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21.

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A

DIALOGUE

I

ON

BEAUT Y.

T was on one of the most pleasing Mornings in the last Summer, that CRITO ftole from the Noife and Buftle of the Town, to enjoy an agreeable Day, or Two, with his Friend TIMANTHES in the Country. TIMANTHES received him with all that Joy and Pleasure, which is ufual between Friends, who love one another entirely; and who have not met for a confiderable Time. He fhewed him his new Grove, and Gardens; and, as they were walking in the latter, "Since the Weather begins to be fo warm (fays he) if you like it, we will dine under that open Tent. The Air there will be refreshing to you; and will bring us the Smell of the Orange and Lemon-Trees which furround it, without breaking that View of the Country, of which you ufed to be fo fond. When I placed them there, I had you in my Thoughts; and imagined it might bę.

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be a favourite Seat of yours, whenever you came hither; which I wish your Affairs would fuffer to be "much oftener." Indeed the Spot was fo well chosen, that it made not only their Dinner, but even their Conversation together after it, the more agreeable; and as they were still fitting and enjoying themselves there, for fome Time in the Afternoon; a Servant came to let TIMANTHES know, that MILESIUS was just 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 serve 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 wifh to ask the Cause of it; that I might endeavour to alleviate his Concern, if in my Power; and if not that at leaft I might fhare 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 obferved any thing of Sorrow about me on my Firft coming in, I can affure you, that it was not for any Misfortune that has happened to myfelf; nor any new Misfortune to any of our Friends: Whatever you saw 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 Hufband fhe has the Misfortune to be married to. I just called there, before I set 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 thè Liberty of going on without fending in my Name, I walked toward the Room; and found the Door only just 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 ftole filently down her Check. The Diftrefs in her Countenance, and the little Confufion that appeared about her Eyes, on her firft difcovering me (juft as I was doubting whether I fhould retire or not) added fo much to the other Beauties of her Face, that I think I never faw her look fo charmB 3 ing

ing in my Life. "Stay, Sir (fays she); for you,

am fure, can excufe this little Overflow of Weakness in me. 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 fhould 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, fhe recovered her ufual Behaviour; but through all the Calmness and Pleafingness of it, there was ftill a Cloud hanging about her Eyes, which betrayed Part of the Uneafinefs that the daily fuffers under in her Heart. Good Heaven! how is it poffible that any human Creature fhould treat fo much Goodness, and fo many Charms, with fo much Barbarity of Behaviour!"-" We all know, the Vilenefs 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 strange, 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 unin telligible 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 so 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 Moment, on the most delightful Faces?---" And why are those Faces the most delightful, in which that happens?" fays CRITO.---" Nay, that is one of the very things I could least pretend to account for, replied MILESIUS. I am fatisfied with feeing that they are fo; 'tis a fubject that I never yet had a single 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 Calmness 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 refuse me, I am refolved to join with MILESIUS in believing, that it is incapable of having any thing said systematically, or even regularly, about it."--" You know, fays CRITO, how little I love to have all the Talk to nyfelf; and what you propofe may take me up an