_Polypth._ Pray, Sir, what kind of a Building have we yonder, that struck our Sight as we crossed that Alley?
_Calloph._ We will walk up to it if you please: It is a _Chinese_ House.
_Polypth._ A mighty whimsical Appearance it makes truly.
_Calloph._ In my Opinion it is a pretty Object enough, and varies our View in a very becoming manner. Its cool stand upon the Lake, and those canvas Windows, designed as well to keep out the Sun, as let in the Air, give us a good Notion of the Manner of living in an hot Country. It is finely painted in the Inside: Will you look into it?
_Polypth._ Finely painted indeed! Our Travellers tell us the _Chinese_ are a very ingenious People; and that Arts and Sciences flourish amongst them in great Beauty. But for my Part, whenever I see any of their Paintings, I am apt, I must confess, in every thing else to call their Taste into question. It is impossible for one _Art_ to be in Perfection, without introducing the rest. They are all _Links_ of the same _Chain_: If you draw up one, you must expect the rest will follow. _Cognoscitur ex socio_, is an old Rule you know in judging of _Men_; and I believe it may be applied with as much Propriety in judging of _Arts_. It is hardly to be imagined that any _Art_, perfect in its Kind, would claim any Kindred, or even bear to keep Company with such a wretched _Art of Painting_ as prevails amongst the _Chinese_: Its whole Mystery consists in dawbing on glaring Colours: Correctness of Drawing, Beauty of Composition, and Harmony of colouring, they seem not to have even the least Notion of.
_Calloph._ I like your Reflections extremely. We should certainly have some more elegant Productions from _China_, if they were able to answer the Character I have sometimes heard given of them. They have very little of true, manly Taste, I fancy, among them: Their Ingenuity lies chiefly in the knick-knack Way; and is, I imagine, pretty much of the _Dutch_ Kind.----Hold, Sir: This Way if you please. We will walk again towards the River, and pursue it to the Ca.n.a.l.----It is divided, you see, into three Parts; one takes its Rise from the Grotto; another from the Pebble Bridge (as it is called) which is, I think, a pretty Object; and the third issues from a dark Wood.----There, Sir, let me present you to an ill.u.s.trious set of your gallant Countrymen. This Place is called the Temple of _British_ Worthies; and is gloriously filled, you see, with the greatest Wits, Patriots, and Heroes, that are to be met with in our Chronicles.
_Unspotted Names, and memorable long!
If there be Force in Virtue, or in Song._
Does not your Pulse beat high, while you thus stand before such an awful a.s.sembly? Is not your Breast warmed by a Variety of grand Ideas, which this Sight must give Birth to?----There you have a View of the calm Philosophers, who sought Virtue in her Retirement, and benefited Mankind by Thought and Meditation.----Some took the human Mind for their Theme, examined the various Powers it is endowed with, and gave us, _to know ourselves_.----Others took _Nature_ for their Subject, looked thro"
all her Works, and enlarged our Notions of a G.o.d----While others, warmed with a generous Resentment against Vice and Folly, made Morality their Care: To the cool Reasoner serious Philosophy, without any Ornament but Truth, was recommended: To the gayer Disposition the moral Song was directed, and the Heart was improved, while the Fancy was delighted: To those who were yet harder to work upon, the Force of Example was made use of: Folly is put to the Test of Ridicule, and laughed out of Countenance, while the moral Scene, like a distorting Mirror, shews the Villain his Features in so deformed a Manner, that he darts at his own Image with Horror and Affright.----On the other Side you are presented with a View of those ill.u.s.trious Worthies, who spent their Lives in Action; who left Retirement to the cool Philosopher, entered into the Bustle of Mankind, and pursued Virtue in the dazzling Light in which she appears to Patriots and Heroes. Inspired by every generous Sentiment, these gallant Spirits founded Const.i.tutions, stemmed the Torrent of Corruption, battled for the State, ventured their Lives in the Defence of their Country, and gloriously bled in the Cause of Liberty.
_Polypth._ What an happy Man you are, thus to find an Opportunity of moralizing upon every Occasion! What a n.o.ble View you have displayed before me; when perhaps if I had been alone, I should have entertained myself no otherwise than in examining the Busts; or if I read the Inscriptions, they would only have drawn a Remark from me, that they were well wrote.--The a.s.sembly yonder on the opposite Side of the Water, will be, I suppose, the next Subject for your Rapsody. Pray what t.i.tles are those Gentry distinguished by? At this Distance I can hardly find out whether they are Philosophers or Milk-maids.
_Calloph._ Why, Sir, you have there a View of the Kingdom of _Parna.s.sus_: That a.s.sembly is composed of _Apollo_, and his Privy-council. But as I believe they will hardly pay us, by any Beauty in their Workmanship, for our Trouble, should we go round and make them a Visit; it is my Advice that we walk directly from hence to the Temple of Friendship, and so return by that Terrace back again to those Parts of the Garden that remain yet unseen.
_Polypth._ With all my Heart: But let us turn in here, I beseech you, and walk as much in the Shade as possible, for the Day grows vastly warm.
_Calloph._ I am ready to follow you amongst the Trees, not more out of Complaisance than Inclination: I like a cool Retreat as well as you.
When I plan a Garden, I believe, I shall deal much in shady Walks; wherever I open a grand Terrace, I intend to lengthen out by its Side a close Vista: through the one I shall lead Strangers, in the other enjoy my Friends. I am a great Admirer of walking in a Shade; it is a kind of Emblem of the most agreeable Situation in Life, the retired one: Every fantastic View is hid from us, and we may if we please, be Poets, or Philosophers, or what we will. I own I admire the Taste of these buzzing Insects, sporting themselves in the Shade; a glaring Sun-shine neither in the World, nor in a Walk, is agreeable to my Way of thinking.
_Polypth._ If all the World thought as you do, we should have neither Statesmen to mend our Laws, nor Coblers to mend our Shoes: We should all run and hide ourselves amongst Trees, and what then would become of Society?
_Calloph._ If I thought you did not will-fullyy mistake my Meaning, I would take the Trouble of telling you that I am an Advocate for no other _Retirement_ than such as is consistent with the Duties of Life. A Love for which kind of Retirement, _properly qualified_, is _Health_ to the Mind; but when it is _made up_ unskillfully, it throws us into a _fatal Lethargy_, from whence begins the Date of an useless Life. Every virtuous Mind, in a greater or a less Degree, has a turn this Way, and the _best_, I believe, ought to be at the _most_ Pains to guard against carrying this Inclination into the Extreme.
_Polypth._ And yet the Annals of most Nations let us see that their greatest Men have often indulged it; and much for the Benefit of Mankind too; witness many of the ill.u.s.trious Worthies we have just been visiting: You forget the Panegyric you bestowed upon them.
_Calloph._ No, Sir: But do you remember that I placed these cool Reasoners on the best Side of a Comparison with those who entred into the World, and spent their Lives in Action? On the contrary, this latter kind of Men have always stood fairest in my Esteem. The Life of a Recluse I would recommend to none but a Valetudinarian. We were intended to a.s.sist each other as much as we are able. For my Part, it has always been my Opinion, that _one good Man_ does more Service in the World, than _a thousand good Books_.----But we"ll drop our Argument at present, because I see we have finished our Walk.
_Polypth._ Is that Building the Temple of Friendship? I cannot say that I extremely admire it: But I hope I shall meet with more Entertainment within, than I am able to do without----Well: This is elegant I must confess.
_Calloph._ Ay, look round, and tell me if you are not struck by several very beautiful Objects. Those Busts I a.s.sure you are _all_ pretty well done, and _some_ of them extremely well.
_Polypth._ So they are indeed: But I am chiefly intent upon the Painting, which I am much taken with: It is by the same Hand, I dare say, with that in the Temple of _Venus_. That Emblem of Friendship above the Door, those of Justice and Liberty, and those other Ornaments upon the Walls, are well touched. What is that Painting upon the Cieling? I do not rightly understand it.
_Calloph._ Why, Sir, it is a Piece of Satyr: I am sure you will like it if you will give yourself the Trouble to examine it: It is in your Taste I know exactly.----There you see sits _Britannia_; upon one Side are held the Glory of her Annals, the Reigns of Queen _Elizabeth_ and _Edward_ III. and on the other is offered the Reign of----, which she frowns upon, and puts by with her Hand.
_Polypth._ Excellent, upon my Word! Faith, this is good! Never accept it, honest Lady, till Corruption is at an End, and public Spirit revives.
_Calloph._ With so little Malevolence as I know you are possessed of, I do not think I ever met with any body in my Life so eager to catch at any thing to blame; or to whom an Opportunity of that kind afforded a more seeming real Pleasure than it does to you.----But I know it proceeds from an honest Nature.----Well: Suppose we continue our Walk.----I look upon that Statue as one of the finest in the World: I would give all the Money in my Pocket for a Sight of the Original.
_Polypth._ The Posture always to me appears a little too much strained.
I can scarce throw myself into such an Att.i.tude. Yet it is fine I must confess.
_Calloph._ You have the best View of it, Sir, from hence. Most of the Engravings I have met with give us the back View, but I think the Statue appears infinitely to the best Advantage when taken in Front. The Air of the Head is delightful, and cannot be hid without depriving the Figure of half its Life.----I am leading you now to that genteel Piece of Building which goes by the Name of the Palladian Bridge.
_Polypth._ I have seen, I think, something like it at my Lord _Pembroke_"s.
_Calloph._ I believe, Sir, the Model was taken from thence. Tho" if I remember right, the Roof is there supported by Pillars on both Sides.
_Polypth._ I think it is.----But what have we got there? You are taking me past something curious.
_Calloph._ I beg your Pardon: Indeed I had almost forgot the Imperial Closet: And I wonder I should, for I a.s.sure you I have the greatest Veneration for its Inhabitants.--There, Sir, is a n.o.ble Triumvirate.
_t.i.tus_, _Trajan_, and _Aurelius_, are Names which want not the Pomp of t.i.tle to add a l.u.s.tre to them.
_Polypth._ I wish you could persuade all the Kings in _Europe_ to take them as Patterns. But, G.o.d knows, public Spirit is now at a low Ebb amongst us: There is more of it in that single honest Sentiment, _Pro me: si merear, in me_, than I believe is to be found in this degenerate Age in half a Kingdom.
_Calloph._ I see, my good Friend, you can moralize upon Occasion too.
_Polypth._ Moralize! The D----l take me, if I would not this Moment, in spite of--
_Calloph._ Nay, come, don"t grow serious: You know I have long since laid it down as a Rule, to stop my Ears when you get into your political Vein. I am not now to learn that there is no keeping you within the Bounds of Temperance upon that Topic.
_Polypth._ Well then, let us have something else to talk about.----Yon Wall at this Distance seems to promise us some Ba.s.s-relief.
_Calloph._ Yes, Sir; you are there presented with a View of the different Quarters of the World, bringing their various Products to _Britannia_. It is a pretty Ornament enough for a Bridge, which, like the Art of Navigation, joins one Land to another.
_Polypth._ I can"t say I much admire the Workmanship. There is a great Degree of Awkwardness in several of the Figures.
_Calloph._ Why really I am so far of your way of thinking, that I must own I am no great Admirer of this kind of Work, except it be extremely fine.----The best thing in this Way, that ever I met with, is a Piece of Alt-relief which his Lordship keeps within Doors. We shall scarce, I believe have time now, but we must take an Opportunity of seeing it before you leave the Country. You will meet with likewise in those Apartments several very good Pictures: I remember spending an Afternoon about half a Year ago, in a very agreeable Manner amongst them. But this Piece of Alt-relief struck me beyond every thing. The Story is _Darius_"s Tent; and it is so charmingly told, that I have had, I can tell you, a meaner Opinion of _Le Brun_ upon that Subject, ever since I have seen it: The Composition is so just, the Figures so graceful and correct, nay, the very Drapery so free and easy, that I declare I was altogether astonished at the Sight of it.
_Polypth._ Well; I shall find some Opportunity of paying it a Visit.
There is so much Art required, and so much Difficulty attends doing any thing in this Way as it ought to be, that when we do meet with a good Piece of Workmanship of this kind, it affords us an extreme Pleasure.----So, Sir _William_, have I met you here! I should rather have expected to have seen you among the _British_ Worthies.----This same _Penn_, Sir, I a.s.sure you, is a great Favourite of mine. I esteem him one of the most worthy Legislators upon Record. His Laws, I am told, act still with great Force in _Pensylvania_, and keep the honest, inoffensive People there in extreme good Order.
_Calloph._ Our Sailors mention his Colony as a very happy Set of People; they live entirely at Peace amongst themselves; and (bred up in a strict Observance of Probity) without any Knowledge of an Art Military amongst them, are able to preserve the most sociable Terms with their Neighbours.----These Busts seem to have escaped your Observation.
_Polypth._ No, Sir, I am not so incurious as to suffer any thing that has been in _Italy_ to slip my Notice: Some of those particularly that stand on the Side next _Rawleigh_, I was exceedingly taken with.
_Calloph._ Pray what is your Opinion of checquered Marble"s being made use of in Busts?
_Polypth._ Why, Sir, I never see any of these party-coloured Faces, but I am moved with Indignation at the Sculptor"s ridiculous Humour. It is so absurd a Taste, that I cannot conceive how it should ever enter into a Workman"s Head, to make every Feature of a Man"s Face of a different Colour; and it amazes me, I a.s.sure you, that we meet with daily so many Instances of such Absurdity.----In several Parts of the Garden, I have had various Views of that old _Gothic_ Building; we are now at last I hope moving towards it. I am so wonderfully pleased with its outward Appearance, that I shall be disappointed if I don"t meet something answerable within.
_Calloph._ Why, Sir, as old as it looks, I a.s.sure you it is not yet finished. You will meet with nothing ornamental in the Inside; so I would have you persuade yourself it has already done all in its Power to entertain you. And upon my Word I think it has done a great deal: Without it, I am sure this Part of the Garden would be quite naked and lifeless; nor would any other Part appear with so much Beauty. It puts one in Mind of some generous Patriot in his Retirement; his own Neighbourhood feels most the Effects of that Bounty, which in some measure spreads itself over a whole Country.
_Polypth._ I like this Disposition within, I a.s.sure you, altogether as well as its Form without.----There are two or three Pieces of the best painted Gla.s.s that I have any where met with: Those little historical Pieces are exceedingly beautiful; and so are those Landskips likewise.----This Hill I think appears rather too naked.
_Calloph._ Throw your Eye over it then, and tell me if you are not ravished with the View before you. Nothing certainly in the kind can be more beautiful or great, than that pompous Pile rising in so magnificent a manner above the Wood. The Building cannot possibly be shewn to greater Advantage: The Appearance it _makes_ presents you with an Idea sufficiently grand; yet your Imagination cannot be persuaded but that it is in fact much grander, and that the Wood hides a great Part of what is to be seen from your Eye. This is a most delightful manner of pleasing: A grand Object left to a good Imagination to improve upon, seldom loses by its a.s.sistance. Our View likewise is greatly added to in point of Beauty, by those several other smaller Buildings which offer themselves, some only half hid amongst the Branches, and others just peeping from amongst tufted Trees, which make very beautiful little garnished Dishes in this most elegant Entertainment.
_Polypth._ As you have thus painted the near Objects, let my Pencil, I beg, come in for a few rough Touches in the backgrounds: Without something of an Off-skip, your Man of Art, you know, seldom esteems his View perfect. And in this Landskip there are as many beautiful Objects thrown off to a Distance as can well be imagined: That Variety of fine Wood; that bright Surface of Water, with the pointed Obelisk in the Midst of it; those two Pavilions upon the Banks of the Ca.n.a.l; and the still more distant View into the Country, are Objects which, in my Opinion, make no small Addition to the Beauty of your Landskip; or, to carry on your Allusion, may very well come in as a second Course in your Entertainment.----Our Attention, I think, in the next Place, is demanded by this venerable a.s.sembly. That old Gentleman there sits with great Dignity: I like his Att.i.tude extremely: If I understood the _Runic_ Character, I might have known probably (for this Inscription I fancy would inform me) by what t.i.tle he is distinguished. But the Gracefulness of his Posture discovers him to have been nothing less than an Hero of the first Rank. He puts me in Mind of a _Roman_ Senator, sitting in his Curule Chair to receive the _Gauls_.
_Calloph._ Why, Sir, you have done him great Honour I must own; but you have not yet honoured him according to his Dignity: He is nothing less, Sir, I a.s.sure you, than the Representative of a _Saxon_ Deity. You see here
__Thor_ and _Woden_ fabled G.o.ds_----