it, not unlike a feminine Tenderness; but no more than ferves to render the Mind fufceptible of the fine Impreffions of Beauty, and give Amiableness to that mafculine Strength, on which a delicate Taste so much depends, that it cannot poffiblyfubfift without it. To be able to form a right Judgment of Arts and Manners; to fee and feel their Symmetry and Proportion; there are, you must be fenfible, fo many Views to be taken in, and fuch Variety of Circumftances to be compared; that it is impoffible any one can arrive at true Refinement, who has not ftrong natural Abilities. There may, it is true, be good Senfe, where the Exquifiteness of Tafte is wanting: but there can be no exquifite Tafte without good Senfe. That Frame of Mind, therefore, which you reprefent as labouring under all the Inconveniences of nice and tender Senfations, I can by no Means allow to have any fair Pretenfions to the Character of Genuine Delicacy; which is never attended with those Confequences, that flow from an Imbecillity of Paffions, Were I to allow this, returned Sophronius, yet Delicacy, according to your own Idea of it, is certainly liable to many unhappy Confequences. Let me mëntion one; which, I think, fhould very much abate a Man's Ardour of obtaining this Quality. As it has fuch an inviolable Attachment to every thing that "is elegant and polite; and fuch an Abhorrence of "Inelegance and Coarfeness [b]; it must neceffarily deprive a Man of that great Satisfaction in Life, the Frequency of focial Enjoyment. Seldom will he be able to find Company adapted to his Tafte; his Ex[b] Vide p. 302, fupra. pectations pectations run high; and the Fund to fupply them is extreme fcanty. How few are there, who ever aim at fuch Refinement! How much fewer, who attain it! The Generality of Men must therefore be difa greeable and irkfome to him: and he will very rarely meet with one, from whofe Society he can receive any tolerable Degree of Entertainment. What then has he gained by this faftidious Nicenefs? He has refined himfelf into a Difinclination to be pleased with the Intercourses of almoft all around him, and the ordinary Satisfactions of his Being. Forfaking therefore, his own Kind, he refolves, in a Fit of Spleen, to fequefter himself from the World, as being too delicate to live amongst such uncultivated Mortals. But in vain does he feek Redress from Solitude for, by this Eftrangement from human Commerce, he contracts, by Degrees, fuch an inveterate Peevishness and Severity, as imbitters his whole Life and ends, perhaps, at last in a settled Misanthropy. This, Philocles, may prove, and, I doubt not, has often proved, the Confequence of cultivating fuch a Delicacy of Sentiment. And is this a defirable State? Is it any Symptom of a found Habit? On the contrary; are not these the fad Indications of a vitiated and diseased Conftitution of Mind? How different is the State of that Man, who is not over-nice and curious in his Demands of focial Intercourfe! As he has not raised his Ideas of human Nature to an immoderate Height, he is content to take Mankind as he finds them, with Allowances to their Foibles and Imperfections. And, as he has not refined his Senfations into an Inaptitude of being pleafed, he can scarce converse with any of his Fellowcreatures, without fome Degree of Entertainment. That Refinement then, which robs a Man of these ordinary Satisfactions, is furely rather to be avoided than pursued and a Temper even the moft infenfible to every Beauty and Grace, is far preferable to a Difpofition fo hard to be pleafed, and which can be fo feldom gratified. If this Delicacy of Taste, replied Philocles, narrows the Circle of our Friendships, it certainly renders them more perfect. An Indifference to the Company and Converfation of the many, will add Strength and Duration to our particular Attachments. It is very true, a Man of an unrefined Frame, how ftrong foever his Senfe may be, is not nice and exact in selecting his Acquaintance: almoft any are fufficient to answer his Demands. Such a Man has not Senfations fine enough to make an Election; and has therefore no Friends, because he has no Delicacy. But is that a defireable State of Mind which excludes one of the greatest Ornaments and Joys of human Life? It must be owned, that he who has digefted his Obfervations on Mankind, and formed his Mind to an Excellence and Elegance of Sentiment, cannot take any great Delight in mixt and undistinguished Company; and will therefore be inclined to limit his Friendships and Acquaintance. But his Affections, being thus circumfcribed within narrow Bounds, will confequently rife to an higher Pitch, than if they were more diffused. This is so far from leffening, that it increases, the Ardour Ardour of our Enjoyments: and, if it diminish the Number, it heightens the Value of our Friendships. I will not deny, that the Cultivation of refined Sentiment may give a Man a Difrelish to the general Turn of Conversation. Whenever therefore he cannot find fuch Society as is adapted to his Difpofition, why should he be cenfured for ftepping afide from the beaten Track of Life, to indulge in separate Thought, and the calm Delights of Self-enjoyment? This furely is a Measure rather to be applauded than condemned; and what every fenfible Man would pursue in fuch a Cafe: for, Wisdom's felf Oft feeks to fweet retired Solitude, Were all too ruffled, and fometimes impaired [c]. Let him not remain too long fequeftered, but return in proper Time to mix again with the World; and his Conduct can neither be deemed inconfiftent with focial Affection, nor have any ill Effect upon his Temper. If indeed he extend his Love of Retirement so far, as abfolutely to exclude himself from Society, I cannot undertake his Vindication. He is gone beyond the Point of Perfection, and is therefore indelicate. Sophronius attended very earnestly to these Obfervations of his Friend, and feemed, by his Countenance, to be almost convinced in this Point. After a Paufe-Suppofe, faid he, I fhould allow your Reasonings to be juft, in this Particular; and that the Delicacy of Tafte in the Choice of Friends. may, perhaps, be an Happiness rather than a Misfortune; yet I am ftill doubtful, whether this Quality in general be a neceffary Attainment. For after all that have faid, or can poffibly urge farther on this Subject, I am perfuaded, that good Senfe, a right Mind, and generous Affection, have fuch a native Comelinefs, that they ftand in Need of no adventitious Ornaments, but, like Diamonds, appear to full Advantage, when plain fet. you The Diamond, returned Philocles, was polifhed, before it was fet. And whatever Value it might have in its rough State; it had certainly no Beauty, till it came from the Hands of the judicious Artift. Thus it is with Senfe and Virtue: they are Jewels indeed, even when rough and unadorned: but furely their Merit is more attractive, and they command a much higher Eftimation, when they are set off with fuitable Embellishments. Hence it was that Socrates, the wisest and best of all the Gracian Sages, tempered the Harfhnefs of Precepts with an Air of Pleasantry; well knowing, that, to please, was the fureft Way to perfuade. He therefore ftript Philosophy of her uncouth Attire, and gave her a more graceful Mein. Our chief Business in Life is indeed to form just Sentiments, in order to produce a juft Conduct. Yet fomething ftill is wanting; fome additional Grace, to make Truth and Virtue operate with full Success, both with Respect to ourselves and our Fellow-crea tures. |