v. At length, with fruitless hope worn out, Yet while this solemn garb she wears, No. LXXVIII. THURSDAY, JUNE 27. Inventio similium facilis erit, si quis sibi omnes res animatas & inanimatas..........frequenter ante oculos potest ponere; & ex his aliquam venari similitudinem, quæ aut ornare, aut docere, aut apertiorem rem facere possit. CICERO. To Mr. Fitz-Adam. SIR, I AM of opinion that a very pleasing method of instruction might be drawn from the affinity which the more liberal arts and sciences have to manners and behaviour. The following precepts, which are equally calculated to direct the young painter's hand, and the young lady's conduct, contain an imperfect specimen of the method I am proposing; and which I am induced to communicate to Mr. Fitz-Adam, because I am assured that fine arts, good manners, and the fair sex are, and ought to be, the principal care of THE WORLD. It is impossible to arrive at any eminent degree of excellence either in painting or behaviour, without a long course of discipline in the school of imitation. The character of a valuable original can never be procured without condescending first of all to the humble employment of a copyist. The carte blanche of a youthful mind will be as imperfectly adorned by the first rudiments of politeness, as a scholar's lesson-book by the first principles of design: but care and practice may soon correct the awkwardness of a first attempt; and it may be the pupil's fault, if every new day, as well as every new leaf, does not produce some proof of amendment. But however similar the mind and hand may be with regard to their advances towards perfection, yet it is to be observed that the accomplishments of the one are much more requisite and important than those of the other, and that an irregular action is not so easily reformed as a negligent stroke. To resolve the whole of beauty into a fine complexion, a just symmetry of shape, and a nice regularity of features, is altogether as absurd as it would be to reduce all the qualifications for good painting to a manual skill of mixing colours for the pallet, and sketching out the contours of single portraits. There must be a certain gracefulness and uniformity in every part of a lady's character to make her appear amiable to a man of discernment; just as a consistent design and a proper combination of figures in a historypiece can alone recommend the painter to a critical observer. The extravagances of the prude and coquette are analagous to a timid exactness and a dissolute licentiousness of style of painting. A degree of freedom, far beyond a cheerful affability, shall in some ladiesbe attended with many a striking charm, and affect one, like Paulo's daring stroke, with warmer and more animated sentiments, than could have been excited by the cold and spiritless efforts of a deliberate regularity. There are others, in whom a delicate reserve, bordering almost on the confines of a prudish shyness, shall appear extremely engaging to men of a nicer turn, and easily captivate all such fancies as are delighted with the chastised refinement of a Corregio's pencil. Nor do we want a third sort of ladies, who are endowed with an admirable talent for gaining themselves admirers by an odd affectation of capricious levities, and a whimsical singularity of carriage: I know several who can give as happy proofs of their expertness in this fantastic art as ever Le Piper could of his excellence for grotesque representations, and who are qualified to trifle with as much success as that artist has been known to do with a piece of charcoal upon a wall. But it is to be observed that these privileges are only suited to peculiar characters, and can never produce any good effect, unless they derive their power from some inbred gift, and flow directly from the genuine source of na ture. There may be as great a variety in the modes of right behaviour, as in the styles of good painting. Many pictures way be worthy of admiration besides those of the most celebrated masters; and many a lady may deserve to be classed amongst the lovely, the polite and accomplished, though she be not a perfect lady ***. It is not requisite for us to shew a general disregard to the examples of others, in order to be distinguished for something peculiar to ourselves; all we are to be cautioned against is a ridiculous imitation of such as are either inconsistent with our genius, or above the reach of our capacities. The propriety of attitude and drapery depends so much on characters, circumstances, and designs, that they cannot well be reduced to any fixed and deter minate regulations. There is no one, I believe, but will readily allow that the airs and movements of an Italian dancer on the theatre, must appear almost as unbecoming in an English lady dancing at a ball, as the picture of a Venus in the antic posture of a Mercury. Yet there can be no more danger in a lady's making too free a use of her limbs, while she keeps clear of all hoydening and affected gestures, than there is of a painter's having too great a knowledge of anatomy, so long as it is only made a secret guide to him in his designs. Nor can either be remarkably faulty in point of drapery, provided they do but pay a due regard to shape, quality, and custom. There is so strict an agreement between the disclosing art in dress, and the carnation art in painting, that I believe it would be difficult to find out a fault or excellence in the one, that could not be paralleled with some corresponding beauty or defect in the other. There is no woman where there's no reserve, says the witty and ingenious Dr. Young and it is very well known by all good critics and proficients in painting, that an uncommon share of skill and judgment is requisite for the production of every part of the naked. Nor is it hard to assign a reason why it should be so; for if it be not extremely delicate in texture and complexion, it will of course appear disgustful; and if it be not extremely modest in posture and design, it must needs be thought indecent: whereas the most imperfect concealment, a covering even thinner than the thinnest gauze, will not only be sufficient to relieve the offended eye, but will likewise enable the fancy to improve into beauty every thing it hides. As the propriety of dress is so much more dependent on fashion than nature, I am cautious of affirming that a woman ought always to be mistress of a pretty face, before she has the confidence to appear in public with a bare bosom. But allowing that, under the sanction of fashion, she may display so distinguishing a characteristic of her sex, without danger of incurring an immodest reputation; yet she cannot possibly do it without forfeiting all pretensions to discretion: for as she cannot be ignorant how the beauty of a new gown decreases with the frequency of its appearance, she ought always to know how little value the men place in a privilege of surveying ever so pretty an object in itself, if it be constantly exposed to the familiar gaze of the multitude. It is not natural for us to regard any thing that is held too apparently cheap in the estimation of the proprietor: and I am well satisfied that a lady cannot take a worse method of gaining particular admirers, than by making general treats. If your fair readers, Mr. Fitz-Adam, will take my word for it, I can assure thern that the men are ten times more affected with an accidental momentary glance, than with a designed exposure for a whole hour together. Upon the whole; as Mr. Pope has shewn us that he could collect hints enough for the composition of an ingenious treatise, even from one single fragment in the literary lining of a band-box; and as Leonardo da Vinci has observed that the spots on an old mouldy wall, forming a confused resemblance of different objects, may be sufficient to supply an improving fancy with a fine assemblage of the most perfect images; so it is to be hoped that the WORLD may in the same manner be able to collect a great deal of instruction from these random and undigested reflections of its Sincere admirer And most humble servant, |