No advantages in this world are pure and unmixed. In like manner, as modern politenefs, which is naturally fo ornamental, runs often into affectation and foppery, disguise and infincerity; fo the ancient fimplicity, which is naturally fo amiable and affecting, often degenerates into rufticity and abuse, fcurrility and obfcenity,

If the fuperiority in politenefs fhould be allowed to modern times, the modern notions of gallantry, the natural produce of courts and monarchies, will probably be affigned as the caufes of this refinement. No one denies this invention to be modern*: But fome of the more zealous partizans of the ancients, have afferted it to be foppifh and ridiculous, and a reproach, rather than a credit, to the prefent age t. It may here be proper to examine this question.

Nature has implanted in all living creatures an affection between the fexes, which, even in the fierceft and most rapacious animals, is not merely confined to the fatisfaction of the bodily appetite, but hegets a friendship and mutual fympathy, which runs through the whole tenor of their lives. Nay, even in thofe fpecies, where nature limits the indulgence of this appetite to one feason and to one object, and forms a kind of marriage or affociation between 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 is derived accidentally from fome strong charm of love, or arifes from reflections on

* In the Self Tormentor of TERENCE, CLINIAS, whenever he comes to town, instead of waiting on his mistress, fends for her to come to him.

Lord SHAFTESBURY, fee his Moralifts.

duty and convenience? Nothing, therefore, can proceed lefs from affectation than the paffion of gallantry. It is natural in the highest degree. Art and education, in the moft 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 polifh 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 real injury on 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. Whereever 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 biafs on the oppofite fide, and to preferve, in all their behaviour, the appearance of fentiments different from thofe to which they naturally incline. Thus, as we are commonly proud and felfish, and apt to affume the preference above others, a polite man learns to behave with deference towards his companions, 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, it is the part of good-manners to prevent it, by a ftudied display of fentiments, 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 refpect and deference to their elders. Strangers and foreigners are without protection: Hence,

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in all polite countries, they receive the highest civilities, and are entitled to the firft place in every company. A man is lord in his own family, and his guests are, in a manner, subject 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 visible an affectation, or impose too much constraint on his guests*. Gallantry is nothing but an instance of the fame generous attention. As nature has given man the fuperiority above woman, by endowing him with greater ftrength both of mind and body; it is 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 display this fuperiority, by reducing their females to the most 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, though not a less evident manner; by civility, by respect, by complaisance, 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 lowest place, and who is always industrious in helping every one, is certainly the perfon. We muft either condemn all fuch inftances of generofity, as foppifh and affected, or admit of gallantry among the reft. The ancient MuscOVITES wedded their wives with a whip, instead of a ring. The fame people, in their own houfes, took always the pre

*The frequent mention in ancient authors of that ill-bred cuftom of the mafter of the family's eating better bread or drinking better wine at table, than he afforded his guests, is but ani ndifferent mark of the civility of those ages. See JUVENAL, fat. 5. PLINII lib. xiv. cap. 13. Also PLINII Epift. Lucian de mercede conductis, Saturnalia, &c. There is fcarcely any part of EUROPE at prefent fo uncivilized as to admit of fuch a custom.

cedency above foreigners, even foreign ambaffadors. These two inftances of their generofity and politenefs are much of a piece.

Gallantry is not lefs compatible with wisdom and prudence, than with nature and generafity; and when under proper regulations, contributes more than any other invention, to the entertainment and improvement of the youth of both fexes. Among every fpecies of animals, nature has founded on the love between the fexes their fweetest and beft enjoyment. But the fatisfaction of the bodily appetite is not alone fufficient to gratify the mind; 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 feaft of all its garniture of reafon, difcourfe, fympathy, friendship, and gaiety, what remains would fcarcely 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 endeavour to please muft infenfibly polish the mind, where the example of the female foftnefs and modefty muft communicate itself 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?

Among the ancients, the character of the fair-fex was confidered as altogether domeftic; 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 Dia

*See Relation of three Embaffies, by the Earl of CARLISLE.

logues

logues of LUCIAN), though many of their ferious compofitions are altogether inimitable. HORACE condemns the coarse railleries and cold jefts of PLAUTUS: But, though the most easy, agreeable, and judicious writer in the world, is his own talent for ridicule very striking or refined? This, therefore, is one confiderable improvement, which the polite arts have received from gallantry, and from courts, where it firft arose.

But, to return from this digreffion, I fhall advance it as a fourth obfervation on this fubject, of the rife and progrefs of the arts and fciences, That when the arts and Sciences come to perfection in any state, from that moment they naturally or rather necessarily decline, and feldom or never revive in that nation, where they formerly flourished.

It must be confeffed, that this maxim, though conformable to experience, may, at firft fight, be esteemed contrary to reafon. If the natural genius of mankind be the fame in all ages, and in almost all countries (as seems to be the truth), it must very much forward and cultivate this genius, to be poffeffed of 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 ftill admired and ftudied by the whole world? So late as the emperor JUSTINIAN, the POET, by way of diftinction, was understood, among the GREEKS, to be HOMER; among the ROMANS, VIRGIL. Such admiration ftill remained for thefe divine geniufes; though no poet had appeared for many centuries, who could juftly pretend to have imitated them.

A man's