was able, he went to their Church (for he was a Roman Catholic) to return Thanks to Heaven for his Recovery. A Man of so good a Figure, and fo well dreft, had probably never before, been within the Walls of that Chapel. Every body's Eyes were fixed upon him; and as they went out, they cried out, loud enough for him to hear them; "O how 66 completely handsome would that Man be, if he "had but a Goter!"

In fome of the most military Nations of Africa, no Man is reckoned handfome that has not Five or Six Scars in his Face. This Cuftom might, poffibly, at first, be introduced among them to make them lefs afraid of Wounds in that Part, in Battle; but, however that was, it grew at last to have so great a Share in their Idea of Beauty, that they now cut and flash the Faces of their poor little Infants, in order to give them those Graces when they are grown up, which are fo necessary to win the Hearts of their Miftreffes; and which, with the Affiftance of fome Jewels, or Ingots of Gold, in their Noses, Ears, and Lips, muft certainly be irresistible to the Ladies of that Country.

The Covering each Cheek all over with a burning Sort of Red Color, has long been looked upon in a neighbouring Country to be as necessary to render a Fine Lady's Face completely beautiful, as these Scars are for the Beaux in Africa.

'Tis really furprising, that there should be fo wide a. Difference in the Taftes of Two Countries, as VOL. I.

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there

there is in this Particular between the French and us when the bordering People of each live nearer together, than the Inhabitants do in the Extremes of one of our own moderate Counties; as, for Inftance, in this good County of Surrey, in particular,

The first Time I faw the Ladies all ranged in the Front of the Boxes, at the Opera at Paris, they seemed to me to look like a long Bed of high-coloured full-blown Pionies in a Garden.

The Two prettieft Women I have ever seen, are the Duchefs of B ***, in France, and Mrs. A***, in England; and the very Reason why I fhould give the Preference to the latter of the Two is, that the former is obliged, by the Fashion of the Country where the lives, to heighten the Color of the Rofes which Nature had scattered over her Cheeks, into one great Mass of Vermilion.

Were a Frenchman, on his firft Coming over hither, to fee a Sett of our greatest Beauties all in a Row, he might, probably, think them like a Bed of Lilies; or, at leaft, like a Border of light-coloured Pinks.

In fact, when the Count de Grammont was in England in King Charles the Second's Time, when the Court was fo gay, and so particularly well furnished with Beauties; he faid, "That the English Ladies "were particularly handfome; but that it was a "great Pity that they were all fo pale."

The

The natural Complexion of the Italian Ladies is of a higher Glow than ours usually are; and yet Mr. Addifon is very juft, in making a Numidian call the Ladies of the fame Country, "[m] Pale, unri"pened Beauties."

The Prince of Annamaboo, who had been so long, and laterly so much used to the European Complexion, yet faid, a little before he left London; "That "Mifs C*** would be the most charming Wo"man in the World, if she was but a Negro."

I remember to have read, in an Account of fome of the fartheft Travels that any of our People have made up the River Gambia; that when they came to fome Villages, where, probably, no Europeans had ever been before, the Women ran frightened and fcreaming from them; on taking them to be Devils, merely on Account of the Whiteness of their Complexion.

I cannot help obferving to you, that Heaven is very good and merciful to Mankind even in making us capable of all this Variety of Mistakes. If every Perfon judged exactly right of Beauty, every Man

[m] The glowing Dames of Zama's royal Court
Have Faces flusht with more exalted Charms:
The Sun, that rolls his Chariot o'er their Heads,
Works up more Fire and Color in their Cheeks:
Were you with thefe, my Prince, you'd foon forget
The pale, unripen'd, Beauties of the North!

Syphax, to Juba; in Cato. A&ti, Scene 4.
that

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that was in Love in fuch a District, would be in Love with the fame Woman. Only confider of what fatal Confequence that muft be, in any City or Town that you are beft acquainted with. The acknowledged Fair one, in the fame Manner, could choose out but one happy Man for her Favourite, in all her Town of Lovers; and all the rest must be left in a State of Defpair. This (as bad as it would be) is only the best Side of the Cafe, and supposing every thing to be carried on with a Patience and Tranquillity, which would then be almost impoffible; for, in Truth, if the Affections of all centred on the same Object, nothing but perpetual Quarrels and Mischiefs would be to be apprehended. The fuperior Beauty of each Hamlet would be the Object of the Hate and Malice of all the reft of her own Sex in it; and the Caufe of Diffenfion and Murders among all of the other. If this would hold in one Town, it would hold, for the fame Reasons, in every other Town or Diftrict; and of Courfe, there would be nothing more wanting than this univerfal right Judgment of Beauty, to render the whole World one continued Scene of Blood and Mifery.

But now that Fancy has, perhaps, more to do with Beauty than Judgment, there is an Infinity of Tastes, and confequently an Infinity of Beauty; for, to the Mind of the Lover, fuppofed Beauty is full as good as real. Every body may now choose out what happens to hit his own Turn and Caft. The honest Ruftic can think himself happy in his Woman of a good ftrong Make, and Sun-burnt frowfy Complexion;

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plexion; the fine Gentleman may be bleft in his Coquette; the common Soldier can delight himself with his Gin-drinking Trull; and the Captain with his military Mistress.

This increases the Extent of Beauty vaftly, and makes it in a Manner universal; for there are but few People, in comparison, that are truly beautiful; but every body may be beautiful in the Imagination of fome one or other. As I have faid before, fome may delight themselves in a black Skin, and others in a white; fome in a gentle natural Rofiness of Complexion, others in a high, exalted, artificial Red; fome Nations, in Waifts difproportionably large; and another, in Waifts as difproportionably fmall. In fhort, the most oppofite Things imaginable may each be looked upon as beautiful, in whole different Countries; or by different People, in the fame Country.

I should be apt to make a Diftinction here again, as to the Two former Parts of Beauty, and the Two latter. Fancy has much more to do in the Articles of Form and Color, than in those of the Paffions and Grace. The good Paffions, as they are vifible on the Face, are apparent Goodness, and that must be generally amiable; and true Grace, whereever it appears to any Degree, I fhould think, muft be pleafing to every human Creature; or, perhaps, this may never appear in the Women of any Nation, where the Men are grown fo favage and brutal, as to have loft all Tafte for it.