as fhe is by Nature? If he had a common face, indeed, there might be fome reafon for thinking to improve it; but when features are already perfect, every alteration would but impair them. A fine face is already at the point of perfection, and a fine lady fhould endiav ur to keep it fo; the impreffion it would receive from thought, would but disturb its whole economy.

To this fpeech I gave no reply, but made the beft of my way to the valley of the Graces. Here I found all thofe who before had been my companions in the region of beauty, now upon the fame errand.

As we entered the valley, the prospect infenfibly feemed to improve; we found every thing fo natural, fo domeftic, and pleafing, that our minds, which before were congealed in admiration, now relaxed into gaiety and good-humour. We had defigned to pay our refpects to the prefiding goddefs, but the was no where to be found. One of our companions afferted, that her temple lay to the right; another, to the left; a third, infifted that it was ftraight before us; and a fourth that we had left it behind. In short, we found every thing familiar and charming, but could not determine where to feek for the Grace in perfon.

In this agreeable incertitude we paffed feveral hours, and though very defirous of finding the goddefs, by no means impatient of the delay. Every part of the valley prefented fome minute beauty, which without offering itfelf at once, ftole within the foul, and captivated us with the charms of our retreat. Still, however, we continued to fearch, and might ftill have continued, had we not been interrupted by a voice which, though we could not fee from whence it came, addreffed us in this manner:

"If you would find the goddels of Grace, feek "her not under one form, for fhe affumes a thou"fand. Ever changing under the eye of infpec+ VOL. III. tion,

X

"tion, her variety, rather than her figure, is pleafing. In contemplating her beauty, the eye glides over every perfection with giddy delight, "and, capable of fixing no where, is charmed "with the whole *. She is now Contemplation "with folemn look, again Compaffion with humid

eye; the now sparkles with joy, foon every fea"ture fpeaks diftrefs: her looks at times invite our "approach, at others reprefs our prefumption; the "goddefs cannot be properly called beautiful "under any one of these forms, but by combining "them all, fhe becomes irrefiftibly pleasing."

Adieu.

LETTER

LXXVI.

From Lien Chi Altangi, to Fum Hoam, first President of the Ceremonial Academy at Pekin, in China. THE fhops of London are as well furnished as thofe of Pekin. Thofe of London have a picture hung at their door, informing the paffengers what they have to fell, as thofe at Pekin have a board to affure the buyer, that they have no intention to cheat him.

I was this morning to buy filk for a night-cap; immediately upon entering the mercer's fhop, the mafter and his two men, with wigs plaftered with powder, appeared to ak my commands. They were certainly the civileft people alive; if I but looked, they flew to the place where I caft my eye;

* Vultus nimium lubricus afpici. HOR.

every motion of mine fent them running round the whole fhop for my fatisfaction. I informed them that I wanted what was good, and they fhewed me not lefs than forty pieces, and each was better than the former; the prettieft pattern in nature, and the fitteft in the world for night-caps. My very good friend, faid I to the mercer, you must not pretend to inftruct me in filks; I know these in particular to be no better than your mere flimfy Bungees. That may be, cried the mercer, who I afterwards found had never contradicted a man in his life, I cannot pretend to say but they may; but I can affure you, my Lady Trail has had a facque from this piece this very morning. But friend, faid I, though my Lady has chofen a facque from it, I fee no neceffity that I should wear it for a night-cap: That may be, returned he again, yet what becomes a pretty Lady, will at any time look well on a handfome Gentleman. This fhort compliment was thrown in fo very feasonably upon my ugly face, that even though I difliked the filk, I defired him to cut me off the pattern of a night-cap.

While this bufinefs was configned to his journeyman, the mafter himself took down fome pieces of filk ftill finer than any I had yet feen, and fpreading them before me, There, cries he, there's beauty, my Lord Snakeskin has bespoke the fellow to this for the birth-night this very morning; it would look charmingly in waistcoats. But I do not want a waiftcoat, replied I: Not want a waistcoat, returned the mercer, then I would advise you to buy one; when waifcoats are wanted, you may depend upon it they will come dear. Always buy before you want, and you are fure to be well ufed, as they fay in Cheapfide. There was fo much juftice in his advice, that I could not refufe taking it; befides, the filk, which was really a good one, increased the temptation; fo I gave orders for that too.

As I was waiting to have my bargains measured and cut, which I know not how, they executed but flowly; during the interval, the mercer entertained me with the modern manner of fome of the nobility receiving company in their morning gowns; Perhaps, Sir, adds he, you have a mind to Jee what kind of filk is universally worn. Without waiting for my reply, he spreads a piece before me, which might be reckoned beautiful even in China. If the nobility, continues he, were to know I fold this to any under a Right Honourable, I fhould certainly lose their custom ; you fee, my Lord, it is at once rich, tafley, and quite the thing. I am no Lord, interrupted I.-I beg pardon, cried he, but be pleased to remember, when you intend buying a morning gown, that you had an offer from me of fomething worth money. Confcience, Sir, confcience is my way of dealing; you may buy a morning gown now, or you may stay till they become dearer and lefs fashionable, but it is not my business to advife. In fhort, moft reverend Fum, he perfuaded me to buy a morning gown alfo, and would probably have perfuaded me to have bought half the goods in his fhop, if I had stayed long enough, or was furnished with fufficient money.

Upon returning home, I could not help reflecting with fome aftonishment, how this very man with fuch a confined education and capacity, was yet capable of turning me as he thought proper, and moulding me to his inclinations! I knew he was only anfwering his own purposes, even while he attempted to appear folicitous about mine; yet by a voluntary infatuation, a fort of paffion compounded of vanity and good-nature, I walked into the fnare with my eyes open, and put myfelf to future pain in order to give him immediate pleasure. The wifdom of the ignorant fomewhat refembles the inftinct of animals; it is diffufed in but a very narrow

fphere,

fphere, but within that circle it acts with vigour, uniformity, and fuccefs,

Adieu.

FROM my former accounts you may be apt to fancy the English the most ridiculous people under the fun. They are indeed ridiculous; yet every other nation in Europe is equally fo; each laughs at each, and the Afiatic at all,

I may, upon another occafion, point out what is moft ftrikingly abfurd in other countries; I fhall at prefent confine myself only to France. The first national peculiarity a traveller meets upon entering that kingdom, is an odd fort of a staring vivacity in every eye, not excepting even the children; the people, it seems, have got it into their heads that they have more wit than others, and fo ftare in order to look smart,

I know not how it happens, but there appears a fickly delicacy in the faces of their fineft women. This may have introduced the use of paint, and paint produces wrinkles; fo that a fine lady fhall look like a hag at twenty-three. But as in fome measure they never appear young, fo it may be equally afferted, that they actually think themfelves never old; a gentle Mifs fhall prepare for new conquefts at fixty, fhall hobble a rigadoon when the can fcarcely hobble out without a crutch, fhe fhall affect the girl, play her fan and her eyes, and talk of fentiments, bleeding hearts, and expiring for love, * 3

when