paffed only for a plain man. Difcretion is the perfection of reafon, and guide to us in all the duties of life: cunning is a kind of instinct, that only looks out after our im mediate interest and welfare. Difcretion is only found in men of ftrong fenfe and good understanding: cunning ist often to be met with in brutes themselves, and in perfons who are but the fewest removes from them. In short, cunning is only the mimic of difcretion, and may pass upon weak men, in the fame manner as vivacity is often mil taken for wit, and gravity for wisdom. THE caft of mind which is natural to a difcreet man, makes him look forward into futurity, and confider what will be his condition millions of ages hence, as well as what it is at prefent. He knows that the mifery or happinefs which are referved for hin in another world, lofe nothing of their reality by being placed at. fo great a diftance from Iriin. The objects do not appear little to him because they are remote. He confiders that those pleasures and pains which lie hid in eternity, approach nearer to him every moment, and will be present with him in their full weight and measure, as much as thofe pains and pleasures which he feels, at this very inftant. For this reafon he is careful to fecure to himself that which is the proper happinefs of his nature, and the ultimate defign of his being. He carries his thoughts to. the end of every action, and confiders the moft diftant as well as the most immediate effects of it. He fuperfedes every little profpect of gain and advantage which offers itself here, if he does not find it confiftant with his views of an hereafter. In a word, his hopes are full of immortality, his fchemes are large and glorious, and his conduct fuitable to one who knows his true intereft, and how to purfue it by proper methods. I HAVE, in this effay upon diferetion, confidered it both as an accomplishment and as a virtue, and have therefore defcribed it in its full extent; not only as it is converfant about worldly affairs but as it regards our whole existence; not only as it is the guide of a mortal creature, but as it is in general the director of a reafonable being. It is in this light that difcretion is reprefented by the wife man, who fometimes mentions it under the name of difcretion, and fometimes under that of wifdom. It is indeed (as defcribed in the latter part of this paper) the greatest wildom, S3 but ན No 226. but at the fame time in the power of every one to attain. Its advantages are infinite, but its acquifition eafy; or, to fpeak of her in the words of the apocryphal writer, whom I quoted in my laft Saturday's paper, Wisdom is glorious, and never fadeth away, yet he is easily feen of them that love her, and found of fuch as feek her. She preventeth them that defire her, in making herself first known unto » them. He that feeketh her early, shall have no great travel; for he shall find her fitting at his doors. To think therefore upon her is perfection of wisdom, and whoso watcheth for her hall quickly be without care. For the goeth about feeking fuch as are worthy of her, fheweth her felf favourably unto them in the ways, and n.ceteth them in every thought. C HOR. A picture is a poem without words. little ufe of to the improvement of our manners. When we confider that it places the action of the perfon reprefented in the most agreeable aspect imaginable, that it does not only exprefs the paffion or concern as it fits upon him who is drawn, but has under thofe features the height of the painter's imagination, what ftrong images of virtue and humanity might we not expect would be inftilled into the mind from the labours of the pencil! This is a poetry, which would be understood with much lefs capacity, and lefs expence of time, than what is taught by writings; but the ufe of it is generally perverted, and that admirable fkill prostituted to the bafeft and moft unworthy ends. Who is the better man for beholding the most beautiful Venus, the beft wrought Bacchanal, the images of fleeping Cupids, languifhing nymphs, or any of the reprefentations of gods, goddeffes, demi-gods, fatires, Polyphemes, Sphinxes, or fawns? but if the virtues and vices, which are sometimes pretended to be reprefented under fuch draughts, were given us by the painter in the characters of real life, and the perfons of men and women, whofe actions have rendered rendered them laudable or infamous; we fhould not fee a good history-piece without receiving an inftructive lecture. There needs no other proof of this truth, than the tefti--. mony of every reasonable creature, who has feen the cartons in her majefty's gallery at Hampton-court: thefe are reprefentations of no less actions than thofe of our bleffed Saviour and his apostles. As I now fit and recollect the warm images which the admirable Raphael has raised, it is impoffible even from the faint traces in one's memory of what one has not feen these two years, to be unmoved at the horror and reverence which appear in the whole affembly when the mercenary man fell down dead; at the amazement of the man born blind, when he first receives fight; or at the gracelets indignation of the forcerer, when he is ftruck blind. The lame, when they first find strength in their feet, ftand doubtful of their new vigour. The heavenly apoftles appear acting thefe great things, with a deep fenfe of the infirmities which they relieve, but no va◄: lue of themselves who administer to their weakness. They know themselves to be but inftruments; and the generous distress they are painted in when divine honours are offered to then, is a representation, in the most exquifite degree, of the beauty of holiness. When St Paul is preaching to the Athenians, with what wonderful art are almost all the different teinpers of mankind reprefented in that elegant audience? You fee one credulous of all that is faid, another wrapt up in deep fufpenfe, another faying there is fome reason in what he says, another angry that the a poftle deftroys a favourite opinion which he is unwilling to give up, another wholly convinced and holding out his hand in rapture, while the generality attend, and wait for the opinion of those who are of leading characters in the affembly. I will not pretend so much as to mention that chart on which is drawn the appearance of our bleffed Lord after his refurrection. Prefent authority, late fuffering, humility and majesty, defpotic command, and divine love, are at once feated in his celeftial afpect. The figures of the eleven apostles are all in the fame paffion of admiration, but difcover it differently according to their characters. Peter receives his master's orders on his knees with an admiration mixed with a more particular attention: the two next with a more open extafy, though still constrained by the the awe of the divine prefence; the beloved difciple, whom I take to be the right of the two firft figures, has in his countenance wonder drowned in love; and the last perfonage, whofe back is towards the fpectators, and his fide. towards the prefence, one would fancy to be St Thomas, as banifhed by the confiience of his former diffidence; which perplexed concern it is poffible Raphael thought too hard a task to draw, but by this acknowledgment of the difficulty to defcribe it. THE whole work is an exercife of the highest piety in the painter; and all the touches of a religious mind are expreffed in a manner much more forcible than can poffibly be performed by the moft moving eloquence. Thefe invaluable pieces are very juftly in the hands of the greatest and most pious fovereign in the world; and cannot be the frequent object of every one at their own leifure: but as an engraver is to the painter what a printer is to an author, it is worthy her majefty's name, that the has en-, couraged that noble artift, Monfieur Dorigny, to publish thefe works of Raphael. We have of this gentleman a piece of the transfiguration, which, I think, is held a work fecond to none in the world. METHINKS it would be ridiculous in our people of condition, after their large bounties to foreigners of no name or merit, fhould they overlook this occafion of having, for a trifling fubfcription, a work which it is impoffible for a man of fenfe to behold, without being warmed with the nobleft fentiments that can be infpired by love, admiration, compaffion, contempt of this world, and expectation of a better. IT is certainly the greateft honour we can do our country, to diftinguifh ftrangers of merit who apply to us with modefty and diffidence, which generally accompanies merit. No opportunity. of this kind ought to be neglected; and a inodeft behaviour should alarm us to examine whe. ther we do not lofe fomething excellent under that difadvantage in the poffeffor of that quality. My skill in paintings, where one is not directed by the paffion of the pictures, is fo inconfiderable, that I am in a very great perplexity when I offer to fpeak of any performances of painters, of landíkips, buildings, or fingle figures. This makes me at a los a.lofs how to mention the pieces which Mr Bou! expofes to fale by auction on Wednesday next, in Shandois-fireet. but having heard him commended, by those who have bought of him heretofore, for great integrity in his dealing, and over-heard him himfelf, tho' a laudable painter, fay, Nothing of his own was fit to come into the room. with thofe he had to fell, I feared I fhould lofe an occafion of ferving a man of worth, in omitting to fpeak of his auction. T No 227. Tuesday, November 20. Ω μοι ἐγώ τι πάθω; τὶ ὁ δύσσοος; ὐχ ὑπακούεις;. Nr THEOCA. I my laft Thurfday's paper, I made mention of a place called the lover's leap, which I find has raised a great curiofity among feveral of my correfpondents. I there told them that this leap was used to be taken from a promontory of Leucas. This Leucas was formerly a part of Acarnania, being joined to it by a narrow neck of nd, which the fea has by length of time overflowed and washed away; fo that at prefent Leucas is divided from the continent, and is a little ifland in the Ionian fea. The promontory of this ifland, from whence the lover took his leap, was formerly called Leucate. If the reader has a mind to know both the island and the promontory by their modern titles, he will find in his map the island ancient of Leu. cas under the name of St Mauro, and the ancient promon tory of Leucate under the name of the cape of St Mauro. SINCE Lam engaged thus far in antiquity, I muft obferve, that Theocritus, in the motto prefixed to my paper, defcribes one of his defpairing fhepherds addreffing himself to his mistress after the following manner: Atas! what will become of me! wretch that I am! will you not hear me? I'll throw off my clothes, and take a leap into that part of the fea which is fo much frequented by Olphis the fisherman. And tho I should escape with my life, I know you! |
