To foften that Hand, and to Curl thofe lovely Locks! Whilst all the Graces attend as invifible Handmaids, to finish the Work of Elegance. And when the bufy Scene is over, and he is decorated in every minute Circumftance with the moft Perfect Concinnity; behold, with what a foft Air and fweet Complacency he prefents himself to View, and like Horace's Barine coming from her Toilet, Thus have I prefented to the Reader's View, an Enumeration of the feveral Qualities which constitute A PRETTY GENTLEMAN. From whence it is easy to collect the true Notion of Genuine Elegance; which, without any Apprehenfion of being difproved, I do not hesitate to define thus "Elegance is the Abfence or Debilitation of Mafculine Strength and Vigour,-Or rather, "The Happy Metamorphofis,-Or, The Gen"tleman turned Lady; that is, Female Softness 66 adopted into the Breaft of a Male, difcovering "itfelf by outward Signs and Tokens in Femi"nine Expreffions, Accent, Voice, Air, Gesture, " and Looks. Or, as the French more clearly "define it, A je ne sçai quoi.” And now I appeal to the Judgment of the Impartial, whether This be a Character, which deferves that Contempt and Ridicule some rude and undifciplined Spirits have endeavoured to throw upon upon it? It is impoffible that any serious Perfon can entertain fuch a Thought. : I call therefore upon the Wisdom of the Nation I call upon the L-ds, K-ts, and B-s, now affembled in Pt, to interpofe in this important Caufe, this truly National Concern. The Question is, Whether we fhall become more than Men, that is, Pretty Gentlemen; or worse than Brutes, i. e. Masculine, Robuft Creatures with unfoftened Manners. The latter will infallibly be the Cafe, if an effectual Stop be not -put to that licentious Raillery, which would laugh out of Countenance the generous Endeavours of a Race of virtuous Youths, to polish our Afperity, mollify us into gentle Obfequiousness, and give us a true Relish of all the dulcet Elegancies of Life? I will fpeak without Referve: Should not the Theatres be abfolutely demolished? We have already in vain tried the lenient Meafures of Reftriction. Why then should we not now have Recourse to the laft Remedy, and cut down the Tree, which, after all our Pruning and Culture, still continues to produce poisonous Fruit? The indulgent Reader, I dare fay, will approve the Method I prefcribe. But perhaps fo many Difficulties may arife to his Imagination, that he will conclude it impracticable. Difficulties there are, no doubt; but One there. is, which, if He can furmount, I myself will undertake to remove all the rest. Here lies the grand Impediment! How can we expect the Favour of the Learned, or the Protection of the State, to cherish and support This Re finement, finement, when its most inveterate Enemy is the very Man, who has always been the Standard of Tafe with the former; and is now raised to a Poft, which gives him fuch an unhappy Influence in the latter? Unhappy indeed for the Sons of Elegance! For what can the most Sanguine expect from one, who has made it the Business of his Life, to bring into Repute the falfe Refinements of ancient Greece and Rome? Will a Perfon of his Masculine Talents become the Patron of foft and dulcified Elegance? Will He give up that Attic Wit, which has gained him fuch high Applaufe, and made him the Delight of a mifjudging World, to cultivate Qualities, in which he is not formed to excel? What then remains, but that the Sons of Elegance wait with Patience (for they are too gentle to ufe any violent Methods) till the kind Fates shall remove this implacable Adversary out of the World. And then, my foreboding Heart affures me, true Politenefs will thrive and profper, and spread her sweet mollifying Influences over the Land, till nothing shall be heard of or feen, but Softness and Complaifance, Prettiness and Elegance, Infantine Prattle, Lullaby Conversation, and gentle Love; and every well educated Male amongst us fhall become Mollis & parùm Vir; A PRETTY GENTLEMAN. THE THE POLITE PHILOSOPHER: OR An ESSAY on that ART which makes a Man happy in himself, and agreeable to others. He who intends' advise the young and gay, First Printed in the Year 1734 VOL I. M |