nature delights to work in miniature, and whofe matter being almoft imperceptible, acts in fuch a manner, that it is doubtful whether the intends to discover or conceal her art. Such is a perfect infect, the more worthy of admiration, as it is lefs visible, according to Pliny, p. 158, 160.

Let us fay, by way of analogy, that a delicate thought has this property, viz. to be comprized in a few words; and that it's fenfe is not fo vifible or confpicuous. One would at firft fight imagine, that it conceals a part of its fenfe on purpofe that we may fearch after, and guefs at it; or at least, that the only presents a glimpse of it, to give us the pleasure of difcovering it entirely, if we have genius: for as we have good eyes, and employ even those of art, I mean telescopes and microscopes, to behold the master-pieces of nature; the intelligent and clear-fighted only are capable of discovering the whole force and sense of a fine thought. This little myftery is, as it were, the foul of the delicacy of thoughts; fo that those which have nothing myfterious either in their foundation or turn, and difcover themselves entirely at first fight, are not properly delicate, how witty foever they may be in other refpects. Whence we may conclude, that delicacy adds fomething inexpreffible to the fublime, and to the agreeable or beautiful, which will appear more clearly by examples, p. 160, 161.

Pliny the panegyrift tells his Monarch, who had long refufed the title of father of his country, and would not receive it till he thought he had deferved it; You are the only man who has been the father of bis country, before you were made fo, p. 162.

The river which made Egypt fo fruitful, by its régular inundations, having miffed overflowing for one feafon, Trajan fent great quantities of corn for the

Auditoribus grata funt hæc, quæ cum intellexerint, acumine fuo delectantur, & gaudent, non quafi audiverint, fed quafi invene

rint. Quintil. 1. 8. c. 2,

• Soli omnium contigit tibi, ut pater patriæ effes, antequam fieres.

relief of the people. The Nile, fays Pliny, never flowed more abundantly for the glory of the Romans, p. 163.

The fame author fays upon Trajan's entry into Rome; Some proclaimed aloud, that they had feen enough after they had feen you; and others that it was now neceffary to extend life to the utmost, p. 165.

There is a great deal of delicacy in Virgil's reflection on the imprudence or weakness of Orpheus, who, as he was bringing back his wife out of hell, looked back, and loft her the fame inftant: A pardonable folly indeed, if the infernal Gods were capable of pardoning, p. 178.

f

There is no lefs delicacy in Cicero's applaufe of Cæfar; 'Tis ufual with you to forget nothing but injuries, p. 209.

t

Befides the delicacy of thoughts, which are merely ingenious, there is one that refults from the fentiments, in which the natural affections have a greater share than the understanding. I shall never fee you more, fays a poet on occafion of the death of a brother he loved paffionately; I fhall never fee you more, my dear brother; you who were dearer to me than life: but I will love you for ever. Another fpeaks thus of a perfon who was very dear to him: "You are to me a numerous company in the moft folitary and defert places. But there is nothing more delicate than the complaints of a turtle dove, introduced fpeaking in a little dialogue in verfe, between that bird and a man who paffes by.

Que fais-tu dans ce bois plaintive tourterelle ?
Turtle, why moan you in this grove?

LA TOUR TERELLE.

Je gémis: j'ai perdu ma compagne fidele.
The lofs, alas! of her I love.

LE PASSANT.

Ne crains tu point que l'oifeleur
Ne te faffe mourir comme elle?

The fowler's art doft thou not fear,
Who thy complaints perhaps may hear?

LA TOUR TEREL LE.

Si ce n'eft lui, ce fera ma douleur.

No, 'tis from him I hope relief,

AL

The end of life, the end of grief. p. 213, 216, 217.

I fhall conclude this extract with a reflection no lefs rational than witty, of father Bouhours; it is in his book of ingenious thoughts. Whatever, fays he, is most delicate in the thoughts and expreffions of authors who have writ with great juftnefs (and delicacy) is loft, when turned into another language; not unlike thofe exquifite effences whofe fubtil perfumes evaporate, when poured out of one veffel into another, p. 95.

Of fhining thoughts.

There is a kind of thoughts, little known to the writers of the Auguftan age, and which were in no efteem or currency, till the decline of eloquence. Thefe confift in a fhort, lively, and fhining way of expreffing one's felf; which please chiefly by means of a certain point of wit, that ftrikes us by its boldnefs and novelty, and by its ingenious, but very uncommon turn. Seneca had a great fhare in introducing

that

that vicious taste at Rome; and it was fo general and predominant in Quintilian's time ", that the orators made it a law among themselves, to close almoft every period with some sparkling thought, in order to gain the plaudits and acclamations of the auditors.

Quintilian's reflections upon that fubject are very judicious. He does not condemn fuch kind of thoughts in themselves, which may make an oration great and noble, and give it at the fame time strength, grace, and elevation; he only condemns the abuse and too great affectation of it. Y He would have them be looked upon as the eyes of the difcourfe; and eyes must not be spread over the whole body. z He agrees that this new ornament may be added to the manner of writing among the ancients, as it was allowed to add to the ancient way of living, a certain neatness and elegance, which could not be condemned, and of which even endeavours fhould be used to make a kind of virtue; but excess fhould be avoided. a For after all, the ancient fimplicity of fpeaking would ftill be more valuable than this new licence.

Indeed, when thefe thoughts are too numerous, they hurt and fupprefs one another, like trees planted too near together; and occafion the fame obfcurity and confufion in an oration, which too many figures do in a picture..

Nunc illud volunt, ut omnis locus, omnis fenfus, in fine fermonis feriat aurem. Turpe autem ac prope nefas ducunt, refpirare ullo loco, qui acclamationem non petierit. Quintil. 1. 8. c. 5.

Y Quod tantum in fententia bona crimen eft? Non caufæ prodeft? non judicem movet? non dicentem commendat? Ibid.

YEgo hæc lumina orationis velut oculos quofdam eloquentiæ effe credo: fed neque oculos effe toto corpore velim. Ibid.

Patet media quædam via: ficut in cultu victuque acceffit aliquis ci

I

Befides, as thefe thoughts, whose beauty confifts in being fhort and lively, are diftinct from one another, and each forms a complete fenfe; the oration from thence becomes very disjointed and concife, without any connexion, and, as it were, compofed rather of pieces and fragments, than of the members and parts, which form a whole or perfect body. Now fuch a compofition feems to be entirely oppofite to the harmony of an oration, which requires more connexion and extent.

We may likewife fay, that these fhining thoughts cannot fo juftly be compared to a luminous flame, as to thofe fparks of fire which fly through the smoke.

* In fine, when our only care is to croud them one upon the other, we become very indelicate in diftinguifhing and chufing; and among fuch a number there muft neceffarily be a great many flat, puerile and ridiculous ones.

It is obvious to those who are ever fo little acquainted with Seneca, that what I have now faid, is his portrait and the peculiar character of his writings; and Quintilian obferves it evidently in another place f where after doing juftice to the merit and learning of that great man, and acknowledging that we find in his works a great number of beautiful thoughts and just

Facit res eadem concifam quoque orationem. Subfiftit enim omnis fententia; ideóque poft eam utrique aliud eft initium. Unde foluta ferè oratio, & è fingulis non membris fed fruftis collara, tructurâ caret; cùm illa rotunda & undique circumcisa infiftere invi. cem nequeant. Ibid.

Lumina illa non flammæ fed fcintilis inter fumum emicantibus, familia dixeris. Ibid.

Hoc quoque accidit, quod folas captanti fententias, multas neceffe eft dicere leves, frigidas, ineptas. Non enim poteft effe delectus, ubi numero laboratur. Ibid.

* Multæ in eo claræque fenten

tix, multa enim etiam morum gratiâ legenda: fed in eloquendo corrupta pleraque, atque eo perni ciofiffim, quod abundant dulcibus vitiis. Velles eum fuo ingenio dixiffe, alieno judicio. Nam... fi non omnia fua amaffet, fi rerum pondera minutiffimis fententiis non fregiffet, confenfu potius eruditorum, quam puerorum amore comprobaretur. .... Multa probanda in eo, multa etiam admiranda funt, eligere modo curæ fit: quod utinam ipfe feciffer! Digna enim fuit illa natura, quæ meliora vellet, quæ quod voluit effecit. Quintil. I, 10. c. I.