able State of Mind which excludes one of the ́greatest Ornaments and Joys of human Life? It must be owned, that he who has digested 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 Pirch, than if they were more diffufed. This is To far from leffening, that it increafes, the Ardour of our Enjoyments: and, if it diminish the Number, it heightens the Value of our FriendThips.

I will not deny, "that the Cultivation of refined Sentiment may give a Man a Difrelish to the general Turn of Converfation. Whenever therefore he cannot find fuch Society as is adapted to his Difpofition, why fhould he be cenfured for ftepping afide from the beaten Track of Life, to indulge in feparate 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,

Where, with her beft Nurse, Contemplation,

She plumes her Feathers, and lets grow her Wings;

Which, in the various Bufile of Refort,

Were all too rufled, 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 fo 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 thefe Ob-. fervations of his Friend, and feemed, by his Coun tenance, to be almoft convinced in this Point.

lar;

4

After a, Paufe-Suppofe, faid he, I fhould allow your Reasonings to be juft, in this Particu and that the Delicacy of Tafte in the Choice of Friends may, perhaps, be an Happinefs rather than a Misfortune; yet I am still doubtful, whether this Quality in generál be a neceffary Attainment. For after all that you 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 fulf Advantage, when plain fet.

The Diamond, returned Philocles, was polifi ed, 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 Artist. 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 fet off with fuitable Embellishments.

Hence it was that Socrates, the wifest and best of all the Gracian Sages, tempered the Harshness of Precepts with an Air of Pleasantry; well knowing, that, to please, was the fureft Way to perfuade. He therefore ftript Philofophy of her uncouth Attire, and gave her a more graceful Mein,

Our chief Business in Life is indeed to form juft Sentiments, in order to produce a just Conduct. Yet fomething still is wanting; fome additional Grace, to make Truth and Virtue operate with full Succefs, both with Refpect to ourfelves and our Fellow-creatures. They may, it is true, procure us the Efteem, but will not be able to gain us the Love of Mankind, without an Happinefs of Manner.

It is with great Juftice Sophronius fets fo high a Value on the generous Affections:, but valuable as they undoubtedly are, yet, if they be not accompanied with a certain Grace, they will neither have the Merit nor Efficacy of Benevolence attended by Delicacy.

It is your Humour, to run down every thing, that tends to Refinement. Yet, from many Instances, you must allow me to fay, that you are

not,

not, in 'Reality, fo great an Enemy to it, as you affect to appear. No Man confers a Favour with a better Grace. Extend your Refinement farther, and you will find it no less useful in the momen tous Affairs of Life. Truth and Virtue are, in thefe Cafes, what Foundation and Strength are to an Edifice they give Solidity and Support. But, if Symmetry, Proportion, and fuitable Decorations, be not added, you cannot boast of a complete Structure. simber plał i d

In every View, Sophronius, it is evident, It think, that the Refinements and Elegancies of Life not only render Men more agreeable and amiable to one another, but are also conducive to the greatest and highest Purposes. For this Reafon perhaps, the Author of our Frame has made us fufceptible of the Pleasures of Imagination; that we might be the more readily gained over to the Interests, of Virtue; when we thus find, that the Way to her lies through the Paths of Pleasure, ot

This feems to be the excellent Defign, and this is ever found to be the conftant Effect of genuine Delicacy. When it confpires with Virtue, its Influence is as furely felt, as its Loveliness is readily acknowledged: like mingled Streams, they become more forcible by being united.

-Thus it is, that thefe mutual Friends confirm and strengthen each other's Interest. Delicacy allures Men to Virtue; and Virtue afcertains and fupports Delicacy. The Connexion between them is ftrong; the Harmony perfect; and the Effects anfwerable..

But

But do we not fee many, neturned Sophronius,' diftinguished for the Elegance of their Taste, both in Arts and Manners, who, at the fame Time, are infenfible of moral Beauty, and utter Stran gers to: the Senfations of inward Harmony and Proportion

It is no uncommon Thing, answered Philocles, for Men to live at Variance with themselves, andi in Contradiation to their own Principles. This must be the Case of those, who cultivate the exterior Embellishments of Life, whilft their Minds lie wafte and neglected; For what is that Principle, on which they ground! their Entertainment and Pleasure of refined Tafte, but a Senfe of Symmetry, Order, and Proportion in Nature? They cannot then but be fenfible, that there is fuch ar Thing as Beauty in the Mind, as well as in the outward Forms, and the latter, however valuable initfelf, yet, when compared with the former, is but of a fubordinate and lower Degree. It is poffible that the Elegance of their Fancy in the inferior Kind may have engrossed their At tention, and made them overlook the fuperior Worth of the other; efpecially where fome una fubdued Paffions concur to help on the Mistake; or the Force of inveterate Habit has taught them to ftop at the low Attainment of fubaltern Beauty. But when Fancy is fatiated, and Reafon has Leifure to operate, they muft, in the philofophic Hour, perceive the Abfundity of admiting Exte rior Symmetry, without recurring to the Inte rior, the more effential Beauty. Wbill there

fore