may interrupt a fedate Attention.-Afpafio readily confented to the Propofal; but defired, first, to take a Turn in this beautiful Oblong, and divert Himself with the Decorations of the Place.

Afp. A very fhort Survey, Theron, is fufficient to discover the Correctnefs of your Judgment, and the true Delicacy of your Tafte. -Here, are no impertinent and frivolous Exhibitions of romantic Tales, or poetic Stories. Here, are no indecent Pieces of Imagery, that tend to corrupt a chafte, or inflame a wanton Fancy. On the contrary, I am presented with a Collection of Maps, accurately drawn by the most able Hands; and with feveral remarkable Tranfactions of Antiquity, most eloquently told in the Language of the Pencil. You have happily hit that grand Point, which the Gentleman of Refinement, as well as the Author of Genius, fhould ever keep in View The Union of the Beneficial with the Delightful*.

Ther. Indeed, my Afpafio, I have often been disappointed, fometimes even fhocked, in the Gardens, the Porticos, and the Walks of fome modern Virtuofi. Their Pourtraits and Statues are little elfe, but an Affemblage of elaborate Trifles. Ixion ftretched upon the Wheel,

* Omne tulit Punctum, qui mifcuit Utile Dulci.

or

HOR,

or Phaeton precipitated from the Chariot. Apollo ftringing his Lyre, or Jupiter (I beg his fupreme Highness's Pardon, for not giving Him the Precedence in my Catalogue) beftriding his Eagle, and balancing his Bolts.-Pray, where is the Advantage of being introduced to this fabulous Tribe of Gentry? What noble Idea can they awaken, or what valuable Impreffion leave upon the Mind? The beft We can fay of fuch Performances, is, That they are Limning and Sculpture expenfively thrown away.

This celebrated Trumpery, One can bear with, however. But, when the Painting and Sculpture, inftead of cultivating Virtue, and improving our Morals, are calculated to be the very Bane of both will You call this an elegant Entertainment? No: 'tis a Nuifance. 'Tis a Peft.-In the Statues, I grant, every Dimple finks, and every Mufcle fwells, with the exactest Propriety. The Countenance is animated with Life, and the Limbs are ready to start into Motion.-The Picture, I am fenfible, is as highly finished as the Effigy. The Diftributions of Light and Shade most artfully adjusted. The Diminutions of the Perfpective true to a Nicety. Nor can any Thing exceed the eafy Flow of the Robę, unless it be the graceful Attitude, and almost speaking Afpect, of the principal Figure, But, is this masterly Execution an Equivalent for the

moft

most malignant Effects? For fullying the Purity of my Fancy, and poisoning the Powers of my Imagination?

Is it an Indication of the Owner's judicious Taste, to prefer Regularity of Features in the hammered Block, before orderly and harmonious Affections in his own Breaft? Does it bespeak a refined Difpofition, or a benevolent Temper, to be fo extravagantly enamoured with the Touches of a lafcivious Pencil; as to expose them in the most frequented Passages, and obtrude them on every unwary Gueft?Surely, this can create no very advantageous Opinion of a Gentleman's intellectual Difcernment. Much less can it raise an amiable Idea of his moral Character *. On fuch Occafions, I am strongly tempted to fufpect, That real Honour is a Stranger, where common Decency is wanting.

As for the Artist, One can hardly forbear execrating his hateful Folly, who could profitute fuch fine Talents to fuch infamous Purposes.-Detefted be the Chizzel! that

teaches,

* 'Tis Pity, but the Advice of Cicero, that great Mafter of elegant Taste, and polite Manners, was received as a Standard of Regulation, by all our Connoiffeurs in the fine Arts. In primis provideat, ne Ornamenta Edium atque Hortorum Vitium aliquod indicent ineffe Moribus. De Offic.

† A Gentleman, obferving fome grofs Indelicacies of this Kind, at the Seat of a Perfon of Diftinction, very acutely (and, I believe, too justly) faid;

His Paintings are the Gibbet of his Name.

teaches, though with inimitable Dexterity, the cold obdurate Marble to inkindle diffolute Affections.-Abhorred be the Pencil! that makes no other Ufe of the most lovely Colours, than to pollute the Canvafs, and infnare the Spec

tator.

It is argued, I know, that many of those Pieces are the completeft Models extant.-An everlasting Reproach this to the Art: but no Apology for the Performances. Since, the more nicely they are executed, the more mifchievous is their Influence. It ftrikes the

furer,

* I hope, it will not be thought improper; I wifh, it was intirely needlefs; to animadvert upon a Practice, which is, not only a Reproach to our Chriftian Profeffion, but an Infult upon national Decorum. The Practice of expofing to public View, and offering to public Sale, fuch fhameful Prints; as are fitted only to awaken licentious Defires, and cherish the most profligate Difpofitions.

Such Spectacles are a Species of the rankeft Poison. And can the Poifon be lefs pernicious, because it is received at the Eye, instead of paffing through the Lips? Because it tends more immediately to debauch the Morals, and but remotely to destroy the Constitution?-No Wonder, fo many of our Youths are corrupted, and fo many Robberies committed; while fuch Scenes of pictured Lewdness, are fuffered to inflame them with Luft, and habituate them to Impudence.

Another very indecent Custom has unaccountably ftole its Way, into feveral Performances of Genius and Elegance. The Cuftom, I mean, of reprefenting the Mufes, the Graces, and other romantic Perfonages, in the Form of beautiful Ladies, partly, if not intirely, naked.-'Tis true, here are no loofe Adventures; no immodest Gestures; nay more, the Artist expreffes his own, and confults your Modefty, by prefenting You with a Pofition in Profile, by the Intervention of a Foliage, or the Lappet of a Robe.But let me

afk

furer, and finks the deeper. It dreffes Destruction gay, and paves with Beauty the Way to

Ruin.

It is my chief Ambition, Afpafio, to have all my Decorations fo circumstanced, that the Beholder may learn fome valuable Lesson in Morality, or be reminded of fome important Event in Hiftory: may find, even in the Scenes of his Amusement, fomething to establish his Virtue, or inlarge his Knowledge.

I frequently entertain my eldest Son, who is reading the Greek and Latin Hiftorians, with an Explanation of my principal Drawings. That he may behold in Colouring, what He has perused in Narrative. At this Inftant, the Youth happened to make his Appearance; paying his Respects to Afpafio, and dutifully faluting his Father.-It just recurs to my Memory, faid Theron, that fome neceffary Affairs of the Family, require my Attendance for a few Minutes. Will You excufe Will You excufe my Absence, good Afpafio; and permit my Son to supply my Place?

You

afk the ingenious Operator, If He would choose to introduce his Wife or his Daughter, in fuch a Manner, to public Company? Is He startled at the Question? Is He fhocked at the Thought? Then, let Him reflect, and let Others confider, Whether that can be graceful or allowable in a Picture, which would be brutal and unsufferable in common Life?

Socrates (who, before his Application to Philofophy, practifed as a Statuary) could not but blush at this Abuse of his Art. And, being to form a Reprefentation of the Graces, He represented them properly habited.