of the rise and progress of the arts and sciences-第6章

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every　one；　is　certainly　the　person。　We　must　either　condemn　all

such　instances　of　generosity；　as　foppish　and　affected；　or　admit

of　gallantry　among　the　rest。　The　ancient　Muscovites　wedded　their

wives　with　a　whip；　instead　of　a　ring。　The　same　people；　in　their

own　houses；　took　always　the　precedency　above　foreigners；　even＇17＇

foreign　ambassadors。　These　two　instances　of　their　generosity　and

politeness　are　much　of　a　piece。

　　　　　Gallantry　is　not　less　compatible　with　　and

；　than　with　　and　；　and　when　under

proper　regulations；　contributes　more　than　any　other　invention；　to

the　and　　of　the　youth　of　both　sexes。

Among　every　species　of　animals；　nature　has　founded　on　the　love

between　the　sexes　their　sweetest　and　best　enjoyment。　But　the

satisfaction　of　the　bodily　appetite　is　not　alone　sufficient　to

gratify　the　mind；　and　even　among　brute…creatures；　we　find；　that

their　play　and　dalliance；　and　other　expressions　of　fondness；　form

the　greatest　part　of　the　entertainment。　In　rational　beings；　we

must　certainly　admit　the　mind　for　a　considerable　share。　Were　we

to　rob　the　feast　of　all　its　garniture　of　reason；　discourse；

sympathy；　friendship；　and　gaiety；　what　remains　would　scarcely　be

worth　acceptance；　in　the　judgment　of　the　truly　elegant　and

luxurious。

　　　　　What　better　school　for　manners；　than　the　company　of　virtuous

women；　where　the　mutual　endeavour　to　please　must　insensibly

polish　the　mind；　where　the　example　of　the　female　softness　and

modesty　must　communicate　itself　to　their　admirers；　and　where　the

delicacy　of　that　sex　puts　every　one　on　his　guard；　lest　he　give

offence　by　any　breach　of　decency。

　　　　　Among　the　ancients；　the　character　of　the　fair…sex　was

considered　as　altogether　domestic；　nor　were　they　regarded　as　part

of　the　polite　world　or　of　good　company。　This；　perhaps；　is　the

true　reason　why　the　ancients　have　not　left　us　one　piece　of

pleasantry　that　is　excellent；　（unless　one　may　except　the　Banquet

of　Xenophon；　and　the　Dialogues　of　Lucian）　though　many　of　their

serious　compositions　are　altogether　inimitable。　Horace　condemns

the　coarse　railleries　and　cold　jests　of　Plautus：　But；　though　the

most　easy；　agreeable；　and　judicious　writer　in　the　world；　is　his

own　talent　for　ridicule　very　striking　or　refined？　This；

therefore；　is　one　considerable　improvement；　which　the　polite　arts

have　received　from　gallantry；　and　from　courts；　where　it　first

arose。

　　　　　But；　to　return　from　this　digression；　I　shall　advance　it　as　a

　observation　on　this　subject；　of　the　rise　and　progress　of

the　arts　and　sciences；　。

　　　　　It　must　be　confessed；　that　this　maxim；　though　conformable　to

experience；　may；　at　first　sight；　be　esteemed　contrary　to　reason。

If　the　natural　genius　of　mankind　be　the　same　in　all　ages；　and　in

almost　all　countries；　（as　seems　to　be　the　truth）　it　must　very

much　forward　and　cultivate　this　genius；　to　be　possessed　of

patterns　in　every　art；　which　may　regulate　the　taste；　and　fix　the

objects　of　imitation。　The　models　left　us　by　the　ancients　gave

birth　to　all　the　arts　about　200　years　ago；　and　have　mightily

advanced　their　progress　in　every　country　of　Europe：　Why　had　they

not　a　like　effect　during　the　reign　of　Trajan　and　his　successors；

when　they　were　much　more　entire；　and　were　still　admired　and

studied　by　the　whole　world？　So　late　as　the　emperor　Justinian；　the

Poet；　by　way　of　distinction；　was　understood；　among　the　Greeks；　to

be　Homer；　among　the　Romans；　Virgil。　Such　admiration　still

remained　for　these　divine　geniuses；　though　no　poet　had　appeared

for　many　centuries；　who　could　justly　pretend　to　have　imitated

them。

　　　　　A　man's　genius　is　always；　in　the　beginning　of　life；　as　much

unknown　to　himself　as　to　others；　and　it　is　only　after　frequent

trials；　attended　with　success；　that　he　dares　think　himself　equal

to　those　undertakings；　in　which　those；　who　have　succeeded；　have

fixed　the　admiration　of　mankind。　If　his　own　nation　be　already

possessed　of　many　models　of　eloquence；　he　naturally　compares　his

own　juvenile　exercises　with　these；　and　being　sensible　of　the

great　disproportion；　is　discouraged　from　any　farther　attempts；

and　never　aims　at　a　rivalship　with　those　authors；　whom　he　so　much

admires。　A　noble　emulation　is　the　source　of　every　excellence。

Admiration　and　modesty　naturally　extinguish　this　emulation。　And

no　one　is　so　liable　to　an　excess　of　admiration　and　modesty；　as　a

truly　great　genius。

　　　　　Next　to　emulation；　the　greatest　encourager　of　the　noble　arts

is　praise　and　glory。　A　writer　is　animated　with　new　force；　when　he

hears　the　applauses　of　the　world　for　his　former　productions；　and；

being　roused　by　such　a　motive；　he　often　reaches　a　pitch　of

perfection；　which　is　equally　surprizing　to　himself　and　to　his

readers。　But　when　the　posts　of　honour　are　all　occupied；　his　first

attempts　are　but　coldly　received　by　the　public；　being　compared　to

productions；　which　are　both　in　themselves　more　excellent；　and

have　already　the　advantage　of　an　established　reputation。　Were

Moli妑e　and　Corneille　to　bring　upon　the　stage　at　present　their

early　productions；　which　were　formerly　so　well　received；　it　would

discourage　the　young　poets；　to　see　the　indifference　and　disdain

of　the　public。　The　ignorance　of　the　age　alone　could　have　given

admission　to　the　；　but　it　is　to　that　we　owe　：　Had　　been　rejected；　we　had　never

seen　。

　　　　　Perhaps；　it　may　not　be　for　the　advantage　of　any　nation　to

have　the　arts　imported　from　their　neighbours　in　too　great

perfection。　This　extinguishes　emulation；　and　sinks　the　ardour　of

the　generous　youth。　So　many　models　of　Italian　painting　brought

into　England；　instead　of　exciting　our　artists；　is　the　cause　of

their　small　progress　in　that　noble　art。　The　same；　perhaps；　was

the　case　of　Rome；　when　it　received　the　arts　from　Greece。　That

multitude　of　polite　productions　in　the　French　language；　dispersed

all　over　Germany　and　the　North；　hinder　these　nations　from

cultivating　their　own　language；　and　keep　them　still　dependent　on

their　neighbours　for　those　elegant　entertainments。

　　　　　It　is　true；　the　ancients　had　left　us　models　in　every　kind　of

writing；　which　are　highly　worthy　of　admiration。　But　besides　that

they　were　written　in　languages；　known　only　to　the　learned；

besides　this；　I　say；　the　comparison　is　not　so　perfect　or　entire

between　modern　wits；　and　those　who　lived　in　so　remote　an　age。　Had

Waller　been　born　in　Rome；　during　the　reign　of　Tiberius；　his　first

productions　had　been　despised；　when　compared　to　the　finished　odes

of　Horace。　But　in　this　island　the　superiority　of　the　Roman　poet

diminished　nothing　from　the　fame　of　the　English。　We　esteemed

ourselves　sufficiently　happy；　that　our　climate　and　language　could

produce　but　a　faint　copy　of　so　excellent　an　original。

　　　　　In　short；　the　arts　and　sciences；　like　some　plants；　require　a

fresh　soil；　and　however　rich　the　land　may　be；　and　however　you　may

recruit　it　by　art　or　care；　it　will　never；　when　once　exhausted；

produce　any　thing　that　is　perfect　or　finished　in　the　kind。