Le jour qu'elle naquit, Venus, bien qu'im"mortelle,"

Penfa mourir de honte, en la voyant fi belle; "Les Graces à l'envie defcendirent des cieux, "Pour avoir l'honneur d'accompagner fes yeux; "Et l'Amour, qui ne put entrer dans fon courage, "Voulut obftinément loger fur fon vifage."

Would not the author have gained much more admiration from the world, if he had not published these verses; and more esteem from his amorata, if he had joined the propriety and decency of a rational, with the politeffe of a courtier ?

The next figure represented by the critic is the Parenthyrfe, or ill-timed emotion; where an author seems fuddenly inspired with enthufiasm, and launches out into a wild pompofity of expreffion.

The more familiar Parenthyrse discovers itself in private company; as the more serious in writing. When an impertinent coxcomb

tells

tells a story of humor, as he thinks, or cuts what he calls a joke, he is tickled with fatif faction, while the company fits round unaffected, or difgufted at his folly. The genuine merit of one who fpeaks a jeft is to appear infenfible of its wit.

SECTION IV.

HE Frigid favors of the Puerile. It is

Tan eagernefs to the difplay of fantaftic

turns, from occafional poverty of genius, `as the latter may be conftrued to flow from defect of judgement. CONGREVE and MOLIERE had talents for comedy; but from a defire to keep the attention of their readers awake, they have hazarded trivial and vulgar reflections. It is difficult, however, to preserve a due portion of fpirit and confiftency, in compofitions familiarifed from nature and life;

wherein

wherein authors frequently, as old COWLEY writes,

"More would please us, if they pleas'd us lefs."

From this fource fprings the evil of Punning; which is never more to be lamented, than when indulged by men of genius; for being false wit in itself, these labor to give it the appearance of the true, which they too late find to be impracticable.

ORIG.-Αιδημονεστέρας ἔν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοις παρθενων.

This expreffion from XENOPHON seems to require elucidation, which may fufficiently vindicate its propriety. The critic means to offer paffages wherein the Frigid appears: he brings the prefent as a proof. "It is a "cuftom," fays that author," at Sparta, "for the young men to be uninterruptedly "filent; to have their eyes fixed and un" unmoved

"moved as ftatues; fo that they feem," concludes he, "more modeft than Virgins "in their Eyes." This was a law inftituted by LYCURGUS, to keep up a due decorum and referve in Sparta. "The expreffion "than Virgins in their Eyes, is cold and

infipid," fays the critic; " to call the "pupils of the eyes the Seats of Modesty, is "altogether ridiculous, for immodesty apre pears therein as strongly as modefty.” Thus far LONGINUS. I cannot observe, however, any foundation for what LONGINU'S intimates concerning the Pupils of the Eyes. In the paffage, as it really runs, the author mentions not the word xop, which LONGINUs feems to infer: and as for παρθένων εν ὀφθαλμοις, I would thus underftand the words : LYCURGUS is giving laws to the < young men of Sparta: according to ZENO< PHON he advises them to walk with their eyes fixed on the ground; and concludes with faying, " Appear always more modest << in your Looks than even the most modeft "Virgins." The eyes are selected from the whole countenance, as more immediate

<

cha

characteristics of the difpofition. I once imagined the paffage might be read αιδημο νες αλός ἐν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοις παρθενων— σε moft "modeft, even in the eyes of Virgins.". LONGINUS was too hafty in criticifing this paffage. The whole conceit arifes from his own misconstruction.

Some critics would read aλapos inftead of paλuos; which indeed might serve better, if the paffage were understood as LONGINUS expreffes himself.

ORIG.-Τας καλας γυναίκας αλήδονας ὀφθαλμων.

Thefe words of HERODOTUS were spoken by the Perfian ambassadors at the palace of AMYNTAS. Being elevated with joy, they defired the king to fend for fome beautiful women to feast and drink with them, according to the custom of their own country. The king fent, and the women came in, but