tron, EUTYCHUS, If you intend to read my works, I shall be pleased: If not, 1 shall, at least, have the advantage of pleafing posterity*. I am apt to think that a modern poet would not have been guilty of fuch an impropriety as that which may be obferved in VIRGIL's addrefs to AUGUSTUS, when, after a great deal of extravagant flattery, and after having deifyed the emperor, according to the custom of thofe times, he, at laft, places this god on the fame level with himself. By your gracious nod, fays he, render my undertaking profperous; and taking pity, together with me, of the Swains ignorant of husbandry, bestow your favorable influence on this work t. Had men, in that age, been accustomed to obferve fuch niceties, a writer fo delicate as VIRGIL would certainly have given a different turn to this fentence. The court of AUGUSTUS, however polite, had not yet, it seems, wore off the manners of the republic. CARDINAL WOLSEY apologized for his famous piece of infolence, in saying, EGO ET REX MEUS, I and my king, by obferving, that this expreffion was exactly conformable to the Latin idiom, and that a ROMAN always named himself before the perfon to whom, or of whom he spake. Yet this feems to have been an instance of want of civility among that people. The ancients made it a rule, That the person of the greatest dignity fhould be mentioned first in the discourse; infomuch, that we find, the fpring of a quarrel and jealoufy between the ROMANS and ETOLIANS, to have been a poet's naming the TOLIANS before the ROMANS, in celebrating a victory gained by their united arms over the MACEDONIANS. Thus LIVIA difgufted TIBERIUS by placing her own name before his in an infcription . No advantages in this world are pure and unmixed. In like manner, as modern politeness, which is naturally fo ornamental, runs often into affectation and foppery and disguise and infincerity; fo the ancient fimplicity, which is naturally fo amiable and affecting, often degenerates into rufticity and abuse, fcurrility and obscenity. Veftiunt lanæ mihi parva rura, & Spernere vulgus. Lib. 2. Ode 16. Ingredere, & votis jam nunc affuefce vocari. One would not fay to a prince or great man, "When you and I were in fuch a place, we faw "fuch a thing happen." But, "when you were "in fuch a place, I attended you: And fuch a "thing happened." Here I cannot forbear mentioning a piece of delicacy obferved in FRANCE, which feems to me exceffive and ridiculous. You muft not fay, "That is "a very fine dog, madam." But, " madam, that " is a very fine dog." They think it indecent that those words, dog and madam, fhould be coupled together in the fentence; tho' they have no reference to each other in the sense. After all, I acknowlege, that this reasoning from fingle paffages of ancient authors may seem fallacious; and that the foregoing arguments cannot have great force, but with those who are well acquainted with these writers, and know the truth of the general pofition. For inftance, what abfurdity would it be to affert, that VIRGIL underftood not the force of the terms he employs, and could not chufe his epithets with propriety? Becaufe in the following lines, addreffed also to AuGUSTUS, he has failed in that particular, and has afcribed to the INDIANS a quality, which feems, in a manner, to turn his hero into ridicule. Et te, maxime CÆSAR, Qui nunc extremis Asiæ jam victor in oris PLUT. in vita FLAMININI. If the fuperiority in politenefs fhould be allowed to modern times, the modern notions of gallantry and honor, the natural product of courts and monarchies, will probably be affigned as the caufes of this refinement. No one denies these inventions to be modern*: But fome of the most zealous partizans of the ancients, have afferted them to be foppifh and ridiculous, and a reproach, rather than a credit to the prefent age †. It may here be proper to examine this question, with regard both to gallantry and honor. We fhall begin with gallantry. NATURE has implanted in all living creatures an affection betwixt the fexes, which even in the fiercest and most rapacious animals, is not merely confined to the fatiffaction of the bodily appetite, but begets a friendship and mutual fympathy, which runs thro' the whole tenor of their lives. Nay, even in thofe fpecies, where nature limits the indulgence of this appetite to one feafon and to one object, and forms a kind of marriage or affociation betwixt a fingle male and female, there is yet a vifible complacency and benevolence, which extends farther, and mutually foftens the affections of the fexes towards each other ‡. How much more muft this have place in man, where the confinement of the appetite is not natural; but either proceeds accidentally from fome ftrong charm of love, or arifes from reflections on duty and convenience? Nothing, therefore, can proceed lefs from affectation than the paffion of gallantry. 'Tis natural in the highest degree. Art and education, in the most elegant courts, make no more alteration on it, than on all the other laudable paffions. They only turn the mind more towards it; they refine it; they polish it; and give it a proper grace and expreffion. BUT gallantry is as generous as it is natural. To correct fuch grofs vices, as lead us to commit a real injury to others, is the part of morals, and the object of the most ordinary education. Where that is not attended to, in fome degree, no human fociety can fubfift. But in order to render converfation, and the intercourse of minds more eafy and agreeable, Good-manners have been invented, and have carried the matter fomewhat farther. Wherever nature has given the mind a propenfity to any vice, or to any paffion difagreeable to others, refined breeding has taught men to throw the byafs on the oppofite fide, and to preferve, in all their behavior, the appearance of fentiments contrary to those which they naturally incline to. Thus, as we are commonly proud and selfish, and apt to affume the preference above others, a polite man learns to behave with deference towards thofe with whom he converfes, and to yield the fuperiority to them in all the common incidents of fociety. In like manner, wherever a perfon's fituation may naturally beget any difagreeable fufpicion in him, 'tis the part of good-manners to prevent it, by a ftudied difplay of fe timents, directly contrary to thofe of which he is apt to be jealous. Thus, old men know their infirmities, and naturally dread contempt from the youth: Hence, well-educated youth, redouble the inftances of respect and deference to their elders. Strangers and foreigners are without protec In the Self Tormentor of TERENCE, CLINIAS, whenever he comes to town, inftead of waiting on his miftrefs, fends for her to come to him. + My Lord SHAFTSBURY, fee his Moralifts. Tutti gli altri animai, che fono in terra, O che vivon quieti & ftanno in pace ; 8 O fi vengon a riffa, & fi fan guerra, A la femina il mafchio non la face. tion: Hence, in all polite countries, they receive the highest civilities, and are intitled to the first place in every company. A man is lord in his own family, and his guests are, in a manner, fubject to his authority: Hence, he is always the lowest person in the company; attentive to the wants of every one; and giving himself all the trouble, in order to please, which may not betray too vifible an affectation, or impofe too much constraint on his guests*. Gallantry is nothing but an instance of the fame generous and refined attention. As nature has given man the fuperiority above woman, by endowing him with greater ftrength both of mind and body; 'tis his part to alleviate that fuperiority, as much as poffible, by the generofity of his behaviour, and by a studied deference and complaifance for all her inclinations and opinions. Barbarous nations difplay this fuperiority, by reducing their females to the moft abject flavery; by confining them, by beating them, by felling them, by killing them. But the male-fex, among a polite people, difcover their authority in a more generous, tho' not a lefs evident manner; by civility, by refpect, by complaifance, and, in a word, by gallantry. In good company, you need not afk, Who is the master of the feaft? The man who fits in the loweft place, and who is always induftrious in helping every one, is most certainly the perfon. We must either condemn all fuch inftances of generosity, as foppish and affected, or admit of gallantry among the reft. The ancient MUSCOVITES wedded their wives with a whip, instead of a wedding-ring. The fame people, in their own houses, took always the precedency above foreigners, even foreign ambaffadors. These two inftances of their generofity and politenefs are much of a piece. GALLANTRY is not lefs confiftent with wisdom and prudence, than with nature and generofity; and when under proper regulations, contributes, more than any other invention, to the entertainment and improvement of the youth of both fexes. In all vegetables, 'tis obfervable, that the flower and the feed are always connected together; and in like manner, among every species of animals, nature has founded on the love betwixt the fexes their sweetest and best enjoyment. But the fatisfacton of the bodily appetite is not alone of great value; and even among brute creatures, we find, that their play and dalliance, and other expreffions of fondnefs, form the greatest part of the entertainment. In rational beings, we must certainly admit the mind for a confiderable share. Were we to rob the feast of all its garniture of reafon, difcourfe, fympathy, friendship, and gaiety, what remains would scarce be worth acceptance, in the judgment of the truly elegant and luxurious. WHAT better school for manners, than the company of virtuous women; where the mutual endeavor to please must infenfibly polish the mind, where the example of the female foftnefs and modefty muft communicate itfelf to their admirers, and where the delicacy of that fex puts every one on his guard, left he give offence by any breach of decency? The frequent mention in ancient authors of that ill-bred custom of the master of the family's eating better bread or drinking better wine at table, than he afforded his guests, is but an indifferent mark of the civility of those ages. See JUVE NAL. fat. 5. PLINII lib, 14, cap. 13. Alfo PLI N11 Epift. Lucian de mercede conductis, Saturnalia, &c. M 2 I MUST 1 I MUST Confefs, That my own particular choice rather leads me to prefer the company of a few felect companions, with whom I can, calmly and peaceably enjoy the feast of reason, and try the juftness of every reflection, whether gay or ferious, that may occur to me. But as fuch a delightful fociety is not every day to be met with, I must think, that mixt companies, without the fair-sex, are the most infipid entertainment in the world, and deftitute of gaiety and politeness, as much as of fenfe and reafon. Nothing can keep them from exceffive dulnefs but hard drinking; a remedy worse than the disease. AMONG the ancients, the character of the fair-fex was confidered as altogether domestic, nor were they regarded as part of the polite world, or of good company. This, perhaps, is the true reafon why the ancients have not left us one piece of pleafantry, that is excellent, (unless one may except the banquet of XENOPHON, and the dialogues of LUCIAN) tho' many of their ferious compofitions. are altogether inimitable. HORACE Condemns the coarfe railleries and cold jefts of PLAUTUS: But, tho' the moft eafy, agreeable, and judicious writer in the world, is his own talent for ridicule very ftriking or refined? This, therefore, is one confiderable improvement, which the polite arts have received from gallantry, and from courts, where it firft arofe. THE point of bonor, or duelling, is a modern invention, as well as gallantry; and by fome efteemed equally useful for the refining of manners: But how it has contributed to that effect, I am at a lofs to determine. Converfation, among the greatest ruftics, is not commonly infested with fuch rudeness as can give occafion to duels, even according to the most refined laws of this fantastic honor; and, as to the other small indecencies, which are the most offensive, because the most frequent, they can never be cured by the practice of duelling. But thefe notions are not only ufeless: They are alfo pernicious. By feparating the man of honor from the man of virtue, the greateft profligates have got fomething to value themselves upon, and have been able to keep themfelves in countenance, tho' guilty of the moft fhameful and most dangerous vices. They are debauchees, fpend-thrifts, and never pay a farthing they owe: But they are men of honor; and therefore are to be received as gentlemen in all companies. THERE are fome of the parts of modern honor, which are the most effential parts of morality; fuch as fidelity, the obferving promifes, and telling truth. These points of honor Mr. ADDISON had in his eye, when he made JUBA fay, Honor's a facred tye, the law of kings, The noble mind's distinguishing perfection, That aids and strengthens virtue, when it meets her, And imitates her allions where she is not: It ought not to be fparted with. Thefe lines are very beautiful: But I am afraid, that Mr. ADDISON has here been guilty of that impropriety of fentiment, with which, on other occafions, he has fo juftly reproached our poets. The ancients certainly never had any notion of bonor as diftinct from virtue. BUT, to return from this digreffion, I fhall advance it as a fourth obfervation on this head, of the rife and progrefs of the arts and fciences, That when the arts and fciences come to perfection in any state, from that moment they naturally, or rather 3 neceffarily neceffarily decline, and feldom or never revive in that nation, where they formerly flourished. IT must be confeffed, that this maxim, tho' conformable to experience, may, at firft fight, be esteemed very contrary to reason. If the natural genius of mankind be the fame in all ages, and in almost all countries, (as I am of opinion it is) it muft very much forward and cultivate this genius, to be poffeffed of exact patterns in every art, which may regulate the taste, and fix the objects of imitation. The models left us by the ancients gave birth to all the arts about 200 years ago, and have mightily advanced their progrefs in every country of EUROPE: Why had they not a like effect during the reign of TRAJAN and his fucceffors, when they were much more entire, and were still admired and ftudied by the whole world? So late as the emperor JUSTINIAN, the POET, by way of diftinction, was underftood, among the GREEKS, to be HOMER; among the ROMANS, VIRGIL. Such admiration ftill remained for thefe divine geniufes; tho' no poet had appeared for many centuries, who could juftly pretend to have imitated them. A MAN's genius is always in the beginning of his life, as much unknown to himfelf as to others; and 'tis only after frequent trials, attended with fuccefs, that he dares think himself equal to thofe undertakings, in which they who have fucceeded, have fixed the admiration of mankind. If his own nation be already poffeffed of many models of eloquence, he naturally compares his own juvenile exercises with thefe; and being fenfible of the infinite difproportion betwixt them, is difcouraged from any further attempts, and never aims at a rivalfhip with those authors, whom he fo much admires. A noble emulation is the fource of every excellence. Admiration and modefty naturally extinguish this emulation. And no one is fo liable to an excefs of admiration and modefty, as a truly great genius. NEXT to emulation, the greatest encourager of the noble arts is praise and glory. A writer is animated with new force, when he hears the applaufes of the world for his former productions; and, being rouzed by fuch a motive, he often reaches a pitch of perfection, which is equally furprizing to himself and to his readers. But when the pofts of honour are all occupied, his firft attempts are but coldly received by the public; being compared to productions, which are both in themfelves more excellent, and have already the advantage of an established reputation. Were MOLIERE and CORNEILLE to bring upon the ftage at present their early productions, which were formerly fo well received, it would difcourage the young poets, to fee the indifference and difdain of the public. The ignorance of the age alone could have given admiffion to the Prince of TYRE; but 'tis to that we owe the Moor: Had Every man in his humor been rejected, we had never feen VOLPONE. PERHAPS it may not be for the advantage of any nation, to have the arts imported from their neighbors in too great perfection. This extinguishes emulation, and finks the ardor of the generous youth. So many perfect models of ITALIAN painting brought into BRITAIN, inftead of exciting our artifts, is the cause of their fmall progress in that noble art. The fame, perhaps, was the cafe of ROME, when it received the arts from GREECE. That multitude of polite productions in the FRENCH language, difperfed all over GERMANY and the NORTH, hinder the fe nations from cultivating their own language, and keep them ftill dependent on their neighbors for those elegant entertainments. |