fullen Air, and 'reluctant Countenance, as muft offend even the Receiver.Who would not feel the Odiousness of granting a Request with fuch Circumstances of Indécency? Suppofe another Man conferring a Favour with fuch a pleafing Chearfulness and humane Addrefs, as makes the Giver appear to be the Perfon obliged

In this Cafe, it is impoffible for any, but the moft brutal and degenerate, not to be fenfible of the Comeliness of fuch a Demeanor, and applaud this ami le Manher of heightening the Value of a generous Action..

In fuch Points of Behaviour then as thefe, swhich are: the moft material Parts of Goodbreeding, we have the fame Rule to form our Judgments, as in the imitative Arts. They depend not on the Caprice of Fafhion, or the varying Complexion of Times and Climates; but are founded on that internal Senfe of Decorum, that universal Humanity common and natural to all Mankind; which is the Ground of our Love and Hatred, the Guide of our Approbation and Dislike... 13

If we proceed farther, and extend our Enqui-ries to Things of higher Importance, to the nobleft and most effential Beauty, the Purity of a moral Condu&t.

1. That Culture of the Mind, interrupted Sophro nius, which leads a Man to fee and feel the Comelinefs of Virtue, has undoubtedly a fure Founda tion, and an infallible Standard in Nature. And as this kind of Refinement is of the highest Con

cern to us, it must be allowed to have a juft Claim to our beft, Attention and Regard. But here, Philcoles, I muft ftop. Any thing, beyond this, feems to me a Misfortune rather than an Happinefs.

It has been justly obferved, that Men of a delicate Frame are too fenfibly affected with the Accidents of Life, Upon any profperous Event, their Spirits are apt to be elevated beyond all Bounds: And in Adversity, their Grief pierces fo deep into the tender Frame, that it comes infupportable. It is poffible, perhaps, that in fome Instances they may have more lively Enjoyments than Men of a coarfer Mould; but then they have alfo more pungent Sorrows. Occurrences which would have no Effect upon a stronger Mind, af-flict them to the last Degree: the most - trivial Difappointment, the Omiffion of a Geremony, a careless Word or Gefture, may even a 'Look, will difcompofe, their Temper, and caft an heavy Gloom on their Minds. I

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This obfervation, returned Philocles, is founded on a mistaken Notion of the true Character of Delicacy. If fine Senfations are not fupported with trong Senfe, they dwindle into Effeminacy: nor had ever any Man an elegant Tafte, who had not alfo a found Understanding. There is, indeed, in a delicate Frame, a certain Degree of Softness; but then it is only just as much as fuffices to prevent the Inconveniences, that attend upon the rough and boisterous Paffions. Some

to murit to onid thing,

thing, it must be owned, there is in it, not unlike a feminine Tenderness; but no more than -farves to render the Mind fufceptible of the fine Impreilions of Beauty, and give Amiableness to that mafculine Strength, on which a delicate Tafte fo much depends, that it cannot possibly fubfift 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 Circumstances to be compared; that it is impoffible any one can arrive at true Refinement, who has not trong natural Abilities. There may, it is true, be good Senfe, where the Exquifiteness of Tate is wanting: bút there can be no exquifite Tate without good Senfein?

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That Frame of Mind, therefore, which you reprefent as labouring under all the Inconveniences sof nice and tender Senfations, I can by no Means Jallow to have any fair Pretenfions to the Character of Genuine Delicacy which is never attended with thofe Confequences, that flow from an Imbecillity of Paffions.twit

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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 mention: one which I think, thould very much abate a Man's Ardour of obtaining this Quality. As it has fuch an ment to every thing that is

inviolable Atta ch elegant and polite;

" and

" and fuch an Abhorrence of In elegance and "Coarfenefs [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 Expectatious 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 muft therefore be disagreeable and irksome 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 himself into a Difinelination to be pleased with the Intercourfes of almost all around him, and the ordinary Satisfacti ons 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 fuch uncultivated Mortals. But in vain does he feek Redrefs 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 fettled Mifanthropy.

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 dif eafed Conftitution of Mind?

How different is the State of that Man, who is not over-nice and curious in his Demands of focial Intercourse! 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 pleased, he can fcarce converse with any of his Fellow-creatures, without fome Degree of Entertainment.

That Refinement then, which robs a Man of thefe ordinary Satisfactions, is furely rather to be avoided than purfued: and a Temper even the moft infenfible to every Beauty and Grace, is far preferable to a Difpofition fo hard to be pleased, and which can be fo feldom gratified.

If this Delicacy of Tafte, 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 strong foever his Senfe may be, is not nice and exact in felecting his Acquaintance: almost any are fufficient to anfwer 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 defire

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