YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY A39002003198638B YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY LETTERS CONCERNING TASTE, AND ESSAYS O N SIMILAR and other SUBJECTS. 3 Wa/cdel. LETTERS "CONCE RNINfi TASTE. THE FOURTH EDITION; TO WHICH ARE ADDED, ESSAYS O N SIMILAR AND OTHER SUBJECTS. THE SECOND EDITION. 4T2E iV*x«v EPflTA hltfvtnv i/uSr tous tfTXAIS ***)}* «rf t5 MErAAOT i, till Garrick reft or ed Nature to her lawful Empire on the Stage. A Critic cifm on a Line in Horace, mifunderftood ¦..,;: I by G O N T E N • T S, by the Generality of Commentators. A Comparifon of Garrick with tbe Ro man Rose i us. The Efedl a well re gulated Theatre has upon the Tafte of a whole Nation. Letter To Eugenio. p. io6~. XVII. Euphemius's happy Tafte in Conver- fatiom This Talent defcribed by Shakc- fpear in the Character of Biron. Ho mer and Dryden ufe the fame Ex- prejjion in defcribing the Grace of Speak ing. A refined Tafte herein acquired by Converfation with Women inftanced in a Comparifon betwixt Voiture and ^ Balsac, whofe Writings are here con- trafted. To A r i s t u s. p. lOI. XVIII. The graceful Manner of conferring a Benefit as much admired in the Charac ter of Agathocles as the Deed of Charity itfelf. An emblematical Pre lude of the beneficent Reign of Omar, an Emperof of the Saracens. That without a tafteful and tender Addrefs in relieving the Diftreffed, Munificence may increafe their Mifery : inftanced in the femarkablp Fate of Pandolfo Ma- laeesta, CONTENTS. laeesta, Sovereign of Remini. That Nature herfelf Will fuggeft this] lenient Art to thofe who have Souls truly £, benevolent. Letter To Critophilus. p. 118. XIX. What Addrefs and Tafte of Comptfilidn1 is required in Works of Criticifm. AbTi Scholars have mifcarreid for want of this proper Delicacy : infianced in Mr. v Anthony Black wall's Introduc tion to. the dailies. A Criticifm on Paffages extracted from that Work, as Specimens of falfe Tafte and aukward Compgfition.^—The Revival of true Cri ticifm, , in the Writings of thofe three ce lebrated Geniufes, the Author of Reflec tions Critiques fur la Peintuje et la Poefie} the Author of the Enquiry in- A;. to. the Life and Writings of Homer j and the Author of the Notes and Com mentary on Horace's two critical Epiftles. What their Excellence conftfts in. To E u p h e m i u s. p> iaf5. XX. ^mythological Genealogy of Taste. Contemplation was the Daughter of Jupiter, (who fprung, from his Brain, CONTENTS. Brain, like Pallas) by whom Apollo had a Son named Eudoxus [z. e. true .Knowledge] wlt& beget Calocaga- xhia, .or Taste^ on one of the Graces. Contents Contents of the E sYa y s. ESSAY I. Oh Ed oc ation. • • , p. 137. ESSAY II.' On the Power of Habit, p. 145. ESSAY III. ,On Good and Beauty. p. 160, ESSAY IV. On Self-Love. A Fable, p. 169. ESSAY V. On True ^WFalse Religion, p. 176. ESSAY VI. Os Friendship. p., 191. ESSAY VII. Os Conjugal Love. p. 197. ESSAY VIII. On Solitude and Society, p. 204. ESSAY IX. • On Contentment. A Fable, p. 212. ($5 $H& [I J CONCERNING TASTE. LETTER I. To EUPHEMIUS. WHENCE comes it, Euphe- mius, that you, who are feel ingly alive to each fine Senfa- tion that Beauty or Harmony gives the Soul, fhould fo often affert, contrary to what you daily experience, that Taste is governed by Caprice, and thatBnAVTY 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 Conceffion B . that % LETTER I. that envied Superiority you might claim' over them, fhould it be acknowledged thai the>fe common Emotions of Plea- fure, which arife in your Bread upon the Observation of moral or natural' Elegance, were caufeal by a more ready and intimate perception of that univerfalTRU th, which the all- perfect. Creator of this harmo;- nious Syftem, ordained to be the Venus oCf-Y?1"-! Object, whether in the Material World ; in the imitative Arts ; or in living Characters and Manners. How irreconcilable are your FJdclxines to the Example youNaffbrd us ! However,, fince you prefs me to juflify your Practice agairift your Declarations, by giving a De finition of what is meant by Taste, I _ma.ll not avoid the invidious Office of pointing out your fuperior Excellence to- otherSjbyprdving'thatTRUTHandBr. au-- jfare coincident; and that the warmeft. Admirers of thefe Celestial Tvviks,. have confequently Souls more nearly al lied to sstherial Spirits of a higher Order. Tlie Effecrofa^oiTAsTE is thatinfrah- ' tarieous "Glow of Pleafure which thrilk thro' our whole Frame, and feines upcJrt the LETTER I. $ the Applaufeof the Heart, before the in tellectual Power, Reafon, dandefcend from the Throne of the Mind to ratify its Ap probation, either when we receive into the Soul beautiful Imager thro'.the Organs of bodily Senfes; or the Decorum of, an amiable Character thro' the Faculties of moral Perception j or wheri we recall; hf the imitative Arts, both of them thro' the intermediate Power- of the Imaginations Nor is this delightful and1 immediate Senfation to be- excited in an undiftdm* 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-as caft our Eyes firft, upon the Objects of the Material World. A rural. Profpect upon the very firft Glance yields a grateful Emotion in the Breaft, when in a Variety "of Scenes there arifes 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 productive of Ihe NecefTaries, theConveniencies-, and Emo luments of Life. Siippofe you1 was tp B 2 behold. 4 L E T T E R; L behold from an Eminence, thro' a fmalT- Range of Mountains covered with Woods,. feveral little Streamsgufhingout of Rocks,, fome gently trickling over Pebbles, others; tumbling from a Precipice, and a few gli ding fmoothly in Willow-fhaded Rivulets thro' green Meadows, till their tributary Waters are all collected by fome River- God, of a larger Urn, who at fome few Miles diftance is loft in the Ocean, which heaves it's broad Bofom to the Sight, and ends -the Profped 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 -t Civil and Mi litary Architecture in the Rocks j. healing Qualities in tbiefmaller Streams ; Fertili ty, 'that the larger Waters diftribute along their ferpentifingBanks; Herbage for Cat tle in the Meadows; and laftly, thc 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 ftandin need of from theirs. .Now to heighten this LETTER I. 5 this beautiful Landfcape, let us throw in Corn Fields, here and there a Country Seat, and, atproperDiftances,fmall Ham lets, together with Spires and Towers, as Milton defcribes them, " bofdm'd high in tufted Trees," Does not an additional Rapture flow m from this Adjunct, of which Reafon will afterwards difcover the latent Caufe in the fame manner as before. Your favourite Architecture will not fail to afford lefs rep inarkable Inftanoes, 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 Dictates of Nature, and that even what are now the ornamental Parts .of an Edifice, originally were created by N_eceiEty j and are ftill difpleafing to thp Sight: when they are difobedient, if I may ufe that moral Expreflion, to the Order which Nature, whofe Laws cannot be re- .pealed, firft gave to fupply that Neceffity. Here I appeal to your own Breaft ; and let me continue the Appeal by afking you ^coacefning another Science analogous to B 3 % this, * a 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 theformer. Say then, has not every amiable Character, with which you have been enamoured, been proved, by a cool Examination to contain a beautiful Pro portion, in the Point it was placed in,jre-^ Jatiye to Society? And what is it that con- ftitutes Moral' Deformity, or what we call Vice, but the Difproportion 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, confifts in • Faithfulnefs to their Original : nor have they any primary Beauty in themfelves, 4>ut derive their; fhadowy Exiftence in a mimetic Tranfcript from Objects in the Material World, or from PafTions, Cha racters, and Manners. Neverthelefs, that i internal Senfe we call Taste (which is a Herald for the whole human Syfkm, in it's three different Parts, the refined Fa culties of Perception, thegrofs Organs of J Senfe, LETTER I. 7 Senfe, and the intermediate Powers of Imagination) has, as quick a Fee-ling of this f&condary Excellence of the Arts, as for the primary Graces j and feizes the Heart with Rapture, long before the Senfes, arid Regfon^in Conjunction^ can' prove this Beauty by collating the Imita tions with their Originals. If it fhould be afked why external Ob jects affect the human Breaft 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 Goodnefs and Love to bis Creatures, fo attuned oar Mjnd.s to Truth, that all Beauty from without fhould make a refponfive Har mony vibrate within. But fhould any of thofe more curious Gentlemen, who bufy themfelves with Enquiries, into Meters, 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 ftiled the Phils- 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 fufficient to have proved that Truth is the Caufe of all Beauty, and that Truth flows from the Fountain of all Perfection, in whofe unfathomable Depth finite Thought1. mould never venture with any other In tention than to wonder and adore. But I find I have been imperceptibly led on from Thought to Thought, not only to trefpafs upon the common Stile of a Let ter, by thefe abftrufe Reafonings and re ligious Conclufions, but upon the ordina ry Length of one likewife ; therefore fhall conclude by complimenting my ownTafte in Characters, when I affure you that I am," Tour moji affectionate Friend, Sec. LET- [9] ' LETTER IE To the Same. T gave me no fmall Pleafure to' find, by your Anfvver to my laft Letter, that younowallowBEAUTY to be the Daugh ter of Truth ; and I in my turn Will make a Conceffion to you, by confeffi'ng that Beauty herfelf may have acquired Charms, but then they are altogether fuch as are confiftent with her divine Extrac tion. What you obferve is very true, that the human Form (the moft glorious Object, as you are pleafed to call it, in the Creation) let it be made with the mofl accurate Symmetry and Proportion, may receive additional Charms from Educa tion, and fteal more fubtily upon the Soul of the Beholder from fome adventitious Circumftance of eafy Attitude or Motion, and an undefineable Sweetnefs of Coun tenance, which an habitual Commerce with the more refined Part of Mankind fuperadds to the Work of Nature. This the ancient Grecian Artifts would have repre- fented mythologically in Painting by the Graces crowning Venus. We find how so LET T E R IL how much Lely has availed himfelf ha his fhadowy Creations of tranfcribing from Life this adventitious Charm into all his Portraits. I mean, when hefole upon his animated Canva.s, as Pope po etically expreffes it, *' The fleepy Eye that fpoke the melting Saul." You will afk me, perhaps, how I can prove any Alliance in this particular Cir- cumftance of a fingle Feature to Truth j Or rather triumphantly pufh the Argu ment farther, and fay, Is not this addition- ' al 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 Anfwec from the Schools of the antient Etho- craphi, who by their enchanting Art fo. happily conveyed, thro' the Sight, the LefTons of Moral Philofophy. Thefe Sages would have told you that our Souls are attuned toone another, like the Strings of mufical Inftruments, and that the Chord of one being ftruck, the Vnifon of another tho' untouch'd, will vibrate to it. The Paffions therefore of the human Heart, expreffed L E T T E R II. ii expreffed either, in the living Counte nance, or the mimetic Strokes of Art, will ajfedt the Soul of the Beholder with a fjmi-s larand refponfiveDifpofition. Whatwon- der then is it thatBeaiity, borrowing thu§ the Look of foftening Love, whofe Power, can lull the moll watchful of the Senfes, mould 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- fiftent with Truth. It is the Superaddi- tion of fuch Charms to Proportion, which is called Tafte in Mufick, Painting, Poetry, Sculpture, Gardening, and Ar chitecture. By which is generally meant that happy Affemblage 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 Profpect, by recalling the Moral Images of Valor and Wifdom ; and I believe rto Man will con tend, that Valor exerted in the Defence of one's 12 L E T T E R II. one's Country, orWifdom contemplating in Retirement for the Welfare of Man- / kind, are not truly amiable Images, be longing to the Divine Family of Truth. I think I have now reconciled our two favourite Opinions, by proving that thefe additional Charms, if they muft be called fo, have their Origin in Nature as mtich as Proportion itfelf. I am very- glad the Prints I fent afforded you fo much Plea- fure, not only as I wifh every thing which comes from me may be favourably re ceived by you, but as they are, likewife a Confirmation of my Arguments ; for the Man who drew them is no very great Artift, but being a faithful Difciple of Nature, having delineated every Object 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 Euodcia calls me to adminifterwith her* Comfort to a little Fatherlefs Family in the Diftrict of our Hamlet, therefore muft conclude myfelf, Tour fmcere Friend, &c. LETTER [ *3 I LETTER III. To the S a m e. YOU have often heard me make true Conjectures concerning a Man's Tafte in Morals, from the Choice of his Pictures or theDifpofition of his Gardens. This you at firft thought a little whimfi- cal, till repeated Ob fervation and Experi ence confirmed, what I advanced- in a former Letter to you, that the fame inter - nalSenfe taftes forthe three different Pow ers in human Nature •, and from hence arifes that Correfpondence between the Senfes, Imagination, and Underfdnding of the famePerfon. I had once an Opportu nity 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 varioufly the dif ferent Places we faw affected every Man in our Party, according to the natural Turn of his Temper. We had among us an Inamorato, much given to reading Rot mances, who dwelt with uncommon Rap ture 14 LETTER III. ture on a little rural Place Called H » where, it is fairf, 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 tarn tp be hot touched but rapt, and to^/that^therral Glow 6f Admiration, at the Sight of a ¦neighbouring Villa to Scarborough. You know I love the Comforts of do7, mefiic Life and the Charms of Contem plation in Retirement ; and rather would enjoy the Heart-ennobling T.ranfport which the Difcovery of any thing benefi cial to Mankind,- or one charitable Action gould give me, then thefuppofrd Glories which all the Royal Robbers of the World .ever plundered frorn their Species. From this Temper of Minds mixed with an Ad miration of antient Manners and antient . Mythology, you will not wonder that a Place, which anfwers in Miniature to Elian's ravifhingDefcriptionofTEMPE, mould thus warmly affect me. The Place \l mean is called £ Ledge* It is a fell convenient Houfe, built in the Tuf- can LETTER III. 15 can Order, at the Foot of two little Hills, covered with Woods 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 protect with their Branches the Stream which runs in the Valley betwixt them. I could not refrain from burfting forth, in 3 kind of poetical Extafy, in the Words of our admijred Poet, " Here gliding thro' his Daughter's honor'd Shades, *' The fmooth Peneus from his glaffy Flood, " Reflefts purpureal Tempe'& pleafant Scene. " J^air Fempe, Haunt belov'd of Sylvan Powers, ^ Of Nymphs, and Fauns, here in the golden Age " They play'd in fecrqt on the fhady Bank " With ancient Pah; while round their choral Sfeps w YoungHoursandgenialGaleswithconftantHand " Shbw'r'd Odors, Bloflbm^, fhowVd ambrofial Dews, " And Spring's Elyfian Bloom.* Believe me,EuPHEMius, the ancient Co- .tybantei, when they heard the facred Flutes in their religious Myfteries, could not feel or exprefs more Rapture than I did. Retrofpection had carried me on the Wings of Imagination two thoufand Years * Akenftde's Pleafures of Imagination, Book I. 16 LE T T E R III. Years back, and had placed me in the de- 1 lightful Regions. of Theffaly* I know the fympathifing,. * r dare fay the Reader will not be difpleafed to have JEli^n's- Defcription of ancient Tempe, which the Authpr mentions g;bove, laid before him, in the elegant Translation of that ingenious Gentleman, who favoured the Public a-few Yeurs, ago with an Englrfh Commentary and Notes on Horace's Epijilc to.Auguftus, and a Difcoiirfe en Poetical Imitation, 'f The t '.hejjalianl empe is a Place, '¦ fituate between Olympus and OJfa ; 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 five Miles, and in Breadth, a hun- •* dred Paces, or, in fome Parts more. Thro' the middle " of this Plain runs the Pencus, into which feveral leffer '•. Currents empty themfelves, and by the Confluence of " their Waters, fwell into a River of great Size. This " Vale is abundantly furnifhed with all inanner of ' Arborr " and refiing Places ; not fuch as the. Arts of human lit- '• duilry contrive, but with the Bounty of fpontaneo'us ' " Nature ; ambitious, as it were, to make a Shew Of all' " her Beauties, provided for the Supply cf "this fair Refl-'' " dence, in the very original Structure and Formation of' " the Place. For ihere is plenty of Ivy (hooting forth in " it, which flourilhes and grows -fo thick, that,- like the »' generous and leafy Vine, it crawls up the Trunks of ' *\ tall Trees, and twifting it's Foliage round their Arms " and Branches, become; almoft incorporated with-them. " The flowering Smilax alfo is there in great Abun- " dance; which running up the Acclivities of the Hilts, " and fpreading the clofeT'extuie of it's Leaves andTen- " drib on all Sides, perfectly covers and (hades them ; fo' " that no, Patt of the bar.e Rock is feen ; but the whole is " hung with. the Verdure, of a thick, interwoven Herb- " a£e> preferring the moft agreeable Spectacle to the •'.¦Eye. Along the Level -of the- Plain, there are fre- *• qiient Tufts of Trees and long continued Ranges of •' arching Bowers, affording . the molt grateful SheltM* " from BETTER III. ly Sympathizing Warmth of your Imagina tion, therefore fhall leave you to fancy the reft for me. However, fuch were my Expreffions of Pleafure upon the Oc tagon, that feveral of our Company, who had not an Unifon of Soul, began to re gard my Enthufiafm with a cooj Air of Perifion, The next Day 'is Journey how ever afforded me an Opportunity of mak ing Reprifals, and to pity many of our Party for the joyful Aftonifrknent with which they were ftruck by the aukwar'rj Magnificence of unmeaning Grandeur, C Vou *' from the Heats of Summer ; which are farther re- ¦ " Heved by the frequent Streams of clear and frelh W%- 41 ter, continually winding thro' it, The Tradition goes " that thefe Waters are peculiarly good for Bathing, and " have many ofher Medicinal Virtues. Jn the Thickets " and Barnes of this Dale, are mimberlefs Singing Birds ¦»* every where fluttering about, whofe Warblings take •' the Ear of Paffengers, ^nd cheat the Labourers of their '« Way through it, -On the Banks of the -'eneus, on ei- *' ther Side, are difperfed irregularly, xfoofarefiing Placet *' before fpoken of j while £he River jtfelf glides thro" " the Middle of the Lawn, with a feft and quiet Courfe ; »' overhung with the Shades of Trees, planted on its Bor* 'f ders, whofe intermingled Branches keep off the Sun, u and furnilh the Opportunity of a copl and temperate " Navigation upon it, The Worfhip of the Gods, and. *' the perpetual Fragrancy of Sacrifices and burning " Odors, farther cwifecrate the Place," £c. [V»r. Hift. #!». iii. cap. t.) 1 8" L E T T E R lit You know the many among Mankind are affected only by prodigious ASlions arid Deeds of Heroism in the Moral World, and, according to my Obferva- tion, have confequently a correfpbndent Relifh for the Great and Wonderful in the Phyfical j Alexander, Caesar, and Pyrrhus are their adored Images in the one ; and Cajlles, Maufakums, Pyra mids, Mountains, immenfe Plains, and Cataracts in the other. How natural then was it for thofe who could pafs over the Paradife of our Englifh Tempe without Emotion, to gape their filent Wonder at H— Cajllel I defire you would minutely obferve, the next time you take a mixed Company into your elegant Collection of Pictures, and read their Characters by the Choice of their Pieces. The Revenge ful will find great Excellence in yotlr Apollo fleaing the unfortunate Mar,- syas ; the Man, who is fubject to be.dif- cOmpofed by violent Paffions, will felect out one of Fandervelt's Storms to amnfe 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. ,i9 Tear of Pleafure over your Roman Cha rity. If the Weather will permit, I pro- jpofe to be with you at next Month j but wherever I am, you will always be prefent with me. Adieu, my dear Eu» PHEMius, and do methe Juflice to think Jam, Tour mji facere, Wrfendi &c. C * LET* C 20 j LETT E R IV. To the Same. INDEED, Euphemius, the Compli ments you are pleafed to pay me up* on 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 flection, it is true, leffens the Satisfaction which would flow from a Confcioufnefs ©f Merit, but at the fame time augments my Happinefs another Way, by inform ing my Heart how deep an IntereftT have in yours. You tell me that upon Recollection, you know of no living Artift, whofe Life does not greatly corre- fpond to his Performances ; and that you have read of very few of the Dead, whofe Works do not fhadow forth, by this Analogy, the general Caft of their Mo ral Conduct.* Homer, we are told by thq * Voltaire has the following remarkable Paffags concerning the Charatter and Writing* of the Cardinal letter iv. 2l the very ingenious and learned Author of •his Life, had perfonally accompanied his Fancy wherever fhe roved upon the Face of the Earth, and I make no doubt fuch was the reftlefs Activity of his Soul, that he ardently wifhed to fpurn this dull Grlobe, . and foar to the Seats of his Im mortals. To contraft his Character, we need only caft our Eyes on his poetical Difciple Virgil, whofe modeft Majefty' Mi private Life bore fo great a Referrt- blance to all his Compofitions. But Motif,'' PE Piles, the ingenious ^ujthor of the Lives of the Painters, will furhifh us with' lome remarkable Examples to this Pur pose. I dare f^y you have often obferved, that feveral Pieces of Michael Ange- lo's, which you have feeh in Italy, tho' finifhed in a grand gout, and with a vaft Extent of Genius, want that Purity, Softnefs, and Elegance, which afford fo much Pleafure in the Works of feveral much inferior Painters. There is aFierce- hefs in the Looks, and a Wildnefs in the ' I C 3 Atti. De R^tz. Cet homme fingulier s'eft peint lui-meme dans fe's niemoires, ecrits aVecun airde grandeur, une impetu- ofite"de genie, et une inegalite, qui font 1'image de fa con-j duite. Dans le fiecle de Louis XIV. vol. i. p. 6 1 . 2a L E T T E R jIV. Attitudes of all his Figures, which, tho they are indeed correct, and agreeable to Nature in fome Moods, and cannot be cpndemned by the Judgment, are by no means agreeable to the .Eye; and tho' they fully fatisfy tjEie Underftanding, ne-' ver captivate the Heart. You might ob- ferve, at the fame time, on the contrary, that Raphael's, in his firft- Manner, for want of the Ufe of the Chiaror Ofcurty had not that Prominency, nor feemed tp come out from the Canvas fo boldly as thofe of his Rival ; that he was rather de-^ ficient in Colouring*., and preferved toa great a Samenefs in the Drapery of all his Figures; yet neverthelefs blending the Elegance of the Antique and the Simpli city of Nature together, and fpreading that undefineable Grace, which was Cq bounteouflybeftowed upon him, over eve* ry Piece, he feizes at once upon the warm Applaufe of the Heart by an irrefiftible Force, and the Judgment fearfully fuf- pends the Exercife of her Faculties over the feeming Deficiencies at a diftance, as if each Stroke was the immediate Infpi- ration of Heaven, and there was nothing left LETTER IV. 23 left for the human Mind to do, but .to wonder and adore. Now if we look into tfie Lives of thefe two eminent Painters, we fhall obferve in them a correfponding Similarity to the different Defects and Excellencies in their refpeelive Perform ances. The firft, Michael Angelo, lived in the moft reclufe Manner, was flricT: even to the greateft Severity In his Morals, and gave himfelf entirely up to the Cultivation of the Arts he profeffed. Notwithftanding* all his Adtions were blamelefs, nay rather commendable, when examined only by the Rules of Moral Redlitude; yet wanting that Eafe and gentle Deportment, which an habitual Intercourfe with Mankind imperceptibly gives us, he was fo difpleafing in Conver- fation that he was avoided at laft by every Acquaintance; and, whilft Raphael's Houfe was crowded with Friends and Difciples, the World willingly ieft him to the Enjoyment of his beloved Solitude. ,- Raphael, on the contrary, was a Man pf the World, violently addicted by his Conftitution to Pleafure, but more parti cularly to the Loye of Women, infomuch C 4 that 24 L E T f E R IV. that having, we are told, one Day aban doned himfelf to the Enjoyment of feve ral, he was taken ill of a burning Fever, afld, concealing the Caufe of his Diftem* per from the Phyficians, he was carried off in the thirty-feventh Year of his Age> to the unfpeakable Grief of all who knew the Man, or admired the Artift, Not- withftanding thefe human Infirmities, he pofreffed fuch a natural arid acquired Sweetnefs of Temper, and Complacency in Behaviour, fo analagous * to that unde- fineable Grace in his Painting, that he was univerfally beloved by all who knew him, and the fevereft Moraliftwas charm ed with his Converfation, tho' he con demned * The dark and gloomy Colouring We find in thePieces oftheBASsANs, arofe from the Horror of their diftempered Imaginations, , — — " That furly Spirit Melancholy O " Had bak'd their Blood and made ic heavy Thick." Shakespeare's K. john. Therefore they made choice of fuch Objefts to paint, as Were refponfive to the internal Shade in their Minds, par* ticularly Night Pieces, where their Souls poured forth, their unconftrained Difpofitions upon the Canvas, and indulged in beloved Darknefs. Whenever they were, agaiiitt their Choicej employed. upon other Subjeas, the Krpng Shades lowered upon every Landlcape, and even the fearful Light of the Sun itfelf was greatly obfeured, by Geninfes whkh naturally delight in hisAbfence. LETTER IV. 25 Ms Conduct.* I cannot help obferving in this place, and I hope it is not foreign to the Subject, that frequent Converfation with Women harmonizes the Souls of Men, and gives them that enchanting Orace, which has fo often delighted us both in the Addrefs of feveral of our Ac quaintance, not very eminent for their Virtues or Understanding. I am of opi nion, it was this conftant Idea of Delicacy and Softnefs, collected from an habitual Jntercourfe with thefe fair Polifhers of our Sex, and united into one complicated Form of Beauty, which, playing perpe tually in the Soul of Raphael, diffufed itfelf thro' his Pencil over all his Works; and thro' his Looks, Deportment, and Tongue, over all his Words and Adtions. Such, by the Appointment of Heaven, has ever been, and ever will be the Power of thefe amiable Creatures ! — I have fo much Vanity to think you will read the latter part of this Letter toAMELi a, that every one, who efteems you, may in a great * In the two Characters of Michael Angelo ahd Raphael, this ©bfervation of Quintilian was verified, " In quibufdam virtutes non habent gratiam, in quibuf- " dam .vitia ipfe dele&ant." Lib. ii.*«p 3. 26 LET TE R IV. great meafure hereafter feem to pay her a kind of an indirect Compliment. She has often told me, you know, that I am one of the loyaleft Subjects the Sex ever had, and, I dare fay, will not be difplea- fed with this frefh Proclamation of their Dominion. You may add farther, that I think Women are the Fountains from whence flow the blended Streams of Tafte and Pleafure, and that the Draught of Life is more or lefs fweet as they are mingled in the Cup. Adieu. LET- .1*7 W LETTER V. To the Same. YO U feem to think, Euphemius, that I contradicted in Converfation the other Day, in a great Meafure what I advanced in a former Letter to you, by allowing Cronophilus. to be a Man of a ftrong Understanding and great Erudi tion, and yet at the fame time afferting he had little or no Tafte. But according to my Obfervation, what I wrote, and what I faid, are very reconcileable. For ^Tajle does not wholly depend upon the natural Strength and acquired Improve ment of the Intellectual Powers; nor anholly upon a fine Conftrudtion of the Organs of the Body ; nor wholly upon the intermediate Powers of the Imagination ; but upon an Union of them all happily blended, without too great a Prevalency in either. Hence it falls out, ' that one Man may be a very great Reafoner ; an other have the fineft Genius for Poe try ; and a. third be hkfTed with the moft delicate 28 LETTER V. delicate Organs of Senfe ; and yet every one of thefe be deficient in that internal , Senfation called Tafte. On the contrary, a fourth, in whofe Frame indulgent Na ture has twifted this triple Cord, fhall feel it constantly vibrate within, when ever the fame Vnifon of Harmony is ftruck from without ; either in the origi nal Works of Nature ; in the mimetic Arts; or in Characters and Manners,' That worthy Man, and amiable Writer, Mr. Addison, was no great Scholar ; he^ was a very indifferent Critic, and a worfe Poet ; yet from the happy Mixture, juft mentioned, he was bleffed with a Tafte truly delicate and refined. This rendered him capable of diftinguifhing what were Beauties in the Works of others,' tho' he could not account fo well why they mere fo, for want of that deep Philofophical Spirit which is requifite in Works of Cri ticifm. He likewlfe tranflated ' the Poeti cal Defcriptions of Ovid very elegantly and faithfully into his,. own. Language; tho' he fell infinitely fhort of them in his own original CompofitionS, for want of that unconfirmed Fixe, of Imagination, which LETTER V. 29 which conftitutes the true Poet; Hence we may be enabled to account for that peculiar Fatality which attends Mr. Ar>- bison's poetical Writings, that his Tran slations feem Originals, whilft his own Compofitions have the confined Air of Tranflations. Nor think that I exem-- plifytoo far by obferving that your Friend Pope was a better Tranflator than he was a Poet. Marty Inftances might be pro duced from his Tranflation of the Iliad to prove the Truth of this AfTertion, One I will particularly mention, which is the fublime Defcription of Neptune in the xiiith Book, I chofe *' Jn Samotbrtuia, on a Mountain's Brow, " Whofe wavingWoods o'er-hung theDeeps below, " He fate ; and round him call his Azure Eyes *' Where Ida's mifty Tops confus'dly rife 5 " Beneath fair Hint's glitt'ring Spires were feen ; ** The crouded Ships, and fable Seas between, 44 There from the chryftaj Chambers of the Main " Emerg'd he fate ; and mourn'd his Argfves flain, *' At Jove incens'd with Grief and Fury ftung, ** Prone down the fleepy Rock, he pour'd along, '•* Fierce as he pafs'd the lofty Mountains nod, ~% "The Forefts fliafce, Earth trembled, as he trod, r ,, ¦** And felt the Footfteps of $h' immortal God," 3o LETTER V. I chofe to felect this PafTage' in prefe rence to any other, as the Original is a favorite one with Longinus, who had themoft Tafte of all the ancient Critics. In my Opinion the Tranflation is not at ' all inferior tp the Original. From which you may infer, that I do not degrade Mr. Pope, tho' I fay he is a better Tranflator than he is a Poet. I have,this Morning read over the Latin Poem you fent nie, which gave me no fmall Entertainment, The Author has fhewed his Tafte and Command of the Stile of Lucretius, Horace, and Virgil, but more parti cularly of the former, all which he has elegantly blended, or, as his Subject oc- cafionally required, ufed feparately. I thank you likewife for the two TranfW 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 Englifh, for the Benefit of thofe who do not underftand the Original, hail pofTefled Tafte or even common Judg ment enough, to have diftinguifhed that the chief Merit of that Poem confifts in tho L E T T E R V. 3t the Language of it, they would have fpent their Time much better by a more proper Application of their refpective Ta-' lents, which have defervedly raifed both their Characters, not only in their differ ent Profefiions, but in the World of Let ters. Mr. writes me word he has a Letter by him from Count Maffei, concerning Voltaire's, and Hill's Me rope, 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 qup favourite Artift Gosset. Adieu. LETTER [¦3*J ¦ >. LETTER VL 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 indifferent 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 juftly admired he ever will be as a Profe Writer, for thofe moral and humorous Effays, 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 Engli/b Poets, You anfwer, that there are feveral Paffa- ges 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 An gel of DeftruSlion, if I may fo call ft, in the Campaign -, and another at the Con* clufion 'LETTER VI. 33 clufion of the firft Adl of flato. ;Now tho' feledting particular PafTages from a Poet is not a certain Method, nor a fair one, of forming a proper Eftimate of his general Excellence, yet as you fo ftrongly urge thefe two, with an Air of Triumph, to be the Infpiration oiCaftalian Stream*, 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 htdf a Century, has been undiftin- guifhingly admired. " So when an Angel, by Divine Command, " With rifingTemfeft jhakes a guilty Land, "Such as of late o'er pale Britannia pafr, " Calm and ferene he guides the fumour Blaji, " And pleas'd th' Almighty's Orders.toperform, " Rides in the Whirlwind 'and direfts the Storm" -: Now take the fecondLine of each Cou plet, and examine whether the Thought is ; var,ied . Is not Jhaking a guilty Land with a rifng Tempefl, and directing the Sturm, and guiding the furious Blaft, the K. :-. D &me 34 L E T T E R VI. * fame Actipn ? Js not adlir^g by Divine Command, in the firft Verfe, and perform ing the Almighty's Orders, in the fifth, the fame Thought likewife ? Marci a's Simile in Cato abounds ftill more with thi§ tirefome, Tautology. " So the pure limpid Stream, when foul witfh Stains, ' . ' , " Of rufhing Torrents, and defcending Rains, " Works itfelf clear, and as it runs refines." i1 Cato, 'Adl. I. ' 5 '- Rufhing Torrents, and defcending Rains, works itfelf clear, and as it runs refines. But now having had the difagreeable Of fice' of denying, for the fake of Truth, this excellent Man a Right to a Preten tion of being a good Poet,. Juftice will ex act, and my own Inclination lead me to take notice, that hisTranflations of Ovid are as faithful and fpirited, and at the fame time carry as much the free unfet tered Air of Originals, as any other Tran slations in the Englifh Language. As I have particularized his Defects as a Poet, 'give me leave to take the more pleafure- . able Part now to point out Inftances of his Capacity as a Tranflator, which I will felect LETTER VI. 3$ feledl from the Stories of Narcissus and Echo, in the third Book; andofSAL- macis and Hermaphkoditu.s, in. the fourth Book of the Metamorphosis. The following Defcription receives the fame additional Beauty from the Transla tion, as the Youth's Image did from thc furrounding Waters. " Now all undreftupon the Banks he flood, *' Arid clapt his Sides, and leapt into the Flood : " His lovely Limbs the Silver Waves divide, "His Limbs' appear more lovely thro' the Tide, " As Lilies fhut within a cryftal Cafe, " Receive aglofly.Luftre from the Glafs." Salm. & Herm. Book iv. The following Paffages likewife among many others receive the fame Advantage. " The Boy knew nought of Love, and touch'd with Shamer " He ftrbve, and blufh'd, but ftill the Blufh became; " In jifing Blufhes ftill frefh Beauties rofe ; M The funny Side of Fruit fuch Blufhes ftiews, " And D 2 Ille, cavis velox applaufo corpore palmis, Defilit in laticesV alterhaque brachiaducens In liquidis tranflucet aqais : ut tburnea i~\ quis Signa tegat claro, vd Candida lilia vitro. Metam. Lib.it. 3# L ETTE R VL " And fuch the Moon, when all her SH.ver Whire " Turns in Eclipfesto a ruddy Light."* Ibid. *« With eager Steps the Lycian Fields he croft, " And Fields that bor4er on the. Lycian Coaft ; " A River here he viewM fo' lively bright, ^ n It Ihew'd the Bottomm a fairer Light, r °t Nor kept a Sand, conceal'd from human Sight; J *' The Stream produc'd nor flimy Ooze, nor Weeds, " Nor miry Rufhes, nor the fpiky Reeds, ** But dealt enriching Mpifture all around, *' The' fruitful Banks with cbearful Verdure ' crown'd, " And kept the Spring eternal oa the Ground. f J , Ibid. " But, oft would bathe her in the cryftal Tide : ". Oft with a Comb her dewy Locks divide ; ** Now in the limpid Stream fhe view'd her Face, «;' And drefs'dherlm^ge in the floating Glafs ; tc On Beds of Leaves fhe now repos'd her Limbs, " Now "gather'd Flowers that grew about 'her Streams ; ' •- ' "And -Piieri rubor Ora notavit Nefcia qoiid fit amor : fed et crubuiffe decebaf Hie color aprica pendentibas arbore porhis, Aut ebon tinBo eft, aut fub candore rubenti, Cum fruftra refonant Era a'jxiliaiia Luna?. Ibid> •J- •Illettram Lyeias urbes, Lyciaique propinquos Garas adeft . . Vidit hie ftagrmm kcen.tis ad imum r Ufque folum lymphi. Non illic Canna paluftris, . Nee fteriles ulvae, nee acuta cufpida junci, ., . Perfpicuus liquor eft. Stagni tamen ultima vivo Cefpite cinguntur, femperque virentibus herbis.' Ibldi L E TT E> R VI, 37 ** And then by chance was gath'ring, as fhe flood •*',To view the Boy, and lortg'd forwhat fhe'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 Satisfaction.. " But why ihould I complain, I'm jjure he burns "*' With equal Flames,. and Janguifhes by turns; " When'er I'ftoop, he offers/ af a Kifs, *' And when my Arms I ftretch, he ftretches his,. " His Eyes with Pleafure on my Face he keeps, . " Hefmiles my Smiles, and when I weep he weeps, *' Whene'er I fpeak, his moving Lips appear" " Toaitter fomething which I cannot hear.f" Story of Narcjss. Book iii. "And * Sed modo fbnte fuo formofos perluit artus : Sspe Citoriaco deducit peftine crines ; Et.quid fe deceat fpeftatas confulit undas. Nunc perlucenti circumdata corpus amiftu, Mollibus aut foliis, aut mollibus incubat herbis. 'Ssepe legit flores, Et tunc quoque forte legebat, Cum puerum vidit : vifumque optavit habere. Ibid. -f- Sperji mihi nefcio quam vultu promittis amico : •Cumque ego porrexitibi brachia, porrigis ultro : Cum rifi, arrides : lachrymas quoque fa?pe notavj Me lachryraante tuas : nutu quoque figna remittis : D ? Et, |8 L E T T E R VI. " And none of thofe attractive Charms remain, " To which the flighted Echo fu'd in vain. " She faw him in his prefent Mifery, " WhOrhfpite of all herWrongs fhe griev'dto fee. *' She anfwer'd fadly to the Lover's. Mpao, . « Sigh'd back his Sighs, and anfwer'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 fcarce fell " From his faint Lips, but fhe ieply'd, " Farewell. " Then on th' unwbolfome Earth he gapping lies, ,. " Till Death fhuts up thofe felf-admiring Eyes, " To the cold Shades his flitting Ghoft retires, # And in the Stygian Waves itfelf admires."* , Ibid, iii. Et, quantum motu ibrmofi fufpicor oris, Verba refers aures non pervenientia noftras. Metam. Lib iii. * Nee corpus remanet quondam quod amaverat Echo Quae tamen ut vidit, quamvis irata memorque, Indoluit : quptiefquepuer miferabilis, Eheu, Dixerat : haec refonis iterabat vocibus Eheu. Ultima vox folitam fuit haec fpeftantis in undam, Heu fruftra dileflc puer 1 totidemque remifit Verba locus : dittoque vale, vak iniquit et Echo. VAe caput viridi feflum fubmifit in herba. J.umina nox claudit domini mirantia formam. Ibi4. LETTER VI. 39 If the ingenious Author ef the Dif- courfe on Poetical Imitation hzd hot made it plainly appear-, that what is too fre quently miftaken for one Poet's Imita tion of another, is only an unavoidable Similarity, that will always attend the Defcription of the fame thing drawn by two Geniufes, tho' living in two differ ent Ages and Countries, (for Defcrip- tions are nothing but Tranfcripts from Nature, and Nature is always the fame) I fhould have been ready to have pro nounced Eve's Defcription of viewing herfelf in the Fountain, in Par adife Loft, to be borrowed by Milton from the for mer of thefe two laft Paftages in Ovid, which is exactly the fame, and then con cludes, " *— Pleas'd I foon return'd,~ " Pleas'd it return'das foon, with anfw'ring Looks " Of Sympathy and Love ; there I had fix'd " MineEyes.tili now, ami pin'd wkh VAIN Deftre, . " Had not a Voice," &c. Milton's Par. Loft. B. iv. What would lead me too more ftrongly to the Conjecture is, the feeming Allu- fion to the Story of Narciffus in the Ex- preflion, pirid with Vain Deftre.— For D 4 fear 4o LE T.-T..E R VIT fear a Chain of Thoughts fhould here lead me to fay any thing difrefpedtful of that Work which Nature formed with moft Tafte, Woman, I will abruptly con clude myfelf? Tour, Sec. 6c c. LET: [4i ] LETTER VII. To the Sam e. I Remember, Euphemius, when we were reading over together Lijci an's. Dialogue concerning B-E avt-y, you was uncommonly pleafed with that Author for calling Homer themOft excellent of the Painters.* Which implied, "bybe- ftowing this Expreflion upon the Father of the Poets, that Poetry comprehended all the Powers of her Sifter Art". But lam afraid if will be too bold in any Writer to. call Ape l l e s, or Protoge- nes, the" rrioft 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 fuf-- ficient Authority for the mutual Appella tion. There are Subjects indeed in com mon to Poets and Painters, but even in thofe very Subjects, not to men tion others which' if J|f»r«v Tftiv Tg&iptM Ofyi »*» ', Lucian. 42 LETTER VII. which are the Province only of the former) • Poetry has feveral adventitious Aids which maintain her Superiority over the other Art. Maliy Objedts, 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 Pidtures, betwixt which and them, the Palm of Glory would hang wavering. The firft is Milton's, z — .— " The Moon " Rifirig in clouded Majefty, at length " 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, whichEusTA- ... .. -t . . - \ -r ¦ THiusefteemedthe moft beautiful Night- Piece in Poetry. Si! l' OT tt BgJSlto, &C Iliad lib. viii. 1. 551. £ The * Mr. Pope's Tranflation of this Paffage is, in my Opinion, fuperior to the Original, which the ingenious Author of Sir Tho. Fifzosborne's Letters has remark ed before me. I muft add one Obfervation, which is, . that Mr. Pope has moft happily digefted a Lir.e of, ShAKESPEAr's. ".And LETTER VIL 43 The reft are Shakespear's. —»— , " Yonder bleffed Moon— — -r- ** That tips with SH.irur all thofeFruit- Tree Tops." Romeo and Juliet. Again, " The Moon fhines bright: in fuch a Night as this, - ... i " When the fweetWind did gently kifs theTrees, " And they did make no Noife." Merch. of Yen. Now tho', I confefs, thefe beautiful. Strokes, ¦ of the three greateft Poets the World ever produced, may be equalled by Painting, yet I will prove , that one adventitious Gircumftance might be thrown into fuch a Landfcape by Poetry, as the utmoft Glow of Colours could never emulate. This too Shakes pear has done by a metaphorical Expreffion in one fingle Line, " How fweet the Moonlight sleeps upon that ' Bank!" '''-'' < - Merch. of Fen. That " And tips with Silver all thofe Fruit-Tree Tops.'* .into his Tranftation in this .moft mafferly Manner, " O'er all the Trees a yellow Verdure flied, "And'/// ixiiti Silver every Mountain's Head." - To this I would apply, as Mr^-r^r-r^ does in general, the Story of DoMinichino's availing himfelf of Auo. C*A»ACcfs Picture. m LIE T;T E R VII, ¦ ThatVerb [Sleeps,] taken from animal Life, sod. transferred by the irrefift-ibk Magic of Poetry, to the before iifelefs dbjeets of the Creation, animates th6, whole Scene, and conveys aa inftantane- ous Idea to the Imagination what a fo- lemnStilnefs is required, when the pe'erlefs £added he, fince we are upon theSubjea of Night-Pieces, if you LETTER VIII 4$ you Will hazard the Palm of Super iontyup* on aSubjedt where both thefe Acts have every Advantage in common ; that is, if youwill collate any Defcription in Poetry which conveys only Objects to the Eyes without thefe additional Charms, I dare venture that rural Night'Landfcape, where you fee, pointing to a fine Picture, the Power of the Moon both upon the Land and Water, againft the moft laboured Strokes of Virgil of Milton, or the more enchanting Sketches of Homer or -Shakespear. I muft own nothing couid be more favorable for me than fe- ledting, from his Collection*,' this very Piece, to put in Competition with thefe Geniufes ; as it did not neceffitate me to feek for a Defcription on any other Subject, Shakespear having left us a fhort one, but at the time the moft ele gantly pidturefque of any I remember j which with a kind of anticipated Tri umph I repeated. , " To-morrow Night, when Phoebe doth behold " Her filver Vifage in the wat'ry Glafs, " Decking with liquid Pearl the bladed Grafs." Midfttmmer Night's Drednt* I could 46 L E T T E R VII. I could perceive by the Looks of my Friend, when I had repeated the fecond Line; that he thought his faVorite Painter had equalled Shakespear in the Re- prefentation of the Reflection of the Moon in the Water, but, when! had compleat- €d the Scene by the third Line, : " Decking with liquid Pearl the bladed Grafs,", both his Heart, Eyes', and Tongue con- feffed the Victory of our inimitable Poet, — You know, Euphemius, theRepre- fentations of Nature in her Jitnple Retire* ments, as I ufed to call a rural Evening, were my favorite Subjedts ; more efpe- cially when the Artift had blended with the Truth of Imitation, that undefineable Delicacy of Tafte, to which even T R u t h herfelf is often indebted for a more agree able Admittance into the Heart. I will illuftrate what I mean by Example. That fuccinct Picture of the Setting Sun in th& viiith Book of the Iliad, ;£'a©- wsaioi* Lin. 4S5. " Novf LE.TTE R VII. 4? ** Now deep in Ocean funk the Lamp of Light, " Drawing behind the cloudy Veil of Night." Popg»s Tranftation, has very ftrong Outlines, and commands the warmeft Approbation of our Judg ment, but being unadorned with other Circumftances, and wanting Objects 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 Alle gorical Perfonages, and coloured highly with incidental Expreflion, warms the Breaft with a fympathetic Glow of retired Thoughtfulnefs. " For when thy folding Star arifing fhews " His paly Circlet, at his warning Lamp, " The fragrant Hours and Elves, ' ** Who flept in Flow'rs the Day, *' And many a Nymph who wreaths her Brows with Sedge, " And fheds the freflining Dew, and lovelier ftill, " The Pensive Pleasures fweet " Prepare thy fhadowy Car *." Perhaps * See a Collection of Odes publilhed a few Years ago by Mr. William Collins, whofe neglected Genius will hereafter be both an Honour and a Difgrace to our Na tion. >,48 .L Luxury, the Fore-f"uiiner of Poverty, than the Degeneracy of the polite Arts into ufelefs Oftentation. The Poets, E Painters, *' This little JEftay was publifhed in a" periodical' Pa*pfcr 'T^hich came out once a Fortnight in the Year 1 746. 50 LETTER VIII. Painters, and Sculptors have of late al- moft 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 nowlittle regarded ; and thofe noble Ser vants of Virtue, the Arts, which former ly gave Inftruction not only to the young and unexperienced, but to the old and learned, are' moftly flighted, , and often proftituted to adorn Vice, and flatter hu man Vanity. But to lay afide the Seve rity of theMoralift, and talk to the Pro>- -feflbrs, of what, they will think, concerns them moft. I am fully convinced that nothing would fo much contribute to -their Fame and Fortune, and to make •them complete Mafters, as an Attach ment to Virtue, and theUfes of Life ; and an Emulation to form their Defigns from the Models of thofe ancient Artifts, whofe Works 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 Perfedtion. Suppofe any one of the Geniufes of the prefent Age, whether Poet, Painter, or -'¦>¦ Statuary, LETTER VIII. fi Statuary; inftead of following the wild Lure of his own Imagination,- Or the Whims of modern Originals, fhould mo- deftly content himfelf to make Prodi- cus's Judgment of Hercules hiXeno* phon's Memorabilia the perfect Beauty o/*Lucian; or the mythological Picture of Human Life, written by Cebes, the Subject of his Imitation ; I dare anfwer for it he would prefently excell his Bre thren, and verify this Obfervation, that the moft faithful Difciples of Nature are always the greateft Mafters of Art. This Juflice, however, I muft do my Country men, to obferve, that there are ftill feve* ral among us *, who, in fpite of publick Depravity, retain a virtuous Love for the Arts, and make VJ'e the End of their En deavours. A Friend of mine, who is ani Admirer of the three Pieces above^men- tioried, took me to fee a Collection of Pidtures, which were moft of them taken from theDefigns of thofe celebrated Wri ters. Among the reft I was particularly E 1 pleafed * Hogarth and Wilson haye given the World fuf- ficient Proofs of as true Genius forUefign, as ever adorn ed the Ar{ of Painting, however their ignorant Country men may have neglected fuch uncommon Talents. 52 LETTER VIII. pleafed with four, which exceeded any modern Performances I ever faw, in Con trivance arid Execution. The Subjects were Infancy, Youth, Manhood, and AGE,N¥faich were represented in the following manner. The principal Figure of the firft Piece was a naked Child com ing into a Wildemefs, fupported by In- NocENCEandWoNDER. At the Entrance the Fancies of various kinds flood ready to receive it, who were conducted, for the moft part, hy Impafture, Ignorance, and Error ¦, fome few indeed by Reafm and Truth. Thofe, belonging to the former, were the Minifters of Mifery -, thofe, to the latter, of Happinefs. Both Parties feemed very defirous to allure the new Comer to their refpective Dwellings, and Doubt and Pleafure were blended toge ther in the Infant's Countenance.— The fecond Piece was eompofed of a Group not u.nlike the firft. A young Man was reprefented walking in a beautiful Gar den, where all the Trees in full Bloflbm were arranged in the moftnaturalManner; the Loves, theGrac.es, and Pleafures were courting his Embrace, whofe CarefFes he returned LETTER VIII. 53 returned with mutual Ardor. Beneath the Feet of thefe was a Serpent crawling out from under a Bordure of Flowers* and 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 Jdalian ¦Son upon her Lap, and Indolence amidft her Court ¦ of infant Vices lolling on a Couch below.-~MANHooD, the Subject of the third Piece, was characterized by a fedate Perfbn in a' Vineyard at the time of Vintage. He was leaning in a thought ful Pofture, againft a large Olive-Tree, whofe Fruit was falling round him. Am bition ftood on one Side, pointing to the Temple of Glory, and Care on the other Side, with a wrinkled Forehead, looking at Necejity. To thefe the Arts and. Sci ences were offering their Afliftance, and the Laws protecting them,with theirwrit- ten Tables in one hand, and the Sword of fufike in the other. But amidft all this Group, the Figures that looked the moft amiable, were Friend/hip, conjugal Love, and parental Affection. To give thefe the moft heavenly Sweetnefs, the E 3 Painter 54 LETTER VIII. Painter had exerted his utmoft Skill ; and to thefe the principal Image feemed moft attentive, as if he regarded the reft only as fubfervient to them, The fourth Piece remains to be defcribed. There was an old Man ftanding in a leaflefs Grove, with his unadtive Arms folded together, as if he was fixed in the deep- eft Meditation. His Beard was long and white, and his Garments like thofe worn by the Athenian Sages. Reflection and Experience came behind him, and their Offspring Foreftght and Precaution went before. Reafn, the great Queen of the intellectual Train, appeared in a tri umphal Gar, with the Pajfions chained to the Wheels, and Opinion waiting on her Look : at fome Diftance Hope and Peace were ready to conduct the Sage to the Temple of Death, who fate upon a Throne with Time, (his Train of Hours and Days attending 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 Pictures,, the Seafons Pf LETTER VIII. s-S of Life, the Pqffions, Sec. are moft beauti-; fully perfonified, and may ferve as a Spe-; cimen of what was efteemed ingenious and beautiful among the Ancients. But befides thefe, I was not a little de- ; lighted with another fingle Piece in the. fame Collection. It was the Wreck of a> large Ship on a Rock ; the Veffel is fup- : pofed to have juft bulged, the Mariners are all in the utmoft Confufion and De-.. ipair, and in the midft of them, upon the Deck, ftands a beautiful young Woman looking down upon the Waves below, where an old Man is expiring with a dead5 Infant in his Arms ; the one is fuppofed to be her Father, the other her Child : the lively Anguifh, mixed with the moft: tendef Looks of parental and filial Love, which fhe expreffes, never fails to raife in the Spectator of this Mafter-piece of Art, the moft heart-ennobling Pity, and gives us a filent Leflbn of Duty and Af-. fedtion.—Such Subjects 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 when ever a good Tafte prevails in the one, an E 4 infe- 56 LETTER VIII. infeparable Connection will transfer k into the other j but as long as Superfti- tion ufes. Art like a Magician's Wand, to delude the Multitude with her fairy Cre ations, and Luxury allures her to rebel agaipft Virtue, the Productions mirft neceffarily be monftrous j difguft every undiftempered Mind j and only fuit that Incongruity from whence they fprung of Prieftcraft and Licentiaufnefs. You fee, Euphemxus, how willing I am to oblige your by hazarding to your nice Infpedtion" the firft Sallies of ayoung, tho' well-meaning, Fancy: If the Effay gives Amelia any Pleafure, I dare fay you will very foon communicate it tome, as I am convinced, from repeated Favors of this kind, that you will never let any Opportunity efcape of giving me even the leaft Satisfaction} much lefs will you con ceal from me what, you may very well know, will afford the greateft.. I am, Tourf Sec. Sec. LET* [ 57 ] V "S LETTER IX. To the Sam e. I A M. q.uite fick, my dear Friend, of the fplendid Impertinence, the un meaning Glitter, the taftelefs Profufion, and monftrous Enormities, which I j^ave lately feen in a Summer's Ramble to feme of the Villas which fwarm in the Neigh bourhood of our Metropolis. You would imagine that the Owners, having retained the horrid Ckimaeras of a feverifh Dream, had jumbled them together in a waking Frqnzy. In one Place was a Houfe built from an aukward Delineation plundered from an ojd Indian Screen, and decorated with all the Monfters ofAfia and Africa, inhofpitably grinning at Strangers over every Door, Window, and Chimney- Piece. In another we found an old Ga? thic Building encru fled with Stucco, fliced into Grecian Pil.afters, with gilded Capir tals ; fuperbly lined with Paper disfigured all over with the fat Deities of China, aijd the heterogeneous Animals that exift only 58 LETTER 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 Diftor-- tions of Art, I perceived the poor profti- „ tutedWord Taste, was conftantly made ufe of to' exprefs the abortive Concep tions of a diftempered Fancy. From a cUrfory View of thefe motley Produc tions of modern Refinement, you would be led to think, that the new Gentry of , the City, a^id their Leaders the well dref- fed Mob about St. "James's, were feized, the very Moment they left the Town- Air, with a Chinefe Madnefs, and ima gined a Deviation from Truth and Na- turew&s an infallible Criterion of Taste. But of all the fplendid Impertinencies I ever faw, nothing ever excited in me fo contemptuous an Indignation asMucio's Palace; and yet the filly Multitude pour forth in abundant Crowds from the ad jacent 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 Afto- L E T T E R IX. 59 Aftonifhment, at the fuperb Nothing of this unmeaning Structure. Mucio's Pa lace ftands about fix Miles from London, upon a dry barren Spot, where God ne ver in tended Wood fhould naturally grow, orWaterfpring: Mucio therefore made choice of this Spot,' in preference to any other, to fhe w the admiring Spectators that Wealth could perform every thing in the Phyfical World, as his wary Anceftors had found it would do in the Moral. So to fupply what Nature in a profufe Irre gularity beftows upom other Places, but had withheld from this, he planted, at an immenfe Expence, by Rule and Line, feveral pretty Walks of Elm Trees, fo \ engagingly like one another, that, at the firft Glance, you may know them all to be of the fame Family ; and obferving that Water is more naturally collected in to, and preferved in a Body, in low Situ ations, Mucio, whofe chief Aim, it feems, was to excel Nature, moft artfully catch- ed upon an Eminence, in a round Bafon turned by a Pair of Cbmpaffes, or more properly a large Rain-water Ciftern often 'Acres, the imprifoned Contributions of Winter 60 LETTER IX. Winter Showers, to putrify by Stagnation in the Summer Seafon. The Houfe it felf, it is true, is built with good Port land Stone, before which is Jiuck on a Portico in the Corinthian Order. The Rooms within are large, without Magnificence j numerous without Convenience ; arid .fitted up with an oftentatious Splendor, without the minuteft Appearance of any one real Elegance. The Furniture is even difguftingly expenfive, and orna mented into ufelefs Incumbrance. Se veral daubed Copies of P. Pinini's Ru ins dangle over, monftrous Marble Chim- ney-Pieces, that look like Family Mo numents 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 Tiffue. In fhort, the whole feems as if Mucio had been fuffered by Heaven to fquander away immenfe TreafureS in this moft ridicu lous Manner, to give a filent Leffon of Confolation to every Spectator, how low foever his Lot is fallen in the Vale of Life, that Nature and Propriety will make a thatch- LETTER IX. 6f thatch-covered Cottage ufeful, and art Ornament in the rural Landfcape round him, when this enormous Pile of Stones fcarce afforded the taftelefs Builder a dwel ling Room, and will remain, even in Ru ins, a Monument of Vanity and Dullnefs. I am glad you have finifhed to your Sa tisfaction, the Palladian Bridge, you was fo bufy about when I was laft with you at — . I have feledted a very beautiful Parcel of Spar for your Grotto, which \ propofe to fend ia a few Days. I am* Tour, Sic. Sec. LET- [62] LETTER X. To E U G E N I o. I HAVE fent you, according to my Promife, Eugenio, that little Phi lofophical Poem, I have fo often recom mended, written by Sir John Davies, entitled, The Original, Nature y and Im mortality of the Soul. Wherein you will find the fecret Springs of Pleafure and4 Pain, Love and Hatred, laid open to your Infpedlion. The ingenious Author,, after having defcribed the^yfo;? Senfes as the In lets of all Objects to the Soul, and the Imagiriation as a Senfe in common betwixt them and the Intellectual Powers, pro ceeds to explain, in the following Stan zas, whence the Spirits of Senfe [i. e. Taste] arife, and how they influence the human Paflions. But fince the Brain does lodge the Pow'rs of Senfe, How comes it in the Heart thofe Paflions fpring? The mutual Lo.ve, the kind Intelligence ; 'Twixt Heart and Brain this Sympathy doth bring. From the kindHeat which in the Heart doth reign, The Spirits. of Life doth their Beginning take, Thofe L E T.TER r. 63 Thofe Spirits of Life afcending to the Brain "When they come there the Spirit', of Senfe do make. Thefe Spirits of Senfe in Fantafy's high Court, Judge of the Form of Objects ill or well, And fo they fend a good or ill Report Down to the Heart -where all Afteclions dwell. If the Report be good it caufeth Love, - And longing Hope, and well allured Joy ; If it be ill, then doth it Hatred move, _ And trembling, Fear, and vexing Griefs annoy. You will obferve from hence, that a true Relifh for Life as Well as for natural Beauty, depends upon a right Management - of our Fancies ; for if Fancy prefents Ob jects in falfe Appearances to thefe Spirits of Senfe, the* Affections will embrace Vice and Deformity with the Careffes, which naturally 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 the * See Lord Sbaftubur/i Charafteriftics paj/im. 64 LETTER X, the Pleafure* of the ImagitidttMt the moft beautiful- of all didactic Poems.— I find- Amhition has drawn you, from tbe quiet Retirement I laft left you in, to the bufy Buzz of Courts and Levees. I niufl ingenuoufly confefs, that the Purfuit of Wealth and Honours I fhould now enjoy 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 Character a . long Race of Anceftore have poffeffed before me ; but for you, who ftill enjoy the more defireable Comforts of conjugal Lovej to leave the enchanting Converfation of your fair accomplished Friend, for the dull Jargon of Buftnefs, is an Exchange infi nitely to your Lofs. If Fancy has dreffed up domeftic Happiness in the Robes of Office, believe me fhe plays the Spirits of Senfe very falfe, and let me warn you be times, left your Fate fhould be the fame as that, of a noble Arabian I have heard re lated;. The Story kthis. There dwelt at Izra a young Nobleman named Mira- van, who was bleffedwith Health, Wit, Beauty, LETTER X. 6$ Beauty, and a fufficient Competency of the good Things of this World, which for fome Years he enjoyed with the moft uninterupted Satisfaction, till one Day walking among the Tombs of his An- ceftors, 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. Ipflamed immediately with the very Luft of Avarice, he caufed the ponderous and marblefaws (as Shakespear calls them) of his Anceftor's Sepulchre to be opened; when entering with rapturous Expecta tion of finding immenfe Treafures, he was ftruck fpeechlefs with Difappoint- ment, to behold nothing but a Heap of Bones, Duft, and Putrefaction, 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 GGLDTO DISTURB THESACRED 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 l GRAVE CONTAINS NOTHING BUT DUST AN# ASHES. Adieu, my dear Eugenio, and build no Expectations but upon the Rock of Certainty. I am, Tour, 6$c) LET- LETTER^ XI. To EUPHEMIUS. I AM greatly pleafed, Euphemjus, that you was of the fame Opinion as myfelf, in a late Converfation, that no* thing would vitiate a Man's Tafte for Po etry more, than frequently reading the Italian Poets. Their forced Allufions, their tinfel Concetti, and perpetual Affec tation of hunting for pretty Thoughts in* difcriminately- upon every Subject, are fo many Deviations from good Writing, which degrade the Dignity of Heroic, and totally deftroy the Simplicity of Paftora'l Poefy. Sir Philip Sidney's Arca dia affords a fufEcient 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 Compofitions, as there are many beautifulPaffagesinTAsso's Jerusalem in one^. Species, and in his Aminta in F 2 the 68 L E T T E R XI. the other; inARiosTo's Orlando, and in Guarini's Pastor Fido, which are worthy of the higheft Commendations ; much lefs would I recommend the total Neglect of them, or fnatch that Palm of Glory from their Heads, which they have juftly merited, from being the Inventors of the Dramatic Paftoral. Neverthelefs I ftill retain the Sentiments I then ad-r vanced, that there were even in thofe two celebrated Pieces, the Aminta and Pastor Fido, fuch ataftelefs 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 Critir cifm, from whom the Stag yrite, drew every Precept, unerring Nature. Tbe firft Act of both is full of thofe pretty Abfur- dkies; indeed Guarini fo faithfully cor pies his Predeceffor, that Lin co utters Dafne's Thoughts throughout, and air moft too in the fame Expreffions. For Example, Odi quel Ufcignuola Che va di ramo in ramo Cantando, lo amo, lo amo. Dafn. in AmrAdt. I. Quell* LETTER XI. 69 Quell' Augellin, che canta Si dolcemente, e lafcivetto vola Or da PAbete al Faggio, Ed or dal Faggio alMirto, S' avefle umano Spirto, Direbbe, ardo d'amore, ardo d'amore. Linco in Pallor Fido, Act. I. La Bifcia lafcia il fuo veleno, e corre Cupida al fuo Amatore : Van le Tigri in. amore : Ama il Leon fuperbo. Dafne in Aminta, Act. I. This laft Defcription ofTAsso's, of the force of Love in the Brute Creation, is indeed Unaffectedly beautiful, but Gua- rini, thinking it a plain and fpiritlefs Obfervation, has Italianized it to his own Fancy in the following manner. Mugge in rnandra l'armento, et quei muggiti Sono amorofi inviti, Rugge il Leone al bofco, Ne quel ruggito e d'ira Cofi d'atnor Sofpira. Paflor Fido,, Act. I.' F 2 This '^> L E T'T E R XL This Lion (as Theseus fays of his Bro ther in S h a k e s P e A R 's Midfummer Night 's Dream) is a very gentle Beaf, and of a good Confidence. But I cannot difmif§ this Paflkge without noticing the Merit of the Amsterdam Editor of 1732, who founds this ingenious explanatory Note upon the poor Word Coft. Nell iftefifo modoifzys he) orfiorfe meglio: quan do fa Coft, cio e qiiando rugge. It may ea- fily be conceived how a luxuriant Fancy may in the Heat of poetic Rapture glow up into Nonfenfe ; but how a Commen tator can coolly explain it afterwards, is beyond myUnderftanding to account for. I fhould be glad if fome of thofe Gen-> tlemen, who are fo willing to believe the Superiority of the Italian Poets over their own Countrymen, would collate Fletcher's Faithful Shepherdefs, and Milton's Comus, with the above-men tioned Pieces, and impartiallyconfider the full Merit of both, I dare fay they would find this Branch of Laurel, which thofe two great Men have fo fuecefsfully trans planted from Italy, flourifhes better in our own temperate Climate, than on the Banks. LETTER XL Ji Banks of theTiBER. But, as theFAiTH- ful Shepherdess is more precifely a dramatic paftoral Poem thanCoMus, and the firft too that was attempted in our Language, I would reft the Contention upon that alone. If they defcend to particular Paffages, the following may fafely be put in 'Competition both for Tafte and Moral, with any they can pro duce from their favorite Authors, After the Satyr has left Clori n, the Faithful Shepherdefs, fhe breaks out into the fol lowing Soliloquy. All my Fears- go with thee. What Greatnefs, or what private Jiidden Power Is -there in me to draw Submiflion From this rude Man or Beaft ? 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 ; aFeverihakes me, and The felf-fame Wind that makes the young Lambs: {brink Makes me a-cold : my Fear fays I am mortal j Yet I hay,e heard, my Mother told it me, And now I do belieye jt, if I keep My Virgin Flow'r ttncropt, pure, chafte, and fair, No Goblin, Wood-Good, Fairy, Elf, or Fiend, jSatyr, or other Pow'r that haunts the Grove, $hall hurt my Body, or by vain Illuftpn, Draw rne to wander after idje Fires j F 4 Or jz L E T T E R XI. Or Voices calling me in dead bf Night, To make me follow, and to tole me en Thro' Mire and ftanding Pool, to find my Ruin,: ' Elfe why mould this rough Thing, who never knew Manners norfmooth Humanity, whofe Heats Are rougher than himfelf, and more mifhapen, Thus mildly kneel to me ? 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. Aai. Perigot's Declaration of the Purity of his Love to Amoret, and the Cha- ftity of his Intentions, is not with lefs Tafte defcribed in the fame Act, not for getting how ingenioufly the Poet has availed himfelf of the Prejudices im bibed in Infancy concerning invifible Powers. O do not wrong my honeft fimple Truth : Myfelf and my Affeftions are as pure As thofe chafte Flames that burn before the Shrine Of the chafte Dian : Only my Intent To draw you thither was to plight our Troths With Interchange of mutual chafte Embraces, Atid 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-fhine, dipping oftentimes Their, LETTER XI. 7z Their ftolen Children, fo to make 'em free From dying Fleftj, and dull Mortality ; By this fair Fount 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. Aa. I. And Amarillis's Defcription of the fullen Shepherd, his Dog, and his Flocks, is as elegant. When I here fay elegant, I would not be underftood to mean that the Objects defcribed are fo, I mean the Defcription only ; for Poetry, as well as Painting, being an Imitative Art, a Poet may fhew as much Ingenuity and Tafte in the Defcription of a Defart, as in that of the moft flow 'ry 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 frowning 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 lufts after every fev'ral Beauty, But yet was' never known to love Or like, Were the Face fairer and more full of Truth Than 74 LETTER XL Than Phoebe in her Fullnefs, or the Yautb Of fmooth Lyjeus ; whofe nigh-ftarv'd Flocks, Are always fcabby, and infect all Siheep They feed withal, whofe Lambs are everlaftj And die before their weaning, and whofe Dog Looks like his Matter, lean, and full of Scurf, Not caring for the Fipe or Whiftle. [Aft I. To dwell upon every Beauty in this Piece would be to tranfcribe the whole. I fhall therefore only1 add, that ail Men of Genius, fince the Death of the great Au thor, have concurred in applauding this moft 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 perufing the 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 fimilarPaffagesfromHoMER, Theocri tus, Virgil, Spenser, Shakespear., and Milton.— -Notwithstanding what I have faid concerning the Italians, I hope my Compliments won't be unac ceptable to our ingenious Friend, whom we call Petrarqh, in his Retirement ' in LETTER XI. 75 in the Vale of , known among us by the Name of Val cl us a, and his amiable, I may fay, his enchanting Laura. Adieu. I am, Tour, &c. Sec. LETTER- [7M LETTER XiL To Philemon. I HAVE been feveral Days, my dear Philemon, feeding my Eyes with thofe delicious Remains of ancient Ar- chitedture, the Ruins of Palmyra, with which thofe very ingenious Gentlemen Mr. Dawson and Mr. Wood, who made a Voyage into Asia onpurpofe, with the much to be lamented Mr. Bouverie, have fo greatly entertained the Public. I am almoft perfuaded that Longinus himfelf muft have been the Architedt of the Temple of the Sun. There is fome- thing fo fublime in the View of the grand Entrance, and the noble Perfpective be hind it ; and fo analogous to his capaci ous Conceptions of Greatnefs in poetical Compofitions; that many a one, with a Fancy lefs warm than mine, joined to a Temper fomewhatmoredogmatical, would abfolutely pronounce it to be the Work of that great Genius, and endeavour to fup- port his Opinion, like a modern Contro- verfialiftf LETTER XII. 77 verfialift, with an hundred notable Con jectures tacked together with Shreds of ancient Hiftory.'-r muft own I was great- _ ly furprized that among this prodigious Heap of magnificent Ruins, there fhould be found only four Ionic Pillars, and all the reft fhould be of the Corinthian Order. The Deteftation the Palmy- renes bore to the Romans might be a ftrongReafon there fhould be none of the Tuscan; but why one Grecian Or der fhould be i~o little ufed, and the other totally neglected, feems not fo eafilytobe accounted for, efpecially too when the Ionic was more in ufe, thro' Asia Mi nor 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- magnificent Structures built in Honor of the greater Cceleftial Gods, but mighfneverthelefs, with the utmoft Pro- H* ¦** priety and Tafte, have been applied in Temples of the inferior Deities, and more particularly too of thofe who prefided over the Concerns of the innocent Shep herd and laborious Hufbandman. Here no.t ?S LETTER XII. not only the plain fubftantial Column of the Doric, the Canon of whofe Or der was afeertained, not by the lofty Ce dar, hut by fturdy Trees of a more com mon Growth, was the only proper Sup port for theTemple of Pan or Sylva- nus, but the Ornaments generally made ufe of in that Order were fuch too as would be expected naturally iri Buildings of that kind at the firft Inftitution of this rural Religion ; namely, the Heads and Horns of Animals offered up in their Sa crifices. The want of this Species of Architecture 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 extin- guifhed fhe natural Tafte for Truth and Propriety. The great Critic juft men tioned, has. a moft beautiful Obfervation, in his Treatife upon the Sublime, concern ing the Effect which immoderate Wealth lias both upon private Families and Na tions, and the fpeedy Progfefs it makes. to obliterate in the human Soul, by the Luxury accompanying it, that noble and n&tral Regard for every Species of Virtue^' LETTER XII. 79 Virtue, which the benevolent Author of our Being has originally implanted in us. " I cannot conceive, (fays Longi- f n us) 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 thofeEvils which " are congenial with them. For Profu- " fioa very clofely follows Wealth, or, as " we may fay, accompanies it; and the «' latter having opened the Gates both of ** Cities and private Families, they enter " in a!nd dwell together : where having *.* fettled for fome Time, they make their *f Neft, (as the Wife obferve) and pre- *. Hpw tn?y admire fuch little Folk. VI. Thrc*' 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. VII. How fhould I love the pretty Creatures, Whilft round my Knees they fondly clung, To fee 'em look their Mother's Feathers, To hear 'em lifp their Mother's Tongue ! VIII. And when with Envy Time tranfported Shall think to rob us pf our Joys, You'll in your Girls again be courted, And I go wooing in my Boys. May all the Prophetic Feelings of fu ture 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 lady is owing either to corporeal or men tal LETTER XIV. 93 tal Sympathy, I don't know where I can find a furer Remedy than under the fame Roof with you and Aristus. So you may expedl a Patient very foon. I am, Tour, Sec. &c. LETTER [ 94 ) LETTER XV. To EUPHEMIUS. 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 tafielefis Prejudice againft our own Times, may tend to extinguifh what we have, I know not ; but certain I am, that, if this ftupid Reverence for whatever was the Produdtion of our An- ceftors, and the more irrational * and indifcri- * This 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, ftiewed the Injury and Abfurdity of the Practice, cries out, Indignor quicquam reprehendi, non quia crane Compofuum, illepideve putetur, fed quia nuper. If the Reader would fee one of the moft ingenious critical Performances ever publifhed, I refer him to Mr. H ¦ .'b Notes and Commentary on this Epiftle. LETTER XV. 9r indifcriminate Neglect of our Contempo raries prevail, we fhall be fligmatized by our more difcerning Succeffors, as the leaden Sons of Boetia were of old. For my part, I am of Opinion, that there is now living a Poet of as genuine %a Genius as this Kingdom ever produced, Shakespear alone excepted. By poe tical Genius, I don't mean the mere Ta lent of making Verfies, but that glorious Enthufiafm of Soul, that fine Frenzy iii which the Poet's Eye rowling " Glances "from Heavn to Earth, from Earth to " Heaven" as Shakespear feelingly defcribes it. This alone is Poetry, aught elfe is a mechanical Art of putting Syl lables harmonioufly together. The Gen tleman I mean is Doctor Aikinsde, the worthy Authpr of the Pleafures of Ima~ gination, the moft beautiful didactic Poem that ever adorned the Englifh Language. Befides this Leader of the! Mufies Train, we have others now living, who, in their refpedtive Compofitions, leave not only our deceafed Poets, and thofe of France and Italy far. behind them, g6 LETTER XV. them, but even bear the Palm away from their Competitors of ancient Rome ; and as Homer defcribes in his Games the Steeds ofDioMEDEs prefling clofe on the Chariot of Eumelus*, " (Clofe on Eumeltjs' Back they puff'd theWind, " And feem'd juft mounting on his Car behind, " Full on his Neck he feels the fultry Breeze, • " And hov'ring o'er their ftretching Shadow fees.)' Pope's Tranf!., they breathe, in the Race, even on the Shoulders of their Grecian Mailers. I fhould not hefitate a Moment to prefer ¦the Elegy in a Country Church'-Tard, written by Mr. Gray, of Peter- Houfe,' in Cambridge, to the beft Performance, in that Kind, of Ovid, Tibullus, or Properties. Has Horace any Moral Ode fuperior to Mr. Nugent's Ode to Mankind, or any deferiptive one to Mr. Collins's Ode to the Evening ? Mr. Jos. Warton's Ode fo Fancy would not fuffer by the fame Comparifon. Tho' Mr. Johnson modeftly calls : his : in comparable Satire on the Vanity of Humane > Wifhes, • Iliad ¥. L E T T E R XV. ,97 Wifhes, an Imitation of Juvenal, T be lieve no Man of true Tafte and real Judg ment would hefitate a Moment to prefer it to the Original. I fhould pay Mr. Mason no Compliment to compare all the Excellencies in Seneca together to his elegant Elfrida; nor do I think I fhould at all degrade the Athenian Stage to fay, that the Palm of 'tragic Glo ry hangs wav'ring betwixt the conjoined Merit of Sophocles's Philoctetes, and the * Oedipus Coloneus, and this modern Tragedy, did not Shakespear, like a Champion of old infpired by all the Gods, ftep majeftically in to bear it away by fupernatural Power from the utmoffc Force of human Abilities. I dare fay his Monody ,o/z the Death of Mr. Pope, wherein he has imitated the Stile of four of our Englijh Poets, has given you and every Man of true Tafte, more Pleafure than the joined Efforts of all the Wits in the celebrated Court of Leo theTenth.-f- H There * I hope private Friendfliip does not prepoffefs my . judgment in thinking our Language will be enriched, very foon, by an elegant Tranflation of Sophocles, now preparing for the Public," by that worthy Man and inge nious Writer Mr. Franklin, Profeffor of Greek in the Univerfity of Cambridge. f Thefe Imitations of the ancient Roman Poet Fami- ' A8V6 9& LETT E R XV. Thereis another lit tie Piece written by the fame Author, which has no Rival in the Court of Augustus, entitled anQdetoa , Water^Nymph. Mr. William White- heap, Mr. Dyer, Mr.jENNiNG.s, and. feveral other Gentlemen, have given fufhV cient Proofs of Talents, which, did a pro per Difpofition. of the Times, to admire this fine Art,tcalfforth their utmoft Pow^ erp., wpuld-.arrijsre 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,fupport them by juft Critj-s,,, ciim, I fhall not fear the rruTplaced Impu tation, of being particular, for. I am fure .1- fbaJLnot ftand, alone in my Judgment. I, dare fay Amelia will.be pleafed at my,, warsn Defence, of, her favorite-Poets, and pray;tell her I fhall efteem her Approba^ tipn equal, to the Applaufe of the French Academy of Sciences, and would; prefer. to being a. Mqmber of that illuftrious So ciety the Pleafuje of fubferibing myfelf hers and Tour, Sec. Sec. LET- A^tus St rad a. has preferyed in his Academical Prolufimsy where the,,Stiles of Lucan, Lucretius, Clavdian, Oyip, Statius, and, Virgil, are imitated by Janus^ Parrhasius, Peter' Bembo, Balthasar Castilict- SIU?, M&RCVLES S.T«JDZZA,,Joyi ANUS Pontanus,, and Andreas Naugerius, as he latinizes their Names. Lib.' 2. Proluf.<6. I 99 3 LETTER XVI. To P'HILETHES. FOND as I am, Philethes, of the Entertainment of the Theatre, be lieve me I have lately received an Addi tion 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 Vidlory over that inveterate Prejudice of our old Acquaintance Mi- lotos, who (like the old Debauchee in Gil Blas, that thought the Works even of Nature daily decay'd) has fo frequently maintained that the Faculties of Man kind are much inferior to what they were in the laft Generation. The old Gentle man, youknow, till this Winter, has not been in Town thefe twenty Years, and confequently totally ignorant of the laft Reftoration of Nature in the Reprefenta- tion of Tragedy. When I mentioned my Defire of waiting on him to the H 2. Play, ioo LETTER XVI. Play, he affented to my Propofal with his ufual Chearfulnefs, but at the fame time fpoke with wonderful Rapture ot Betterton, Powell and Verbrug- gen, and feemed to infinuate, that he fhould neceffarily triumph in the Superi ority of his Cotemporaries over the mo dern Heroes of the Bufkin. But judge what was my Satisfaction after the Play was over at his pleafurable Difappoint- ment, when he ingenuoufly confefs'd, that Garrick was not only the beft Adlor he ever faw, but even exceeded the "utmoft Conceptions he had formed, of Theatrical Excellence. It has been a pe culiar Misfortune in the Reprefentation of Modern Tragedy, that the Subjedls of it, by being moftly royal Perfonages,were removed by theii" Rank from the com mon Obfervation of Mankind ; fo that our fiiftPlayers, being totally unacquaint ed with the Charadters, perhaps, notably imagined that Princes were of a fuperiof Species to their Subjedls, and therefore as Bays made his Spirits talk unintelligi bly, they thought their imaginary Heroeai (which L ET.TER XVI. 101 { which they had as little Conception of, as the Rehearfal Poet had of aerial Be ings) fhould moutfae every Sentence inar ticulately. The Generality of Audiences are no more converfant with the Origi nals than the Players themfelves j fo they took this preternatural Way of fpeaking, as infeparable from the Character of Ma7 jefty, till by degrees, as Prior obferves upon another Occafion, " Cuftom confirm'd what Fancy had begun." and the deep-toned Monotony 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 humari kind in all its Subordinations ; having, on the one hand, a found Judgment, an elegant Tafte, a lively Fancy, with the moft penetrating Difcernment into the inmoft Receffes of the Heart; and, on the Other, an expreflive Countenance, an Eye full of Luftre, a fine Ear, a moft H 3 mufical io2 LETTER XVI. .mufical and articulate Voice, with an uncommon Power to modulate it with Eafe to every Tranfition of Paffion, he reftored Nature to her loft Empire upon the Stage, and taught us by the Convic tion of our fympathizing Souls, that -Kings themfelves were Men, and fielt like the reft of their Species. — From a Line in Horace's Epiftles to Augustus, J am inclinable to think that Roscius was among the Romans what Garrick is among us, and that Quin likewife in Contradiftindlion may be considered as the modern M s op u s . vQuse gravis 4Lfopus, qua: doSlus Rpfcius egit. In this place the Epithet doctus con- jtrafted to gravis, the deep Cadence of ./Esop, means that Roscius wzsfikilfiul in the Tranfition from one Paffion tp another, and had a wonderful Happi nefs in accommodating himfelf to a Variety of Charadlers in Tragedy ; whereas iEsopus was fuited only, by his fonorous full Voice, and grayer Adljon, to one particular Species of Charac- IET-T;ER XVI. 103 Charadlers. The Epithet gravis, ap plied to iEs-OPUS, 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 Adlor, that the other, in Con- tradiftindlion, muft have been only an Adlor of Comedies. Their Authority for fuch a Suppofition feems to be this Sentence of Quinctilian. Roscius citatior, iEsop u s gravior, quod ille comae- dias, hie tragtedias egit *. But Quinc- tillian, con-fidering the Diftance of Time he lived in from thefe famous Players, might poffibly know as little of the Matter as themfelves ; but that they were both miftaken in this Point, may be colledled from Tully, their Cotem- porary, who, celebrates his inimitable Adlion as a Tragic Player in the third Book De Oratore, as he had occafion- ally inftane'd him, in the preceding Books upon the fame Subjedl, as the faultlefs Pattern for the Reprefentation of human Nature in its comic Moods. So H 4 excellent * Lib. xi. chap. 3. 104 LETTER XVI. excellent was this great Man in the Scenic Art, that his Name at length be came, as we learn from the fame Au thor, the Proverbial Criterion of Perfec tion 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 efi confecutus, ut, in quo quifque artificio ex- celleret, is in fuo genere Rosciu s die ere - tur *. Confidering the Delight and Ufe that accrue to a rational Creature, 'from observing a natural Reprefentation of the Paflions by which his own Species is per petually agitated, and confequently the Effect that a well-regulated Stage muft have upon the Tafte of a whole Na tion, I am pleafed that both the Roman and Englifh Rosciu s have been fo highly applauded and efteemed in their refpec- tive 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 .to * Cicer. de Orat. Lib. \. LETTER XVI. 105 to you about fome Italian Buffoonry they are exhibiting at one of our Theatres, but fhall referve that till I have the Plea fure of feeing you, which, I have the Sa tisfaction to hear, will be very foon. I am, Sec. ccc. LET- [ io6] LETTER XVII. To Eugenio. GR E A T is the Joy I feel, Euge 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. J. think indeed Euphemius is blef- fed with a Grace in Converfation^ and a Tafie in Society, fuperior to any Man with whom I ever had the Happinefs of being acquainted. There arifes from the Vivacity of his Fancy, the Delicacy of his Sentiments, and the beautiful tho' unaf- fedled Arrangement of his Words, deli vered with a Freedom of Countenance and Sweetnefs of Voice, fuch an inexpref- fible Charm as pleafingly bewitches the Attention of all who hear him. He can defcant upon ferious Affairs with the moft becom- LETTER .-XVII. 107 becomingAir of Gravity andConfideration, without the leaft Mixture of Aufterity or Philofophical Affedlation •, and in the more eafy Hours of fecial Pleafure, h« can raife innocent and inftrudlive Mirth from the fligheft Accident that happens, and convert the moft common Subjedls into a thoufand Turns of Wit and Hu- mour. One would imagine that Shake spear had been acquainted intimately with fuch a Man,^-when he drew in fo lively a Manner the Character of Biron in his Love's Labour's loft. •" ¦ 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 and gracious Words, " That aged Ears play truant at his Tales, " And younger Hearings are quite cayifhedi .'.' So fweet and voluble is his Difcourfe." A i2o LETTER XIX. that happy Tafte of diftinguifhing Beau ties, nor a Digeftion (if I may fo fay) to af- fimilate the Senfe of others into his own Underftanding, his Conceptions were as crude as his Addrefs and Stile were uii- pleafing. I remember the good old Schoolmafter (for fuch he was) in one Place informs us, fpeaking of Herodo tus and Livy, that *' thefe two Princes " of Greek andRoman Hiftory, tell a Sto- " ry, and make up a Defcription with in- " expreffible Grace j and fo delicately " mix great and little Circumftanees, " that there is both the utmoft Dignity '« andPleafure in it*." I leaveyou to ani- mad vert on the Groffnefs of thefe Meta phors, and pafs on to a Specimen both of wretched Writing, and undiftinguifhing Tafte. Having fpoke much about the Infufficiency of modern Tranflatorsj 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 Consideration, Greek and " Latin have fuch a noble Harmony of " Sound, fuch Force and Dignity of " Numbers, and fuch Delicacy of Turn " in * Introd. to the Claff. p. 26. LETTER XIX. 121 " in the Periods, that cannot entirely be " pteferved in any Language in the '* World. The two Languages are Jo " peculiarly fufceptive of all the Graces " of Wit and Elocution, that they are ** read with more Pleafure and lively *' Guft, and confequently with more Ad- " vantage, than the moft perfect Trahfla- " tion the ableft Genius can compofe, " or the ftrongeft modern Language can '* bear*." Now befides the aukward Diction, and unharmonious Clofe of the Period, (two Faults he reafenably might be expected to avoid, when the juftly ad mired Ancients were fo ftrongly in his Mind) he has huddled together his urt- diftinguifhed Commendations of the Greek and Latin, and fo unjuftly given the Preference of the latter to our own copi ous Language, with that trite profound Air of ridiculous Erudition, as muft una voidably have thofe Effects upon his differ ent Readers, which Mr. Pope deferibes in his incomparable Effay on Criticifm, '* Such labour' d nothings in fo grave a Stile, " Amaze th' unlearn'd, and make the learned frriile.' But *' Ibid. p. 57. 122 LETTER XIX. But let the;Peace of Dulnefs brood over fuch Lumber, and let us turn our Eyes to a more delightful Object, the Revival of the true Spirit of ancient Criticifm in the Works of fome illuftrious modern Geniufes, who tread in the Steps of their adored Mafters. > far as they went, and then penetrate deeper -into the Laurel Grove of Science than any of their Pre- decefTors ever ventured. The firft I fhall mention is the great Author * of Reflec tions Critiques fur la Peinture et la Poefie; a Work, which, in the Hands of an ordi nary Writer, would have been an unen- tertaining String of dry Refledtions upon thofe Arts only, but under the Magic of his maflerly Pen, comprehends the moft judicious Obfervations upon every Idea of the human Mind; in each fimple and complicated Appearance. The next is the ingenious Author of the Enquiry into the Life and. Writings of Homer -f-, in which he has clearly demonftrated by ir- refragrable Reafons, drawn from a Con junction * Monfr. TAbbe du' Bos. f Mr. Bl. , a Scotch Gentleman, who la bours under the Ml; fortune to have a fimilar Name to. the Schoolmauer above-cited. L. E T T E R XIX. 123 jundlion of moral and. natural Caufes, that fuch a Poet never could arife fince him in the Space of two thoufand feven hundred Years, for want of that happy Concurrence of Circumftances, without which even this immortal Genius him felf might have beeninujo inferior Rank of the Mufes Train. The lateft that has improved our Tafte and enriched our Language, is the elegantWriter * of thofe infiructive Notes, and entertaining Com mentary on Horace's two critical E pi ffles, the one to the Pisos,- commonly called the Art of Poetry, the other to Augustus; to the latter of which is fubjoined a Difcourfe on Poetical Imit ac tion, whereby he has nobly defended the Caufe of congenial Fancies in all Ages, againft the ill-grounded Clamor of popu lar. Ignorance and Envy, with the deep Spirit of Philofophy, and the warm Zeal of a Lover.— We find in the Works of thefe great Men, a pleafing Power of ren dering every Subject interefting to the human Heart, by bringing home to out Breafts Objedls feemingly the moft ter mote, and uniting a Train of captivating Circum- * Mr. H-— d, of Emanuel College, Cambridge 124 LETTER XIX. Circumftances arifing naturally out of their Plans, which animates all their Writings, not unlike the amiable Group of Figures in one of Pous sin's Land- feapes, which gives a filent Leffon of Morality unawares totKe Beholder, who no more than the Shepherds in the Pic ture *, imagined to find, in that Arcadian Scene, any thing but fhady Groves, clear Foun- • The Picture here hinted at is defcribed by the inge nious Abbe Du Bos above-mentioned, which I will give the Reader in, his own Words. After having obferved that it was a Landfcape in ancient Arcadia, "he conti* nues; " Le tableau dont je parle reprefente le payfage " d'une contree riante. Au milieu Ton voit le monument " d'une jeune fiUe morte a la fleur de' fon age: e'eft ce " qu'on connoit par la Statue de cette fille couche fur le " tombeau a la maniere des anciens. L'infcription Se- " pulchrale n'eft que quatre mots latins : Je vivois cepen- " dant in Arcadie, et in Arcadia ego. Mais cette infcrip- •* tion fi courte fait faire les plus ferieufes reflections a " deux jeunes garcons et a deux jeunes filles parees de " guirlandes de fleurs, et qui paroiffent avoir rencontre " ce monument fi trifle en des lieux ou Ton devine bien " qu'ils ne cherchoient pas un objet afiligeant. Un " d'ehtre eux fait remarquer aux autres cette infcription *' en la montrant du doigt, et Ton ne voit plus fur leur " vifage, a travers l'afRiction qui s'en empare, que les " relies d'une joy e expirante. On s'imagine entendre let " reflections de ces jeunes perfonnesfur la morte qui n'e- " pargne'in Page ni la beaute, et cdntre laquelle les plus *' heureux climats n'ont point d'azile. On fe figure ce •' qu'elles vont fe dire de touchant lorfqu'elles feront re- *' venues de Ja premiere furprife, et Ton 1'applique a foi- " mime et a ceux pour qui l'on s'intereffe." Refl. Crit Seft. VI. LETTER XIX. 125 Fountains, verdant Meadows, and other common Affemblages of a rural ProfpecL r— I am much obliged to you for your ingenious Obfervations upon that ancient Sepulchral Infcription I lately fent you j rjor would I have you afhamed if hereaf ter it fhould prove the ingenious Imita- tation of fome Modern ; for you know the great Scaliger himfelf was impofed up on in this manner byMuRET, which was acknowledged by all the Learned to be a greater Proof of the Abilities of the latter, than of the want of any critical Acumen in the former. I fhall expect to meet you at the Grand Emporium very foon, there fore fhall add no more than that I am Tour, Sec. See. LET- - [126 J LETTER XI. To ' E u p He m i u s. JOY to the World, Euphemius, that a frefh Spring of almoft inexhauftible Pleafure is opened, now a mythological Key is given to the Wifdom of the An cients. But I little thought, when I fent you the ingenious Profeffor's Book *, that I fhould embarrafs myfelf in a cruel Al ternative, either of denying a Requeft of yours on one hand, or of expofittgrmy Want of Abilities to you in attempting to comply with it on the other. The Reafon you affign for defiring me 'to draw out a Mythological Genealogy of Taste, in the Manner of the Ancients', would hold • Letters concerning Mythology, (written by the Author of tbe -Enquiry into the Life and Writings o/'Homer) to vhich Work, in comparifon of the other, we may apply taofe Words of Tully, Non eft enim, ut ' in arce poni peffit, quafi ma Minerva Phidis : /ed tamen, ut ex eadem oiEcitiS exiffe appareau Ititrod. ad Parad. LETTER XX. 127 hold good that I fhould turn the Tables upon you, and leave the Tafk in far abler Hands : for the ingenious Obferyations you made, whilft we were reading over together the four firft Books of Diod^- rus Siculus, convince me I fhould fpend my Time more ufefully in reading an entertaining Fable of yours on this .Subject, than in attempting to compofe one myfelf. But as the Fri.endfhip fub- fifting betwixt us demands that. I fhould run the Hazard of giving you a difadvan- tageous Opinion of my Capacity, rather than of my Inclination to fatisfy your De fire, I will endeavour to recall feme Idea of that Philofophical Spirit which difco- vers4tfelf in all your Refledlions upon the Compofitions of the Ancients, and enter tain you, as Dependents upon great Men ,do their Patrons, with a Banquet of your own providing. In a Cave of a Mountain in the Ifland, of Crete dwelt a Nymph called Con templation, fprung, as the Mytholo- gifis report, from Jupiter, the greateft of the Gods 5 for, according to their Ac counts, i28 LETTER XX. counts, fhe was conceived and leapt forth from the Brain of her Cceleftial Parent, as Pallas did, whilft he was deeply at tentive in beholding the Beauties of the Creation. In this facred Retirement the Nymph had lived many Ages, whither feveral ancient Poets, Heroes; Philofb- phers, andLegiflators frequently reforted, for no one ever left her without receiving the utmoft Happinefs from her Divine Precepts. As Apollo was wandering one Day over the Top of this Mountain, he chanced to light upon this heavenly Maid, whilft fhe was bufied in her ufual Employment of meditating on this flu- pendous Syftem, and the Divine Perfec tions of the great Creator of the World, Smit with her Charms, he immediately defcended into the Cave, and having en-* joyed her, fhe bore him a Son, whom the God named Eudoxus, alluding to the. noble Ideas which filled the Mother's, Mind when he firft beheld her. 'Tia faid, as the Nymph Contemplation was one Night counting the Stars, and defcrihing on the Sand with a Wand their different LETTER XX. 12$ different Situations and Motions, having left the Child not far off on a Bed of Violets, that the Nightingale came and covered him with Laurel Leaves, and lulled him to Sleep with the Melody of her Song, foftly modulated to the tender Ear of thelift'ning Infant. About this Time the Delphian Oracle' declared. that a Ray of Light was defcended from the Sun, and being difcerped from that mighty Luminary, fhould be fpread all over Greece, Italy, and Part of Afta*- Minor for many Ages. When Eudoxus had paffed the Years of Childhood, Apollo being defirous not only to in- ftrudl him in the abftrufer Knowledge of his Mother, but to unite in his Education a thorough Relifh of fuch other Arts and Sciences, as might render him a Benefac tor to Mankind in general, and his fa vourite Nation the Greeks in particular, he took the Boy to his own beloved Seat • of Retirement, and committed his Darling Charge to trie Care of the Nine Muses, and their Sifters the Heavenly Graces. Here Eudoxus "was inftnfdled, firft how K the 130 L E T T E R XX. the Great Architect of the Creation divided the warringElements, and out of Chaos formed by his. Plaftic Mandate the unmeafurable Frame of this ftupen- dous Univerfe. Next, how the reful gent Source of Light and Heat, the Sun, fprung thro' the blue Serene of Heaven, and being fixed immoveable in the Cen ter of all, drew round his glorious Orb thofe inferior Globes, whofe certain and unerring Courfes, in unchangeable Periods of Time, form that setherial Harmony imperceptible to all Beings but " the Inhabitants of Heaven. Then he was told how the oblique Pofition of this our Earth in its annual -Progrefs caufed the delightful Revolutions of Sear fens -, how the foft defcending Rains and genial Warmth of .Spring, opened the relenting Earth, called forth the infant Buds, and afterwards unfolded all the ve getable Pride of Flowers and Bloflbms j how the more perpendicular Rays of Heat ripened the rifing Harveft in Sum mer •, how Autumn gloried in the regal Hue of its purple Vintage ; and laftly, how L E T T E R XX. 131 how the fterile Winter 'itfelf was as ufe ful to Mortals as the other teeming Sea- fons, by affording in its cold Embraces the requifite Reft to the fleeping Vege tables, which thereby gain frefh Vigour to renew their Species, and to perpetuate Suftenance to all Animals, in the fame Rotation, till Time fhall be no more. From this general Knowledge of Nature, he was led to enquire into the Conftruc- tion of particular Parts, the Bodies of Animals, and efpecially thofe of the hu man Race; to difcover the Caufes of Pain and Difeafe, and by what Methods to reftore them to their priftine Beauty and internal Harmony called Health, and to recall the natural original Senfa- tions of Eafe and Pleafure. When the Daughters of Memory had fully inftrtidted Eudoxus, as Apollo had diredted them, in every Branch of this Knowledge, they brought him by de grees to conceive that an setherial Spi rit was for a while united with the hu man Body; how it was agitated by dif ferent Paflions whilft in this Conjunc tion ; and then after Solution, the Body K 2 fhould 132 LETTER XX. fhould return to its kindred Duft, out of which it was formed, and the Soul to-a feparate State of Happinefs or Mifery, according as it adled in this probation ary State on Earth. Having taken this View of Man in the abftradl with all his Wants and Infirmities, the Muses, laft of all, gave .their Difciple a thorough Infight into the human Race in Society, where, by the Goodnefs of the firft Author of all Things thefe very Defi ciencies of Individuals united the whole Species, and the mutual Supply of each others Wants linked, all Degrees into one irrefragable Chain together, each different Part of which reciprocally de pended upon the other, from the Begin ning to the End. They taught him too, by way of Amufement, the Ufe and Power of Mufic, Painting, and Poetry, the firft of which could affwage mental Agony ; the fecond revive paft Pleafures in beholding beautiful Objedls ; and the third infpire by a true Love of Virtue, by perpetuating the revered Memory of thofe who had been Ornaments to our Species. Eudoxus, being at length quite L E T T E R XX. 133 quite accomplished in every Art and Sci ence, became enamoured of one of the Graces, who returned his Paffion with mutual Ardor. One Day they took an Opportunity, whilft the other two were bufied in fporting with Flora and her Train of Zephyrs, to gratify their De- fires in a Cave of Mount Ida. The Offspring of their Embraces was a Daughter, whom the fond Parents na med Calocagathia. This Nymph, who inherited all the Knowledge of her Father, and all the Charms of her Mo ther, became, as fhe grew up, the chief Favourite both of Gods and Men. In the coeleftial Banquets fhe always fat next to Venus, and on Earth had the Honour attributed to her of infpiring whatever was uncommonly beautiful in Morals, - Arts, and Sciences. In this manner, my dearEuPHEMius, the ancient Mythogolifts would have drawn the Genealogy of Taste, making her the Daughter of one of the Graces, begot by Knowledge, who was the Son of Contemplation, the Truth of this K3 figu- i34 LETTER XX. figurative. Reprefentation you may eafily .prove by comparing it with the Hiftory of your own Mind, where you can trace the Goddefs from her Birth, to the full Charms of her ripeft Age. Adieu, my Friend, and may fhe ftill attend you thro' Life in every Purfuit, whether in Arts, Sciences, Morals, or Religion. I am Tour, Sec. Sec. The End of the L E T T E R S. ESSAYS o N SEVERAL SUBJECTS. [ 137 ] ESSAYS O N SEVERAL SUBJECTS. ESSAY I. On E D U C A T ION. LIFE, as Cebes * paints it, is a large Manfion, and Infancy the Entrance into it, where ten thoufand, Fancies and Opinions of different Kinds are continu ally waiting to allure every new Comer to their refpedlive Apartments : 'tis the Duty therefore of Parents, like the good Genius he defcribes, to inform them . y which * In thc mythological Pidlure. 138 E S S A Y I. which of thefe are" inverted with true, and which with fallacious Appearances. But there is a Defedt too often in the Manner ufed to attain this defireable End ; for Auflerity and Rigour are indifcriminately exerted toward the Good and the Bad, the Generous and the Froward ; fo that very frequently the Punifhments which are intended to drive them by Force from Vice,give them aDifguft toVirtue, which, properly recommended, has Charms fuf- ficient, when known, to attract the Mind without anyfecondary Motive. In that polite Age, when Greece was in all her Glory, there lived at Athens a noble Citizen, named Democritus, whom Affluence of Fortune, Generofity of Temper, and Extent of Knowledge, made the Delight of the Poor, an Exarrir ple to the Rich, a Benefadtor to the Dif- freffed, and an Ornament to his Country. But amidft all the Bleflings Power and Virtue could beftow, he was fuddenly rendered the moft miferable of Men, by the Death of his Wife Aspas-ia, who dying in Childbed, left him the Confo- latifin alone of being Father to an Infant which E S S A Y I. 139 which was a living Image of its deceafed Mother. It was a long time before his Philofophy could .get the better of his immoderate Grief ; but his Paffion being allayed by degrees, he fefumed the Man, and fubmitted again to the Dictates of Reafon. His Thoughts now wholly turn ed on the Education of his Son Euphe- MIon~ (for fo he called the Boy) whofe very Dawn of Infancy promifed the great eft Splendor; but confidering that the Vivacity of his Temper would greatly ex- pofehim to the Sedudlions of the World, he would often, as the Child fat playing on his Lap, mix an anxious Tear with the Smiles of paternal Pleafure. When Euphemion was pall his Childhood, the prudentDEMocRiTus thought of anEx- pedient to make Pleafure the Paffage to Virtue, as Virtue was the only one to real , Pleafure ; for knowing, from his own paft Conduct, the Propenfity of Youth to Voluptuoufnefs, he made that the En forcement of his Precepts, which gene rally is the Bane to all Morality. As they were walking together in a Gallery of Pidlures, Behold, my Son, fays the Fa ther, 140 ESSAY I. ther, (obferving his Inclination to Wo men) that Reprefentation of perfect Beauty embracing with no fmall Exftacy a young Man that kneels before her. Methinks, cries Euphemion, interrupting him, I can read in the Painting the greateft Tranfport of Soul ; and fure he has fufficient Reafon to appear fo enrap tured, when the Mafter-piece of Heaven is in his Pofleffion. You fpeak, conti nues Democritus, as if you envied his Si tuation, and with too much Warmth and Enthufiafm, of Objedls that are fo eafily to be obtained. To be obtained ! repli ed Euphemion ; by what Means, and by whom ? If it is in my Power, O tell me the Way, for it will make your Son the happieft of Mortals. Alas ! faid the Father, fighing, I'm afraid the Impa tience of your Temper will never fuffer you to undergo the Self-denial and Delay that is requifite before you can arrive at fuch a Height of Felicity. The Boy ftill urging his Requeft with more Vehemence than ever, Democritus began in the fol lowing Manner. Since you prefs me fo earneftly to inftruct you in a Myftery that if obferved will procure you an Original equal ESSAY I. 141 equal to that Reprefentation, you muft be very cautious, when once you are initia ted, not to deviate in the leaft from the divine Inftitution, nor to divulge the Se cret ; for the Delinquent, in fuch Cafes, is always punifhed with Death, by the Deity to whom the Temple of thofe Rites are dedicated. The Story then, which never is told to any but thofe who are re- folved to follow the great Example, is this. The young Man you fee there was a Native of Cyprus, who, being extreme ly addidled to Women, fell.defperatelyin Love with an ideal Beauty, the Offspring of his own Imagination'. As he was fit- ti% one Day by the Side of a Fountain, fightng for the vifionary Object of his De- fires, he fell afleep, and dreamt that Di ana defcended to him from a Cloud, and promifed him the actual Enjoyment of his Wifhes, provided he retired imme diately to Ephefus, and during the Space of four Years lived in Chaftity, and ap plied himfelf to the Cultivation of his Mind, according to the Precepts of Phi* lofophy. The Vifion feemed fo ftrong to the young Lover, that h? complied with the 142 E S S A Y I. the celeftial Admonition, and baniming from his Thoughts, '. as foon as poffible, all voluptuous Defires," he repaired to the Place where the Goddefs commanded him to go. At the End of four Years, when he had faithfully compleafed the probationary State, he was tranfported back again in his Sleep to the Fountain where he firft faw the Deity, and awake ning fuddenly, found, to his no fmall Surprize, that beautiful Virgin, the Re ward of his Labours, embracing him in the Manner defcribed by. the Artift. This, my Son, afterwards became a re'- ligious Myftery, and is, (fince you are ac quainted with the Rife of it) the T^ftt which you muft now inevitably undergo. Diveft yourfelf therefore for a while of all the Affections which you have hither to contradled, and vie with the refolute- Cyprian, that you may participate his Blifs. Euphemion, who was all this Time attentive to what his Father faid, could not help exprefiing fome Con cern at fo fevere an Injunction ; however recollecting that he was only to curb his Paffion for theprefent, in order to give a greater ESSAY I. ^ i43 greater Loofe to it hereafter, he refolved. from that Hour to begin the Trial. Ac cordingly, at the Age of fifteen, he reti red from all Objects that might in the leaft tend to divert his Mind from Philo- fophy. The firft Year was fpent in con tinual Struggles between Paffion. and Rea- fen ; the fecond made his folitary- Life fomewhat more agreeable ; the third af forded real Pleafure in the Purfuit, ex- clufive of the Object purfued; and the fourth compleated the happy Delufion, to render him, by habitual Study, entire-. ly Mafter of himfelf. At the Expiration of theTerm, he feemed very little follici- -tous about the Original Inducement; but recollecting fome Circumftances of the promifed Fair, he enquired of his Father one Day, in a ludicrous Manner, when he fhould poffefs the Nymph in reward of his Labours. To whichDEMocRiTUs replied : My Son, the Account I gave you of the Cyprian, as you feem already to underftand, was entirely fabulous; the whole Pidlure is an ingenious Allegory. I ufed this Device to lead you impercepti bly into the Path of true Pleafure, and to maK.e 144 E S S A Y I. make your Life an Explanation of thofe two Figures. The one is fuppofed to be Happinefs, the Daughter of Virtue and Moderation ; the other the Emblem of human Life courting her Embrace, whom fhe never fails to carefs with mutual Af- fedlion, when conducted by her celeftial Parents. Ydu expected only a fugitive Pleafure, as the Recompence of your Per- feverance, but are now in Pofleflion of a permanent one, that will attend you through Life with unchangeable Fide lity. ESSAY t HS ] ESSAY II. On the Power of Habit. JEgro-in corde fenefcit. Juv. AMONG the many ingenious Ef- fays that have been written upon Education, it has often furprized me, not to find a greater Strefs laid upon the Danger of contracting ill Habits, which, once acquired, furvive the PaffionS which originally created them, arid 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 negledled this important Point, or flightly difcufTed it, as a thing little neceffary, and fubftituted Phyfical Prefcriptions for the Management of the Body, inftead of Mo ral Precepts for the Improvement 6f the Mind. But even among others, who have more judicioufly treated this Sub ject, and have attended folely to the Cul- X tivation 146 ESSAY n. tivation of the Underftanding, too little Care has been had to the early Manage ment of the He.art, and efpecially to in- fpire it with a neceffary Caution againft the Enchantments of Habit. I dare fay, there is no one but fees, even in the fmall Circle of his Acquaintance, either the ridiculous or mifchievous Effedls of it ; which, tho' perhaps cafually contracted, yet nourifhed by Time, firft gains by degrees a Familiarity with the Breaft, and at length uncontrollably ufurps a defpotick Power over Head and Heart. In Children therefore, whofe Minds, like Wax, are fubjedl to the flighteft Impref- fioris, every Action fhould carefully be obferved, and, if frequently repeated (as the Repetition of an Adlion is the tacit Approbation of it) it is the principal Du ty of a Parent to find out the Source, and encourage, or reflrain the Inclination, as it agrees with, or deviates from, Virtue. Antiquity affords two moft beautiful Reprefentations of the Nature of Virtue and vicious Pleafure, and of all the men tal Attendants on both. The one is Prodicus's Fable of the Choice of Hercules-, E S S A Y II. 147 ? Hercules, told by Socrates, in the Memorabilia of Xenophon : The other a Defcription of a mythological Picture, in the Temple of Saturn, invented by Cebes, theTheban, the Difciple of So crates. The former paints Virtue and Pleasure in their proper Colours, the latter informs us how we are often deceived by their fallacious Appearances; and by perfonalizing the Affedlions of the Mind, brings the whole Court, as it were, of both, before our Eyes, and then inftrudls 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; which I look upon as a proper Supplement to both. If it gives either Delight or Inftrudlion to the Reader, his Praife is due to Pro- Dicus, to whom I am indebted, tho' not for the Invention, yet totally for the alle gorical Defign of the Fable. I call, therefore, on him, as Lucretius did heretofore on his Mafler Epicurus, Te fequor, O Grais gentis decus, inque tuis nunc Fixa peilum pono preffirveftigia fignis, , L 2 Non jtf ESSAY II. $Ton ita certandi cupidus, quam propter amorem, Quod te imitaf i aveo. HieRophilus, an antient King of Egypt* in whofe Reign hieroglyphical Learning arrived at its utmoft Perfedlion, thro' which the Youth of the Kingdom were inftrudled in the Myfteries of their Religion, and the fecial Duties of Mo rality, had a Son, named EueThes, a Prince naturally of the moft humane and benevolent Difpofition ; but being in dued at the fame time with fuch violent Paflions, as generally accompany great Minds, he was often in his Infancy, ere Reafon had affumed her Empire, preci pitated by them into an habitual Fond- nefs for thofe things, that would have proved deftrudlive to hit Happinefs, and a like Difrelifhrfor others, that were moft conducive to it. This unhappy Temper, no doubt, gave great Urieafinefs to his tender Father, who was not only adored by his Subjedls for an impartial Diftribu- tion of Juflice, and courted by neighbour ing Potentates, for his profound Skill in Politicks as a Monarch, but admired by all the World for his pure Knowledge of Religion ESSAY II. 149 Religion and Morality, and the exemplar ry Leffon he afforded, in his own fpot- lefs Life, of both, as a Man. The good old King, therefore, fought, by all Me thods, tor reclaim the Irnpetuofity of his Son, before the cafual Turn of Habit mould have rooted the Weed of Vice tod deeply into fo rich a Soil ever after to be eradicated by Wifdom. It was his daily Employment to give the Child the moft pleafing Ideas of Virtue, under the enter taining Forms of probable Fiction ; 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, thoJ he would frequently liften, and improve too by the Dodtrines of his Father, did as often, thro' his eafy Nature, lapfe again into dangerous Fol lies ; then what he once fixed his Incli nation upon, the Violence of his Paf fionS urged him on to purfue with the moft unremitting Refolution, and Habit ftill confirmed the Defire. Neverthelefs, L 3 his ica ESSAY II. his good Senfe would many times con demn his Proceedings in the cool Flours of Reflection, and again tie treated like, a ' faithful Servant, heard, approved of at firft, and then difcarded afterwards, when the Treachery of falfe Friends had got the Attendant. Such was the Conduct of this young Egyptian,, till he was fix- teen Years old;' at which Age, according to the Cuflom of the Country, the young Men were iniated, at the Temple of .Memphis, into the holy Myfteries. When the Day came that was appointed for that annual Ceremony, Hierqphi- lus, who was grand Myftagogue as well as King, (for of old the Offices of King and Priefl were united) had contrived a, particular Apartment in the fubterrane- ous Paflages of the Temple, in which4 after he had fhewn his Son the ufual In- ftitutions, and taught him the facred Stories, he propofed to inftrudl him in the more interefting Hiftory of the human Heart. Accordingly Euethes, at the Time appointed, was led into this Apart^ ment, attended only by his Father, who bad been all the Day near him, to ex plain ESSAY II. 151 plain the different Forms that prefented themfelves before him. As foon as they were feated, and the Glimmering of a Lamp had broke through the Darknefs that before furrounded them, and thrown a partial Light upon a large Paffage, thro' which the Performers of the Show were to pafs, there appeared a Youth furround ed by a Crowd of different Figures,' that all feemed affiduous to take him under their Protection. This motley Group was led up in two feparate Parties, by two Leaders of female Forms, who look-: ed upon each other with the Air of inve terate Rivalfhip. The one had a loofe, fmiling Afpedl, fantaftically drefled, and adorned all over with Wreaths of Flow ers. Her Train was cbmpofed of Boys with Bows in their Hands, and Wings on their Shoulders, and a confufed Crowd of Men and Women of various Com plexions, 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 Deport ment, with all the, Marks of Royalty in L 4 her i52 ESSAY II. her Countenance ; fhe was cloathed in a plain but elegant Robe, which flowed gracefully behind her. The Attendants imitated her Behaviour, and watched her Eye with the moft dutiful Obfervance,, upon all occafions. Some had Crowns of Gold upon their Heads ; fome Hel mets, with Lances in their Hands ; feme bore the Inftruments of Arts and Scien ces, as Quadrants, Globes, Pencils, Harps, &c. fome carried the facred Table of the Laws, and others feemed engaged in conjugal Love, Friendship, and other ten der Duties of a more retired, private Life, Behind them all there came two Men,. who feemed, by their Likenefs, in many refpedls, to be Brothers, but in others the moft irreconcileable Enemies ; the Em ployment of both was to keep together the particular Company each belonged to, and to prevent any of that Society from mixing with the other. They had very venerable Afpedls, and the Influence they poffefled, not only over the Crowd, but fometimes over the Leaders them felves, was greatly remarkable. Each had in his. Hand a Chain, with which he ESSAY IL i53 he compelled, if by chance Occafion re quired it, the Rebellious to return, and confined them to their Allegiance ; 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 refigned over to the more cogent Bonds of their own Rea* fen. 'Twas obfervable, however, that few or none ever efcaped the Power of thefe afliduous Guardians, who at firft allured them into their Service with the Careffes of a Parent j and tho' the one ftill conti nued fuch Behaviour, the other intimi dated them from flying from the Slavery with the Menaces of a Tyrant. The Youth, amidft the Sollicitations of both Parties, feemed awhile fufpended. The female Leader of one Side pointed to a Temple, painted on theWall, on the Sum mit of a high and rough Mountain, the Afcent to which was difficult, but the Top once attained, the Situation com manded all the Regions round about, and afforded the Spectator the moft delightful Profpedl. The other Female endeavoured JO divert his Attention from that toil- feme 154 ESSAY II. feme Purfuit, and diredted his Eyes to another Temple that lay" in a moft deli cious Valley, the Inhabitants and Vota ries of which paffed- their Time in the moft pleafurable Indolence and heart-en feebling Recreations. At length the lat ter prevailed, and with no fmall Air of Triumph delivered the Youth over to the Guardian of her Attendants, who imme diately took him into his Cuftody. As foonas this Conteft was over, there entered another Youth of a more referved Afpedl, and lefs fanguine Complexion, than the former. At his Entrance the two Crowds fwarmed round him, as they had done by the other, and after the fame warm Con tention 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 difappeared, and led off their new Votaries. The Partition, ljke a Theatrical Scene, then opened, and difcovered behind an illuminated Grove. Each Party entered afrefh from different Sides of the Plain, and took their allotted Station, The firft Youth, who ESSAY II. 1.55 who had entered into the Service of that frantic Mob, feemed " highly delighted with his Company, and expreffed his Joy in irregular Sallies of unnatural Laughter, and other Demonftrations of Rapture and Exftacy. The other, with a moft ftudious Attention to the Inftrudlion of his Companions, decently denoted the calm Satisfaction 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 pofTefled by thofe noify Votaries of airy Joy, withered away into the moft wintry, melancholy Profpedl ; 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 Anguifh. The betrayed Yo.uth, the former Votary of thefe Plains, af frighted at this fudden and horrid Alte ration, was immediately preparing to make his Efcape, when the Guardian, as before defcribed, attended by a Train of the i56 ESSAY II. the moft death-like Figures, bound him down with his iron Chain, for ever to be tormented at the Foot of the Seat of his delufive, deftrudlive Goddefs. On the other hand, the Oppofite Groves bloomed afrefh 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 his beneficent Goddefs. As foon as this Re prefentation Was over, Euethes, with the livelieft Emotion, afked his Father the Explanation, of the whole Myftery ; 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 for ever ? Alas ! for ever, replied Hiero- philus ; but if, my Son, you'll be atten tive to the Account, and fufpend your ffuitlefs Grief to the Conclufion, it will, perhaps, fully repay your Trouble, and teach you the true Road to Happinefs, by detedling the Errors of others. This then ESSAY II. 157 then is an Explanation of the fictitious Scene before you. The large Paffage you firft faw, reprefents Life ; the firft Youth juft entering into it, prone to li bidinous Thoughts ; the fecond, another inclined to virtuous Purfuits. The two Females, attended and habited different ly, were Virtue and Pleasure; and the two Men of fraternal Likenefs, who compelled the Atttendants of both ta keep their Allegiance to their refpedlive Miftreffes, were Good-habit and Ill- habit, who (according to the allegori cal Genealogy of our Egyptian Fore fathers) were the Offspring of Chance, begot upon Complexion, and carefully foflered by Time in the Cave of Con stancy. The heautiful Woman array ed in White was Truth, the Touch of whofe Wand no Falfhood can endure, but returns by Force, however difguifed, immediately to its own Likenefs. You have feen the falfe, feducing Appearance of vicious Pleafure, and the melancholy Confequences of yielding to her Allure ments ; you have feen that her Follow ers, however for a while they may affume the 158 ESSAY II. the deceitful Air of Joy, are in the End nought but Disease and Calamity; and above all, I hope you have remarked, how impoflible it is for a Wretch to ex tricate himfelf out of this miferable So ciety, 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, dieter you as much from giving way to the Sedudtions of Vice, as the parental Fondnefs of Good-habit will induce you to become a Votary to Virtue. This, my Son, though embellifhed by Fiction, is a true Hiftory of the human Mind ; fo far was my Duty to inform, the reft is yours to execute. He was going on, when Euethes eagerly interrupted him : O my Father, how fhall I ever repay this frefh Inftance of your pater nal Love, and now fuccefsful Diligence to fave me from that irredeemable Gulph of Mifery, in which my Paflions had aimoft plung'd me ! Yes, certainly, 'tis my indifpenfible Duty, as well as In- tereft, to put in practice fuch facred Lef- fons of Morality 3, and the Pleafure of my ESSAY II. 159 any future Life fhall confift alone in be* coming, as near as I am able, an Exam ple of thofe Precepts you have often fo divinely inculcated. % The young Prince fully performed his Promife, and tho' the natural Violence of his Temper would fometimes at firft a little fway him to wards Pleafure, an habitual Perfeverance in Virtue at length totally overcame his Paflions, and he lived to verify, in his own Character, the Doctrine of Hiero- PHii.us,that the Power of Habit, either good or ///, triumphs over all Things. ES SAY [ 160 ] ESSAY III. On Good and Beauty. %v £' oiet ew?k» ^v aj-afW ctwo Knowledge that makes us by degrees become felfifh and unfqcial, by confining the Defign and Benevolence of Provi dence tp a Part of the Univerfe, which in. cpniparifon to the wfrple Syftgm, ris no more than a fingle Cjrain of SaB.d.to the Eart.bi itfelf; forw&en once wehay$ be^un to exelude our Planet by; Superi ority from the reft, .and to regard thje other Luminaries as exifting only to ferve nors, 170 ESSAY IV. ours, we prefently proceed to bring the Thought nearer Home, by looking upon, the Country we cafually were born, in, then the Family we come from, and at length, ourfelves alone, as the principal Object of divine Care. This is the Bane of all Morality, and from this plentiful Source of Evils flow Pride, Ill-Nature, and that Parent of adlive Vices, Unchari- tablenefis. Contrary Thoughts therefore muft be produdlive of contrary Effects ; and Idare fay, every one who has experi enced the Light of ufeful Learning and true Religion, will agree with me, that nothing tends more to better the Heart, as well as enlarge the Underftanding, than to carry our Thoughts as far as we are able into Immenfity, and to meditate on the Attributes of the Deity, from whom all Wifdom proceeds, and in whom; it ends; which will neeeffarily lead us to cOnfiderJ the whole Solar Syfte'm as no more than a fingle Atom in Subjection to the uhi-' verfal Plan of divine Governmerit 1 What then is Man ! — The Arabians, who con vey all their Learning, their moral and religious Precepts, through Fables, relate n the ^ ESSAY IV. i7i the following Story, as an inftructive Lef fon on this Subjedl.' There lived in the Vale of Koritz, a Hermit named Akallah, who by^the Power of a Talifrnan- could convert any Animal whatfoever into another of a dif ferent' Species. His Life being as pure as his Knowledge was extenfive, he pre fently became famous over the whole Eaft, and all the Youth of the adjacent Countries came to him for Inftrudlion. Among the reft, the Son of the King o£ Thebet was 'placed by his Father under the Tuition of this ' celebrated Philofopher. Monophaz, for that was the Name of the young Prince, was of a proud, felfifh, and cruel Difpofition ; he looked upon the other Nations of the Earth, as tribu tary VafTals to his Power, and upon! his Father's Subjedls, as the abject Sljaves of his Pleafure. Kal a ph as, the good, old King, who tenderly loved his People as a Parent, would often lament within him felf the terrible Profpedl they had before them, when he anticipated the Calami ties that were likely to enfue after his Death, i7i E IS S A Y IV. Death-, under the Reign of his SuccefTor* however that nothing fhould be wanting to contribute to their Welfare, or that of Ms lifmani and Monophaz was inftantly metamorphofed into an Emmet. The Attendants, upon the fudden Difappear* ance of their Mafter, were greatly aftor- spifhed, which the Hermit perceiving.; " Behold ! faid he;, pointing to the " Ground, that Infect which you fee <* crawling on the Earth, was once Mor- " NOPHAZ,your Lord, who was toreigq, *' uncontrollable over the Lives, of Milr *' lions, but is now reduced, by the *' Power of the Almighty, to lie with " Reptiles in the Dufl; for before his V Prefence who created every Being for '* univerfal Good, and not felfifh De- " light, the greateft Monarch upon the " Globe is no more than the fmalleft >'• Mojte fluttering in the Meridian Sun. " Learn, 174 E S SAY IV. " Learn hence, continued he, young " Prince (looking down upon the Em- " met) that thofe alone are diftinguifhed " by his prefent and future Favour, who " correfpond with his great Defign of " promoting the Good of all his Crea- w tures, and guide their Lives by the " unerring Dictates of Reafon, and the " tender Suggeftions of Humanity. 'Tis " in my Power, whom you lately fo *' threatned in your Wrath, to make you " continue in this Body, as a Punifh- '" ment for the rafh Attempt ; but as I ¦" perceive by my Art, that tbere will "be a thorough Reformation of your " Mind with the Change of your Shape, " and that your future Conduct will be " both a Blefling to yourfelf and the " reft of Mankind ; you fhall imme- " diately be conveyed back again in " your own Form, with your Attend- " ants, to the Court of your Father at " Thebet." 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 ESS As,Y IV. 175 Weaknefs and Infufficiency of Man,, in comparifon to the Power of Heaven, he became afterwards, by his Example, a liying Precept of Goodnefs to the reft of the World. ESSAY [X76] ESSAY V. On True and False RELIGION, Cjmtz multa res in Philofophia nequaquam fatis adhuc explicate funt, turn perdifft- cilis, Brute, quod tu minime ignoras, '& perobfcura quafiio efi de Natura De- orum : qua ad agnitionem animi pul- eherrima efi,. & ad mbderandam Re ligion em necefl'aria. s Cie. de Nat. Deor. OF all the Comforts which the great Creator has beftowed upon Man kind, the early Love and Admiration of his Perfections, which he implanted in us, called Rellgion, is the mofi de lightful; for what can more 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 Be nevolence ? Nothing upon Earth can be more heavenly than a Worfhip of this, ¦ Sort*, ESSAY V. v 177 Sort, where Gratitude leads us to the Shrine, and the Wings of Hope and Peace protect us. Such a Religion does not confift, in external Rites and the ho ly Trumpery, of Ecclefiaftical Ceremo nies, in the fuppliant Fawn of Sacerdotal Grimace, nor the unintelligible Jargon of Hierarchical Riddles, but in the pure Obedience of the Heart -to ;the Will of Him who created, every thing to co-ope rate in the univerfal, Harmony of Na ture. Thefe Thoughts form us betimes to the ftridteft Rules of moral Beauty; they poize the Mind in the Balance of Juflice, and open the Heart for the Re ception of the cceleflial Family of 'Cha rity. Here Contentment fits on her ¦ Throne, fupported by Reafon and Inno cence -, and Happinefs, her Offspring, ef- fufes her divine Influence around the Scene. Thefe are the infeparable Com panions of true Religion.^ But what compofes the Train of Superfiition f A far different Groupe of Figures. Remorfe, mental Perturbation, Fear, and Malice ; and I am inclined to think, , if it had not been for the Afli fiance of this Dasjmon, the natural Propenfity of Mankind to - N - Good* 178 E S S A Y V. Good, is fo great, that a Multitude toge ther, never could have been guilty of thofe innumerable Cruelties which ftain the Annals of all Ages. There is no thing fo barbarous, nothirig fo unnatural but Superftition can convert into Duty. We read in holy Writ, that 'twas a Reli gious Cerernony of the Priefts of Moloch tb facrifice Children to their Deity ; and n'urnberlefs are the Paffages in profane Writers, of the bloody Effects of Pagan Idolatry, befides all the domeftick Cala mities, Injuries, and Immoralities of pri vate Life; and all thefe accrued- from the" falfe Opinions the Perpetrators enter tained of the Deity. For as 'tis natural to imitate the Objedls of pur Admiration, , i|;H.E was pain ted \by their Priefts, are- vengeful, lufifuj, ill-difpofed Being, 'twas no Wonder the. Votaries followed the high Example, and became at length fo perfect in all Kinds of Wickednefs. Of this Stamp was the Heathen Jove, who, according to the Holy Legends of ancient Paganifm, began his Reign with dethro ning his Father, and made it afterwards one continual Scene of Inceft, Adultery, and every Act of the moft flagrant Infa my. E S SAY V. i79 fhy< A very proper Object ©f Adoration I Plato, the great Light qf the Heathen World,- in the Dialogue entitled Eutry-" pbon, introduces a Man going to profe- cute his own Father, who being reproved by Socrates for his Impiety, ' replies, Jupiter, who is acknowledged by all Men to be the jufiefi of the Gods, bound his Father in Chains for a criminal Act ion."' From which he implied, it was lawful and right for him to do fo too. TERENX?E.;reproye$ tacitly the erroneous Worfhip of his Country, in one of his Comedies, by mar king zyoungD ebauchee approve of his own ' Condudlby the Example of Jupiter.. — — — Animus gaudetjat mihi, Deum fefe in hominem eonverti'fl'e, atque pe* -alienas - -¦• >: legulas > ... Veniffe clanculum per impluvium — At queHiDeuin ? qui templa Caeli fonitu concutit. "Ego homuncio hoc jion facerem ? Such, .iio doubt, would be the confo- latory wayof Reafoning for all who were willing to give a loofe to their Defires.. But.thefeare Mifchiefs of a very inferior Sort to thofe that have afifea- from" Mif- rep refen tat ions of the Nature .of God. ¦ '-*• :".'.;',/; *. . tiv> r, ' : . vv ".Hi,.-'. r<- ¦ From this "Source fprung the wild Eri- •*. "t-, }','.. ' ' „'....' M • V ",' - '¦ ¦"¦¦¦¦ N 2V " thufiafm. itio E , S S • A. Y V. thufiafm 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 Difciples, that the fureft Way to gain the Favour of Allah, was to triumph in the Death of Unbelievers. The Dag ger of MafFacres he called the Sword of Heaven ; and fo intoxicated the Brain of a pleafurable and libidinous People with the Hopes of a fenfual Futurity, as a Re ward for-Crimes which otherwife would have fhocked human Nature, that they rufhed forth from theicDeferts like aTor- rent,- and bore down the Kingdoms of the Earth, by the fcarce interrupted Courfe of their barbarous Enthufiafm. I wifh now I could not add, that the pureft Re ligion the World ever knew, had been made the innocent Caufe of almbft equal Cruelties, and that the Defigris of wicked Men had too much prevailed under the* miftaken Notions of its divine Precepts. One would imagine, that fuch were en deavouring to fulfil literally what the bleffed ESSAY V. • i8r oleffed Founder prophefie'd figuratively, *' Think not that I am come to fend Peace sn Earth, but a Sword," implying, that every new Dodlrine 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 DefiruBion. How repugnant a Pro ceeding this to thofe ccelefiial Iriftitu- tions, which form the fineft Syftem of Morality Mankind ever was acquainted with, inculcating Sobriety, Forbearance, Mercy, and above all, what comprehends every active Virtue, Charity. The Tefts therefore of Religion, are Benevolence and Reafon ; whatever is produdlive of the one, and conformable to the other, is certainly true ; and whatever is oppo- , fite to either, is as furely Impofture. As Reafon is the great Inveftigator of Truth, nothing has done more Service to Chri- flianity, than a -free- Enquiry into its Doctrines.; which makes me furprifed to hear daily fo many ignorant Zealots exclaim againft a Proceeding fo worthy the Nature of Man, and agreeable, to the N 3 Will 182 E S S A Y V. Will of the fupremeReing. Would they have us totally lay afide, for the Sake of Faith, that firft great Gift of God, Rea son ? if fo, they place the moft pure Religion upon a Footing with the grof- feft Idolatry ; and in that Cafe, the ca- fual Circumftance of being born and educated among Indians, would have fub- jedled us to the Worfhip of their imagi nary Deities. They reply to this, as the Pythagoreans did' of old concerning feveral Tenets they could not defend, Magifter ipfe dixit. This is putting Re ligion upon a very poor Foundation, to take every thing for granted that is taught them, without any farther Examination. Tantum opinio prcejudkata poterat , ut eti am fine rations valeret auctor it as. [Cie. de Nat.-Deor.J How many are there of thefe who employ their acquired Know ledge, not to fearch after Truth, but to defend what they would believe ! But as Morality, as well as Religion, depends upon the true Knowledge of the Deity (for as the great Father of Wifdom ob ferves, " All our Endeavours are to be like him, as far as we are able" ) the greateft E S S A Y V. 183 greateft Men of all Ages have made it the principal End of their Studies to be come acquainted with his Will arid At tributes. , Should any one fay, that the holy Scriptures are fufficient to teach us this necefTary Truth, I fhould anfwer, that I grant they are beyond any Difpute, as they were written by his Infpiration, «nd were the only Revelation he ever made to Mankind. But before we affent 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-perfect Attributes ;, other- wife> right or wrong, we offer the great eft Affront to our Creator, by taking that upon Truft, which ought to be the Sub ject of our mature Deliberations. That great Philofopher, who among the Mo derns defended Chriftiahity with the faireft as well as ftrongeft Arguments, fays, [See Locke on the human Undetr~ fianding\ " 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 N 4 " Maker, .184 E S S A Y V. " Maker, who would have him ufe thofe " difcerning Faculties he has given him " to keep him out 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 " Luckinefs of the Accident will exeufe " the Irregularity of the Proceeding. " This at leaft is certain, that he is ac- " countable for whatever Miftakes he runs '' into ; whereas, he that makes ufe of " the Light and Faculties God has given *' him, and feeks Jincerely 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 fhould mifs Truth, he will. " not mifs the Reward of it : For he " governs his Affent right, and places it " as he fhould, who-in any Cafe or Mat- " ter whatfoever believes or mifbelieVes1, «•' according as Reafon diredls him. He *.* that does otherwife, tranfgrefTes againft " his own Light, and mifufes thofe Fa- " culties, which were given him to no ff other End, but to fearch and follow " As ESSAY V. 18$ " the clearer Evidence, and greater Fro- '* bability. When Faith is thus regu lated, it becomes an earthly Anticipa tion of Immortality ; it foothes the Pangs of Misfortunes, and moderates the Plea- fures of Profperity, otherwife often times too powerful for the human Breaft. For by encouraging and entertaining us with the Hopes of more refined and per manent Joys than we can comprehend at prefent, it makes us, as far as our Natures will admit of, indifferent to the cafual Lot of our tranfitory State, and gives us below a Relifh for the Pleafures above. I ftill continued ruminating on this Subject, and now and then, to alleviate my Mind, caft my Eye on the above- mentioned Philofopher, till I went to Bed ; where in my Sleep, after having been hurried thro' 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 ¦and Actions, I rofe, methpught, out of 1 86 ESSAY V. a Place of Darknefs vifible, as Milton calls it, which was only light enough to fhew the confufed Horror of the Chaos that was around me ; 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 I flood 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 conduct 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 Afpedl was gloomy and penfive, and every Mark of a falfe 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 Inftrudlioras ; yet this pretended Zeal might be perceiv ed E S S A Y V. 187 ed to proceed from Fear, which feldom, if 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- folatc and alone, made me add one more to the unhappy Number. We had not proceeded many Paces, before another Angel appeared to us, whofe Afpectwas fair and gentle, whofe Demeanor was open and delightful, and her Garments wore the unfullied Brightnefs of Heaven. Our Eyes were inftantly fixed on this lovely Object, and Joy began to infpire our Hearts. As foon as the Apoftate Sifter, who enthralled us, faw this Miniftrefs of Happinefs, fhe filled the Air with a Mift that obftrudted our Sight, and we could behold our Comfort no more ; but as Refolution is a Guide to Truth, I and fome fewmoreleft this feeming Soreerefs, and with a loud Voice implored the Af- fiftance of that other cceleftial Being. Our 188 E S SAY V. Our Prayers were heard, arid the Air to our Sight -grew ferehe and clear again ; though the reft of our late Fellow-Suf ferers, who durft not relinquifh their Er rors thro' Fear, ftill remained under the Enchantment. Our great Protectrefs 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. Tarn " Religion, the brighteft of Beings un- " der the Omnipotent, who condudt " the Good to the Realms of unperifh- " able Joy. She is Superstition, who " leads them aftray into the Path of Er- " ror. I ^ule in the Heart, She in Action -, ** and there is not even one of her De- " pendants fo infatuated, but would de- " clare, if they durft, againft her impious " Reign. She has been attended long by " a Matron called CustoMj the Fallacy ** of whofe venerable Countenance entices ¦" Mankind into his Miftrefs's Train", ;** and then Opinion guards the Entrance " againft their Efcape. Let her delude f* thofe miftaken Wretches for a while " with E S S A Y V. 189 " with her antick Shows, whilft I lead " you to behold the Court of unalterable " Delight." As foon as fhe had done fpeaking, there appeared a glorious Light that extended to the uttermoft Parts of the Earth, and filled our Bofoms with the moft Heavenly Senfation. At a dif tance Myriads of coeleftial Inhabitants. came flying down, and fhowered innu^ merable Bleffings upon us, as we flood looking up at them. They feemed con tinually paffing to and from that eternal Source of Light. Whilft we were ad miring this ftupendous Scene, one of thofe divine Meffengers, who had been to com fort our miftaken Brethren, involved in numberlefs Calamities by their deceitful Guide, afcended from them up to the Throne of the MostvHigh; fhe was called on Earth Repentance, and feemed beautiful even in Tears and Mourning. Not long after, another defcended, cloathed in stherial Mildnefs; the Smiles of Grace beamed from her Eyes, as if fhe feemed delighted with be ing charged with the firft Office of Hea ven, doing Good -, her Name was For giveness.. i9b E S S A Y V. giveness. Mercy went before her Prefence, and Truth guided her Flight. She had in her Hands the Balm of Com fort, and the more fhe beftowed, the more her Store increafed. On a fudden the Clouds that had hitherto obfcured the reft of our Species, were difpelledy arid the Majefty of the Supreme fhone upon them ; at whofe Appearance, the Sorce- refs that had mifled them, retired agairi to the native Realms of infernal Darkriefs, and was feen no more. As we were all going to offer up Thankfgivings for our Deliverance, I was awakened by the pub- tick Rejoicings for the News of the SUc- cefs of our * Arms. Which Accident, and my preceding Dream, afforded me fufficient Matter for Reflection all the Day after, on the fUperintending Goodnefs of Providence, which conftantly does the beft for Mankind, deducing Good andHap- pinefs even out of Evil and Calamities. - * This was written a little after a Viflory. ESSAY [ 19* } ESSAY VI. On FRIENDSHIP. Difpares mores difjpariafludia Jequuntur, quorum^diffmilitudo diffociat amicitiar. Tull. de Amic. AS I am in a great meafure an En- thufiaft in regard to that facred Paflion Friendfhip, nothing fooner faifes my Indignation than to hear the Name proftituted upon every trifling Occafion, to the meaneft and bafeft 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 fhe World, alike at the Exchange, or New 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 Friendfhip. < But what has given me the moft Concern is, to obferve, even among the Virtuous, a Want of Judgrrient in this Point, which has 102 ESSAY VI. has often proved very fatal. There are Men of the greateft Worth, whofe Actions claim, our Approbation arid Efteem, but whofe Friendfhip, by reafon of a Difli- militude of Sentiments, would be neither defireable nor advantageous. An Indian, Sage, giving Advice to his Son on this Subject, 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 Bagdat, as he was hunting one; Day in a neighbouring .Fcreft, .being, fatigued with the Toil of the Chace, and feparated from his Company, laid himfejf'down to fleep on the green Bank of a Rivulet, which feemed to invite him to Repofe with its gentle Murmurs. He had fcarce clofedhis Eyes before one of thefe friend ly Animals awakened him by foftly touch* - ing him with his Tail ; but how great was his Surprize,- when he beheld, -not many Yards off, a large Serpent rolling toward him ? He immediately rofe,. took up his little. Deliverer, and fled. This Accident ESSAY VI. 193 filled his Mind with fo much Gratitude, that he daily fed the Lizard with his own Hand, and cherifhed it in his Bofom* He had not done fo lbng, before his Complexion, which was naturally healthy and florid, became pale and fickly ; his Eyes grew dim, his Appetite was loft, and all the Symptoms of an obflinate Dif- order appeared upon him. The Phyfi- cians, who were immediately called in to his Affiftance, employed all their Art in vain, the Diftemper increafed, and the Angel of Death feemed at hand to fum- mon him. Whilft he was in this Agony, a Stranger, at that time in Bagdat, hear ing of the Kaliph's Illnefs, defired to be permitted to make an Experiment. The Propofal was at firft rejected, and the Author looked upon as one of thofe tra velling Empiricks that infeft all great Ci ties. But the Stranger neverthelefs per- fifting ftrongly in his Requeft, and offer ing to anfwer, with his Life, for the Suc- cefs of his Attempt, the Kindred of Abai ran fuffered him to undertake it. Al- chaman (for that was his Name) no fooner had looked upon the Eyes of the O Kaliph, I94 .ESSAY VI. Kaliph, than he declared that the Caufe of the Malady was a Lizard, whofe ve nomous Breath had infected 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 foori 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 ©f his keeping it, intreated him to make the Palace of Bagdat his Home; adding, that finee he had reftored him to Life, he hoped to receive from him the Power of enjoying it too, by having that Opportu nity to fhew his Gratitude, the greateft Pleafure of which human Breafts are fuf- 'eeptible. To which Alchaman mo- deftly replied, " My Lord, the Pleafure of doing good is in itfelf a fofficient Re ward^ for the Benevolent have as much Satisfaction in beftpwing, as the Indigent in, receiving. , If thou haft found any Be nefit from my Endeavours, all I afk as a Reward ESSAY VI. I95 Reward is to be permitted quietly to leave thy City, and return to that Solitude where I converted with Wifdom and with Truth. Thou art a Prince, it is true, indued with all fecial Virtues; thy Reign is a Blefling to thy Servants, and the Admiration of thy Neighbours ; but thy Friendfhip 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 Phi- lofopher fhould cbvet. . Friendfhip is founded upon an Equality of Conditions,- and a Similitude of Defires ; and even Virtue, tho' always neceffary to cement it, is ineffectual, if this Bafis be wanting. Confider then what a vaft Diftance there is between thee and me; confider the In- conveniencies that muft accrue to both from fuch a Conjunction. 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 Satisfadlion confifts alone in Retire ment and Contemplation. Should we live together, thou wouldft on one hand grow remifs by attending to my Specula- O 2 tions, tg6 ESSAY VI. tions, and I on the other fhould be divert ed from my Meditations by the Bufinefs which would intrude upOn thee. Let us therefore be afunder, that each may perform, as he ought, the Part which Providence has afligned him to adl, and riot pfPve a reciprocal Poifon to each other's Mind, as thou and the Lizard have been to each other's Body. E S S A Y [ *97 } ESSAY VII, 0*,CONJUGAL LOVE. %SALiO.J({ ftSV fvo, tv^Jt Si p.1 X. P Y T H> OF 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 mutual Return of Conjugal Love -, our great Poet Milton, after he has defcri bed the nuptial Bower of Adam and Eve in Paradifef thus calls upon that blifsful State : " Hail wedded Love ! myfteriousLaw, true Source " Of Human Offspring, fole Propriety < *' In Paradife, of all Things common elfe. " By thee Adult'rous 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, Sorij, and Brother firft were known—- " Perpetual Fountain of domeftic Blifs !— — '* Here Love his Golden Shafts employs ; here lights " His conftant Lamp> and waves his purple Wings. O i In iq8 ESSAY VII. In this Scene the foofer Paflions of Youth are corifolidated into a fettled Affection; for the lawful Objedlof Love unites eve ry Care in itfelf; 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 cofnmuriicates a Tranfport that is incon ceivable to all but thofe that are in this Situation ; from herice arifes that" heart- ennobling Solicitude for one another's Welfare, that tender Sympathy that al leviates Affliction, and that participated Pleafure that heightens Profperity and Joy itfelf This is a full Completion of the Bleffings of Humanity ! for if Rea fon and Society are the Characterifticks which diftihguifh us from other Animals, an Excellence in thefe two great Privile ges of Man, which centers in Wedlock, muft raife in us Happinefs above the reft of our Species. It is here that the no- bleft Paflions of which the Human Sbul is fufceptible join together, virtuous Love and Friendfhip; the one fupplying. it with a conftant Rapture, and the other regulating ESSAY VII. 199 regulating it by the Rules of Reafon. I would not be underftood to be fpeaking here of thofe Unnatural and difpropor- tionable Matches, that are daily made upon worldly Views, where Intereft or Luft are the only Motives ; I mean that fuch only enjoy the Bleffing, who are conducted by Hymen through, his own Realms of Innocence and Sincerity. A ^Gentleman who is very happy in a beau tiful Friend, as a certain Englifh Poet - calls a Wife, and is a Kind of an Enthu- fiaft for the Married State, told me the following Story of an Italian Pair, who were famous for their unalterable Con- ftancy and Affection. There lived at Genoa a young Nobleman named Ma rini, who had a large Eftate in the Ifland of Corfica, 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 Mo- nimia, who had refufed the greateft Matches in Italy, to prefer the fortunate Marini. As their Marriage was found ed upon a mutual Efteem, . their Paflion O 4, increafed *oo E S SAY VII. increafed inftead of diminifhing by En joyment, till they became an Example of Conjugal Duty^to all who knew them. They had lived manyYears in this uninter rupted State of Felicity; when Marini was obliged to make a Voyage into Cor fica, which was then difturbed by a rebel lious Infurredtion, in order to fecure his Patrimony, by encouraging his Depend ents to ftand firm in Defence of their ^Country. But the greateft Affliction, and which abforbed all the reft, was his being neceflitated to part for awhile from jMonimia, who being then very big with Child, was incapacitated to go with him as ufual. When the fatal Time of part ing was come, they embraced with the utmoft Grief, and the warmeft Prayers to Heaven fpr one another's Safety. As foon as this afflicting Scene was over,MA- rini embarked, and having a fair Wind, arrived fafe at Baft ia 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 j but as he was walk ing one Day by. the Harbour where the ''¦¦¦"¦ Ships, ESSAY VII. 201. Ships of Burthen lay, he heard two Sailors who were luft arrived, talking of the Death of a Genoefe Nobleman's Wife then abfent from the Republic. This cafual Circumftance greatly alarmed him, and excited his Curiofity to liften farther to their Converfation, when after a little, Paufe, he heard one of them mention the Name of his dear Mon i mi a ; at thefe Words his Surprize and Affliction was .fo great that he had not Power to follow the Mariners to fatisfy his Doubt, but jnftantly fwooned away, and when 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 diftrefled Mo ni mi a ; for an im- perfedt Account came to Genoa, by the Captain of a VenetianVeffc], that a Gen tleman named Marini had been furpri- zed near Boftia by a remaining Party of Rebels, and that he and all his Attend ants were killed by them. Thefe two Accounts involved our unfortunate Pair in the greateft Diftrefs : They immedi ately took Shipping in order to be con vinced .462 ESSAY VII. vinced of what they fo much dreaded to know ; the one for Corfica, the other for Genoa. They were both failed, when a violent Storm arofe, which drove their Veffels upon a little Ifland in the Medi terranean. Marini's Ship landed firft, where, whilft the reft of the Crew were refrefhing themfelves, the inconfoleable Widower, as he thought himfelf, wan dered 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 Gerioefe Ship landed too, and the fame Motive led Monimia with one of her Maids to the Wood where her Hufband 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 equal ly miferable with themfelves. But how great was the Aftonifhment of both, when they met in a little Path, and faw each other ! the immoderate Joy was fuch, and the Tranfition from one Ex treme to the other fo inftantaneous, that all the Power they had was to fall into each E S S A Y VII. 203 each other's Arms, where they expired in a few Minutes after. Their Bodies were conveyed to Italy, and were in terred with all the Solemnity and Mag nificence due to their Quality and emi nent Virtues. £ S S AY [ 204 ] . : E S, S A Y VIII, On Solitude and Society* ¦¦<.'. - . -, •/, X;&if«, « «f ruv tiwrts ¦i/wyrn. M. Ant. lib. iv. cap. 3^ BOTH Sages and Fools; are unani-? mous in their Admiration of Soli7 tude, but each from different Motives. To the one it affords Scope to Contem plation,; to the other Shelter from Con tempt. The Contented enjoy it; the Dif- cbhtented feek it. The Guilty need it, the Innocent love it. , To feek the Shades of Retirement in order 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 an ticipate in fome meafure the Blifs of Hea ven upon Earth ; '. is a Refolution worthy a Being, whofe Soul is an Emanation of \ '-- that ESSAY VIII. 20$ that eternal Source of Life and Light that created all Things. But I'm afraid the general Affection for the Love of So litude proceeds from different Caufes ; and that the Abode of the truly Good and Great, is too often made an Afylum for Pufillanimity, Avarice, and Ill-na ture. Are there any difappointed in their worldly Views ? They immediately 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 Paffionf Where can the Wretch find a more ad vantageous Situation, in which he could work his Mole-hills ? Is the Mind dif- tempered and diflbnant to Society ? 'Tis here the Rebel to his Maker choofes to growl at Heaven, and gratify the repining Anguifh of his envious Soul, to behold it's benignant Dew cherifhirig the Earth. I can't fay, whether I read the little Mo dern Effay-writers upon this Subject with more Anger or Contempt.; one would imagine, from the Swarm of poli tical Scribblers, who blunder about what they have no Conception of, that the only 2o6 E § S 4 Y VIII. pnly Defence of Liberty, and Happinefs, pf Life, confifted in that unnatural Sepa ration from the reft of our Species. Is/ any thing more plain than that Gop de- figned Men fhpuld live together ? For wfeat Inconveniencies attend the folitary State of uncivilised Nature ? What num- berlefs Advantages accrue alone from So-; ciety? Jn fiatu naturali (fays Puffen- ppRf") quifque propriis tantum v.iribus protegitur ; . in: pvjtefe omnium : ifyfruc^ tus ab indufiria fua nemini certus; hie om-r nibtfs: ibi imperium affeSlymm, bellwH, metus, pauper tas, feditas,fslitudo, barbae ries, ignorantia, feritas-, heic imperfam r-a-MoMSy.paxjfeciiritas, divitia, ornatus, focietas, elegtjntia, fcienfia, benevolentia. To the former Condition every Man, £, whpfe Morofenefs, or want of fecial Vir tues fecludes him from Society, is in a manner reduced : to the latter Emolu ments the Gpod are admitted by Nature. The great Honours that were paid to the firft Legiflatprs, even fometimes Deifica tion itfelf, evince how Afjter-ages were fenfible of the Utility of Civil Compadts; nay even BOw, diverted of the fabulous Accounts ESSAY VIII. 207 Accounts of Antiquity, we pay a juft Ve neration to the Memories of Am phi on, Orpheus, and the reft, who brought Mortals from the Caves and Dens of Wildernefles, to cohabit in Cities, and enjoy the Bleffings of mutual Aid and reciprocal Obligations. And yet with what foolifh Enthufiafm do fome Retrp- gades in Perfection call out upon Soli tude ! What Encomiums don't they be llow upon original Brutality ; and what Invedlives do they not caft indiredtly againft the polite Arts of Life! How often ,4o tfyey cry out, in a rapturous Admira tion of Ignorance, and extol thofe golden Times, when as yet Nulla — mortales prater fua littora, norarit !' ; Should we come to examine more nearly 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 Doctrine will exprefs ; for Men who deteft the World, are generally thofe that are juftly detefted by it, and can find no Satisfaction after, their Dis appointment, but from that Pelican-bred^ Pleafure 208 E'S SAY VIIL Pleafure iri a forced Retaliation of Con-- tempt. 'Tis from hence we hear fo ma- riy Murmurs againft prefent Times ; 'tis from hence Retirement becomes the Den of Mifery, which ought to be the Tem ple of Repofe. Thus much has been faid of the Abufe of Solitude, and from what Motives the unnatural Affection for an ill-placed Love of it proceeds. Let us now examine the other Side of the Queftion, and confider wherein its Utility may truly confift,' and who are the pro- pereft to enjoy it. That Solitude in- trinfically in itfelf is neither good nor* evil, but takes its Quality from the Dif pofition of its Votaries, wOuld, be need- lefs to prove. The Sage, who retires, riot in a capricious Humour to detach hirnfeff from the World, but to contem plate for the Ufe of his Fellow-crea tures ; and the Moralift, who diverts himfelf a- while of the common Cares of Life, to view his own Heart abftradl- edly, that he may be better qualified to adl relatively afterwards, are the only4 Perfons to whom the Shades of Retire ment afford Pleafure or Inflection ; ¦ to thefe ESSAY VIH. 209 thefe they appear like the Mahometan Paradifc, whofe Groves are faid to yield the Fruit of Knowledge and Peace ; to odiers they become a Pandamonium, and ten thoufand ugly Shapes are continually haunting them. When the Philofopher enters this divine Region, his Soul,' as if it had pafTed a Transmigration, glovws with a new-born Vigour, or rather af- fumes the State defcribed by Plato in the Phadon when it leaves the Body. The Silence of a rural Scene, the not unpleafing Horror of the varied Light and Shade in the Woods, the Whifper- ing of the Trees, and the unbounded; Profoect of Heaven above, call up Me ditation, as by a Charm, and all her" Train of Intellectual Attendants. Be hold she comes, awfully moving, to his paufihg.Eye! See! Indolence, and all her Train of felfifh Vices recede: from her Prefence! Virtue precedes her, Beautx and Truth attend on e^ch Side, and the laurelled Sifterhood of Art and Science immediately fol low. In her Hand fhe bears the faiths fut Record of all Ages, , and prefents to P her pjd ESSAY. VJK. ijer , JCiewiExamptes; iof wtoa.tewpMcr Wi£» dom, Valour, and /Benevolence jaffaredi Herp he reads thelnftitutions^f .S©'Lo«, there the Patriorifm of &US.T1W&, >and ^Ibere the glorious Death of Socji ates j whilft Honour excites a Divine Emula tion toi imitate, fuch Godlike Examples. SFfaefe are the Comforts that Retirement affords the (Good; and the Good alone I For Defpair and Horror whifper in eve ry Breeze to the Wicked, and even Si lence itfelf becomes an ever-tormenting Companion . I fliall conclude ^his Efiay with a fmall Defcription of an ancient X^gyptian Hieroglyphic on thi« 5ufej^&. ^fie-re was the -B&feure of -a {Mirror upon the t&aJlsofa Temple at Memphis, in Which feveral beautiful, and feveral de formed Figures were viewing themfelves, which was called the Mirror of Soli tude. The former feemed juftly con tented with their Appearances, but the latter had no fooner beheld their own Refemblance, than their Curiofity was inftantly changed into the moft violent Difguft to the faithf^iriftrumentthat- had ESS'AY VIII. i« had given them what they never would have received otherwife> a true Know ledge of themf&ves/' p & 'ES^Af [ 212 J E S S A Y IX. On CONTENTMENT. A Fable. I Am inclined to think that the Mif- fortunes, as they are termed, of Life, are not fo often owing to the Want of Care, as the having too much, and being over-felicitous to acquire, what Nature, the great. Subftitute of Heaven, would effect for us, if we would be contented tP follow her Didlates. The Brutes, led on by that inward Impulfe we call In- Jiintt, never err in their Purfuit after what is good for them ; but Man, en lightened by Reafon, that particular Mark of Providence which diftinguifhes him from the reft of Beings, obftinately refufes to he conducted toHappinefs, 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. Everything, as the Phiiophi- cal Emperor obferves, is Fancy; but as that E S SAY IX. 213 that Fancy is in our own Power to go* vern, we are juftly punifhed 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 detect any mental Impofture is by Soliloquy or Self-examination, in the Way laid down by our great Reftofer of ancient Learn ing. If our Fancy ftands the Teft of this Mirror, which reprefents all Objedls in their true Colours, *tis genuine, and may be accepted by the Mind with Safety; but if it recedes from the Trial, or chan ges in the Attempt, 'tis fpurious, and ought to be rejected. This will inform 11s that the great Miftake of Mankind in the Purfuit after Happinefs, is calling their Looks at a diftance for Lands of Paradife, whilft the Profpedl, fo much, fought after, blooms unbeheld around them. hilfpahan, in Perfia, there lived a young Man of a noble Family and great Fortune named Achmet, who from his Infancy mewed the earhfrft Signs of a reftlefs and turbulent Spirit ; and tho' by Nature endowed with an Underftanding fuperior to any of his Age, was led away wi th 2i4 ESSAY EX, with every Guft of Paflion to precipitate himfelf into the greateft Dangers. After1 having a little experienced the Misfor tunes that accrue from fuch a Difpofition, he became fomewhat more diffident 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- rhong a Ridge of Mountains, an old Hermit, who many Years before had re tired frorh the World to that Place, to fpend the reft of his Days in Prayer and Contemplation. This good Man became fo famous thro' the Country for hisWi£ dom and exemplary Life, that if any one had any Uneafinefs of Mind, he im mediately went to ABUDAH,(for fo he was called) and never failed of receiv ing Confolation, in the deepeft Afflic tion, from his prudent counfel ; which made the Superftitious imagine, that there was a Charm in the Sound of his Words to drive away Defpair, and all her gloomy Attendants., Hither Achmetxt- paired, and as he was entering a Grove* near ESSAY IX. ¦ •«,$ «ear?t>he -Sage's Habitation, met accord ing to his Wifhes the venerable Recnifej he profkated hrmfelf before hinv and with Signs of the utmoft Anguifh, *' Be<* " hold, faidhe, O divine Abudah, Fa-