and hoped at last to prevail by their multitudes which were always increafing, and their perfeverance which HOPE and IMPUDENCE forbad them to relax.

PATRONAGE having been long a stranger to the heavenly affemblies, began to degenerate towards terrestrial nature, and forget the precepts of JUSTICE and TRUTH. Inftead of confining her friendship to the SCIENCES, fhe fuffered herfelf, by little and little, to contract an acquaintance with PRIDE, the fon of FALSEHOOD, by whose embraces fhe had two daughters, FLATTERY and CAPRICE. FLATTERY was nursed by LIBERALITY, and CAPRICE by FORTUNE, without any affistance from the leffons of the SCIENCES.

PATRONAGE began openly to adopt the fentiments and imitate the manners of her husband, by whofe opinion fhe now directed her decifions with very little heed to the precepts of TRUTH; and, as her daughters continually gained upon her affections, the SCIENCES loft their influence, till none found much reason to boast of their reception, but those whom CAPRICE or FLATTERY conducted to her throne.

The throngs who had fo long waited, and fo often been difmiffed for want of recommendation from the SCIENCES, were delighted to fee the power of thofe rigorous Goddeffes tending to its extinction. I heir patroneffes now renewed their encouragements. HOPE fmiled at the approach of CAPRICE, and IMPUDENCE was always at hand to introduce her clients to FLATTERY.

PATRONAGE had now learned to procure herself reverence by ceremonies and formalities, and in

ftead

ftead of admitting her petitioners to an immediate audience, ordered the antechamber to be erected, called among mortals, the Hall of Expectation. Into this hall the entrance was eafy to those whom IMPUDENCE had configned to FLATTERY, and it was therefore crouded with a promiscuous throng, affembled from every corner of the earth, preffing forward with the utmost eagerness of defire, and agitated with all the anxieties of competition.

They entered this general receptacle with ardour and alacrity, and made no doubt of speedy access, under the conduct of FLATTERY, to the prefence of PATRONAGE. But it generally happened that they were here left to their deftiny, for the inner doors were committed to CAPRICE, who opened and shut them, as it seemed, by chance, and rejected or admitted without any fettled rule of diftinction. In the mean time, the miferable attendants were left to wear out their lives in alternate exultation and dejection, delivered up to the fport of SUSPICION, who was always whispering into their ear defigns against them which were never formed, and of Envy, who diligently pointed out the good fortune of one or other of their competitors. INFAMY flew round the hall, and scattered mildews from her wings, with which every one was ftained; REPUTATION followed her with flower flight, and endeavoured to hide the blemishes, with paint, which was immediately brushed away, or feparated of itself, and left the ftains more vifible; nor were the spots of INFAMY ever effaced, but with limpid water effused by the hand of TIME from a well which sprung up beneath the throne of TRUTH,

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It

It frequently happened that SCIENCE, unwilling to lose the ancient prerogative of recommending to PATRONAGE, would lead her followers into the Hall of Expectation; but they were foon difcouraged from attending, for not only ENVY and SUSPICION inceffantly tormented them, but IMPUDENCE Confidered them as intruders, and incited INFAMY to blacken them, They therefore quickly retired, but feldom without fome spots which they could fcarcely wash away, and which thewed that they had once waited in the Hall of Expectation.

The reft continued to expect the happy moment, at which CAPRICE fhould beckon them to approach; and endeavoured to propitiate her not with Homerical harmony, the representation of great actions, or the recital of noble sentiments, but with soft and voluptuous melody, intermingled with the praises of PATRONAGE and PRIDE, by whom they were heard at once with pleafure and contempt.

Some were indeed admitted by CAPRICE, when they least expected it, and heaped by PATRONAGE with the gifts of FORTUNE, but they were from that time chained to her footftool, and condemned to regulate their lives by her glances and her nods they feemed proud of their manacles, and feldom complained of any drudgery, however fervile, or any affront, however contemptuous; yet they were often, notwithstanding their obedience, feized on a fudden by CAPRICE, divefted of their ornaments, and thruft back into the Hall of Expectation.

Here they mingled again with the tumult, and all, except a few whom experience had taught to VOL. II.

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feek

feek happiness in the regions of liberty, continued to spend hours, and days, and years, courting the fmile of CAPRICE by the arts of FLATTERY; till at length new crowds preffed in upon them, and drove them forth at different outlets into the habitations of DISEASE, and SHAME, and POVERTY, and DESPAIR, where they paffed the reft of their Jives in narratives of promises and breaches of faith, of joys and forrows, of hopes and disappointments. The SCIENCES, after a thousand indignities, retired from the palace of PATRONAGE, and having long wandered over the world in grief and distress, were led at laft to the cottage of INDEPENDANCE, the daughter of FORTITUDE; where they were taught by PRUDENCE and PARSIMONY to fupport themselves in dignity and quiet.

IT has been long obferved, that the idea of

beauty is vague and undefined, different in different minds, and diverfified by time or place." It has been a term hitherto used to fignify that which pleases us we know not why, and in our approbation of which we can juftify ourfelves only by the concurrence of numbers, without much power of enforcing our opinion upon others by

any

any argument, but example and authority. It is, indeed, fo little fubject to the examinations of reafon, that Pafchal fuppofes it to end where demonftration begins, and maintains, that without incongruity and abfurdity we cannot speak of geometrical beauty.

To trace all the fources of that various pleasure which we afcribe to the agency of beauty, or to difentangle all the perceptions involved in its idea, would, perhaps, require a very great part of the ' life of Ariftotle or Plato. It is, however, in many cafes, apparent that this quality is merely relative: and comparative; that we pronounce things beau- ! tiful because they have fomething which we agree, for whatever reafon, to call beauty, in a greater degree than we have been accustomed to find it in other things of the fame kind; and that we trans-: fer the epithet as our knowledge increases, and appropriate it to higher excellence, when higher excellence comes within our view.

Much of the beauty of writing is of this kind; and therefore Boileau juftly remarks, that the books which have stood the test of time, and been admired through all the changes which the mind: of man has suffered from the various revolutions of knowledge, and the prevalence of contrary customs, have a better claim to our regard than any modern can boaft, because the long continuance of their reputation proves that they are adequate to our faculties, and agreeable to nature.

It is, however, the task of criticism to establish principles; to improve opinion into knowledge;: and to diftinguish those means of pleafing which depend upon known causes and rational deduction, from the nameless and inexplicable elegancies which

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