present with him in their full Weight and Measure, as much as thofe Pains aud Pleasures which he feels at this very Inftant. For this Reason 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 most distant 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 purfue it by proper Methods. I have, in this Effay upon Difcretion, confidered it both as an Accomplishment and as a Virtue, and have therefore described it in its full Extent; not only as it is converfant about worldly Affairs, but as it regards our whole Existence; 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 sometimes under that of Wifdom. It is indeed (as described 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 eafy; 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 he is easily feen of them that love her, and found of fuch as feek her. She preventeth them that defire her, in making berfelf firft known unto them. He that feeketh ber early, fhall have no great Travel: for he shall find her fitting at his Doors. To think therefore upon her is Perfection of Wisdom, and whofo watcheth for her hall quickly be without Care. For he goeth about feeking fuch as are worthy of her, fheweth herfelf favourably unto them in the Ways, and meeteth them in every Thought. C. Monday, No. 226. Monday, November 19. -Mutum eft pictura poema. A Picture is a Poem without Words. 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 represented 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 those Features the Height of the Painter's Imagination, 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 lefs Capacity, and defs Expence of Time, than what is taught by Writings; but the Ufe of it is generally perverted, and that admirable Skill prostituted to the basest and most unworthy Ends. Who is the better Man for beholding the most beautiful Venus, the best wrought Bacchanal, the Images of fleeping Cupids, languishing Nymphs, or any of the Reprefentations of Gods, Goddeffes, Demigods, Satyrs, Polyphemes, Sphinxes, or Fawns? 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 rendered them laudable or infamous; we should not fee a good Hiftory-Piece without receiving an inftructive Lecture. There needs no other Proof of this Truth, than the Teftimony of every reasonable Creature who has feen the Cartons in her Majefty's Gallery at Hampton-Court: Thefe are Reprefentations of no lefs Actions than thofe of our bleffed Saviour and his Apoftles. As I now fit and recollect the warm Images which the admirable Raphael has raised, it is impoffible even from the faint Traces in one's Memory 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 firft receives Sight; or at the graceless Indignation of the Sorcerer, when he is ftruck blind. The Lame, when they first find Strength in their Feet, ftand doubtful of their new Vigour. The heavenly Apostles appear acting thefe great Things, with a deep Senfe of the Infirmities which they relieve, but no Value of them-” felves who administer to their Weakness. They know themselves to be but Inftruments; and the generous Difrefs they are painted in when divine Honours are offered to them, is a Representation in the moft exquifite Degree of the Beauty of Holiness. When St. Paul is preaching to the Athenians, with what wonderful Art are almost 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 faying there is fome Reafon in what he says, another angry that the Apoftle deftroys a favourite Opi nion 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 Apoftles are all in the fame Paffion of Admiration, but difcover it differently according to their Characters. Peter receives his Master's Orders on his Knees with an Admiration mixed with a more particular Attention: The two next with a more open Ecftafy, though ftill constrained by the Awe of the divine Prefence: 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 laft Perfonage, whose Back is towards the Spectators, and his Side towards the Prefence, one would fancy to be St. Thomas, as abashed by the Confcience of his former Diffidence; which per plexed Concern it is poffible Raphael thought too hard a Talk to draw but by this Acknowledgment of the Difficulty to defcribe it. THE whole Work is an Exercife of the highest Piety in the Painter; and all the Touches of a 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 juftly 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 Majefty's Name, that he has encouraged that noble Artist, 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 second to none in the World. METHINK S 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 inspired by Love, Admiration, Compaffion, Contempt of this World, and Expectation of a better. IT is certainly the greateft Honour we can do our Country, to diftinguifh Strangers of Merit who apply to us with Modesty 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 excel., lent 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 I am in very great Perplexity when I offer to speak 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 expofes to Sale by Auction on Wednesday next in Shandois-fireet: But having heard him commended by thofe who have bought of him heretofore for great Integrity in his Dealing, and overheard him himself (tho' a laudable Painter) fay, Nothing of his own was fit to come into the Room with with those he had to fell, I fear'd I should lofe an Occafion of ferving a Man of Worth, in omitting to speak of his Auction. T No. 227. Tuesday, November 20. Ω μοι ἐγώ τι πάθω; τί ὁ δύσσος; οὐχ ὑπακούεις Theocr. I TN my laft Thurfday'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. 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 prefent Leucas is divided from the Continent, and is a little Island in the Ionian Sea. The Promontory of this Ifland, from whence the Lover took his Leap, was formerly called Leucate. If the Reader has a mind to know both the Iland and the Promontory by their modern Titles, he will find in his Map the antient Inland of Leucas under the Name of St. Mauro, and the ancient Promontory of Leucate under the Name of The Cape of St. Mauro. SINCE I am engaged thus far in Antiquity, I muft obferve that Theocritus in the Motto perfixed to my Paper, defcribes one of his defpairing Shepherds addreffing himself to his Miftrefs after the following manner: Alas! What will become of me! Wretch that I am! Will you not hear me? I'll throw off my Clothes, and take a Leap into that Part of the Sea which is fo much frequented by Olphis the Fisherman. I fhould efcape with my Life, I know you pleafed with it. I fhall leave it with the And tho' will be Criticks to |