often affert, contrary to what you dalFy experience, that Taste is governed by Caprice^ and that Beauty is reducible to no Criterion ? I am afraid your Generofity in this Inftance is greater than your Sincerity, and that you are wil- ling to compliment the circle of your Friends, in giving up by this Concefiion B that 2 LETTER 1. that envied Superiority you might claim over them, Ihould it be acknowledged that thofe uncommon Emotions of Plea- fure, which arife in your Breaft upon the Obfervation of moral or natural Elegance, were caufed by a more ready and intimate Perception of that univerfal Truth, which the all-perfedt Creator of this harmo- nious Syftem ordained to be the Venus of every Objeft, whether in the Material World; in the imitative Arts; or in living Charadters and Manners. How ir- reconcileable are your Dodtrines to the Example you afford us ! However, fince you prefs me to juftify your Pradlice againft your Declarations, by giving a De- finition of what is meant by Taste, I fhall not avoid the invidious Office of pointing out your fuperior Excellence to others, by proving thatTRUTH and Beau- ty are coincident, and that the warmefl Admirers of thefe Celestial Twins, have confequently Souls more nearly allied to actherial Spirits of a higher Order. The effedl of a good Taste is' that inftantane- ous Glow of Pleafure which thrills thro’ our whole Frame, and feizes upon the Ap- 'LETTER!. 3 plaufe of the Heart, before the intelleitual Power, Reafon, can defcend from the Throne of the Mind to ratify it’s Appro- bation, either when vve receive into the Soul beautiful Images thro’ the Organs of bodily Senfes 5 or the Decorum of an amiable Charadler thro’ the Faculties of moral Perception 3 or when we recall, by the imitative Arts, both of them thro’ the intermediate Power of the Imagination. Nor is this delightful and immediate Senfation to be excited in an undiflem- pered Soul, but by a Chain of Truths, dependent upon one another till they ter- minate in the hand of the Divine Com- poser of the whole. Let us caft our Eyes firft upon the Objebts of the Material World. A rural Profpefl upon the very firft Glance yields a grateful Emotion in the Breaft, when in a Variety of Scenes there arifcs from the whole one Order, whofe different Parts will be found, by the critical Eye of Contemplation, to re- late mutually to one another, and each examined apart, to be produblive of the Necelfaries, the Conveniencies, and Emo- luments of Life. Suppofe you was to B 2 behold 4 LETTER I. behold from an Eminence, thro’ a fmall range of Mountains covered with Woods, feveral little Streams gufliing out of Rocks, forne gently trickling over Pebbles, others tumbling from a Precipice, and a few glid- ing fmoothly in Willow-fliaded Rivulets thro’ green Meadows, till their tributary Waters are all colleited by fome River God of a larger Urn, yvho at fome few Miles diftance is loft in the Ocean, which heaves it’s broad Bofom to the Sight, and ends the Profpefl: with an immenfe Ex- panfe of Waters. Tell me, Euphemius, would not fuch a Scene captivate the Heart even before the intellectual Powers difcover Minerals in the Mountains ; fu- ture Navies in the Woods; Civil and Mi- litary Architecture in the Rocks; healing Qualities in the fmaller Streams ; Fertility, that the larger Waters diftribute along their ferpentifing Banks ; Herbage for Cat- tle in the Meadows ; and laftly, the more ' eafy Opportunities the River affords us to convey to other Climates the Superfluities of our own, for which the Ocean brings us back in Exchange what we ftand in need of from theirs. Now to heighten this L E T T E R I. 5 this beautiful Landfcape, let us throw in Corn Fields, here and there a Country Seat, and, at proper Diilances, fmall Hamlets, together with Spires and Towers, as Milton defcribes them, bofomM high in tufted Trees/’ Does not an additional Rapture flow in from this Adjundl, of which Reafon will afterwards difcover the latent Caufe in the fame manner as before. Your favourite Architedture will not fail to afford lefs re- markable Inftances, that Truth, Beauty, and Utility are infeparable. You very well know that every Rule, Canon, and Proportion in building did not arife from the capricious Invention of Man, but from the unerring Didates of Nature, and that even what are now the ornamental Parts of an Edifice, originally were created by Neceflity ; and are flill difpleafing to the Sight, when they are dlfobedient, if I may ufe that moral Expreffion, to the Order, which Nature, whofe Laws cannot be re- pealed, firfl: gave to fupply that Neceflity. Here I appeal to your own Breafl: j and let me continue the Appeal by aflcing you concerning another Science analogous to B ^ this, 6 LETTER I. this, which is founded upon as invariable Principles : I mean the Science of living well, in which you are as happily learned as in the former. Say then, has not every amiable Charadter, with Vv'Iiich you l}.ave been enamoured, been proved by a cool Examination to contain a beautiful Pro^ portion, in the Point it was placed in, re- lative to Society ? And what is k that con- ftitutes Moral Deformity, or what we call Vice, but the Difproporticn which any Agent occafions, in the Fabric of Civil Community, by a Non-compliance to the general Order which fhould prevail in it? As the Arts of Painting, Sculpture, and Poetry are imitative of thefe, their Excel- lence, as Aristotle obferves, conlifts in Faith fulnefs to their Original : nor have they any primary Beauty in themfelves, but derive their lhadowy Exiftence in a mimetic Tranfeript from Objedts in the PvTaterial World, or from Paliions, Cha- radlers, and Manners. Neverthelefs that interiial Senfe we call Taste (which is a Herald for the whole human Syflem, in ifs three different Parts, the refined Fa- culties of Perception, the grofs Organs of Senfcj LETTER I. 7 Senfe, and the intermediate Powers of Imagination) has as quick a Feeling of this fecondary Excellence of the Arts, as for the primary Graces ; and feizes the Heart with Rapture long before the Senfes, and Reafon in Conjundion, can prove this Beauty by collating the Imita- tions with their Originals. If it fliould be afked why external Ob- jeds affed the human Bread: in this Man- ner, I would anfwer, that the Almighty has in this, as well as in all his other Works, out of his abundant Goodnefsand Love to his Creatures, fo attuned our Minds to Truth, that all Beauty from without (hould make a refponfive Har- mony vibrate within. But fhould any of thofe more curious Gentlemen, who bufy themfelves with Enquiries into Matters, which the Deity, for Reafons known only , to himfelf, has placed above our limited \ Capacities, demand how he has fo formed \ us, I fhould refer them, with proper Con- tempt, to their more aged Brethren, who may juftly in Derifion be {tiled the Philo- fophers of ultimate Caufes. To you, my dear Friend, whofe truly philofophical B 4 and 8 LETTER I. and religious Tafte concludes that what- ever God ordains is right, it is Suffi- cient to have proved that T^ruth is the Caule of all Beauty^ and that Truth flows from the Fountain of all Perfecflion, in whofe unfathomable Depth finite Thought fhould never venture with any other In- tention than to wonder and adore. But I And I have been imperceptibly led on from Thought to Thought, not only to trerpafs upon the common Stile of a Let- ter, by thefe abitrufe Reafonings and re- ligious Conclufions, but upon the ordinary length of one likewife 3 therefore fhall conclude by complimenting my own Tafte in Charadters, wdien I affure you that I am, 'Tour moji affeSlionate Friend ^ &c. LET- [ 9 ] LETTER 11. To the Same. I T gave me no fmall Pleafure to find, by your Anfwer to my laft Letter, that you nowallow'BEAUTY to be the Daugh- ter of Truth 5 and I in my turn will make a Conceflion to you, by confeffing that Beauty herfelf may have acquired Charms, but then they are altogether fuch as are confident with her divine Extrac- tion. What you obferve is very true, that the human Form (the mod glorious Objecd, as you are pleafed to call it, in the Creation) let it be made with the mod accurate Symmetry and Proportion, may receive additional Charms from Educa- tion, and deal more fubtily upon the Soul of the Beholder from fome adventitious Circumdances of eafy Attitudes or Motion, and an undefineable Sweetnefs of Counte- nance, which an habitual Commerce with the more refined Part of Mankind fuper- adds to the Work of Nature. This the ancient Grecian Artids would have repre- fented mythologically in Painting by the Graces crowning Venus, We find how i much 20 LETTER IL much Lely has availed himfelf in his fliadowy Creations of tranfcribing from Life this adventitious Charm into all his Portraits. I mean, when he Jlole upon his anwiated Canvas^ as Pope poetically expreffes it, ‘‘ The fleepy Eye that fpoke the melting Soul.” You will aflc me, perhaps; how I can prove any Alliance in this particular Cir- cumftance of a Angle Feature to Truth ; Or rather triumphantly pufh the Argu- ment farther, and fay, Is not this additional Charm, as you call it, inconfiftent with the Divine Original of Beauty, fince it deadens the fiery Luftre of that penetrat- ing Organ ? I chufe to draw my Anfwer from the Schools of the antient Etho-j- GRAPHi, who by their enchanting Artfo happily conveyed, thro’ the Sight, the Lefibns of Moral Philofophy. Thefe Sages would have told you, that our Souls are attuned to one another, like the Strings of mufical Inftruments, and that the Chord of one being ftruck, the TJnifon of another, tho’ untouched, will vibrate to it. The PalTions therefore of the human Heart, expreffed II letter ii. expreffed either in the living Countenance, or the mimetic Strokes of Art, will affedl the Soul of the Beholder with a fimilar and refponfive Difpofition. What won- der then is it that Beauty, borrowing thus the Look of foftening Love, whofe Power can lull the moft watchful of the Senfes, fhould caft that fweet Nepenthe upon our Hearts, and enchant our correfponding Thoughts to reft in the Embraces of De- fire ? Sure then I am, that you will al- ways allow Love to be the Source and End of our Being, and confequently con- fident with Truth. It is the Superaddi- tion of fuch Charms to Proportion, which is called T^ajle in Mufick, Painting, Poetry, Sculpture, Gardening and Archi- tedlure. By which is generally meant that happy Aflembiage which excites in our Minds, by Analogy, fome pleafurable Image. Thus, for Inftance, even the Ruins of an old Caftle properly difpofed, or the Simplicity of a rough hewn Her- mitage in a Rock, enliven a Profped:, by recalling the Moral Images of Valor and Wi/dom ; and I believe no Man will con- tend, that Valor exerted in the Defence of I 12 L E T T E R II. one’s Country, or Wifdom contemplating in Retirement for the Welfare of Man- kind, are not truly amiable Images, he- longing to the Divine Family of Truth. I think 1 have now reconciled our two fa- vorite Opinions, by proving that thefe ditional Charms, if they muft be called fo, have their Origin in Nature as much as Proportion itfelf. — I am very glad the Prints I fent afforded you fo much Plea- fure, not only as I with every thing which comes from me may be favorably re- ceived by you, but as they are likewife a Confirmation of my Arguments 5 for the Man who drew them is no very great Artift, but being a faithful Difciple of Nature, having delineated every Objed: in a Camera Obfcura^ he has not failed of gaining the uncontefted Applaufe, which the Followers of that unerring Miftrefs will ever receive from Mankind. My Eudocia calls me to adminifter with her Comfort to a little fatherlefs Family in the Diftrid of our Hamlet, therefore muft conclude myfelf, Tour ftncere Friend^ &c. LETTER [ 13 ] I LETTER HI. To the Same. O U have often heard me make true A Conjedures concerning a Man's Tafte in Morals, from the Choice of his Pidures or the Difpofition of his Gardens. This you at firft thought a little whimfical, till repeated Obfervalion and Experience confirmed, what I advanced in a former Letter to you, that the fame internal Senfe taftes for the three different Powers in hu- man Nature 3 and from hence arifes that Correfpondence betwixt the Senfes^ Ima^ gination^ and TJnderJlanding of the fame Perfon. I had once an Opportunity of obferving, in fome little Excurfions I made a few Years ago, from a celebrated Place in the North of England, with a mixed Company, how varioully the differ- ent Places we faw affeded every Man in our Party according to the natural Turn of his Temper. We had among us an Inamorato, much given to reading Ro- mances, who dwelt with uncommon Rap- ture J4 LETTER lIL ture on a little rural Place called where, it is faid, the famous Sir Philip Sidney compofed his Arcadia, Here Enthufiafm feized our romantic Lover^ whilft the reft of our Company felt only the calm Senfation of Pleafure. Nor was it long before it came in my turn to be not touched but rapty and to feel that astherial Glow of Admiration, at the Sight of a neighbouring Villa to Scarborough. You know I love the Comforts of do- meftic Life and the Charms of Contem- plation in Retirement j and rather would enjoy the Heart-ennoblingTranfportwhich the Difcovery of any thing beneficial to Mankind, or one charitable Adtion could give me, then the fuppofed Glories which all the Royal Robbers of the World ever plundered from, their Species. From this Temper of Mind, mixed with an Admira- tion of antient Manners and antient My- thology, you will not wonder that a Place, which anfwers in Miniature to iEu i an’s raviihing Defcription of Tempe, fhould thus warmly aflfedt me. The Place I mean is called £ Lodge. It is a fmall convenient Houfe, built in the fuf can letter III. 1 5 can Order, at the Foot of two little Flills, covered withWoods and flowering Shrubs, which for a confiderable Way attend the ferpentizing Courfe of a clear cool Rivu- let, as if they meant to fhade and protedt with their Branches the Stream which runs in the Valley betwixt them. I could not refrain from burflnng forth, in a kind of poetical Extafy, in the Words of our admired Poet, Here gliding thro’ his Daughter’s honor’d Shades, ‘‘ The fmooth Peneus from his glafiy Flood, Refleds purpurea! pleafant Scene. ‘‘ Fair Tempe^ Haunt belov’d of Sylvan Powers, “ Of Nymphs, and Fauns, here in the golden Age ‘‘ They play’d in fecreton the fliady Bank ‘‘ With ancient Pan : while round their choral Steps Young Hours and genial Gales with conlfant Hand, ‘‘ Show’r’d Odors, Blofibms, fhow’r’d ambronalDews, And Spring’s Elyfian Bloom Believe me, Euphemius, the ancient Co- rybantes^ when they heard the facred Flutes in their religious Myfteries, could not feel or exprefs more Rapture than I did. Retrofpeftion had carried me on the Wings of Imagination two thoufand * Pleafwres of Imagination, Book I. - Years i6 LETTER III. Years back, and had placed me in thedc- lightful Regions of Tikejfaly I know the fympathifing * I dare fay the Reader v/ill not be difpleafed to have Ilian’s Defcription of ancient Tempe, which the Author mentions above, laid before him, in the elegant Tranflation of that ingenious Gentlemen, who favoured the Public a few Years ago with an Englijh Commentary and Notes Horace’s Epijile to Jugujius, and a Difcourfe on Poetical hnitation. “ The Ehe[Jalian Tempe is a^Place, “ fituate between Olympus and OJ^a ; which are Moun- “ tains of an exceeding great Height ; and look, as if “ they had once been joined, but were afterwards fe- parated from each other, by fome God, for the fake of Opening in the midft that large Plain, which ftretches “ in Length to about hve Miles, and in Breadth, a hun- dred Paces, or, in fome Parts more. Thro’ the middle “ of this Plain runs the Peneusy into which feveral lelfer “ Currents empty themfelves, and by the Confluence of “ their Waters, Lveli into a River of great Size. This “ Vale is abundantly furnifhed with all manner of /Irbors “ and rejiing Places ; not fuch as the Arts of human In- “ duftry contrive, but with the Bounty of fpontaneous “ Nature; ambitious, as it were, to make a Shew of all “ her Beauties, provided for the Supply of this fair Refi- “ dence, in the very.original Strudure and Formation of “ the Place. For there is plenty of Ivy Ihooting forth in it, which flourifhes and grows fo thick, that, like the generous and leafy Vine, it crawls up the Trunks of “ tall Trees, and twilling it’s Foliage round their Arms “ andBranches, becomes almoft incorporated with them. “ The flowering Smilax alfo is there in great Abun- “ dance; which running up the Acclivities of the Hills, “ and fpreading the clofe Texture of it’s Leaves andTen- “ drils on all Sides, perfedly covers and fhades them ; fo “ that no Part of the bare Rock is feen ; but the whole is “ hung with the Verdure of a thick, interwoven Herb- “ age, prefenting the mofl agreeable Spedacle to the “ Eye. Along the level cf the Plain, there, are fre- P quent ^ LETTER IIL 17 fympathizing Warmth of your Imagina- tion, therefore fliall leave you to fancy the reft for me. However fuch were my Expreftions of Pleaftire upon the Occa- fion, that feveral of our Company, who had not an U?2ifo77 of Soul, began to re- gard my Enthufiafm with a cool" air of Derifion. The next Day's Journey how- ever afforded me an Opportunity of mak- ing Reprifals, and to pity many of our Party for the joyful Aftonifhment with which they were ftruck by the aukward Magnificence of unmeaning Grandeur. ‘‘ quent Tufts of Trees and long continued Ranges ‘‘ of arching Bowers, affording the mod: grateful Shel- ‘‘ ter from the Heats of Summer; which are fur- ther relieved by the frequent Streams of clear and ‘‘ frelh Water, continually winding through it. The “ Tradition goes that thefe Waters are peculiarly good for “ Bathing, and have many other Medicinal Virtues. In “ the Thickets and Bnflies of this Dale, are numberlefs “ Singing Birds every where fluttering about, whofp “ Warblings take the Ear of Paffengers, and cheat the “ Labours of their Way through it. On the Banks of “ the Peneusy on either Side, are difperfed irregularly, “ thofe rejiing Places, before fpoken of ; while the River itfelf glides through the middle of the Lawn, with a foft and quiet courfe ; overhung with the Shades of ** Trees, planted on it’s Borders, whofe intermingled “ Branches keep off the Sun, and fumifh the Opportu- nity of a cool and temperate Navigation upon it. The Worlhipof the Gods, and the perpetual Fragrancy of ‘‘ Sacrifices and burning Odoj-s, further confecrate the “ Place,” ^c, [Vat. Hiil. lib. iii. cap. i.] c You iS letter III. You know the many among Mankind are afFefted only by prodigious A£lio7is and Deeds of Heroism in the Moral World, and, according to my Obferva- tion, have confequently a correfpondent Relifh for the Great and Wonderful in the Phyfical; Alexander, C^sar, and Pyrrhus are their adored Images in the one ; and Cajlles^ MaufoleumSy Pyramids^ Mountains, immenfe Plains, and Cata- radls in the other. How natural then was it for thofe who could pafs over the Paradife. of our Englijh Tempe without Emotion, to gape their filent Wonder at H — Cajlle ! I defire you would minutely obferve, the next time you take a mixed Company into your elegant Colledion of Pidures, and read their Charafters by the choice of their Pieces. The Revenge- ful will find great Excellence in your Apollo fleaing the unfortunate Mar- SY AS j the Man, who is fubjed to be dif- compofed by violent Paflions, will feled out one of Vandervelfs Storms to amufe himfelf with ; and the Eyes of thofe who are ennobled by filial Piety and the de- lightful Sympathy of Pity^ will drop a Tear LETTER III. 19 Tear of Pleafure over your Roman Cha* rity. If the Weather will permit I pro- pofe to be with you at next Month, but wherever I am, you will always be prefent with me. Adieu, my dear Eu- PHEMius, and do me the Juftice to think, I am, Tour mojl Jincere Friend^ &c. C 2 . LET [ 20 ] L E T T E R IV. To the Same. I NDEED, Euphemius, the Com- pliments you are pleafed to pay me upon the Obfervations I made in my laft Letter to you concerning Analogy, would not fail to enflame my Vanity, did not I very well know that you view every thing, which comes from me, through the mag- nifying Medium of Friendfhip. This Re- flexion, it is true, leffens the SatisfaXion which would flow from a Confcioufnefs of Merit, but at the fame time augments my Happinefs another Way, by inform- ing my Heart how deep an Interefl: I have in yours. You tell me that upon RecolleXion, you know of no living Ar- tifl: whofe Life does not greatly correfpond to bis Performances ; and that you have read of very few of the Dead, whofe Works do not fliadow forth, by this Ana- logy, the general Caft of their Moral ConduX'^. Homer, we are told by * Voltaire has the following remarkable PafTag® concerning the Character and Writings of the Cardinal De the 21 LETTER IV. the very ingenious and learned Author of his Life, had perfonally accompanied his Fancy wherever (he roved upon the Face of the Earth, and I make no Doubt fuch was the reftlefs Aftivity of his Soul, that he ardently wiflied to fpurn this dull Globe, and foar to the Seats of his Im- mortals. To contrail; his Chara And felt the Footfieps of th’ immortal God.” ^ I chofs 3 ^ LETTER V. I chofe to feledl this PafTage in Pre- ference to any other, as the Original is a favorite one with Longinus, who had the moflTafte of all the ancient Critics. In my Opinion the Tranflation is not at all inferior to the Original. From which you may infer that I do not degrade Mr. Pope, tho’ I fay he is a better Tranfla- tor than he is a Poet. — I have this Morn- ing read over the Latin Poem you fent me, which gave me no fmall Entertain- ment. The Author has (hewed his Tafte and Command of the Stile of Lu- cretius, Horace, and Virgil, but more particularly of the former, all which he has elegantly blended, or, as his Sub- jedl occafionally required, ufed feparately. I thank you likewife for th6 twoTranfla- tions of the fame Poem, tho’ I muft con- fefs they did not give me equal Satisfac- tion, if any at all. If the two Gentle- men, who have charitably undertaken to do it into Englilh, for the Benefit of thofe who do not underftand the Original, had polTelTed Lajle or even common Judg- ment enough, to have diftinguiflied that the chief Merit of that Poem confifts in 4 the LETTER V. 3 ^ the Language of it, they would have fpent their Time much better by a more proper Application of their refpedlive Talents, which have defervedly raifed both their Charaders, not only in their different Profeffions, but in the World of Letters. Mr. writes me word he has a Letter by him from Count Maffei concerning Voltaire’s, and Hill’s Merope, which I want much to fee. When you write next, pray tell me whe- ther the little Group of Figures, I invented for you, is yet executed in baflb relievo by our favourite Artift Gosset. Adieu. LETTER [ 32 ] L E T T E R VI. To the Same. I Find, Euphemius, you do not tho- roughly concur with me in a Remark I made in my laft Letter, that “ Addison was an indiiferent Critic, and a worfe Poet/' But however extenfive my Re- gard to the Memory of that great and good Man may be, and however inimi- table and certainly jujlly admired he ever v/ill be as a Profe Writer, for thofe moral and humorous EfTays, but more particu- larly thofe delightful Allegories his Mufe Clio has left us •, yet true Criticifm will never allow him to be at the Head even of the fecond Clafs of our E77gIiJJj Poets, You anfwer, that there are feveral Paffages in fome of his poetical Compofitions, which breathe a Spirit of Genius equal to any thing extant, either among the Mo- derns or Ancients ; and at the fame time, point out the famous Simile of the Angel of Dejlrudiioii^ if I may fo call it, in the CampatgJi : and another at the Cpn- clufioa k L E T T E R VL 33 clulion of the firft Adi of Cafo. Now tho’ fcledting particular Paffages from a Poet is not a certain Method, nor a fair one^ of forming a proper Eftimate of his neral Excellence, yet as you fo ftrongly urge thefe two, with an' Air of Triumph^ to be the Infpiration of Cajialian Streams, I muft defire you to examine them with me critically Line by Line, and I dare fay you’ll own, that both betray a great Po- verty of Imagination by an infipid Repe-- tition of one Thought in different Ex- preffions. To begin then with the cele«^ brated Simile in the Campaign^ which, for half a Century, has been undiftinguifliingly admired* So when an Angel by Divine Comrnand “ With riftngTem'pefls /hakes a guilty Landy Such as of late o’er pale Britannia paf}. Calm and ferene he guides the furious Blajl^ And pleas’d th’ Almighty’s Orders to perform, “ Rides in the Whirlwind and diredis the Stormd’ Now take the fecond Line of each Cou- plet, and examine whether the Thought is ^ varied. Is not Jhaking a guilty Land with a rijing 'Tempeji, and direSiing the Storm, and guiding the furious Blajl, the D fame '14 LET T E R VI; fame Adibn ? Is not acting by Divine Com- ?? 2 and, in the firft Verfe, and performhg the Almighty's Orders^ in the fifth, the fame Thought likewife ? Marcia's Si- mile in Cato abounds ftill more with this tirefome Tautology. So the pure limpid Stream when foul with Stains Of rufhing Torrents, and defcending Rains, “ Works itfelf clear, and as it runs refines.” Cato, A(51. 1. RuPfji? 2 g "Porrejits, and defcending Rains^ works itfelf clear ^ and as it runs refiies. But now haying had the difagreeable Of- fice of denying, for the fake of Truth, this excellent Man a Right to a Pretenfion of being a good Poet, Juftice will exadi, and my own Inclination lead me to take notice, that his Tranflations of Ovid are as faithful and fpirited, and at the fame time carry as much the free unfettered Air of Originals, as any other Tranflations in the Englifli Language. As I have par- ticularized his Defecls as a Poet, give me leave to take the more pleafureable Part now to point out Inftances of his Capacity as a Tranflator, which I will feledl from. the l LETTER VL 35 the Stories of Narcissus and Echo, i.a the third Book ; and of Salmacis and Hermaphroditus, in the fourth Book of the Metaiviorpho&is. The follow- ing Defcription receives the fame addi- tional Beauty from the Trandation, as the Youth’s Image did from the furrounding Waters. Now all undrefl: upon the Banks he flood, ‘‘ And clapt his Sides, and leapt into the F'lood: His lovely Limbs the Silver Waves divide, “ His Limbs appear more lovely thro’ the Tide, “ As Lilies fnut within a cryftal Cafe, “ Receive a glofly Luflre from the Salm. 5c Herm. Book iv^ The following Paffages like wife among many others receive the lame Advantatje. o Tn r> [Shame, 1 he Boy knew nought of Love, and touch’d with “ He drove and blufir’d, but ftil! the Blufli became ; “ In rifing Bluftes ftill freA Beauties robe; “ The funny Side of Fruit fuch Biufnes fl’ews, And * Ille, cavis velox applaufo corpore palmis, Lefilit in latices : alternaque brachia ducens In iiquidis tranflucet aquis ; ut ehurnea fi quis ^igna tegat claro, W Candida lilia vitro. MsTAM.-Lib. iy. D 2 36 L E T T E Px. VI. And fuch the Moon, Vv’hen all her Silver White Turns in Eclipfcs to a ruddy Light Ibid. With eager Steps the Lycian Fields he crofi. And Fields that border on the Lycian Coaft ; A River here he viev/’d To lovely bright. It fliew’d the Bottom in a fairer Light, t Nor kept a Sand conceard from human Sight; ^ The Stream produc’d nor flimy Ooze, not Weeds, “ Nor miry Ruflie^, nor the fpiky Reeds, But dealt enriching Moifture all around, - “ The fruitfuIBanks with chearfulVTrdure crown’d t And kept the Spring eternal on the Ground f. ^ Ibid. ‘‘ But oft would bathe her in the cryflal Tide ; Oft with a Comb her dewy Locks divide ; ‘‘ Now in the limpid Streams Ilie view’d her Face, And drefs’d her Image in the floating Glafs ; On Beds of Leaves fhe now repos’d her Limbs, Now gather’d Flowers that grew about her Streams ; “ And * Pueri rubor ora notavit Nefcia quid fit amor : fed et erubuifie decebat. Hie color aprica pendentibus arbore pomis, ebori tincio eft, aut fub candore rubenti. Cum fruftra refonant aera auxiliaria Lunae. Ibid. d- Ille etiam Lycias urbes, Lyciaeque propinquos Caras adeft. Vidit hie ftagnum lucentis ad imum Ufque folum lymphae. Non illic Canna paluftris, Nee fteriles ulvae, nee acuta cufpidejunci. Perfpicuus liquor eft. Stagni tamen ultima vivo Cefpite cinguntur, femperque virentibus herbis. LETTER VI. 37 “ And then by Chance was gathering, as (he flood “ To view the Boy, and long’d for what fne view’d^. Ibid. Give me leave to tranfcribe two Paf- fages from the Story of Narcissus, and I will refer you to the Whole for a more entire Satisfadion. But why flaould I complain, I’m fure he burns ‘‘ With equal Flames, and languiflies by turns, ‘‘ Whene’er I (loop, he offers at a Kifs, And when my Airms I flietch, he flretcheshis. His Eyes with Pleafure on my Face he keeps. He fmiles my Smiles, and when I weep he weeps. Whene’er I fpeak, his moving Lips appear To utter fomething which I cannot hear f.” Story oINarciss. Book iii. Sed modo fohte fuo formofos perluit artus : Saepe Citoriaco deducit pedine crines ; Et quid fe deceat fpeclatas confulitundas. Nunc perlucenti circumdata corpus amidu, Mollibus aut foliis, aut mollibus incubat herbis. Saepe legit flores. Et tunc quoque forte legebat. Cum puerum vidit: vifumque optavit habere. ibid. •f Spem mihi nefcio quam vultu promittls amico : Cumque ego porrexi tibi brachia, porrigis ultro : Cum rifi, arrides : lachrymas quoque fa^pe notavi Me lachrymante tuas : nutu quoque figna remittis : D3 Et, LETTER VI. And none of thofe attra<51ive Charms remain, To which the flighted Echo fu’d in vain. ‘‘ She faw him In his prefcnt Adifeiy, Whom fpite or ali her Wrongs fhe griev’d to fee. She anfv.’cr’d fadly to the Lover’s Moan ; Sigh’d back his Sighs, and anfwei’d groan for groan. “ Ah Youth! belov’d in vain, Narcissus cries; Ah Youth ! belov’d in vain, the Nymph replies. ‘‘ Farewell, fays he, the parting Sound fcarcc fell ‘‘ From his faint Lips, but fhe reply’d, ‘‘ Farewell. “ Then on th’ unwholfome Earth he gafping lies, Till Death ftiuts up thofe felf-admiring Eyes, To the cold Shades his flitting Ghofl: retires. And in the Stygian Waves itfelf admires Ibid. iii. Ef, quantum motu formofi fnfpicor oris. Verba refers aures non pervenientia noftras. Metam. Lib. iii. * Nec corpus remanet quondam quod amaverat Echo, Qure tamen ut vidit, quamvis irata memorque, Jndoluit: quotiefque puer miferabilis, Eheu, Dixerat : lia:c refonis iterabat vocibus Eheu. Ultima vox foiitam fuit haec fpedantis in undam, Heu fruflra dikae puer ! totidemque remifit V erba locus : di»5loque vale, I’ale inquit et Echo, iile caput viridi feflam fubmifit in herba. Luxnina nox claudit domini mirantia formam. ■ • Ibid. If LETTER \1. 35 If the ingenious Author of the Difcourfe on Poetical Imitation^ had not made it plainly appear, that what is too frequently miftaken for one Poet’s Imitation of ano- ther, is only an unavoidable Similarity that will always attend the Defcription o the fame thing drawn by two Geniuies ' tho’ living in two different Ages and Countries, (for Defcriptions are nothing but Tranfcripts from Nature, and Nature is always the fame) I fliculd have been ready to have pronounced Eve’s Defcrip- tion of viewing herfelf in the Fountain, in Paradife Lojl^ to be borrowed by Milton from the former of thefe two lafi: Paffiges in Ovid, which is exaftly the fame, and then concludes, ——Pleas’d I foon return’d. Pleas’d it return’d as foon, with anfw’ring Looks “ Of Sympathy and Love ; there I had fix’d Mine Eyes till now, pin'd with VAIN Defire^ “ Had not a Voice,” lAc. Milton’s Par. Loft. B. iv. What v/ould lead me too more ftrongly to the Conjedure, is, the feeming Allu- lion to the Story of NarcijJ'us in the Ex- preffion, pin d with Vain Defire. For D 4 fear Y 40 L E T T E R VI. fear a Chain of Thoughts fhould here lead me to fay any thing difrefpedful of that Work which Nature formed with moll Talle, Woman, I will abruptly con- clude myfelf. Tour^ See. &c. [ 41 ] LETTER VIL To the Same. I Remember, Euphemius, when we were reading over together Lucian’s Dialogue concerning Beauty, you wa^ uncommonly pleafed with that Author for calling Homer the moft excellent of the Painters Which implied, by be- ftowing this Expreffion upon the Father of the Poets, that Poetry comprehended all the Powers of her Sifter Art. But I am afraid it would be too bold in any Writer to call Apelles, or Protoge- NES, the moft excellent of the Poets. For tho’ no Painter can arrive at any Per- fedlion without a poetical Genius, yet his Art comprehending only Part of the Powers of Poetry, there would not be fufficient Authority for the mutual Appel- lation. There are Subjedts indeed in com- mon to Poets and Painters, but even in thofe very Subjects, not to mention others ^ Agsroy X/UCIAn. which L E T T E Pv VII. 42 which are the Province only of the former) Poetry has feveral adventitious iflids which maintain her Superiority over' the other Art. Many Objects, it is true, fuch as the following Night-Pieces for Example, may be fo defcribed even by the greateft Poets, that Painters of equal Genius might produce Pidlures, betwixt which and them, the Palm of Glory would hang w^avering. The firft' is Milton’s, . . cc The Moon ' ‘ Rifing in clouded Majefty, at length J Apparent Queen unveil’d her peerlefs Light,. = ‘‘ And o’er the Earth her Silver Mantle threw.” ' ' Milton’s Par. Loft. B. iv. ' The next is Homer’s, which Eusta- thius efteemed theTOoft beautiful Night- Piece in Poetry. S' at’ iv a^VCt) &C. - - Iliad lib. viii. L 551. The * Mr. Pope’s Tranflation of this Paftagc is, jn'my Opi- . nion, fuperior to the Original, which the .ingenious Author of SirTuo. F itzosborne’s Letters has remarked before me. I muft add one Obfervation, which is, that Mr. Pope has moll happily digelled a- Line .of Shake- spear’s, And 43 letter VIL The reft are Shakespear’s. “ Yonder blefled Moon - “ That tips with Silver all thofe Fruit-Tree Tops.” ' Romeo and Juliet. Again, The Moon fnines bright : in fuch a Night as this. When the fweet Wind did gently kifs the Trees, And they did make no Noife.’’ A4erch. of Ven, Nowtho’, Iconfefs, thefeht^iUiiivX Strokes of the three greateft Poets the World ever produced, may be equalled by Painting, yet I will prove that one adventitious Circumftance might be thrown into fuch a Landfcape by Poetry, as the utmoft glow of Colours could never emulate. This too Skakespear has done by a metaphorical Expreflion in one fingle Line, ^ “ How fweetthe MoonlightsLEEPSuponthatBank!” Merch, of Ven, “ And tips nvith Siher ail thofe Fruit-tree Tops,” into his Tranflation in this moll: mafterly Manner, “ O’er all the Trees a yellower Verdure Ihed, “ And/i/» nvith Siher every Mountain’s Head.” To this I would apply, as Mr. H does in general, the Story of Domin ichino’s availing himfelf of Aug. Carracci’s PRfure, That LETTER VII. 44 That Verb [Sleeps,] taken from animal Life and transferred by the irrefillible Ma- gic of Poetry^ to the before lifelefs Objedls of the Creation, animates the wjiole Scene, and conveys an inftantaneous Idea to the Imagination what a folemn Stlll- nefs is required, when the peerlefs ^een of Night is, in the full Splendor of her Majefty, thus lulled to Repofe. When I once urged this, to an enthufiaftical Ad- mirer of the Lombaj^d School of Painters, in favour of the Pre-eminence of Poetry over his beloved Art, he ingenuoufly con- fefled it was beyond the Power of the Pencil to convey any Idea adequate to this j and the ingenious Reafon he gave, why it was fo, gave me no fmall Satis- fadlion. Painting, faid he, pafles gently thro’ one of the Senfes, namely, that of Seeing, to the Imagination ^ but this ad- ventitious Beauty of Shakespear’s feizes the Imagination at once, before we can re- duce the Image to a fenfible Objedt, which every meer Pidlure in Poetry ought, for a Teft of itsTruth, to be reduced to : How- ever, added he, fince we are upon the Subjedt of Night-Pieces, if you will ha- zard letter VII. 45 Kard the Palm of Superiority upon a Sub- jcd where both thefe Arts have every Ad- vantage in common ; that is, if you will collate any Dcfcription in Poetry which conveys only Objeds to the Eyes without thefe additional Charms, I dare venture that rural Night Landfcape, where you fee, pointing to a fine Pidure, the Power of the Moon both upon the Land and Wa- ter, againft the raoft laboured Strokes of Virgil or Milton, or the more en- chanting Sketches of Homer or Shake- spear. I muft ow’n nothing could be more favourable, for me than feleding, from his Colledion, this very Piece, to put in Competition with thefe Gcniufes> as it did not neceflitate me to feek for a Defcription on any other Subjed, Shake- spear having left us a fhort one, but at the time the moft elegantly pic- turefque of any I remember ; which with a kind of anticipated Triumph I repeated. To-morrov/ Night, when Phcebe doth behold Her Silver Vifage in the watry Glafs, Decking with liquid Pearl the bladed Grafs. Midfummer Night's I could 46 LETTER VII. I could perceive by the Looks of my Friend, when I had repeated the fecond Line, that he thought his favorite Painter liad ec^ualled Shakespeak in the Repre- fentation of the Refledion of the Moon in the Water, but, when I had compleated the Scene by the third Line, “ Decking with liquid Pearl the bladed Grafs,” both his Heart, Eyes, and Tongue con- felTed the Vidlory of our inimitable Poet, — You know, Euphemius, the.Repre- fentations of Nature in her Jitnple Retire- ments, as I ufed to call a rural Evening, W'ere my favorite Subjefls ; more efpe- cially when the Artift had blended with the Truth of Imitation, that undefineable Delicacy of Tafte, to which even Truth herfelf is often indebted for a more agree- able Admittance into the Heart. I will illuftrate what I mean by Example. That fuccinft Pinrfture of the Setting Sun in the viiith Book of the Iliad, E» S' i-Kii aiKsavai tiiMoia EAaor vuitlw stti ^aSu^o^ ct^n^v. Lin. 485, “ Now letter VII. 47 Now deep in Ocean funk the Lamp of Light, ‘‘ Drawing behind the cloudy Veil of Night.” Pope’s Tranjlatlon. has very ftrong Outlines, and commands the warmeft Approbation of our "judgment ^ but being unadorned with other Circum- ftances, and wanting Objedls to enliven the Landfcape, the Applaufe ends with the Judgment, and never finks deep into the Heart. Whereas the following Scene, in Mr. Collins’s Ode to the Evening, being animated by proper Allegorical Per- fonages, and coloured highly with inci- dental Expreffion, warms the Bread with a fympathetic Glow of retired Thought- fulnefs. For when thy folding Star arifing (hews, “ His paly Circlet, at his warning Lamp, The fragrant Hours and Elves, Who llept in Flow’ rs the Day, [Sedge, ‘‘ And many a Nymph who wreaths her Brows with And fheds the frefli’ning Dew, and lovelier flill, “ The PENSIVE Pleasures fwect “ Prepare thy fhadowy Car * See a Colkaion of Odes publiflied a few Years ago by Mr. William Collins, whofe negledled Genius \vill hereafter be both an Honour and a Difgrace to our Na- tion, Perhaps 48 LETTER Vll Perhaps you will here turn a former Re- mark of my own upon me, and fay with the tragic Poet, “ It bears a juft Refemblance of thy Fortune, And fuits the quiet Purpofe of thy Soul.” Young’s Revenge* and tell me, as you once did upon a fimi- lar Occaiion, that I am obliged to .Retire- ment for the Difeovery. of thefe humble Pleafures* Perhaps 1 am in fome meafure s but tho’ Sorrows have bettered my Heart, and rendered it more familiar with Na- ture than it might have been in the chear- fuller Scenes of Life, yet you muft con- fefs, that, from our earliell: Acquaintance^ you always perceived in me a kindred Spi- rit to the PENSIVE Pleasures. Adieu, my dear Friend, and reft affured, that’ whether I fpeculate only in the Shades of Obfeurity, or whether the Purfuit of my not ill-grounded future Expedations, cafts me into the more noify Scenes of Adlion, I lhall always remain with the greateft Sincerity, Tour, &c. &c. LETTER [ 49 ] LETTER VIIL To the Same. D id Amelia and feveral others of my Friends in Reality defire, in Conjunftion with you, that I would fend you the little EfTay, which I wrote feve- ral Years ago, when I was very young, upon polite Arts ^ or was it one of the good-natured Frauds of Friendfhip, to deceive me into the harmlefs Pleafure of thinking fuch a Trifle fhould be in re- queft among thofe, v/hofe Efleem I fo highly value ? Be it which it will, your Defire fliall command my Compliance in every refpe£l, and I will therefore tran- fcribe the whole from the periodical Mif- cellaneous Coiledion in which it was pub- lifhed. ^ Nothing is a greater Indication of Luxury, the Fore-runner of Poverty, than the Degeneracy of the polite Arts into ufelefs Oflentation. The Poets, Painters, * This little ElTay was publiflied in a periodical Paper which came out once a Fortnight in the Year 1 746. E and 50 LETTER VIIL and Sculptors have of late almoft forgot what gave rife to, and ought to be the end) of their Labours. Thofe noble Defigns in which Athens gloried more than in all her Military Exploits, are now little re- garded ; and thofe noble Servants of Vir- tue, the Arts, which formerly gave In- flruflion not only to the young and unex- perienced, but to the old and learned, are moftly flighted, and often proflituted to adorn Vice, and flatter human Vanity. But to lay aflde the Severity of the Mora- lifl, and talk to the ProfeflTors, of what, they will think, concerns them moft. I am fully convinced that nothing would fo much contribute to their Fame and For- tune, and to make them complete Maflers, as an Attachment to Virtue, and the Ufes of Life ; and an Emulation to form their Defigns from the Models of thofe ancient Artifts, whofe W orks have been delivered down to us with the greateft Applaufe, and will be to all Pofterity, as long as Truth is efteemed the Criterion of Per- fedtion. Suppofe any one of the Geniufes of the prefent Age, whether Poet, Painter, or I Statuary, LETTER VIII. 5x Statuary, inflead of following the wild Lure of liis o\vn Imagination, or the Whims of modern Originals, fhould mO” deftly content himfclf to make Prodi- cus’s Judgment of Hercules in Xeno- phon’s Memorabilia the perfcB Beauty of Luc TAN; or the mythological PiBure vf Unman Life written by Ceses, the Subjedf of his Imitation ; I dare anfwer for it he would prefently excell his Bre- thren, and verify this Ohfervation, that the moft faithful Difciplcs of Nature are alw'ays the greateft Mafters of Art. This Juftice, however, I muft do my Country- men, to obferve, that there arc ftill feve- ral among us "h who, in fpite of publick Depravity, retain a virtuous Love tor the Arts, and make Vfe the bind of their En- deavours. A Friend of mine, who is an Admirer of the three Pieces above-men- tioned, took me to fee a Colledion of Pidures, v/hich w^ere moft of them taken from the Deligns of thofe celebrated Wri- ters. Among the reft I was particularly ^ ITogarth and Wilson have given the World fufiicient Proofs of as true C^enius for Dehgn as ever adorned the Art of Painting, however their ignorant Countrymen may have negledled fuch unccnimonTalents. E 2 pleafed 52 LETTER VllL pleafed with four, which exceeded any modern Performances, I ever faw, in Con- trivance and Execution. The Subjefts were Infancy, Youth, Manhood, and Age, which were reprefented in the fol- lowing manner. The principal Figure of the firft Piece was a naked Child coming into a Wildernefs, fupported by Inno- cence and Wonder. At the Entrance the Fancies of various kinds flood ready to receive it, who were conduded, for the moft part, by Impojiurey Ignorance^ and Error 3 fome few indeed by Reafon and T’ruth. Thofe, belonging to the for- mer, were the Miniflcrs of Mifery ; thofe, to the latter, of Happinefs, Both Parties feemed very defirous to allure the new Comer to their refpedive Dwellings, and Doubt and Pleafure were blended toge- ther in the Infant’s Countenance. — The fecond Piece was compofed of a Group not unlike the firfl. A young Man was reprefented walking in a beautiful Garden, where all the Trees in full Bloflbm were arranged in the mofl natural Manner 5 the Loves, the Graces, and Pleafures were courting his Embrace, whofe Careffes he returned letter VIIL 53 returned with mutual Ardor. Beneath the Feet of thefe was a Serpent crawling out from under a Bordure of flowers ; andj at a little Diftance from thence, three or four Cupids binding Reafon in Chains. Venus appeared above, defcending in a Chariot drawn by Doves, with her Ida- lian Son upon her Lap, and Iniolei'ice amidft her Court of infant Vices lolling on a Couch below.- -Manhood, the Subjedl of the third Piece, was cha- rafterized by a fedate Perfon in a Vine*^ yard at the time of Vintage. He was leaning in a thoughtful Pofture, againft a large Olive-Tree, whofe Fruit was falling round him. jinibition flood on one Side, pointing to the Temple of Glory ^ and Care on the other Side, with a wrinkled Fore- head, looking at Necefity. To thefe the Arts and Scie 7 ices were offering their Affiftance, and the Laws proteding them, with their written Tables in one hand, and the Sword of JuJlice in the other. But amidft all this Group, the Figures that looked the moft amiable ‘_were Friendjldp, conjugal Love, and parental Aj^editon. To give thefe the moft heavenly Sweetnefs, the E 3 painter 54 LETTER VIIL Painter had exerted his utmofl Skill; and to thefe the principle Image feemed moft attentive, as if he regarded the red; only as fubfervient to them. — —The fourth Piece remains to b'e defcribed. There was an old Man (landing in a leaflefs Grove, with his unadive Arms folded together, as if he was fixed in the deepeft Medita- tion. His Beard was long and white, and his Garments like thofs worn bv the^^y6^- nian Sages. Reflexion and Experience came behind him, and their OfiFspring Fcrepght and Rrecauiton went before, Reqfon, the great Queen of the intel- ledual Train, appeared in a triumphal Car, witii the Pa/jions chained to the Wheels, and waiting on her Look; at forne Difiance Hope and Peace were ready to con dud the Sage to the Temple cf Death, who fate upon a Throne with Pime, (his Train of Hours and Days at- tending round,) and feemed to invite the approaching Gueft with a friendly Smile of Salutation, and not to deter him with the Looks of Horror, in which the Guilty are accuftomed to paint him.— In thefe four Pidures, the Seafons of Life, th^ Pajjionsy LETTER Vm. 55 PaJfioJis, &c. are moft beautifully perfoni- fied, and may ferve as a Specimen of what was efteemed ingenious and beauti- ful among the Ancients. But befides thefe, I Vv^as not a little de- lighted with another fingle Piece in the fame Colledtion. It was the Wreck of a large Ship on a Rock; the Veflel is lop- pofed to have juft bulged, the Mariners are all in the utmoft Confufion and Def- pair, and in the mid ft of them upon the Deck ftands a beautiful young Woman looking down upon the Waves below, where an old Man is expiring with a dead Infant in his Arms ; the one is fuppofed to be her Father, the other her Child : the lively Anguifh, mixed with the moft tender Looks of parental and filial Love, ^ which file exprefles, never fails to raife in the Spedlator of this Mafter-piece of Art, the moft heart-ennobling Pity, and gives U8 a filent LeflTon of Duty and Af- fedion. — — Such Subjeds as thefe ought to employ the Time of every Artift, where natural and moral Beauty would be again united as they were of old ; for whenever a good Tafte prevails in the E 4 onCj 56 LETTER VIII. one, an infeparable Connexion will trani- fer it into the other j but as long as Super- Jliticn ufes Art'Wkt a Magician’s Wand, to delude the Multitude with her fairy Creations, and Luxury allures her to re- bel againft Virtue, the Produdions muft neceffarily be monftrous ; difguft every undiftempered Mind j and only fuit that Incongruity from whence they fprung of Friejicraft and Licentioufnefs. You fee, Euphemius, how willing I am to oblige you, by hazarding to your nice Infpedion the firft Sallies of a young, tho’ well-meaning. Fancy. If the Effay gives Amelia any Pleafure, I dare fay you will very foon communicate it to me, as I am convinced, from repeated Favors of this kind, that you will never let any Opportunity efcape of giving me even the leaft Satisfadion ; much lefs will you conceal from me what, you may very well know, will afford the greateft. I am. Tour, &c. &c. LET. [ 57 ] LETTER IX. To the Same. I AM quite lick, my dear Friend, of the fplendid Impertinence, the un- meaning Glitter, the taftelefs Profufion, and monftrous Enormities, which I have lately feen in a Summer’s Ramble to fome of the Villas which fwarm in the Neigh- bourhood of our Metropolis. You would imagine that the Owners, having retained the horrid Chimeras of a feverilh Dream, had jumbled them together in a waking Frenzy. In one Place was a Houfe built from an aukward Delineation plundered from an old Indian Screen, and decorated with all the Monfters of AJia and Africa, inholpitably grinning at Strangers over every Door, Window, and Chimney- Piece. In another, we found an old Go- thic Building encrulled with Stucco, Diced into Grecian Pilafters, with gilded Capi- tals } fuperbly lined with Paper disfigured all over with the fat Deities of China, :^d the heterogeneous Animals that exiil only 58 L E T T E R IX. only in the aerial Regions of Utopia. Few, very few, did we meet with that bore any relation to Proportion, or the Conveniencies and natural Emoluments of Life. But in all thefe notable Diftortions of Art, I perceived the poor proftituted Word Taste, was conftantly made ufe of to exprefs the abortive Conceptions of a diftempered Fancy, From a curfory View of thefe motley Productions of modern Refinement, you would be led to think, that the new Gentry of the City, and their Leaders the well-drelTed Mob about St. yames's, were feized, tlie very Moment they left the Town- Air, with a Chinefe Madnefs, and imagined a Deviation from Fruth and Nature yvas an infallible Criterion of Taste. But of all the fplendid Impertinencies I ever faw, nothing ever excited in me fo contemp- tuous an Indignation as Mucio’s Palace ; and yet the filly Multitude pour forth in abundant Crowds from the adjacent City, during the Summer Seafon, on a particular Day of the Week, which the indulgent Owner fets apart for that Purpofe, to gaze with open-mouthed Afrorrifliment at the LETTER IX. 59 luperb Nothing of this unmeaning Struc- ture. Mucio’s Palace ftands about fix: Miles from London, upon a dry barren Spot, where God never intended Wood fliould naturally grow, or Water fpring: Mucio therefore made choice of this Spot, in Preference to any other, to (hew the admirhig Speftators, that Wealth could perform every thing in the Phyfical World, as his mzry Anceftors had found it would do in the Moral. So to fupply what Nature in a profufe Irregularity be- llows upon other Places, but had with- held from this, he planted, at an im- menfe Expence, by Rule and Line, feveral pretty W alks of Elm Trees, fo engagingly like one another, that, at the firfl Glance, you may know them all to be of the fame Family^ and obferving that Water is more naturally colledled into, and preferved in a Body, in low Situations, Mucio, whofe chief Aim, it feems, was to excel Nature^ mod artfully catchedupon an Eminence, in a round Bafon turned by a pair of Corn- palTes, or more properly a large Rain- water Ciftern of ten Acres, the imprifoned Contributions of Winter Showers, to pu- trify 6o LETTER IX. trify by Stagnation in the Summer Seafon. The Houfe itfelf, it is true, is built with good Portland Stone, before which is Jiuck on a Portico in the Corinthian Order. The Rooms within are large without Magnificence; numerous without Con- venience ; and fitted up with an oftenta- tious Splendor, without the minuteft Ap- pearance of any one real Elegance. The Furniture is even difguftingly expenfive, and ornamented into ufelefs Incumbrance. Several daubed Copies of P. Pinini’s Ruins dangle over monftrous Marble Chimney-Pieces, that look like Family Monuments in a Cathedral ; and not a few* fhapelefs naked Pagan Deities, done by modern Artifts, fprawl upon Canvas fur- rounded with gilt Frames, tacked upon Hangings of Gold and Silver Tiflhe. In ihort, the whole feems as if Mucio had been fufFered by Heaven, to fquander away immenfe Treafures in this moft ri- diculous manner, to give a filent Leflfon of Confolation to every Spedator, how low foever his Lot is fallen in the Vale of Life, that Nature and Propriety will make a thatch-covered Cottage ufeful, and an Orna^ LETTER IX. 6i Ornament in the rural Landlcape round him, when this enormous Pile of Stones fcarce afforded the taflejefs Builder a dwel- ling Room, and will remain, even in Ruins, a Monument of Vanity and Dul- nefs. — I am glad you have finiflied to your Satisfaftion, the Falladtan Bridge, you was fo bufy about when 1 was laft with you at . I have feledted a very beautiful Parcel of Spar for your Grotto, which I propofe to fend in a few Days. I am, Tour^ &c. &c. LET- [ 62 ] LETTER X. To Eugenio. I HAVE fent you, according to my Pro- mife, Eugenio, that little Philolbphi- cal Poem, I have fo often recommended, ’ written by Sir John Davies, entitled, *The Ortgi 72 ali Nature^ a?id Immort ality of the Soul. Wherein you will find the fecret Springs of Pleafure and Pain, Love and Hatred, laid open to your Infpedtion. The ingenious Author, after having defcribed tht five Senfes as the Inlets of all Objedls to the Soul, and the Imagination as a Senfe in mnmon betwixt them and the /b- telleSlual Powers'^ proceeds to explain, in ^ the following Stanzas, whence the Spirits of Senfe [i. e. Taste] arife, and how they influence the human Paflions. But fince the Brain does lodge the Powers of Senfe, How comes it in the Heart thofe Paffions fpring ? The mutual Love, the kind Intelligence ;• ’Twixt Heart and Brain this Sympathy doth bring. From the kind Pleat which in tiie Heart doth reitrn, 1 he Spirits of Life doth their beginning take, Thofe L E T T E R X. 63 Thofe Spirits of Life afcending to the Brain When they come there the Spirit ofSenfe do make. Thefe Spirits of Senfe in Fantaffs high Court, Judge of the Forms of Objeds ill or v/ell. And fo they fend a good or ill Report Down to the Heart where all Affections dwell. If the Report be good it caufeth Love^ And longing Hope^ and well afiured Joy, If it be ill, then doth it Hatred move. And trembling and vexing Griefs annoy. You will obferve from hence that a true relifli for Life as well as for natural Beauty, depends upon a right Management of our Fancies; for if Fancy prefents Objeds in falfe Appearances to thefe Sph'its of Senfe^ the Affections will embrace Vice and De- formity with the Careffes, which natu- rally belong to Virtue and Beauty. For this Reafon the noble Author of the Characteristics warns us, out of the Stoic School, againft the Delufions of a falfe Fancy, as the moft important Con- cern of our Being If you would fee this Doctrine illuftrated and adorned with the^moft genuine Flowers of Poetry, let me recommend you to the third Book of * See Lord Shaftejhury's Charaderics puffin. the 64 L E T T E R X. the Plea fur es of the Imagination^ the moft beautiful of alldidaitic Poems.— — I find Ambition has drawn you, from the quiet Retirement I laft left you in, to the bufy Buzz of Courts and Levees. I muft ingenuoufly confefs, that the purfuit of Wealth and Honours I flhould now myfelf, for fince the irreparable Lofs of all domeftic Comforts I fuftained by the Death of my dear Eudocia, I have placed my chief Happinefs in hopes of raifing myfelf to the Charafter a long race of An- ceftors have poflefled before me ; but for ^ you, who ftill enjoy the more defireable Comforts of conjugal Love, to leave the enchanting Converfation of your fair ac- complifhed Friend, for the dull Jargon of Bufinefs, is an exchange infinitely to your ^ Lofs. If Fancy has drefled up domeflic ' Happiness in the Robes of Office, be- lieve me fhe plays the Spirits of Senfe very falfe, and let me warn you betimes, left your Fate ffiould be the fame as that of a noble Arabian I have heard related. The Story is this. There dwelt at Izra a young Nobleman named Miravan, who was blelTed with Health, Wit, Beauty, and L E T T E R X. 65 and a fufficient Competency of the good Things of this World, which for fome Years he enjoyed with the moft uninter- rupted Satisfadion, till one Day walking among the Tombs of his Anceftors, he obferved upon one of them the following Infcription, almoft erafed by Time j In this tomb is a greater treasure THAN Croesus ever possessed. Inflamed immediately with the very luft of Avarice, he caufed the ponderous and marble "Jaws (as Shakespear calls them) of his Anceftor's Sepulchre to be opened ; when entering with rapturous Expedation of finding immenfeTreafures,he wasftruck fpeechlefs with Difappointment to behold nothing but a Heap of Bones, Duft, and Putrefadion, with this Infcription over It: Here would have dwelt ETERNAL REPOSE A treasure Croesus never POSSESSED WHICH THOU HAST DRIVEN HENCE BEING EXCITED BY AN INSATIABLE LOVE OF GOLD TO DISTURB THE SACRED REMAINS OF THY PROGENITORS. HaD NOT THY REASON BEEN DELUDED BY A FALSE FANCY SHE WOULD HAVE TOLD THEE THAT THE F GRAVE 66 LETTER X. grave contains nothing but dust and ashes. ' Adieu, my dear Eugenio, and build no Expedtations but upon the Rock of Certainty. I am, Tour^ &c<, LET- [ 6 ? ] LETTER XL To Euphemius, I AM greatly pkafed, Euphemius, that you was of the fame Opinion as myfelf, in a late Converfation, that no- thing would vitiate a Man's T^afte for Poetry more, than frequently reading the Italian Poets. Their forced Allufions, their tinfel Concettiy and perpetual Affec- tation of hunting for pretty Thoughts in- difcriminately upon every Subjedl, are fo many Deviations from good Writing, which degrade the Dignity of HeroiCy and totally deftroy the Simplicity of Pajio- ral Poefy. Sir Philip Sidney’s Arca- dia affords a fufficient Example how much the fineft Genius may be corrupted by a too familiar Intercourfe with thofe exotic Triflers. I do not mean by this to extend my Cenfure to every Part of their poetical Compotitions, as there are many beautiful Paffages in Tasso's Jerusalem in one Species, and in his Aminta in F 2 ' the 68 . LETTER XI. the other ; in Ariosto’s Orlando, and ihGuARiNi’s Pastor Fido, which are worthy of the higheft Commendations ; much lefs would I recommend the total negledl of them, or fnatch that Palm of Glory from their Heads, which they have juftly merited, from being the Inventors of the Dramatic Pajioral. Neverthelefs I ftill retain the Sentiments I then ad- vanced, that there were even in thofe two celebrated Pieces, the Aminta and Pastor Fido, fuch a taftelefs Profufion of that fhining Stuff, which Boileau calls Clinquant^ as muft greatly difguft every Reader whofe Fancy is properly chaftened by that Parent of fober Criti- cifm, from whom the Stagyrite drew every Precept, unerring Nature, The firft A£l of both is full of thok pretty Abfurdities > indeed Guarini fo faithfully copies his Predeceffor, that Lingo utters D AFNE’sThoiights throughout, and almoft too in the fame Exprefhons. For Example, Odi quel Ufcignuolo Che va di ramo in ramo Cantando, Ig amOy lo arno. pafn, in Am. Act. L Queir L E T T E R XL 69 Queir Aiigellin, che canta Si dolcemente, e lafcivetto vola Or da I’Abete al Faggio, Ed or dal Faggio al MirtOj S’ avelTe utilano Spirto, Direbbe, ardo d’amore, ardo d^amore. Linco in Pallor Fido, A6l L La Bifcia lafcia il fuo veleno, e Gorre Cupida al fuo Amatore : Van le Tigri in amore : Ama il Leon fuperbo : Dafne in Aminta, Aft. I. This laft defcription of Tasso’s, of the force of Love in the Brute Creation, is in- deed unalfefledly beautiful, but Guarini, thinking it a plain and fpiritlefs Obferva- tion, has Italianized it to his own Fancy in the following manner. Mugge in mandra Tarmento, et quci muggiti Sono amorofi inviti. Rugge il Leone al bofco, Ne quel ruggito e d’ira Cofi d’amor Sofpira. Pallor Fido, Aft. L F 3 This LETTER XL This Lion (esTkeseus fays of his Brother in Shakespear’s Midfummer Nighfs Dream) is a ^oery gentle Beaji^ a?2d of a good Confcience, But I cannot difmifs this Paffage without noticing the Merit of the Amsterdam Editor of 1732, who founds this ingenious explanatory Note upon the poor Word Cofi. Nell ijieffo i?wdo (fays he) or forfe meglio : qiiando fa Cofi^ do e quando rugge. It may eafily be conceived how a luxuriant Fancy may in the Heat of poetic Rapture glow up into Nonfenfej but how a Commentator can coolly explain it afterwards is beyond my Underftanding to account for. I fliould be glad if fome of thofe Gentlemen, who are fo willing to believe the Superiority of the Italian Poets over their own Countrymen, would collate Fletcher's Faithful Shepkerdefsy and Milton's ComuSy with the abovemen- tioned Pieces, and impartially conlider the full Merit of both. I dare fay they would •hnd this Branch of Laurel, which thofe two great Men have fo fuccefsfully tranf- pknted from Italy, flourifhes better in our own temperate Climate, than on the Banks / L E T T E R XL jt Banks of the Tiber. But, as the Faith- ful Shepherdess is more precifely a dramatic paftora! Poem than Comus, and the firft too that was attempted in our Lan- guage, I vvould refl the Contention upon that alone. If they defcend to particular Paffages, the following may fafely be put in Competition both for Taile and Moral, with any they can produce from their favorite Authors. After the Satyr has left Clorin, the Faithful Shepher- defs, (he breaks out into the following Soliloquy. All my Fears go with thee. What Greatnefs, or what private hidden Power Is there in me to draw SubmilRon ! rom this rude Man or Beall ? Sure I am mortal : The Daughter of a Shepherd \ he was mortal ; And fhe that bore me mortal : prick my Hand And it will bleed ; a Fever fhakes me, and The felf- fame wind that makes theyoung Lambs fhrink Makes me a -cold : my Fear fays I am mortal : Yet I have heard, my Mother told it me, And now I do believe it, if I keep My Virgin Flow’r uncropt, pure, challe, and fair. No Goblin, Wood-God, Fairy, Elf, or P'iend, Satyr, or other Pow’r that haunts the Grove, Shall hurt my Body, or by vain lllufion. Draw me to wander after idle Fires i F 4 Or 72 L E T T E R XI. Or Voices calling me in dead of Night, To make me follow, and to tole me on Thro’ Mire and {landing Pool, to hnd my Ruin : Elfe why fhould this rough thing, who never knew Manners nor fmooth Humanity, whofe Heats Arc rougher than himfelf, and more mifhapen. Thus mildly kneel to md-? Sure there’s a Pow’r In that great Name of Virgin, that binds faft All rude uncivil Bloods, all Appetites That break their Confines; A61. 1. Perigot’s Declaration, of the Purity of his Love toAMORET, and theChaftity of his Intentions, is not with lefs Tafte deferibed in the fame Adi, not for- getting how ingenioufly the Poet has availed himfelf of the Prejudices imbibed in Infancy concerning invilible Powers. O do not wrong my honeft fimple Truth: Myfelf and my AfFedlions are as pure As thofc chafte Flames that burn before the Shrine Ofthechafte Dian : Only my iritent To draw you thither was to plight our Troths With interchange of mutual chafte Embraces, And ceremonious tying of our Souls : For to that holy Wood is confecrate A virtuous Well, about whofe flow’ry Banks The nimble-footed Fairies dance their Rounds By the pale Moon-fhinc, dipping often times Their 73 LETTER XL Their ftolen Children, fo to make ’em free From dying Flefh, and dull Mortality; By this fair P'ount hath many a Shepherd fworn, And given away his Freedom, many a Troth Been plight, which neither Envy, nor old Time Could ever break, with many a chafte Kifs given In Hope of coming Happinefs. A£t. L And Amarillis's Defcription of the fidlen Shepherd^ his Dog, and his Flocks, is as elegant. When I here fay elegant^ I would not be underftood to mean that the Objedts defcribed are fo, I mean the Defcription only ; for Poetry, as well as Painting, being an Imitative Art, a Poet may flsew as much Ingenuity and Talle in the Defcription of a Defart, as in diat of the moft flowVy Landfcape. There is a Shepherd dwells Down by the Moor, whofe Life hath ever fhown More fullen Difcontent than Saturn’s Brow, , When he fits frov/ning on the Births of Men : One that doth wear himfelf away in Lonenefs, And never joys, unlefs it be in breaking The holy plighted Troths of mutual Souls : One that Lulls after every fev’ral Beauty, But yet was never l^own to love or like. Were the Face fairer and more full of Truth Than » 74 L E T T E R XL Than Phoebe in her Fullnefs, or the Youth Of fmooth Ly>eus s whofe nigh-ftarv’d Flocks Are always fcabby, and infed all Sheep They feed withal, whofe Lambs are ever laft And die before their weaning, and whofe Dog Looks like his Mafter, lean, and full of Scurf, 'Not caring for the Pipe or Whiffle. Ad. I, To dwell upon every Beauty in this Piece would be to tranferibe the whole. I fliall therefore only add, that all Men of Genius, fince the Death of the great Author, have concurred in applauding this mod excellent Performance. As I have fo warmly fpoken of this Play, give me Leave to recommend to you the addi- tional Pleafure, when you next read it, of perufingthe Notes of the laft Editor, Mr. Seward, who has made fome happy Emendations in the Text, and very appo- fitely illuftrated his Author with feveral limilar Paflages from Homer, Theocri-, Tus, Virgil, Spenser, Shakespear, and Milton Notwithftanding what I have faid concerning the Italians^ I hope my Compliments won’t be unac- ceptable to our ingenious Friend, whom we call Petrarch, in his Retirement m L E T T E R XI. 75 in the Vale of , known among us by the Name of Valclusa, and his amiable, I may fay, his enchanting Laura. Adieu. I am. Tour, &c. &c. LET- [ 76 ] LETTER Xir. To Philemon. I Have been feveral Days, my dear Ph r- LEMON, feeding my Eyes with thofe delicious Remains of ancient Architedure, the Ruins of. Palmyra, with which thofe very ingenious Gentlemen Mr. Daw- kins and Mr. Wood, who made a Voyage into Asia on Purpofe, with the much to be lamented Mr. Bouverie, have fo great- ly entertained the Public. I am almoftper- fuadedthat Longinus himfelf muft have been the Archited of the Temple of the Sun. There is fomething fo fublime in that View of the grand Entrance, and the noble Perfpedive behind it 5 and fo ana- logous to his capacious Conceptions of Greatnefs in poetical Compofitions ; that many a one, with a Fancy lefs warm than mine, joined to a Temper fomewhat more dogmatical, would pronounce it abfolute- ly to be the Work of that great Genius, and endeavour to fupport his Opinion, like a modern ContrQverfialift, with a Jnindred LETTER XIL 77 hundred notable Conjedures tacked toge- ther with Shreds of ancient Hiftory. I muft own I was greatly furprized that among this prodigious Heap of magnifi- cent Ruins, there fhould be found only four Ionic Pillars, and all the reft fhould be of the Corinthian Order. The Deteftation the Palmyrenes bore to the Romans might be a ftrong Reafon there fliould be none of the Tuscan; by why one Grecian Order fhould be fo little ufed, and the other totally neg- leded, feems not fo eafily to be account- ed for, efpecially too when the Ionic was more in ufe, thro’ Asia Minor and the neighbouring Countries to Palmyra, than both the other two joined together. ^Tis true, indeed, the Simplicity of the Doric would have ill fuited the magni- ficent Struvflures built in Honor of the greater Coeleftial Gods, but might never- thelefs, with the utmoft Propriety and Tafte, have been applied in Temples of the inferior Deities, and more particularly too of thofe who prefided over the Con- cerns of the innocent Shepherd and labo- rious Hufoandman. Here not oply the plain 78 LETTER XIL plain fubftantlal Column of the Doric, the Canon of whofe Order wasafcertained, not by the lofty Cedar, but by fturdy Trees of a more common Growth, was the only proper Support for the Temple of Pan or Sylvanus, but the Orna- ments generally made ufe of in that Order were fuch too as would be expedted na- turally in Buildings of that kind at the firft Inftitution of this rural Religion ; namely, the Heads and Horns of Ani- mals offered up in their Sacrifices. The want of this Species of Architedture makes me fufpedt, that the Ruins which now remain were built at a Time when an unbounded Luxury had over-run the State, and almoft extinguiflied the natural Tafle for Truth and Propriety. The great Critic ]u(i mentioned, has 'a moft beauti- ful Obfervation, in his T’reatife upon the Sublime^ concerning the Effedt which im- moderate Wealth has both upon private Families and Nations, and the fpeedy Progrefs it makes to obliterate in the hu- man Soul, by the Luxury accompanying it, that noble and natural Regard for every Species of Virtue, which the benevo- lent LETTER XII; .79 lent Author of our Being has originally implanted in us. “ I cannot conceive, (fays Longinus) how it can happen otherwife, but that we, who are fo ‘‘ doatingly fond of immenfe Riches, or, ‘‘ to fpeak more juftly, who idolize them, fhould receive into our Souls thofe . Evils which are congenial with them. '' For Profufion very clofely follows Wealth, or, as we may fay, accompa- “ nies it 5 and the latter having opened the Gates both of Cities and private “ Families, they enter in and dwell toge- ther : where having fettled for fome Time they make their Nefl, (as the Wife obferve) and prefently endeavouring to propagate their Kind, they beget “ and Luxury^ which are no fpurious If- fues, but th.eir true and legitimate OfF- fpring. Whoever permit thefe Children of Wealth to come to Maturity within them, they foon bring forth thofe impla- cable Tyrants in their Souls, Contumely^ “ Injujlice^ and Impudence Now, Hif- tory will inform us, that in all Empires a * Ov z^co u<; ctov, &C. LoNGiN. dc Sublim. P Let nought delay the heav’niy Blelling, Nor fqueamifh Pride, nor gloomy Care. 11 . What tho’ no Grants of Royal Donors With pompous Titles grace our Blood, We’ll (hine in more fubftantial Honours, And to be noble we’ll be good. III. What tho’ from Fortune’s lavifh Bounty No mighty Treafurcs we pofTefs, We’ll find within our Pittance Plenty, And be content without Excefs. IV. Still fhall each kind returning Seafon, Sufficient for our Wifhes give. For we will live a Life of Reafon, And that’s the only Life to live. V. Our Name, whilft Virtue thus wc tender. Shall fweetly found where-e’er ’tis fpoke. And all the Great Ones much fhall wonder. How they adnfire fuch little Folk, VL Thro^ 92 LETTER XiV. VI. Thro’ Youth and Age in Love excelling. We’ll hand in hand together tread, Sweet fmiling Peace fhall crown our Dwelling, And Babes, fweet fmiling Babes, our Bed. VIL How fhould I love the pretty Creatures, Whilft round my Knees they fondly clung. To fee ’em look their Mother’s Features, To hear ’em lifp their Mother’s Tongue I VIII. And when with Envy Time tranfported Shall think to rob us of our Joys, You’ll in your Girls again be courted. And I go wooing in my Boys. May all the Prophetic Feelings of future Joys contained in this Song fall to the Lot of you and Yours ! But above all, may fweet fmiling Peace fpread her Olive Branches over your Door, and yourfelves thofe other Olive Branches round your Table ! My Spirits have been very low of late, which I attribute to beholding frequently fome Objedls of Diftrefs about me. If therefore my Ma- I lady letter XIV. 93 lady is owing either to corporeal or men- tal Sympathy, I don’t know where I can find a filter Remedy than under the fame Roof with you and Aristus. So you may expedl a Patient very foon. I am, t Tour, &C. letter I [94 ] LETTER XV. To E u P H E M I U S. I Have been as often enraged, Euphe- Mius, as yourfelf, at the trite, dull, and falfe Obfervation, often made by the half-witted Pretenders to Learning, that we have no poetical Genius left among us. How far this tajielefs Prejudice againfl: our own Times, may tend to extinguifli what we have, I know not ^ but certain I am, that, if this ftupid Reverence for whatever was the Produdions of our An^ ceftors, and the miore irrational ^ and * 1 his Failing is by no means totally peculiar to our prefent Age, (tho’ perhaps now carried higher than it ever was in any other;) for Horace makes the fame Complaint of the Romans in his Time, in his Epiftle to Augustus. The Poet after having ingenioufly to his Patron ihewed the Injury and Abfurdity of the Pradice, cries out, Jndignor quicquam reprehendi, non quia craiTe Compofitum, illepideve putetur, fed quia nuper. If the Reader would fee one of the moft ingenious critical Performances ever publiflied, I refer him to Mr. H ’s Notes and Commentary on this Epiftle. indifcri- LETTER XV. 95 indlfcriminate negle6l of our Contempo- raries prevail, wc fliall be ftigmatifed by our more difcerning Succeffors as the leaden Sons of Boeotia were of old. For my Part, I am of Opinion, that there Is now living a Poet of as genuine a vGenius as this Kingdom ever produced, Shakespear alone excepted. By poeti- cal Genius, I don’t mean the mere talent of making Verfes^ but that glorious Enthu- fiafm of Soul, that fine Frenzy in which the Poef s Eye rowling “ glances from Heavn to Earthy from Earth to He a- ‘‘ venf as Shakespear feelingly de- fcribes it. This alone is Poetry, aught elfe is a mechanical Art of putting Syl- lables harmonioufly together. The Gen- tleman I mean is Doftor Akinside, the worthy Author of the Pleafures of Ima^ gination^ the moft beautiful didaBic Poem that ever adorned the Englifli Language, Befides this Leader of the Mufes Train, we have others now living, who, in their refpeilive Compofitions, leave not only our deceafed Poets, and thofe of France and Jtaly far behind them. 96 LETTER XV. them, but even bear the Palm away from their Competitors of ancient Rome , and, as Homer defcribes in his Games the Steeds of Diomedes prefling clofe on the Chariot of Eumelus^, “ (Clofe on Eumelus’ Back they puff’d the Wind, ‘‘ And Teem’d juft mounting on his Car behind, Full on his Neck he feels the fultry Breeze, “ And hov’ring o’er their ftretching fhadow fees.) Pope’s Tranjl , they breathe, in the Race, even on the Shoulders of their Grecian Mafters. I fhould not hefitate a moment to prefer the Rlegy in a Country Ckurch-Tard^ written by Mr. Gray, of Peter-Houfe in Cambridge^ to the befl Performance, in that kind; of Ovid, Tibullus, or Propertius. Has Horace any Moral Ode fuperior to Mr. Nugent’s Ode to Mankind, or any ’defcriptive one to Mr. Collins’s Ode to the Evening? Mr. .Jos. Warton’s Ode to Fancy would not fuffer by the fame Comparifon. Tho’ Mr. Johnson modeftly calls his incomparable Satire on the Vanity of Human * Iliad -f. 1 Wi/les, LETTER XV. 97 . WifieSy an Imitation of Juvenal, I believe no Man of trueTafte, and real Judgment would hefitate a Moment to prefer it to the Original. I fhould pay Mr. Mason no Compliment to compare all the Excellen- cies in Seneca together to his elegant Elfrida 5 nor do I think I diould at all degrade the Athenian Stage to fay, that the Palm of tragic Glory hangs wav’ring betwixt the conjoined Merit of Sopho- cles’s Philoctetes and the ^Oedipus ColoneuSy and this modernTragedy, did not Shakespear, like a Champion of old in- fpired by all the Gods, flep majeftically in to bear it away by fupernatural Power from the utmodFovccoi human Abilities. I dare fay his Monody on the Death of Mr. Pope, wherein he has imitated the Stile of four of our Eiiglifj Poets, has given you and every Man of true Tafle, more Pleafure than the joined Efforts of all the Wits in the celebrated Court of Leo the Tenth'f'. There is another little Piece * I hope private Frieridfhip does not prepofiefs my Judgment in thinking our Language will ie enriched, veryfoon, by an elegant Tranfiation of Sophocles, now preparing for th^Public, by that worthy Man and in- genious Writer Mr. Franklin, Profeffor of Greek in the Univerfity of Cambridge. Thefe imitations of the ancient Roman Poets Kami- H written 98 LET T E R XV. written by the fame Author, which has no Rival in the Court of Augustus, entitled Ode to a Water Nymph. Mr. William Whitehead, Mr. Dyer, Mr. Jennings, and feveral otherGentlemen,have given fuf- ficient Proofs of Talents, which, did a pro- per Difpofition of the Times, to admire this fine Art, call forth their utmoft Pow- ers, would arrive at a Grecian Perfec- tion. Thefe Opinions, you’ll fay, are very bold ones to give under my Hand : but as I think I can fupportthem by jufi: Criticifm, I lhall not fear the mifplaced Imputation oi ht\ng particular^ for I am fure I fhall not ftand alone in my Judgment. I dare fay Amelia will be pleafed at my warm Defence of her favorite Poets, and pray tell her I fhall efteem her Approbation equal to the Applaufe of the French Aca- demy of Sciences, and v/ould prefer to being a Member of that iliaftrious Society the pleafure of fubferibing inyfelf hers and lour^ &c. &c. anusStrada has preferved Jn his Acadefnical Prolufions^ where the Stiles of Lucan, Lucretius, Llaudian, Ovid, Statius, and Virgil, arc imitated by Janus PaRRHAS1US,Fe T£rBeMBO,B ALl HASAk CaSTI LIONIUS, Hercules Strozza, Jovianus Fo-ntanus, and An- dreas N augerius, as he latinizes their Names. Lib. 2. Proluf. 6. LETTER ( 19 ) LETTER XVr. To Philethes. .. F ond as I am Philethes, of the Entertainment of the Theatre, believe me I have lately received an Ad- dition to this favourite Pleafure, and fuch a one as you would have participated in very greatly with me. This was no lefs than a total Vicldory over that invetCr rate Prejudice of our old Acquain- tance Milotos, who (like the old De- bauchee in Gil Blas that thought the Works even of Nature daily decay’d) has £o frequehtly maintained that the Facul- ties of Mankind are much inferior to what they w^ere in the lafl Generation. The old Gentleman, you know, till this Winter, has not been in Town thefe twenty Years, and confequently totally ignorant of the laft Reftoraiion of Nature in the Reprefentation of Tragedy. When I mentioned my defire of waiting on him H 2 to 100 LETTER XVL to the Play, he aflented to my Propofal with his ufual Chearfulnefs, but at the fame time fpoke with wonderful Rapture of Betterton, Powell and Verbrug- gen, and feemed to infinuate, that he fhould neceflarily triumph in the Superio- rity of his Contemporaries over the mo- dern Heroes of the Bulkin. But judge what was my Satisfadion after the Play was over at his Pleafurable Difappoint- ment, when he ingenuoufly confefs’d, that Garrick was not only the beft Ador he ever faw, but even exceeded the ut^ moft Conceptions he had formed of Thea- trical Excellence. It has been a pe- culiar Misfortune in the Reprefentation of Modern Tragedy, that the Subjeds of it, by being moftly royal Perfonages, were removed by their Rank from the com- mon Obfervation of Mankind ; fo that our firft Players, being totally unacquaint- ed with the Charaders, perhaps notably imagined that Princes were of a fuperior Species to their Subjeds, and therefore as Bays made his Spirits talk unintelligibly, they thought their imaginary Heroes tot LETTER XVI. (which they had as little Conception of> as the Rehearfal Poet had of aerial Be"" ings) fhould mouth every Sentence inarti* culately. The Generality of Audience^ are no more convcrfant with the Origi* nals than the Players themfelves ; fo they took this preternatural Way of fpeaking as infeparable from the Charafter of Ma- jefty, till by Degrees, as Prior obferves upon another Occafion, Cuftom confirm’d what Fancy had begun.” and the deep-toned Monotomy became the folemn Manner of fpeaking Tragedy. This was the Situation in which this great Genius found the Stage about four- teen Years ago, who, being bleft with every internal and external Qualification for reprefenting human kind in all its Subordinations 5 having, on the one hand, a found Judgment, an elegant Tafte, a lively Fancy, with the mod penetrating difcernment into the inmoft ReceflTes of the Heart 5 and, on the other, an Expreffive Countenance, an Eye full of Luftre, a fine Ear, a mod H 3 mufical 102 L E T T E R XVL mufical and articulate Voice, with an uncommon Power to modulate it with eafe to every Tranfition of Paffion, he reflored Nature to her loft Empire upon the Stage, and taught us by the Convic- tion of our fympathlzing Souls, that Kings themfelves were Men^ and felt like the reft of their Species. — From a Line in Horace’s Epiftle to Augustus, I am inclinable to think that Roscius was among the Romans what Garrick is among us, and that Quin likewife in Contradiftindion may be confidered as the ' -Modern iEsopus. gravis i^^fopus, quse doftiis Rofcius egit. In this place' the Epithet do5ius con- trafted to gravis^ the deep Cadence of jEsop, means that Roscius was Jkilfiil in the Tranfition from one Paflion to. another, and had a wonderful Happi- nefs in accommodating himfelf to a Variety of Charaders in Tragedy; whereas iEsoPus was fuited only, by his fonorous full Voice and graver Adion, to one particular Species of Charac- LETTER XVL 103 Charadters. The Epithet gravis^ ap- plied to iEsoPus, has led the Commen- tators into a Miftake concerning the Talents of Roscius : they imagine, be- caufe the one is called the deep-ca- denc'd Adtor, that the other in Con- tradiftinftion muft have been o^ily an Adlor of Comedies. Their Authority for fuch a Suppofition feems to be this Sentence of Quinctilian. Roscius citatior^ ^Esopus gravior^ quod ilk co^ ma^diaSy hie trageedias egit But Qu inc- T ILIAN, confidering the diftance of Time he lived in from thefe famous Players, might polTibly know as little of the Matter as themfelves ; but that they were both miftaken in this Point may be colledted fromTuLLY, their Cotem- porary, who celebrates his inimitable Ac- tion as a Tragic Player in the third Book De Oratore^ as he had occahonally in- ftanc'd him, in the preceding Books upon the fame Subjed:, as the fault- lefs Pattern for the Reprefentatbn of human Nature in its comic Moods. So * Lib. xi. ch^p. 3. H 4 Excellent ?04 LETTER XVI. excellent was this great Man in the Scenic Art, that his Name at length became, as we learn from the fame Author, the Proverbial Criterion of Per- fedlion in every Art and Science; info- much that whoever grew remarkably eminent in any, was call’d the Roscius of his Profeffion. Itaque hoc jamdiu eji confecutiiSy ut^ in quo quifque artificio ex^ cellerety is in fuo genere Roscius dicere-- tur Confidering the Delight and Ufe that accrue to a rational Creature, from obferving a natural Reprefentation of the Paflions by which his own Species is perpetually agitated, and confequently the Effedl that a well-regulated Stage muft have upon the Tafte of a whole Nation, I am pleafed that both the Ro^ man and Englijh Rose i us have been fo highly applauded and efteemed in their refpedive Countries, and that the greateft Men in both have not only been enchanted with them upon the Stage, but have taken Delight to rank them among their Friends in private Society. — I have much to fay * Cicer. de Orat. lib. i. to LETTER XVI. 105 to you about fome Italian Buffoonry they are exhibiting at one of our Theatres, but (hall referve that till I have the Plea- fure of feeing you, which, I have the Satisfadlion to hear, will be very foon. 1 am, See. See. LET- ' [ io6 ] LETTER XVIL To Eugenio. R E AT is the Joy I feel, Huge- • VJ Nio, that you fo highly relifh the Converfation of my Friend Euphemius, more efpecially too as I was the fortu- nate Perfon who introduced you to each other, for which, I muft infift upon it, you are both of you greatly indebted to me. I think indeed Euphemius is blef- fed with a Grace in Converfation, and a "Tajle in Society, fuperior to any Man with whom I ever had the Happinefs of being acquainted. There arifes from the Viva- city of his Fancy, the Delicacy of his Sen- timents, and the beautiful tho’ unaffeded Arrangement of his Words, delivered with a Freedom of Countenance and Sweetnefs of Voice, fuch an inexpreffible Charm as pleafingly bewitches the Attention of all who hear him. He can defcant upon ferious Affairs with the moff becoming letter XVII. 107 Air of Gravity and Confideration, with- out the leaft Mixture of Aufterity or Philofophical AfFedation ; and in the more eaiy Hours of focial Pleafure, he can raife innocent and inftruftive Mirth from the {lighted; Accident that happens, and convert the mofl common Subjeds into a thoufand Turns of Wit and Hu- mour. One would imagine that Shake- spear had been actjuainted intimately with fuch a Man, when he drew in fo lively a manner the Charader of Biron in his Loves Labour s loji. I A merrier Man, “ Within the Limits of becoming Mirth,- ‘‘ I never fpent an Hour’s Talk withal. “ His Eye begets Occafion for his Wit; “ For ev’ry Object that the one doth catch, « The other turns to a Mirth- moving Jeft, Which his fair Tongue (Conceit’s Expofitor) “ Delivers in fuch apt gracious Words, That aged Ears play Truant at his Tales, And younger Hearings are quite ravifhed; So fweet and voluble is his Difcourfe. Aa I. But his chief Excellence conflfts in ad- dreffing io8 LETTER XVII. dreffing the Fair, when I have heard flow from him, as Homer phrafes it, — VlPoLSiffO-lV EOlKOrOi Iliad, lib. r. lin. 222. or, as Mr. Pope tranflates it, [Words] “ Soft as the Fleeces of defcending Snows,” which beautiful ExprefTion Dryden has copied and greatly improved, when he applies it to the foft Subjedl I am fpeaking of, making Leonora, in his Spanifh Fryar, defcribe the Addrefles of Torris- MOND in the following manner j “ But when he fpoke what tender Words he faid, “ So foftly, that like Flakes of feather’d Snow “ They melted as they fell.” This foftly Breathing the Fervor of one Soul into another, is an Art in which Euphemius is fo happily {killed, that Infenftbility herfelf, in the fhape of a Wo- man, would almofl: lofe her Nature in hearing him, and perceive the pleafing Infedlion, would he attempt the Miracle. I have often obferved, that this enchanting turn in Converfation prevails only in thofe ‘f- of LETTER XVII. 109 of our own Sex, who have converfed much with the more fenfible Part of the other. Otway juftly fays. We had been Brutes without them for let a Man’s Erudition be ever fo profound, his Fancy lively, and Judg- ment folid, this Grace, which is not to be defcribed, will be wanting, if his Soul has not been refined, and his Tongue attuned to this fweet Melody by an habitual Intercourfe with thefe fair Preceptors.— —We are told thatVoixuRE was as remarkably happy in Converfation as in his epiftolary Writings. This muft be attributed to his Intimacy with MefdamoifellesPAULET and Rambouil- LET, and the Countefs de Sable, more than to the Advantage of being a Friend to the learned Costar. A Comparifon of this Author’s Letters with thofe of his Rival Balsac, plainly evinces the Truth of this Obfervation. The eafy Air, the happy Sprightlinefs, and elegant Turn of Expreffion in the Compofitions of the former, difcover the Man of the World educated in Courts, and polilhed by that advantage- 1 10 LETTER XVIL advantageous Collifion with the brightefl: Part of our Species ; whilft laboured Language, and an AfFedation in Senti- ment, inform us frequently, without the help of Hiftory, that the other led the Life of a Reclufe in the Country. Hence it appears from the. different Produdions of two Geniufes of equal natural that more Tafte and Elegance in Writing is to be acquired in a circle of Beauties at Paris, than in a learned Society of Capuchins in a Convent at Angouleme. " ■ Pray tell the Ladies at that I am now more defirous than ever to get a Corner in your Heart, as 1 would have every Place open to me where they enter ; efpecially where they reigjt with fuch unlimited Power. This you owe me ; for you can never make more room for me there, than you will find tor yourfelf in the Heart of y^our^ 6cc. &c. LET- [ III ] LETTER XVIII. To Ar I s T u s. I H Av E fpent the laft Week, Aristus, in the higheft Luxury a human Soul is capable of receiving. I need not ex- plain what that Luxury was, when I inform you that I have been with that truly great Man Agathocles at his delightful Seat in the Country 5 whofc Accomplifhments and refined Humanity ennoble him infinitely more than that high Rank he inherits from a Race of unfullied Anceftors. Tho’ Agatho- cles was born to the firft Honours a Subjeft can enjoy, fupported by a For- tune few under Princes pofTefs, he nei- ther does, nor has occafion to value himfelf upon either, any farther than they empower him to gratify that moft exquifite of all Senfations, which the glowing Heart receives in relieving our Fellow-Creatures. Did the Great con- fider that they might defcend, like the Dew II2 LETTER XVIII. Dew of Heaven, to cherifh defpond- ing Merit, to comfort the Afflidled, to protedl and redrefs the Injured, and to fupport with chearful Suftenance the helplefs Poor, furely this Imitation of the moft amiable Attribute belonging to the Almighty, is more worthy of their Ambition than all the mighty Ti- tles the fawning Eaft beftows on it’s haughty Monarchs. The moft glori- ous Charadler in all the Mahometan Hif- tory is that of Omar, the ninth Caliph of the Race of Merwan. His Life Was one continued Ad of Charity and Benevolence; a happy Prelude of his Reign was feen at his Coronation, for Hiftory tells us that he gave from off his Back, as foon as the Ceremony of the Inauguration was over, his Imperial Robe adorned with Jewels of an im- menfe Value, even as he was defend- ing down the Steps from the Throne, as an Alms to be diftributed among the Indigent. O Aristus, I more envy Omar this humane Sacrifice of Gran- deur to Benevolence, (for the Adion may be confidered thus emblematically) than LETTER XVIII. 113 than the dazzling Splendor of all the Lords of the vaft Ottoman Empire ! But to return to Agathocles. Whilft I was at his* Caflle, which, like the Queen of the Country, overlooks the Subjed: Vales around it, I thought myfelf, from the lofty Situation of the Place, and the uncommon Goodnefs that perpetually reigned there, in Company with a Being of a fuperior Order ; or not. unlike to our firft Parent, as def- cribed by Milton, on the Top of a high Mountain, receiving Inflruftion from the Angel Michael : and indeed, often having entertained my Senfes with the moft delireable Produdions of Art and Science, and my Heart with the Con- templation of Goodnefs, I could not re- frain from burfting out into poor Eve’s Exclamation, How fhall I part and whither wander down Into a lower World ; to this obfcure, And wild ? how fhall I breathe in other Air Lefs pure, accuftom’d to immortal Fruits ? Parad. Lojl^ Book the xi. Tho’ the Tafte of this great Man is truly noble and refined in imparadifing I (if 114 LETTER XVIII. (if I may ule the Word) the Region round him ; in the Collection of his Pic- tures ; in the Oeconomy of his Family ; and the Choice of his Pleafures ; a Tafte for a fuperior Accomplifhment, I mean that Grace with which he accompanies every Word or Adi of Benevolence, at- tracts the more particular Regard of Mankind, yet leaves them in Sufpence to decide which is moft lovely, the Deed of Goodnefs, or the Manner of perform- ing it. Without this happy Talent, Mu- nificence ftabs a Dagger into the Breaft of thofe (he intends to relieve, with one Hand, while (he difplays her Bounty with the other. This will be fully ex- emplified in the following (hort Story. Pandolfo Malatesta the Sovereign of Remini, in the time of Pope Alex- ander Vlth, was the richeft Prince in Italy^ who, after having fpent a defpi- cable Life in' the Arms of Luxury, was reduced, bv a merited reverfe of For- tune, to feek for an Afylum at laft in a common Hofpital at Bologna. The Account goes, that this Tyrant, for fuch ■ he was, being expelled from his Domi- nions, LETTER XVIIL 115 nions, and perfecuted by his Enemies^ in Pain and Want fled to the above-men- tioned City, where at that very Time dwelt a Nobleman named Pietro del Saccio, a Native of Remini, who fome few Years before had been driven from his Country by the Tyranny of Mala- TESTA, who unjuflly feized upon all his Pofleflions in that Principality, and put many of his Family to the Sword. WhenWord was brought to this Noble- man, that the late Ufurper was now in his Power, and that he might revenge thofe Injuries by delivering him up to CiESAR Borgia, or by killing him with his own Hand, the exafperated Italian with ingenious Malice replied, ‘‘ Yes, I will now fully revenge the Injuries I have fuftained \ I will do more than kill Pandolfo, for I will order him to be carried to the Hof- pital I endowed myfelf, and let the Tyrant know that the wretched Means of protrafting a miferable Being, is ‘‘ owing to the Bounty of Pietro del Saccio.’' — Such Cruelty will always attend ill-condu£ted Bounty, however I 2 other- ii6 LETTER XVIII. other wife intended ! Yet methinks Na- ture leads us fo ftrongly to adminifter every Application of Humanity, with that lenient Hand fo requifite to make even Relief acceptable to an ingenuous Mind, that I wonder a proper Manner does not always accompany a benevolent Adtion ; nay, farther, I am inclinable to think, where it does not, the Deed cannot ' proceed from a tender Sympa- thy of a Fellow-Creature's Diflrefs, but from an Oftentation of fuperfluous Pof- feffions. Of all Tafte may Heaven beftow on me chiefly this ! that when I rock the Cradle of the Orphan, cr wipe the gufliing Tear from the Eyes of the Widow, I may adminifler both In fo fi- lent a manner, that neither they fhould feel the Pain of receiving, nor the taint- ing Breath of the World's Promulga- tion difturb the quiet Purpofe of my Heart, brooding over it’s unfpeakable Tranfport in facred Secrecy ! My Love to Leonora, to whom I 'ought to add fomething in Anfwer to her lafl: I.etter 5 but Ideas of Compaflion are now work'd up fo ftrongly in my Mind, and LETTER XVIII. 117 and, thofe Dew-drops of T^ender?2efsy as fhe called them (when I wept over the little Foundling nurfed at a neighbouring Cottage) rife fo plentifully, that I mufl abruptly fubfcribe myfelf Tour^ &c. &c. I LET- [ ] LETTER XIX. To Critophilus. I Ve r y readily concur in your Opinion, Critophilus, that a Work of Cri- ticifm is the mdft difficult to be executed with a proper Tafte of any literary Com- pofition whatever. There is fomething fo repugnant to the Pride of Mankind in general, fomething fo detractive from the fuppofed Sagacity of every Reader to pre- tend to inform by the dry Method of Pre- cept, that except an Author has all the Delicacy and artful Addrefs imaginable, to feem to accompany the Judgments of thofe he writes for, rather than to lead them into Diicoveries, in fuch a Per- formance, he will meet with that kind of contemptuous Treatment, which thofe good-natured People receive, who are ready to give their unafked Advice in the common Concerns of Life upon every Occafion. It is highly neceflary therefore, in fuch kind of Writings, to facrifice libe- rally to the Graces, without whofe In- fpiration L.E T T E R XIX. 119 fpiration Learning will there degenerate into Pedantry, and the Precepts even of Wifdom pafs unrelifhed. An Author of a didadlic Piece cannot be too circumfpefl:, not only in the pleafing Manner ot addiefi* ing his Reader, but in the inferior Parts too of Compofition, that the Choice of his Words, and the Arrangement of his .Periods, may adorn, and not degrade the Delicacy of his Subjed. For want of this Refinement we have many lamenta- ble Inftances of able Scholars having fuc- ceeded very ill in Works, where they have betrayed the greateft want of Tafte and Genius, whilft they were unfortunately la- borious in endeavouring to point out thofe Excellencies in others. I need go no far- ther for a Proof of this than Mr. Anthony Blackwall’s IntroduBion to the Claftes. This Man was what is generally called a good Scholar, that is, he was gram- matically Mafter of the two dead Lan- guages Greek and Latin, and had read over all the ancient Authors in both j but not having by Nature or Acquifition that * He was a Sclioolmafter at Derby. His Book \yas publiihed in 1 7 1 8. I 4 happy 120 LETTER XIX. happy Tafte of diftingulfliing Beauties, nor a Digeftion (if I may fo fay) to affi- ^ milate the Senfe of others into his own Underftanding, his Conceptions were as crude as his Addrefs and Stile were un- pleafing. I remember the good old School- mafter, for fuch he was, in one place in- forms us, fpeaking of Herodotus and Livy, that “ thefe two Princes of Greek and Roman Hiftory, tell a Story^ and make up a Defeription with inexpreffible Grace ; and fo delicately mix great and “ little Circumftances, that there is both the utmoft Dignity and Pleafure in it^/' I leave you to animadvert on the Groffnefs of thefe Metaphors, and pafs on to a Specimen both of wretched Writing, and undiftinguilhing Tafte. Having fpoke much about the Inlufiiciency of modern Tranflators, to give us the Senfe of ancient Authors, he goes on thus : Befides the “ weakening of the Senfe (tho’ that be far the moft important Confideration) Greek and laatin have fuch a noble Harmony of Sou? 2 d^ fuch Force and Dig- nity of Numbers, and fuch Delicacy of ^ Introd. to the ClafT. p. 26. turn LETTER X-IX. 121 “ turn in the Periods, that cannot entirelv “ be preferved in any Language in the World. The two Languages are fo ‘‘ peculiarly fufceptive of all the Graces “ of Wit and Elocution, that they are read with more Pleafure and lively Guft, and confequently with more “ Advantage, than the moft perfed: T ran- flation the ableft Genius can compofe, or the ftrongeft modern Language can fays, that have been written upon Education, it has often furprifed me, not to find a greater Strefs laid upon the Danger of contradting ill Habits, which, once acquired, furvivethe Paflions which originally created them, and even govern Reafon herfelf, after thofe rebellious Sub- jedts have been brought to Obedience* Some modern Authors, who have very juftly gained an immortal Reputation by their other Writings, have either totally negledted this important Point, or flightly difcuflTed it, as a thing little neceflTary, and fubftituted Phyfical Prefcriptions for the Management of the Body, inftead of Mo- ral Precepts for the Improvement of the Mind. But even among others, who have more judicioufly treated this Subjedl, and have attended folely to the Cujtiva- L tion '146 ESSAY II. tion of the Underftanding, too little Care has been had to the early Management of the Heart, and efpecially to infpireit with a necefifaryCaution againft the Enchantments of Elabit. I dare fay, there is no one but fees, even in the fmall Circle of bis Acquaintance, either the ridiculous or mifehievous Eflfedls of it; which, tho’ ■perhaps cafually contradted, yet nou- rifhed by Time, firft gains by Degrees a a Familiarity with the Breaft, and at length uncontrollably ufurps a defpotick Power over Head and Heart. In Children, there- fore, whofe Minds, like Wax, are fubjedl to the flighted; Impreflions, every Adlion fliould carefully be obferved, and, if fre- quently repeated (as the Repetition of an Adlion is the tacit Approbation of it) it is the principal Duty of a Parent to find out the Source, and encourage, or reftrain the Inclination, as it agrees with, or de- viates from. Virtue. Antiquity affords two mofl: beautiful Reprefentations of the Nature of Virtue and vicious Pleafure, and of all the mental Attendants on both. The one is Prodi- cus’s Fable of the Choicie of Hercules, told ESSAY II. 147 told by Socrates in the Me? 72 orabilia of Xenophon: The other a Defcription of a mythological Pidure, in the Temple of Saturn, invented by Cebes, the T^hebariy the Difciple of Socrates, The former paints Virtue and Pleasure in their proper Colours, the latter informs us how we are often deceived by their falla- cious Appearances 3 and by perfonalizing the Affedions of the Mind, brings the whole Court, as it Vv-ere, of both, before our Eyes, and then indrwds us how to fhun the Delufions of the one, and follow the Society of the other to the Seat of Happinefs. Upon thefe two Plans I have formed a third, on the irrefiftible Force * of Habit 3 which I look upon as a proper Supplement to both. If it gives either Delight or Inftrudion to the Reader, his Praife is due to Prodicus, to whom I am indebted, tho’ not for the Invention, yet totally for the allegorical Defign of the Fable. I call, therefore, on him, as Lucretius did heretofore on his Mafter Epicurus. Te fequor, o Graiae gentis decus, inque tuis nunc Fixa pedum pono prefTis vefligia fignis, L 2 Non 14 ? ESSAY II. Non ita certandl cupidus, quam propter amorem. Quod te imltari aveo. Kierophilus, an ancient King of Egypt, in whofe Reign hieroglyphical , Learning arrived at its utmofl Perfedlion, thro' which the Youth of the Kingdom were inftrudted in the Myfteries of their Religion, and the focial Duties of Mora- lity, had a Son, named Euethes, a Prince naturally of the moft humane and benevolent Difpofition ; but being indued at the fame time with fuch violent Paf- lions, as generally accompany great Minds, he was often in his Infancy, ere Reafon had alTumed her Empire, preci- pitated by them into an habitual Fondnefs for thofe things, that would have proved deftrudtive to his Happinefs, and a like Difrelidi for Others, that were moft con- ducive to it. This unhappy Temper, no ' doubt, gave great Uneafinefs to his ten- der Father, who was not only adored by 'h\s Subjects for an impartial Diftribution of Juftice, and courted by neighbouring ' Potentates for his profound Skill in Poli- ticks as a Monarch, but admired by all the World for his pure Knowledge of Religion ESSAY II. 149 Religion and Morality, and the exem- plary Leffon he afforded, in his own fpot- lefs Life, of both, as a Man. The good old King, therefore, fought, by all Me- thods, to reclaim the Impetuofity of his Son, before the cafual turn of Habit fhould have rooted the Weed of Vice too deeply into forich a Soil ever after to be eradicated by Wifdom. It was his daily Employment to give the Child the molT: pleafing Ideas of Virtue, under the enter- taining Forms of probable Fidtion ; for unadorned Precepts have been found to avail little, not only with Children, but even with Men, thofe Children of a larger Growth ; when by the pious Fraud of a well-told Fable they have been im- perceptibly deceived into Virtue. How- ever Euethes, tho’ he would frequently liften, and improve too by the Dodlrines of his Father, did as often, thro' his eafy ^ Nature, lapfe again into dangerous Follies ; then what he once fixed his Inclination upon, the Violence of his Paflions urged him on to purfue with the mofl unremit- ted Refolution, and Habit ftill confirmed the Defire. Neverthelefs, his good Senfe L 3. would 150 .ESSAY II. would many times condemn his Proceed- ings in the cool Hours of Refledtion, and again be treated like a faithful Servant, heard, approved of at firft, and then dif- carded afterwards, when the Treachery of falfe Friends had got the Afcendant. Such was the Condudt of this young Egyptian^ till he was fixteen Years old; at which age, according to' the Cuftom of the Country, the young Men were initiated, at the Temple of Memphis, into the holy Myfteries. When the Day came that was appointed for that annual Ceiemony, Hierophilus, who was grand Myfta- gogue as well as King, (for of old the Offices of King and Piiefl; were united) had contrived a particular Ai artment in the fubterraneous Paffages of the Temple, in which, after he had ffiev r, his Son the ufual Inftitutions, and taught him the facred Stories, he propohJ to inftrud: him in the more intereftlng Hiftory of the human Heart. Accordingly Euethes, at the Time appointed, was led into this Apartment, attended only by his Father, who had been all the Day near him, to explain the different Forms that prefent- ed ESSAY 11. 151 cd themfelves before him. As foon as they werefeated, and the Glimmering of a Lamp had broke thro’ the Darknefs that before furrounded them, and thrown a par- tial Light upon a large Paflage, thro’ which the Performers of the Show were to pafs, there appeared a Youth furround- ed by a Crowed of different Figures, that all feemed affiduous to take him under their Protedlion. This motley Group was led up in two feparate Parties, by two Leaders of female Forms, who looked upon each other with the Air of inveterate Rivaldiip. The one had a loofe, fmil- ing Afpedl, fantaftically drefTed, and ad- orned all over with Wreaths of Flowers. Her Train was compofed of Boys with Bows in their Hands, andWings on their Shoulders, and a confufed Crowd of Men andWomen of various Complexions, fome crowned with Ivy and Vine Leaves, and .others Dancing round them with all the rapturous Signs of the moft intoxicating Joy. The other female Chieftain had the moft ferious Deportment, with all the Marks of Royalty in herCountenance; die was cloathed in a plain but elegant 1 / 4 Robe, 152 E S S A Y 11. Robe, which flowed gracefully behind her. The Attendants imitated her Behavi- our, and watched her Eye with the rnofl dutiful Obfervance, upon all occafions. Some had Crowns of Gold upon their Heads; fome Helmets, with Lances in their Hands ; fome bore the Inftruments of Arts and Sciences, as Quadrants, Globes, Pencils, Harps, fome carried the fa- cred Table of the Laws, and others feemed engaged in conjugal Love, Friend- fhip, and other tender Duties of a more retired, private Life. Behind them all there came two Men, who feemed, by their likenefs, in many refpeds, to be Bro- thers, but in others the moft irreconcile- able Enemies ; the Employment of both w^as to keep together the particular Com- pany each belonged to, and to prevent any of that Society from mixing with the other. They had very venerable Afpedts, and the Influence they pofTeffed, not only over the Crowd, but fometimes over the Leaders themfelves, was greatly remark- able. Each had in his Hand a Chain, with which he compelled, if by chance occafion required it, the Rebellious to re- turn, ESSAY II. 153 turn, and confined them to their Allegi- ance ; the one was Iron, which not a little tortured and gauled the Wearers ; the other Silk, with which the Delinquents were gently brought back again, and re- figned over to the more cogent Bonds of their own Reafon. ’Twas obfervable, however, that few or none ever efcaped the Power of thefe affiduous Guardians, who at firfl: allured them into their Ser- vice with the Careffes of a Parent ; and though the one ftill continued fuch Be- haviour, the other intimidated them from flying from the Slavery with the Menaces of a Tyrant. The Youth, amidfl: the Sollicitations of both Parties, feemeda- while fufpended. The female Leader of one Side pointed to a Temple, painted on the Wall, on the Summit of a high and rough Mountain, the afcent to which was difficult, but the Top once attained, the Situation commanded all the Regions round about, and afforded the Speftator the moft delightful Profpedl. The other Female endeavoured to divert his Atten- tion from that toilfome Purfuit, and di- refted his Eyes' to another Temple that 154 ESSAY II. lay in a moft delicious Valley, the Inha- bitants and Votaries of which paffed their Time in the moft pleafurable Indolence and heart-enfeebling Recreations. At length the latter prevailed, and with no fmall Air of Triumph delivered the Youth over to the Guardian of her Attendants, who immediately took him into his Cuf- tody. As foon as this Conteft was over, there entered another Youth of a more referved Afpecft, and lefs fanguine Com- plexion, than the former. At his En- trance the two Crowds fwarmed round him, as they had done by the other, and after the fame warm Contention the other Party prevailed in its turn, and delivered him over to the more parental Tuition of their refpedlive Guardian. After this mutual Succefs the whole Group difap- peared, and led off their new Votaries* The Partition, like a Theatrical Scene, then opened, and difcovered behind an illuminated Grove. Each Party entered afrelh from different Sides of the Plain, and took their allotted Station. The firft: Youth, who had entered into the Service of that frantick Mob, feemed highly de- lighted ESSAY II. 155 lighted with his Company, and expreffed his Joy in irregular Sallies of unnatural Laughter, and other Demonflrations of Rapture and Exftacy. The other, with a moft ftudious Attention to the Inftruc- tion of his Companions, decently denoted the calm Satisfaftion of his Mind in a filent Admiration of their Precepts. Whilft both were differently employed, a beauti- ful Woman, arrayed in White, defcended from above, and waving a golden Wand, the whole Scene was inftantly changed. The left fide of the Grove, which was poffeiTed by thofe noify Votaries of airy Joy, withered away into the moft wintry, melancholy Profpecft ; inftead of Looks of Gaiety, and the Sound of Rejoicing, nought appeared but Vifages of Defpair, and nought was heard but the Lamenta- tions of Anguifli. The betrayed Youth, the former Votary of thefe Plains, af- frighted at this hidden and horrid Alte- ration, was immediately preparing to make his Efcape, when the Guardian, as before defcribed, attended by a Train of the moft death-like Figures, bound him down w^ith his Iron Chain, 'for ever to be tormented 156 ESSAY 11. tormented at the Foot of the Seat of his delulive, deftruclive, Goddefs. On the ether hand, the oppofite Groves bloomed afrefli with vernal Verdure, Content and Happinefs appeared in the Faces of all, and the prudent Youth, who had made fo good a Choice, with filial Reverence and Pleafure walked "by the Side of his faithful Guardian, and gratefully paid a willing Obedience at the Throne of bis beneficent Goddefs. As foon as this Re-" prefentation was over, Euethes, with the livelieft Emotion, alked his Father the Explanation of the whole Myrtery^ but before the good old King could make him an Anfwer to his firft Queftion, he added, with Tears in his Eyes, muft that unfortunate Youth be doomed to Mifery forever? Alas! for ever, replied Hi ero- PHiLUS i but if, my Son, you'll be atten- tive to the Account, and fufpend your frultlefs Grief to the Conclufion, it will, perhaps, fully repay your Trouble, and teach you the true Road to Happinefs, by detecting the Errors of others. This then is an Explanation of the fiditious Scene E S S A Y II. 157 Scene before you. The large PalTage you firft faw, reprefents Life ; the firft Youth a Soul juft entering into it, prone to libi- dinous Thoughts ; the fecond, another inclined to virtuous Purfuits, The two Females, attended and habited differently, were Virtue and Pleasure; and the two Men of fraternal Likenefs, who com- pelled the Attendants of both to keep their Allegiance to their refpedive Miftreffes, were Good-habit and Ill-habit, who (according to the allegorical Genealogy of our Egyptian Forefathers) were the Offspring of Chance^ begot upon Com- plexion, and carefully foftered by T'ime in the Cave of Constancy. The beau- ful Woman arrayed in White v/as Truth, the Touch of whofe Wand no Falffood can endure, but Returns of Force, how- ever difguifed, immediately to its own Likenefs. You have feen the falfe. fe- ducing Appearance of vicious Pleafure, and the melancholy Confequences of yielding to her Allurements ; you have feen that her Followers, however for a while they may affume the deceitful Air 4 of 158 E S S A Y IL of Joy, are in the End nought but Disease and Calamity; and above all, I hope you have remarked, how impoffible it is for a Wretch to extricate himfelf out of this miferable Society, when Ill-habit, their conftant Attendant, has bound him down with that irrefragable Chain of Iron. The horrid Afpedl of that Tyrant will, I hope, deter you as much from giving way to the Sedudions of Vice, as the pa- rental Fondnefs of Good-habit will in- duce you to become a Votary to Virtue, This, my Son, though embelliflied by Fidlion, is a true Hiftory of the human Mind ; fo far was my Duty to inform, the reft is yours to execute. lie was go- ing on, when Euethes eagerly inter- rupted him : O my Father, how fhall F ever repay this frefti Inftance of your pa- ternal Love, and now fuccefsful Dili- gence to fave me from that irremeable Gulph of Mifery, in which my Paffions had almoft plunged me! Yes, certainly, kis my indifpenfible Duty, as well as In- tereft, to put in practice fuch facred Lef- fops, of Morality ; and the Pleafure of my future Life fhall confift alone m be- coming, I ESSAY 11. 159 coming, as near as I am able, an Ex- ample of thofe Precepts you have often fo divinely inculcated. The young Prince fully performed his Promife, and though the naturalVIolence of his Temper would fometimes at firft a little fway him to- wards Pleafure, an habitual Perfeverance in Virtue at length totally overcame his Paffions, and he lived to verify, in his own Charader, the Dodrine of Hierophilus, that the Power of Habit, either good or illy triumphs over all Things. ESSAY [ i6o ] ESSAY III. On Good and Beauty. Xen. Men. HERE IS no Study fo improving JL and entertaining to the Human Mind, as an Enquiry into the final Caufe of all rational Pleafure ; to trace to its Source the Reafon why Matter acfts in fuch various Ways thro’ the Inlets of the Se72fes upon ^h^XJnderjianding^ and affords fuch infinite Delight to the intermediate Powers of Imagination, By reafoning thus from the Etfedl to the Efficient, we naturally become acquainted with the Conceptions of the great Author of all Things 5 we transfer as it were the Ex- cellence of his Works into our Manners, and grow imperceptibly Good and Virtu- ous (which is moral Comelinefs) by be- ESSAY III. i6r ing familiarized to the Beauty of external Objedls. Nature^ the Subftitute of Hea- ven, agreeable to the divine Attributes, has calculated all Things for univerfal Convenience ; every Being that obeys her Didlates partakes of the general Good, and the Deviation alone from them con- ftitutes particular Evil^fo thatVice in Mo- rals is deftrudtive to Pleafure, and Diforder inMatter cancels Beauty. Nature in the Enquiry concerning Good and Beauty ^ which I fhall prove to be the fame, muft be the Criterion to go by. Enter into the Schools of the Painters and Sculptors, afk upon what Rules their Skill is founded, and what declares the Perfedion of their Performances ? The Artifts will tell you, that fuch a Statue or Pidure has no intrin- fic Beauty in itfelf, but is relative to ano- ther Objed, the Similitude to which is made the Ve? 2 us of the Art , the Thing therefore reprefented regulates our Efleem^ Whence then does that derive this pri- mary Excellence ? From itfelf without any Reference to remoter Beings ? No, certainly. Every Objed round has a M Share^ i62 essay IIL Share, and it is more or lefs Good and Beautiful^ as it correfponds to them, and they to others to Infinity. Whatever then is proportionable and harmonious, is good 5 every thing that is fo, is natural ; we judge of Beauty by Nature^ confe- quently Good and Beauty are the fame. Thus we form our Opinion of an Image. Every Limb and Feature ought to agree with the whole in Size, Age, Sex, and this is called Symmetry ; this Syrhme- try is moft perfedl: when made for the Ufe and Strength of the Species, and that Ufe produces Beauty. It is the fame not only thro* all the Arts and the origina? Objeds of Nature, but may be perceived too in Characters, and Manners \ for what is Virtue but Moral Proportion, and the juft Performance of the I^art in Soci- ety affigned you to adt without Diminu- tion or Addition ? Every one who forms his Life upon this Plan, may truly be faidj without ftraining Language, to live beautifully. It now remains to be enquir- ed, tho* Good and Beauty are the fame, whv ESSAY IIL 163 why they afFcdt the Mind with PIcafure, and from whence arifes that Difguft at Evil and Deformity ; for there is in both Cafes an inftantaneous Effed: exclufive of Reflcdion. There is in Human Nature a Power independent of the reft, called the Interjml Senfe, all perfedl and harmo- nious, which, as it proceeds from the Fountain of Good, remains for ever pure and untainted. FiXternal Beauty^ being the infallible and infeparable Companion of Good^ bears a fraternal Likenefs to that mental Comellnefs or Order ; and as a Note on one Lute being touched, the Unifon of another tho' unmoved will an- fwer to it, fo the (imilar Perfection within is refponlive to that outward Proportion 5 and Difguft in like Manner is created by an analogous Difeord that Evil and Defor-- mity bear to the virtuous and beautiful Propenfity of the Soul. I doubt not but it will be objeded, that there are many who deviate from this Rule in their Ac- tions, to whom Vice in Morals, and monftrous Appearances in Nature, leem M 2 delightful. i 64 essay hi. delightful. But let us confider, that thi proceeds fiom the Deception of Fancy ; the Internal Senfe always judges right ac- cording as Things are reprefented ; and it v/culd be as juft to blame the natural Eye, vvEen (as we read in fabulous Ac- counts) it millabes a Defart for a Paradife, converted by a Magician, as to think the intelleBual one deficient, when deceived by that Sorcerefs for by her Wand the- MojjJlrom is changed into the Wcnderful and New, and Vice becomes Eafe, Plea- fare, and Fewer. I fhall have recourfe to the following Fable more fully to il- luftrate thefe Truths. As the Human Soul was juft entered into that State we call Life, and was w^andering in fearch of Happinefs, two P'emales appeared of different Forms. The One was called Evil or Deformity, the Daughter of Chaos, the Offspring of the Furies ; the other Good or Beauty, the Daughter of Nature, the Offspring of the Gods. The Former, to conceal the Uglinefs of her Perfon, had borrowed all the ESS A Y III. 165 the Ornaments Plutus could beftovv, and was aflifted by a deludve Glafs that Faficy held before her. The Latter wore the Garments of Simplicity ^ and was fiip- ported by Fruth. As foon as the Fir ft faw the young Stranger, flie ran and ad- drefled him in the following Manner : “ How fortunate, O Youth, are you to “ meet me, who am come to condudt you to the Palace of Happhiefs ! In yonder Plain, vvhere all the Riches of the Eaft are lavifhly beftowed, the Goddefs refides; fhe is conftantly at- ‘‘ 'tended by the Loves and Graces^ and “ their Mother, the fair Volupia, offers her downy Couch to the Votaries to “ reft on, whilft Bacchus prefents his Cup of Delight : Pouter ftands at her right Hand, and Grandeur at her Left, “ and the Frowns of Care, and Wrin- “ kies of Indiijiry^ are baniflied the joyful Regions.” When fhe had done fpeak- ing, the Youth turned his Eyes and be- held a ftately Building of an AJiatic Order ; Satyrs, Mermaids, and Beads of hetero- geneous Kinds fupported the Roof, and M 3 all i66 ESSAY III. all the Ornaments were fach as never ex- ifted but in a wild Dream. But what attrafted his Attention the mofl:, was the inebriated Pleafure that appeared thro’ the vaft Concourfe of People of all Sorts that attended the pretended Deity s fome ex- preffed uncommon Tranfport in the Pof- feffion of a Sceptre, others ilrewed Signs of greater Rapture in the Arms of a beau- tiful Woman, and many yawned out a a more indolent Satisfailion in a Pofcure of Repofe. As he was beholding this Group ol P'igures, the other Female came up, and feeing him not a little pleafed with his Profpedl, Behold, faid fire, I am the only Parent of Happinefs ; let not the falfe Appearance of that Impof- tare delude you into Mifery.” Upon faying v/hich, her Attendant ^Truth Hvnok the Palace with her W and, whofe Touch no FaUhood can bear, and immediately the (lately Domes were turned into a frightful Ruin 3 what before appeared the Refidence of Pleajure^ feemed then the Court of Difeafe ^ the Laughs of Riot became the Groans of Anguilh 3 Power^ that ESSAY III. 167 that looked fo alluring and majeftic, was funk into T’yranny^ with Scorpions in her Bofom that ftung her to Diftraftion ; all the reft underwent an equal Change, and appeared in their proper Shapes. The Youth immediately abafhed and frighten- ed, fled from this horrid Company, and fought for Safety in the Arms of his Fr^?- tc 6 lrefs^ who taking him by the Hand, and cheating him with her Smiles, refumed her Speech to him as follows: See, “ faid (he, the Inchantrefs and her hellitli ‘‘ Crew are vanifhed, there is nothing more to fear. I am the Guardian Ge- ‘‘ nius of this Place, and never fail to guide thofe who feek me, to the Tem- pie of true Happinefs, That Goddefs is not attended, as you lately imagined, nor furrounded byNoife and Pviot, bat fits enthroned in the filent Vale of So- litude, where Peace and Contemplation adminifler unto her, and the lawrelled Siflerhood of Art and Science celebrate ‘‘ her Praife. There the lovely Family ‘‘ of Social Virtues dwell, and their great Parent Charity^ perpetually exercifes M 4 “ them i68 ESSAY III. “ them in their heavenly Duty ; 'Health “ and Order guard the Altar, and Con- “ tenf offers the Balm of Blifs to all the “ Votaries.” ESSAY [ 169 ] ESSAY IV. On SELF-LOVE. Jl Fable. HEN I confiderthe natural Pro- w V penfity of human Nature to Good, I am often greatly furprized how the Power of Education is able to fubvert it ; but it raifes my Indignation, that Superfti- tion and idle Legends can caft fuch a Film- over the Intelledlual Eye, at to render it in a great Meafure incapable of extending it’s View beyond the little circumfcribed Limits of what belongs merely to Man. *Tis this Counter-Knowledge, that makes us by Degrees become felfifh and unfocial, by confining the Defign and Benevolence of Providence to a part of the Univerfe, which in Comparifon to the whole Syftem, is no more than a Angle Grain of Sand to the Earth itfelf ; for when once we have begun to exclude our Planet by Su- periority from the reft, and to regard the other Luminaries as exifting only to ferye ours, we prefently proceed to bring the 170 ESSAY IV. the Thought nearer Heme, by looking upon the Country we cafually were born in, then the Family we come from, and at length, ourfelves alone, as the prin- cipal Object of divine Care. This is the Bane of all Morality, and from this plen- tiful Source of Evils flow Pride, Ill-Na^- ture, and that Parent of aitive Vices, Vn- charitablencfi^ Contrary Thoughts there- fore mnft be produftive of contrary EfFedls; and 1 dare fay, every one v>^ho has expe- rienced the Light of ufeful Learning and true Rehgicn, will agree with me, that ncihing tends^ more to better the Heart, as v/e!l as enlarge the Unrierftanding, than to carry our Thoughts as far as we are able into Immeiifity, and to meditate on the Attributes of the Deity, from whom all WifJom proceeds, and in whom it ends ; which will neceflarily lead us to confider the whole Solar Syftern as no more than a Angle Atom in Subiedlion to the uni- O J . verfal Plan of divine Government ! Vv^hat then is Man ! The Arabians, who con- vey all their Learning, their moral and religious Precepts, through Fables, relate the ESSAY IV. 171 the following Story, as an inftrudive Lef- foil on this Subjedt. There lived in the Vale, of KoritZy a Hermit named Akallah, who by the Power of a Talifman could convert any Animal whatfoever into another of a dif- ferent Species. Plis Life being as pure as his Knowledge was extenfive, he prefently became famous ever the whole EaPc, and all the Youth of the adjacent Countries came to him for inftrudion. Among the reft, the Son of the King of T!hebet was placed by his Father under the Tui- tion of this celebrated Philofopher. Mo- NOPHAz, for that was the Name of the young Prince, was of a proud, felfilh, and cruel Difpofition ; he looked upon the other Nations of the Earth, as tribu- tary Vaflals to his Power, and upon his Father’s Subjects, as the abjedl Slaves of his Pleafure. Kalaphas, the good old King, who tenderly loved his People as a Parent, would often lament within him- felf the terrible Profpedt they had before them, when he anticipated the Calami- , ties that were likely to enfue after his Peath^ 172 ESS A- Y IV. Death, under the Reign of his Succenbr; however, that nothing lEould be wanting to contribute to their Welfare, or that of his Son, he took all the Methods poffible to render the young Prince more humane and tradtable ; but when nothing availed, he. at laft determined to fend him as abovementioned, to the great Philofopher and Magician Akallapi. Accordingly whan Mcnophaz was arrived at a little Village, where the Pupils of Dillinflion generally refided, he fent to command the Preceptor to come to him. Akallah, who both knew by his Art, and was pre- vioLifly informed of the Temper of his royal Difciple ; told the Meffenger, that though his Birth and Fortune fet a Di- ftinftion between the reft of Mankind, yet Wifdom clainted a Superiority by Na- ture over all; and though the Prince of ^hehet had been aLcuftomed to command the Great ones of the Earth, it was now his Turn to obey and attend the Will of his Mafter. As foon as Monophaz re- ceived this Meftage, which breathed a Spirit of Liberty and Philofophy, more than what he had been ufed to, he was greatly essay IV. 173 greatly enraged againft the Hermit, and repairing to his Cave with the Servants that attended him, refolved to maKe the good old Man fall a Vidim to his Re- fentment. Akallah, being apprized of the young Prince’s Defign, waited pa- tiently for his coming, upon whofe ap- pearance with a drawn Sword in his Hand, he touched the Talifman, and Monophaz was inftantly metamorphofed into an Emmet. The Attendants, upon the fudden Difappearance of their Mailer, were greatly aftonifhed, which the Her- mit perceiving; “ Behold ! faid he, point- “ ing to the Ground, that Infed which “ you fee crawling on the Earth, was “ once Monophaz, your Lord, who was to reign uncontrollable over the Lives of Millions, but is now reduced, “ by the Power of the Almighty, to lie “ with Reptiles in the Dull ; for before “ his Prefence, who created every Being ‘‘ for univerfal Good, and not felfilh De- “ light, the greatell Monarch upon the “ Globe is no more than the fmalleft “ Mote fluttering in the Meridian Sun. “ Learn hence, continued he, young “ Prince 174 ESSAY IV. Prince (looking down upon the Em- met) that thofe alone are diftinguiihed “ by his prefent and future Favour, who correfpond with his great Dcfign of promoting the Good of all his Crca- tures, and guide their Lives by the unerring Didlates of Reafon, and the tender Suggeftions of Humanity. 'Tis in my Power, whom you lately fo threatened in your V/rath, to make “ you continue in this Body, as a Puniih- ment for the rafh Attempt ^ but as I perceive by my Art, that there will be a thorough Reformation of your Mind v/ith the Change of your Shape, and that your future Condudl will be “ both a Bleffing to yourfelf and the reft of Mankind ; you fhall imrne- diately be conveyed back again in your own Form, with your Attend- ants, to the Court of your Father at “ ^hebetr Having faid this, Akallah touched the Talifman, by which Mono- PHAz found himfelf where the Magician promifed to convey him; and being convinced, by this Experiment, of the Weaknefs and Infuffiiency of Man in Comparifoa ESSAY IV. I7S Comparifon to the Power of Heaven, he became afterwards, by his Example, a living Precept of Goodnefs to the reft of the World. ESSAY '[ ] ESSAY V. On True and False RELIGION. Cum multa res in Philofophia nequaquam fatis adhuc explicate funty turn perdif^ cilisy Brutey quod tu 7ninime ignoras, & perobfcura quajlio eft de Natura De- crum : quce ad agnitionem aiiimi puU cherrima ejiy & ad moderandam Re- LiGioNEM necejjaria, Cic. de Nat. Deon O F all the Comforts which the great Creator has beftowed upon Man- kind, the early Love and Admiration of his Perfedions, which he implanted in in us, called Religion, is the moR de- lightful y for what can moi-e exhilarate Life, than the conftant Exercife of our rational Faculties, in contemplating upon the Attributes of an Almighty Being, whofe Power is guided by univerfal Bene- volence ? Nothing upon Earth can be more heavenly than a Worfhip of this ^ ■ Sort, E S S A Y V. 177 Sort, where Gratitude leads us to the Shrine, and theWings of Hope and Peace protedh us. Such a Religion does not con- iift in external Rites and the holy Trum- pery of Ecclefiaflical Ceremonies, in the fuppliant Fawn of Sacerdotal Grimace, nor the unintelligiblejargon of Hierarchi- cal Riddles, but in the pure Obedience of the Heart to theWill of him, who created every thing to co-operate in the^univerfal Harmony of Nature. Thefe Thoughts form us betimes to the ftridteft Rules of moral Beauty, they poize the Mind in the Balance of Juftice, and open the Heart for the Reception of the cceleftial Family of Charity. Flere Contentment fits on her Throne fupported by Reafon and Innocence ; and Happinefs^ her Offspring, ef- fufes her divine Influence around the Scene. Thefe are the infeparable Companions of true Religion. But what compofes theTrain of Superjlition f A far different Groupe of Figures. Remorje, mental Perturbattony Fear, and Malice ; and I am inclined to think, if it had not been for the Afh fiance of this Dxmon, the natural Propenfity of Mankind to Good is fo great, that a Mul- titude together, never could have been guilty i/S ESSAY V. guilty of thofe innumerable Cruelties which {lain the Annals of all Ages. There is nothing fo barbarous, nothing fo unna- tural but Superftition can convert into Duty. We read in holy Writ, that 'twas a Religions Ceremony of the Priefts of Moloch to facrifice Children to their Deity ; and numberlefs are the Pafiages ‘in profane Writers, of the bloody Effeds of Pagan Idolatry, befides all the do- meftick Calamities, Injuries, and Immo- ralities of private Life ; and all thefe ac- crued from the falfe Opinions the Perpe- trators entertained of the Deity. For as ’tis natural to imitate the Objedls of our Admiration, if He was painted by their Priefts, a re^engefuly luJifulJlUdifpofed Be-- f;;^,'twas noWonder theVotaries followed the high Example, and became at length fo perfedl in all kinds of Wickednefs. Of this Stamp was the Heathen Jove, wdio, according to the Holy Legends of ancient Paganifm, began his Reign with dethroning his Father, and made it after- wards one continual Scene ofinceft. Adul- tery, and every Act of the moft flagrant Infamy. A very proper Objedt of Ado- ration ! ESSAY V. 179 ration ! Plato, the great Light of the Heathen World, in the Dialogue entitled EutryphoHy introduces a Man going to profecute his own Father, who, being reproved by Socrates for his Impiety, replies, Jupiter^ who is acknowledged by all Men to be the jujieft of the Godsy bound his Father in Chains for a criminal Adlion^ From which he implied, it was lawful and right for him to do fo too. Terence reproves tacitly the erroneous Worfhip of his Country, in one of his Comedies, by making a young Debauchee approve of his own Conduit by the Example of "Jupiter, — Animus gaudebat mihi, Deum fefe in hominem convertifre,atque per alienas tegulag Venifle clanculum per impluvium — ■ At quern Deum ? qui templa Cxli fonitu concutit. Ego homuncio hoc non facerem ? Such, no doubt, would be the confo- latory way of Reafoning for all who were willing to give a Loofe to their Defires. But thefe are Mifchiefs of a very inferior fort to thofe that have arifen from Mif- reprefentations of the Nature of God. From this Source fprung the wild En- N 2 thufiafm 1^0 ESSAY V. thufiafin of Arabia, whofe Votaries made Perfecution the Inftrument of Re- ligion, and fprinkled the holy Way to Paradife with the Blood of Millions. Their great Prophet himfelf gave a Sanc- tion to Murder and Robbery ; and taught his Difciplcs, that the fureft Way to gain the Favour of Allah, was to triumph in the Death of Unbelievers. The Dag- ger of MalTacres he called the Sword of Pleaven ; and fo intoxicated the Brain of. a pleafurable and libidinous People with the Hopes of a fcnfual Futurity, as a Reward for. Crimes which otherwife would have .fliocked human Nature, that they rufhed forth from their Deferts like a Torrent, and bore down the Kingdoms of the Earth, by the fcarce interrupted Courfe of their barbarous Enthufiafm. I wifli now I could not add, that the pureft Religion the World ever knew, had been made the innocent Caufe of almofl equal Cruelties, and that the Defigns of wicked Men had too m.uch prevailed under the miftaken Notions of its divine Precepts. One would imagine, that fuch were en- deavouring to fulfil literally what the ‘ blefled ESSAY v: i8i blefled Founder prophefied figuratively, T'hmk not that 1 am come to fend Peace on Earthy but a Sword f implying, that every new Dodtrine would meet with Oppofition. But the favage Bigotry of inhuman Believers have, as it were, prac- tically verified this Sentence, and con- verted the Temple of Peace into the Den of DeJlruBion. How repugnant a Pro- ceeding this to thofe coeleftial Inftitutions, which form the fineft Syftem of Morality Mankind ever was acquainted with, in- culcating Sobriety, Forbearance, Mercy, and above all, what comprehends every adlive Virtue, Charity. The Tefts there- fore of Religion, are Benevolence and Reafon ; whatever is produdive of the one, and conformable to the other, is certainly true ; and whatever is oppofite to either, is as furely Impofture. As Rea- fon is the great Inveftigator of Truth, nothing has done more Service to Chri- ftlanity, than a free Enquiry into its Dodrines j which makes me furprifed to hear daily fo many ignorant Zealots ex- claim againft a Proceeding fo worthy the Nature of Man, and agreeable to the N 3 Will i 82 essay V, Will of the fupreme Being. Would they have us totally lay afide, for the Sake of Taith^ that firft great Gift of God, Reason ? if fo, they place the moft pure Religion upon a Footing with the groffeft Idolatry ; and in that Cafe, the cafual Circumftance of being born and educated among /;/- diam^ would have, fubjedled us to the Worfhip of their imaginary Deities. They reply to this, as the Pythagoreans did of old, concerning feveral Tenets they could not defend, Magijier ipfe dixit. This is putting Religion upon a very poor Foun- dation, to take every thing for granted that is taught them, without any farther Examination, l^antum opinio pr ^judicata poterat, ut etiam fine rafione ^aleret auSo^ ritas. [Cic. de Nat. Deor.] How many are there of thefe who employ their ac- quired Knowledge, not to fearch after irutby but to defend what they would believe ! But as Morality, as well as Re- ligion, depends upon the true Knowledge of the Deity (for as the great Father of Wifdom obferves, All our Endeavours are to be like him^ as far as we are able^') the greateft Men of all Ages have made ESSAY V. 183 it the principal End of their Studies to be- come acquainted with his Will and At- tributes. Should any one fay, that the holy Scriptures are fufficient to teach us this neceflary Truth, I fliould anfwer, that I grant they are beyond any Difpuce, as they were written by his Infpiration, and were the only Revelation he ever made to Mankind. But before we alTent to this, ’tis our previous Duty to examine ftridtly, whether they are really fo or not; and whether fuch Inftitutions are agree- able to his all-perfe6t Attributes ; other- wife, right or wrong, we otter the greatefl: Affront to our Creator, by taking' that upon Truft, which ought to be the Sub- jedl of our mature Deliberations. That great Philofopher, who among the Mo- derns defended Chriftianity with the faireft as well as ftrongeft Arguments, fays, \_See Locke on the human Under-- ftanding\ “ He that believes without “ having any Reafon for his believing, may be in Love with his own Fancies ; but neither feeks Truth as he ought, nor pays the Obedience due to- his ‘‘ Maker, who would have him ufe thofe N 4 y difcerning 184 E S S A Y V. ‘ difcerning Faculties he has given him to keep him cut of Miftake and Error. He that does not this to the beft of his Power, however he fometimes lights on Truth, is in the Right by Chance and I know not whether the Lucki- nefs of the Accident will excufe the Irregularity of the Proceeding. This at leaft is certain, that he is accoun- table for whatever Miflakes he runs into ; whereas, he that makes ufe of the Light and Faculties God has given him, and feeks fmcerely to difcover Truth by thofe Helps and Abilities he has, may have this Satisfadlion in doing his Duty as a Rational Creature ; that though he (hould mifs Truth, he will not mifs the Reward of it : For he governs his Affent right, and places it as he fhould, w^ho in any Cafe or Matter whatfoever, believes, or mif- believes, according as Reafon diredls him. He that does otherwife, tranf- greffes againfl: his own Light, and mif- ufes thofe Faculties, w^hich were given him to no other End, but to fearch and follow the clearer Evidence, and “ greater E S S A Y V. 185 “ greater Probability.*’ When Faith is thus regulated, it becomes an earthly An- ticipation of Immortality ; it fooths the Pangs of Misfortunes, and moderates the Pleafures of Profperity, otherwife often- times too powerful for the human Breaft. For by encouraging and entertaining us with the Plopes of more refined and per- manent Joys than we can comprehend at prelent, it makes us, as far as our Na- tures will admit of, indifferent to the ca- fual Lot of our tranfitory State, and gives us below a Relilh for the Pleafures above. I Hill continued ruminating on this Subiedt, and now and then, to alleviate my Mind, call my Eye on the above- mentioned Philofopher, till I went to Bed ; where in my Sleep, after having been hurried through many romantic Ad- ventures, I had, toward Morning, the following more regular Dream, arifing, . I fuppofe, from the contrafted Notions I went to Reft with ; for Dreams, as the Stagyrite fays, are the faint Refemblances or the Shadows of our waking Thoughts andAaions. I rofe, methought, out of a Place oi Darknefi vijihk, as Milton i86 E S S A Y V, calls it, which was only light enough to fhew the confufed Horror of the Chaos that was around me j when on a fudden, the War of Elements ceafed, and as it were by Magic, each retiring to a proper Place, formed a moft beautiful Creation, As 1 ftood admiring with no fmall En- thufiafm the Power and Goodnefs of the unfeen Efficient of this Paradife, un- knowing to what End I was placed there, and how I ought to act in order to contri- bute, as much as lay in me, to the Har- mony of the Whole ; methought a Being, like the Idea we have of an Angel, came and offered to conduft me through the unknown Regions, and to inftrudt me in the Nature of whatever I faw. *' Her Robes were like a Winter’s Cloud tinged with Darknefs, her Afpecft was gloomy and penfive, and every Mark of a Glory appeared upon her. By this Time a Number more of the fame Species with myfelf came thronging after her, every one expreffing the greateft Ardency to obey her, and believe her Inftrudtions ; yet this pretended Zeal might be perceived to proceed from Fear^ which feldom, if ever. E S S A Y V. 187 ever, is a Companion of Love, Upon my making fome Hefitation to join the Crowd, fhe immediately put on fuch a Frown of Terror, that my Blood ran chill to my Heart ; the Slaves of her Retinue too, though fecretly averfe to her Tyran- ny, joined the Menaces that were made againft me, till the Fear of being left de- folate and alone, made me add one more to the unhappy Number. We had not proceeded many Paces, before another Angel appeared to us, whofe Afpedl was fair and gentle, w^hofe Demeanor was open and delightful, and her Garments were the.unfullied Brightnefs of Heaven. Our Eyes were inftantly fixed on this lovely Objedl, and Joy began to infpire our Hearts. As foon as the Apoftate Sifter, who enthralled us, faw this Miniftrefs of Happinefs, ftie filled the Air with a Mift that obftrufted our Sight, and we could behold our Comfort no more ; but as Refolution is a Guide to Truth, I and fome few more left this feemingSorcerefs, and with a loud Voice implored the Af- fiftance of that other coeleftial Being. Our Prayers were heard, and the Air to i88 E S .S A Y V. our Sight grew ferene and clear again ; though the reft of our late Fellow- Suffer- ers, who durft not relinquifli their Errors through Fear, ftill remained under the Enchantment. Our great ProteBrefs ap- peared again to us, and fpoke in the fol- lowing Manner: Happy are you, O Mortals, to efcape from that fell Im- poftor, who ufurps my Likenefs and Office, to delude the Unwary, I am Religion, the brighteft of Beings un- “ der the Omnipotent, who condudl ‘‘ the Good to the Realms of unperiffiable Joy. She is Superstition, who leads them aftray into the Path of Error. I rule in the Hearty She in ABion \ and there is not even one of her Dependants fo infatuated, but would declare, if they durft, againft her impious Reign. She has been attended long by a Matron called Custom, the Fallacy of whofe venerable Countenance entices Mankind ‘‘ into, her Miftrefs’s Train, and then '' Opinion guards the Entrance againft their Efcape. - Let her delude thofe miftaken Wretches for a while with y her antick Shows, whilft I lead you to behold E $ S A Y V; “ behold the Court of unalterable De- “ light/* As foon as (he had donefpeak- ing, there appeared a glorious Light that extended to ihe uttermoft Parts of the Earth, and filled our Bofoms with the moft Heavenly Senfation. At aDiftance Myriads of coeleflial Inhabitants came flying down, and (howered innumerable Bleflings upon us, as we flood looking up at them. They feemed continually pafT- ing to and from that eternal Source of Light. Whilft we were admiring this flupendous Scene, one of thofe divine MefTengers, who had been to comfort our miflaken Brethren, involved in number- lefs Calamities by their deceitful Guide, afcended from them up to the Throne of the Most High ; fhe was called on Earth Repentance, and feemed beau- tiful even in Tears and Mourning. Not long after another defcended, cloathed in setherial Mildnefs 3 the Smiles of Grace beamed from her Eyes, as if fhe feemed delighted with being charged with the firfL Office of Heaven, doing Good 3 her Name was Forgiveness. Mercy went before her PrefenCe, and Truth guided 4 her 190 ESSAY V. her Flight. She had in her Hands the Balm of Coinforty ^nd the more flie be- ftowed, the morCi her Store encreafed. On a fudden the Clouds that had hitherto obfcured the reft of our Species, were difpelled, and the Majefty of the Supreme fhone upon them ; at whofe Appearance, the Sorcerefs that had mifled them, retired again to the native Realms of infernal Darknefs, and was feen no more. As we were all going to offer up Thankf- givings for our Deliverance, I was awak- ened by the publick Rejoicings for the News of the Succefs of our ^Arms. Which Accident, and my preceding Dream, af- forded me fufficient Matter for Refledion all the Day after, on the fuperintending Goodnefs of Providence, which conftantly does the beft for Mankind, educing Good and Happinefs even out of Evil and Ca- lamities, ^ This was written a little after a Vi61ory. US SAY [ J9I ] ESSAY VL On FRIENDSHIP. Difpares mores difparia fludia fequuntur^ quorum dijjimilitudo dijjociat amicitias. Tull, de Amic. S I am in a great meafure an En- jLIL. thufiaft in regard to that facred Paflion Friendflnp, nothing fooner raifes my Indignation than to hear the Name proftituted upon every trifling Occafion, to the meanefl: and bafefl: Ends ; the com- mon Ufe of which has made it fo cheap, that it is at length become a worn-out Note to carry on the Commerce of the World, alike at the Exchange or ISIew-- market^ the Court or the Bear-garden. Men of different Ages, Rank, and Incli- nations, indifcriminately herd together ; and the Acquaintance of Debauchery and Folly ufurps the Title of Friendfliip. But what has given me the mofl: Concern is, to obferve, even among the Virtuous, a Want of Judgment in this Point, which has 192 ESSAY VL has often proved very fatal. There are Men of the greateft Worth, whofe Aftions claim our Approbation and Efteem, but whofe Friendfliip, by reafon of a Dlffi- militude of Sentiments, would be neither delireable nor advantageous. An Indian Sage, giving Advice to his Son on this Subjeft, illuftrated his Difcourfe (accord- ing to the Afiatic Manner) with the fol- lowing Story. Thou haft heard, my Son, fays he, of the great Affection Lizards have for Mankind. — Abairan, the Kaliph of Bagdaty as he was hunting one Day in a neighbouring Foreft, being fatigued with the Toil of the Chace, and feparated from his Company, laid himfelf down to fleep on the green Bank of a Rivulet, which feemed to invite him to Repofe with its gentle Murmurs. He had fcarce clofed his Eyes before one of thefe friendly Animals awakened him by foftly touching him with his Tail ; but how^great was his Surprize, when he beheld, not many Yards off, a large Serpent rolling toward him ? Fie immediately rofe, took up his little Deliverer, and fled. This Accident filled ESSAY VI. 193 filled his Mind with fo much Gratitude, that he daily fed the Lizard with his own Hand, and cheriihed it in his Bofom. He had not done fo long before his Com- plexion, which was naturally healthy and florid, became pale and fickly ; his Eyes grew dim, his Appetite was loll:, and all the Symptoms of an pbftinate Diforder appeared upon him. The Phyficians, who were immediately called in to his Affiflance, employed all their Art in vain, the Diflemper increafed, and the Angel of Death feemed at hand to fummon him, Whilft he was in this Agony, a Stranger, ' at that time in Bagdat^ hearing of the Kaliph’s Illnefs, defired to be permitted to make an Experiment. The Propofal w^as at firfl; rejedled, and the Author looked upon as one of thofe travelling Empiricks that infeft all great Cities. But the Stranger neverthelefs peiTifting ftrong- ly in his Requeft, and offering to anfwer, with his Life, for the Succefs of his At- tempt, the Kindred of Abairan fuff^red him' to undertake it. Alchaman (for that was his Name) no fooner had 'looked upon the Eyes of the Kaliph, than he de- O dared 194 essay VI. dared that the Caufe of the Malady was a Lizard, whofe venomous Breath had infeded the whole Mafs of his Blood ; and taking a fmall Phial from his Pocket, gave the Patient a few Drops mixed with Water to drink. Abairan, as foon as he had taken this admirable Medicine, found himfelf much eafier, the Delirium left him, his Colour returned, and the Heat of Youth glowed again in his Veins. Let it fuffice that the Kaliph, having told the Stranger how he came by the Lizard, and the Reafon of his keeping it, intreated him to make the Palace of Bagdaf his Home^ adding, that fince he had reftored him to Life, he hoped to receive from him the Power of enjoying it too, by having that Opportunity to Ihew his Gra- titude, the greateft Pleafure of which human Breafts are fufceptible.’' To which Alchaman modeftly replied. “ My Lord, the Pleafure of doing good is in itfelf a fufficient Reward ; for the Bene- volent have as much Satisfadlion in be- flowing, as the Indigent in receiving. If thou haft found any Benefit from my Endeavours, all I allc as a Reward is to < be ESSAY VL 195 be permitted quietly to leave thy City, and return to that Solitude where I converfed with Wifdom and with Truth. Thou art a Prince, it is true, indued with all focial Virtues j thy Reign is a Eleffing to thy Servants, and the Admiration of thy- Neighbours ; but thy Frlendfliip is as much ^to be avoided by me, as courted by the reft of Mankind. Pardon,- my Lord, the Freedom of thy Servant’s Mind, the only Empire a Philofopher fhould covet. Friendfhip is founded up- on an Equality of Conditions, and a Si- militude of Deiires ; and even Virtue, tho’ always neceffary to cement it, is in* efFedlual, if this Bafis be wanting. Con- fider then what a vaft Dlftance there is between thee and me ; confider the In- conveniencies that muft accrue to both from fuch a Conjiinftion. Thou haft been educated in a Palace, I in a Cell ; the Welfare of Thoufands depends upon thy Care and Vigilance as a Governor ; my SatisfaCrion confifts alone in Retire- ment and Contemplation. Should we live together, thou would ft on one hand grow remifs by attending to my Specula- O 2 tions. 196 ESSAY VI. tions, and I on the other fliould be di- verted from my Meditations by the Bufi- nefs which would intrude upon thee. Let us therefore be afunder, that each may perform^ as he ought, the Part which Providence has affigned him to adt, and not prove a reciprocal Poifon to each other’s Mind, as thou and the Lizard have been / to each other’s Body. ESSAY t 197 ] ESSAY VII. On CONJUGAL LOVE. Xcoy.XTa [MV (Juo, P y T H. O F all the Pleafures that endear Hu- man Life, there are none more worthy the Attention of a rational Crea- ture, than thofe which flow from the mu- tual Return of Conjugal Love ^ our great Poet Milton, after he has defcribed the nuptial Bower of Adam and Eve in Pa- radifcy thus calls upon that blifsful State ; Hall wedded Love ! myfterious Law, true Source Of Human Offspring, foie- Propriety In Paradife^i of all Things common elfe. ‘‘ By thee Adulterous Luft was driven from Men, Among the beftial Herds to range ; by thee “ (Founded in Reafon, loyal, juft, and pure,) ‘‘ Relations dear, and all the Charities ‘‘ Of Father, Son, and Brother firft were known.— — Perpetual Fountain of domeftic Blifs ! — Here Love his Golden Shafts employs ; here lights His conjlant Lamp, and waves his purple Wings. 03 In 198 ESSAY VIL In this Scene the loofer Paffions of Youth are confolidated into a fettled Affedion ; for the lawful Objed of Love unites every Care in itfelf 3 and makes even thofe Thoughts that were painful before, be- come delightful. When two Minds are thus engaged by the Ties of reciprocal Sincerity, each alternately receives and communicates a Tranfport that is incon- celveable to all but thofe that are in this Situation 3 from hence arifes that heart- ennobling Solicitude for one another's Welfare, that tender Sympathy that alle- viates Afihdion, and that participated Pleafure that heightens Profperity and Joy itfelf. This is a full Completion of the Bleffings of Plumanity ! for if Reafon and Society are the Charaderifticks which diftinguifli us from other Animals, an Excellence in thefe two great Privileges of Man, which centers in Wedlock, muft raife in us Happinefs above the Reft of our Species. It is here that the nobleft* Paflions of which the Human Soul Is fuf- ceptible join together, virtuous Love and Friendfhip 3 the one fupplying it 'with a conftant Rapture, and the other regulating 1 it ESSAY VIL 199 it by the Rules of Reafon. I would not be underflood to be fpeaking here of thofe unnatural and difproportionable Matches that are daily made upon worldly Views, where Intereft, or Luft are the only Mo- tives ; I mean that fuch only enjoy the Bleffing, who are conduded by Hy?nen thro’ his own Realms of Innocence and Sincerity. A Gentleman who is very happy in a beautiful Friend^ as a certain Englijh Poet calls a Wife, and is a Kind of an Enthufiafl for the Married State, told me the following Story of an Italia?! Pair, who were famous for their unalter- able Conftancy and Afifedion. There lived at Genoa a young Nobleman named Marini, who had a large Eftate in the Ifland of Corfca^ whither he went every five or fix Years to regulate his Affairs. At the Age of five and twenty he was married to a beautiful -Lady, the Daugh- ter of a Venetian Senator, called Moni- MiA, who had refufed the greatefl Matches in Italy^ to prefer the fortunate Marini. As their Marriage was found- ed upon a, mutual Efleem, their Paflion enereafed inftead of diminilhing by En- O 4 joyment, 200 ESSAY VII. joyment, till they became an Example of Conjugal Duty to all that knew them. They had lived many Years in this unin- terrupted State of Felicity ; when Marini was obliged to make a Voyage into Corfica^ which was then difturbed by a rebellious Infurreftion, in order to fecure his Patri- mony, by encouraging bis Dependents to Itand firm in Defence of their Country. But the greateft Affiidion, and which ab- forbed all the reft, was his being necefli- tated to part for awhile from Monimia, who being then very big with Child was incapacitated to go with him as ufual. When the fatal Time of parting was come, they embraced with tlie utmoft Grief, and the warmeft Prayers * to Heaven for one anothers Safety. As foon as this afflid- jng Scene was over, Marini embarked, and having a fair Wind, arrived fafe at Bajlia in a few Hours. The Succefs of the Rebels being flopped, and the Affairs of the Ifland a little fettled again, our Lover began to prepare for his Return to Genoa \ but as he was walking one Day by the Harbour where the Ships of Bur- then lay, he heard two Sailors who were juft 201 ESSAY VIL juft arrived, talking of the Death of a Gem- efe Nobleman’s Wife then abfent from the Republic. This cafual Circumftance greatly alarmed him, and excited his Cu- riofity to liften farther to their Converfa- tion, when after a little Paufe, he heard one of them mention the Name of his dear Monimia ; at thefe Words his Sur- prize and Afflidtion was fo great that he had not Power to follow the Mariners to fatisfy his Doubt, but inftantly fwooned away, and v/hen he recovered, found himfelf furrounded by his own Servants lamenting over him. At the fame Time that this happened to Marini, fomething of the fame Nature equally diftrefted Monimia 3 for an imperfedl Account came to Genoa:, by the Captain of a Vene^ tian Veflel, that a Gentleman named Marini had been furprized near Baftia by a remaining Party of Rebels, and that he and all his Attendants were killed by them. Thefe two Accounts involved our unfortunate Pair in the greateft Diftrefs : they immediately took Shipping in order to be convinced of what they fo much dreaded to know j the one for Corjicuy the 202 E S , S A Y VII. the other for Genoa. They were both failed when a violent Storm arofe which drove their Veffels upon a little Ifland in the Mediterranean. Marini’s Ship land- ed firft, where, whilft the reft of the Crew were refrefhing themfelves, the in- confolable Widower, as he thought him- felf, wandered with one Servant only into a little Wood that was near the Sea-fhore to give a Loofe to his immoderate Grief. Soon after the Genoefe Ship landed too, and the fame Motive led Monimia with one of her Maids to the Wood where her Hulband was, lamenting his unfor- tunate Condition. They had not been there long before they heard each other’s Complaint, and drew nearer mutually to fee if there was any Wretch living equally miferable with themfelves. But how great was the i^ftoniftiment of both, when they met in a little Path and faw each other ! the immoderate Joy was fuch, and the Tranfition from one Extreme to the other fo inftantaneous, that all the Power they had was to fall into each other’s Arms, where they expired in a few Minutes after. ESSAY VII. after. Their Bodies were conveyed to Italy^ and were interred with all the So- lemnity and Magnificence due to their Quality and eminent Virtues. [ 204 ] ESSAY VIIL 0/^ Solitude and S o c i e-t y. uvtoi^ ^yjTainv, ay^oiKiu; aoct v,cti Vi(rv'X^ict)Tf^Qv^ aif a7r^otyu.o- veff^ovavO^WTroj ^otvci^w^Hy »j ng rt^v iot-oT^ M. Ant. lib. iv. cap. 3. Sages and Fools are unanimous -I J in their Admiration of Solitude, but each from different Motives. To the one it affords Scope to Contemplation, to the other Shelter from Contempt. The Con- tented enjoy it, the Difcontented feek it. The Guilty need it, the Innocent love it. To feek the Shades of Retirement in or- der to admire more at leifure the Works of the Creation, to grow thereby as it were familiar with the Conceptions of God, to harmonize the Mind to Moral Beauty, by frequently contemplating upon Natural, and to anticipate in fome mea- fure the Blifs of Heaven, upon Earth ^ is a Refoiution worthy a Being, whofe Soul is an Emanation of that eternal Source of Life essay VIII. 205 Life and Light that created all Things. But I’m afraid the general Affedtion for the Love of Solitude proceeds from dif- ferent Caufes } and that the Abode of the truly Good and Great, is too often made an Afylum for Pufillanimity, Avarice, and Ill-nature. Are there any difappointed in their worldly Views ? they immedi- ately fly hither, as the propereft Place to conceal the Poornefs of Mind, too little and bafe to bear up againft Misfortunes. Is the Thirft of Gold the predominant Paffion? Where can the Wretch find a more advantageous Situation, in which he could work his Mole-hills ? Is the Mind diftempered and diflbnant to So- ciety ? ’Tis here the Rebel to his Maker choofes to growl at Heaven, and gratify the repining Anguifli of his envious Soul, to behold it’s benignant Dew cheriflaing the Earth. I can’t fay, whether I read the little Modern ElTay-Writers upon this Subjed, with more Anger or Contempt ; one would imagine, from the Swarm of Political Scriblers, who blunder about what they have no Conception of, that the only Defence of Liberty and Happi- nefs / 2o6 essay viil. nefs of Ivife, confifted in that unnatural Separation from the reft of our Species. Is any thing more plain, than that God defigned Men fhould live together ? For what Inconveniencies attend the folitary State of uncivilized Nature ? What num- berlefs Advantages accrue alone from So- ciety? In jiatu natiirali (faysPuFFENDORp) quifque propriis tantiim virlbus protegitur j in cimtate omnium : ibi frudius ab indujiria fua nemini certus ; hie omnibus : ibi im^ perium qffedtuumy bellunty metuSy pauper-- tasy feeditasy fplitudoy barbarieSy ignoran- tidy feritas ; heic imperium rationisy paXy fecuritaSy diviticCy ornatuSy focietasy ele- gantidy feientidy bene^olentia. To the former Condition every Man, whofe Morofenefs, or want of focial Virtues fe- cludes him frorn Society, is in a manner reduced : to the latter Emoluments the Good are admitted by Nature. The great Honours that were paid to the firfl Legiflators, even fometimes Deification itfelf, evince how After-ages wxre fenfible of the Utility of Civil Compadls ; nay even now, divefted of the fabulous Accounts of Antiquity, we pay a juft Veneration to the Memories ESSAY VIII. 207 Memories of Amphion, Orpheus, and the reft, who brought Mortals from the Caves and Dens of Wildernefles, to co- habit in Cities, and enjoy the Blefiings of mutual Aid and reciprocal Obligations. And yet with what foolifh Enthufiafm do fome Retrogades in Perfedtion call out upon Solitude ! What Encomiums don’t they beftow upon original Brutality ; and what Invedtives don’t they caft indiredlly againft the polite Arts of Life ! How often do they cry out, in a rapturous Admiration of Ignorance, and extol thofe golden Times, when as yet Nulla — mortales praeter fua littora, rK)rant ! Should we come to examine more nbarly into the true Sentiments of thefe Monkifh Preceptors, we fhould find, that their Benevolence and Knowledge is much lefs than even the narrow and fordid Terms of their Dodlrine will exprefs ; for Men who deteft the World, are generally thofe that are juftly detefted by it, and can find no Satisfaction after their Difap- pointment,but from thatPelican-bred Plea- fure 2o8 E S S .a Y VIII. fure in a forced Retaliation of Contempt.^ ’Tis from hence we hear fo many Mur- murs againft prefent Times ; ’tis from hence Retirement becomes the Den of 'Mifery, which ought to he the Temple of Repofe. Thus much has been faid of the Abufe of Solitude, and from what Motives the unatural Affedion for an ill- placed Love of it proceeds. Let us now examine the other fide of the Queftion, and confider wherein its Utility may truly confift, and who are the propereft to en- joy it. That Solitude intrinfically in it- felf is neither good nor evil, but takes its Qi^ality from the Difpofition of it’s Votaries, would be needlefs to prove. The Sage, who retires, not in a capricious Humour to detach himfelf from the World,but to contemplate for the Ufe of his 'Fellow-creatures ; and the Moralift, who divefts himfelf a-while of the common Cares of Life, to view his own Heart ab- ftradedly, that he may be better qualified to ad relatively afterwards, are the only Perfons to whom the Shades of Retire- ment afford Pleafure or Inftrudion j to thefe ESSAY Vm. 209 thefe they appear like the Mahometan Paradife, whofe Groves are faid to yield the Fruit of Knowledge and Peace ; to others they become a Vandcemonium^ and ten thoufand ugly Shapes are continually haunting them. When the Philofopher enters this divine Region, his Soul, as if it had paffed a Tranfmigration, glows with a new-born Vigour, or rather affumes the State defcribed by Plato in the Phcedon when it leaves the Body. The Silence of a rural Scene, the not un- pleafing Horror of the varied Light and Shade in the Woods, the Whifpering of the Trees, and the unbounded Profped: of Heaven above, call up Meditation, as by a Charm, and all her Train of In- telledlual Attendants. Behold she comes, awfully moving to his paufing Eye ! See! Indolence and all her Court of felfidi Vices recede from her Prefence 1 Vir- tue precedes her. Beauty and Truth attend on each Side, and the laurelled Sifterhood of Art and Science imme- diatety follow. In her Hand (he bears the faithful Record of all Ages, and pre- P fents 210 ESSAY VIIL fents to her View Examples of whatever Wifdom, Valour, and Benevolence in- fpired. Here he reads the Inftitutions of Solon, there the Patriotifm of Curtius, and there the glorious Death of Socra- tes*, whilft Honour excites a Divine Emulation to imitate fuch Godlike Ex- amples. Thefe are the Comforts that Retirement affords the Good, and the Good alone ! For Defpair and Horror whifper in every Breeze to the Wicked, and even Silence itfelf becomes an ever- tormenting Companion. I fliall con- clude this Effay with a fmall Defcrip- tion of an ancient 'Egyptian Hierogly- phic on this Subjedl. There was the Pidture of a Mirror upon the Walls of a Temple atMEMPHis, in which feve- ral beautiful, and feveral deformed Fi- gures were viewing themfelves, which was called the Mirror of Solitude. The former feemed jufUy contented with their Appearances, but the latter had no fooner beheld their own Refemblance, than their Curiofity was inflantly changed into the mofl violent Difguft to the faith- ful E S S A. Y VIII. 21 1 fill Inftrument, that had given them, what they never would have received otherwife, a true Knowledge of them- felves. P 2 ESSAY [ 212 j ESSAY IX. CONTENTMENT. ^F.able. I Am inclined to think that the Mlf- fortunes, as they are termed, of Life, are not fo often owing to the Want of Care, as the having too much, and be- ing over-follicitous to acquire, what Na- ture the great Subftitute of Heaven would effeil for us, if we would be contented to follow her Didates. The Brutes, led on by that inward Impulfe we call In- Jiin5ly never err in their Purfuit after what is good for them ; but Man, en- lightened by Reafon, that particular Mark of Providence which diftinguiflies him from the reft of Beings, obftinately re- fufes to be conduded to Happinefs, and travels towards Mifery with Labour and Fatigue. It would be abfurd to fay a ra- tional Creature would voluntarily chufe Mifery, but we too .frequently do it blindly. Every thing, as the Philofophi- cal ESSAY IX. 213 cal Emperor obferves, is Fancy ^ but as that Fancy is in our own Power to govern, we are juftly puniflied if we fufFer it to wander at will ; or induftrioufly fet it to work to deceive us into Uneafinefs. The moft fure and fpeedy Way to deted: any mental Impofture is by Soliloquy or Self-*’ examination, in the Way laid down by our great Reftorer of ancient Learning. If our Fancy ftands the Teft of this Mirror, which reprefents all Objeds in their true Colours, ’tis genuine, and may be ac- cepted by the Mind with Safety ^ but if it recedes from the Trial, or changes in the Attempt, kis fpurious, and ought to be rejeded. This will inform us that the great Miftake of Mankind in the Purfuit after Happinefs, is calling their Looks at a Dillance for Lands of Para- dife, whim the Profped, fo much fought after, blooms unbeheld around them. At Jfpahan in Perfta, there lived a young Man of a noble Family and great Fortune named Achmet, who from hi? Infancy Ihewed the earlieft Signs of a reftlefs and turbulent Spirit ; and tho* by Nature endowed with an Underflanding fuperior 214 ESSAY IX. faperlor to any of his Age, v/as led away with every Guft of Paffion to precipitate himfelf into the greateft Dangers. After having a little experienced the Misfortunes that accrue from fuch a Difpofition, he became fomewhat more diEdent of his own Abilities, and determined to take the Advice of thofe who had been moft converfant with Human Nature, how to proceed for the Future. , There dwelt not far from the City, in a little Cell a- inong a Pvidge of Mountains, an old Her- mit, who many Years before had retired from the V/orld to that Place to fpend the reft of his Days in Prayer and Contem- plation. This good Man became fo fa- mous thro’ the Country for his Wifdoin and exemplary Life, that if any one had any Uneafinefs of Mind, he immediately went to Abudah (for fo he was called) and never failed of receiving Confolation, in the deepeft AEidion, from his pru- dent Counfel ; which made the Super- ftitious imagine, -that there was a Charm in the Sound of his Words to drive away Defpair and ail her gloomy Attendants. Hither Acbmct repaired, and as he was entering E S S A Y XL 215 entering a Grove, near the Sage’s Habi- tation, met according to his Wifhes the venerable Reclufe ; he proftrated himfelf before him, and with Signs of the utmoft Anguifh, ‘‘ Behold, faid he, O divine “ Abudah, Favourite of our mighty Prophet, who refembleft Allha by “ didributing the Balm of Comfort to ‘‘ the Diftreffed, behold the mod mife- rable of Mortals” He was going cn, when the old Man, deeply afFedled with his Lamentations, interrupted him, and taking him by the Hand, ‘‘ Rife, my ‘‘ Son, faid he, let me know the Caufe of thy Misfortunes; and whatever is in ■ ' my Power fhall be done to reftore thee to Tranquillity.” Alas! replied Ach- MET, how can I be reftored to that ‘‘ which I never yet poffeffed ! for know, “ thou enlightened Guide of the Faith- ful, I never have fpent an eafy Mo- “ ment that I can remember, fince Rea- ‘‘ fon firft dawned upon my Mind. Hi- “ therto, even from my Cradle, a thou- fand Fancies have attended me through “ Life, and are continually, under the falfe Appearances of Happinefs, deceiving me 2i6 e s s a y IX. ** into Anxiety, whilft others are enjoy- ing the moft undifturbed Repofe. Tell me then, I conjure thee by the holy Temple of Mecca, from whence thy Prayers have been fo often carried to Mahomet by the Minifters of Paradifcy by what Method I may arrive, if not at the Sacred Tranquillity thou en- joyeft, yet at the Harbour of fuch earthly Peace as the holy Koran has promifed to all thofe that obey it’s ce- leftial Precepts ; for fure the Damned, who remove alternately from the dif- ferent Extremes of chilling Frofts and and fcorching Flames, cannot fuffer greater Torments than I undergo at prefent.” Abuda perceiving that a difcontented Mind was the Source alone of the young Man’s Troubles, ‘‘ Be comforted, my Son, /aid he^ for a ‘‘ Time fhall come, by the Will of Heaven, when thou fhalt receive the Reward of a true Believer, and be freed from all thy Misfortunes s but thou muft ftill undergo many more, before thou can’ft be numbered with the truly Happy. Thou enquired: of essay IX. 217 “ me where Happinefs dwells. Look “ round the World, and fee in how ** many different Scenes (he has taken up » her Refidence ; fometimes, though very rarely, in a Palace, often in a Cottage ; “ the Philofopher’s Cave of Retirement, “ and the Soldier’s Tent amid the Noife “ and Dangers of V/ar, are by Turns “ her Habitation; the rich Man may “ fee her in his Treafure, or the Beggar “ in his Wallet. In all thefe Stations {he •“ is to be found, but in none altogether. “ Go then and feek thy Fortune among “ the various Scenes of the World, and “ if thou fhould’ft prove unfuccefsful in “ this probationary Expedition, return “ to me when feven Years are expired, “ when the Paffions of Youth begin to “ fubfide, and I will inftrucl thee by a “ religious Emblem, which our great “ Prophet flrewed me in a Dream, how “ to obtain the End of all thy Wiffes.” Achmet, not underftanding Abudah s Meaning, left him as difcontented as he came, and returned to Iffchan witn a full Refolution of gratifying every Inclination Q_ of 2i8 ess a Y IX. of Pleafure or Ambition, imagining one of thefe muft be the Read to Felicity, Accordingly he gave up his firil: Years entirely to thofe Enjoyments which ener- vate both Mind and Body; but finding at length no real Satisfadtion in the Pof- feffion of thefe, but rather Difeafes and Difappointments ; he changed his Courfe of Life, and followed the Didates of Ava- rice, that w^as continually offering to his Eyes external Happinefs feated on a Throne of Gold. His Endeavours fuc- ceeded, and by the Afliftance of Fortune he became the richeft Subjed of the Eaft. Still fomething w^as wanting. Power and Honour prefented themfelves to his View, and wholly engaged his Attention. Thefe' Defires did not remain long unfa- tisfied, for by the favour of the Sophy he was advanced to the higheft Dignities of the Perfia?! Empire. But alas ! he was ftill never the nearer to the primary Ob- jed of his raofi; ardent Wiihes ! Fears, Doubts, and a Thoufand different Anxie- ties that attend the Great, perpetually haunted him, and made him feek again the ESSAY IX. 219 the calm Retirement of a rural Life. Nor was the latter produdive of any more Comfort than the former Stations. In ihort, being difappointed, and finding Happinefs in no one Condition, he fought the Hermit a fecond Time, to complain of bis Fate, and claim the Promife he had received before the Beginning of his Adventures, Abudah feeing his Dif- ciple return again after the ftated Time, ftill difcontented, took him by the Hand, and fmiling upon him with an Air of gentle Reproof, Achmet, faid he, ceafe to blame the Fates for the Un- eafinefs which arifes alone from thy own Bread ; behold, fince thou haft performed the Talk I enjoined in order “ to make thee more capable of follow- ‘‘ ing my future Inftrudions, I will un- fold to thee the grand Myftery of Wif- “ dom, by which ftie leads her Votaries to Happinefs. See (faid he, pointing to a River in which feveral young Swans were eagerly fwimming after their own Shadows in the Stream) f thofe filly Birds imitate Mankind ; they !! 220 E S S A Y IX. » are in Purfuit of that which their “ own Motion puts to flight; behold “ others that have tired themfelves with “ their unnecelTary Labour,, and fitting » ftill,are in Pofieflion of what their utmofl; “ Endeavours could never have accom- “ plilhed. Thus, my Son, Happinefs is “ the Shadow of Contentment, and refts, “ or moves for ever with it s Original. finis. \ J I / a ) % V / V I-., N A .VC.'/ u 5?E(1 1 y '/ . '