I could perceive by the Looks of my Friend, when I had repeated the fecond Line, that he thought his favorite Painter had equalled SHAKESPEAR in the Reprefentation of the Reflection of the Moon in the Water, but, when I had compleated the Scene by the third Line, 66 Decking with liquid Pearl the bladed Grafs," both his Heart, Eyes, and Tongue confeffed the Victory of our inimitable Poet, -You know, EUPHEMIUS, the Reprefentations of Nature in her fimple Retirements, as I used to call a rural Evening, were my favorite Subjects; more especially when the Artist had blended with the Truth of Imitation, that undefineable Delicacy of Tafte, to which even TRUTH herself is often indebted for a more agreeable Admittance into the 'Heart. I will illuftrate what I mean by Example. That fuccinct Pincture of the Setting Sun in the viiith Book of the Iliad, Εν δ' επες' ωκεανω λαμπρον φαξ ηελίοιο Lin. 485. "Now "Now deep in Ocean funk the Lamp of Light, “Drawing behind the cloudy Veil of Night." POPE's Tranflation. has very strong Outlines, and commands the warmest Approbation of our Judgment, but being unadorned with other Circumftances, and wanting Objects to enliven the Landscape, the Applaufe ends with the Judgment, and never finks deep into the Heart. Whereas the following Scene, in Mr. COLLINS's Ode to the Evening, being animated by proper Allegorical Perfonages, and coloured highly with incidental Expreffion, warms the Breast with a fympathetic Glow of retired Thoughtfulness. "For when thy folding Star arifing fhews, [Sedge, “And many a Nymph who wreaths her Brows with "And sheds the fresh'ning Dew, and lovelier still, "The PENSIVE PLEASURES sweet "Prepare thy shadowy Car *.” * See a Collection of Odes published a few Years ago by Mr. WILLIAM COLLINS, whose neglected Genius will hereafter be both an Honour and a Difgrace to our Nation. Perhaps Perhaps you will here turn a former Remark of my own upon me, and fay with the tragic Poet, "It bears a juft Refemblance of thy Fortune, "And fuits the quiet Purpose of thy Soul." YOUNG'S Revenge. and tell me, as you once did upon a fimilar Occafion, that I am obliged to Retirement for the Discovery of these humble Pleasures. Perhaps I am in fome measure: but tho' Sorrows have bettered my Heart, and rendered it more familiar with Nature than it might have been in the chearfuller Scenes of Life, yet you must confefs, that, from our earliest Acquaintance, you always perceived in me a kindred Spirit to the PENSIVE PLEASURES. Adieu, my dear Friend, and rest affured, that, whether I speculate only in the Shades of Obfcurity, or whether the Purfuit of my not ill-grounded future Expectations, cafts me into the more noify Scenes of Action, I fhall always remain with the greatest Sincerity, Your, &c. &c. LETTER LETTER VIII. DT To the SAME. ID AMELIA and feveral others of my Friends in Reality defire, in Conjunction with you, that I would fend you the little Effay, which I wrote feveral Years ago, when I was very young, upon the polite Arts; or was it one of the good-natured Frauds of Friendship, to deceive me into the harmless Pleasure of thinking fuch a Trifle should be in requeft among thofe, whofe Efteem I fo highly value? Be it which it will, your Defire fhall command my Compliance in every respect, and I will therefore transcribe the whole from the periodical Miscellaneous Collection in which it was published. * Nothing is a greater Indication of Luxury, the Fore-runner of Poverty, than the Degeneracy of the polite Arts into useless Oftentation. The Poets, Painters, This little Effay was published in a periodical Paper which came out once a Fortnight in the Year 1746. E and and Sculptors have of late almost forgot what gave rife to, and ought to be the end of their Labours. Thofe noble Designs in which ATHENS gloried more than in all her Military Exploits, are now little regarded; and thofe noble Servants of Virtue, the ARTS, which formerly gave Inftruction not only to the young and unexperienced, but to the old and learned, are moftly flighted, and often prostituted to adorn Vice, and flatter human Vanity. But to lay afide the Severity of the Moralift, and talk to the Profeffors, of what, they will think, concerns them most. I am fully convinced that nothing would fo much contribute to their Fame and Fortune, and to make them complete Masters, as an Attachment to Virtue, and the Ufes of Life; and an Emulation to form their Designs from the Models of those ancient Artists, whofe Works have been delivered down to us with the greatest Applause, and will be to all Pofterity, as long as Truth is esteemed the Criterion of Perfection. Suppofe any one of the Geniuses of the prefent Age, whether Poet, Painter, or Statuary, I |