Mifery or Happiness which are referv'd for him in another World, lofe nothing of their Reality by being placed at so great a Distance from him. The Objects do not appear little to him because they are remote. He confiders that thofe Pleasures and Pains which lie hid in Eternity, approach nearer to him every Moment, and will be prefent with him in their full Weight and Measure, as much as thofe Pains and Pleafures which he feels at this very Inftant. For this Reafon he is careful to fecure to himself that which is the proper Happiness of his Nature, and the ultimate Defign of his Being. He carries his Thoughts to the End of every Action, and confiders the moft diftant as well as the most immediate Effects of it, He fuperfedes every little Profpect of Gain and Advantage which offers it felf here, if he does not find it confiftent with his Views of an Hereafter. In a Word, his Hopes are full of Immortality, his Schemes are large and glorious, and his Conduct fuitable to one who knows his true Intereft, and how to pursue it by proper Methods. I have, in this Effay upon Difcretion, considered it both as an Accomplishment and as a Virtue, and have therefore defcribed it in its full Extent; not only as it is converfant about worldly Affairs, but as it regards our whole Exiftence; not only as it is the Guide of a mortal Creature, but as it is in general the Director of a reasonable Being. It is in this Light that Difcretion is represented by the wife Man, who fometimes mentions it under the Name of Difcretion, and fometimes under that of Wifdom. It is indeed (as defcribed in the latter Part of this Paper) the greatest Wisdom, but at the fame Time in the Power of every one to attain. Its Advantages are infinite, but its Acquifition easy; or, to speak of her in the Words of the Apocryphal Writer whom I quoted in my laft Saturday's Paper, Wisdom is glorious, and never fadeth away, yet she is easily feen of them that love her, and found of fuch as feek her. She preventeth them that defire her, in making her felf first known unto them. He that feeketh her early, fhall have no great Travels: for he shall find her fitting at his Doors. To think therefore upon her is Perfection of Wisdom, and whoso watcheth for her hall quickly be without without Care. For fhe goeth about feeking fuch as are worthy of her, fheweth her felf favourably unto them in the Ways, and meeteth them in every Thought. No 225. Monday, November 19. I Mutum eft pictura poema.. Hor Have very often lamented and hinted my Sorrow in feveral Speculations, that the Art of Painting is made fo little Ufe of to the Improvement of our Manners. When we confider that it places the Action of the Perfon reprefented in the moft agreeable Afpect imaginable, that it does not only exprefs the Paffion or Concern as it fits upon him who is drawn, but has under thofe Features the Heighth of the Painter's Imagina tion, What strong Images of Virtue and Humanity might we not expect would be inftilled into the Mind from the Labours of the Pencil? This is a Poetry which would be understood with much less Capacity, and lefs Expence of Time, than what is taught by Writing; but the Ufe of it is generally perverted, and that admirable Skill proftituted to the bafeft and most unworthy Ends. Who is the better Man for beholding the most beautiful Venus, the belt wrought Bacchanal, the Images of fleeping Cu pids, languishing Nymphs, or any of the Reprefenta tions of Gods, Goddeffes, Demy-gods, Satyrs, Polyphemes, Sphinxes, or Fauns? But if the Virtues and Vices, which are fometimes pretended to be reprefented under fuch Draughts, were given us by the Painter in the Characters of real Life, and the Perfons of Men and Women whofe Actions have rendred them laudable or infamous; we should not fee a good HistoryPiece without receiving an inftructive Lecture. There needs no other Proof of this Truth, than the Testimo ny of every reasonable Creature who has feen the Car L3 tons tions in Her Majefty's Gallery at Hampton-Court: Thefe are Reprefentations of no less Actions than those of our bleffed Saviour and his Apostles. As I now fit and recolle the warm Images which the admirable Raphael has raifed, it is impoffible, even from the faint Traces in one's Memory of what one has not feen these two Years, to be unmoved at the Horror and Reverence which appear in the whole Affembly when the mercenary Man fell down dead; at the Amazement of the Man born blind, when he first receives Sight; or at the graceless Indigna tion of the Sorcerer, when he is struck blind. The Lame when they firft find Strength in their Feet, ftand doubtful of their new Vigour. The heavenly Apofties appear acting thefe great Things, with a deep Sense of the Infirmities which they relieve, but no Value of themfelves who adminifter to their Weakness. They know themselves to be but Inftruments; and the generous Diftrefs they are painted in when divine Honours are offered to them, is a Reprefentation in the moft exquifite Degree of the Beauty of Holiness. When St. Paul is preaching to the Athenians, with what wonderful Art are almoft all the different Tempers of Mankind reprefented in that elegant Audience? You fee one credulous of all that is faid, another wrapt up in deep Sufpence, another say. ing there is fome Reafon in what he fays, another angry that the Apoftle deftroys a favourite Opinion which he is unwilling to give up, another wholly convinced and holding out his Hands in Rapture, while the Generality attend, and wait for the Opinion of those who are of leading Characters in the Affembly. I will not pretend fo much as to mention that Chart on which is drawn the Appearance of our bleffed Lord after his Refurrection. Prefent Authority, late Suffering, Humility and Majefty, defpotick Command, and divine Love, are at once feated in his celeftial Afpect. The Figures of the eleven Apostles are all in the fame Paffion of Admiration, but difcover it differently according to their Characters. Peter receives his Mafter's Orders on his Knees with an Admiration mixed with a more particu lar Attention: The two next with a more open Ecftacy, though ftill conftrained by the Awe of the divine Pre fence: fence: The beloved Difciple, whom I take to be the Right of the two firft Figures, has in his Countenance Wonder drowned in Love; and the last Perfonage, whose Back is towards the Spectator, and his Side towards the Prefence, one would fancy to be St. Thomas, as abashed by the Confcience of his former Diffidence; which perplexed Concern it is poffible Raphael thought too hard a Task to draw but by this Acknowledgment of the Difficulty to defcribe it. THE whole Work is an Exercife of the higheft Piety in the Painter; and all the Touches of religious Mind are expreffed in a Manner much more forcible than can poffibly be performed by the most moving Eloquence.. These invaluable Pieces are very justly in the Hands of the greatest and most pious Sovereign in the World; and cannot be the frequent Object of every one at their own Leifure But as an Engraver is to the Painter what a Printer is to an Author, it is worthy Her Majesty's Name, that she has encouraged that noble Artift, Monfieur Dorigny, to publish thefe Works of Raphael, We have of this Gentleman a Piece of the Transfiguration, which, I think, is held a Work fecond to none in the World. METHINKS it would be ridiculous in our People of Condition, after their large Bounties to Foreigners of no Name or Merit, fhould they overlook this Occafion of having, for a trifling Subfcription, a Work which it is impoffible for a Man of Senfe to behold, without being warmed with the nobleft Sentiments that can be infpired by Love, Admiration, Compaffion, Contempt of this World, and Expectation of a better. IT is certainly the greatest Honour we can do our Country, to diftinguish Strangers of Merit who apply to us with Modefty and Diffidence, which generally accompanies Merit. No Opportunity of this Kind ought to be neglected; and a modeft Behaviour fhould alarm us to examine whether we do not lofe fomething excellent under that Difadvantage in the Poffeffor of that Quality. My Skill in Paintings, where one is not directed by the Paffion of the Pictures, is fo inconfiderable, that am in very great Perplexity when I offer to L-4 Speak fpeak of any Performances of Painters of Landskips) Buildings, or fingle Figures.' This makes me at a Lofs how to mention the Pieces which Mr. Boul exposes to Sale by Auction on Wednesday next in Shandois-ftreet: But having heard him commended by those who have bought of him heretofore for great Integrity in his Dealing, and over-heard him himself (tho' a laudable Painter) fay, nothing of his own was fit to come into the Room with thofe he had to fell, I fear'd I should lose an Occafion of ferving a Man of Worth, in omitting to speak of his Auction. T N 227. Tuesday, November 20. Ω μοι ἐγώ τι πάθω; τί ὁ δύωΘ : ἐχ ὑπακέεις; Theoc. N my laft Thursday's Paper I made mention of a Place called The Lover's Leap, which I find has raised a great Curiofity among feveral of my Correfpondents. I there told them that this Leap was used to be taken from a Promontory of Leucas. This Leucas was formerly a Part of Acarnania, being joined to it by a narrow Neck of Land, which the Sea has by Length of Time overflowed and washed away; fo that at present Leucas is divided from the Continent, and is a little Inland in the Ionian Sea. The Promontory of this Island, from whence the Lover took his Leap, was formerly call'd Leucate. If the Reader has a Mind to know both the Inland and the Promontory by their modern Titles, he will find in his Map the ancient Ifland of Leucas under the Name of St. Mauro, and the ancient Promontory of Leucare under the Name of The Cape of St. Mauro. SINCE |