be a favourite Scat of yours, whenever you came hither; which I wish your Affairs would fuffer to be much oftener." Indeed the Spot was fo well chofen, that it made not only their Dinner, but even their Converfation together after it, the more agreeable; and as they were still fitting and enjoying themselves there, for fome Time into the Afternoon; a Servant came to let TIMANTHES know, that MILESIUS was juft alighted; and was coming toward them. "Though in general I fhould not have chofen to be interrupted To-day (fays TIMANTHES,) I am not forry for MILESIUS's Vifit at prefent; because his Gaiety may ferve a little to divert you." "And I, fays CRITO, love every thing that you love; and fhall therefore go with Pleasure with you to meet him. MILESIUS came up to them with his usual Vivacity in his Face, and Behaviour; and, after a fhort Compliment, or Two, they all fat down together again under the Tent.

They foon fell into a Converfation, which, though it might not be fo folid, was at least more lively and joyous than their former. TIMANTHES could not help obferving upon it. "You (fays he) MILESIUS give Life to the Company wherever you come ; but I am particularly glad of your coming hither To-day, because my Friend CRITO, on his Arrival this Morning, feemed to have the Remains of fomething of a Melancholy on his Face; but, fince your joining us, the Cloud has been gradually clearing up, and seems now quite driven away. I would not then take any Notice of it to him, for fear of oppreffing the Mind

of

of my Friend whilft too much afflicted; but as it now appears to have been only a paffing Cloud, I could wish to ask the Cause of it; that I might endeavour to alleviate his Concern, if in my Power; and if not, that at least I might share it with him." "I am very much obliged to you (replied CRITO, with a Caft of the fame Concern returning on his Face,) for your Tenderness for me, on this, and all other Occafions: But if you observed any thing of Sorrow about me on my Firft coming in, I can affure you, that it was not for any Misfortune that has happined to myself; nor any new Misfortune to any of our Friends: Whatever you faw in me of that kind, must have been occafioned by the Vifit I made this Morning. You both know the Beauty and Merits of Mrs. B * * * as well as what a Brute of a Husband she has the Misfortune to be married to. I just called there, before I fet out; and, on the Servant's telling me, that his Lady had been up fome time, and was fitting in the Room next the Garden; as my near Relation to her gave me the Liberty of going on without fending in 'my Name, I walked toward the Room; and found the Door only juft open enough to let me fee her leaning on a Couch, with her head refted negligently on one Hand, whilft, with the other, fhe was wiping away a Tear, that stole filently down her Cheek. The Diftress in her Countenance, and the little Confufion that appeared about her Eyes, on her first discovering me (just as I was doubting whether I should retire or not,) added fo much to the other Beauties of her Face, that I think I never faw her look fo charm

ing in

in me.

fhe;)

my Life. "Stay, Sir (fays fhe ;) for you, I am fure, can excufe this little Overflow of Weaknefs My poor, dear, Jacky! If Heaven had fpared him to me, he would this very Day have been Seven Years old. What a pretty little Companion Should I have had in him, to have diverted me in fome of the many Hours that I now pass alone!" I diffembled my being but too well acquainted with the real Occafion of her Sorrows; joined with her in lamenting the Lofs fhe had mentioned; and, as foon as I could, led the Converfation into another Channel; and faid every thing I could think of, to divert her Mind from the Object that I knew afflicted her. By Degrees, the recovered her ufnal Behaviour; but, through all the Calmnefs and Pleafingness of it, there was ftill a Cloud hanging about her Eyes, which betrayed Part of the Uneafiness that she daily fuffers under in her Heart. Good Heaven! how is it poffible that any human Creature should treat fo much Goodness, and fo many Charms, with fo much Barbarity of Behaviour !"-We all know the Vileness of the Man, cried MILESIUS, as well as the Beauty and good Qualities of his Lady; but, pray, how come you to think, that her Sufferings fhould add to her Charms? or that a Diftrefs, like her's, could ever be pleafing to the Eye? Some People have got fuch ftrange, unintelligible Notions of Beauty!— "Was I to let you into all my Thoughts about Beauty, replied CRITO, what I happened to mention juft now would, perhaps, appear far from being unintelligible to you. To own the Truth, I have thought on this Subject (which is ufually rather viewed with

too

too much Pleasure, than confidered with any thing of Judgment) more gravely at least, I dare fay, than ever you have: And if you was to provoke me a little farther, I do not know whether I could not lay down to you a fort of Scheme on it; which might go a good Way not only toward clearing up this, but most of the other Difficulties that fo often occur in talking of it."-I fhould as foon think of diffecting a Rainbow, fays MILESIUS, as of forming grave and punctual Notions of Beauty. Who, for Heaven's Sake, can reduce to Rules, what is fo quick, and fo variable, as to be shifting its Appearances every Mo ment, on the moft delightful Faces?" And why are those Faces the moft delightful, in which that happens?" fays CRITO.-Nay, that is one of the very things I could leaft pretend to account for, replied MILESIUS. I am fatisfied with seeing that they are fo; 'tis a fubject that I never yet had a fingle Defire to reafon upon; and I can very willingly leave it to you, to be a Philofopher in Love.-But seriously, interpofed TIMANTHES, turning toward CRITO, if you have ever found Leifure and Calmnefs enough to think steadily on fo uncertain, and fo engaging a Subject; why should not you oblige us with the Refult of your Thoughts upon it? Let me beg it of you, as a Favour to both of us; for I am fure it will be agreeable to both And if you refufe me, I am resolved to join with MILESIUS in believing, that it is incapable of having any thing faid fyftematically, or even regularly, about it."You know, fays CRITO, how little I love to have all the Talk to myself; and what you propose may take me up an B 4.

Hour

Hour, or Two: But if I muft launch out into fo wide a Subject, it will be very necessary, that I should begin with telling you what I chiefly propose to confider, and what not.

EVERY Object that is pleafing to the Eye,

when looked upon, or delightful to the Mind, on Recollection, may be called beautiful; fo that Beauty, in general, may ftretch as wide as the vifible Creation, or even as far as the Imagination can go; which is a fort of new or fecondary Creation. Thus we speak not only of the Beauties of an engaging Profpect, of the rifing or fetting Sun, or of a fine ftarry Heaven; but of those of a Picture, Statue, or Building; and even of the Actions, Characters, or Thoughts of Men. In the greater Part of these, there may be almoft as many falfe Beauties, as there are real; according to the different Taftes of Nations, and Men; so that if any one was to confider Beauty in its fulleft Extent, it could not be done without the greatest Confufion: I fhall therefore confine my Subject to visible Beauty; and of that, to fuch only as may be called perfonal, or human Beauty; and that again, to fuch as is natural or real, and not such as is only national or customary; for I would not have you imagine, that I would have any thing to do with the beautiful thick Lips of the good People of Bantam, or the exceffive small Feet of the Ladies of Quality in China.

I am