YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Bought with the income
of the
HENRY A. HOMES FUND

LETTERS DESCRIBING
The Character and Customs
a^ O F T H E &4&Y
ENGLISH AND
FRENCH NATIONS. With a curious Essay on
TR A VELLING;
And a Criticifm on BoiLE All's Def-
cription of PARIS.
Tranflated from the French.
L 0 N 2) 0 K :
Printed and Sold by Tho. Edl i n, at the Prince's*
Arms, over-againft Exeter-Exchange, in thff
Strand. MDCCXXVI.

The Tranflator's
PREFACE.

H E Author of the following
Letters was fo great a Lover
of a private and retired Life,
and fo averfe to Pageantry and
Shew, that there remains but
little to entertain the Reader with, con
cerning his Name, or 'Perfon.
He was of Switzerland, and fervd fome
Time in the late King of Frances Ar
mies. He afterwards quitted all ^publick
'Bufinefs, on a Principle of Confeience, and
was baniflod pr cenfuring the Abiifes in
Religious Ceremonies with which he could
not comply; and now leads a folitary and
auftere Life. A » Thefe

\v The Tranflator's Preface.
Thefe Letters have undergone as many
Viciffitudes of Fortune as their Author.
The fame Principle thai induced him to
abandon the ' Care of worldly Affairs,
prompted him; to bum all the Copies he
could find : %ut, notwithjianding his TH-
ligence, fome efcap'd ,m and one of the Let
ters happening to be publijtid in Holland,
not long fince, and it being advertised at
the fame Time, that others would foon
be printed, ansd there being feveral coun'
terfeit Letters handed about, under the
Author s Name, his Friends made life of
th^Oppo^ttinintOfe^eUrthe wfafe, aw4
to prevail with -hjm, ejfter two Tears Im
portunity, to revif'e the Worlt ; fo that it is
now as correU, efpecially the Part rela
ting to the- EqgliCh, as when it- was firfi
pennd. Having now given the. Reader a.Jhort
-Hiftory of the Author, and his Letters, it
w0 be proper, in the next Place, ta fay
fomething of their Merit.
, He appears, thro the whole-, to be a
Perfon, of a fine Tafie, his Wit is fprigbtly
and elegant, his Judgment- folid, his Rea
foning ftrong and perfuafive, and his Eru
dition extenfive, without the leaft Mixture
of Pedantry, or Affectation.
The Letters on the Englifti, prefent us
with a compleat Character cf our Nation :
Others have, indeed, given Hints of fome of

The Tranflator's Preface. v
of our particular Virtues and Vices;
but this Author has taken a Survey of the
whole 'i He is not content with fuper-
¦ficial, or curfory O.bfervations > he goes to
the Bottom, andfearches 'into the^Phyfi-
cal as well as the Moral Caufes of our
Virtues- and Vices, Inclinations and Paf-
fions, Laws and Cluftoms : He points out
the Ways of remedying our TiefeUs and
improving our Advantages ; in a Word, all
Ranks of People may find fome Benefit
hy perufing thefe Letters. The States-man
will obferve fome of the gi"offeft Errm-s in
fiur Conftitution and Laws ; the Virtuoft
will find Matter enough for new Specu
lations ; the Clergy may improve by them,
and the Nation in general may fee fome
of their cDefeUs, particularly their vain
Boafiingl and Contempt of Strangers fet in
a clear Light, in order to Amendment.
He proceeds in drawing the Character
of the French, being, the People he oppof.es
to the Englifh on moft Occafions ; and nor
thing can be more beneficial to us than to
have a true Idea of that Nation, either
in Peace or in War : But I think it will
be proper to obferve in this Place, that
the Letters on %be French fall far jhort of
thofe on the Englifh ; whether this Va
riation muft be deducd from the different
Periods of Tout h and old Age, or a Change
of Fortune, I cannot determine: The fame
Remark

vi The Tranflator's Preface.
Remark has been made on the Works of
fome of the moft celebrated Authors ; and
the Learned are well apprmd how much
the Iliad // fuperior to the Odyffey Hn all
the Beauties of the Compofition,
He has, likewife, given us, at the Con-
clufion, fome neceffary InftruUions for Tra
vellers, which ought to be highly efteem d
in an Age when Travels are look'd upon
as one of the greateft Accomplifhments of
cur Nobility and Gentry. '
The Author of thefe Letters feemd to
he cut out for the Task he tmdertook. Be
fides his great Abilities, of which I have
taken Notice before, he was poffefs d of ano
ther Qualification, which .may be faid to
he as it were the very Life, er as the
Logicians have.it, the Forma informans
of a Writer ; that is Veracity .-. He keeps
clofe to it on all Occafions, and makes it
the Scope of every Thing he writes. There
was, likewife, another Advantage on his
Side ; he was a Foreigner : People are
feldom difengagd enough from Prepoffeffion,
fo fee the Faiths of their own Nation ; for
which Reafon that Task ought always to
be refervd for others.
, Having now. endeavour d to jhew our Au
thor on the beft Side, it will be Juftice
to take fome Notice of his Defers : But
I mift obferve, that the Genius of the French
Language, and Manner of writing differ much

The Tranflator's Preface. vii
much from the Englifh; .and this may,
perhaps, be thought to be a fufficient Apo
logy for him ; and there is no doubt but
a great many Parages, which are cryd.
up in French Authors, would make a ve
ry indifferent Figure in our Language.
3$ut, without enlarging any more on this
Topick, the Author is fometimes very ob-
fcure and metaphyfical, and handles fome
SubjeUs with too much ^Delicacy, at leaft
•for an Englifh Tafte ; and it is odd to
fee him fall into thefe Errors, in regard
he often cenfures them in other Authors.
Here it may not be improper to obferve,
that as fome of thefe Letters were wrote
above thirty Tears fince, the Reader muft
not be furprizd at the Variation between
the Cuftoms and Ways of thofe Times, (which
the Author fometimes takes Notice of,) and
thofe in our Generations, nor at fome Mi-
ftakes which he may have fallen into, with
regard to our Ijaws and Conftitution ; for
fuch may well happen to a Foreigner, not
withftanding the moft diligent Inquiries.
As for the Tranflation, it has been a Work
of no fmall difficulty ; which I am perfua-
ded will be readily acknowledged by thofe
who are skiltd in the French. Compoftti-
ons ofWit feldom affume a foreign T)refs with
out confiderable Lofs-, and as the French
Language has a greater Store ofPhrafes and
fignificant Terms than any Living Langua ges

viii The Tranflator's Preface.
ges whatever, and the Englifh but fety to cor-
refpond with th$m, it is not eafy to imagine'
what a Task a Tranjldtorhas to undergo.
I have endeavour d, on all Occafions, to keep
clofe to the Authors Senfe', that being the ef-
fential Part of every Verfiond Ibut whatever
Fate this may have, 1 flatter myfetf it would
make a tolerable Figure in an Age lefs fertile
in Criticks than the pfefent-.
As for the Criticiftn on BoileauV Sixth Sa-,
tyr, I once thought of omitting it in this Edi
tion, as turning chiefly on French Terms, and
confequently of little or no Ufe to an Englifh
.Reader. But, unwilling any Performance
of this notable Gentleman s fiiould be loft to
the Publick, I at length determind to print
the Original, together with as intelligible d
Verfion of it as 1 could make, for the Satis-
faUion of the mere Englifh Purchafer- My
Authors curious Criticifm, as may well be
fupposd, lofes in the Englifh the far greateft
Part of its native Tartnefs. I fhall not gd
about to interfere as to the Juftnefs of it :
That I leave to others •, and fhall Only fay,
that our judicious Swifs has made a good
Choice ; for-, in my Opinion, of all BoileauV
Works, this Satyr oj bis is what would beft
bear being criticised upon. In the French
this Letter is the laft but one; and to avoid
an unfeemly Mixture I have tranfposd it3
and it now clofe s the Whole.
LETTERS

LETTERS
DESCRIBING
The CHARACTER and CUSTOMS
OF THE
ENGLISH and
FRENCH
NATIONS.
With a curious ESSAY on
TRAVELLING.
And a Criticism on BOILEAU's De
scription of PARIS.
By I.!r. Muralt, a Gentleman of Switzerland.
Quiquid agunt homines, nostri farrago libelli. Juv.
The SECOND EDITION.
To which are now Added,
Critical REMARKS on the whole WORK,
by Gentlemen of the English and French
Nations. With a complete INDEX.
Translated from the French.
LONDON:
rinted and sold by THO. EDLIN, at the Prince' s-Arms,ove~:
against Exeter-Exchange; and N.PREVOST,
at the Sign of s
he Ship, over-against Southampton-Street , in the Strand.
MDCCXXVI.

1 2 5 fA e

THE

INDEX

T O T H E

Englijh Letters.

MVSEMENTS of the Englifi ; Women, Wine,
2nd Gaming Page 33
Authors (Englifi) very folid, ufe few Quotations,
never plunder from others, the dramatic Wri
ters excepted 1°
Arrep in England, for very frivolous Matters 63

Beauty, the Englifi Women remarkable for it 5
Bravery, the Men famous for it zil™-
Beaux (Englifi) not quite fo impertinent as a Fm*c& Marquis 33
2?im7£, much ufed by the E»£/$. The Eolly of it. Their
Fury in the Engagement T -j 4t
*a/fc«4 in England iather'd on any Body. A merry Incident
to that Purjofe ^

a S

£

The. I.N DEt

Charles If. faid to be the Caufe of all the Luxury and Excefs,
the Englifi arc fo apt to fall into *'
Captain, a Title the Englifi give to every infignificant Fellow
that wears a Sword , 4
Clergy of England, charg'd with Lazinefs. Some Reafons for
it. Their Sermons more refpeft'ed than their Perfons. Their
Method of reading their Sermons, preferable to that of re
peating them by Heart, 'and why. The Arrogance of a
frcr.ch Preacher when hesfcends the Pulpit. The Modefty
of the Eng lifi in that refpeft 7
Comedy. (En/rlfi). imnnti-sa], full of -Obfcenky rand Ranting.
Companion between Ben. yohnfcn and Mo Here ~ '¦ , ii?
 ; French eafier to write than Englifi, and: why ~\
•  One of the Source: of Corruption in London ( ,
 ¦ TUe'r vicious Characters f" '
Their Comedy of nO Benefit J
Conrparifons. Footmen and Chamber-maids in Englifi C^omedy
fluffed with thera 17
Concetti of. Mufick greatly in. Vogue: among" the. Englifi. An
Account of. them 3S
Curiezans (in London) flagrantly impudent.- Great Drinkers.
Inftance of their V fieri efs 34
Country Dances. Character of them 39
Cock fitrhting. Account of them. The Wagerers cenfur'd 41
Converfittiov of the Englifi, judicious 57'
jCoffee^houfes, in London, anatorr.iz'd 81
-'Country (in England) ' Account of it 85

Duels, feldom happen among the Englifi, always carried on
with Bravery  . 4
Diverfions among the Englifi. Cock-throwing. Prize-fighting.
Foot-ball', and Bowling S~8
Dogs (Ertghfi) brave, not Bragadocios. The Dogs and People
very like 41
.Debtorsdin Englifi Prifons, their great Mifery 68
Dying Speeches. Their Charafter, cenfur'd 72,
E
^Englifi, how particularly diftinguifii'd a
- A great many fine Characters *rnong them 171
«~- Peafants, how diiUnguilh'U io
— W»-

The rN'DE X:
¦¦ " — Women, many handlon.e, few agreeable, have a be
coming Modefty, finely il.ip'd, noble Air, finely drei's'd,
love to Patch, tho' they don't want it. Their Humour free
and eafy. Idle. Inqeifoive ' Fond of Credulity a
Their general Charafter, a Mixture of Lazinefs and

good Senfe cornpleacs it , i;
¦  Keep no Medium, either in Good or Evil • 14
r — • — Cive great Enco-.rager...;nt to Pl.ylicians, Lawyers and
Aflrologers "f - 15
Eating. Charafter of the Englifi Tablas 3 9
Executions in England. An Account of them. The Vanity
and Intrepidity of the Criminals. , Reafons for it. Two
odd Incidents 43
Exchange (Royal) Account of it 80

foreigners, the Englifi no: fo remarkably infolent coward them 3
tickle, the Englifi net more 10 tliau other Nations. Their fre-
£.11:11: Revolutions in Government not a Proof of it. \'That
'tis owing to Pi udeuce. Fixed and Rjfo'Iute.' Of a'mk'd
Charafter. Some of them Incontinent id, i,f-,
French bog, an abulive Name given by the Englifi to all Fo
reigners 40
¦Viercvefs of the Englifi, produce's good' Effects 47

.Good Senf*. The Evglfi peculiarly happy in it. Owing to
the Liberty they enjoy, and is the Sourcft ot fo many extra
ordinary Characters among, them 1
.- — — The Reafohs why th i Englifi may juftly boafl a Su-
' periority therein, over other Nations. From their ihunnwg
Publick Employments l>o>-
greatnefs fits eafy on the Englifi.
Greatnefs of Soul of my Lord Bflmont, in Ifiiig.#G7<'rt;«'s
Time -. 5 4.
Houfe of Commons. Its Charafter. A few bright Men 'in it,
lead the reft. A ridiculous Speech made in 163,3, oy one
of i'ts Members 5
Handicrafts, the Englifi very famous. Their Faults,, Ths
' French excel them in the finishing Part ' ' , ' 5
Humour, in Englifi} Comedy. Its Definition i8
Hackney-Coaches, in London, the great Advantage of them 84
* i l

Tbe INDEX. I
fdhnfon (Ben.) His Character. Had lefs Wit than Moliere*
lefs Natural. Brought too many Mechanicks on the Stage-
Very Judicious. His good Plays excellent i°
Invention of the Englifi, very luxurious a1
jury. A very particular Circumftance relating to a Murder 71
yames's (St.) Palace defcrib'd 77
K
Kjtnjington Palace defcrib'd 7$

Love, the. E«g7j£ very violent in that Paffion. Lazy in the
Purfuit of it 3 6
. Liberty (Englifi) fometimes degenerates 6 r
Laws (Englifi) very abfurd, with refpeft to Marriages, Arrefts,
Thefts 6i, &c
London defcrib'd 75> ©V.
M
Method the Author purfues, with relation to his Work- His
great Exaftitude. Truth his principal Object 1
'Merchants. The Englifi Traders differ very much from other
Nations, and in what. Something very particular in their
Charafter 9
Mourners hired, very much ufed in England, the Reafon why,
not altogether unneceffary 15
M'ftrejfes (kept) by Englifi Husbands very common 3 8
Msuntague Houfe defcrib'd 78
The Monument Remarks upon it. 81
N
Uature juftly imitated in Comedy, makes it pleafe. Defects
of the Englifi ones in that refpeft. A comical Comparifon z&
O
OpprcJJion. The Englfi free from it 4'
Opera (Engl fi) its Charafter ' 'j z

The INDEX.

tride, the Englifi not fo much addicted to it, as is commonly
imagin'd a
Prejudice. The Englifi greatly prejudic'd in Favour\>f their own
Nation 3
Prifons in England, very ill govem'd 64, 68
Perjury in England, punifh'd but Sightly 67
Park (St. James's) beautifully defcrib'd 77
St. Paul's Church. Pleafant Remark on it 80
Parallel of the French and Englifi Nations 174

JUchefier (Earl of ) his Charafter, his merry Projeft ii
Religion, every Englifhman feems to form one. No Hypocrites.
Great Numbers of Fanaticks. Many truly pious 14
Ring, in Hyde-Park. An Account of it. Defign of it 36
Romances, much read by Englifi Women 3 8
Refervedn.fs of the Englifi to Strangers, defended. Particu
larly cenfur'd by the French ^0
Reafon, the Englifi dare make ufe of theirs 171'

Shadtvell, Poet-Laureat. His ill Treatment of Moliere, firft
plundering, and then railing at hiin. The little Judgement
in his Alterations. Part of a Scene quoted from Shadwelfs
Mifer 23. Very wittily cenfur'd 25, 16, 27
Stage. Its Ufe 29.
Surloin of Beef, the Emblem of the Englifi Profperity 40
Scolding very common in England. Charafter of the Thames
Watermen. King Charles II. put out of Countenance by
one of them . 40
Suicide very fafhionable in England An odd Story of one of
their Noblemen that {hot himfelf, to revenge himfelf up
on his Wife. Another tragi-comical Incident to the fame
Purpofe 4>
Silence of the Englifi, in Converfation, much applauded 5 8
Self-love, the Englifi too much .addifted to it Co
Squares in London,. Obfervations on them 7^1
Shots in London, Account of them 83
Somerfet { Duke of) his Seat at Petfworth, fplendid Retire-
ment, Courtefy 8 8
a 4 T

The IND1I

Irag'dy, (Englifi) if. more' natural, would' excel, any other in
.Europe. England a Scene for Pafiions and Catafirophes. The
Heroes of Antiquity whunfically.difguis'd. Executions on the
Stage cenfur'd 30
TfOgkal Story,of a jealous, Englifhman, &c: 6cV
Thieves. A Projeft to lefien their Number. X remarkable
Story of one 7}
fhames defcrib'd. Amufements on it 78
Tower of London defcrib'd 79
Taverns in London. Reflections on them 83
Temple (Sir William) Converfatien with him, h!j great Civi
lity, agreeable .Retirement, the Happinefs he enjoy'd in - it
87, &»r.
Truth. The Englifi famous for fpeaking it boldly 17s
w
Writers. The Englifi; abound with them t
Walking, much us'd by the EngVfi. Their Women walk pure
ly to be gaz'd at. Their Air exceffivelv modeft. ^
Wiv:s, (Englifi) the beft in the World, inftances of it. Not
Jealous _ 37
- — — t»i Gallantry, no occafion to complain of the- Laws, The.r
great Privileges 6.5
Whitehall defcrib'd 76
Wrfiminjler-Abbcy dofaib'd g^

THE

THE
I N D E X
T O T H E
French Letters.
And to the Essay on
TRAVELLING.

.1 T of Living, look'd upon by the French, as the great'
Concern of Life 97
Advantages. The French ignorant of theirs 108
Affability ro Frame, the Motives of it 126
Affecdation, France over-run v/'th it \ 127
Apifi, the French very much fo in Converfation 1 <'.o
Abbe's, French, a pleafan:"Set of Men 158
Ambition of the French, ill-grounded 174
Authors, Female, in France, fine ones 20$
Abufe, great ones in .Travelling 240;
.Air of Importance got by Travelling 24$' B

The INDEX.

B
Buffi (Count de) a famous Writer. His Exile, A judicious
Remark on his Impatience in it. His Submifllon 07, &c.
Bagatelle. The French particularly famous for it 99
Bravery. The French very eminent for it. Fine Inftances of it
Beau-monde, in France, a Defcription of it 11$
Behaviour, in France, Account of it 126
Bookfellers, in France, how they treat Strangers 15$
Beautiful (the) what it is 179
Balzac, his Charafter 186
Boilesu, his Writings applauded, and cenfur'd 195
Bel-Efprit, deferves to be condemn'd 200
Books, of what Kind' good 228

Cufiom, the French wholly Slaves to it 95
.. always changing among the French 40
Court-life, the French great Lovers of it 97
Comparifon, between the French Women and Travellers 1 2 r
CharaBer, a fine one of the Man of Merit in France. His Ad
vantages over thofe of other Nations. Very numerous
there 122
«' ¦ ¦ general of the French very humane, &>c. 171
Converfations, among the French, made to fhew themfelves 124
... in this the French preferve their Liberty 148
Xlloaths, the French always changing the Fafhion of theirs 141
Contempt, the French have for other Nations, filly and ridiculous I7j
Corneille, Charafter of his Writings 1 89
Comedy, very proper for the Stage 100
Country Life, its Advantages aiI
Change in Man, not wrought by Travelling ^ip
Common Travellers, what moft fought after by them 240
Children, of Parents that love Pleafure, unhappy 256
D
DreJJing, the chief Employment of the French Ladies. Care-
lefs in the Management of it It*
Debauchees, in France, fometimes excellent Men p?8
Dramatic

The INDEX.
Dramatick Writers, French, very eminent ! gg
DiBionary (Critical) Bayle the Author of it very much cenfur'd
Dignity of Man, in what it confifls 220
Beep-read Man, his Charafter 2,0
 > Very ufelefs to the World 131

Education, the French very careful to beftow a proper one
upon their Children. Some Errors in it no
Entertainments, the French have a perfeft Tafte of them 137
Ejfential, of Man, not agreed upon, what it is n9
Exterior, of Man, injudicioufly our Study 2,26

Trench, their general Charafter po Q>Cm
' Better to know 'em at Home than Abroad ' 166
Fame, eagerly fought after by the French p.
Favours of Women. A particular Remark on the French, with
refpeft to them f-> -^
Bw*«w? the making it, ftrongly purfued by the French in ge
neral 6
Formality, the Fre»c£ not at all given to it joi
Friendfiip, that of the Fre^Z, not durable 104
Foreigners, the B-ewcfc very courteous towards 'em ibid
Franknefs, the French Nation greatly practife it IOo
Finery, the Frew& vifit to fhew theirs 1*
Flattery much praftis'd by the Ff-e»<# ' 1d.
Fafiion, the Extravagance of it in France jjjj
 Very prejudicial to the Frewfc on feveral Accounts tJ,
 Great Excefs of it there I46 g$*
 ¦- The great Advantage, and Prejudice it does , <&
Faculties (two) in Man's Underftandin°- 17Q
Farmers of the King's Revenues. Their Charafter 1 60
Farce, wholly ufelefs
Fontaine (La.) A great Charafter of his Fables. His liS
cenfur d
Florid Writers, French, their Charafter

202
207

Falfe Merit, got by Travelling °g

G

Tht I N D E X.
G
ffond-Senfe, the French negleft the cultivating it J2
Good-natur'd, this Expreffion among the French, taken in an ill,
Senfe . 10-8-
Qentlemen, in France, Character of them na
Good-breeding, how it might to be 13*
Gallantry, in France, Defcription of ic 133
Gaming, among the French, neither deftruftive nor difagreeable
Good ('he) what it is. 179
-'Sentlemiip, the true one, not immediately fora'd by travelling
H
fi&mxttity, the French praftife it very much. A fine Inftaace
of it 103, &(.
-Honour, a Word the French are mighty lavifh of 129.
Hiftory of Fafbions among the French would be ufeful and en
tertaining 1 49.
.Handicrafts, French, very skilful and induftrious - 153
jHeart of Man, to be chiefly regulated 225
Humapity, the firft Ornament 01 Man, 245

,Idlenefs, thought by the French, to difliuguifh particularly the
Gentleman from the Mechanick 94.
Jmpertinence abounds in France j^6-
Improvement, faid to be one Motive of Travelling 217
.XnfiinB. Man ought to follow his owri uq
imitation, prejudicial to the Mind z.z&
K

JCing, the Punch love theirs, more than any other Nation in,
the World I(54
knowledge, of the World, faid to be one of the Advantages
ef Travelling ; coiitrsdifted ii4

The I N D EX.

Litigious, the French Nation particularly fo 94, &(.
liberty, F.ench, altogether whimlical 95
Lfe, by the French, look'd upon as a Sport, and not an Af
fair of -a ferious Natire 12.1
Language, the French, fubjeft to the Caprices of Fafhion 144
—  —Reflections upon if 208
Leve, reprefented by the trench Writers in general, in too
alluring Colours . -,- 157
 communicated in good Earneft by dramatic Entertain
ments 191
Letters, of Voiture, witty, but unnatural 187
Lyrick Waiters, trench, their Charafter lop
Languages, the learning them, Reafon why Travellers apply
themfelves to 'em za1*i
Liberty of Thought, how obtain' d 230
Light, Man confider'd in two Views 141
Luxury heighten' d by Travel. Its pernicious Confequence! 25*'
M
' Motility of the Beau-mend* io France, what it is 117*
Military Men, in France, an Honour to it 162'
Man of Senfe, what are his Diverfions 1 84
Moral RefieBions, a trench Treatife much applauded, by Roche-1
foucault 204
Man, defirous of knowing all other Things, before he knows
himfelf , 214.
.  — finely eompar'd to Fruits 217
Mind, Travelling ought to operate upon it chiefly. Its Defects 222,
Man (the), not his Mask, to be confider'd 2.2.5.
 • His true Character unknown 243
Men of Merit, Acquaintance with them faid to. be one Mo
tive for Travelling 232
Man of Merit, his Charafter 233
 — we often miftake him. 235
Motives of Travelling 2 3 8
Modefty and Bafhiuhiefs prejudic'd by Travel 248
Manners, foreign, .".re prejudicial 253
¦Marriage, the State of, how prejudic'd 155
Mfigiftraies ought to he very cautious in their Conduft 256

N

I he' INDEX:

N

Vature, feldom found in Works of Wit 180

What is its Aim

225

Nation, each, its peculiar Charafter 250
o
Outftde, and Show, too much valued by the French, that they
don't know the Value of Things 94
Obliging, the French very much fb 105
Opera, in Paris, cenfur'd 15-
Opinion the reft of the World have of the French 16 *
1  the French love to be efteem'd by other People i74

Politenefs, the French have a fine Knack at it. A merry De-
fcription of it 128
Panegyrick, ths French Authors write therg. often 135
Praife, fine Refleftions on it 136
Peafants, in France, very miferable . l$j
People of good Senfe laugh at the French i6f
Purity of Wit, what it is 1 8 1
Parallel between the Antients and Moderns, a ver/ fine
Work 200
Pretty Things, better faid by Women than Men 207
Parents, many fend their Children to travel without knowing
for what 121
Public (the) very fond of Travellers 242,
Philofophers, antient, their Character 243
Probity and Sincerity confpicuous among the antient Siuifs 248
Patriot, how he ought to aft 257

Quality, the French particularly intoxicated with it 5«
giuixots (Don) in Wit and Behaviour, as great Fools as thofe
in Converfation l ,
R
RefteBions on the Beau-monde in France \ x $
Romances, Authors of them very much cenfur'd ^6
Rakes of Quality, French, their Charafter j\g
Rarity

The INDEX.
Racine, Character of his Writings t gp
Rabelais, his Writings much cenfur'd 19 j
Reafons generally given for Travelling 217
Rife of Travelling, from whence ibid.
Retirement, fought after by wife Men a 1 8
Reading, generally an idle Amufement 227
¦ "¦ in what ufeful aig
Reafoning, often prejudicial ibii.

Society, the French great Lovers of it 55
Solitude, infupportable to the French. A famous Inflance of ic
Statuary (antient) his Praftice compar'd to a Defeft in the French
Education .
Shopkeepers, in France, their Charafter I<4
Sharpers, in France, their Charafter j^
Social Virtues, the French famous for 'em I7a;
Sarrajtn, his Charafter. Writings cenfur'd '18*,©*'
Sugar compar'd to Wit g '
Scarron, his Charafter, highly extravagant lg^j
Stile of a Writer, not fo much to be regarded 20Q.
Swl/f, their Conduft in Travelling z,$
Simplicity (real) of great Value jJa
Socrates, his Conduft to be imitated 2?g.
Satyr (of Bw/eaw) his fixth. A long Criticifm upon it z6i, 8v,

-toys, French, very much referable the People of that Natidh 1 3d
Titles, ot French Authors, at the Head of their Works >verv
valrl " ' 144
Things, to be treated according to their Value 1 8<
Trifles, Voitttre excels in them - g |
Tragedy, lefs A for the Stage than Comedy x 9a
Telemachus, an inimitable Piece ,Qr]
Travelling, the End that fhould be propofed in it 214
 ¦ compar'd to Cuftoms ai|
- where ufeful £¦
 for Travelling-fake no Merit #«£
Travellers, among the Antients, great Men 2 1 f
 refort to France in fearch ©f farfe Merit 316
Tutors, good ones, for young Gentlemen, that travel, very ne
ceffary, j39

Tfo I N D EX,'

Variety of Charafters in every Province of France 151
Vivacity, the F tench peculiarly Remarkable for it- Some Reflect
tions upon it 91.
Vift.ting, one of the chief Occupations" of Life in France .96
V'ftts of a particular Kind ufed among the 1-rench 113
Village, in France, each has its Beau- monde 1 1 9
Virgins, in trance, how educated. Defefts in it ' r7i
Votture, his Charafter.' Writings cenfur'd i8'i,fifl?.
Virtue, fet off with beautiful -Colours- by" the Tragic Writers -191
r«v, often improv'd by Travelling 237
w
JT"'f, the principal Charafter of the French, -who are perfuaded
they out-fhine all other Nations in tfiat refpeft. Their great
Vanity on that Account 99, Qpc.
~ — various Opinion! of what it is T76"
Women, in Frame, Reflections upon their .Conduct, with refpeft
to Society 1 119'
~—  their Charafter, not over-handfome,, agreeable, tho',;
perhaps, too forward.' Thofe of Quality fhun Modefty^
intriguing, medling with Politicks, expenfive and noify, in-.
difcreet, Behaviour unnatural, too bold, agreeable Drinkers,
-Gamafters, Lovers .of Hunting. Others of a quite oppofite
Charafter < 172/
Wit, a fine Ufe that may be made of it I78
Writers, folid and rational, uu.-fi.il I Si
¦  =— in France, why, fo many bad ones- . 2-08"
Wrong Methods in Travelling. , ' 2^9*
Wit, not Underftanding, ibrni'd by Travelling ^d

¦Teuih, in France, the greateft Libertines in. the World. Me-J
thod to remedy' it -••' TII
— —  improv'd, betcer by Education at Home, than Travelling. -217
XaUng Women ought to b^referv'd ' j-.

fp;> ¦¦>.*&

-$&

^L

"¦-'>:

?d$&

*d;

( t)

LETTERS

Concerning the

Englifh Nation, &c*

Letter I.

SIR,

Am refolded, during rriy ftay iri
England, to give you foine Ac*
count o£ the Manners and Chara*
cter of the People, not only to
arnufe you, but with a ferious in*
tention of drawing fuch a Portrait
as may give you a juft Idea of the Nation. I'll
inform you of all that comes to my Knowledge,
but without travelling far to make Obfervations j
and that with Exadtnefi, according to the beft of
tay Judgment, both of us may however be

a LETTERS
fometimes miftaken. In a word, Truth fliall be
my chief Aim in every thing I write, but I can
not take upon me to fay that I fhall always
meet with her ; and it would, in my Opinion,
jbe Rathnefs to promife it. The ways whereby
the EngliJI) are chiefly known in the World are the
very lame that make them remarkable when we
are with them, that is," ~by Profperity, the Magni
ficence of the Great, and the Plenty among the
.common People. 'Tis eafy to obferve at the fame
time the ufual Effe&s of Happinefs ; Corruption,
and a kind of Pride, call'd Infolence among
thofe that fuffer by it. Corruption is come to
fuch a heighth in England, that it appears bare
faced. I have fometimes heard People impute
it to King Charles II. who is reported to have
given continual Examples of Excefs and De
bauchery ; but, in my Opinion, the EngliJIi don't
ftand in need of any extraordinary Precedents,
to make them what they are : Generally fpeak
ing, they have little Education, a great deal of
Money to lavifh, and all poffible Incentives to
Vice ; fo that we may well expeflfc to find a
great number of difiolute People among them.
It muft likewife be obferv'd that England is a
Country of Liberty, every one lives there as he
wifhes j which, no doubt, is the Source of the
many extraordinary Characters among them,
Heroes in Evil as well as in Good. It likewife
gives them a Freedom of Thoughts and Senti
ments, which does not a little contribute to their
good Senfe, wherein they are diftinguiuYd, ge
nerally fpeaking, from moft other Nations.
Their Pride, (or, if I dare make ufe of the
ufual Term) their Infolence, is neither fo extra
vagant nor general as People imagine. Their
little Regard for the Grandees, with their Un-
willingnefs

concerning the Englifh, &c. 3
willingnefs to yield them any Superiority, as is
ufual in other Countries, may by fome be impu
ted to Pride j but it never exerts itfe.lf more
than in fuch things as tend to Liberty, and
in their violent manner of enjoying fome Plea-
fures. I have not remark'd any Infolence among
them to Strangers, at leaft in the common. "Af
fairs of Life j fo that I cannot fee any Reafon for
diftinguifhing them from other Nations, on that
Score ; and generally fpeaking, their Ways are far
from being either fo harfh or difagreeable to us as
moft People imagine. They do not trouble them
felves much about us, when they don't know us ;
and when they do, they make us fenfible fome
times that they love themfelves beft : That is enough.
They are.ftrongly prepoffefs'd in Favour of their
own Nation ; this influences all their Difcourfe and
Ways, and affords matter of Complaint to Stran
gers: And perhrps the Folly of the greateft
Part of the World may be imputed to the fame
Error ; but in regard People ftand in need of one
another's Affiftance, it is generally conceal'd for
the Bene fit of the Society. The EngliJIr axe no way
bridled by any Confideration of that Kind ; being
rich enough to live within themfelves, and fepa-
rated by Sea from the reft of the World, they
are above Reftraint, wherein the French ought to
be difpenfed. with on fome Occafions, fince the
Englifi never praftife it on any. Befides their
great Wealth and Contempt of Strangers, I think
the Bravery of the Men, and Beauty of the
Women, may be added to the ordinary Character
of the Nation : I will give you my Opinion on
that Head. Their Bravery is univerfally efta
blifli'd with good Reafon : They give convincing
Proofs of it in defpifing Death; yet few of them
hunt after War in foreign Countries, for the.fame
B 2 Reafon

4/ L E ? T E £ I.
ltejafon, perhaps, that few goto Court : It is becaufe
they have Wealth and good Senfe. They neither
go to War, nor much efteem thofe who do. The.
Title of Captain is very infignificant among them j
every idle Fellow, who is a Stranger, provided he
has a Sword on, they honour him with that Title,
as in France every trifling Fellow, who wears the
Cloak and little Band, bears the Title of Abbe.
Their Bravery is no lefs. confpicuous in Duels •, but
fuch Kind of Combats are not much heard of ;
yet when they happen, the Parties behave them*
felves welh In my Opinion, true Courage (the
Want of which has introduced thefe new Ways
among Men) is to be found here •, that is, Refo*,
lution to purfue Reafon againft Cuftom, in order
to any good Aftion : Here are great Numbers of
fuch brave Men, as you will obferve by feveral
PafTages with which I fhall have an Opportunity
of acquainting you on this Head.
, The common People are as little follicitou9
after the great Men as they are after the Court •,
it would feem as if they were neither fear'd nor
admir'd, as in other Countries. On the con
trary, one may obferve a Spirit of Liberty which
is countenanced by the Government : And if all
' I have heard of be true, it is in England that a
Man is Mafter of his own, without the Oppreffions
of the Great, or ever knowing them, if he thinks
fit : They are only confider'd in Proportion to
the Good they do ; if they do much, as it often
happens, then they become truly great Lords,
by their numerous Levies, the Cornplaifance and
Efteem of the People, and are like little Kings, in
their Country Houfes. If they do but little
Good, they are left to themfelves, to enjoy their
Prerogatives in Sadnefs, and their Condition is
pretty near what one of them has acknowledg'd it

concerning the Englifh, &c- y:
ii to be, on a certain Occafion. " We carf't
" (fays he) be arrefted for Debt, for which Rea-
" fon we can have no Credit -y in lieu of an Oath,
" we are obliged to fwear only on our Hqnour,
" but then few believes us ; there's a Law to
" prevent People from fpeaking ill of us, but
" we, as well as others, are fometimes baftina-
" doed in the Streets." He might, have addecL
that their Birth gives them Seats in Parliament,
but that their Houfe does not rule all : You know
'tis the lower that has the greateft : Share in the
Determination of all important Affairs. Give.,
me leave to fay fbmething of it.
'Tis partly by the Care of the -Houfe of ComX
rnons, that England has •> prefer y'd her Liberty
under a Kingly Government, which no doubt is
Efficient to gain them the greateft Efteem, nor
is it well poflible to conceive, too high an Idea of
that Houfe ; 'tis however eafy in other Refpefts.-
to fill into an Error on this Topick. In a Coun
try of good Senfe one might well expeft to find
a great many Men of Abilities, in a Meeting of
four or five hundred, chofe from among all the
reft ; but it happens otherwife, to judge of them
at leaft by their Deliberations and long Debates
upon fmall Affairs. Thus it happens here, as it
commonly does in numerous Aflemblies, fbmp
of the moft underftanding, or the boldeft, fet up
for Chiefs, and lead the reft : There's likewif$
found among the laft, fome that are tired with
being led, and fo refolve to go alone, and even
.venture to make Speeches ; 'tis then we are to
lexpeft Miracles. In the Year 1693, one of thefe
wife Senators concluded his Harangue with fay
ing, that he hoped, before the end of the Year,
to fee the King of France prefent himfelf at the
B3 Ea$

6 LETTER I.
Bar of the Houfe, and beg for Peace from the"
parliament on his Knees.
In other Refpefts the (a) Nobles that compofe
the lower Houfe^ feem to be the happieft People
hi the World: By this Order of Nobility I would
have that called Gentry underftood, but the title
Of Noble does not entirely fquare with them, aor
cording to the common Idea, nor their way of
living, with that of the Nobility in other Coun?
tries. They are a rich People, whofe Birth no
way fubjefts them to any Nicety, or troublefome
Punftilio, fo that they may follow any kind of
Bufinefs, in cafe of Need : That indeed makes
them Mechanicks, but on the other hand, De-:
bauchery and Hunting are their ufual Employ
ments, where they behave themfelves as much.
like Gentlemen as op other Occafions. As for
the Exercifes of riding the great Horfe, dancing,
and fencing, they quite negleft them; as well as
Jome genteel and polite ways, which in other
Countries are found only among the Nobles.
But what I have faid muft be underftood chiefly
pi young People that have not travelled, and is
not fo generally true, but that it may admit of
Jome Exceptions, which often happens in general
Characters of Nations.
Let us now go on to the Clergy.
_'Tis ^prizing to obferve at firft View the Air
of Health and Pxofperity of the greateft Part of
them; and* is pleafant to fee how fat and
fair thefe Parfons are. They are charged
with being fomewhat lazy, and their ulal
rSt >akeTV- fu(l5e<aed th* the^ S
iruth in it. It is common to fee them in
Coffee-
(a) The French divide tlehNotilitv mf» £;~z. j i
«** tb3 Engm Pe„Si :jtXrt^2Z!r7M

concerning the Englifh, Cjc. 7
CofFee-Houfes, and even in Taverns, with Pipes
in their Mouths. This would, no doubt, at firft
give fome Offence to a Stranger ; but as 'tis the
Cuftom of the Country, and none thinking it
fcandalous, there's no more notice taken of them
in thofe Places than of others. There's one thing
which they have in common with the Clergy of
other Nations, that their Sermons are more re-
fpefted than their Perfons. Befides the Shortnefs
of their Difcourfes, which renders them pre
ferable to ours, they read them in lieu of repeat
ing by heart ; or to fpeak more properly, in,
pronouncing they caft their Eyes from Time to
Time on their Notes to help them out •, and I am
perfuaded their way would not difpleafe you ; it
not only prevents the violent Aftion of a De-
claimer, the counterfeit Paffions, and outragious
Gefticulations, which are no way agreeable to
the Dignity of Religion, but what is no lefs im
portant, it enables them to give force to their
Sermons, without lofing any thing in getting
them by heart ; fo that one does not hear any
idle Stories, hardly worth writing, and which
could not be read without an ill Grace. It would
feem as if they defign'd to reform Mankind in
good Earneft, and their Sermons, by powerful
reafoning, tend to make Men fbciable and vir
tuous ; but tho' they fhould fail of Succefs, they
give no Occafion, at leaft, by long and infipid
Harangues, to fome to laugh at the Preacher,
and to others to laugh at Religion.
I have fometimes confider'd the Difference be=
tween the EngliJI) Preachers and others, the French
for Example ; the firft goes into the Pulpit with
an Air of Modefty and Fear, and one might fay
he is afraid of looking on the Audience; the
Tone of his Voice is fedate, his Reafoning fhort
B 4 and

§ L EXXE R L
©nd natural, and abounds with good Senfe. TK<&
other, on the contrary, feems to be mounting a
Throne, and in getting up, one may perceH»
him to fwell with Ecclefiaftick Pride ; he begins
with turning his Head on all Sides, and looking
arrogantly on his Hearers, as if he would mipire
them with Refpeft for his Perfon, his Difcourfet
is long and tirefome, full of Fancies and Flower®
of Rhetorick, he lays about -him furioufly, and,
cries out like a Man unprovided with good Rea4
fons to perfuade, or Dignity to give Weight to
what he advances. ¦
I muft not forget to tell you, that _ the Englifh
have been very fuccefsfui in promoting the Scir.
ences, and that they have a great number of,
good Writers on moft Subjefts. But _ this is no
way furprizing, they are fenfible of their own
Freedom, and live at their Eafe, they love to
make ufe of their Reafon, and negleft any Po-
litenefs or Behaviour in Difcourfe that renders'
Wit little or mean. In a word, their Language-
jsrich and perfpicuous, fcarcely admitting any
thing that is trifling. Be it as it will, they pre
tend to have had the Start of other Nations in
the Advancement of Learning, for a whole Cen
tury at leaft. This is a Pretenfion fo like to
difturb Parnajfus, and to ftir up Difputes in the
angry Commonwealth of the Learned, that while
J am fpeaking, methiriks I hear the Charge
founded, and the Literati running to Arms. The
Englijh pretend likewife to more Wit, or Wit of
a better Allay than the reft of the World ; which
may be true fo far, that there are fome of them
that think with more Force, and have more bold
Thoughts than the Men of Wit in other Nations,
But in my Opinion they ate neither delicate nor
jaatufal, and I am perfuaded you'll find their
Works

concerning the Englifh, ^?c. 9
Works over-charg'd with Thoughts. But I fhall
have Occafion hereafter to examine this Affair
more particularly. Now for the Merchants.
They feem to me to differ from other Mer
chants in many Things ; they are neither in fo
much hafte as the French' to grow rich, nor fb
niggardly as the Dutch to fave ; their Houfes are
richly furnifhed, and their Tables well ferved ;
none can out-do a Merchant in. good eating, if
he makes it his Bufinefs, and 'tis, ho doubt, this
fumptuous way of living that obliges them to
fell their Goods at dear Rates, for being ac-
cuftom'd to great Expences, " they defpife fmall
Gain. There's fomething very fingular in their
Charafter, and 'which, in my Opinion, diftin-
guifhes them ftill more from other Merchants-,
no fooner do they acquire Wealth, but they quit
Tfaffick, and turn Country Gentlemen ; fo that
fome of' them know when to ftop, and to enjoy
the Fruits of their Labour. There muft be a
great Number of fuch Gentlemen, for a Book
has been lately printed, in v/hich the Author,
who is a Merchant, charges them with weaken
ing Trade.
The Englijh Mechanicks liave acquired a great
deal of Reputation in the World, and in many
Things not without Reafon j for they excel in
Clock and Cabinet Work, making Saddles, and
all Sorts of Tools, and in feveral other Things,
which I can't call to mind at this Time. There
are likewife fome in which they have got a Name,
without any Foundation : Their fmall Pieces of
Steel Work are little worth, tho' they fet a high
Value on them, and fell them at a dear Rate ;
the Temper is indeed good, but as for the Work
manship, 'tis ill placed, , and ill finifhed; and
generally fpeaking, they are out-done by the
French

io LETT ER I.
French in every kind of Toy Work, which is in
deed rather curious than ufeful, and their beft
Mafters come from Paris. The fmall Experience
of the People of this Country in Things of this
Kind, muft be attributed to their Diflike_ of
Trifles, and their too great Eafinefs in paying?
roundly for every thing they buy ; the greateft'
Part of them judge only of a Work by the Price^
and you may well think that the Workman, be
ing at no great Pains to pleafe them, and in the
way of growing rich at his Eafe, is not over di
ligent in minding his Trade, and confequently
will never excel in it.
I know the Englifti Peafants but by one way ;
They are commonly on Horfeback, in Riding-
Coats, and Plufh Breeches, booted and fpurred
and always galloping. None but the Carters let
their Horfes go at their own pace, being oblig'd
to trudge on heavily by the Cart's fide. 'Tis
pretended that the Englifi) Peafants are neither fo
clownifh nor ignorant as thofe of other Countries,
The People in general are well cloathed, which
is a certain Proof of their living at Eafe ; for in
England the Belly always takes place of the Back.
As for the common People, there's no great oc
cafion of giving a particular Account of them ;
they feem to me to be jumbled in moft things
xvith the whole Nation ; generally fpeaking, they
have the fame Pleafures with the Nobles, the
Clergy, and the Merchants, the- fame Virtues,
and the fame Vices. And tho' few of them have
the Advantage of Education, they are however
to be valued as well as the others, for their good
natural Parts. They are feldom opprefs'd by
the Grandees, who are fo inconfiderable in their
Eyes, that, as I told you before, they regard
them no further than they do Goad, Now I
have

concerning the Englifh, &c. 1 1
have told you every thing that offer'd for this
time concerning the Men, give me leave to fay
fbmething of the Women.
I own to you that the Beauty of Englifi Wo
men does not touch me much : They have all
fair Hair and beautiful fair Faces, but without
any Sprightlinefs. I fee here a hundred hand-
fome Women, but not ten of the Number agree
able ; yet there are fome of another Opinion,
and think them rather agreeable than handfome ;
what pleafes me moft is their Modefty, and a
gentle Bafhfulnefs, that makes them eafily
blufh, and caft down their Eyes every Minute :
They are for the moft part finely fhaped, which
is their greateft Charm •, they have a noble Air,
and are tall, and flender, and they wear fine
Cloaths, which is no fmall Advantage. I have
feen fome that thought their Shoulders and Hips
were of the fmalleft, occafion'd in a great mea-
fUre by their ftrait way of dreffing, but they be
gin to amend that Fault. They have ftill a
much greater in not taking Care of their Teeth,
which is the more neceffary, becaufe, according
to the way of the Country, the}r eat much Flefh,
and little Bread, which is another bad Cuftom,
and muft be attended with ill Confequences.
The want of this Nicenefs is a great Injury to
Englifli Women, who in other refpefts not only
appear to be nice, but are really fo. They de
light in covering their Faces with Patches, which
they don't want, and ferve only to make People
think they have more of a Coquet Humour than
is true. There are even fome of their elderly
Women that will not part with them ; I have
feen Patches on an old Woman's Face thro' her
Speftacles. As for their Humour, they are fa
llen to be gentle, frank, and eafy; at firft re-
ferv'd,

i». LETTER L
ferv'd, but foon growing familiar, even to a de
gree of playing the Fool; hafty in Anger, but^
in other refpeft, lazy and accuftom'd toldlenefs.
Among the common People, the Hufbands fel+
dom make their Wives Work : As to the Women
of Quality, they don't trouble themfelves much
about it, except thofe near the Queen's Perfori,
who I believe is one of the beft Workwomen iri
the Kingdom, and 'tis probable fhe may bring
working into Fafhion. From their Idlenefs pro
ceeds their Uneafinefs, their Curiofity to know
things to come, their Fondnefs of Fortune-telling^
and their Credulity. This Charafter made th&
Famous Earl of Rocbefter think of a merry Pro
ject ; he was not only the moft debauched, but
likewife the wittieft Man of his time, and the
beft acquainted with Women : Having leifure on
his Hands, during the Interval of a fmall Dif-
grace at Court, hefets up a Stage, in the Difguife
of a Mountebank, and gave himfelf out for a
great Aftrologer, boafting that he had infallible
Secrets for beautifying the Face. His Defign fuc
ceeded, according to Expeftation ; the fine Wo
men run to him in Crowds ; and 'tis reported
that he communicated his Secrets to fome, and
taught them the way of enjoying the prefent
Time, without troubling themfelves much about
that to come.
I now return to give a general Charafter of
the Englifh; but I will Hot warrant any Refle-
ftions of that kind, further than I find them true
by my own Experience of the People. They
feem for the moft Part to have great Virtues or
great Faults, and very often both: A great Share
of good Senfe, but fomewhat whimfical : Their
Hearts are great, and their Unevennefs of Tem
per flings them fometimes a top of other Nations, and

concerning the Englifh, &c. i j
and fometimes under. They have a happy Way
of conceiving Things, but it? Fire refembles that
of their Coals, having more Force than Bight-
iifefs. They fpeak little, but whatever they fay
has weight. They make Refleftions, and know
the Value of Things fb much the better, in that
they fee with their own Eyes, and have Courage
enough to judge for themfelves. They are fatif-
fied with their Condition, tho' it be but indiffe
rent, nor do they take much Pains to make it
better. Few Engliflmen go a Fortune-hunting,
and perhaps it may be faid, to their Honour,
that not one of thofe few ever fucceeds. They
enjoy what they have, and, live according to
their Inclinations, which fqmetimes are none of
the beft. As to other Things, they are mode
rate enough in their Expences, that they may
appear lefs happy than they really are, and for
that Reafon would have their Happinefs, in
many Things, depend on themfelves. They are
not much troubled about the Opinions which
People may have of them, nor do they take
much Notice of what others do. They thwart
Cuftom boldly, tho' never fo well eftablifli'd,
when either Reafon or Inclination prompt them
to it. Moft of them negleft the ways of plea-
fing, but they cultivate their. Reafon, and dare
make ufe of it, as well in the Eflentials of Life,
as in other Things. 'Tis ufual with them to quit
Employments, and to prefer a private and ob-
fcure Life to Honours and Pomp. As they en
joy Life better than in other Countries, fo are
they fooner furfeited, and lefs troubled in part
ing with it. Now I have given you an Idea of
an Englifirman of Merit, or an Englifiman without
Paliions : A Mixture of Lazinefs and good Senfe
compleats his Charafter, There

H L E T T E R I.
There are however forne, Inftances wherein it-
Would feem as if Idlenefs ruled him abfolutely>
He hates Difficulties and working, and thinks
himfelf unhappy when he is engaged in Things
of that Kind ; he is difheartened at fuch as are
tedious, and refolves immediately to cut what he
finds troublefome to unravel. He is credulous in
what does not much concern him, and to fave
the Trouble of examining, eafily believes every
thing that is reported, which I believe is the
Reafon that We hear fo much talk of Apparitions
in this Country. I fhall have an Opportunity
hereafter to give you many Hints of their Lazi1
nefs, , and fome of their good Senfe. But when
they lay Reafon afide, (which happens fomq-
times) they run quite away from it, and then of
all Men they are the leaft reafonable. They
are violent in their Defires, impatient in ill
Fortune, and little capable of finding a Remedy;
furious in Anger, to a Degree of beating their
Faces with their Fifts, which they do fometimes
on trifling Occafions, and on greater, proceed to
more violent Refblutions. In a Word, the Eng*
lifi keep no mean either in Good or Evil.
In Matters of Religion one would fay that
every Evglifiman is firmly refolved to have one'
after his own way, or none at all, and that their
Country, to diftinguifh it from all others, is
without Hypocrites. But allowing that fhould
not be altogether true, it muft at the fame Time
(be acknowledged, that profefs 'd Libertines are
not more numerous here than in other Countries,
which is no way difhonourable to the Nation*
fince the very fame People that would be Hypo-'
crites elfewhere, are Libertines here, and 'tis
eafy to decide which is the worft of the two.
There's in this Country a great Number of Fana- tkks,

concerning the Englifh, &c. 1 5
ticks, or People fo call'd. This proves more
and more that the Englifi] can make refolufions
to the Purpofe : Some of thofe People broach ex
travagant Opinions in Religion. There are at
the fame Time a great many others, whofe Piety
is folid and rational. This appears by the great
Number of devout Books, which no doubt are
compofed by People of Virtue : The Purity and
Soundnefs of the Moral which they contain, are
convincing Proofs that they are the Productions
of the Religious - — - Befides, tho' fome of thofe-
Books are univerfally applauded, yet the Authors
conceal themfelves, which is altogether incon-
fiftent with the Views of the Learned.
The Englifi) fupport their Greatnefs without
being intoxicated by it;. I believe no one ever
heard any of them cry out, A Man of my tota
lity! A Perfon of my Rank! Wealth fits very
eafy upon them ; they never make an unfeafon-
able Shew of their great Expences. No Englifi:-
man ever tired me with talking of his Coach
and Equipage. They always keep good Tables ;
'tis the firft Thing they fettle, and the laft they
retrench. Next follows a Miftrefs, who is main
tained at a great Expence. But if I have not
faid enough already to fatisfy you that Avarice
is not the Vice of the Englifi), and that thejr ra
ther fall into the oppofite, let the Phyficians,
the Lawyers, and the Aftrologers be thrown into
the Bargain ; thefe are all in great Efteem with
them, and thrive apace. Add to this, the Folly
of Fafhions, ftately Tombs, and Pomp at Fune
rals, which coft great Sums. Here are likewife
(as I am informed) Men and Women that are
hired to mourn, and in my Opinion their Calling
is much more neceffary in this Country than
among the Ancients ; for fince the Englifi) are
feldom

is LETTER I.
feldom touch'd with real. Grief, and that there
muft be foine Shew of it for Ceremony fake,
they ought to be allow'd the Benefit of counter
feiting. I am inform'd they are fomewhat hard
hearted, except when they are moved by fome
extraordinary Paffion, and then they often fall
into the oppofite'Extream.
' The changeable Humour of the Nation is like-
wife made Part of their Charafter, knd_ fome
pretend to impute it to the Climate. But in my
own Opinion they would not appear more unffea-
dy than other People* were it not that they take left
Pains to bridle their Thoughts, and dare let the
World fee what they really' are ; that is Idlenefs
and Courage. And if it be objefted that they
change their Conduft with Regard to their Prin*
ces, it may be perhaps becaufe their Princes;
weary of living within juft Bounds, alter their
Meafures, which obliges the People to alter
theirs, in their Turn, and this may be fome
times prudent. There's ftill another Proof that
the Englifi) are not fo changeable as is imagined,
'tis becaufe Advice has no Effeft upon them, af
ter they take a Refolution, which they often
do rafhly, and execute in the fame Manner.
This appears by the great Number of People
that kill themfelves, and of unequal Mar
riages. This hafty way of refolving agrees fo well
with the Charafter of the Nation, that one may
fee Girls make Vows to marry the firft Man they
meet in the Streets, which they feldom fail of
performing. 'Tis eafy to difcover in all thefe
Things fome little Remains of Fiercenefs, which
is the Bafis of their ancient Charafter. And in
my Opinion they retain fomething from the dif
ferent Nations that conquer'd them. They drink like

Concerning tht Englifh, &c. 1 7
like the Saxons, love hunting like the Danes, the"
Normans left them Chicanrie and falfe Witneffes,
and the Romans their Inclination for bloody
Shews and Contempt of Death ; if you would
not rather confider the two laft as the natural
Effects of their Gonftitutions. Some of their
Charafters feem to be inconfiftent ; they are!
charitable, and .they are cruel ; they are lazy,
and yet -Walk faft* fometimes they defpife Stran*
gers too much, and fometimes admire them too
much 2 One would believe that they are all
either Libertines or Devotees ; and yet they are
always ready to quarrel for fome frivolous Cere
mony in Worfhip, which does not agree with
either of them. You may find many other
Contradictions among them, which ought no
Way to furprize you \ it proves them to be the
fame People I have defcribed* Adieu, Sir, you
know I am yours*

Letter

i8

LETTER II.

Letter II.
Still employ myfelf, Sir, in giving
you my Thoughts of the Englijh,
and fo much the more willingly, be
caufe you affure me that my laft Let
ter gave you fome Satisfaftion : This
will give you an Account of their Diverfions, at
leaft that of the Theatre, which is the moft con
fiderable. The Englifi) pretend to excel in it ; they find
Matter enough in the different ways of living of
the People, and the rare Invention of their
Poets, to furpafs the Ancients and Moderns too ;
thus fome of them explain themfelves on this
Head. The Truth is, People are not a little
pleas'd m reading their Works on every Subjeft,
but themfelves ; but an Engliflman never fails to
run into Extreams, and tire the Reader in talking
of his own Nation, and efpecially when he thinks
they excel m any thing. I will not undertake
the Caufe of the Ancients in this place ; I only
fay that every Man of Tafte, thaf is pleas'd with
w5?tclsJ?atu1r?1», and a^uainted with Moliere,
will find but little Pleafure in reading the Englifi
Comedies, which are much oftener ftuff'd with
Rants of Wit and Obfcenefs, than with fine
Paffages that might be agreeable and ufeful. But
tis from Mohsre they would carry the Prize
and 'tis he they abufe. To vindicate him how^
ever in fome Manner, and to give you at the
fame

concerning the Englifhj ejrC. 1 o
fame Time an Idea of the Englifi) Stage, I'll fay
fomething here of their Comedies ; and if I
fhould employ a whole Letter on the Subjeft,
you muft remember that Comedy is a privileged
Trifle, and that even grave People have in all
Times not only amufed themfelves, but likewife
difcourfed of it, with as much Serioufnefs as if it
were an Affair of Moment.
Comedy has had its higheft Period in England,
as well as in France : Ben. Johnfon, that lived in
the Beginning of this Century, is the Poet that
carried it fartheft. Let it be him that the Englifi)
Would prefer to Moliere, I agree to it, fince they
muft prefer themfelves to the reft of the World
on every Subjeft ; we are however obliged to
them for making choice of fo great a Man to
carry away the Prize. But if I might be dif-
penfed with from fubmitting to the Decifion of
thefe Gentlemen, and durft give my Opinion in
the Controverfy, without running too great a
Rifque, I would fay that Ben. Johnfon, tho' un
doubtedly a great Poet in fome Refpefts, is yet
inferiour to Moliere in many Things. In my
Opinion he had lefs Wit, and was lefs natural ;
he was a Stranger to every Kind of Gallantry,
he brought a great Number of Mechanicks on
the Stage, and among all his Plays there are but
three or four very good : He makes a Man hide
himfelf under a great Tortoife Shell, and to pafs
for the Creature, (b) Whereas the Sack with
which they reproach Moliere is feen only in a
Farce, and has nothing in it improbable. Iii a
Word, he had not Courage enough to attack the
Faults of his Country ; and it may be well faid
of him, that he did much good to Comedy, but
C 2 none
(b) Vide- Moliere' j Scapin,

£0 L E TTER II.
none to the Englifi). There's one Thing however
to be offer'd in his Favour; that Moliere had
more proper Materials for the Stage. The Cha
racters in France are general, and comprehend
an entire Order or Rank of People; but in
England, where every one lives according to his
Fancy, the Poet can hardly find any thing but
particular Charafters, which are very numerous,
and can never produce any great Effeft. After
all, it muft be acknowledged that Ben. Johnfon
was a very judicious Poet, and that he diftin-
guifhes and fupports his Charafters to Admira
tion, and that his good Plays are excellent in
their Kind. But let us drop their good Poets,
'tis not thofe they fet up againft Moliere ; I am
to defend him only againft the Poets of our own
Days, that dare pretend to excel him ; and to
effeft it, I need do no more than let you know
what the Englifi) Stage is at this Time.
Here are great Numbers of new Plays, which
three or four Authors take Care to furnifh, one
after another. The Third Time of afting is for
the Author's Benefit, and it would feem as if this
alone had more Influence on the Play, than
either the Variety of their ways of living, or
the lingular Invention of the Poet. From this
proceeds his extraordinary Care to pleafe the
Crowd, and to find fo many idle Stories that the
very Footmen part with their Money to hear
them ; this he performs with fo much Succefs,
that I dare venture to fay, it may be alledg'd as
a Reafon, among others, that Comedy is one
of the Sources of Corruption in London : 'Tis
there the Women learn not to be frighted at an
Intrigue, but on the contrary to carry it on fuc-
cefsfully : 'Tis there that young People are made
familiar with Vice, which is always reprefented as

concerning the Englifh, &c. 2 r
as a Thing indifferent, and never as Vice. They
game, fwear, and drink, debauch Women, and
fight; and the honeft Man of the Play, as
well as others, without any Diftinftion, does all
this ; or to fpeak more properly, the Play has
no honeft Man diftinguifhed from others by that
Charafter, and there can be no more faid in his
Favour than that he is more genteelly wicked
than the reft. I know very well that Comedy is
a Pifture of Life, and that all thefe Things may
be reprefented in it ; but 'tis no lefs true that paint
ing of Manners has this Advantage, that it may
either approve or rejeft a Thing after the fame
way 'tis reprefented ; and that every Poet that is
ignorant of this, or that neglefts it, has no great
Skill, or at leaft no great Efteem for Virtue.
Tis true we often fee Folly turn'd into Ridicule
in the Englijh Comedies ; but the Poet, for the
moft Part, goes a hunting for it into other Coun
tries, and he that is expos'd is a Frenchman, or
an Englifijman very fond of French Manners. If
they attack any of their own Faults, they are
fuch as are fo very Angular and extravagant,
that they are known no where but on the Stage ;
fo that the Englifi) Comedy is of no Benefit. Now
let us fee whether there be any thing in't to
pleafe, and if it be true that the Englifi) Wit,
and Englifi Genius, as their Authors call it, has
fb great an Advantage over the French Bagatelle.
Don't you laugh, Sir, to fee me take the Bufinefs
fo much to Heart, and handle it as if it were an
Affair of Importance? 'tis becaufe the Englifi>
fhew a great deal of Prefumption on this Head,
and that oftentimes produces Serioufnefs, even
in Trifles. Befides, the Subjeft pleafes me, be
caufe 'tis not important ; and tho' I fhould per-
fuade you that they don't excel in their Comedies
C 3 fa

22 LET T ER 11.
fo much as they imagine, I'll do them no great
Harm/ Nothing (if I miftake not) contributes more to
promote theDiverfion of the Stage, than to imitate
Nature with fo much Juftnefs, as that Art may no
way be difcover 'd, that the Poet be forgot, that
the Audience be wholly taken up with the Perfons
of the Play, andthat they relate to them the very
Things they fay and do. The Englifi Comedies
have nothing of this Perfection ; the Poet is al
ways heard above the Aftor. If you have ever
been at Puppet Shews, imagine to yourfelf a
bungling Manager, that can't proportion his
Voice for any Time to thofe little Figures, but
lets himfelf be heard in his natural Tone, by
which the whole Trick is difcox'er'd, and fo the
Enchantment vanifhes. The Conduft of the
Englifi) Poet is of a Piece with this ; he unde
ceives the Audience every Moment, by his far
fetch'd Thoughts, and obliges them, againft their
will, to perceive that he affifts in the Perfor
mance The Englifi however value themfelves
mucbjor this Luxuriancy. of Invention ; they
lay that a French Poet would fpread over a whole
Play the Thoughts that are hardly fufficient for
one Acl of theirs, and they have Reafon to fay
fo; and perhaps the French have Reafon on their
Side too. There s no doubt but the Englifi) excel
m Inings that don't require Difcretion or Ma-
5? S61f Ta ' ?t Difc0Hrfts> for Example, and
heir bold and happy Thoughts, of which I be
lieve they have a greater Number than any other
People But the Over-fruitful nefs of InveS
,s not the only Reafon that their Comedies fa
of pleafing 5 there are other Faults, no lefs con-
nerrle- clJ? 'f11 y™ of feme of themon
Occafion of Mohere>§ Mifer, which was tranflated by

concerning the Englifh, ejyc. 23
by one of their famous Poets, and I am now
going to amufe you with it, for a Minute. Here
is the Beginning of the Preface.
" The Foundation of this Play I took from
" one of Moliere's call'd L'Avare ; but that ha-
" ving too few Perfons, and too little Aftion for
" an Englifi) Theatre, I added to both fo much,
" that I may call more than half of this Play
" my own ; and I think I may fay without Va-
" nity, that Moliere's Part of it has not fuffer'd
" in my Hands ; nor did I ever know a French
" Comedy made ufe of by the worft of our
" Poets, that was not better'd by 'em. 'Tis not
" Barrennefs of Wit or Invention that makes us
" borrow from the French, but Lazinefs ; and
" this was the Occafion of my making ufe of
" L'Avare, &c." Thefe new Perfons he
fpeaks of aft a Kind of a Farce ; to make a
young Man drunk, cheat him of his Money,
and then marry him to a Whore. This is half
of the Play which the Author claims with fo
much Modefty, and which, I believe, no one
will ever jumble with the other. I never thought
before this Time, that the Unity of the Subjeft
was look'd upon as a Fault in a Play, and that
its Beauty confifted in a great Number of Per
fons. But I fubmit it to the Judgment of the
Learned. The Prologue has the fame Defign, and pretty
near the fame Force with the Preface. Here's a
fmall Part of it :
" French Plays, in which true Wit's as rarely
" found
" As Mines of Silver are in Englifi) Ground ;
" A foolifh Marquifs, or his knavifh Man,
" Or fome poor Pudden Fool's the beft they can.
C 4 Will

g4 LETTER II.
Will any one ever believe that a Tranflato*
could make a Refleftion of this Kind, or that a
play of Moliere's would give any room for it ?
There could be no more faid of any infipid
French Comedy of thefe Times. But perhaps
you are impatient to fee fomething of this true
Englifi Wit. The Author, forefeeing that thefe
great Preparations would have a fuitable Effeft
on the Reader, has endeavour'd to pleafe him ;
lie begins with a Scene entirely of his own Com
trivance, and fince we are fb far advanced on the
Subjeft, I here prefent you with a Tranflation
pf it, ACT I. SCENE I.
Enter Rant, Hazard, and Theodore,
" Rant. What a Devil makes thee in fomufty
f ' a Humour ? Thou art as dull and dumpifh as
fi a Fellow, that had been drunk over Night with
*c Ale, and had done nothing but drank Coffee,
(l talk'd Politicks, and lead Gazettes all this
" Morning.
" Ha?.. Haft thou loft thy Money or thy
" Wench ? '
" Rant. Nay 'faith, Hazard, if he has loft his
«'¦ Money, I am fure he has loft his Wench, in
,*' fpite of the noble Virtue ofConftancy.
«' Ha%. Come, Theodore, a lucky Hand or
1 two at the Groom-Porter's will get thee as
good a Miftrefs as any about the Town.
fl Rant. No, pox on't ! they are kept fo high
*' by Foohfh elder Brothers, that poor younger
«' Brothers muft defpair of 'em. '
il Haz. No, Rant, thou art miftaken ; the el-
V der Brothers are fo kind, to keep 'em for the
" younger,

concerning the ILngYifti, &c. 25
" younger, that cannot do't for themfelves;
" they are civil to the one for Love, and the
*' other for Money.
" Rant. I am not of your Opinion; there was
" never fo much ready Money, and fo little
" Love ftirring, as at this time.
" Haz. Faith then we (that have but fhallow
" Purfes) muft three or four club for one ; fhe'U
" ferve us all, confidering how we drink. Come,
*' Theodore, be not melancholy ; if thou haft loft
" thy Miftrefs, I'll club with thee for another.
** Theod. So, Gentlemen, this Dialogue runs
*' off very fmartly ; you had rehearfed it before:
" But I find you have the Effects of laft Night's
" Debauch upon you, and are hot-headed this
" Morning, what elfe fhould make you think
" me Melancholy ?
" Rant. Come, 'faith, thou art.
" Theod. I muft confefs, Gentlemen, I am
" not in fo brifk a Humour as to leap over Joint-
" ftools, or come over a Stick for the King, or
" any of thofe pretty Frolicks ; but I have no
" Trouble, unlefs you will create me one.
" Haz. I am fo far from that, that I'll tell
" thee News that will rejoice the Heart of thee,
" if thou wert as dumpifh as a young Spark that
" is newly denied to be trufted with a white Pe-
" riwig.
" Theod. Prythee, what's that?
" Rant. That which I am fure you'll bite at.
" Haz. There is the moft delicate, charming
" Creature, come to lie over-againft us, in Bow-
" flreet ! Oh 'tis a melting Girl ! fhe looks as if
" fhe would diffolve like an Anchovy in Claret.
" Rant. She would relifh better (when a Man
" has the hot fit upon him) than Small-beer in
'- a Fever. Haz.

26 LETT ER II.
" Haz. Than Small-beer, a pox on't! fhe
" would be more welcome to thee than a Re-
" prieve would, if thou wert juft now trolling
" out Hopkins and Sternhold upon a Ladder.
" Theod. You are mighty witty, and full of
" Similies ; but who the Devil is this incompa-
" rable Lady ?
" Rant. Pox on't! thou art as tefty as an old
" lean Judge failing, upon the Bench, between
il eleven and twelve.
But this is not half the Scene. True Wit cofts
this Author fo little, that he fills whole Pages
with it, without any trouble. As for my Part,
I find him fomewhat too prolix, and not being
over fond of tranflating, I cannot follow him any
further. There's the turn of the Englifi) Comedy
of our Times. The Thoughts are generally bet
ter, but there's always fwearing, idle Stories,
and Comparifons in abundance. Thefe laft pleafe
them more than any thing elfe : There's fuch a
Profufion of them in this Play, that there's no
thing in't even to (c) Brin D'Avoine and la Mer-
hche but are made to fpeak by Comparifons.
Maitre Jaqnes has fome : As for Elife, the Houfe-
Maid, fhe has no lefs than half a dozen one after
another. By reading this you muft know enough
of their Comparifons, and I am pcrfuaded it will
be fome Pleafure to you to hear no more of them.
But I muft fhew you fome of the Alterations
that made the Author fay, Moliere had loft no
thing in his Hands ; which is a modeft way of
infinuating that he gain'd by the Bargain. When
(c) Erin D'Avoine, la Merluche, Maitre Jaques, and Elife
are Perfons in Moliere'* Avare.

concerning the Englifh, ejc. 27
When the Mifer's Son is inform'd, that hi?
Father was going to marry his Miftrefs, he com
plains of being ill. In Moliere, the Father fends
him to the Kitchen to drink a large Glafs of frefh
Water. We in France think this is agreeable to
the Charafter of a Mifer, and that the whole
Paffage is extraordinary : But it is not fo here ;
for Water does not relifh much with the Englifi),
not even in Comedy ; and their Poet, who is
much more delicate than Moliere, inftead of an
infipid Glafs of Water, ingenioufly makes ufe of
a Glafs of Brandy.
When Frofine applauds the Frugality of Ma-
riacine, and would perfuade Harpagon that fhe is
Portion enough of herfelf, Harpagon replies, that
fuch things are not folid, and that he would be
glad to touch fomething. In the French, Pro
file anfwers : Ah ! you fhall touch enough, and
afterwards is in hafte to tell him, that there's a
certain Country where his Miftrefs has an Eftate,
that he will be Mafter of. But an Englifi) Poet
can't part with this Bufinefs of touching fo foon ;
they that go a great way for an idle Story, take
care not to negleft one they find ready to their
Hands. Now you fhall fee what Moliere has
gained by this Gentleman. Frofine anfwers :
Touch ! how ? Ton Jhall certainly touch her, and you
fi)aU touch every where, and as much as you pleafe,
fi)e is a pretty Creature to touch, there's a touch for
you. By thefe two Alterations you may judge
of the reft.
There are a thoufand little ways of pleafing
difpers'd thro' Moliere's Plays, which are infipid
to people without a Genius;- 'tis thefe ways that
make Moliere what he is. Were I not afraid that
the Bufinefs would carry us too far, I could eafi
ly let you fee that the Englifi) Author has drop'd

28 L ETT ER II.
a great many of them in his Tranflation, whe
ther thro' Difdain, or want of Tafte, or that for
good Reafons he would not have the People re-
lifh them, and tho' there were nothing elfe in
the Play, it will ftill fall fhort in Englifi) of what
'tis in the Original. The Truth on't is, moft of
the Englifi) Poets don't know how to make an
agreeable ufe of a Trifle : They heap Thoughts
upon Thoughts, and generally without either
Choice, or Delicacy; and they over-look, for
the moft Part, all Circumftances that are not
within a narrow Compafs, as well as a certain
familiar Language which is in Nature, and which
Moliere knew how to employ in the moft agree
able Manner.
But to prove in good Earneft, that the Englijh
Comedies of our Time are not fo good as Moliere\
is, in my Opinion, the way to expofe the laft to
Danger ; for thefe Gentlemen fet too high a Va
lue on theirs, they furprize us, and would make
us give more than we have a Mind to do. They
hxve what they call Humour, and pretend 'tis
all their own ; and tho' we fhould give it up to
them, they would ftill fall fhort of what they
think themfelves to be. This Humour is much
the fame thing as jefting with the French, and
exaftly what we call (d) EinfaU. But not to lofe
any time about the fignification of the Word, it
feems they mean by it, a certain Fruitfulnefs of
Imagination, which for the moft part tends to
overthrow the Ideas of Things, . turning Virtue
into Ridicule, and making Vice agreeable. If I
am not much miftaken, 'tis the Property of a
good Play, to correft as well as to pleafe ; and I
fhall
(d) The Author was a Swifs, as is obfu-ved before in the
Preface.

concerning the Englifh, (jc. ig
fliall always look upon both together to be the
chief end of Comedy, and where-ever I find it in
Efteem, I expeft to fee the People more prudent,
at leaft in fome refpefts, and more polite. I
confider the Stage as fomething that takes away
Ridicule, and it gives me fome Pain to fee Co
medy diffufe it. Moliere was the Scourge of Ri
dicule in his Country ; that is his great Enco
mium, and all the World knows how much
France is obliged to him on that account. If
England had had its Moliere, in the room of all
thefe Poets with their Humour, perhaps fhe might
be cured of fome great Ridicule ; for Example,
the little Care they take to conceal their Con
tempt of the reft of the World ; to take it away
entirely is, I believe, above the reach of Come
dy ; but as to their ways of fliewing it, I am
perfuaded if a fkilful Poet would undertake the
Talk, a great many well-bred People among
them would not be reproach'd on that account,
and they would at the fame time be made fenfi
ble, that their Nation has its Faults as well as
others. Let me now fay a Word of their Trage
dies, and I'll have done.
If the Englifi) could refolve to be more natural
in their Tragedies, and to ftudy the Language
of Nature more than they do, they would, no
doubt, excel all Europe. England is a Country
that affords a large Scene of Paliions, and Cata-
ftrophes, and Shakefpear, one of their beft an
cient Poets, has put a great part of their Hifto
ry into his Tragedies. Befides, the Genius of
the Nation inclines to Serioufnefs ; their Lan
guage is bold and concife, and fuch as is necef
fary to exprefs the Paffions. This is the Reafon
that their Tragedies excel in a great Number of
fine Paffages ; but they have the fame Faults, if
not

3o LETTER II.
not more, in my Opinion, than their Comedies.
The Heroes of Antiquity are difguis'd, as they
are in France ;  We fee Hanibal with a full
bottom Wig powder'd, under his Helmet, Rib
bons on his Coat of Mail, and holding his Sword
with a fringed Glove. The Plays, as well as the
Perfons, are a Mixture of the Comic and the
Serious ; the moft melancholy Events and the
merrieft Farce follow one another_ by turns 5
which, in my Opinion, is not only ill contriv'd,
but entirely inconfiftent with, the end of Tra
gedy. In fhort, moft of the Executions repre
fented in the Play, are done on the Stage, which
is fometimes cover'd with dead Bodies. I am
told, Oedipus appears with his Eyes burft. I
have feen them pinch a Man on a Crofs for half
an hour. In my Opinion, Poets that have a
great Genius, and know how to work the Paf-
fions, ought not to have recourfe to Pincers.
And they can have no Pretence to excufe them
felves on account of the People's Tafte for Shews
of that kind, fince they have been labouring for
Ages to improve it ; and furely the leaft good
they could do to the Englifi), was to fit their
Guft for the Stage.
There's another Thing lefs excufable in their
Tragedies, and that is their conftant Attacks on
the French Authors, that do them no other 111
than to excel them. The chief of their Tragick
Poets of our Time treats Comeille much after the
fame Manner as Shadwell does Moliere, that is,
by plundering and making Prefaces to abufe him.
But I will not enter into a particular Examina
tion of this Subjeft, nor do I think there's any
Occafion for it ; the Charafter I have given al
ready is fufficient : And thefe Gentlemen, that
givs

concerning the Englifh, ejc. 3 1
give their Heroes fuch fublime Sentiments, have
but low ones themfelves; and in their Plays,
where they make Strangers fpeak, the Language
is far different from that of their Prefaces, where
they fpeak themfelves ; and it may be faid, that
'tis their Cuftom to laugh at Honefty and Vir
tue, and that they think neither has any proper
Station but the Stage.

Letter

32

LETTER ffl-

Letter III.

E are ftill, Sir, on the Subjeft of the
Englifi) Recreations, and you fhould
have known before this Time what I
had to fay on that Head, if poor in
jured Moliere had not met me upon
the Road.
The Englifi have their Opera's too, but they
don't make any great Noife about them, nor
will I fay much on the Subjeft. The Mufick
feems to me to be but indifferent, the Machines
are near as good as thofe at Paris, the Decorations
are fine, but above all, that made of Sattin is
extraordinary magnificent. They don't dance
as well as the French ; but, on the other Hand,
they dance lefs frequently, and perhaps more to
the Purpofe. The fame Thing may be faid of
their finging ; they fins only the Airs, and re-
hearfe the reft. There s fomething uncommon
and agreeable in thefe Airs, and in my Opinion
is more fuitable to the Tafte of melancholy Peo
ple than others.
They have fet Concerts of Mufick for certain^
Days of the Week, which People go to hear for
Money, and in my Judgment it exceeds that of
their Opera's; perhaps 'tis becaufe the Muficians
are not ftreighten'd in the Compofitions by the
Poet. The People of Quality of both Sexes ne
ver fail to be at thefe Concerts, whither they
carry a Tafte altogether peculiar : They are
charm'd

concerning the Englifh, &c. 3 %
rfiarm'd with the Noife of Trumpets and Kettle-
Drums ; at leaft the Muficians juftify themfelves
on that Account for ufing fuch noify Inftruments
in clofe Places. I was often pleafed at thefe Meet
ings, to obferve the Confufion among the Men,
Who feem'd aftonifh'd to find themfelves in a
Place where they could neither game nor drink,
and there being none but modeft Women, they
durft take no Liberties, nor could they find any
Subjeft for Difcourfe. The Women, on the other
Hand, were highly pleafed witlrgaining Refpeft,
(the Thing in the World they like beft) and look
ing on one another. This Kind of Behaviour has
this Advantage, that it gives People an Oppor
tunity of hearing the Mulick without Noife.
The young Men of Quality have Meetings of
their own, much after the fame Manner, with
out Mirth or much polite or regular Converfa
tion. They are generally at Chocolate-Houfes,
which are fomething more efteem'd than the
Coffee-Houfes. The People that the Englifi call
Beaus, are a Kind of a Copy of your French
Marquis, but not quite fo impertinent, for they
don't take fo much Pains to be heard, as to be
feen. 'Tis not likely they can thrive much in a
Country of good Senfe, where whim.fical Poftures
or Ways, or an odd fafhion'd Suit of Cloaths, are
but little minded, or efteem'd 5 and where a
Man that is nothing but Out-fide, and that has
no other Employment but himfelf, runs the
rifque of paffing for a Fool, rather than a pretty
Fellow. The ordinary Amufements of the Englifi are,
Wine, Women, and Dice, or, in a Word, De
bauchery. They are not nice at leaft in the two
firft, which they join together, without either
Delicacy or Aereeablenefs : One may fay, that
D they

34 L E TT E R III.
they drink for drinking fake, and their Whores
muft drink after the fame Manner, and they are
highly pleas'd to find any that can keep up with
them. Thefe Debauches continue a long Time,
and are fometimes carry'd very far ; fome have
been fo extravagant as to fwear they would kill
the firft Man they met in the Streets, and they
were as good as their words. Two young Men were
hang'd for it ; but meeting none in the Street, it
being two in the Morning, they call'd at a Houfe,
and kill'd the Man that came to open the Door:
I have feen a Man of Quality that had a Pardon
for a Murder of the fame Kind. But their Di
verfions would be dangerous tho' they were not
fo extravagant as thefe. The Women of Plea
fure they pafs their Time with are often fo much
injur'd, that without making any Vows, they
kill the firft Man they meet, when he is mad
enough to deal with them. 'Tis alledg'd that
Canary and Rofa-folis, which they drink in
great Quantities, is the Reafon that fome Diftem-
pers are fo frequent, and fo hard to be cur'd, in
Loyidon. 'Tis incredible to think what a Num
ber of thofe Creatures are in that City, and that
the Men fhould be fo little alham'd of being
feen in their Company ; they are common in
every Refpeft. Thefe frequent Excefles contri
bute, no doubt, to make the Englifi melancholy
and paffionate, as we fee they are : But I don't
pretend to carry this Point further than it ought
to be. If many of them are what I have painted
them, there are a great many others of a con
trary Difpofition, and no doubt deferve the En
comium of Civil and Sober Gentlemen, which is
given them by the Publick.
The Englifi) take much Pleafure in walking,
and are particular in this, that they always walk faft,

Concerning the Englifh, <^yc. 3 %
faft, nor can a Man preferve his Health in Eng*.
land without ftirringt much ; the Air is very
thick, and a moderate Exercife will not be fuffi-
cienti But I believe -few of them take any No
tice of this, howeverthe Cuftom of walking faft
may well be imputed to it. Walking is like^
wife a great Diverfion among the Ladies, and
their Manner of doing it is one way of knowing
their Charafter ; defiring only to be feen, they
walk together, for the moft part, without
fpeaking : They are always drefs 'd, and always
ftiff; they go forward conftantiy, and nothing
can amufe or put them out of their way: I
doubt they would not ftoop to take up a Flower
from under their Feet : I never faw any of them lie
on the Grafs, nor fhew the leaft Inclination to
fing. Theyare ftrangers to walking in the cool
of the Evening ; and it may be faid, that they
have no Pleafure but in being feen ; and that
they would not find any even in a fine day,
Were it not that it fets off their Finery to more
Advantage, and that they are in hopes of meet
ing thofe they would fhew themfelves to : But
Whether this is more peculiar to Englifi) Women
than Women in general, may be a Queftion.
Yet notwithftanding all their Care to be feen,
they are feldom Coquets ; nor have they any ri
diculous Afteftations or bold Ways. Their Air
is fo modeft (laying afide their great Number of -
Patches) that a Man is fometimes under a Temp
tation of telling a Woman that fhe is handfome,,
to have the Pleafure of letting her know it.
They take the Air in Coaches in a fmall Cir
cle, or Ring, made in an open Field, and rail'd :
The Coaches roll gently about, fome on one fide,
and fome on another, which at a little diftance
looks like a pleafant Riding-houfe ; but near
D 2 hand

36 LETTER III.
hand one may fee clearly, that they come therd
only to fee and be feen. But this Amufement
does not begin even in the hotteft Part of the
Summer, till the day is fpent, when walking is
pleafant ; then every one goes away, as having'
nothing more to do. Add to this the Comedy"
and Concerts of Mufick, of which I have given
you an Account already, and where they go to
be feen by Candle-light, and you have exaftly
the outward Manner of living of the London
Dames. I have been curious to know whether they had'
any better Amufements than publick Shews or
Walking, in Which I inform'd myfelf by Englifi)-
men of my Acquaintance. If you had been in
my Place, you would, no doubt, have addrefs'd
yourfelf to the Englifi Ladies themfelves, to
know the Truth. Your brown People are moft
efteem'd in England, the fair are too common.
What I have difcover'd on this Subjeft is, that
the Women' eafily fall in Love, that they are not
at much Pains to conceal it, and that they are
capable of taking violent Refolutions in Favour of
a Lover ; foft and gentle neverthelefs, without Ni
cety, or Art, eafy in Converfation, and little inju
red bythe Tendernefs of the Men,who beftow but a
very fmall Part of their Time upon them. In
Effeft, moft of them prefer Wine and Gaming
to Women, in which they are the more blame*
able, becaufe the Women are much better than
the Wine in England. But when the Men are
enamour'd, 'tis with great Paffion, Love with
them is not a Weaknefs to be afhamed of; 'tis an
Affair of Serioufnefs and Importance ; and the
Defign very often is either to fucceed, or to part
with Reafon or Life, But

concerning the Englifh, &c. 3 7
_ But generally when they go after the fair La
dies, they take but little Pains to let them un-
derftand that they will not be indebted to theni
for their Favours. They are lazy even in Love ;
and never look farther than at eafy Pleafures,
A good Fortune with them is that which is got
without Trouble. London is, no doubt, the City
in the World, where your lazy Debofhees are
beft accommodated with the Means of pleafing
themfelves. But in cafe it were not fo, the Eng
lifi don't feem to be cut out for any other kind
of Gallantry: They know no Mean between an
entire Familiarity, and a profound Silence ; but
their good Senfe will not fuffer the laft to be over
troublefome to them. I have feen, among Peo
ple of Quality, Pipes and Tobacco carry'd to the
Table after an Entertainment, the Women re
tire, and the Men fee them go away quietly, as
they were filling their Pipes.
There's yet a much greater Fault, which the
Englifi Women have Reafon to complain of, and
that is, that moft of theHufbands keep Miftrefles.
Some have carry'd them home, and made them
eat at the fame Table with their Wives, and yet
no Mifchief happen'd. I believe,- if they had a,
Mind they would make them lie in the fame
Bed, and I don't know whether there haye not
been fome that thought of it. After this, the
Englifi) may, no doubt, boaft to have the beft
Wives in the World. And moft Men will envy
them as much on that account, as for their Beau
ty. There's another thing very extraordinary,,
and which is no fmall Proof of the Englifi) Wo
men's Goodnefs, that thefe Miftrefles fuffer but
little in their Reputation : They have been feen
even in Company with the Wives, and if there's
any Diftinction, 'tis that they are handfomer for
P. 3 the

¦3-8 LETTER HI.
the moft part, better drefs'd, and lefs ftarch'd,
Iri other Places, this alone might be fufficient to
make the Wives fhun them ; but here all Occa
fions of Jealoufy put together, produce nothing 5
which is fo extraordinary, confidering Women's
Temper, that if you won't believe me on my
Word, I can't take it ill. I believe, indeed, that
'tis thro' pure Goodnefs, that the married Wo
men fuffer thefe Miftrefles ; yet 'tis not impof-
fible but there may be fome other View, and
that the marry 'd Women are unwilling to ufe
the others with Severity, left by fo doing, they
might happen to make an ill Precedent, which
would afterwards turn upon themfelves ; for tho*
the ftrong Inclination of the Englifi) is for eafy
Gallantries, there are, however, fome of ano
ther Sort, and Intrigues are common enough in
London. Every thing feems to lead the Inhabi
tants to it : Impunity, the Greatnefs of the
Town, eafy Hufbands, lazy Wives, their great
Inclination to read Things that are amourous,
or idle Stories, and nothing elfe. Such as Ro-
chefieds Works, which are contemptible for their
Indecency, but otherwife ingenious. I have had
them twice, and loft them as often in Houfes
where fome Women happen'd to be my fellow
Lodgers. To this may be added, licentious Co-!
-medy, and the little Converfation between the
Men and the Women.
The common People have a great many Di
verfions, which may ferve to let them know
themfelves. Some have the Appearance of Fierce-
nefs : As that of throwing at Cocks at fome Di
ftance. Another great Diverfion is, to fee either
Men or Beafts fighting, where there's always
Blood fned, There's another, very troublefome
and infolent ; this is Foot-ball, where they take a

concerning the Englifh, &c. 39
a great deal of Pleafure in breaking Windows,
and Coach Glaffes if they meet any ; or when
there's any publick Rejoicings, they make a
Lane, and tofs People, paffing by, to and again.
Many of thefe Diverfions are Proof of their hap
py Condition, fince even fome of the Grandees
partake of them. You may fee Blue Garters
pafs the Time at Bowls with Tradefmen, without-
any Diftinftion, which fhews not only that
Greatnefs among the Englifi) is no hindrance to
Amufements, but likewife that it does not con
fift in the Contempt of the Populace, or keeping
them at a diftance, as 'tis in other Nations -, and
that they don't think their Grandeur expos'd,
fince the Dignity of Man, which is much greater,
is not expos'd by ordinary Recreations. Like-
wife in their Dances, which require a great Num
ber of People, I am told, that in the Country,
when there's not Company enough, they make
ufe of their Servants without any difficulty to
make up the Set. There's nothing more requir'd
in thefe Dances, than to place the Parties in Or
der, after different ways, and that they follow
one after another : This gives an Opportunity to
bafhfiil young People to be foon acquainted,
and that, perhaps, was the End of inventing
them. The Pleafures of the Table, in this happy Nation,
may be put in the fame Rank with the ordinary,
every one is accuftom'd to good eating. It con-
flfts chiefly in a variety of Puddings, Golden-
Pippins, which is an excellent kind of Apples,
"delicious green Oyfters, and Roaft-Beef, which is
the favourite Difh as well at the King's Table as
at a Tradefman's ; 'tis common to fee one of
thefe Pieces weigh from twenty to thirty Pound,
and from thirty to forty : And this may be faid
D 4 -to

49 LETTER III.
to be (as it were) the Emblem of the Profperity
and Plenty of the Englifi).
The Diverfion of taking the Air on the Thames.,
and Scolding, muft not be forgot. 'Tis common
among all forts of People, Men and Women*
People of duality as well as others. The Water?
men, who muft have a Share of the Sporty boaft
of the feveral Advantages they had obtain'd that
way, among others, how they put K. Charles II.
out of Countenance, by calling him Chimney
Sleeper, That Prince took much Pleafure in
making himfelf familiar with all the World*
which is the chief Reafon that his Memory is ftill
fo dear to the People; his Countenance _ was
black, and having procur'd a Tax to be laid on
Chimneys, it gave fome Difguft. Going one
Day by Water, and being engag'd in a Scolding?
match, fome Water-men hit upon that, which
ftopp'd his Mouth immediately. This gave them ;
a great deal of Pleafure, and made fome amends
for the Tax. You muft know, by the way, that
no Abufe is fo common, or outragious in their
Eyes, as that of French Dog; one may hear
them fay it both by Land and Water, and to all
forts of Strangers as well as the French, and I
am perfuaded they think to aggravate the Title
of Dog, by coupling it with the Word French, fp
anuch do they hate and defpife our Nation ;
while fome of thefe Frenchmen, on the other
Hand, may perhaps find in that very thing fome
Reparation for the Abufe, as valuing themfelves
at a high Rate, and looking on the French Name.
to be glorious : Thus Nations are poffefs'd with
Self-love, which is often as ridiculous as that of
private People. Let us now return to the Eng
lifh Recreations, particularly fuch as give room

'concerning the Englifh, esc. 41
to reproach them with having ftill fome Re
mains of their ancient Fiercenefs.
Some of thefe Diverfions are owing to the in
nate Courage of the Animals of the Country,
as that of Cock-fighting. Their Dogs are, I
believe, the boldeft in the World, and (if the
Term may be ufed) the leaft bragging. They
neither bark nor bite ; they fight to Death with
out any Noife. One may fee fome of thefe
Creatures dragging a^ng a broken Leg, and re
turning to the Charge. I am affur'd that one of
them, in King Charles II's time, kill'd a Lion,
and that it has been proved by Experience, that
fuch as are of a true breed will fuffer their Legs
to be cut off, one after another, without letting
go their hold. If I durft, I would readily dy,
that there's a ftrong Refemblance in many things
between the Englifi) and their Dogs. Both are
filent, head-ftrong, lazy, unfit for Fatigue, no
way quarrelfome, intrepid, eager in fight, in-
fenfible of blows, and incapable of parting.
There are however fome that pretend to find this
difference, that out of England the Dogs are vi
cious, but the Men more traftable.
Cock-fighting is diverting enough, the Anger,
and Eagernefs of thefe little Creatures, and the
triumphant Crowing of a Cock when he ftruts
haughtily on the Body of his Enemy, has forne^
thing in't fingular and pleafant. What renders
thefe Shews lefs agreeable is, the great Number
of Wagerers, who' appear as angry as the Cocks
themfelves, and make fuch a Noife, that one
would believe every Minute they were going to
fight ; but Combats among the Men are another
kind of Diverfion, where the Speftators are more
peaceable, The

42 LETTER III.
The Affailants begin with running againft
each other, Heads foremoft, like Rams, and af
terwards come to Boxing. By the Laws of the
Play (as they call it) a Man is not to ftrike his
Adverfary on the Ground, but muft give him
time to rife ; and the Standers-by take care to
fee thefe Laws ftriftly obferved. They never
part till one of them calls for Quarter, which
they don't do till they are quite difabled. Thefe
Combats are in great efteem among the Englifi),
and very diverting not only to the Men but to
the Women likewife. One may fee Mothers
bring their Sons, and married Women encourage
their Hufbands to engage : And Perfons of Qua
lity lay afide their Swords, Wigs, and Neck-
cloaths to box, when they are infulted by mean
People, againft whom they muft not draw their
Swords. For if a Man fhould happen to do fo
againft any Perfon whatever, he would run the
Rifque of being knock'd down by the Mob,
which is the Reafon that there are no Bullies in
London. And fuch as are pleafed with Conflicts
of this Kind, may eafily indulge their Tafte by
turning Prize-fighters. There are now and then
fome of them in this City ; but none fince my
coming, or at leaft I have not feen airy.
I believe the Execution of Criminals may be
put in the fame Rank with their fierce Diver
fions : This returns every fix Weeks regularly
with the Seffions. The Criminals pafs thro' the
City in Carts, drefs'd in their beft Cloaths, with
white Gloves, and Nofe-gays", if it be the Sea-
fon. Thofe that die merrily, or that don't at
leaft fhew any great Fear of Death, are faid to
die like Gentlemen ; and to merit this Encomi
um, moft of them die like Beafis, without any
Concern, or like Fools, for having no other View than

concerning the Englifh, &c. 43
than to divert the Crowd. One of thefe Wretches,
being come to the Place of Execution, defir'd to
fpeak to fome of his Neighbours that he happen'd
to fee in the Throng. They came to him, and
then he told them, that he was unwilling to die
without afking their Forgivenefs for a great In
jury he had done them. They anfwer'd, that
they forgave him heartily, but that they could
not imagine what it could be. The Thief
feem'd to be in much hafte to tell it, and
at laft own'd that he had to do with their Wives,
which had troubled him very much. Another
lately made the Cart flop before a Tavern Door,
and afk'd the Mnn of the Houfe whether he had
not loft a filver Ewer : The Man told him he
had been robb'd of one very lately. Make us
drink, then faid the Thief, and I'll tell you
where 'tis. The Tavern-man being tranfported
with the News, made a great deal of hafte to
treat him, and he treats his Companions ; and
before the Cart mov'd away, he told the Tavern-
man very calmly, 'twas I took away your Ewer,
and you fhall have it again when I come back.
They ' have been obferv'd to put their white
Gloves into their Pockets on the Way, left they
fiiould be injur'd by the Rain, and made unfit
to appear at Tyburn. Something of this Kind
happens at moft Executions, and four or five
Thieves are generally honour'd with Elogies.
Tho' there's fomething very melancholy in this,
yet a Man can't well forbear laughing to fee
thefe Rogues fet themfelves off' for Heroes, by
an Affeftation of defpifing Death.
There's not the leaft Appearance of any Al
teration in the Faces of fome of them, which is
a much ftronger Proof of their being under no
Concern, than all thefe Bravadoes. One can't
obferve

44 LETTER III,
pbferye either Fear or Palenefs ; nor could thefe
Malefactors be diftinguifh'd from others, were it
not for their Finery, and the Ropes about their
Necks. I have been fometimes confidering what
might be the Source of this Infenfibility, which
appears to me very extraordinary ; but I could
never account for it. I believe, indeed, that the
frequent Executions, the great Numbers that fuf
fer together, and the Applaufes of the Crowd,
may contribute fomething to it. The Brandy
which they fwallow before their fetting out,
helps to ftun them ; but all this would have no
Effect on any other People, fo that the Englifi
muft be (influenced by fome ftronger Reafons to
be deduced firom their Conftitutions. I am af
fur'd that 'tis ufual to fee their Parents or Friends
pull them by the Feet while they are hanging,
in order to put a fpeedy End to their Pain, which*
is very extraordinary.
You muft know, the Englifi) die by their own
hands with as much indifference as by another's :
Tis common to hear People talk of Men a,nd
Women, that make away with themfelves, $s
they call it, and generally for Reafons that
would appear to us but as Trifles : The Men,
perhaps, for the Cruelty or Inconftancy of their
Miftrefles ; and the Women for the Indifterency
of the Men. Laft Year, in the fpace of fifteen.
Days^ three Girls hang'd themfelves for fome
Uneafinefs in their Amours ; and the People that
told me of it, did not feem to be fo much con^
cern'd at the thing, as that two of them fhould
do it for the fake o£hifimen, whom they defpife
very much, and look upon as People incapable
of Love. Not long fince, a young Man, and an
only Son, drew a Piftol out of his Pocket, and
(hot himfelf thro' the Head in his Father's Pre
fence,

concerning the Englifh, &c. 45
fence, becaufe he refus'd him Money. A Man
of Figure did fomething of the fame Kind to vex
his Wife : He comply'd with every thing fhe de
manded upon Marriage, but being afterwards
diflatisfy'd with her, and knowing her to be ve
ry covetous, he told her he would play her a
Trick, and this Trick was to go and hang him- _
felf; thinking by that, to have her Eftate (which
was confiderable) forfeited to the King, as is
ufual on like Occafions. Hanging, it feems,
was formerly much in Fafhion, but now cutting
of Throats is more modifh.
An extraordinary thing of this kind happen'd
very lately, and tho' it be melancholy enough,
yet it made the whole Town laugh. A French
man that liv'd a long time in England, and thought
he was Englifi) in every Article, refolv'd to kill
himfelf in a Fit of Chagrin. He made choice, as
you may well imagine, of the modifli way of
Dying, and proceeded fo far as to give himfelf a
cut with a Razor ; but being frighten'd to fee his
own Blood, and fuddenly changing his Refolu
tion, -he had Recourfe to the Surgeons, but they
could not fave him ; and fo he died in their
Hands, to the great Joy of the Englifi), who
made themfelves very merry with it : They go
roundly to work on fuch Occafions, and never
retreat. To the Proofs I have already given on
this Subjeft, which may perhaps be too many,
I muft add two more, which feem to be un
common. An old Lord, not- long fince, endeavour'd to
cut his own Throat, but wanting Strength to do
it to the purpofe, his Servants happen'd to come
into the Room in the mean time unexpectedly,
and being in Hopes of faving him, they run to
the Surgeon's, but the old Man being fix'd in
his

46 LETTER III.
his Refolution, thruft two of his Fingers into the
Wound, widen'd it, and then died. The fame
Week, if I am not miftaken, an Officer belong
ing to the Tower, being much concern'd for his
Wife's running away with her Gallant, flung
himfelf from a Balcony into the Street, by
¦which his Legs were broke. He was carried im
mediately to be drefs'd ; but before it could be
done, he took a Knife out of his Pocket and
kill'd himfelf. Thefe People feem to contradict
an Obfervation that is made, as if thofe who re
folve to fall by their own Hands, are however
capable of being furpriz'd, and even willing to
live, when they are under an Apprehenfion of
dying after any other Mode, than that they
made choice of. The Author of that Refleftion,
who knew Men very well, did not know the
Englifi), for 'tis certain they will die fome way
or another, when they have taken a Refolution,
as they often do on fmall Occafions. 'Tis diffi
cult to know the Source of this Singularity, if it
be not what I have already hinted to you in their
Charafter : They are violent in Paffion, (that is)
they are refolved to fucceed ; proud withal, and
incapable of bearing ill Fortune, or mending it;
and, in a Word, too melancholy for any Bufi
nefs but their Chagrin ; and tho' they are lefs
influenced by Cuftom than other Nations, yet
they fuffer very much by it on this Occafion : So
many Examples of voluntary Death before their
Eyes, feem to encourage them, as the Roman
Matron did her Hufband, faying, 0 / Pate,
there's no Pain in it. 'Tis, no doubt, very un
happy that fuch Madnefs fhould get in among
them, and be look'd upon as a piece of Prudence
even by good People. He was weary of Life, he is

concerning the Englifh, &c. 47
is got out of it, fays one of them, when he was
told that his only Son had jump'd into the Thames
and was drown'd. They part with Life general
ly much after the fame Manner, calmly, and
with a good Grace. 'Tis true,, indeed, they take
care to enjoy it firft, by fhunning Bufinefs, and
every Thing that is troublefome. This is the
Englifi) Art of Living, which is fomething more
important than a Man's retiring handfbmely
from a Vifit.
Now I have faid enough of Murder, in a Let
ter that treats of Diverfions, the fmall Remnant
of Fiercenefs which is ftill in the Nation lead
me to it. I would not have you any way of
fended at this Word ; it infinuates, no doubt,
fomething very odious to Strangers, but at the
fame time it produces a great many good Effects
among the Englifi). 'Tis to this Fiercenefs,
which can bear nothing, and is jealous of every
thing, that they owe their chief Happinefs,
their Liberty. 'Tis by this that the People, tho'
divided and plunged in Profperity, and Idlenefs,
recover in a Minute all their Strength and for
get their Difputes, to oppofe unanimoufly every
thing that tends to fubdue them. In other Coun
tries, they that engage in dangerous Enterprizes
have nothing to lofe ; but here thofe that engage
in fuch Defigns are the People that have the
greateft Eftates, that can't live without them,
and that would foon hang themfelves fhould they
lofe them any other way than by a Plot. One
may venture to fay, that a Nation ought to have
fome Portion of this favage and fierce Temper
to preferve . them from Slavery, as an honeft
Man ought to be fomething of a Mifanthrope.
Iri all other Countries, when a Man is difgraced at

4S LETTER 111.
at Court, he is fo with all others ; his Friends
abandon him, and is unhappy in every re
fpeft. Here 'tis quite otherwife: A Man is
complimented on leaving the Court as one
recovered from Sicknefs, and may expeft to
have more Friends than before. Reafon alone
cannot have fo much Influence upon Men,
there muft be fomething of this Temper to
fupport it. 'Tis this chiefly that renders the
Englifi) fo unfit for Court: As they have in
all Times been fond of Liberty, they can't bear
Conftraint. They are not given to talking, but
when they fpeak, 'tis not fo much to flatter
a great Man as to tell the Truth; Sometimes
they happen to do it bluntly, and on Occa
fions where it ought to be done ; and their
Liberty, or Courage, in this Refpeft, is one
of thole Things that gain them Honour, and
fhould induce others to imitate them ; but fince
few can do that with a good Grace, it were
at. leaft to be wifh'd, that fome of thefe Eng
lifi) were difpers'd through the World, to tell
Men fuch Truths as none elfe dare venture to do.
And next to that kind of Courage which is ne
ceffary for great Defigns, this may claim the
firft Rank. The Englifh have but little de-
pendance on the Court, or even on the Pub^
lick in their way of living, nor will they be
Slaves to Cuftom. They indulge their Incli
nations, and pleafe themfelves with wifhing for
things that are extraordinary. They have Courage
enough to thwart common Opinion, and the
Crowd, and even pafs for Fools, when 'tis
neceffary, which is a great Step to become
truly reafonable ; while we fee extravagant
Follies, in the mean time, become general and

Concerning the Englifh, ejrc. 4^
and hereditary, among Nations more civiliz'd
and uniform, through the care People take to
referable one another, and their Apprehen*
fion of deviating in the leaft from their Neigh
bours. Adieu,

Sir,

I am heartily yours.

E

Letter

5°

LETTER IV.

Letter IV.

Have fpoke to you of the Englifi as
a People that, for the moft part,
have a greater Share of good Senfe,
than is generally obferv'd among
other Natioris. You defire to know
the Reafon of fuch a Superiority,
and how I dare ftill find Fault with them after
acknowledging it. I muft endeavour to gratify
yon on that Head, tho' I fhould be accufed of
faying more than is proper in a Relation of Travels,
pr for one in my Condition.
Good Senfe is given to all Nations ; 'tis the
Effence- of Man ; but all Men don't maintain or
cultivate it with equal Care ; which, in one
Senfe, is the Thing that diftinguifh.es Nations.
Different Governments, Wants, and Advantages,
have induced them to fubft itute different Things
in the room of good Senfe. In France, where
evejy^e^ende^yoii,LSjfl.pdeale, and the Govern
ment is fuch, that few can bear up without court
ing the Grandees, in lieu of good Senfe they
have a kind of Behaviour and an ill turn of Con
verfation they call Wit; which are very oppofite
to it, fince they confift, for the moft part, in
the_ Knack of fetting off Trifles to advantage
Which good Senfe defpifes ; fo that a Man would
be tempted to fay, there's lefs of it in France,
generally fpeaking, than any where elfe. The
' Dutch ,thaX inhabit a barren Country, where People are

concerning the Englifh, ej-c. 5 1
are obliged to live by Induftry, and the Govern*
ment is an Enemy to Grandeur and Pagean*
try, have introduced Commerce and Frugality,
which, no doubt, make the Underftanding hea
vy; but in the main are no way oppofite to
right Reafon, and it muft be acknowledged
that there's as much of it in Holland as
any where elfe. The Italians that live in
a delightful Country, have for their Share
made choice of Pleafure, and the Art of
indulging Senfe; wherein they have fo well
fucceeded, that they are wholly given up to
it, which is as much as to fay, that, generally
fpeaking, there's not much Reafon to be ex*
pefted among them. The Germans, who have
been famous in all Times for Accomplifhments
of Body, turn their Thoughts chiefly that way,
by applying themfelves to Exercifes and Dref-
fing, and think the Improvement of the Mind
COnfifts in ftudying the Languages and Scien
ces, fuch as are taught in the Schools 5 by
which their Reafon is too much confin'd and
prevented from exerting its Faculties. Thefe,
or any other Things once introduc'd in a Na
tion, and become, as it were, facred thro' Cu
ftom, poffefs, fill, and fire the Mind, fupplant
Reafon, and exclude it. Let us now fee whe
ther the good Senfe of the Englifi) is embar-
rafs'd with fuch Obftacles or not.
Their Government is mild; they enjoy LI*
berty, which elevates the Mind, and are not
neceffitated through any urgent or particular
Confideration, to fubmit to mean or lowConceiii-
ons that corrupt it. They live at their eafe,/
and the Country and the Sea furnifh them with
every thing they want in abundance ; fo that
they have no Occafion for over much CEconomy,
E 2 or

5s LETTER IV.
or to make it their chief Care, Tho' the Coun
try abounds with things neceffary for Life,
it does not, however, produce fuch deli
cious things as may give the People an
Occafion of refining much upon Pleafure, and
giving themfelves wholly up to it. They
have no great Opinion of Finery or Dreffing,
which they leave to the Women, or of the
Exercifes, or generally of any thing that
ferves only to fet off the Body ; whether 'tis
becaufe they are not over handfbme, or that
they ihun whatever requires much Care, or
puts them under any Conftraint. They have
too good an Opinion of themfelves, to imitate
other People ; and, in a word, they are fuch
great Enemies to every kind of Slavery, (which
is of more Confequence than all the reft) that
they depend but very little upon Cuftom. You
muft conclude from all this, that there ought
to be fewer conceited Opinions in England than
elfewhere, and confequently more good Senfe.
But fince every Nation has fome certain Por
tion, or Meafure of Folly, which they can't get
rid of, it comes to pafs that in a Country free
from Cuftom or general Folly, there's at the
fame time a great number of particular Errors,
which muft vary the Defcription of the Man
ners of the People, and give frequent Occafions
for Cenfure. The fame thing happens here;
but I have one thing to add, 'tis this, that
whatever I may fay, is only intended to re
gard Nations in general, and that far from de
nying Reafon is to be found among them, I am
perfuaded there's none without a greater num
ber of Men of Merit, that appears to the World.
Let us now return to the Englifi), and the Proofs
they give of their good Senfe. I

concerning the Englifh, rjc. 53
I believe I have told you that fome of them
fhun publick Employments, to which they prefer
the Repofe and Pleafures of a retired Life. This
Singularity feems to me to be of Importance,
and is a Proof of their good Senfe, among ma
ny others, and I dwell upon it the more wil
lingly in regard 'tis not only uncommon, but
it may likewife be a neceffary Inftruftion to
us. Here are great numbers of thofe People
that decline publick Bufinefs, and tho' they
don't do much good to their Party by fuch a
Coriduft, they do them, however, a great deal
of Honour ; if it be true that there's more Me
rit in living without Bufinefs, than in being
concerned in it; but they may even do them
fome good, and perhaps all that is poffible. A
few Men of Merit are not fufficient to change
the Courfe of Affairs ; by Men of Merit, I mean
thofe that underftand the whole Extent of their
Duty, and perform it with Exaftnefs. They
fee the Impoffibility of redrafting things, and
that it might not be faid, they labour in vain,
they choofe to live as private People , or if
they happen to be in Employment, and fee
their Endeavours turn to no Account, they re
tire from publick Bufinefs, to avoid being idle
Speftators of their Country's Ruin, at a Jun
cture when the Redrefs is expefted at their
Hands. And fince by this Method they are
not capable of doing any Service to their Party,
what can they do better, than to choofe for their
Lot, the Employment of doing good in fome
Village? A Man ferves his Country by giving
extenfive Marks of Probity and Tranquillity of
Mind ; but the greateft good he can do is to
give the Publick an Example of Difinterefted-
Hef?, as being, perhaps, the thing moft wanted,
E 3 ejpecially

54 L E TTE R IV.
efpecially in a Country where People are fo
accuftom'd to Employments, that they think
themfelves unhappy and difhonour'd without
them ; tho' this pretended Neceffity of coming
to Preferment is the Source of Corruption and
Mifery ; nothing but Examples of a Conduft
oppofite to this, can undeceive People of an
Error fo eftablifli'd and general, and let them
fee, that 'tis in every one's Power to continue in
the State he is in, and confequently that a Man
is under no Neceffity of being corrupted to come
at publick Employments, nor excufable for ne
glecting any thing that ought to be done by
thofe that enjoy them. But fince Example is
to little Purpofe, when thofe that fupport the
Character of a private Man with Dignity, are not
yet able to encourage any one to follow them,
the beft thing perhaps that a Man can do in
thefe melancholy Times, is to think of nothing
"but himfelf: A Man of Integrity and Steadinefs
meets with Croffes on all fides in the Affairs
of Life, and with Difficulties not to be over
come, and fooner or later Occafions happen,
when a Retreat is the only Courfe that re
mains; things of this kind fall out here com
monly. I muft let you know the Refolution
of an Englifiman in an Affair of this Nature,
and how far he has Courage to follow his Reafon.
The King ufed all his Endeavours to hinder
the Triennial Bill from paffing, and got as ma
ny as he could on his fide. The Queen took
much pains the fame way. Among others fhe
fpoke to my Lord Bellemont, who was her Trea-
fiirer, and got others to fpeak to him to op-
pofe the Bill. But my Lord looking on a Trien
nial Parliament, as a thing neceffary to the
Welfare of the Kingdom, had the Courage to re
fufe

concerning the Englifh, &c. \ 5 5
fufe the Queen ; upon which fhe told him, that
fince he would not be of her Party, he ought not
at leaft to join her Enemies, and defir'd that
he would not go to the Houfe that T)ay : This
was a way of Compromife which few Princes
propofe, and which I believe no Courtier ever,
refufed before ; but among the Englifi the honeft
Man prevails over the Courtier. He would not
comply with this neither, but goes to the"
Houfe, fpeaks for the Bill, and contributed not
a little to get it pafs'd. Here is a greater In
flance of Virtue than is ufual at Courts ; the
Queen was in a great Rage, and thinking her-
felf rather affronted by him as one of her Ser
vants, than thwarted as a Member of Parlia
ment, loft no time in making him repent it.
She fent to tell him that fhe did not pretend
to make a Man rich by her Favours, that de
clares himfelf againft the King's Intereft, and
fo took away his Employment. Upon this he
took a Refolution agreeable for a Man of Senfe
and Courage : He retrenches his Equipage, and
laid afide every thing he could be without ;
his Son, for whom he kept a Governour, is
fent to the Univerfity ; and my Lord, who
was always ufed to a Coach, goes a Foot. In
a word, without either Concern or Complaints,
he leads a Life from that time conformable to
the fmall Income that remain'd. There hap
pen'd on this occafion an Affair much to the
Honour of the Englifi), and is a Proof of their
Independancy on the Court, as well as of their
Regard for a good Aftion. A great number of
thofe that were obliged by their Employments
to be of Prince George's Party, and confequently
to be cautious, went immediately to vifit Lord
Bellemont, they complimented him on what had
E 4. pafs*d,

$6 LETTER IV-
pafs'd, and offer'd him their Purfes : Their Ap-
plaufes made much more Noife than the Morti
fication which the Queen intended for him.
There's ftill one Circumftance wanting to fet off
this Englifimans Greatnefs of Soul in its higheft
Luftre, and to fave'the Queen's Goodnefs : This
is it exaftly. The Queen, (whofe Behaviour
in this Affair was no more than the Refultof her
firft Heat) thinking that fhe had done enough
to mortify a Man of Merit, and, no doubt,, re
penting of it, offer'd him a Penfion, that he
might live at leaft like a Man of Quality ; but
he fupports the fame Charafter to the End, and
fo refus'd the Penfion, telling the Queen, that
fince he was not to ferve her any more, he
ought not to accept of any Reward. If true
Greatnefs (as there's no room to doubt it) con-
fifts in being wife and fteady, my Lord Belle-
*mont is truly Great. 'Tis in this Country, that
thefe great Men are to be found, which is, in my
Opinion, the moft curious Thing in England,
and what beft deferves the Attention of Travel
lers. It were to be wifhed, that they would
turn it a little more that way, and acquaint us
with all the particulars that come to their Know
ledge on Subjefts of this kind : Thefe familiar
Examples would be very ufeful, and more, per
haps, than all thofe glittering Aftions which Hi
ftory is ftor'd with, and which are often vicious,
and unworthy of our Imitation ; by this Method
we fhould at laft be enabled to comprehend that
all that is told us of Virtue is not mere Chimera,
that 'tis not impoffible to renounce Ambition
and Avarice, and that that is the fhorteft and
eafieft way to Happinefs. But in England there
are Ceremonies, Buildings, and old ruin'd Houfes
With Infcriptions , fo that there's but little Ap
pearance

concerning the Englifh, ejc. 57
pearance that Travellers will give us a Defcrip-
tion of Englifimen, or if ever they do, it will, no
doubt, be of another Sort of Heroes than thofe I
have been fpeaking of.
When People fhew as much good Senfe in their
Aftions, as thofe of this Country, 'tis eafy to
ufher it into Converfation : Accordingly we find
a great deal of it in theirs. They handle a Trifle
without dwelling upon it, or putting themfelves^
into a Paffion. Good Senfe is what they efteern
moft, and feldom talk of a Man for having Wit,
or being without it. They fpeak of Things as
they apprehend them, withGjjL-any- Fear of
clafhing with conceited Opinions, tho' commoiv
which, for that Reafon, muft be of lefs weight
among them than others ; fo that their Conver
fation is always agreeable by new Thoughts, and
often judicious when they confider Things on
the right Side. We find they have juft Ideas of
many Things, wherein other Nations are mifta-
ken. You would be much pleas'd to hear them
make frequent ufe of the Word Plain as fome
thing Praife-worthy, and that of Cunning as a
Thing that is bafe. They never take the Title
of a fimple or innocent Man in an ill Senfe,
whatever Tone they pronounce it with ; 'tis fo
far from it, that they can't praife their Nation
more than in faying, they are a good-natur'd
People, and pretend that' there's neither the
Name nor the Thing in other Countries. Ano
ther Proof of their good Senfe in Converfation is,
the Silence with which they intermix it ; and I
believe it would not be difficult to juftify even
their How d'ye do, which they repeat at Times,
and which the French laugh at, and attribute to
the Want of Wit to fupport Converfation. The
Englifi} have very well obferv'd, that when Peo ple

5 8' LETTER IV-
pie"' talk only for talking fake, there muft be %
great many idle things faid, and that Converfa
tion fiiould be a Commerce of Sentiments, and
not of Words; and fince, for that Reafon, there
may not be always Matter enough for Difcourfe,
they keep Silence for a long time ; and then they
have a Cuftom of breaking it off with a How
d'ye do ? which they make ufe of at Times, and
is a Piece of Civility, fignifying, that they are
attentive on thofe they are in Company with,
tho' they have nothing to fpeak to them about;
But the tirefome frothy Difcourfe of the greateft
Part of thofe that laugh at them, who would
pafs for the Witty and Agreeable in Company,
juftifies the filent Temper of the Englifh much
better than all that can be faid for it.
Their Writings are better known than their
Converfation, and are celebrated for their good
Senfe, which is often found even in their Dedi
cations ; for I muft tell you, by the by, that the
Englifi) dedicate Books as well as other People \
but they know how to do it without praifing,
and to praife without cringing. There's a great
deal of good Reafoning, but few Citations in
their Works; and is as much as to fay, that they
-defpife Authorities, and that among their feveral
Kinds of Liberty, they value that of Reafon at
a high rate, and are pleas'd to have it valued.
As for Thefts, I am affur'd they have fewer of
them than others, if you except the Stage, that
is to fay,_ the Bagatelle. Every where elfe they
defpife this Kind of Robbing, and 'tis more like
ly that they are the People that are robb'd ; the
feme good Senfe by which they excel others in
the Sciences, demonftrates to them likewife their
Uncertainty and Vanity, of which, perhaps,
they are more fenfible than others,, and have, at

concerning the Englifh, rjyc. 59
at the fame time, the moft Courage and Ho-
nefty to acknowledge it.
"Tis Matter of Concern to a Man to fee People
with fo many good Qualities, fo little communi
cative and fo harfh to Strangers that court them.
As this is one of the great Faults they are re-
proach'd with, it ought to be examin'd a little.
All that can be faid againft them on this Account
may be reduced to this ; that they don't compli
ment us much, or that they are flow in doing it :
As for infulting us, I believe none charges them
with it, except it may be fome of the Story-
Mongers that have never feen the Country they
give a Defeription of, or that exafperate every
thing in order to make themfelves appear more
confiderable. I fay then, that the Englifi) do no
more in this refpeft, than what we fee reafona-
ble People do every Day : They are generally
referv'd at firft, and open their Minds in Pro
portion to their Knowledge of the People they
Seal with. On the other Hand, we reap the
fame Advantage by them, which is common
among referv'd People, and fufficiently recom-
pences thofe that covet their Company, viz.
that we may depend more on their Friendfhip,
once gain'd, than upon that of your eafy, fawn
ing People, that condefcend immediately to
every thing, and even obviate thofe that don't
defire their Company. It muft likewife be ob
ferv'd, that 'tis the French that complain moft of
this Behaviour, without confidering this is a
Country, where the People are cool, and re
ferv'd, and confequently ought not to mind fuch
forward and officious Pretences of Friendfhip,
with which they are not acquainted. When Eng
land is cenfur'd on this Account, 'tis always by
People that judge of it with Regard to France, and

60 LETTER IV.
and that come from thence for the moft part.'
But I think they don't exclaim fo much,
when they come into this Country by the
¦Way o? Holland. In a Word, if People pretend
that the Englifi have ftill fomething worfe than
this Coolnefs, or Indifferency, that is, their
Contempt of Strangers, it ought to be confider
ed, that moft of them ftay in the Country to
make their Fortunes, and court the Englifi} for
that Reafon. And therefore, fhould they think
meanly of us, or defpife us, I don't fee they are
much in the wrong ; for they themfelves are
content with what they have, and never travel
but for Pleafure, as People ought to do that have
already made their Fortunes. And in my Judg
ment, the Fault we have moft Reafon to reproach
the Englifi with, is their extravagant Opinion of
their Nation and Country: 'Tis certain they
can't hear either found Fault with on any Ac
count ; in this Refpeft they are far lefs reafona-
ble than the French, of whom a great many
well-bred People, not only acknowledge what is
blameable in the Nation, but even prove it by
the Writings which they publifh to correft it.
This Self-Love of the Englifi is, of all things,
the moft troublefome to Strangers, who defire to
be acquainted with them : It hinders People from,
converfing freely on all Subjefts, and informing
them of the Manners, and Charafter of the Na
tion, I am, Sir, heartily yours.

LETTER

concerning the Englifh, &c, 6 1

rjij

Letter V.
OW that I am about writing to you
concerning the Laws and Policy of
the Englifi, don't expeft an exaft
Enquiry, which is difficult in Things
of that Nature •, I can only inform
you of fome fingular and uncommon Paffages,
that have furpriz'd me, and which, in my Opi
nion, well deferve your Attention. Nor would
I have you think that there's nothing commend
able in either, becaufe my Remarks tend to
their Difadvantage. Both are, no doubt, good
in fome Refpefts, as well as in other Countries ;
but 'tis only the ill Part in all Governments that
is taken Notice of, becaufe we fuffer by it : The
Good, which only prevents our Suffering, is not
fb eafily obferv'd.
The Englifi) Government is excellent in many
Things, and in nothing more than in fupporting
Liberty ; which is, at the fame Time, permit
ted to degenerate on feveral Occafions into Li-
centioufnefs, and that to fuch a height, that I
don't know whether it be for the Advantage of
the Englifi) to maintain it. The People, that
Profperity has render'd forward enough to at
tempt any thing, have been permitted, from
Time to Time, to flip into exorbitant Privileges,
which they now look upon as their own : For
tho' the Laws in Being are not fufficient to keep
them within Bounds, yet fhould any Alterations happen

6-2 L E TT ER V.
happen to be made, to make them more effeftuaf,'
the People would immediately regard them as
fo many Attacks on their Privileges. Let us
now fee what they are, and how much every
thing feems to favour them. One of the Ways
tending to that End is, never to aid the Law,
but to keep ftriftly to the Letter, which is done
fometimes after a childifh Manner : For Exam
ple, 'Tis againft Law to have two Wives ; but
to avoid it, a Man has no more to do, than to
marry three. Not long fince the Thing was
prov'd, or at leaft thought to be fo by moft Peo
ple, and I believe they would have ftill conti
nued in the fame Opinion, had not a rafh un
thinking Fellow fpoil'd all by carrying things
too far. As he travelled thro' the Countries, he
marry'd all the pretty Girls that came in his
way. But the Lawyers have fince bethought
themfelves, that a Man cannot marry three,
without firft marrying two, and fo the Englifi
have loft their Privilege. I am affur'd that a
Man can't be arrefted, if he finds any room for
chicaning about the Spelling of his Name ; he
has no more to do, than to tell the Catch-poles
that the Writ is not againft him, and they muft
acquiefee. Every one, as you ma}' well ima
gine, is ready enough to take Advantage of thefe
Quibbles, to play with the Laws, and fo get rid
of the Danger.
In cafe of a Crime not punifhable by any
known or pofitive Laws, the Judges choofe rather
to acquit the Criminal, than to have Recourfe to
general Laws that might be rigorous. Suppofe
a Man would be reveng'd on another, or infult
him, he need only take Care that the Crime be
not fpecified in the Defence or Anfwer, and then
he is fafe. Some Years paft, a Man happen'd to
cut

concerning the Englifh, &c. 53
Cut off his Adverfary's Nofe ; but it had no other
Confequence, than making a Law againft the
Offence. 'Tis true, there was one in Force at
that Time againft Maiming ; but the Man al-
ledg'd in his Juftification, that a Perfon without
a Nofe was not maim'd, but disfigured ; and fo
efeap'd by that Diftinftion. This gave Occafion
to make an exprefs Law againft Disfiguring,
which comprehends all Parts of the Body, and
puts them out of Danger. What a Jeft is this
in fo ferious an Affair, and among fuch grave
People !
But let us examine a little what ill People
have to fear, or the Good to hope for from the
Laws. Let us begin with the Thieves, who are
fo confiderable a Body, that the Government
ought, in good Earneft, to think of fome Expe
dient to deftroy them. But this is not thought '
of: 'Tis fo far from it, that they are treated in
fuch a Manner, as to make them fomewhat eafy,
and not to repent altogether of choofing fuch a
kind of Life. Here I'll acquaint you with the
Things that feem to be done on purpofe to en
courage them. If one gets into a Houfe, or
other Building, without breaking open or for
cing any thing, he is acquitted for a fmall Fine,
or fome other trifling Punifhment, let the Theft
be never fo confiderable. If he goes to work
awkwardly, and has the Misfortune to be taken,
and condemn'd, People do all they can to com
fort him, and make his Condition eafy : He
keeps all the Money he ftole, and if you afk the
Reafon of fuch an extraordinary Cuftom, they
tell you, the unhappy Creature's Life pays for
all, and that People's Money can't be diftinguifh-
ed, fo as to be able to return every Man his own.
At this rate they have Money enough to foften the

64 L E T T E R Y.
the Thoughts of Death ; they eat, drink, an J
divert themfelves fometimes in getting a Year s
time fbr the Women under Condemnation, that
happen to be lock'd up with them. Here, as
well as in other Countries, they don't execute
Women with Child, or fuch as give themfelve9
out to be in that Condition, as all may eafily
be in this Place ; for there's nothing to hinder
the Sparks that keep them Company from be
ing in a good Humour, and doing them Ser*
vice; or in cafe thefe Gentlemen fhou'd hap*
pen to fail, the Jaylor or his People are gal*
lant enough to prolong their Dayd. There's
generally all forts of Debauchery and Wicked*
nefs in the Prifons, and every thing looks
among thofe that are condertin'd, as if there
was nothing more to fear, or that an approach*
ing and inevitable Death was a Motive to Plea*
fure and Corruption. Thus an Englifiman will
fay, Liberty follows us every where, and we
find a way to enjoy it even to the End of
our Lives. j
The Women of Pleafure are treated with as
much Gentlenefs as the Thieves, there's a pro
digious number of them, they follow their Trades
openly, and fpoil two thirds of the young Men
with Impurity. If one of them finds herfelf
impregnated, fhe may pitch on who fhe will
for a Father, and make him a Prefent of a
Child. If they are afk'd any Queftions about the
Matter in their Lying-in, 'tis after fuch a Man
ner, that any one might be perfuaded there
was no harm in it, or that there could be a
Junfture when a Lie fhould be troublefome to
a Crack. The Men are oftentimes furprized
to find themfelves Fathers all of a fudden, and
to have Children they did not think of. I
know

concerning the Englifh, &c. 6%
know a French Gentleman that was ndt a lit
tle perplex'd about one of thefe Prefents .- The
Girl that carry'd it to him was very ugly ; he'
was very vain, and would much rather be fu*
fpefted of any thing elfe, than an Intrigue with
fuch a homely Piece. He would by no Means
accept of the Baby, and fo gave Security, ac
cording to Cuftom, to prevent going to Pri-'
fon, and in the mean time took a great deal
of Pains to juftify himfelf. There was one
merry Circumftance in the Affair, if the Peo*
pie of the Country may be believed, the Gen-5
tleman, it feems, carry'd Teflimonies enough
about him to prove his Innocence in a Minute,
and fo as never to be under the like Appre*
henfions for the Time to come ; an Englifhman^
no doubt, would fooner die than get off in
fuch a Manner. But the Girl's Death, which
happen'd in the mean time* put an End to
his Fears * fhe own'd, as fhe was dying, that
what fhe did was only for Intrigue fake, and
to fee how he would get rid of it,
The marry'd Women of Gallantry have as
little Reafon to Complain "of the Laws, as the
Ladies I have been talking of: There's one
as much to their Advantage as they can wifh,
which decides a grand Point in their Favour \
a Hufband is obliged to father all the Chil
dren his Wife is deliver'd of, while he is in the
Kingdom, tho' he can prove that he had not
feen her for Years. The Women have many
other confiderable Privileges tending the fame
Way ; they can't be found guilty of the Bufi>
nefs without the cleareft Proofs, and pretty
near fuch as Madam Pernelle infifts upon in
Moliere, which is impoffible for the Hufbands
to produce, they muft be conftantiy pofted be-
F hind

66 LETTE R V.
hind their Wives, and fee all with their own
Eyes, for no other Proof will do. The firft
Duke of England prov'd his Misfortune clear
enough, at leaft fo as to fatisfy the Publick,
but yet he could not get a Divorce from his
Wife. All the Satisfaftion he had, was to make
the Gallant (who was a rich Tavern Man's Son)
pay a confiderable Sum of Money in an Aftion
of Scandalum Magnatum, which punifhes any
Difrefpect to the Noblemen. So that in this
Country 'tis as great a Fault, and there's juft
as much Danger in debauching a Lord's Wife,
as to fpeak ill of him.
'Tis true, indeed, that this Toleration does not
fhelter the Women from all Dangers ; for there
are fome Hufbands that have Recourfe to other
Expedients, when the Laws won't help them. :
I'll inform you of what an Englifiman told me
on the Subject. A certain Woman finding her
End draw near, bethought herfelf of afkingher
Hufband's Pardon for a great Injury fhe had
done him, and with which fhe would acquaint
him, in cafe he promis'd to forgive her. He
readily comply'd, and then fhe own'd an Af
fair of Gallantry -, the Hufband affur'd her that
he would not refent it, adding withal, that he
had done her fome Wrong, for which he afk'd
Pardon, this fhe did willingly, being no lefs
furprized, than tranfported with her Hufband's
extraordinary Goodnefs. Upon this he own'd
to her that he was well appriz'd of her Con
duft, which had made him poifon her. Here's
an Inflance of the cool Blood, and Conftancy
of an Englifimian that has taken a Refolution.
It is well that People who are fo fteady don't
do it often in all Things, efpecially in a Coun
try where the Laws are fo eafy. But to put an

concerning the Englifh, &c. 6j
an End to the Proofs I have given of their ex
traordinary Gentleneft, let us go on to the
falfe Witneffes,
If thefe Wretches are not entirely above the
Fear of Punifhment, it may be faid at leaft,
that 'tis fo light, and that there's fo little Pro
portion between the Rifque they run, if they
are found guilty, and their Profpeft of Gain in
cafe of Succefs, that a Man ought not to be
furprized at their Numbers. In the Year 1692
a Fellow forged a Writing* and counterfeited
the Hands of feven of the chief Lords of the
Kingdom, who engag'd themfelves by it, to fa
vour King James's intended Invafion, and to
feize the Queen. He found a way of conveying
the Paper fecretly into the Bifhop of Rochefter's
Houfe, who was one of the feven. He inform'd
againft the Bifhop, upon which he was taken
up, and all his Papers feiz'd, except this that
was forg'd, which as Fortune would have it,
the Meffengers could not find, and this was
the only Thing that fav'd the Lords. Tho' I
fhould fay no more of this villainous Attempt
which is fcarce credible, I am perfuaded you
have heard enough to aftonifh you, efpecially
when you confider that it was undertaken with
no other View than to get Money. But the
Story does not end here, there's a great deal
remaining untold, which is more incredible than
what you have heard. The Roguery is all found
out ; and the Rogue, who was worth nothing,
and confequently without Friends, is left to
the Severity of the Laws, but meets with no
other Punifhment than the Pillory, that is* to
be expos'd for fome Hours to the People's Laugh
ter, and the Dirt which is thrown at him. Had
he fucceeded in this, or any other Defign of
F 2 the

6S LETTER V.
the fame Kind, he might well hope for a ve
ry great Reward ; if he mifcarries there's nothing
more than the Pillory ; when a -Man once lofes
his good Name by Things of this Nature, and
fiich a Punifhment, he goes to work again with
out any Hefitation, and may undertake any
Wickednefs. How childifh is all this ! will you
fay, or rather, what little Care do they take
in England to fecure People's Honour and Lives!
or have the Englifi) no more. good Senfe than
what every one makes ufe of for himfelf, ^ or
his own private Affairs?
If, on one hand, the Government is negligent
in finding out proper Ways to keep wicked
People within Bounds, it takes but little Care,
on the other, to relieve the unfortunate; and
it may be affirm'd that the firft don't fuffer
fo much by the utmoft Severity of the Laws,
as the other by their negleft ; if it be true
that hanging is a lefs Punifhment than ftarving
with Hunger, which is often the hard Fate of
fome Prifoners for Debt : They muft maintain
themfelves, for the Creditors are not obliged
to contribute any thing towards it, and the
King allows them (as they call it) nothing but
, Drink, that is to fay, Water. People are often
arrefted for Trifles, a few Shillings, perhaps,
which are much more difficult to be got in a
Prifon than out of it, and after fome Time, they
have not Money enough for Subfiftance, much
lefs to pay Debts with. Some have been ie-
duced to live on the Rats and Mice they have
catched ; others ill ufed by the Jaylors in ma
ny Refpefts, and afterwards poifon'd. Thefe
Wretches have publifh'd a whole Volume- of
their Sufferings, and were in fuch Hafte to ap
prize the World of them, that they wifh'd the
whole

concerning the Englifh, &c. 69
whole Book might be contain'd in the Title,
which is too long to be quoted at large; but
here you have the Beginning and End of it :
" The Cries of the Opprefs'd : Or a True and
" Melancholy Account of the unparalell'd Suf-
" ferings of the poor Prifoners for Debt in moft
" of the Prifons in England  with other
" barbarous Cruelties not to be found in any
" Hiftory or Nation whatever. The whole made
" out from the cleareft Proofs." The Book was
printed in 1691, and addrefs'd to the Parlia
ment; but I have not heard that it has yet
produced any Effeft.
'Tis difficult to proceed any further without
exclaiming againft fuch Cruelty as this, which
is not only uncommon, but aftonifhing. The
Policy of the Englifi), in not remedying every
Kind of Inconveniency, as much as they
might, is not unlike that of other Nations j
for to keep Men in Order, and make them
live neighbourly together, muft be a difficult
and imperfeft Work in all Countries; but to
fee Thoufands fuffer miferably in the com
mon Prifons, and many die for Hunger,
and the Government not vouchfafe to apply
any Remedy, is what could not be well ex
pefted among thefe good Natur'd and wealthy
People, (many of whom are often choak'd with
their own Fat) and in a Country where the
Prince's Care is fo extenfive and condefcending,
as to order the very Ducks and Fifh in Ponds
to be well fupply'd, and that by printed De
clarations pofted up in feveral Places. But the
great Cruelty of the Englifi). confifts rather in
tolerating the Evil than in doing it. 'Tis cer
tain they abhor all cruel Things ; Duels, Af-
faflinationsj and generally all Sorts of Violence
F 3 are

7o LETTERS.
are very uncommon in this Country, and I
don't remember to have heard any thing of
poyfoning, except the two Inftances I have men-
tion'd; for generally fpeaking, an Englijhman
vents his Rage upon himfelf!
Their abolifhing of Tortures (which are a
Shame to Chriftianity) is no fmall Proof of their
Averfion to Cruelty. They are look'd upon here
with Horror, and never put in Praftice even to
difcover the Accomplices in a Plot ; while other
Nations that regard the Englifi) as Savages, and va
lue themfelves very much for extraordinary Po^
Jitenefs, ftill retain this barbarous Cuftom, and
carry it fo far, that the moft frightful Tortures
are in the Rank of common Formalities in
criminal Proceedings. I'll acquaint you here,
jn a few Words, with the Method which the
Englifi) obferve in Things of this Nature ; it
feems to me to be Angular, and I think it pre
ferable _ to any thing of the Kind in other
Countries. No Man is punifh'd with Death without be
ing found guilty by two Courts of Juftice;
the firft confifts of above twelve (e) Judges, but
twelve at leaft muft agree in Opinion, the
other confifts of that Number, and no more,
they muft all live in the Neighbourhood of
the Party accufed, and be of the fame Rank,
as near as poffible; after they are fworn, they
continue together, without eating or drinking,
till they are agreed in their Verdift : If you
obferve well, you'll find that aU the Circum
ftances in the whole Proceeding are to the Pur
pofe and well grounded : 'Tis to them we are
indebted for an extraordinary Affair that hap
pen'd
(0 The Author means Me Ora^d and Petty yuriis.

concerning the Englifh, &c. 7 1
pen'd fome Years ago: A Man was accufed. of
Murder, and the Evidence was fo clear, that
eleven of the Jurjr were for finding him guil
ty without any Hefitatioii; the twelfth would
not agree, but continued obftinate in fpite of
all the Arguments offer'd by the Judge to con
vince him : At laft, the other Jury-men, being
prefs'd by Hunger, came over to his Opinion,
and fo . the Prifoner was acquitted. The Judge,
being furpriz'd at the Man's Proceeding, alk'd
him the Reafon of it in private ; he comply'd
with the Requeft, having firft bound the Judge
to Secrefy. The Man that afted this extraor
dinary Part proved to be the Murderer, but
he would neither violate his Oath, nor confent
to a fecond Murder. When one confiders the
Concifenefs and Brevity of this Method, and
reflefts at the fame Time on the abominable
Tedioufnefs in Civil Caufts, which are fpun out
to as great a Length in this Country, as any
other, 'tis difficult to comprehend how Years
fhould not be fufficient to put an End to one
trifling Suit, among People that require no more
than a Morning to determine between Life
and Death ; and that the fame People who are
fo fond of Liberty in other Things, can fub
mit tamely to the fhameful Tyranny of Law-
Tricks, and of thofe whofe Profeffion 'tis to im
prove them.
'Tis furprizing to fee People fometimes con-
demn'd for fmall Matters, and others eafily ac
quitted at the fame time that feem to be much
more guilty ; the Reafon is, becaufe they don't
determine any thing but on the cleareft Proofs,
without any Regard to Probability. Here Ma-
lefaftors may fometimes efcape the Puniffiments
they deferve 5 but 'tis rare to fee an innocent
F 4 Maa

7* L E T T E R V.
Man fuffer : Tho' thefe Criminal Proceedings
are very moving, yet we fee them often at
tended with fuch gay and airy Circumftances,
(no way agreeable to fb melancholy a Subjeft)
that the printed Accounts of them are. in the
Opinion of many People one of the moft di
verting Things a Man can read in London.
Among other Particulars, there's an Account of
the Preparations made by fome of the Male-
faftors for Death; and always that others would
not liften to the Ordinary's Admonitions, or
that they were infenfible, and refolv'd to pre
pare themfelves for Death after their own Man
ner, which is a Thing no way furprizing to
the People here, nor perhaps to you neither,
after all I have told you already in their Cha
rafter : The Ordinary endeavours, on his Part,
to perfuade the Reader, that the Unhappinefs
of the Criminals muft be imputed to their ne-
gleft of the Sabbath, which is look'd upon here
not only as the heighth of Impiety, but likewife
the Way to it. So that in this Country, as
well as m others, the People always make
choice of fome eafy Duty of Religion, and ap
ply themfelves to it zealoufly, as if it were
fomething more effential than ordinary, andfo
it may be truly faid, that among the Preachers
the People make the greateft Number.
Ihele Executions, with the Farces that at
tend them, have made me think, with Aftonifh-
ment, of the Obftinacy of the Englifi,, for not
making fome Change in their Laws. For it
appears very plain, that thefe People that have
fo little Fear of Death, are fenfibly touch'd with
the Apprehenfions of any other Kind of Punifh
ment ; and there :s no room to doubt, but one
Example pf condemning a Thief tQ 3ny hard
Labour

concerning the Englifh, &c. 73
Labour that was to continue for a confidera
ble Time, would have more Influence than all
thefe frequent Executions, which are fcarcely
look'd upon to be infamous, and confequently
can never produce any great Effect. Something
happen'd not long fince, as it were on Pur
pofe to convince them of this Truth ; a Thief
was found guilty of ftealing feme fmall Mat
ter, and fent to the Work-houfe. He was no
fooner come out of it, but he return'd to the
old Trade, and is taken again. They defign'd
to fend him once more to Work, but he would
not bear to think of it, and choofing rather
to die, he own'd that he had ftole a Silver
Bafon from a Goldfmith, which he proved, and fo
got himfelf fairly hang'd for it. This Contempt
of Death, and Fear of Labour point out very
clearly the way to free the Country of Thieves •*
and there are a great many Reafons to pre
fer this Kind of Punifhment to the other, fince
all reafonable People agree, that there's no Pro
portion between the Crime and the Punifhment,
between Thieving and Death. 'Tis true other
Nations agree with the Englifi) in this refpeft,
but thefe fhew an unaccountable Indolence (not
to be met with any where elfe in my Opinion)
in their neglect of fuch Expedients, as would
foon put an End to the Praftice. You wou'd,
perhaps, think that they look upon thefe Exe
cutions as fo many publick Shews due to the
People, and that a Stock of Thieves muft be
kept up and improv'd for that End.
There are many other Reafons to prove that
the Laws of this Country are far from being
rigorous ; but if any of them happen to be
more fevere than ordinary, they are but faintly
executed, I believe there has been enough faid to

74 LETT ER V.
to fatisfy you, that a Man ought not to be
furprized to hear the People value their Laws ve
ry much, and think them the beft in the World,
'Tis much more furprizing, that People of fuch
good Senfe, fhould not make ufe of it on thefe,
as well as on other Occafions, by 'accommodating
their Laws and Cuftoms to their Neceffities:
But I believe it will be eafy to find the Rea
fon partly in the Form of their Government : It
feems the great Bufinefs of Parliament is to
watch the King, and his to watch the Parlia
ment ; fo that the People, which both of them
endeavour to manage, enjoy, in the mean time,
all the Licentioufnefs they can wifh for. Be
fides, tis certain, that fuch free and wealthy
People as the Englifi), can't be fo eafily brought
to follow any Party, as others ; being too much
accuftom'd to gratify their own Humour in
obeying. I could readily add a third Reafon,
that the fame found Underftanding which ren«
ders a Man truly great, unhappily inclines him
rather to fhun publick Affairs than to redrefs
them. I embrace you, SIR, &c.

Letter

concerning the Englifh, ejyc. 75

Letter VI.
HAT you defir'd of me, Sir, in your
laft, puts me in Mind of an Affair
that happen'd here not long fince.
A Mufician fat down to fing to
fome of his Friends. After he had
entertain'd them with fome of his beft Airs, one
of the Company defir'd him to fing a Ballad then
in Vogue. The Mufician being provok'd at fuch
Ufage, gave him a terrible look, and went away,
without finging any more. I will not take up
on me to maintain that the Letters I write to
you were fine Airs ; but 'tis certain that the De
scription of London, which you defire, is no
more than a kind of a Ballad, in Comparifen of
the People that live in it, and that you muft
think me very good, if I continue finging after
fuch an Affront. I don't, however, approve of
the Mufician's ill Humour : And fince you are
for Ballads, I am refolv'd you fhall have them.
London is fituated in a Plain along the Thames,
which is here in the Form of a Half moon ; the
Plain is fomewhat fhelving, fo that the Situation
is very agreeable. And tho' 'tis at this Time the
greateft City in Europe, the People are ftill adding
to it •,. and great Numbers coming from all Sides
to fettle in it, it was thought neceffary to build
whole Streets,
The Streets are wide and ftrait, efpecially
thofe that have been built fince the great Fire,
which

7.6. L E TT E R VI.
which are about half the City. They want no-<
thing but to be better paved. 'Tis furprizing,
that in fuch a wealthy City (where People never
retrench any thing for being fuperfluous) they
fhould negleft what is really neceffary, and be
faving in a thing that might keep them from the
Dirt and the Duft.
The Houfes are built with Bricks, and made
very convenient, the fmalleft Corners are ufeful
for fomething or other. The Ground is very,
dear, fo that People make the moft of it. They
take it commonly for a certain time, forty or
fifty Years perhaps, and calculate Things with
fo much Exaftnefs, that the Buildings feldoilrs*
ftand much longer. But they are fometimes out'
in their Computations ; and 'tis common to fe&
fome of thefe daring Accomptants crufh'd to
pieces by Houfes that drop before the End of
the Term. Their way of Building is both agree--
able and expeditious. A Man in this Place has
the Pleafure of feeing his Houfe built in lefs
time, than is allow'd in other Countries for lay
ing the Foundation. Let us now go on to the
chief Places of this great City. I am fenfible I
promife too much, and that Prints would be
more proper than a Letter ; but 'tis that you de
fire, and not Prints, and my Defign is to pleafe
you. Whitehall is fituated between the Thames andJ
the Park, and is a great old Houfe, very ugly,
but very convenient. It has nothing like a Pa
lace but the _ Banquetting-houfe ; the reft is a
heap of ill built Houfes, which were not intend
ed to join. This is the ordinary Refidence of
the Kings of England. But the prefent King
lives at Kenfington, in a fmall Houfe which he
bought of a private Perfon, the Smoak and thick' Air

concerning the Englifh, &c. 77
Air ot London not agreeing with his Conftitution.
'Tis about a Mile and an half from it, and has
nothing extraordinary either for Building or Gar
dening. St. James's is another Royal Palace ; 'tis old,
and very irregular, but convenient and large.
There's nothing elfe "to make it agreeable, but
the Profpeft of the Park, which is near it. Let
us get into it, to refrefh ourfelves a little after
the Fatigue of defcribing the three Royal Palaces.
The Park is a large Extent of Ground with
Walks fet with Trees all round, which are very
agreeable. There's a Canal in the middle edg'd
with Trees, where one may fee the Ducks fwim-
ming ; the reft is Meadow, and Pafture for Deer
and Cows. Its great Beauty confifts in bring
ing (as it were) the Country into the City. I
am inform'd, King Charles II. intended to have
added more Ornaments to it, and that he had fent
for a fkillful Perfon from Paris for that Purpofe,
the fame that defign'd the Scheme for adorning
the Tuilleries. After he had taken a narrow
View of the Place, he found that its native Beau
ty, Country Air, and Deferts, had fomething
greater in them, than any thing he could con
trive, and perfuaded the King to let it alone. So
the Park remains in the feme State, that is, a
fine Country-like Place, and is the more agreea
ble, in my Opinion, _ becaufe it has neither Art
nor Regularity. This is the Place where People
go to get rid of the Dirt, Confufion, and Noife of
this great City, and where the Ladies in fine
Weather difplay all their Ornaments. They
make a fine Appearance, as I have told you be
fore, and their Splendour is the more furprizing,
becaufe we imagine 'tis in the Country we fee
them. There's

78 L E TT E R VI.
There's another Royal Palace to be defcribed*
which is called Somerfet-houfe. _ 'Tis no fmall
Concern to me that I cannot gratify you in this,
and to find myfelf obliged to fend you an imper-
feft Account of London for Want of fo impor
tant an Article. The Truth on't is, I did not
forefee that any one would fet me to this Taflr,
and befides, not being over curious to fee Build
ings, I unhappily neglefted this. But, if you
pleafe, I'll fay fomething of the Thames, which
runs juft by it.
Next to the Park, I fee nothing more agreea
ble or commodious than the River. I fay no
thing of its Breadth or Depth, which, with the
Advantage of the Tides, render it capable of re
ceiving the largeft Ships of War, and 'tis to this
that the Wealth and Greatnefs of the City is
owing. What pleafes me befides is, the Gentle-
nefs of its Stream, and a thoufand little Boats
that cover it, and pafs from one End of the City
to the other when People have Bufinefs, or for
Pleafure when they have none. On thefe Occa
fions there are fometimes great Numbers of
Hautboys and Violins, which render the Amufe-
ments on the Water extremely delightful.
There's a private Houfe more ftately than all
I have mention'd, and is properly what Travel
lers call a Thing worth feeing ; this is my Lord
Montagues. The Englifi are modeft enough,
when they go no further than to fay, 'tis the
fineft Houfe in London ; if they don't imagine
that that comprehends every thing. The Houfe
wants nothing but Furniture and People : You
would think 'tis a Prince's Palace that does not
live in it.
There are feveral Squares' in London, fome of
them are very fine, and furrounded with Palli-
fadoes

concerning the Englifh, &c. 79
fadoes and Rails, but they are generally far fhort
of what they might be made. They are not
much adorn'd, and few People flop to amufe
themfelves about them, which would be very
proper for this great City, and would fhew the
Number, Wealth, and leifure Time of the In
habitants. I believe, indeed, that the Park
makes People negleft thefe Places, and that they
are not fpacious enough for thofe that walk faft.
I am likewife of Opinion, that the great Num
ber of Coffee-houfes, where People fee one ano
ther conveniently, is one Reafon that thefe
Squares are fo little frequented. But whatever
'tis, be fure to remember this as a thing very
remarkable, that there are a great many Places
in London called Squares, where People may
walk, and where few do.
The Tower, of London well deferves a whole
Letter ; and generally fpeaking, it takes up a
great deal of room in the Pocket-Books of the
Gentlemen that travel. 'Tis the Citadel of the
City ; the Arfenal, the Prifon for People of Qua
lity, and the Mint. I don't remember all, and
'tis poffible I may have forgot half its Titles.
There they fhew Crowns and Sceptres, Axes,
and Clubs, Lions, Leopards, and other terrible
Things. The Governor of a young Gentleman,
not long fince, examin'd all very carefully, and
was of Opinion, that the Thing which deferv'd
chiefly to be taken Notice of, was the Axe that
cut off the Head of a Queen of England ; he
made the young Gentleman under his Care, take
off his Glove, and hold the Axe in his Hand,
that he might boaft of it on Occafion.
If you have any Friend that is curious, and
that intends to travel into England, you may
•give him an important Piece of Advice ; that is,
that

go L ETT ER VI.
that he need not be in much hafte, for St. PaiiVd
Church is not yet finifh'd ; People are conftant
iy at work upon it, and 'tis in a very forward
Condition. 'Tis only waiting five or fix Years,
at moft, to have the Pleafure of feeing it com-
pleatly finifh'd ; 'tis one of the largeft Churches
in Europe, and is capable of putting a flop to all
the Corruption of London, provided the Efficacy
of the Sermons is anfwerable to the largenefs of
the Building.
That of Weftminfter is very curious for its An
tiquity, the Tombs, and Epitaphs of the illu-
ftrious People that are interr'd in it, and alfo for
Henry the Seventh's Chapel ; but above all, for
its being the Place appointed for the Coronation
of the Kings of England. If a Man has not the
Happinefs to fee this rare Ceremony, he may,
however, get fome intelligent Perfon, as he
views the Church, to fhew him the Manner of
performing the whole, and then form an Idea of
it with the Satisfaftion of imagining himfelf to
have been on the Spot.
The ftately Building call'd the Royal Exchange,
is another Ornament of the City, and might
furnifh Matter enough for a Defeription, which,
no doubt, would become one of the Ornaments
of my Letter, could I perfuade myfelf to under
take it ; but feveral Obftacles ftand in the way,
and. efpecially the Apprehenfion I am under left
I fhould not perform fo great a" Talk with the
Exaftnefs which is fo neceffary and agreeable in
the Defeription of Buildings. I'll tell you no
more of it than this, that the Merchants meet
there every Day at a certain Hour, and that I
have had fometimes the Pleafure to fee from its
Top, the World in Epitome, and laugh'd to fee
Men, for a little Gain, ftir about like a Swarm of

concerning the Englifh, &c. 8 1
Ants, and hear them humming like a Swarm of
Bees. The Monument ftands near the Royal Exchange;
I muft tell you what it is, for then I fliall have
the better Opportunity of giving you an Account
of an Infcription, being an effential Thing to a
Relation of Travels; it gives them an Air of Li
terature and Importance which they have not
without it, and makes them immortal, if any
Thing can. The Monument is a Column of the
Dorick Order, chamber'd and hollow, 'tis rais'd
near the Place where the Fire begun. This be
ing the higheft Building about London, People
go to the Top for a Profpeft, and 'tis the firft
Place vifited by curious Travellers. There's a
long Infcription at the Bottom, by which the
Papifts are charg'd in bitter Terms with being
the Incendiaries. King James order'd it to be
erafed ; afterwards the Englifi) had it cut deeper
than it was. And fince they are a People fub-
jeft to Revolutions, 'tis not improbable but they
may be obliged to make ufe even of the Foun
dation, if they are fo very obftinate about their
Infcription. 'Tis no fmall Concern to me* now I have en
ter'd on fo curious an Affair, that I can't go any
further, and entertain you with the Plan of fome
Building, the Defeription of a Tomb, Blazoning
of a Coat of Arms, an Account of fome Bas Re
liefs, a Differtation on fome Medal, or, in a
Word, that I can't reftore fome Infcription half
worn out, which would raife me even to the Sub
lime. In the room of all this, Sir, I prefent
you with an humble and fincere Acknowledg
ment of my Want of Capacity tor Things of
that Kind. I muft even confefs, mv Negligence
has been fo very great, as not to fee the Cere-
G mony

8> LETTER VI.
mony of giving Judgment againft a Lord, which
happen'd fince my coming to London, and that I
did not go to the Horfe-Races, which is one of
the greateft Diverfions in England. Dare I tell
it ? 1 have even neglected to fee the King in his
Robes, and the' famous Univerfities of Oxford
and Cambridge. Let me tell you what I have
feen. There's a prodigious Number of Coffee-houfes
in London, the Outfides have nothing remarka
ble, or worth describing ; fo that I'll fpeak only
of their Cuftoms, which deferve fome Notice,
becaufe moft of the Men refort to them to pafs
Sway the Time. Thefe Coffee-houfes are the
conftant Rendezvous for Men of Bufinefs as well
as the idle People, fo that a Man is fooner afk'd
about his Coftee-houfe than his Lodging. Be
fides Coffee, there are many other Liquors which
People can't well relifh at firft. They fmoak,
game, and read the Gazettes, and fometimes
make them too. Here they treat of Matters of
State, the Interefts of Princes, and the Honour
of Hufbands, &c. In a Word, 'tis here the Eng
lifi difcourfe freely of every Thing, and where
they may be known in a little Time ; their Cha
rafter, likewife, may be parti}'- difcover 'd, even
by People that are Strangers to the Language.
It appears coolly in their Difeourfes, and Atten
tion to what they hear ; 3^011 don't fee them in
terrupt one another, nor feveral fpeaking at the
fame Time. They reprefent thefe Coffee-houfes
as the moft agreeable Things in London, and
they are, in my Opinion, very proper Places to
find People that a Man has Bufinefs with, or to
pafs away the Time a little more agreeably,
perhaps, than he can do at Home; but in other
refpefts they are loathfome, full of Smoak like a
Guard-

concerning the Englifh, (jc. 8 3
Guard-Room, and as much crowded. I believe
'tis thefe Coffee-houfes that furnilh the Inhabi
tants of this great City with Slander, for there
one hears exact Accounts of every thing done in
Town, as if it were but a Village.
The Shops are handfome and large, and there's
no room to fear the dangerous Civility of the
People of Paris, that would engage a Man to buy
more than he has a Mind to do ; nor the cold
and blunt Behaviour of the Dutch Merchant, that
is always for faving Charges ; you are neither
footh'd nor fower'd by the Merchants in London.
They feldom afk too much : Strangers buy as
cheap as others. 'Tis true, the Englifi) pay fo
roundly for every thing, that the Merchants can
do no more than ufe us as if we were Englifi ;
but we are oblig'd to them for not diftinguilhing
us in the odious Manner they do on other Occa
fions, which is more provoking than the Lofs of
the Money they fharp us of
That you may think; me an exaft Writer, you
fhall have an Article on the Taverns, and 'tis
furprizing that we Travellers fhould fay fo little
of them, fince they are, perhaps, the Things We
are beft acquainted with. Every Thing is ex-
ceffiveiy dear in them, but fo far all are treated
alike. Fifh Entertainments are much better
here than in Paris ; but there's no Comparifon in
other Things, efpecially the Attendance ; and it
muft be owned that a Tavern is the proper Place
for Hafte and Forwardnefs. I had like to have
forgot fomething very particular and important,
the Tavern Signs are extraordinary big, and
magnificent ; I have feen fome in Villages that
were worth pretty near as much as the Taverns
themfelves. G 2 There

S4 LETTER VI.
There arc great Numbers of Hackney Coaches
in London, they are pretty cheap, and ready at
a Moment's Warning -, all the Crofs-ways, and
Corners of Streets are crowded with them. The
Coachmen keep in their Boxes, but watch Peo
ple narrowly as they pafs by, and run towards
a Man on the leaft Signal : This, in my Opi
nion, is one of the Advantages which London
has of Paris. And without this Convenience,
People .wou'd pafs their Time but very indiffe
rently in this Place, for it rains continually in
Winter ; and the Streets being ill pav'd, are
fcarce fit for walking. Sometimes a thick Fog
mixed with an offenfive and unwholefome Smoak,
covers the Town ; fo that in London a Man is
employ'd either to keep himfelf out of the
Dirt, or fhut up in a Coach, to prevent being
blacken'd or poifon'd with the Smoak. Befides
- this, the Streets are very ill ferv'd with Lights
in the Night-time ; 'tis true, for fome time they
have made ufe of Lamps, but there's not a
fufficient Number of them ; and befides, they
are made after fuch a Fafhion, that a Man is ra
ther dazzled than lighted from the only Side which
cafts a Light.
The Winter Dirt is fbllow'd by intolerable
heaps of Summer Duft ; it fpreads every where,
and fometimes makes very fine Houfes unfit for
Habitation. Then People retire to the Country,
and you wou'd fay that the Englifi) muft have
Duft to make them go. This may, perhaps,
perfuade you, that the Country here is not agree
able, or that the Englifi) have no great Inclina
tion for it ; but this is not altogether true, and
before I finiffi my Letter, I muft fay fomething
of it. And now I hope your Curiofity is entire
ly gratify'd, after all I have told you about the
City.

concerning the Englifh, &c. 85
City of London, and that you'll put it in the
Number of thofe you know, and myfelf among
the complaifant People, that can't refufe their
Friends any thing, and that find nothing impof
fible, when they are refolv'd to pleafe them.
The Country is moftly plain, but not uniform,
which makes flat Countries very difagreeable.
There are Hills here and there, fo that you have
always a Profpeft. You may fee Rivulets wind
ing; and Woods of feveral forts, Parks, and fine
Houfes. But what is more agreeable than all the
reft, is the Verdure, which is more lively and
durable than in other Countries, but they pay
pretty dear for it, fince the moift Air by which
'tis nourifh'd, foon puts an End to their fine
Weather, fo that they have nothing but Leaves,
when other People have Fruit : Theirs have but
little tafte, except the Golden Pippins, which I
believe I have faid fomething of already. Their
Flowers have little fmell ; their Game is infipid;
and I don't know that there's good Water any
where ; and they have no Wine, which is a
greater Mortification to them than all the reft :
You know there are no Vineyards in England,
and tho' they bring Wine from other Countries,
yet they have not the Pleafure of eating Grapes,.
which is, in my Opinion, the great Inconveni-
ency of Countries that have no Vineyards.
The Englifi) value this Country I have been de-
fcribing, at a very high rate ; they boaft of it
in an extraordinary Manner, and prefer it to all
the Countries in the World, as they do them
felves to all other Nations. I wifh it were in my
Power to give you an Account of their Manner
of Living ; but I never durft inform myfelf fuf-
ficiently about it. I am told, they make one
another long and frequent Vifits at Hunting
G 3 Matches,

26 L E TT ER VI.
Matches, and at Entertainments ; the firft con
fifts in running faft, and the other in drinking
hard ; but I muft not forget one Circumftance
among the reft, that there are fome Occafions,
where the People that value themfelves for do
ing every thing in order, get but half drunk
with the Man of the Houfe, that they may after
wards compleat the Work thro' the good Will of
the Servants. They have fome other very par
ticular Ways which I take no Notice of here,
becaufe I know them but by Report : I was fa
tisfy 'd with this uncertain Intelligence, left there
might be fome Myfteries in the wajr, which
none can approach unpuniffi'd.
I am but juft return'd from a fhort Journey I
took into the Country, but I have not feen any
thing worth relating, except Sir William Temple's
Place of Retirement, and another Houfe that is
not fo folitary. I happen'd by chance to be in
the Neighbourhood of that famous Negociator
and Philofopher, and in the Interim I recollect
ed fomething I had read a few Days before in
one of his Books : That England was exclaim'd
againft in the World, for no other Reafon but
becaufe Strangers that come to vifit her, had,
generally fpeaking, no other knowledge of her
than what the}'- got in their Inns, and by People
worth nothing ; and perhaps without Merit,
Birth, or Fortune to give them an Opportunity
of knowing People of Figure. I thought a Man
that reproach'd Strangers after fuch a Manner,
Could not excufe himfelf from giving a good Re
ception to thofe that went to vifit him, and be
fides that, I had no Reafon to be apprehenfive of
any violent or boifterous Diverfions. I went ac
cordingly, and was receiv'd with great Civility,
but this, in my Opinion, is nothing to the King dom

concerning the Englifh, &c. 87
dom in general ; for there are but few fuch as
Sir William Temple in England, no more than in
other Countries, and a few fuch able Men as he,
conclude nothing for their Country; for they
poffefs all the good Qualities of the Nations they
are acquainted with. I fpoke to him about his
Writings ; he afk'd me whether I had read them
in Englifi) or in French ; and on my telling him
it was in French, he complain'd of the Tranfla-
tion, faying, that they had barbaroufiy -murder d
it. Here I faw the Model of an agreeable
Place of Retirement : 'Tis far enough from the
City not to fear Vifits, the Air is wholefome,
the Land good, the Profpeft bounded, but plea-
fant, a River runs by the Houfe, and makes the
only Noife that is heard; the Houfe is fmall,
but convenient, and nicely fiirnifh'd ; the Gar
den proportion'd to the Houfe and cultivated by
the Owner, himfelf free from Bufinefs, and, in
all Appearance, without Defigns, few Servants,
and fome People of Senfe to keep him Company,
which is one of the moft agreeable Things in the
Country, to the Man that is fo happy as to have
it. I obferv'd, at the fame time, the Effeft of
all this ; Sir William is healthful and brifk, and
tho' he is much troubled with the Gout, and ad-
vanc'd in Years, yet he tired me with walking,
and had it not been for fome Rain that fell in
the mean time, he would, I believe, have obli
ged me to call for Quarter. You may well ima
gine I did not fee all this without fighing feveral
times, and reflecting on the Reafons that car
ried me to this Place, to difturb People in their
Retirement. The good old Gentleman thought I was not
recompenc'd enough for my Trouble, fince I
faw nothing but his Houfe ; and tho' I affur'd
G 4 him

88 L ETT ER VI.
him I was much more curious in Men than in
Buildings, and that I was ' fatisfy 'd with the
Honour of feeing him, he would have me, by
all Means, vifit the DuYe of Somer Jet's Country
Houfe at Petfworth, before I return'd to London,
he complimented me with Horfes and Servants
to conduct me, and fearing that the Duke might
be gone to London, he made Lady Temple write
to the Dutchefs. The Duke receiv'd me very
civilly. He lives retir'd in the Country for the
moft part, if a Man can call it a Retirement,
where there are above a hundred Servants, a
finer Palace than the King's, and as good a Ta
ble. I am of Opinion, a moderate Income is as
effential to Retirement, as it is to the Happi
nefs of Life, and that a Man of boundlefs Riches
has too great a Tafk upon his Hands. I was
conftantiy thinking, in this ftately Palace, of
Sir William Temple's folitary Houfe and little
Garden, which made me dream of the Pleafure
of a private and quiet Life. I did not think of
any thing elfe, and return'd to London with all
the Expedition that could be, to prepare Things
for my Departure.
Now, Sir, I take Leave of you, and will not
think ray long Travels into England to be in
vain, if my Letters give you any Pleafure, or if
they hinder you now, that you are fo near, from
coming over, and doing that common and un
profitable Thing call'd a Tour into England.

LETTERS

(8o)

LETTERS

Concerning the

French Nation, &c.

Letter I.

SIR,

|HE Pleafure I have had in fending
Letters to you concerning Englayid,
and that which you fay they have
given you, puts me into the Hu
mour of writing to you about
France, and the French Nation.
Here 'tis eafy for me that am unpoliffi'd and a
Swifs, to excufe myfelf (were it neceffary) from
fo bold an Undertaking : It will look as if I had
exercis'd my Parts and fet them an Edge on ano
ther Nation, before I begun with the French. As

9o LETT ER I.
As to the Objeftion of my venturing to cha
racterize Nations, without being frighten'd a.t
the private Charafters of the Men that compofe
them, I am of Opinion 'tis not fo bold an En-
terprize as it feems to be at firft. Men change
and differ from ofie another, but the Difference
does not alter the Charafter of the Nation ; it
only introduces fome Diverfity. I muft defire
you to obferve, that when I fpeak of the French
Nation, I mean by it the greateft Part of the
People, and that I except Perfons of Merit out
of it ; they are above the Charafter of their Na
tion, and muft be treated of diftinftly. I like-
wife except fuch other Perfons, as are diftin-
guiffi'd on Account of their Conftitutions, or any
other particular Circumftances, for my Defign
is to fpeak of the Multitude only, that is, the
French Nation.
The French are more forward in fliewing their
beft Side, and anticipating People's Expectation
than any other Nation : Tis by that way which
firft offers it felf, that I muft begin to make them
known to you. They are eafy of Accefs, civil,
obliging, and forward ; they appear to be fincere,
open and very affectionate ; they love to pleafe
People, and to do it readily and with a good
Grace. They feem to be cut out for Society in
every refpeft ; they love Mankind, and deferve
to be loved. But they are not, for the moft part,
content with the Sentiments of Friendfhip which
they infpire ; they muft be applauded and ad
mired, and particularly by us Strangers.. They
look upon us as if we were made for that End,
and as it were to admire them before-hand ; it
muft be own'd they are not altogether miftaken,
and that Strangers are, generally fpeaking, what
they fuppofe them to be. The Things they
would

concerning the French, &c. pi
would have us admire in them above the reft,
are their Wit, their Sprightlinefs, Politenefs,
and Behaviour. They think a Man's greateft
Merit confifts in them, and pretend to be diftin-
guifh'd from the reft of the World on that feore ;
and it muft be allow'd, that the Charafter of the
French, with refpeft to their Vivacity, and the
good Opinion they have of themfelves, is diftin-
guifh'd from that of all other Nations. 'Tis true,
all have fome Prefumption, and Self-love is fo
much diffus'd among Men, that People in gene
ral, as well as private Perfons, have each their
Share, and make themfelves ridiculous by the
Advantage which they pretend to have of others.
But it varies according to its Object ; fome value
themfelves one way, and fome another, and this
is it that partly forms their different Charafters.
Vivacity, and the Pleafure it gives the French,
are the principal Things that fhew theirs.
But this Vivacity, which is their known Cha
rafter, has the fame Fate with fuch as are equi
vocal or ambiguous, and depend only on Opi
nion; for if fome are charmed with it, and
think the French the firft Nation in the World,
there are others at the fame time that have no
Regard for it, but, on the contrary, think it dif-
agreeable. They pretend that Men ought, for
the moft Part, to be cool and plain, according to
their ufual way of walking, and that a fpright-
ly Nation, that fpeaks nothing but Wit, defeives
to be admired much after the fame Manner that
another Nation fhould be, that never ftirr'd but
when they danc'd. They maintain that good Senfe
is the effential Quality of Man, and that 'tis it
wkich unites Men, and that this fprightly Wit,
which they prefer to good Senfe, and the Sentiments

92 LETT ER I.
ments of the Heart, may not be entirely what
People imagine. They obferve, that moft of
thofe who acknowledge this Charafter of the
French, admire them the lefs, and that the more
they know them, the lefs they agree with them,
and that they fee thro' the Varnifh, which at
firft is dazzling and pleafant ; and perhaps not
without Reafon. It may even be true that thefe
fair Appearances, which are nothing at Bottom,
are the very Things which make People after
wards not only efteem the French lefs than they
deferve, but even to hate and defpife them :
We are always very ready to hate thofe that im
pofe upon us, and a little Hatred is fufficient
to hinder us from judging equitably. Be it as
it will, and without any Prepoffeffion either for
or againft the French, this muft be own'd, that
by a flender Knowledge of them, we eafily dif
cover that their over-valuing Wit, Behaviour,
and Outfide, makes them negleft what is fblid,
that they are fond of Trifles, and that, generally
fpeaking, they don't know the Value of Things.
'Tis even apparent, . that by their Negleft of
cultivating good Senfe, and valuing it enough,
they are apt to miftake it ; for if it be not accom-
pany'd with Expreffions and Ways to fet it off
to Advantage, they are often fo far deceiv'd as to
take it for Stupidity. We have feen their Men
of Wit perplex'd with the good Senfe and Cool-
nefs of a Stranger, without knowing the Reafon
of their Perplexity. They muft be much more
embarrafs'd when a Man of known Merit does
not fhew much Wit ; I believe thofe that obferve
this Defeft in him, whifper it to their Friends as
a Thing that ought to be kept fecret. They are
eager after Fame, and moft of them look upon it
as the ultimate End of Merit. This is another Effeft

Concerning the French, (jc. 93
Effeft of their fmall Regard for good Senfe, and
their fetting too high a Value on Vivacity,
Wit, and Outfide. Thus they feek after that
Kind of Merit, more than any other, that
makes the greateft Noife ; or they feek rather
after Noife, which they look upon to be infepa-
rable from Merit. As for that which confifts in
renouncing Chimeras and extravagant Defigns,
and leading a quiet and private Life, or that
which is its own Reward and felf-fufficient, they
look upon them as fine Ideas to be found no
where but in Books ; and the Name of a Philofo-
pher, or a Man that would reduce his Ideas to
Praftice, is with them a Kind of an Affront.
Accordingly we find no Philofophy in their Chara
fter ; fo they feed themfelves with Shew,and prefer
the Pleafure of the Outfide to what is real, if I
may be allow'd to fayfo, without philofophizing
too much ; and 'tis obferv'd, that, on many Oc
cafions, they would have their Happinefs confift
in being thought happy. They are better pleas'd
in being well cloath'd, than eating well ; to be
at great Expences, in order to be thought rich,
even at the Hazard of confounding their Riches ;
to expofe them to Danger, rather than preferve
or enjoy them with Moderation, without ap
pearing rich. Thofe that are fuccefsful in their
Attempts upon Women, or would be thought fo,
and that have the envied Title of the Women's Fa
vourites to encourage them the more, acknowledge
that they would rather be look'd upon as Favou
rites with the Women, tho' they were not fo, than
be really in their Favour, without being thought fo.
Thefe Gentlemen make a confiderable Body in
France, by their numbers ; in which they reckon
every Man that is well made; fo that by men
tioning

5>4 LETTER!.
tioning them, I prove more than appear'd at
firft. In this Country, as well as in others, tho'
perhaps not fo generally, People are ftrangely
intoxicated with the Thing call'd Quality ; and
tho' the French are not fo exaft, nor capable of
bringing as many Proofs of their Nobility as the
Germans, they are however fo full of their Titles,
that they think there's fome real good in them ;
the People believe it too, and bear with Eafe the
Difdain, which they look upon as the Confe
quence of a well grounded Subordination. Thefe
Gentlemen carry this Notion of their Quality fo
far, that even in extream Poverty, to which
great Numbers of them are reduc'd, they are fo
obftinate, that they will not help themfelves
either by Work or Trade, and have no other
Refources but War, Marriage, and the Court.
In other Refpefts they look upon Idlenefs as their
beft Privilege, and the mdft effential Diftinftion
between them and the Tradefmen, with whom
they would have nothing in common, were it
poilible. The French are very fond of Authority
and Command, which make another Diftinftion.
They buy Employments very dear, to pleafe
themfelves that Way ; they never think of run
ning in Debt, or being ruin'd, provided they
get above thofe that were their Equals, and
make a great Figure in the World. What can
they do more ? As the Tafte of the Nation is
bent on thefe Employments, there muft be con
fequently a great Number of them, and fome
are often created to make them ftill greater.
But if the Officers of Juftice are very numerous
in France, thofe that go to Law and are ruin'd by
it, are numberlefs ; the French have undoubtedly
more litigious People than any Nation in the
World.

concerning the French, &c. 95
World. When we confider this double Folly,
we can't well avoid calling to mind two ridicu
lous Perfons in ene of their Comedies ; and one
is under fome Temptation of making a more
general Application of the Verfe which chara
cterizes them :
One is always a Client, the other always a Judge.
The French don't think much of Liberty;
they are not fatisfy'd to depend on the Prince in
every thing they fuffer themfelves to be depriv'd
of, _ but fubmit, even thro' Inclination, in that
which is the moft independant Thing that Men
are poffefs'd of, and have the leaft Power to give
away. A Word that falls from him, or is fpoke
by chance, is magnified, and becomes the Subjeft
of a Decifion, that fets a Value on Men and
Things. Whatever Share of Liberty the Prince
has left them, they facrifice to Cuftom, to which
they are Slaves. They make Cuftom, the
Queen of the Country, the great Queen, no lefs
than their King, the great King. 'Tis fo ! 'Tis
not fo ! are their facred Reafons to approve or
condemn any thing ; and 'tis a bold Aftion in
France, that gives occafion to any one to fay, Is
it not Jo ? if he has Courage enough to revolt
any way againft the Nation, by replying ; 'Tis
fo, for I did it. There's however a French
Liberty, and no doubt but you have often heard
this Word, which they refpeft, and pronounce
with a loud Voice in foreign Countries. This
Liberty is no more than to have Courage to
difpenfe with fome of their Laws of Politenefs,
and not to be more formal than is proper ; for a
Man to be fo daring as to lean in his Elbow
Chair, when he is weary with fitting upright ;
to

96 LETT ER I.
to afk for Meat and Drink at all Times, among
ones Acquaintance ; to fay that the Wme is
good, when 'tis not fo ; and to do other Things
of like Importance. If there's any room for
laughing to think the Liberty of a Nation fhould
confift in this, there's undoubtedly much more
Reafon to laugh, to fee Nations where 'tis not.
They are very exaft here in all the trifling
Duties of Life : People take a great deal of Care
to inform themfelves about a Perfon's Health,
after a fmall fatigue, and 'tis a Point of Civility
to fend him a Compliment upon it. _ An honefl:
Man is not more fcrupulous in returning a Pledge
left in his Hands, than a French Man in return
ing a Vifit. To make and receive them is one
of their chief Occupations, and they think their
Time well employ'd that way ; a Life which they
pafs in Company is, in their Opinion, a Life
agreeably fpent, a'nd in Order. Man, fay they,
is made for Society ; and they are forming this
Society all their Days, and will have it confift of
great or fmall Companies, where they give one
another an Opportunity of becoming Mem
They almoft think every Man an Owl, or a Phi-
lofopher, that difcovers any Inclination for Soli
tude, not being able to comprehend how 'tis pof-
fible for any one not to be pleas'd with Conver
fation, where a great many polite and obliging
Things are faid. They are likewife very watch
ful for any Opportunity of employing a thou
fand little far-fetch'd Ways, that are become na
tural, as it were, by Cuftom, and by which
they pretend to pleafe. All this put together,
makes up that magnificent Name which they
call the Art of Living, and which they have
Reafon to call fo, fince they look: upon it as the
great

concerning the French, &c. pj
gr^at Concern of Life, and that they don't feem
to live for any other End.
People of this Complexion muft neceflarily
value a Court Life at a high rate, and prefer it
to any other ; which is another Singularity in
the Charafter of the French. They are Courtiers
by Inclination, and, if I may fay fo, by Birth;
They are pleas'd with obeying, and command*
ing; they admire Things eafily, and a little
Outfide is fufficient to employ them : They
think of nothing but to impofe Upon People,
and to be thought happy, and they let others
impofe upon them, in their Turn, for they look
upon themfelves to be happy, if they can pafs
on the World as fuch. Thefe noble Difpofition^
kre ftill ftrengthen'd more and more by the
Form of the Government, which is fuch in
France, that every thing depends on the Court*
So that Inclination and Intereft, which are two
powerful Motives, concur here to make great
Numbers of People choofe this kind of Life,
and fucceed in it. If a great Man that is a Cour
tier happens to give the King any Offence, and
that he orders him to retire, that is, to go and
live on his Eftate, the very fame Eftate that he
has taken the greateft Pains to improve, and
adorn ; yet he thinks himfelf an Exile : He lan-
guiffies from the Time he becomes his own Ma*
fter ; Leifure and Liberty make him iinhappy.
The Count de Bufit, who made himfelf famous by
his Writings, is a Proof of this' t Some pretty
Stories rnalicioufly wrote; were the Occafion of
his Banifhment from the Court; and tho' one
might think that a Writer ftlou'd not fear Re
tirement, it did not, however, agree with him j
he wou'd write no more than what tended to get
him out of it. The Letters which he fent to
H the

«?8 LETTER I.
the King are publifh'd; oh! what Submiffions^
what Efforts to be reftored to Favour ! But whew
he found there was no Hopes of fucceeding, he
became inconfolable, and fell upon writing Mo-'
rals towards the End of his Days. He compos'd
a fmall Treatife of it, wherein, after demoilftra-
ti'ng, by feveral Examples, that great Men are
generally unhappy, and that Providence makes'
ufe of all forts of Adverfity to make them fenfi
ble of the Vanity of worldly Affairs, he puts
himfelf at laft in the fame Rank, and writes the
Hiftory of his own Life : He derives his Gran
deur from the Pofts he had in the King's Armies,.
that is, from many Years Service, and looks up
on his Banifhment from Court as his Unhappi-
nefs, that is to fay, many Years Liberty. There's
a Frenchman for you made for Society, and to
live with the Great, but fo uneafy that he can't
live with himfelf; I defire no other Proof of
the little Value of this Wit, Politenefs, and Be
haviour that they make fuch a Noife about s All
thefe Things are neither ufeful- nor agreeable, but
in the Commerce of Life, on which they make
us dependant ; and every Man that has no other
dualities, which- is the Cafe of moft of thofe that
ftudy them, is in a Manner loft when he is alone :
He is a-bandon'd by himfelf, as "foon as he is-
abandon'd by others.
But 'tis not only the Nobility that are attach'd
to the Court, and prefer this Way of Living to
all others ; but, generally, People of all Ranks
in France have a ftrong Paffion to puffi their
Fortunes, in which they fucceed better than
others : They travel thro' all Nations with that
Defign, they find a Way of getting Accefs to all
Houfes, and putting themfelves into all Shapes,
Even the mean People, that in other Countries thiak

concerning the French, &c'. 99
think of nothing more than Subfiftance, are here
poffefs'd with the Fancy of growing Great ; and
fome one has remark'd, merrily enough, that
France furnilhes all Europe With Valets de Chambre
and Cooks, being the Employments that make
People's Fortunes. The Governors to young
Men, Dancing-Mafters, Fencing-Mafters, En
gineers, are almoft every Where Frenchmen ; and
if People are wanted for any other Occupations, it
is poflible there maybe found in all Parts o£ France
fuch as will be very ready to undertake them.
There needs no more to know the French, than
to examine the good and bad Qualities that are
requifite to make a Fortune, that forms their
Charafter : Firft, I think there muft be Com-
plaifance, Affurance, and Foiwardnefs, and that
there be nothing either above or below a Mam
Thefe are, in effeft, the Talents of the French\
by which they get very much the Start of the
Adventurers of other Nations, when they are
Competitors. They are always bufy about fmall
Matters, that feem to them confiderable ; they
think themfelves very well employ'd, and are
feldom undeceiv'd in one Trifle but by another.
One may fay, without wronging the French Na
tion, that 'tis among them a Bdgatelle is in its
Kingdom, and that they do it more Honour
than any where elfe. But on the other Hand,
they may well boaft of bringing it to Perfeftion
5n feveral things, and furpalfing all the World
in this refpeft.
I now return to that which forms the principal
Charafter of the French, their brillant Wit* or I
muft rather tell you what Advantage they
have by it, fince they are no lefs diftinguifh'd
by it from others than by Wit itfelf. When I
obferve to you that 'tis on that Account they
H 2 thinlg

wo LET T ER I.
think themfelves the firft Nation in the WorltJ,
and made to be admired, you may think, per
haps, that 'tis becaufe they muft have more Peo
ple of Wit than are to be met with elfewhere.
But that, Sir, is not the Reafon. The French
are witty in general, the Nation fhines with it,
and their Wits have no other Advantage than to
be the firft among their Equals. You will fay
then you underftand by this, that Nations have
the Advantage of each other, and are diftinguifh-
ed by the more and the lefs. As the French have
more Wit, and the Englifi) more good Senfe, with
other Advantages : But you- have not found it
out yet.' The French have not only more Wk
tha-n other People; but they have Wit, and
others have none. As the Greeks diftinguifhed
themfelves formerly from all other Nations, not
according to the more and the lefs, but abfolutely
without the Degrees of Comparifon, and look'd
upon all other People as Barbarians, fo the French
diftinguifh themfelves now from the reft of the
World : They are the Greeks of our Times, and
other Nations ferve them for Proverbs. If other
Men happen to have any Wit, and that it can?t
be contradicted, then they fay 'tis not impoffible
but there may be fome in the World that refem-
ble the French. Thek Title to Wit (as a Thing
that is their. Property) is fo well eftablifhed
among- them, that I am perfuaded, a Frenchman,
tho' ever fo little conceited, and that has no
great Opinion of himfelf, with Regard to his
own Countrymen, will make no Hefitation, at
the fame time,, to think he has more Wit than
any Stranger, and that he need go no further,
than not to mortify us unfeafonably, by treat
ing a German as if it Were in his own Power to
fcecome a Frenchman, They extend this Aft of
Juftice

concerning the French, &c. 101
Juftice fo far as even to allow we have good
Senfe, which they think may be found in all
Countries, and which they leave us as the Rem
nant or Dregs of Wit, but think it fufficient to
fecure us from the Contempt of thofe that have
Wit. You fee, Sir, what 'tis that fa ves us from
the Contempt of the French, even fuch of them
as are the Glory of the Nation, and vouchfafe to
take fo much Notice of other Men, as to make
Comparifons which gives them a better Relifh
of the Prerogative they poffefs. But tho' they
fhould think themfelves above us in every thing,
fo far as even to defpife us, which may fome
times happen, it would be wrong in us to take
it ill or to call them to an Account for a Superio
rity which is generally eftablifli'd among them,
and which they have receiv'd from their Fathers.
Few of them find any Occafions of renouncing
it ; and 'tis certain there are not many in a Con
dition to take the Advantage of fuch Opportuni
ties as offer. Let us leave thefe Frenchmen in
Poffeffion of their Charafter in its utmoft Extent,
let us make a Party, and laugh at Opinion with
every thing it eftablifhes among Men, In Con.-
fequence of a Partition that gives Wit to fome
and leaves good Senfe to others, Men of Wit
ought to be allow'd to raife themfelves above
difcreet judicious People and to make a Jeft of
them, and thefe fhould be hinder'd from finding
Fault with it. On the other Hand, People of
good Senfe ought to be permitted to make Ufe of
it to examine the Manners and Ways of the
others, and to fet a Price upon them, I embrace?
You, Sir, &c.

Hj

Letter

»OJfi

LETTER II.

Letter II.

Am ftill writing to you, Sir, about
the French; and what I have not
accomplifh'd in my laft Letter, I
will in this : I'll tell you what Good
can be faid of them, as well as the
111, and I hope Things will happen accordingly,
and am preparing to write to you with Pleafure. '
The French have match'd their Charafter very
well, and form'd a convenient and regular Plan
of Life in its Kind ; that is, with Regard to So?
ciety, to which their Inclinations lead them.
They have not all thefe ftarch'd Ways that are
difagreeable in Company, and no doubt have
been introduc'd thro' a Defeft of Friendfhip and
Confidence. They have not that falfe and af?
fefted Gravity, which rather conceals the Want
of Merit, than Merit itfelfi They don't en
tangle themfelves in continual Formalities ; they
make no Prefents to one another, but fuch as
may be well receiv'd, and which are as fo many
Snares for thofe that accept of them. They
don't interrupt a Man that is difcourfing of the
common Concerns of Life by Compliments ^
they know how ridiculous 'tis, and on fuch Oc
cafions where they are neceffary, they make
them in few Words. We are not perplex'd about
chufing their Titles, and giving them magnificent
ones, againft the Grain ; we are excus'd for a
plain Monjieur, which ferves for all every where,
efpecially

concerning the French, &c. i o|
cfpecially from a Stranger. They have a great
many decent and becoming Ways, that are al
ways the fame, to which 'tis eafy for one to con
form himfelf, and which we adopt with Pleafure ;
and there's no doubt but France is the Country
where every thing that is decent and ornamental
in Society is beft known. 'Tis Pity they don't
flop here, and that they fhould add a great Nunir
ber of Niceties and fantaftical Ways, that vary
and depend on the Fafhion, to proper and fettled
Rules of Decency. Thefe Whimfies are very
perplexing and troublefome to a Stranger, that is
unacquainted with thern, and is defirous of ac
commodating himfelf to the Ways of the Coun
try. 'Tis true they are civil enough to o.ver-look
our Miftakes in Things of that Kind, as well as
thofe we make in fpeaking their Language,
which is too difficult for us ; and 'tis what they
may well do, fince 'tis impoffible. for us to fob-
low them in all their Fineffes, which require
more Attention than any Language or Behaviour
are worth. They not only pafs by fuch fort of Er
rors as thefe, but even give themfelves the Trouble
of correcting them, when they think we are
frown familiar enough with them to bear it
'hey take a great deal of Pleafure in all Refpefts
to reprove and inftruft a young Stranger that is
docible, and are very ready to receive him into
their Favour -, and by all thefe Civilities to Stran
gers, 'tis very obvious, that they know the Du
ties of Life, in order to put them in Practice. _ J
remember when I ferv'd in the Army, which
was then canton'd near Verfailes, I went out to
fhoot, and happen'd to fire at fome Partridges very
near a fine Houfe. It belong'd to a Gentleman
that then dwelt in it, and that was retired from
pnirt, He came towards me, and obferving I
H 4 was

IP4 LETTER II,
was a Stranger, he invited me Home to refrefh,
myfelf. The Vifit pafs'd in Compliments,
without the leaft Notice of my ffiooting ; and at
my fecond Vifit, he let me know, after a friend
ly and polite Manner, my rude Behaviour, which
gave Occafion to our Acquaintance ; fo that this.
rafh and inconfiderate Aftion, inftead of provo
king him, ferv'd only to let him underftand I
was a young Man that wanted his Advice. He
gave me Inftruftions about my Behaviour, and
ihew'd me a great deal of Kindnefs all the Time
I continu'd in his Neighbourhood. The French:
man has a ftrong Biafs to Friendfhip, as well to
the clofe and ftrong Band, which properly de-
ferves that Name, as to the agreeable Commerce.
pf Acquaintance, to which 'tis likewife given,"
and he acquits himfelf handfomely of the Duties
it requires. But, generally fpeaking, his Incb>
nation is too quick, and inftead of eftabliffijng
Friendfhip by little and little, 'tis fuddenly
enflam'd, and comes to its higheft Period in a
few Days. From hence you may well imagine.
that 'tis not durable ; accordingly we find they
are charg'd with being inconftant, and fond of
new Acquaintance. But 't\s too foon yet to con
clude fpeaking of their Virtues.
'Tis certain that we Strangers meet with every
thing among the French, that we can expeft in a
Country where we travel, and in many Refpefts
all that the French themfelves can meet with.
They don't repulfe thofe that defire their Ac?
quaintance, and let a Stranger's Behaviour be
never fo ina'ifferent, they will make no Diffi
culty, however, of procuring him other Ac
quaintances, and in general, all the agreeable
Things he can wilh for in a ftrange Country. A
Frenchman enters into ftrift, Frjendffiip with a
Stranger,

concerning the French, &c. 10%
Stranger, that he likes, as eafily as with another
Frenchman. At three Days End he offers him his
Purfe, if he wants it, and will do every thing for
his new Friend, who does not expeft fo much
Kindnefs, and can fcarce think it poflible, or at
leaft that none in bis own Country had done fo
much for him. But laying afide thefe particular
Inftances of extraordinary Friendfhip, we can
not avoid being fatisfy 'd with the kind Recep
tion they give us, for it may be affirm'd, there
are but few Strangers that don't pafs their Time
as agreeably in France as in their own Country,
and wifh to be treated at Home as they are by
the French, who are influenc'd by no other Mo
tive than an obliging Temper, and the civil and
polite Charafter fo peculiar to the Nation. 'Tis
true, if the Matter be examin'd narrowly, it will
appear that their Politenefs conceals fome Senti
ments we have no Reafon to be entirely pleas'd
with : We may fay they are obliging to us much
after the fame Manner as the Men are to the
Women, that they treat us as inferiour and weak
Creatures, who have a right to be confider'd with
a particular Regard, but that ought not to leffen
our Obligations to them, fince they may well
difpenfe with treating us politely, becaufe they
can't have Pleafure enough by our Acquaintance
to make it worth their Time to be circumfpeft,
or put themfelves under anyConftraint on our
Account. Befides, there's more than bare Polite
nefs in their Conduft towards Strangers : They
are very ready to believe us, at leaft the People
of Paris, with whom we are beft acquainted, and
I am of Opinion, this is pretty much the Cha
rafter of the Nation in general. Tho' they fuffer
confiderable Loffes by Cheats, that take Advan
tage of their Eafinefs, it creates no Diffidence in
them

zo6 LETTER II.
them towards others ; at leaft, they don't feetn
to trouble themfelves with any Precautions ; in
which Refpeft they fhew more Humanity than
the Englifi), who are often very harfh to Stran
gers, without giving themfelves the Time to con
fider their Circumftances.
People that behave themfelves fo handfomely
to Strangers, muft confequently do fo to one
another ; or rather, that by being accuftom'd
to do mutual good Offices to one another, they
come to treat Strangers after the fame Manner,
and to put them on a Level with the People of
the Country. One may at leaft give this Enco
mium to their beft Societies, that is all thofe
that are call'd Polite People, and are diftinguifh'd
from the reft, by making a confiderable Figure
in the World. They are generally very com
plaifant to one another, and ready, on Occafion,
to affift both with their Credit and Purfes ; and
when it was the Cuftom of the Country, they
affifted one another with their Swords. Thofe
that have neither Money nor Credit, beftow
freely their Pains and Trouble. Their Manner
of obliging is expeditious and genteel, they love
to prevent People's afking, and readily difpenfe
with any Thanks or Compliments which we
think we owe them for their Kindnefs. I have
known fome Occafions where their good Inclina
tions carry'd them very far, even to that Kind
of Heroifm, which of all others is no doubt the
beft. I fpeak of thofe People that defire nothing
with more Vehemence than to be ufeful, and to
oblige all the World, hunting after any one that
wants their Affiftance, any unhappy Wretches,
in order to relieve and comfort them, and that
jntereft themfelves for all thofe they find in that
Condition, with as much Warmth as they could fhew

concerning the French, ejrc. 107
fhew for a Friend or a Brother ; and they employ
their Wealth and their Lives after that Manner.
We likewife obferve another Kind of Heroiful
among them, which is more common, I mean
that which regards their Bravery, wherein they
don't give place to any Nation : The French No
bility reckon it the firft of all the Qualities that
diftinguifh them from the People, and they give
Proofs of it fometimes. We have feen fome of
their young Gentlemen, that are form'd into
Companies, leap from the top of a Baftion, to
affift their Friends that were engag'd, rifquing
their Necks by the Fall, to be kill'd in the Fight,
or at laft to lofe their Lives, in cafe the Thing
happen'd to be difcover'd. I own there's fome
Excefs in all this, and that their Bravery, might
be better employ'd ; but there's fomething noble
and generous even in this Excefs : 'Tis only
proper in young People, and 'tis in favour of
Friendfhip it ought to be cultivated. The French
know what 'tis perfeftly well, as I have obferv'd
already, and it deferves to be repeated to their
Honour. On great as well as fmall Occafions,
they pique themfelves in doing every thing they
ought for their Friends, and the generous Tem
per, fo peculiar to the Nation, makes all their
Devoirs very extenfive. 'Tis this that renders
the French, if not the beft Friends in the World,
(which perhaps might be too much to fay of
them) at leaft the moft attentive to the Duties of
Friendfhip, and perhaps the Nation where there's
the greateft Number of Friends,
But there's fomething very whimfical at the
feme time in all this ; the French are fo far from
pretending to any Encomium on Account of this
generous Temper, which People would be very
rpdy to applaud, and by that in fome Meafure
difcharge'

jo8 LETTER II.
jdifeharge their Obligations, that we fee the Titje
of a good natur'd Man, or a good natur'd Woman,
taken in an ill Senfe, aiid look'd upon as a Kind
of Affront, that infinuates nothing lefs than an
Idiot, a fimple Man, which of all things is what
they would leaft refemble in this Country. 'Tis
for their Wit. (which, generally fpeaking, they
look upon as the Oppofite of good Nature) that
the French would be applauded, even at the hazar^
of being compared to the Devil, which is one of
the Expreffions made ufe of on thefe Occafions.
It fhews at the fame Time what Kind of Wit
they efteem, and how far they examine what
Generofity is, or its true Value, which is little
known among them. This we may fay of the
French, that they are fo ignorant of their own
Advantages, that they refemble the Stag in the
Fable, that values himfelf on his lofty Horns,
which may be fatal to him ; and is afham'd at the)
fame Time of his fmall Legs, that are very fer-
viceable to him. This whimfical Humour of the
French deferves to be remark'd the more, becaufe
in the neighbouring Nations, that are troubled
with the Plague of copying after them, a great
many begin to be afhamed of their Generofity*
and endeavour to keep themfelves clear of it.
'Tis to little Purpofe to tell them, that a dull
heavy Fellow is feldom good, and that Malice is
oftener a Mark of Folly, than Goodnefs is ; that
it were even better for a Man to be call'd a
Blockhead, with an honeft Heart, than a Man
of Wit, with a bad one. Reafoning is of no
Ufe among all thefe People, againft any Expref
fions that are in Vogue : They ftriftly obferve
that Saying, which is grown into a Proverb, that
'tis better to be a Knave than a Fool ; and it often
happens, that by endeavouring to redeem them? felves

concerning the French, &c. i o§
felves from Folly, by Malice, they join both
together, and then become wicked Fools. When
they fhew any Contempt for a Perfon, 'tis ufual
with them then to fay, He is a good natur'd Prince*
as if it were awkward in a Prince, more than
others, to be peaceable and good. But that is
their Bufinefs ; they know what it is ; I mean
the Merit of a Prince, which is grounded on the
brighteft Qualities. But with Regard to private
People, they muft give us Leave to juftify our
felves againft their bad Proverbs, and always to
look on Generofity, not only as that which forms
a very good Charafter, but likewife as the beft
Thing that belongs to their Nation, and as the
Fountain of all their good Qualities, that de
ferve either Applaufe or Imitation.
To Generofity the French have join'd Frank-
nefs, which may perhaps be the Confequence of
it, and this Quality alone might well deferve a
Panegyrick, and fuffice to ground the Nations
upon, which I would undertake with Pleafure,
had Panegyricks been my principal Defign ; but
you, Sir, want nothing but a bare Relation, for
you make- thefe Encomiums yourfelf Among
the French, Franknefs, and to fet oft' all the Co-
pioufnefs they have enriched their Language
with, and is much to their Honour, Sincerity,
Honefty, Integrity, Candour, Probity, Reftitude,
Cordiality, Opennefs, to be down right, and in a
Word, to be plain and free, feem to be all fix'd
to the Charafter of a Gentleman, even without
fpeaking of any others but the People of Polite-
nefs, with which their Country fwarms. If all
of them don't really poffefs thefe Qualities,
which I dare not take upon me to fay, they do
them at leaft: fome Homage, by the Shew they
make of them $ and this chiefly produces a cer
tain

no LETTER IL
tain Behaviour that is peculiar to the Nation : I
am even of Opinion, 'tis from thence that the
Number of Gentlemen appears to be fo great in
France. Nothing is more neceffary to procure
that Title, than an Air of Franknefs, becaufe
nothing agrees better with a Gentleman than to
be free and open, and nothing is more common
in France ; every one affumes it, tho' properly
the French Air, and a referv'd Man appears to
them fomewhat lingular and ftrange. They had
Reafon to derive the French Name from Frankj
their firft Name, and which they have only
lengthen'd a little. And to lengthen their En-
comium, I fay there are more rafh and heedlefs
People in France than in other Countries, and
yet they are lefs ridiculous; which no doubt
ought to be much to their Honour, fince a heed
lefs unthinking Man is not only the leaft to be
fear'd in a Society, but likewife the moft agree
able, when he keeps within fome Compafs, and
Is without Defign. The Generofity fo peculiar
to the French, which is the Foundation of their
Charafter, and the Franknefs that matches it fo
compleatly, are the Ornaments of the Nation.
Should they cultivate thefe Qualities as much as
they deferve, and make them the Center of the
Advantage which they pretend to have of other
Nations, People would be tempted to grant it.
There are feveral Things in this Nation worthy
of Praife ; but fince they are the fame in other
Countries, I proceed to fuch as characterize the!
French in a more particular Manner. The Edu
cation of Children may be reckon'd among the
chief. The Care which they take in that is much
to their Honour. They let their Children be
about them, without endeavouring to get rid of
them, 6ven when they are in Company. They; heas

concerning the French, &c. 1 1 1
hear them, and anfwer them after a rational
Manner ; they likewife endeavour to gain by
Gentlenefs what in other Countries would be
done by Authority and Force. 'Tis a Pity, fince
they underftand the Matter fo well, that they
have not greater Things in View. For, in Effeft,
the French make their Children learn Cuftoms
before Principles ;' - and fome becoming Ways,
that are handfome enough for the prefent, before
any thing that may ferve as a Rule to them for
the Time to come.
They fet too high a Price on fuch Things
"as make a good Outfide, Behaviour, and Ap
pearance, and too fmall a Price on Qualities
that are more effential, I mean thofe of the
Heart ; or at leaft they make them very un-*
equal. By this they lead their Children into
rniftakes, and Nature inclines them to the eafieft
Things ; to learn Behaviour before the Duties of
Life ; to be pleas'd with what is in Vogue, rather
than what is plain and naturaL Does not this
Method of moulding Children put you in mind
of that which was prafticed by an antient Sta
tuary, in cafting his Statues ? He did not know/1
(fays the Poet) how to give them their juft Pro
portions, but he excell'd in finifhing the Hair
and Nails : So in France we fee the Effefts of their
irregular Care. The young Men become Liber
tines, and abandon themfelves to every kind of
Excefs, as foon as they are ripe for it ; and I be
lieve one may fey, without the Fear of being
miftaken, that the Youth of France are the moft
lively and debauch'd in Europe. To be guilty
of a hundred Exceffes, to obferve no Decorum,
to rally and turn every thing that offers into Ri
dicule, is the Charafter which may be given to
moft of them. They ftrive to out-do one ano ther

nxs L ETT E R II.
ther in thefe Ways, as if they were proper to
young Men, and they fucceed to Admiration;
This Evil, which is almoft general, ought to
learn the French that even good Sentiments;
without fome other Foundation than Honour and
Decorum, are not a fufficient Prefervative againft
Corruption and Debauchery, where there's gene
rally ill Company. One would imagine that
the French muft obferve enough, on thofe Occa
fions, to put them out of Conceit with the Viva*
city they value at fuch a Rate; and which they
cultivate in their Children in lieu of moderating
it. But I muft tell you, likewife* that 'tis n6
extraordinary Thing in France to fee fome of
thefe young People, which are fo extravagant
and plung'd in Debauchery, become afterwards
very polite, and addict themfelves to Good, as
they did formerly to Evil ; and one might fay,
that great Numbers of them had not been guilty
of all kinds of Excefs in their Youth, but with
a View of knowing them, and hating theni
the more afterwards.
There's fomething very fingular in the Chara1
fter of the French, and diftinguifhes them from
all other Nations ; that is their Courfe of Life,
confifting in Vifits. This Article, -which I have
hinted at already by the by, deferves to be enlarg'd,
upon in a particular Manner ; I don't fpeak of
Vifits which Friends make to one another, to
pafs away fome Hours together, and enjoy the
Sweetnefs of Friendfhip. I believe the fame
Thing is done in all Countries, and if the French
have any Advantage of other Nations in this
Refpeft, 'tis becaufe they have a ftronger Incli
nation to be communicative, and that Society is
their only Study. They have eftablifli'd Vifits of
another Kind, which are more general, where
there's

concerning the French, rjyc. 1 1 $
there's room to obferve fome efthe moft remar
kable Things in the Charafter of their Nation :
Thefe are the frequent Vifits which they make
every Day, as Work to be done, or as if there
were fick People to be vifited. All People of Edu
cation, and that drefs genteely, make and receive
Vifits, of which they keep Accounts as of an Af
fair in Trade ; and among the exaft Duties be
coming a Gentleman, they reckon that which re
gards Vifits as one. They muft be made after a
handfome and genteel Manner, and free from all
Trouble or Perplexity; fuch as would embar-
rafs ordinary People, if they happen'd to be
in any Place where they had nothing to do,
and among People to whom they had nothing
to fay. Thofe v that underftand the World, that
is, thofe that know what is effential in it, are
out of the Cafe, and that they may never be
in it, they have agreed among themfelves to
make fhort Vifits ; they do no more than fhew
themfelves to the Perfons they come to fee,
and as foon as they are feen, (efpecially if
others happen to come in) they retire. The
Converfation, during the Minute the Vifit con
tinues, muft be kept up, as much as if they
had fomething to fay ' to one another, and it
generally is, tho' we don't fee what 'tis that
fupports it, there being nothing, properly
fpeaking, that can be called a Subjeft for
Converfation, and in this lies all the Cun
ning. There People fhew themfelves on their
beft Side, that is their Wit, if they have any,
and every one in this Country has more or
lefs of it; for Vifits have their proper Stile,
which is as much owing to Rote, as what is
free or natural, and the firft feldom fails
here, None but a Man of good Senfe,
I and

ii4 L E TTE R II.
and a Stranger to the Company, can be errw
barrafs'd at thefe Vifits -, but fuch a Perfon may
come off very well after another Manner : Si
lence is allow'd on thefe Occafions, while any
one is fpeaking, and a Man is always fure to
find fomebody fpeaking at the vifiting Hours ;
that is, that a Man may be a Speftator if he
pleafes, and that this Theatrical Way of afting
is allow'd of in France. 'Tis very convenient
for Strangers, and feems to be eftablifli'd pur-
pofely for their ufe, and 'tis abfolutely necef
fary that Strangers fhould be Speftators at thefe
Vifits, confidering how they are manag'd. And
it may be even true, that Strangers firft intro
duced this Method, and that the French may
have Reafon to accufe us of bringing a fantafti-
cal Humour into their Art of Living ; but be it
as it will, there are fome French that adopt it
for their own, and aft the Part of a Stranger, and
pleafe themfelves with the Shew ; whether they
really find any fatisfaftion in it, which is not
impoffible, or that Silence at a Vifit looks like
a Mark of Diftinftion, which they take a great
deal of Pride in. For tho' a Frenchman avoids
Singularity in fome Things that are not regu
lar, he looks for.it, however, in others, where
in he expects to meet with fome that may
have the fame Tafte, and fets himfelf off by
this Method as a Man that marches at the
Head of others.
Some People appear at Vifits to fhew their
Finery, which is properly the Thing to be ffiewn,
being effential to the Beau Monde; and 'tis to
it they chiefly owe their Title. Finery is efta
blifli'd in France more than any where elfe,
and I believe it contributes to give a Curren
cy to the Trade of vifiting as much as Wit
does*

concerning the French, &c. 1 1 5
does, and perhaps more, tho' there were nothing
elfe in it, but Novelty and Eafinefs of chang
ing, in which it has the Advantage of Wit. The
French are much indebted on this Account to
the Women, who leave their Houfes, and run
to fhew themfelves as well as the Men* when
I fay run, I mean an honourable Race, in
a Coach, with a fplendid Equipage fuitable
to the reft. This Circumftance contributes
much to fet off Finery, and to Carry it even
as far as Magnificence ; for the Coach, together
with fine Cloaths, makes even Women triumph,
and expofes them every Day as a, Shew to the
People. This is the Reafon that dreffing is their
chief Employment, they refine upon it above
any thing 1 can fay. 'Tis true, that with all
their Care to adorn themfelves, yet they no
way depend upon it, and that they run no
rifque in making all the Effays they can think
of. In other Countries the Women are diffi
dent of their Charms, and know themfelves too
well to negleft any thing in their Drefs. But
here they are not tied to fo much Circumfpe-
ftion ; 'tis almoft indifferent to them to cover
or uncover themfelves, to have their Gowns
figur'd with Flowers, or with Dragons and Fu
ries. All turns equally to their Advantage, and
whatever Way they drefs themfelves, they are
ftill fine ; they have always fomething new up
on them, and they pieafe a-new the Men for
whom they drefs themfelves, and who drefs
themfelves for them in their Turn. I don't know
whether the Women in this Country, who make
as publick a Figure as the Men, whom they fee
every Day, have communicated their Tafte for
Finery to them, or whether the Men like it
becaufe 'tis the Guft of the Nation j but what-
I 2 ever

116 LETT E R II.
ever the Reafon is, 'tis certain, that the Men
take as much Care to be fine as the Women,
and that they become it as well ; that dreffing
for Vifits, and vifiting to fhew their Drefs,
are the common Employments of all the Veor
pie, call'd in France the Beau Monde, which are
confiderable enough to induce me to tell you
fomething of them with the utmoft Exaftnefs.
The Bean Monde put themfelves forward, and
keep the Vulgar at a great Diftance ; not on
ly on account of the Rank which Nature gives
them, but alfo for the eminent Figure they make
in the World ; and their great Expences, which
muft not be calculated with too much Exaft
nefs ; and for the Diverfions they procure for
themfelves from Day to Day, which they en
joy with more Delicacy than the Crowd. But
the Way of living of the Beau Monde is chiefly
fupported by the Mixture of Men and Women,
which is (as it were) its Foundation and Band.
This is it that fets off the Art of Living, and
the French Gallantry to Advantage. 'Tis by this,
that the Inclination which both Sexes have
naturally for each other, is awak'd and fet to
work. 'Tis by the fame Way that the Advan
tages of each Sex appear with Splendour ; the
Defire of pleafing animates them, and 'tis here
that the French Liberty is in its proper Station,
and does Wonders. As they leave the Crowd
the grofs Pleafures which they difdain, or at
leaft profefs to do fo, the greateft Part of them
likewife leave to another Sort of People that
Kind of tirefome Converfation, that turns up
on Morals ; which is fuppos'd here not to be
naturally agreeable to any one's Tafte, or at
leaft to thole that have any. This is fo well
eftablifli'd among the greateft Number of the
Beau

concerning the French, &c. 117
Beau Monde, that the Word Moralize is apt to
be taken in an ill Senfe; it imports cenfuring,
or unfeafonable refining ; and you know very well
that in France when an Expreffion authorizes
Cuftom, 'tis out of all Danger. I believe we
muft, after all, pafs by this Diflike of theirs,
and ftill look upon them as People of good Senfe,
that keep up their Way of Living, and know
very well how to fhun every Thing that is
difagreeable. They can likewife difcern what
is agreeable. The Beau Monde have a Syftem
of Morality of their own, which they put in
the room of the other, that is rigid and grown
out of Date : Their Morality is gay and airy,
it excites Joy, and maintains the Neceffity
of making the beft of our Time, which paffes .
away with fo much Swiftnefs, and ends our
happy Days when they are fcarce begun. What
they give out freely in Difcourfe on this To-
pick is not fufficient, there are fome Works
writ in a fine Stile to prove it, and to en
courage weak People that fuffer themfelves to
be carry'd away by unfeafonable Doubts. It
muft be own'd after all, that we may do worfe
than enjoy ourfelves, and the Sweets of Life,
and 'tis, no doubt, in the Beau Monde, rather
than out of it, that we muft relifh them. They
are Enemies to Formality and Conftraint, and
give themfelves up to a mutual and gentle Fa
miliarity, that aflords them an Opportunity of
opening themfelves to one another without any
Diftruft. The Collations, Gaming, Entertain
ments, Singing, and other Diverfions are Part
of their Morality, and they reckon Variety
among the Pleafures by which they fubfift :
'Tis there the new Fafhions appear and gain
the Society the Refpeft of the Publick ; and
I 3 there,

n8 LETTER II.
there, alfo, new AVays of fpeaking are intr<>
duced to embellifh Converfation. As the Wit
of thefe Societies is form'd on the Books that
are in vogue, fo the Books, on the other hand,
are form'd. on their fparkling and airy Conver
fation. Thefe two Things circulate Wit and
genteel Behaviour in France, and difcover the
greateft Abilities of the Beau Monde. The
fmalleft Village has its Beau Monde, who di-
ftinguifh themfelves from others, and keep
up the Honour of the Place and the Nation.
And 'tis not the young People only that com
pofe thefe Societies ; even the aged are no lefs
pleafed with them, and think they are no
way unfit for them ; or more properly, the
People of Pleafure , and Gaity in France never
grow old ; they always preferve the Charafter
of Youth, and relifh Pleafure to the laft.
What can a Man fay of all this ? Muft we
gallantly place the Courfe of Life of the Beau
Monde among the Things that ought to be ad-
mir'd in France ? Or fhall we examine it like
Philofophers, or People that Moralize and pro
pofe it as a Queftion ? Shall we grant that to
pafs away Life agreeably, it muft be in Plea
fure, that is renew'd every Day ? Or among
People that are more voluptuous, or addicted
to Pleafures than they? Shall we affert, that
'tis effential to a plain and uniform Courfe of
Life to be only intermix'd with Pleafure, and
that too with Diferetion ? Muft we approve of
the extraordinary Liberty the Women take in*
France ? And fhall we agree, that the frequent
and free Communication between both Sexes,
preferves them from grofs Corruption, into
which fome of thofe Women fall in other Coun*
tries, whom they endeavour to fliut up ? But" to

concerning the French, ($c. 119
to decide this Queftion, we may propofe ano
ther, that is, if the Charafter of the fair Sex,
which in Truth, and according to the Praftice
of fo many other Nations, ought to be private
and retired, if this Charafter, I fay, is not
wounded and deftroy'd by the Way of Living
eftablifli'd in France, and if it be fo, then I
would know which of thefe two Inconveniencies
is the greateft : Not to be able to hinder fome
Women, now and then, from falling into Tempta
tion, out of which they efcape, or to fee Women,
in general, every Day of their Lives depart from
the Charafter of their Sex, and corrupt their
Minds, and yet that nothing that paffes in thjs
refpeft fhould be look'd upon as Pranks. 'Tis
true, that " (f) to the Women of the World, a
" Gardener is a Gardener, and a Mafon, a Ma-
" fon ; but to fome others that live more retired,
" a Mafon is a Man, and a Gardener is a Man ;
• ' that every thing is a Temptation to thofe that
" fear it." But I would willingly afk, if what
has cured the Women in France of Temptation,
is not like that which has made fome others
fall into it, in other Countries ; if Women, that
fee Men every Day without any Referve, don't
after their Way, that is, with Delicacy and
Franknefs, take the fame Pleafure which the
others do grofly and with Precipitation ; if they
don't ruin themfelves gingerly and by Degrees,
as the others do by Wholefale, and at once,
In a Word, whether a worn out Charafter of
a Woman is not as defeftive, and as great a
blemifh to the Sex, as a Charafter that is fome-
what torn, I would likewife know, if the piea-
I • 4 fure
(/) De la Bruyer'j Manners of Shi Age.

iao L E T T E R II.
fure they take in the Women in France, and
in the Beau Monde, is not fomething more
grofs and vulgar, than what they might ex
peft, in cafe they were allow'd to preferve Cha-
fl-ity, Modefty and Bafhfulnefs, which without
Contradiction, are the Ornaments of their Sex ;
or, if the Comparifon be not too coarfe, whe
ther it be not Folly in a Man to let others take
off the Cream from the Milk he intends to
make a Meal on. Let us talk grofly, and ac
knowledge a Truth which is much to the Ad
vantage of the Nations that obferve an oppofite
Conduct to the French : A Woman that once
in her Life has had an unlucky Minute, when
fhe goes affray, for which fhe is afterwards in
the greateft Confufion ; a Woman that takes a
Refolution to live retired, on Account of a
wrong Step which the Publick is acquainted with,
is lefs corrupted, and a hundred Times lefs a
Whore, than a Woman that fpends her Life in
loving, and endeavouring to pleafe Men, in
communicating and receiving the Impreffions of
Love; efpecially if it be true that Corruption
is a Vice of the Heart, and that 'tis there that
Shame has its Exiftence. But fhall we really
believe that the Women in France are content
with the Pleafure which they call innocent and
delicate, and that the Beau Monde, who are eve
ry Day fet agog— keep within Bounds, and
don't fpoil their Beauty ? Do all thofe Men that
are the Favourites of the fair Sex boaft in vain ?
Or are they difcreet without Reafon ? Are all
the Adventures we hear of in Publick nothing
but made Stories? Do all the fine naked Bo-
foms, which feem to be expofed on purpofe
to invite the Men to Materialize that Love which
is fo delicate and innocent, produce no Effeft >
If

concerning the French, &c. 121
If it be fo, then I much admire their Difere
tion, of which I don't fee the Caufe * I admire
that the Women in France can flop in a Way
that is fo flippery, that there's nothing to lay
hold on, and muft confequently be dangerous.
Let us talk a little clowniihly once more, and
fay, that there's, perhaps, a hundred times
more Corruption, more Whoring in France, a-
mong the Beau Monde, than in other Countries,
where the Women have not the Liberty of
feeing the Men; and that after all, the great
Secret that preferves People from falling into
Temptation, is to fear it, and not to expofe
themfelves to it. Let us be Philofophers as well
as Clowns, and fay of the French, that they
have found out the Secret of making Life agree
able ; They refemble a Company of Travellers,
that endeavour to make their Journey as
eafy as poffible, fometimes getting into a
Valley, at other times looking for a Shade
of Trees, and repofing themfelves where-ever
they find any cool ; but run a rifque in the
mean time of loofing their Way, and not com
ing in time to their Inn. Others that have
not this Art, go on openly, and keep the Plain ;
they fee before them the Place they are going
to, and employ themfelves more about it than
about their Fellow-Travellers, and the Pleafure
they might take on the Road ; they are fatigu'd,
but at laft come to the Place. In fhort, the
French make Life a Sport, or a Walk : Others
a Journey, which is a ferious Affair. Every
one of thefe Ways has its Advantages, and its
Inconveniencies, according to the Manner of
confidering them ; 'tis our Bufinefs not to mix
them, and to fee what is proper for us. Let
me make fome fmall amends for my fuper-abun- dant

122 L ETT E R II.
dant Philofophy, and the 111 I have faid of the
Beau Monde of the French, by an Encomium
that is due to them, a Word on their Men of
Merit, which requires a diftinft Article.
A Frenchman of Merit has pretty near the
fame Qualities with Perfons of Merit in other
Places; fince there can be but one Kind of true
Merit among Men, and he has over and above
all the Agreeablenefs peculiar to the French :
One is not at the Trouble of gueffing at him,
his Behaviour makes him tranfparent, (if I may
ufe that Expreffion) and fhews all his Merit,
and 'tis in him that the Wifh of one of the
Antients, with regard to Virtue, is accomplifh'd :
One may fee Virtue in him, as it were, with
the Eye, and it makes People love him paf-
fionately. In Effeft, we feel ourfelves hurry'd
towards a Frenchman of Merit ; we would be
like him, and are griev'd that all are not- fo ;
we may depend upon him, and believe what
he fays without any Scruple : Probity, Honour
and Generofity appear in him, in fome Man
ner, as in their Fountain : 'Tis he that dlffu-
fes it among the French, and gives them the
vogue in which we fee them. He poffeffes
the good Qualities of his Nation, and ne hap
pily improves every _ thing in them, but the
Defefts which he reftifies : If he fhines in Con
verfation, 'tis to fay things that are obliging,
to defend thofe that are attack'd, or to aft iri
fuch a Manner that People may be pleafed with
themfelves. He fucceeds fo well in this, that
every one follows him, well fatisfy 'd with him
felf; this is all they can reproach him with.
If he gives any Attention to fmall Matters, 'tis
becaufe he would not negleft any Occafion of
pleafing ; and he does it with fo good a Grace, thitf

concerning the French, &c. 123
that People fcarce think themfelves obliged to
him -, it feems as if he had nothing elfe in View
than to be pleafed. In a word, and that I may
not engage myfelf in too particular an Account,
to be an honeft Man, and to pleafe is his Profef
fion ; he applies himfelf to it, and he excells
in it -, this is, in my Opinion, the moft en
gaging thing among Men : He wants nothing,
but to be as valuable to himfelf as he is to
others, and 'tis not to be doubted, but fome
of them have that Advantage alfo. But what
deferves to be remark'd above all the reft, and
is much to the Honour of the Nation, that Peo
ple with fuch Accomplifhments are not fo fcarce
as to give an occafion of crying out when we
fee them ; there are fo many, that every Man
who has any Merit, or can diftinguifh, may
promife himfelf to meet fome of them ; but
I don't know if fuch a thing ought to be much
wifh'd for ; it may, perhaps, be Matter of Re
gret for the Remainder of a Man's Life, and
may create a Diflike for the greateft 'Part of
thofe he is oblig'd to live with.
I embrace you, &c.

Letter

124

LETTER III.

Letter III.

AD I entertain'd you with a De
feription of any diftant Nation that
was little known, I would have the
Pleafure, Sir, of telling you fome
new Things, and giving more Va
riety to my Letters ; but the greateft Angu
larities of the French, who are, I believe, the
Nation in the World the beft known, have no
thing in them that is furprizing. I am come
back to them again by a Way which is con
fiderable, on account of the Price they fet upon
it, that is, their Behaviour and Turn of Con
verfation. The End which moft of them propofe by it,
is to put themfelves forward, in order to give
an advantagious Idea of their Perfons, which
feems to be their Defign in fpeaking. Thefe
are the Ways by which they ,chiefly endeavour to
puffi forward, Quality, Riches, Wit, Bravery •*
and as thefe Things have an Influence in the
common Affairs of Life, they have, the Satis
faction of coming near them every Minute in
Converfation, and pleafing themfelves with
forne Subjeft it turns upon, or more properly,
they manage things fo much to the purpofe,
that either direftly or indireftly, the Conver
fation fhall never turn on any thing elfe ; fo
that they are like thofe rich Men that can
travel whole Dajrs on their own Lands. What you

concerning the French, &c. 125
you fee at a Man's Houfe that entertains you,
is always the leaft, or the worft ; he has a
better Suit of Cloaths than that he wears, and
more Servants, but they are bufy : He has,
likewife, more Wit than he feems to have, he
has made fome Repartees, that were thought
good, and that 'tis good for you to know. You
fhall likewife underftand that he is not over
patient, and that he has been feen more than
once with a drawn Sword ; that fuch a Man,
who is a confiderable Perfon in the World, is
his near Relation, and that he dined a few
Days before with another, who is a Man of
Diftinftion, a Grandee. Thefe fame Grandees,
if any Credit may be given to thofe that are
near them, are mighty full of their Grandeur,
and would have others be fo too ; they obferve
a great many Circumftances, that may be ho
nourable to them, and often harp upon them. —
As to the common People, 'tis * certain, they
have the Faults of the Great, whom they imi
tate in every thing, and who are more eafily
imitated on the Side that abafes them, than
any other. If the Meannefs of the one does not
hinder them from pufhing themfelves forward;
if the Grandeur of the others does not keep
them within Boundaries, you may judge of the
Charafter of the grofs of the Nation, and of
thofe that are placed between the Mean Peo
ple and the Great, to remove, as it were, from
the one, and draw near the others. You may
likewife imagine, how curious the Converfa
tion muft be in a Company, where every one
thinks he deferves the Attention of the reft,
and labours for it. Among People that have
no other View than to impofe on one another,
Strangers, who they think may be more eafily
deceiv'd,

125 LETTER III.
deceiv'd, muft of courfe be well receiv'd, arid
'tis not impoffible but the good Reception we
meet with in France, may in fome meafure be
owing to this. On that fcore we ought not
to examine the Affair any further,_ but to let
them pleafe themfelves with all their Grandeur.
Let us proceed to their Behaviour.
The free and fprightly Behaviour of the French
does not feem to me in the general, to be fo
very good as fome imagine, nor fo very bad
as others make it. It gives a Man room in
the common Affairs of Life, to get above Con-
ftraint, and the fame things don't conftrain all
forts of People ; fo that it muft produce va
rious Effects, according to the Difference of the
Perfons that have it. In a Man of Merit, 'tis
becoming and agreeable ; it ffiews him to the
beft Advantage, and makes him the Delight of
all thofe that converfe with him. In a Man
without Merit, or a Blockhead, it turns into
Impudence, and makes him a troublefome Block
head, that thinks he may do any thing under
the Proteftion of his Behaviour, and is guilty
of a great many ridiculous things, in order to fet
it off. The Mifchief of this Partition is, that
tho' there's a great Number of Perfons of Me
rit in France, yet you muft be plagu'd with
a great many Blockheads before you meet with
one Man of Merit, and that the Agreeablenefs
which a frank and eafy Behaviour adds to him,
cannot, by a great deal, make you amends for
the other's Impertinence, which is occafidYi'd by
it. There is another Evil in it likewife, that
ought to be taken notice of, it makes People
ridiculous that don't derive it from Nature,
but would aflume it. Every Nation has fuch
Ways as are proper for them, becaufe they re-
fult

concerning the French, fffc. 127
fult from the Charafter of the Mind, and every
Nation has a proper Charafter. The only Way
of pleafing, is to cultivate it, and not to
keep too clpfe to thefe Ways, becaufe they
follow near enough of themfelves, and are un
doubtedly no further good than as they are the
Sequel of it. The French, that are imitated by fo
many Nations, imitate none ; they follow their
own Charafter entirely, and 'tis by that they
happen to pleafe. 'Tis not to be doubted, but if
other Nations did the fame thing, they would
pleafe too ; each Nation according to its Way 5
and 'tis in that refpeft the French ought . to be
imitated. Variety is one of the Beauties of
the Univerfe, it extends to Nations and their
Ways, as well as to the green Fields; 'tis of
the fame Order with Nature itfelf, that is pleafed
with fporting and difplaying her Skill ; fo that
we are in the wrong to endeavour to blot it
out, for by that Method we run a rifque of
fpoiling a Character that is proper for, us, with
out being able to get a better in its room. On
the whole, if they underftand, by Behaviour,
fome little fuperficial and fprightly Ways, which
they think to adorn outwardly, they may, per
haps, find themfelves miftaken; and that the
beft Behaviour is that which is taken no No
tice of, as in Scents, 'tis beft to have none,
and 'tis an eftablifli'd Rule among People of
Tafte to carry no Perfume about them. For
tho' the French are the People in the World
that picque themfelves moft on having eafy, as
well as genteel Ways ; we may, however, ob
ferve an Affeftation among them, which may
be reckon'd as one of their Singularities : We
fee a great Number of them do'what they call,
giving themfelves Airs, which is as much as to

ii8 LETTER III.
fay, that they would let others know by their
affefted Ways that they value themfelves moft.
One >might, I believe, (fpeaking grofly) call a
Perfon that afted fuch a Part a Fool, or fay,
at leaft, that he appeared to be fo by his Be
haviour. This Kind of Folly., likewife, has its
Followers in other Nations.
Politenefs is a Thing we muft not feparate
from their Turn of Converfation and Behaviour.
To do nothing that is rude, abufive, or forbid
ding is not enough with them ; they muft win
/People's Efteem, and fet themfelves off by Po
litenefs ; and they are fo dexterous in it, that
you can fcarce obferve how 'tis done. "Tis in
this the Frenchman triumphs, and in effeft, he
is really come to fo much Perfeftion in it, that
even People of Senfe may be pleas'd with the
Shew. He is wonderfully intent upon Trifles,
and fubmits with a good Grace to a Thing
of no value, which redoubles that of his Po
litenefs, and by that Method, extends to all
the Actions of Life, as well as to all Sorts of
Converfation : His leaft Actions and his leaft
Motions are adorn'd with it, he ftretches out
his Hand politely, and draws it back politely.
-He offers it to a Woman going from one Room
to another, and runs to do it juft as if the
Paffage were difficult, or the Track dangerous.
He runs in the fame Manner to take up a Glove,
or a Handkerchief fallen to the Ground, with as
much Precipitation, as if he were to take them
out of the Fire; for there's fomething more in
that, ^ than bare taking up a Glove, or a Handker
chief At Table, likewife, he does fomething more
than to help his Neighbour with clean Hands; he
makes Proteftations that he has not touched what
he is going to help him with, and treats him
with

concerning the French, (jc. ng
with Politenefs, even at the hazard of paffing
for a Man that is ill. He is not content with
telling in a plain and natural Way what he
has to fay, that would not be polite : He tells
it by Honour and by Favour ; the moft indif
ferent Thing becomes a Favour with him : He
is fo polite as not to fay even an indifferent
Thing without firft faying, Sir, may Ibefo hold?
or, give me leave, Sir. He has the Honour to
fee what he fees ; the Honour to follow what
he follows. He has the Honour to fay what
he fays, and he accompanies his Favours and
Honours with great and fmall Inclinations'
and Reverences which fuit them. He has the
Honour to be mofi humble Servant, moft obedient
Servant, to be without Referve, with much Regard
and Efteem, very particularly, mofi truly, mofi per*
feftly: He has the Honour to be with an invio*
table Attachment, with an entire Devotion, with
Refpeft, with a, moft profound Rejpeft, With all
Sorts of Refpeft, more than he is able to exprefs,
and more than any body. He has a great ma
ny more Honours I can't remember ; every one
endeavours to out-do others, and to have a frefh
Honour, and never was Nation fo fruitful, fo
rich in Servants, fo glorious to ferve. But their
Politenefs is great, in this efpecially, that they
are not content- to fhew it to thofe above theiri
only ; but even to their Equals, thefe Submif-
fions they make reciprocally to one another,
and moft commonly they have the Honour to
be the moft humble and moft obedient Servant
of thofe that have the Honour to be theirs.
This is a Play not much unlike that of the
Flies, that pais their time in going under one'
another ; or, if I muft fpeak more Honoura
bly of the Fiench Politenefs, I fey that all
% thefe

tso LETTER III.
thefe curious Toys that come to us from France,
and are admirably well wrought and finifh'd,
all thefe Trinkets in Cafes, all thefe little Move
ables with their Springs and Hinges, are a Com-*
pleat Figure of the pretty People of this Coun-
try ; of thefe Men that move artificially, and
fold and unfold with a good Grace, and on Ac
count of every Thing they have that is poliffi'd
and curious, deferve all the Attention of Peo-
pie of the fame Tafte, that know how to han
dle Trinkets : For that is one of the Ingre
dients in the Charafter of the French ; they
ought to have Trinkets, they know how to han
dle them, and it would be in vain for Nature
to make for us, that are a clowniffi and unpo
liffi'd People, fuch Sorts of Prefents, as we did
not know how to enjoy. This Man that bows
down before you every Minute, this Man that
is fo gracious, and has- the Honour to be your
moft humble Servant, if you don't bow down
to him in your Turn, if you don't entertain
him with Honour and by your Favour, will grow
ftiff for you, and all his Brightness will tar-
nifh. Let us venture to talk' grofly of the French
Politenefs, or if it be fo very fine, that grofs
Words can't reach it, let us venture, at leaft, to
fay of it, or of a great Number of Ways which it
eftabliffies among the People of Air, that 'tis
nothing but Apiihnefs and Littlenefs, and that
'tis an Indignity to them to value themfelves
on that Account. But efpecially Strangers, who
affume thefe Ways and fet themfelves off with
them, ought to be mark'd for every Thing that
is ridiculous in them : But, fay they, thefe are
only bare Civilities, that are allow'd to be done
and receiv'd as fuch, and a Man of Senfe eught no!

contenting the French, fjc. 131
hot to be lingular, nor thwart Cuftom. But,
without determining whether a Man of Senfe
ought to fubmit to Cuftom, in Things of this
Kind, or not, we need fay no more than that
a great Number of little ridiculous Things, eve
ry Minute repeated, amount, at laft, to a very
great Ridicule ; that they make thofe that are
noted for them ridiculous, in the ordinary Af
fairs of Life ; that 'tis becoming a Man of Senfe
to be exaft and plain in his Expreffions and
Behaviour, as Well as in his Conduft, and that
extraordinary Politenefs and Behaviour, fet off
to fo much Advantage, are as improper for a
Man as too much Finery. In Truth, we ought
to leave both to the Women, and at the fame
Time advife fuch of them as have the moft Senfe
to defpife them : What fhall we do then with
this Politenefs, and where fhall We put this
Behaviour which People of Faffiion are rather
difguifed with than adorned? 'Tis agreed that
a Suit of Cloaths with too much Lace becomes
a Quack Doftor, on the Stage, much better than
a well-bred Man in Society. When an out-fide
is all over embroider'd with Politenefs and fine
Ways, ought it not to be fent back to the Stage,
as a proper Ornament for it?
This Affair is too confiderable, with Regard to
thofe that imitate the French, and coftly too, with
Regard to themfelves, not fo fay fomething more
of it. I Would willingly afk thefe Gentlemen,
whether true Politenefs ought not to be ufed
at all Times ; and if a Man that is thoroughly
well-bred does not behave himfelf as fuch to
all his Acquaintance : 'Tis likely that 'tis fo*
fince Politenefs is the out-fide of Civility, which
is always the fame. True Politenefs fhould be
what We ought not to lay afide, and. confer
K 2 quently

13* LETTER III.
quently fhould confift in quite another Thing,
than trifling Ways, which People affume for
thofe they meet by chance, and lay afide as
foon as they part with them. But, perhaps, the
French may really have this Mark of true Po
litenefs, and that in the common Affairs of Life ;
the Hufband is polite with Regard to his Wife,
and the Wife with Regard to her Hufband ; the
Brother to his Sifter, and fhe to the Brother;
and that the Perfons they meet by chance have
no more of it than the Surplus, which they
think fit to give them. If it be fo, we muft
make Satisfaction to the Politenefs of 'the French,
and agree that the other Nations have fome
thing grofs and barbarous, in Comparifon of
them ; but if they were like the reft of the
World in their Family or domeftick Af
fairs, the Thing would be otherwife, and we
would be in the right to improve their Polite
nefs againft them. If Diffentions, Quarrels and
Reproaches were common among them, and
that their polite Behaviour was referv'd for Neigh
bours and Strangers, we would have Reafon to
fay, the People that are lefs polilh'd,- but at
the fame Time have Ways more regular, and
almoft equal for every body, are not fo clownifh
or ill-bred as the French, fo inconfiftent with
themfelves, and fo far below what they may
be : It would be fo, at leaft, for thofe they live
with, and we fhould have no room to envy them
on Account cf a Politenefs which would make us
wifh that it might not be too nearly related to
thefe polite People. It would be well for the
French that fome Man of Genius would do them
as much Service, with Regard to their Beha
viour, Politenefs and Wit, as a Man of Genius
did the Spaniards, with Regard to their Brave- r7<

concerning the 'French, ejc. 133
ry. The Don <ghiixots in Wit and Behaviour
are as great Fools as the Don fjfhiixots in Cou
rage; they are even more numerous, and 'fis
certain, that the taking away Men's Tafte for
fuch Trifles as thefe, would be of great Service
to them. It would give them an Oppor
tunity of putting themfelves forward by bet
ter Ways, and not to think themfelves People
of Merit, when they have nothing but Words
and Behaviour, an out-fide trimm'd and bor-
row'd. I pafs on from the Politenefs of the
French to their Gallantry, to that which makes
a gallant Man, and out-tops even the polite
Man, and in fome Manner makes him real.
They underftand by Gallantry the Art of
obliging with a good Grace, and embellifhing the
good Offices they do us with all Sorts of lit
tle Circumftances : They underftand it to ad
miration, and fet off the leaft Services to ad
vantage by their Way of doing them. When
you have received any Favours after their Way,
tho' they have done fomething befides "to
oblige you, yet you ftill think there's fome
thing wanting, and you can fcarce avoid be
wailing the French, at the very time one would
think you have the leaft reafon to do fo. The
French Gallantry is the Effect of their generous
Temper, join'd to their Attention to fmall Mat
ters, wherein they excel ; and it fhe ws us that
this generous Temper is not only excellent in
itfelf, but likewife able to improve fome Qua
lities which are of no value without it ; that
it gives a Dignity to every thing it extends
to. They underftand by Gallantry in Conver
fation, a turn of Wit, that draws with dexte
rity enough from the fmalleft Subjeftsto flat
ter you. If it be commendable to flatter us,
K 3 and

134 LETT ERIE.
and make us pleas'd with ourfelves, this Gal
lantry is, no doubt, a thing that ought to be
extoll'd in favour of the French, and we muft
like them, and admire them on that Account.
But tho' the whole Nation pretends to it, yet
this fine Gallantry requires fomething more than
can be found in the Charafter of a whole Na
tion, and for a thoufand Perfons that pleafe
that Way, there are ten Thoufand in France.
that difpleafe by it, in endeavouring to imi
tate them : People that tire you with infipid
Praifes to your Face, and give you a Diflike
to the French Gallantry. The Women, above
all, are to be complain'd of, efpecially thofe
of them that have Senfe. Moft of the Men
wou'd think they did not underftand themfelves
fhou'd they entertain them with any thing
plain or natural, or any other thing but them
felves ; they think that not to tell' a Woman
now and then, ffie is handfome and has Wit,
would be to let her underftand fhe had neither
Beauty nor Wit. But the Women have enough
to comfort themfelves with, becaufe the Men
do the fame thing, and entertain one another
as the Women do. They uffier Praifes, or (to
make ufe of their own Term) obliging Things
into every thing they fay. This is the Guft
of the Country, and they manage it generally,
as they do in fome Countries, every thing
they eat, which tho' always fweetend with Su
gar, is ftill pleafing on that Account. This Sin
gularity in the French is, in my Opinion, one
of thofe that deferves to be dwelt upon a
Jittle. Not only their, ordinary Difcourfes have fome
thing of Flattery in them, which is troublefome
to a Man of Modefty and Senfe, and to every
Man

concerning the French, &p. 1 3 5
Man that is not cut out for that Kind of Lan
guage, and is ignorant of the Way of recoiling
Praifes, or anfwering them in fuch a Manner
as to make them fall on thofe that give them j
but even their premeditated Difcourfes are ge
nerally confecrated to Praife, as a thing the
moft conformable to the Genius of the Nation.
v'Tis in this they excel in France, and 'tis in
it they glory to excel. There's a Body of
Men elefted from among all the People of Wit,
and the moft famous Writers of the Nation, that
even affume the Name by Way of Excellence,
a Company confecrated to the Purity of Dif
courfe and Eloquence, which by its Superiority
of Wit, preferibes to others, and directs them.
Every one of them, on being receiv'd into this
Body, makes a Difcourfe, as it were, to fhew
a-new, and in Perfon, that he is worthy of the
Choice they made of him ; and this Difcourfe,
that will ferve for a Model to others, and fhews
on what Foundation an Orator ought chiefly to
exercife himfelf, muft contain Panegyricks;
fome for the Living, and fome for the Dead.
There they praife, as it were by Law, Men
that have been already prais'd, and muft be
always prais'd a-new for the time to come.
They praife them juft as People fhoot at a Mark,
they lift them with Praifes. They that praife
will receive in their turn the Praifes they gave
to others, and thefe learned Men that are pla
ced, as it were, at the Head of the French Na^
tion, will, no doubt, continue the Cuftom of
Praifing, and making  r- the nobleft Aftion
of human Underftanding confift in Praife. If
the Panegyricks I have fpoke of are not fufficient
for that End, thofe they put before their Books,
to wit, their Epiftles Dedicatory, will do it com-;
K 4 pleatly ;

i3<5 LETTER III.
pleatly : There they praife with Magnificence,
not only a Man of an ordinary Rank, but even
an unworthy one, and fpoil a good Bock by a
Dedication, which is quite contrary to it. In
fhort, this is the Country where they praife
at any rate, and where Praife by being given
to every Body, neither diftinguifhes nor pro
perly defer ves the Name. It ferves to fhew
the Abilities of him that praifes, if he is inger
nious enough to find new Encomiums, or to
give a new Turn to thofe that are worn out.
Let us fpeak plain, and look upon all thefe
Praifes as bafe and unbecoming. To praife Peo?
pie to their Faces, whatever they are, is to fup-
pofe they love Praifes, which is an Affront. To
praife Men before all the World, that are known
to deferve it, is Impudence. To praife the Great,
who defire it, without doing any Thing to de^
ferve it, is Bafenefs. On the whole, to make
a Trade of Praifing, tho' it were virtuous Peo
ple, is a pitiful Trade ; it hurts the Virtue which
they praife. Virtue diftinguifhes Men ; but
Praife made fo general as it is, jumbles the Vir
tuous with the reft, and renders their Example of
no Effeft. Befides, Men, in their utmoft perfe-
ftion, are but ftill weak, fubjeft to Error and
human Calamity, and very imperfeft.
There's no Proportion between them and mag?
nificent Panegyricks, which are as little fuitable
to them as Gigantick Statues are to Men, who
tho' never fo tall, are but ftill fhort in compari
fon. 'Tis furprizing, that People of good Un
derftanding and Merit, are not fenfible of this
Truth ; that they fhould fuffer themfelves to be
drawn away by Cuftom to aft the Panegyrift,
which is but a mean Charafter without fome dif
eretion

concerning the French, rye. 137
cretion, which is not much obferv'd in this Way
of praifing ; it puts the honeft Man on a level
with the Flatterer, and, perhaps, with the For
ger too, when they praife the Living. The
extravagant Politenefs of the French, and their
falfe Tafte of Wit, have introduced this unwor
thy Way of Praifing and Slander, which is as
common in France as the other, and, which they
fet off handfomely, proves that there's fome
thing of the extream in the Charafter of this
Nation, and of Ridicule in its Politenefs. Let
us confider the French by fome' other Ways,
and let us give them the Encomiums that are
proper for them.
There's one Thing, tho' not very confidera
ble, yet deferves to be extoll'd in their Favour,
they are the People in the World that behave
themfelves beft at an Entertainment, and the
moft agreeable at Drinking-bouts. One wou'd
think it was for them that Wine was made;
it makes them fprightly and witty, and 'tis then
the French Wit ffiews it felf in an agreeable Man
ner, and receives new Strength. They have a
thoufand little Songs to excite Pleafure, and
make us renounce Care and enjoy Life, and their
Moral difplay'd after that Manner, has its effect :
We fee how ridiculous our Cares make us, we
would live happily for the prefent, and we want
but little to enable us to do fo. Of all Kinds of
Drunkennefs this is, no doubt, the beft ; and few
People, any where elfe, can boaft of having Mo
rals that ftick fo clofe to them on Occafion, and
ftand Proof better. For, as the Drinking-Songs, or
perhaps Songs in general, are fling more in France
than in any other Parts ; fo 'tis reckon'd among
thofe Things wherein the French excel, and have a
Talent which they have not elfewhere. We muft

i38 L E^TT E R III.
fay, befides, to their Praife, that in lieu of the
great Entertainments in other Countries, the for
midable Banquets where Crowds of People get to
gether very ill match'd, and a Profufenefs of Meats
ill drefs'd, the French make their Meals with
few People, and few Difhes, and in fuch a Man
ner, that Opennefs of Heart, and an entire Free
dom of Speaking what we think, are their chief
Pleafure. But above all, their familiar Way of
joining thofe that come in by Chance with the
People of the Houfe, and eating together any
Thing that is ready, is fomething cordial, and
more fociable, than Eating and Drinking: This
is one of the Circumftances in their Art of Li
ving, which is worthy of Imitation. There's one
Thing more to add to their Pleafures ; thefe Ped-
ple that take them fo often, and feem to be cut
out for nothing elfe, do it after fuch a Manner,
that the Bufinefs they are intrufted with never
fuffers on that Account.* In other Parts, Debau*
chery befots People, and thofe that addift them
felves to it are fit for nothing : But here 'tis
not fo, a Debofhee may be a Man of Parts,
that not only makes ufe of all Opportunities
of gaining his Ends, but even makes his Debau
chery ferve for that Purpofe. It feems as if it
belong'd only to the French to extend the Plea
fures of the Table as far as they have done
it, and to make that a Subjeft of Panegyric!:
which is a Reproach to others, and I am for lea
ving them the Property of a Thing, which they
alone know how to ufe.
There's another Abufe which the French have
happily reftify'd, viz. Gaming, 'tis very much
the Tafte of the Nation, and, perhaps, none has
more Gamefters in it. But they obferv'd that
playing for great Sums of Money is a pernicious Thing

concerning the French, rjc. 139
Thing that ruins and makes People mad, and is
only proper for fome particular People; and
they have generally agreed upon a Game for
Company fake, which is a fmall Game,
that muft neither be ruinous nor trouble
fome, and where they have an Opportunity of
difplaying their Politenefs and their Wit, which
muft render it ftill more agreeable. High Play
is ferious, and has fomething of Tragedy in it;
this is no ways proper in Societies form'd for
Mirth. Small Play, or Play for Company fake,
has more of Comedy ; there the Aftors play their
Parts with a good Grace, and fay a great ma
ny pretty Things that have relation to the
Game, and make it more pleafing. It has
likewife an Audience to Honour it, and clap
Hands. Thefe are the little Family Comedies
which are now afted in France, in all the Houfes
where the Beau Monde comes ; every one of them
has every Day the Pleafure to choofe, either
to be one of the Aftors, or to have the Satis
faftion of the Shew ; but 'tis better to act, and
here the Dignity is on the Side of the Aftors.
Don't you think, Sir, that all this is well con-
triy'd, and that half of a Life that is fpent in
Playing, and feeing others Play, is paffed in
nocently ? In reality, to loofe Time is not the
greateft Abufe that may be made of it, and by
Means of Gaming, we fhun Idlenefs, which is
the Mother of all Vices. But, you will fay, this
does not do any Honour to a witty Nation, and
we fee, in other Places, People that don't fet up
for Wit, entertain themfelves with what the
Heart affords them, and pafs away whole Hours
without Gaming, and without being tired. 'Tis
true, but befides that that leans too much to Se
rioufnefs, and can only be proper for a few People of

140 LET T E R III.
of a particular Charafter ; 'tis becaufe they
have not the Pleafure of beginning again the
Day following, and making their Commerce
the ordinary Courfe of Life. That is the great
Advantage they have here by Play, it allows
Men to meet Perfonally, and puts them all in
a ftate of profiting by one another. That is the
Way by which the French may chiefly boaft of
being of all Men the moft fociable.
Of all their Singularities the Fafhion is the
greateft, and contains the greateft Number of
Singularities ; tis it that diftinguifhes them from
the reft of the World. The Fafhion is Cuftom
in all its Rage, which feems to play upon them,
and to make an Effay and Shew of all its Power,
In truth, all People, fubmit to Cuftom, and that
is, no doubt, their Unhappinefs. By this Depen-
dance, wherein it fuffices to do as others do, we
difpenfe with examining what we do, and even
the politeft People that cou'd fet others right,
fuffer themfelves to be hurry'd away, and are
afraid, in cafe they fhould do better, of being
thought lingular or affedted. But Cuftom among
all People is fomewhat regular, and every one
does all it requires of it. 'Tis not fo in France
where it has nothing fixed or fettled ; it is a Tor
rent that changes its Current every time it over
flows, and in fo doing puts all the Country un
der Water. From one Cuftom that has glutted
them they go on to another ; 'tis always to a
frefh and vigorous Cuftom they fubmit, and Men,
in all thefe Changes, find themfelves bufy'd with
out any Ceflation, to fubmit always a-new. This
Exercife, in which they take a Pleafure, is Li
berty to them, in which they are like Prifoners
that have their Irons chang'd every Day, and
pn that Account, might think themfelves at
large,

concerning the Trerlch, &c. 14 1
large. From whence comes this Singularity, will
you fey ? Why, does Cuftom alter more in France,
and is its Power greater than elfewhere ? 'Tis be-.
caUfe the French Nation is more fubjeft to Change
than all others, and is pleafed with Novelty,
and with a Kind of Uniformity at the fame Time :
Every one will be like others ; and, perhaps, no
Nation can renounce with more Eafe any parti
cular Liberty which others preferve. All this
together fubjefts the French to the Fafhion, that
unites them in Novelty, and gratifies their
changeable Humour, and they fall to it again
infenfibly in every Thing. All acknowledge its
Authority, the Great, and even the King as well
as others : The Fafhion refembles Deftiny, which
the Poets fpeak ofj and is fuperiour to all the
Deities, and which Jupiter himfelf obeys. To
enter into the Particulars of every Thing to which
it binds the French, would be to begin again ;
for all that is done in France, and which I have
mention'd to you in my Letters, all I can fay
more to you of it, is done by the good Pleafure
of the Fafhion, and the Matter is fo copious, that
I can fcarce determine what Part to take firft.
Let us begin with their Cloaths, which is an
Affair of great Moment with them.
A Stranger that ftays in France, is furprized
at the continual Changes caufed by the Fafhion
in Apparel : He thinks he fees People that
try all Sorts, without finding one to fit them,
but in the End there's not one but does fit
them. Every time they get a new Fafhion they
affirm very ferioufly, and prove by good Rea
fons, that 'tis more becoming, or more conve
nient than that they left off, and a Man would
almoft believe there's fome Truth in it. But,
however, at the End of a hundred Changes, all
from

Hi LETTER ni.
from good to better, they return to the old
Fafhions; that is, after a great deal of Motion*
they find themfelves in the Place from whence
they fet out. If any thing can flop them, 'tis
the Changes of their Neighbours that imitate
them ; confidering to what extreams they
carry the Fafhions, and what Pleafure they
take in over-doing the new Things that
come to them from France, it would feem as
if their Defign was to ridicule the French ra
ther than imitate them. But that is not the
caufe, the. French have Reafon for all their
Changes ; they fit themfelves with every Thing
that is proper for them, and every Nation that
would" imitate them, becomes itfelf ridiculous.
They feem, as it were, to be made for their
Cloaths, and always for the laft Suit they put
on ; and on the other Hand, we Foreigners, with
every new Fafhion, look as if we picked up fome
new Ridicule. What is furprizing in this, is that-
fo many People fhou'd affume it, and be folli-
citous in turning it off from the French and lay
ing it on their own Shoulders : And they carry
this fo far, that thofe among the French that take
Upon them to juftify their Nation on the fcore of
the Fafhion, alledge the Profit they make of it*
by felling their Baubles at a dear Rate to the
reft of the World : And it muft be allow'd to
be a good Reafon, and that after all we ought
rather to laugh at ourfelves than the French,
as 'tis ufual to ridicule the Bubbles and not the
Quack, when he fells his Pills at a good Price*
and grows rich by his Drolling.
The Changes of the Fafhion are as frequent in
other Things as in Cloaths ; but they are more
troublefome when they turn on Things that
are difficult to Change. Such a Man was un
done?

concerning the French, rye. 143
done by renewing his Furniture, which are yet
new, but not of the new Fafhion ; another by
getting his Difhes and Plates new made, tho'
very well made already, but out of Fafhion.
This Man is difpleas'd with his Houfe before 'tis
finifh'd, becaufe another Way of Building is
come into Vogue in the mean time. That Man
has difcharg'd all his Domefticks, tho' they did
their Duty very well, but they are not in the
Fafhion.; for it feems Domefticks likewife are
regulated by it, even among the Women, with
whom one would think nothing fhould be chang'd
in this refpeft. The Fafhion allows them to be
ferv'd by Men, and by that gives them the Plea
fure of changing. Sometimes they muft have
little Lackies, fometimes tall ; at another time
Pages, and feme are for Blacks. At prefent,
I underftand they are for Mutes, and I can
eafily believe it, when I thing of another fort of
Domefticks which, no doubt, the French Polite
nefs will not allow them to bring into their
Houfes, Mutes muft be very proper for them,
if we confider the Courfe which Things may
take. The Changes of the Fafhion don't flop
at the Domefticks ; People of all Conditions
rife and fall with its Flux and Reflux, and a
Man's Merit that is not overcaft by it, muft
be eminent indeed. On the other Hand, there's
no Charafter or Talent fo abjeft or mean,
provided it has fomething of Shew, but a Man
may hope to fee in Fafhion fometime or another.
Even Wit itfelf, the darling Idol of the People,
depends on this other Idol which is much greater.
Sometimes we have feen Points of Wit in Fa
fhion, fometimes the double entendre ; there was
a Time when they fpoke nothing but Proverbs ;
another time nothing but Riddles. Affefted Words

i44 LETTER 111.
Words and Bombaft have had their 'turns, and
perhaps after the brillant and the elegant Stile
now in vogue, the Mode will bring the French,
to the Plain and the Rational, where fome of
them that had the Courage to go firft, are al
ready come.
Their Language alfo depends on the Fafhion
and refents its Caprices, and all the People of
Wit that have enter'd into a League to defend
it, can't put it out of Danger. The new Ex
preffions introduced by the Fafhion, are not on
ly infufficient to make amends for thofe it re
trenches, but the Alterations , it caufes in lieu
of making the Language more perfeft, gene
rally make it more whimfical, and that to fuch
a degree, that the French themfelves can't always
decide fome Cafes that happen. That is the
Reafon that their beft Authors go out of Fa
fhion, one after another, that is, they become
ridiculous to moft Readers. For the delicate Ear
of a Frenchman is offended at a Word grown old,
that alone is fufficient to give him a diflike of
the whole Page, and to fome Readers of a more
refin'd Tafte, a diflike of the whole Book, which
one of their own Authors affures us he has feen,
and takes occafion from thence to recommend
Purity of Stile to Writers that wou'd have their
Works read. But now the Fafhion has efta
blifhed fomething very Polite for Writers, which
I muft remark by the way, they don't put their
proper Names at the head of their Works ; 'tis
no more the Johns and the Peters that write;
that would be too natural, and too much like
the Days of Tore. The Authors of new Books'
are always, or at leaft very often, Meffieurs,
they take Care to advertife us of it at the Head
of the Work, and their Works, that, in truth* have

concerning the French, &c. 145.
have more of this Title of Monfieur in't, than of
the Man, more of Turn and Expreffions, than
of Sentiments and Reality, are very fuitable to
the Title, and make it good. I am of Opi
nion the French owe this Politenefs to an Ex
cefs of the Fafhion, with regard to the Title
of Monfieur, which it has difpers'd every where.
People repeat it every Minute when they
fpeak to one another, and they give it fo of
ten, that at laft they give it fo themfelves :
This way is only ufed in Books, and the Fa
fhion has not yet introduced it into Conver
fation ; but in my Opinion we are not far from
it, for when the Wife fpeaks to her Hufband,
or of him, fhe calls him by no other Name than
Monfieur, Monfieur fuch a one. Monfiettr, on the
other hand, Calls his Wife by no other Name
than Madam, and when he fpeaks of her, 'tis
always Madam fuch a one. There's but one
Step more wanting to make People give thefe
Titles to themfelves, and to turn into Monfieur
and Madam thefe pitiful Monofyllables, Ms
and I, which are fo often repeated in Conver
fation, and being unworthy to defcribe Perfons
of duality, muft be left with the People they
are fuitable to. That would, no doubt, be po
lite in the higheft Degree, and I long to fee
it eftablifli'd.
In fhort, the Fafhion rules equally the moft
important Things, and the moft trifling. It go
verns the Men themfelves* and regulates their
Conduft and Courfe of Life, as well as the Out
fide and Behaviour ; 'tis it that orders a Man
to be an Atheift or a DeVotee, Knowing or Ig
norant, fond of Wine or Women, his own Wife
or another Man's. Or rather* the Fafhion in
France, at this Time,, prohibits a Man from
L minding

H6 LETTER III.
minding his Wife, or in walking, or on other"
Ocfcafions, to hand her ; that would be too much
like a Citizen, and the old Times. Every mar
ried Man of the Beau Monde muft' let another
take care of his Wife, and tell her fhe is hand-
fome, as he on the other hand muft do by ano
ther's Wife, and talk to her of her Charms; and
Charms likewife depend on the Fafhion ; they
are fometimes in dark Eyes, fometimes in blue.
We have fometimes feen your hawk'd Nofes in
Vogue, at other times Nofes fomething turn'd
up, or flat, make a good Figure, and carry away
the Bell from the hawk'd. The Fafhion does not
flop here, fhe difcovers other Charms. At pre
fent fhe is in Bofoms which fhe has drawn out
ofObfcurity, and fet off to Advantage, as one
of the Ornaments of the fair Sex, and fhe feems
to be fix'd there. It may likewife happen, that
while fhe is at reft, fhe is meditating on feme
great Defign : As ffie triumphs over Men in
pufhing them to difplay all their Bravery, even
fo far as to kill one another on Purpofe, fhe
may happen to compleat her Triumphs over
the Women, by inducing them to difplay all
their Charms. In this Cafe the Women of the
neighbouring Countries, who are ready to obey
every Motion of the Fafhion, and always dil-
pos'd to excel the Women in France, will be
obliged to content themfelves with following,
without having the Pleafure of out-doing them.
Let us come to fome other Regulations of the
Fafhion. They extend very far, as I have told you
already, even to Looks and Poftures. There's a
Way of lying or fitting upright in a Coach,
upright or leaning in an Elbow Chair. For
merly the French wore their Hats on their Heads, and

concerning the French, &C. 147
and then there was a Way of taking them off; at
prefent they don't put them on at all, for fear
of difordering their Wigs, which the Fafhion
Would have them refpeft above any thing elfe.
For the Peruke is properly the Head-drefs of
the French, and a happy Amendment of a Man's
Head of Hair, which Nature has made to mean
for him by one half. There's a Way of eating
according to the Fafhion, a Way of helping
one's felf at Table, and helping others, which
muft be done artificially and with little Cere
monies that denote Politenefs. Above all, one
muft ^be very attentive on fuch Things as others
may have Occafion for, prevent them, and not
to let them be reduced to the grievous Ne
ceffity of helping themfelves ; but in that, as
well as in other Things, the Fafhion is not
confined to Behaviour ; fhe proceeds to what
is effential, and 'tis by her Decifions that any
Kind of Meat is wholefome or hurtful, infipid
or delightful, that it muft be drefs'd after this
or that Manner, ferv'd up at the Beginning or
End of a Meal. According to her Orders ea
ting is follow'd by gaming, of which I have
fpoke to you already, for 'tis ftill the Fafhion
that difpofes of Time, and the Manner of paf
fing it away, and fhe could fcarce eftabliffi any
that is more generally liked, and where the De-
pendance is more voluntary. She regulates the
Kind of Play that is proper, and alters it from
Time to Time, which revives, by the Novelty,
thofe that grow tired, and engages fuch as have
not begun to play.
And doe9 not Converfation (will you fay) de
pend in France on the Fafhion, as well with Re
gard to the Subjeft, as the Kind of Wit ? And
don't People entertain one another with certain
L 2 Matters

148 LET TE R IIL
Matters regulated by the Fafhion, rather than
others ? No, Sir, 'tis here the Frenchman preferves
his Liberty. He difcourfes concerning himfelf,
and every Thing that comes into his Mind as
much as he thinks fit, and 1 am of Opinion,
nothing can put him under any Conftraint in this
Refpeft. But that the Fafhion might not lofe
her Right to a Thing that is important to the
prefent State of Converfation, the French, of their
own good Will, make it turn, moft. commonly,
on the Fafhion, and fpeak of it with all the Ap
plication that fo great a Subjeft deferves. Or ra
ther, they refpeft the Fafhion to fuch a Degree,
as to fpeak nothing of her directly, or her Ori-
gine and Dignity; but they entertain themfelves
with her Ordinances, which they call Modes.
*Ihey approve and vindicate them againft any
one that finds fault ;. they examine and weigh
with Maturity every Thing that is equivocal
or uncertain* in this Refpeft. The Queftion
about Preference, between the Ancients and the
Moderns, on which they run Parallels, and
which is the great Queftion that employs the
Wits of France, is not more debated among
them, than daily Queftions about the ancient
and modern Fafhions; they make Parallels be
tween them, and obferve how far the laft Fa
fhion has the Advantage of that which went be
fore it ; how much more becoming are the pre
fent Falhions than thofe in former Days. They
reafon on the turn of a Sleeve, the Genteelnefs
of the Facings, on the Number of Buttons, and
fuch other like Things, which they regulate and
fet a Price upon with a great deal of Exaftnefs.
A Man is faid to have a Tafte, when he applies
himfelf, and is well fkifl'd in all thefe Things ;
there's Emulation and Glory to excel in them.
To

concerning the French, eye. 140
To be ignorant of them, or negleft them, favours
of the old Times, or, as they fay, of the other
World, which they think different enough from
this below, to make them fuppofe that there's no
room in it for all thefe Things.
In a Word, the Fafhion leads and drives all
in France, and the French fubmit to her in every
Thing with a perfeft Refignation. Oh what a cu
rious Hiftory would that of the Fafhion be, if
we had one, and how much does this Deity de
ferve a Temple in a Country where fhe is fo re-
ligioufly ador'd ! unlefs they would have Paris
be her Temple, where fhe gives Laws, and
where all meet to proftrate themfelves before
her and make her Offerings. The French refort
to Paris to improve themfelves, and thofe that
have never been there are no more than Coun
try Bumpkins, which are defpifed. Strangers
likewife run thither from all Sides to be polifh'd,
to take for a Title of Merit, an Outfide, and
Drefs, (which among them are Things capable
of deceiving) the Honour whereof recoils on
the French. By this Behaviour and Apparel,
the French are not far from univerfal Monarchy,
feeing all fubmit to them, but the invincible
Spaniard ;
Cunfta Terrarum Subafta,
Pr&ter atrocem Animum Catonis,
which muft give them pretty near as much Satif-
faftion, as if Men had fubmitted to them in ano
ther Senfe, for Behaviour and Apparel are of
great Moment with them, and they would think
themfelves in a State of Dependance, fhould they
be obliged to follow others in Things of this
Kind. What is furprizing in this, is that even
the People who feem to hate and defpife the
French, fubmit to them, and acknowledge their
L 3 Superio-

i5o LETTER III,
Superiority in this Refpeft. 'Tis a Miracle which
can't be eafily accounted for ; to hate a Nation
with fuch Ways and Apparel, and yet not to
hate the Ways and Apparel, is as extraordinary,
in my Opinion, as what they tell us of Light-?
ving, that it melts Gold in a Purfe without
burning it.
Let us do Juftice to the Fafhion, as well with
Regard to the Good as the 111 fhe does the French.
The general and material 111 is, that fhe is as
fond of Novelty as of Trifles, and that this No-?
velty is not accompany 'd with any Profit or
Advantage as it ought to be. She troubles and
ruins a great Number of People, makes all Di-?
ftinftion odious, and puts all thofe that would
get rid of her on a level with the Vulgar. And
I don't know whether fhe is not an Obftacle to
good Senfe and the Liberty of the Mind ; this
is, however, true that the more prevalent Cuftom
is in any Country, the Underftanding of the In?
habitants is fo much the narrower, and remote
from Reafon; and, therefore, the Fafhion muft
confequently be very injurious to the French.
The Good fhe does them in exchange is, that ffie
eftablifhes from Time to Time fome ufeful Ways,
fuch as the common People would not receive,
perhaps, fhould they come from any Authority
Jefs venerable. By all the Changes fhe introdu
ces one after another, even thofe that ruin fome,
fhe does good to others, to Workmen and Mer
chants, that grow rich by them, and to a great
many others that get their Subfiftence under
them. Befides, the Fafhion affords Matter for
Converfation to an infinite Number of People
of Wit, that would find themfelves embarrafs'd
without her, and would fcarce be able to fup
port their Reputation, There are fome People that

concerning the French, rye. 1 5 \
that will not allow of the Art of Printing,
becaufe a great Number of People get their
Bread by copying Books. All thofe People,
fay they, would be reduced to Beggary, and
there would be Reafon to fear moft: of them
would become High-way-men, One might al-
ledge the fame Reafon againft any that would
introduce a fix'd or fettled Apparel and Behavi
our, and abolifh the Fafhions : All the fine Peo
ple that make it the ordinary Subjeft of Conver
fation, would not have any thing to talk of, and
confequently would fall upon their Neighbours.
In a Word, the Faffiion diverts the reftlefs and
changeable Temper of the Nation from Things
that are important, where it might have ill
Confequences, and inclines it towards fuch as are
left confiderable, wherein the continual Changes
have their proper Ufe on Account of their No
velty. By this Method Trifles become valua
ble and important in their Turn ; and the Cha
rafter of the French, as far as it runs upon Tri
fles, is in fome Meafure fet off by them. Af
ter all, muft the Faffiion be an Advantage to
the Nation, notwithftanding all her Meannefs
and Singularity ? In that Cafe ffie will over
flow in France like the Nile in Mgypt, whofe
Slime fpreads every where, and is a Benefit
of Nature for the whole Country.
Adieu, SIR, &c.

L 4 LETTER.

*5*.

LET T £ R IV.

Letter IV.

Believe, Sir, I have ftill Matter
enough for another Letter concerning
the French, tho' I may, perhaps,
trouble you with fome Repetitions.
The People in France appear to me
to be gentle and complaifant ; in other Refpefts,
their Charafter is not uniform, but varies ac
cording to the different Provinces. ' For Exam
ple, they pretend the Normans are cunning, the
Gafcons witty and brave, but much given to
boafting, and fo inclinable to fet themfelves
forward, and to Vanity in every thing, that
they are partly the fubjeft of the Fables or idle
Stories made in France. It may, however, be
true that their Charafter is the French Charar
fter over-done, and that while a great many
People laugh at the Gafcons, they laugh at then>
felves at the fame Time, without being fenfible
of it. Thofe oiLimofin are reputed to be clownifh,
that is, not fo polite as the reft of the French;
for you muft know this Country can't produce
any thing that is clownifh; that is its Prero
gative, as every Country has its own ; for Ex
ample, they fay, there are no venemous Things
in Ireland, nor Wolves in England. The Inha
bitants of Paris, who muft be confider'd as a
diftinft People, are reckon'd filly, that fool away
their Time with gazing at every Thing. They
are good natur'd and civil, and very mindful of'

concerning the French, rye. 153
of good Offices. A Tradefman of whom you
afk the Way, will leave his Shop to fhew it
to you, .and if you call him Monfieur, when
you thank him, he will think himfelf very well
paid for his Trouble, Thro' all France the Peo
ple are left infolent, and more tractable than
in other Countries ; this Conformity is a con
fequence of the Nation's Charafter. They fubmit
to Authority, be it never fo fevere; they admire
with Humility every Thing that .has an Air of
Grandeur, and rejoice as conftantiy as the Nor
bility themfelves, at all the Chimeras the Court
would have them feed themfelves with.
The French Peafants feem to be miferable in
every Refpeft ; they are ill lodged, ill cloathed,
ill fed, and have only from Hand to Mouth.
And they are yet more unhappy than they
appear to be; they are cut out for this Kind
of Life, and the greateft Mifery can neither
humble them entirely, nor make them revolt :
We don't hear any talk in this Country cf Peo
ple that are pufh'd by Defpair to violent Re-
folutions, neither againft themfelves or the Go
vernment. 'Tis very extraordinary that the
Peafants fhould be pleafed with the Grandeur
of the Prince under which they feem to groan ;
one would think their black Bread had a better
Relifh. every Time they heard of gaining a Battle,
pr taking a Town.
The Handicrafts-men are fkillful and very in
duftrious, and they can't be otherwife in this
Country, where the Faffiion changes continually,
and nothing pleafes, or is fold, but what is well
made ; for 'tis difficult to pleafe the Frenchman
in Trifles, he fifts them narrowly, reafons and
refinesupon them. He flops and amufes him
felf with Pleafure at a Workman's Shop ; his
Money

554 L ETT ER IV.
Money gives him fome Authority over him,
and it feems as if he took Pleafure in prolong
ing the Time, in order to make it hold out.
Befides, not being over-rich, nothing but the
Beauty of the Work can oblige him to buy it
at a dear Rate. 'Tis likely the Workmen in
France are fomewhat indebted to the Women,
they have fome Tafte, and befides that Trifles
are properly in their Province, 'tis laid down
here as an eftablifli'd Rule that they prefide
over all Sorts of Work.
The Merchants are extreamly civil, forward
and indefatigable in fliewing you every Thing
you afk for, and even more than you afk for ;
you would fay, that as they are Frenchmen, they
take a Pleafure in fetting Things off to Advan
tage, you fee them always pleas'd, always ci
vil, tho' you have given them Trouble without
buying any Thing; but to be even with you
they afk extravagant Prices for their Goods,
efpecially fuch as People covet moft in this
Place ; Civility and Novelty which they are
continually inventing. And they make us Stran
gers pay more than the French ; they fuppofe
he that has not fome particular Ways, or that
has the Air of a Foreigner, is chalk'd out to
be their Bubble. Thus when a Frenchman finds
they afk an exceffive price for any Thing, the
ordinary Phrafe he makes ufe of to exprefs his
Refentment is, I believe you take me Jor a Fo->
reigner ; and the Faft is really fo : 'Tis not eafy
to imagine how far their Affurance goes, and
how much we are perplex'd when thefe People,
with their extraordinary Politenefs, endeavour to
make us pay three Times more than Things are
worth, and put us under a Neceffity of fuffering
them to rob us, or otherwife letting them un
derftand

concerning the French, rye. 155
derftand that we look upon them as Robbers, I
muft, in particular, fay fomething of the Book-
fellers, fince their Way of dealing with us fhews
the Idea they have of us as to Books, and that it
muft be fuch an Idea as Strangers give them.
Thefe Gentlemen offer fuch of us as make
the beft Figure, and whom they would feem
to refpeft in a particular Manner, the Mercure
Galant, the Works of M. le Pais, fome Novels
in Fafhion, fome new Comedies; and if new
Books are not found acceptable, they conclude
with fliewing us the Book call'd the Courtier, as
being the beft of all, and never refus'd by a
Stranger. _ I fay they offer thefe Books to the
moft eminent among us; for they don't ob
ferve fo much Ceremony to fuch of us as make
no great Figure, or that wear plain Cloaths. When
M  and I were at the (h) Palais, which is the
principal Place for Books, we afk'd the Bookfeller
for two or three, which he could not find, his
Wife, who happen'd to be prefent, did not give us
Time to afk for any others ; being enraged at our
Prefumption, foe fpoke aloud to her Hufband,
(who excufed himfelf civilly for his not having the
Books we wanted) Don't you fee thefe are Foreigners,
that don't know what they ask for? Give them Chif-
flet'j Grammar, 'tis that they mutt have. 'Tis very
true, I have formerly been thought worthy of
the fine Difcourfes of Mademoifelle de Sucderi, that
an honeft Bookfeller would have forced me to
buy. But what Quantities of thefe fafhiona
ble Books, of thefe wretched Produftions, are to
be feen in that Place ? Enough to infcft all Eu
rope, and to make us look upon it as the Sink of
Parnaffus ; or, if we muft have a more polite
Compaq
( h ) fbis is a place where Books and other Things are Sold.

i56 LETTERS.
Comparifon, I fay, when I fee fo many of thefe
Book ranged, as it were, in Order of Battle, and
ready to invade the neighbouring People, they
put me in mind of the formidable Armies that
ravaged Europe formerly, and after deftroying
its fineft Ornaments filled it with Gothick Inven
tions. Romances make more Havock than any
thing elfe, and 'tis with Refpeft to them that
the French refemble Conquerors, that are not
fatisfy 'd with carrying off the Riches which they
get by Plunder, but fend their Troops to burn
the neighbouring Countries, and make them
all tributary. This Bufinefs is rather melan
choly than diverting, and requires our Atten
tion. If it be true that Compofitions of Wit,
which are no Way inftruftive, and ferve for
no other End than to amufe the Reader, fpoil
the Tafte, which is allow'd by People of Senfe,
what fhall we do with the Crowd of bad Writers ?
They that aire not content to put off their Tri
fles, but poifon People by their Writings, teach
Evil, and corrupt the Heart as well as the Un
derftanding. The Athenians made Socrates drink
Hemlock Juice for corrupting Youth; and if
they are blam'd, 'tis not for puniffiing fuch a
Crime • after that Manner, but for punifhing an
innocent Man. What Punifhment does not thefe
Writers of Romances and Novels deferve, that
diforder the Imagination, and poifon the Hearts
of thoufands of the young People ? They cer
tainly deferve the Hemlock which Socrates did
not ; but the fame Humour that got Socrates ao*
cufed and condemn'd, fecures them.
There's fomething very fingular in French
Books, which I muft obferve by the by, there
are not only an infinite Number of Romances,
Novels, and other Books on Love, but like- wife

concerning the French, rye. 1 57
wife a great many Poems on the fame Sub
jeft ; and their Tragedies and Comedies too, and
even their good Books, their Books of Refle-
ftions paint Love after a Manner that does it no
Difcredit ; they make it one of thofe Qualities
or Circumftances that are common to Man, and
for which he has no Reafon to conceal himfelf,
or be under any Diforder. The Reafon of this
is in all Probability, that in their Societies, which
are compos'd of Men and Women, they make
Love familiar, and indulge it even beyond what
might be expefted in Youth? or, we may fay,
that Love carries Youth beyond their Years.
This is the Reafon that Lovers in this Country
don't appear fo ridiculous as in other Parts 5 but,
on the other hand, Love gives the Nation in
general, or at leaft fuch of them as are its
Ornament, a Ridicule not to be found elfe
where. The Opera, above all, as 'tis compofed
and reprefented in France, is one of the Sources
where the Nation, or at leaft the Beau Monde
that has an Influence over it all, takes their
Charafter. Love is there reprefented as a Thing
that forms the Happinefs of Youth, and is. fet
off with every Thing that can give it an Air
of Innocence, and make it agreeable to the
Audience. The Dances contribute to it, and the
foft Mufick renders the Amufement very mo
ving, and carries Love to the Bottom of the
Heart. The Mothers bring their Daughters to
thefe Shews, and there the Hufbands meet their
Wives ; and after they have feen them a hun
dred and a hundred Times, they can't be per-
fuaded their Minds are any Way more corrupted
than before, or more than People that never
were at an Opera, which is a Proof that this
Kind of Corruption is come to fuch a Degree in

158 L ET T E R IV.
in France,, that nothing can be added to it.-
Tho' that is the Spring of grofs Corruption, 'tis
ftill nothing with them ; and even this is look'd
upon to be no more than a Trifle. They know*
how to extenuate and render it lefs odious by
the genteel Names which their Politenefs gives
it, calling debauched Men the Women's Favou
rites, and the debauched Women, Women of Gal
lantry. There's a Rank of Men in France that ought
not to have any rjjpm in thefe Papers, but their
Manners intitle them to it, which are entirely
oppofite to their Names ; thefe are your Abbots
that have no Abbeys : They are a genteel Peo
ple that pique themfelves on their Politenefs
and Wit, and live only for Pleafure ; 'tis among
the.m in particular we meet with pretty Airs
and modifh Behaviour, Phrafes, new Songs and
Verfes, and all the reft of thofe extraordinary
Things in which France takes fo much Pride,
But thefe Abbots are not all without Abbeys,
as you might imagine from what I have now
told you, and that it was this Courfe of Life
that excluded them. Thefe Gentlemen are even
trufted with Bifhopricks, when Fortune will
have it fo. I believe, when a Stranger under-
ffands, the People of the World are afraid of
thefe Abbots in their polite Societies, he thinks
immediately that the Prefence of fuch religious
People makes the others afham'd, and keeps them
within the Bounds of Refpeft, but never con
siders that they are fear'd becaufe they are for-1
midable Rivals, that often carry the Prize from
their Competitors.
There's another very lingular Set of People
among the French, call'd Rakes of Quality*
Which muft not be paffed by in Silence. They

concerning the French, rye. 159
are young Men that reprefent in Epitome every
Thing that is bad and impertinent among Youth,
or in the French Charafter, and at Court. In
order to put themfelves forward, and above other
Men, they put themfelves above the Decorum
obferv'd by the reft of the World, and difco
ver their Affurance and Scorn on all Occafions.
They affeft to have even fome Vices which
they are free from, rather than fhew their good
Qualities which they may be endued with, and
I don't think Virtue had ever more faithful
Admirers that carry'd her to a higher Point,
than fome of thefe Rakes have carry'd Vice,
to which they devote themfelves, and in which
they glory. If Heroes of this Kind form them
felves, out of a Colleftion of the worft Things
in the French Nation, they take care to pay
the Nation what they borrow'd with Inte
reft ; 'tis partly by copying thefe Rakes that
the People who don't fee the Court, imitate
it, and that the Court Air is fpread over all
the Kingdom. Strangers begin to follow the
French in this as well as in other Things, and
to make themfelves as ridiculous as polfible, by
affefting what is in itfelf bad and ridiculous,
and is no Way fuitable to any but fuch as are
cut out for Extravagance, and equip themfelves
with it as if it were an Ornament. Thefe Rakes
are, in their Kind, and in the Opinion of the
Men, exaftly what a Woman with a broken
Reputation is among her own Sex, and it was
neceffary for France to have thefe two Singu
larities, that thofe who copy them might have
Originals well mark'd for both Sexes.
There's another Sort of People not much known
in other Countries, and which we often hear
mention'd in this, with Envy and Contempt: Thefe

1 6o LETTER IV.
Thefe are yonr ( i ) Partifans ; they are, generally'
fpeaking, very inconfiderable, but they acquire,
in a fhort Time, immenfe Riches, fuch as put s(
Man fuddenly in a State of pleafing himfelf,
whereby all his extravagant Fancies are difco-
ver'd. Riches likewife fhew us the Effeft which
change of Conditions produces among other
Men: Grandees that thought of nothing but
keeping themfelves at as great Diftance as pofli-
ble from the Commonalty, now make a great
deal of Hafte to become the Sons-in-law of thefe
Gentlemen. Ladies come down fo them from
a high Rank, fay they, and throw themfelves
into their Arms. Such is the Power of Riches.
 Vel Ccelo pojfunt deducere Lunam,
 •  Et verterc fidera retro.
But thefe Riches feldom laft long; whether if
be that thefe Partifans ruin themfelves by their"
great Expences, or that they give People an Op
portunity of ftripping them. Think of Lucian's
Wifi)es, reprefented on a great Theatre-, the
Aftors appear in great Splendour, and attraft'
the Eyes of the Audience, they make fome
laugh, others admire, and then they vanifh.
There's room for Sharpers, in my Opinion,
in this Place ; they are very numerous, they
excel in their Trade, and are reckon'd among
the Singularities of France, I don't fpeak of
Cheats, fuch are in all Countries, tho' in greater
Numbers in France than elfewhere, becaufe there
are more Gamefters in it. By Sharpers I mean
People that form daring Enterprizes, and Stra
tagems that furprize by their Novelty, and
which they execute with Prudence and Bravery.
All forts of military Virtues are requifite to
enable them to fucceed in this dangerous Trade,
and no doubt but thefe fmall Conquerors deferve' to
( i ) Thefe are People conceriid in the Revenues*

concerning the French, tjc. t6t
to have their Prowefs celebrated. Accordingly
they have their Hiftoriographer, but he has writ
only the fmalleft Part of their Exploits. They
are endreafed fince, both in Parts and Number,-
and are now come to fuch a Degree of Per-
feftion, that if excelling in a Profeffion might
intitle People to Encomiums, thefe ought to have
their Panegyrift as well as their Hiftoriographer.
In all Probability 'tis the Neceffity of making
a handfome Figure, in order to be of the Num
ber of thofe call'd polite People, that gives a
Rife to thefe Sharpers that do all the Mifchief
in the Shape of polite or fafhionable People.
Let us pafs on to thofe of better Diftinftion,
and confider the French Nation on the beft
Side. The Nobility here are truly noble on feve
ral Accounts ; Generofity, Franknefs and Ho
nour, wherein they are very nice, and they
don't diftinguifh themfelves more by any Thing
than the Sword. The Abbots difpute Civility
With them, of which the Nobility was poffefs'd,
and out-do them in the Article of Leifure, which
was one of their Privileges. They are obliged
to give it up, oil Account of the Expence, not
only to People of Bufinefs, but likewife to the
Clergy, who, feeing that Riches are very fuitable
to Men and Dignities, have join'd them together,'
and make themfelves as remarkable, on that
Account, as by the Prerogatives they enjoy;
Politenefs, which feems to become Perfons of
Quality beft, might likewife diftinguifh themy
but the whole Nation thinks they have a Right
to it, and fo far the Nobles have but little Ad*
vantage of others, and there remains but one'
fhining Diftinftion for them,, that is their Bra^
Very, which they carry very far. 'Tis not long

i62 LETTER IV.
fince they piqued themfelves on it fo much,
and fo unfeafonably, that they would have been
exterminated, had not the King interpofed, by
punifhing Duels with the utmoft Severity.
Thefe Gentlemen form themfelves for War even
in the Company of Women, which are oppofite
Schools, but being join'd together, they make
the Man of the World the gallant Man. They
take a Pleafure, as it were, in living above their
Income, and the Debts of a French Gentleman
are almoft reckon'd among the Things annexed
to his Nobility. That is the Reafon they are
not fo fcrupulous in preferving it entire, as
they were formerly, and that they feldom lofe
an Opportunity of re-eftablifhing their Affairs,
when they meet with a rich Merchant's or Par-1
tifan's Daughter ; and the Folly of the French
in Matters of Grandeur and Quality makes this
Remedy very eafy to them.
Give me leave to fay fomething. to you of
the military Men, which I do the more wil
lingly, becaufe they are an Honour to the French
Nation, and that I am beft acquainted with them
of all Ranks of People in France. There's more
good among them than one would expeft, and,
perhaps, more than can be found in Societies
or Orders, where one might reafonably ima
gine there fhould be moft. I know not whe
ther this be owing to the Danger which People
of this Profeffion are expos'd to, or a particular
Point of Honour eftablifli'd among them 5 I have
always obferv'd lefs Shew and more Reality
among military Men, generally fpeaking, than
others. Their Friendfhip is ftrifter, and does
not ftand in need of fo many frivolous Shifts.
Their Out-fide is more eafy, and 'tis among them
that the French Behaviour is correfted ; Polite nefs

concerning the French, (ye. 163
nefs is lefs refined, and Converfation more- na
tural. Perhaps, the Reafon of their having thefe,
and other Advantages is, becaufe they don't read
the fafhionable Books, which are, no doubt,
one of the Sources of the far-fetch'd Ways we
obferve in the Charafter of the French. Befides,
'tis evident that War, or the Service itfelf, pro
duces the good Qualities of the People of this
Calling, for the Regiments that are of a long
ftanding have more of thefe Men of Merit, and
have even the Reputation of it. There's ano
ther Thing very particular in their Conduft,
and is much to their Honour ; we fee them
now and then quit the Army and become Reli
gious; and 'tis common with them, on thefe
Occafions, to make choice of fome rigid Order,
where they pafs the Remainder of their Days
in Aufterities.
I believe I have forgot to tell you fomething
that is much to the Honour of the French, or at
leaft, that I have only- given you a hint of it.
They love their King more than other Nations ;
it feems as if all the Efteem they have of them
felves, or their Nation, was United in his Perfon,
and, I believe, there are but few Frenchmen that
would not rather derive their Glory and Happi
nefs from the King's Favour, than from any
other Advantages which they might have. Theif
King never does them any Wrong ; it muft be
always his Minifters. There's nothing good but
what comes from him, and all the Glory he
acquires turns to their good. If one fhould fay
the French adore their King, perhaps he would
not fay too much ; at leaft their Manner of
exprefiing the Encomiums they give him, is not
very, far from it; when they affure him very
ferioufly, that all the People on the Earth would
M % think

E64 L E T T E R IV.
think themfelves happy to be under his Govern
ment, and are ambitious of the French Name ;
if they don't make him a Deity, they give him
room, at leaft, to look upon himfelf as the Prince
to whom all Praife is due, and they put them
felves under a Neceffity of giving it to him.
The Truth on't is, their Love for their King,
which is fo natural to them, muft produce fome
thing extraordinary, for the Prince that governs
them now : Befides the Majefty of his Perfon,
and his being poflefs'd of Qualities that diftin
guifh him, and are agreeable to the French in
many Refpefts ; he extends the Monarchy fur
ther than any of his Predeceffors, and makes
the Nation more famous than ever it was, that is*
he pleafes the French in the fenfible Part. But
what proves this Prince not to be an ordina
ry one, and that they may make him the Object
ef all their Praifes, is that he fupports them
without any Emotion, like the Roman, recorded
in Hiftory, that had Strength enough to bear
the Heap' ef Garlands and Flowers thrown upon
him by the Greeks at the Olympick Games.
After all I have faid of the French, and their
Opinion concerning the reft of the World, I
muft fay fomething to you, Sir, of the Opinion
the reft of the World have of them, which is
not entirely what they fuppofe it to be, and is
occafion'd by their imitating them in their Beha
viour and Apparel'. Thefe things are, no doubt,
very conclufive, and give room for crying up this
Nation, that is fond of being cry'd up ; but, in
fhort, they don't impofe fo generally on the
reft of the World, but that there may befooie
that winch, and agree in their Idea of the Na
tion* They have the Concurrence of Strangers,
that travel for their Pleafure ; they will fooner

concerning the French, (ye. 1 6%
go to France than elfewhere. Many of them
who have been acquainted with People of Merit
in France, think of'them with Pleafure, and af
firm they have not found in other Countries
any like what they faw in France. The French
may likewife value themfelves on Account of
thofe that apply .themfelves to the Exercifes,
thofe that love Dreffing, Furniture, and all Sorts
of Toys and curious Trifles ; while this Tafte
continues they will love France and praife it.
There's another Party ftill more confiderable in
its Intereft, thefe are your profefs'd Gallants,
Gamefters, all that devote themfelves to Diver
fions, and efpecially the Perfons that furnifh
them ; all that choice Gang the Poet fpeaks of;
Ambubajarum Collegia, Pbarmacopola,
Mendici, Mim&, Balatrones ; hoc genus oynne.
The Readers of Romances and Novels, Stories,
Collections of Poems, Mercures Gallants, and
other Works of the Time, which are peculiar
to the French, can't fail of having a high Opi
nion of them. I believe the French pleafe them
every where, and that the young People, every
where, are pleas'd with Fiench Ways, and the
Idea they have of the Manner of Living in this
Country ; 'tis this that makes their Party confi
derable, the Years of Diferetion are not fo favour
able to them : The French Sprightlinefs begins to
lag the other Side of thirty, and the cool Blood
cf People come to Maturity, is fcarce compati-
ble with it. All free Nations, or thofe that va
lue Liberty, don't look upon the French as Mo
dels, and are far from admiring them. The Peo
ple call'd Philofophers, that is, thofe that fee
with their own Eyes, . and have juft Sentiments
of Things, laugh at them. Thofe that have any
Thing of the Mifanthrope hate them : Such as love
M 3 *

166 L E T T E R IV.
a plain and quiet Life, the old-fafhion'd People,
that will not change their Way of Living, nor
employ their Time in vifiting, and preferve
their Houfes from the Manners of the Time,
which they call pernicious and extravagant, and'
fome other particular People have an ill Will
towards them. They have Reafon likewife to
fear fuch as are clownifh, that call every Thing
by its proper Name, and give hard Names to
many Things they mention in France with Ap-
plaufe. But the French are ftill in lefs Efteem
among People that know them only in other
Countries, and by Perfons whom Chance rather
than Choice has made them acquainted with ;
thefe are prepofefs'd againft the Nation, and a
more favourable Chance, or their Friends that
have been in France, muft fet them right.
On this Occafion, I muft acquaint you with
a Singularity of the French, which has been ta
ken Notice of long fince, but we have not been
yet undeceiv'd about it; that is, that 'tis bet
ter to know the French in France than Abroad;
which is quite contrary to other People, who
are thought to be more fociable and complai
fant in foreign Countries than at Home. And
in effeft, a Frenchman in his own Country is fel
dom difpleas'd at a Foreigner's not being thorough
ly yerfed in French Ways, he is fatisfy'd with
their Endeavours, and being in Expectation of
their Improving, he keeps them in Heart : For
.tis an Article in their Art of Living, not to
difcourage thofe that come among them and
do Homage to the French Character. But as foon
as a Frenchman comes into another Country,
being furpriz'd to fee all the People differ from
him, he can t contain himfelf any longer and
flies from the Sight of fo many dreadful Things. Beha-

concerning the French, rye. 16 j
Behaviour and the Art of Living being a Kind
of Religion with him, he is poflefs'd with Zeal
to make Profelytes, and undertakes to convert
a whole City, rather than conform in the leaft
on his Part. When he is at any Court, he takes
it ill that they fhould pretend to any Polite
nefs with fuch ftrange Ways ; he views them
on all Sides, makes the Model for People every
where with fo much the more Willingnefs, be
caufe he finds People every where ready to
frame themfelves by him. To fee him alone,
and hear him talk of the French Way of Li
ving, a Man is apt to have a great Opinion
of France ; but as foon as he has any Oppor
tunity of meeting other Frenchmen, and that the
Queftion is really about forming this agreeable
Society, there's no more room for this great Opi
nion, and thefe People that are fo fociable in
their own Country, ceafe to be fo in others : There
moft of them prefer the Acquaintance of Stran-
fers to that of their Countrymen, and the leaft
latter of Intereft fets them at Variance. 'Tis
then they injure and difgrace themfelves among
thofe they converfe with, and they do it fo
much to the purpofe, that they give as bad an
Opinion of their Nation, as they gave a good
one, by what they related before to its Advan
tage. So that one may conclude from all this,
that the French ought to ftay in France, where
their Manners and Ways are in their proper
Place ; and that there are Frenchmen enough in
the World, for the Variety of the Charafter which
it ought to have in it; but to magnify this
Charafter, by limiting it as we do, and mar
king it anfwer the Intentions of the French,
ill anfwers that of Nature, and demonftrates that
we are but little acquainted with the good fhe
M 4 has.

?68 LETTER IV.
has done us, and is juft as if we made Par*
terres and Walks of the Meadows and Fields fhe
has given us.
You'll fay^tis not very polite to write three
long Letters about Paris and the French Nation,
and to fay no more of the Women. I muft
fpeak of them more at large, and in fuch a
Manner as may, perhaps, make you think me
ftill lefs polite. I have had no Occafion for
particular Enquiries to inform myfelf of their
Charafter and Manners ; common Fame, which
does not vary with refpeft to them, and agrees
entirely with what is related by the profefs'd
Gallants, makes them fufficiently known to eve
ry one that is not curious to know them by
Experience. The French Women are not over
handfome, which the French themfelves allow
to be true : As to their agreeable Ways, in
which they muft furpafs the Women of other
Countries, I don't know whether they would
affeft you much, and whether you would not
think them too forward. The effential Quali
ties of the fair Sex, Bafhfulnefs, Modefty and
Chaftity, are, no doubt, the Things that make
them agreeable, as well as Merit, I don't fay
in the Eyes of a Philofopher, or a Man of the
old Times, but in thofe of every Man, that is
in a proper State of judging of them. The
Manners now in vogue have infenfibly taken
away that Kind pf Tafte from the French ; what
makes a Woman amiable in their Eyes, is
Sprightlinefs and Wit, which is a perpetual Sub
jeft of Ridicule for the Nation. The Women
of Quality, efpecially, dife'ain this Bafhfulnefs
and fcrupiilous Shame-fac.ednefs. They feem to
them to be mean and affefted, only fit for
Tradefmen's Wives, and to fhun this extream, they

concerning the French, &c. 1 69
they fhun Modefty. They look upon it as a
Thing that regards the others, (for whom they
will not have any Refpeft) rather than them
felves, or their own Charafter, and fo give Way
to Liberties that are not fuitable to them. You
would be of Opinion they abandon their Chara
fter in a great many Things : They are fo much
given to intriguing, that they even meddle with
Politicks, and all Kind of Bufinefs is done thro'
their Means. They likewife abandon their Cha
rafter in Intrigues of another Sort, to which they
are naturally more inclinable ; 'tis not to Ten
dernefs they give Way, which might claim fome
Indulgence for this weak and tender Sex, that
are expofed by reafon of the Manners of the
Country to the Defigns of the Men who are
experienced in the Trade ; they are overcome
by Expences and Noife. Noife in any Senfe
does not difcourage them : As the Men are intre
pid in War, fo the Women are in Love ; they
look Danger in the Face, and notwithftanding
all the Examples of Indifcretion they have be
fore their Eyes, and all the idle Stories that
are made, yet great Numbers of them run the
fame rifque, and favour the People that are proud
of their good Graces. Some do it in Verfe, and
the Poems made on thofe Subjefts, are call'd £7/-
joyments, and are put without any Difguife among
the Sonnets and Madrigalls in their Colleftions
of Poetry, as the Women of Gallantry are among
thofe that have a good Reputation. In Company
the Women fpeak loud, and take upon them
fo decide Matters ; you don't fee them in any
Diforder, their Behaviour is not eafy and natural,
and they have nothing like an Air of Inno
cence. Every Thing they fay and do, has a
Turn of Rote in it, which does not become
Women

17° L ETT E R IV
Women,in my Opinion ; and,I believe,you'll agree
with me, that their Wit ought to be hid almoft
as much as their Bodies ; and that they fhould
let us have no more than a Glimpfe of it. But
here they are from any fuch Management ; the
Women fhew both their Bodies and their Wit,
They forget that they lavifh away their Charms
by fliewing them always, and that the Men
fhould put the Women in mind of them. A§
they are accuftom'd to obliging Things, and
it being a Rule to fpeak to them after that
Manner, it becomes very eafy to them ; but
you are not much touched with it, you think
that Softnefs was not defign'd for them ; others
have feid it already, or it has been faid already
to others, is rather a Phrafe than Argument. In
fhort, as the Men in France give too much Way
to Trifles, which makes them fcarcely Men, the
Women have too much Boldnefs, and are fcarce
ly Women. The continual Commerce between
both Sexes caufes, as it were, an Exchange of
Charafters, which makes each Sex derogate fome
thing from its proper Charafter ; but the Wo?
men (whofe tender Charafter fuffers lefs than is
obferv'd,) fell into a Miftake, and excel in a
great many Things that are out of their Province,
They fing Airs that are too lincentious, and
they fing them well. They drink hard at Ta
ble, and they do it agreeably. They under
ftand Gaming as well as the Men. They go a
Hunting with them, and come fo near the Men
in every Thing, that they are fcarcely Women.
I fpeak of the Sex in general, and, no doubt,
the 111 I fey of it, falls fhort of the Good which
might be faid of great Numbers that have pre-
ferv'd their native Charms by means of a good
Education, and have added every Thing that can

concerning the French, eye 171
can adorn their Sex ; Women with thofe Ad
vantages are what a Man of Merit is among his
own Sex; that is, they are amiable above all
the Women in the World.
The Maidens deferve a diftinft Article which
fhall be very fhort. 'Tis a Rule in France, that
they fhould not make themfelves be fpoke of;
thofe that aft otherwife are taken Notice of, and
can fcarce repair the lofs. Their Mothers have
a watchful Eye over them, and deny them the
Liberty of feeing Men in private, But their
own Manner of feeing the Men gives the Daugh
ters a bad Example, and 'tis to be fear'd the
Example, at long run, has its Effeft.
I am now come back again to the French in
general, and muft add a Word about the Englifi),
who are the Subjeft of the firft Letters I writ
to you. The French, like all other Nations, have
Merit in their general Charafter, and are, per
haps, of all Nations the moft human; they de
ferve to be lov'd ; but in their Uniformity they
dare not truft to proper or particular Chara
fters, and, generally fpeaking, they have no
other than that of the Nation. We owe lefs to
the Englifi) that love us lefs ; but, in other Re
fpefts, they deferve Men's Attention and Efteem 5
and tho' the general Charafter of their Nation
were but of little value, which none fhould ven
ture to maintain, the Englifi) would ftill be con
fiderable by their Number of particular Cha
rafters and Originals. They have likewife a~
Right to our efteem, by giving us an Exam
ple of People that dare make ufe of their Reafon,
and know how to live independantly, in which
they difcover more of the Duties of Men, and
more Freedom than by the Liberty which they
have preferv'd, with Regard to their mild Go
vernment^

x7* LETTER IV.
vernment. The French, on the other hand, tho'
in their Dependance on Cuftom, which, Io doubt,
is an unworthy one, and much more than that
they are reproach'd with, in Refpeft to their
defpotick Government, have the fociable Vir
tues; they know how to live among themfelves,
and with Men in general. The Englifiman has
Courage to take Refolutions on great Occafions,
where the Happinefs or Unhappinefs of Life are
at Stake, and nothing affects him more than
the Difgrace of failing in his Defigns. Befides,
he has little Dependance on Opinion, and m
Converfation he has more Satisfaftion in fpeak
ing the Truth, than in faying obliging Things,
to make himfelf agreeable. The Frenchman
efteems People's Opinion at a high Rate, and
endeavours to make them think well of him,
as well as to make others pleas'd with them
felves ; from thence proceed the many foft and
flattering Things they fpeak in Company. His
great Concern is about the Difgrace which ac
companies Ridicule and Singularity, becaufe he
may be expofed by them, and in lieu of ma
king ftrong Refolutions, and cutting Difficulties
fhort, which muft otherwife happen, he em
ploys his Cunning for a Remedy. He is ne
ver at a lofs on any Emergency, and behaves
himfelf dexteroufly in Cafe of unexpefted Ac
cidents, which are frequent in Life, and require
Prefence of Mind, and is gallant enough to help
even others out of Danger. The Way of Living
of the Englifi) fuppofes more eminent Qualities,
and the French, in theirs, muft have them in
greater Numbers. The Englifi not only value
their Nation at a high Rate, and prefer it to
all others, but they have likewife an Efteem
for every Individual in it : Tis a Nation where
People

Concerning the French, (ye. 1 7 ^
People are vain on their own Accounts ; and
the Englifi) make the Englifi) Nation. The French,
on the other hand, prefer themfelves to other
Men, chiefly becaufe they are French ; fo that
they muft have more Vivacity, more Wit than
thefe Englifi) or Germans : Thus the French Na
tion makes the French. The Englifi) by their
Contempt of others, the French efpecially, look
upon them thro' the Sides, that, in truth, make
them contemptible ; fuch as idle Projefts, In-
differency about Liberty, their too great Paffion
for Trifles, in a Word, the little Merit they
obferve in moft Strangers. If Men were allow'd
to defpife one another, we could not have much
Reafon to reproach the Englifi) on this Account.
Thus they don't conceal their Contempt of us,
and they dare make us fenfible of it ; but they
behave themfelves otherwife to Strangers that
have any Merit. When the French defpife other
People, the Things they have in view are no
Way capable of making them contemptible ; their
different Ways, little Wit or Knowledge in the
Art of Living, or a cool Temper, which they
take for a mean Underftanding. In a Word, the
French defpife human Race, becaufe they are
not all French. They conceal their Contempt
for us, or at leaft they think fo, and they have
Reafon on their Side in that Refpeft ; but this
hidden Contempt is the more durable, and it
rarely forfakes them. To this they add the De
fire of fetting right the reft of the World, and
ruling them : They look upon themfelves as the
civiliz'd People, that are already above others, by
their Wit and Behaviour, and want nothing but
to be fuperiour to them in Power. This Ambition
is, perhaps, the worft Part of the French Cha
rafter, and one of the Things that diftinguiffies them

if4 LETTERS.
them from the Englifi), who are content with
thinking their own Way of Living the beft,
and allow the reft of the World rnay govern
themfelves as they think fit. As to other Things
the French neither deferve the Hatred of fuch
Numbers of People, the Englifi) efpecially, nor
to be admired as they are : In my Opinion,
the Influence they ought to have on thofe that
know them, is to love them and laugh at them
a little. The ill that may be faid of them
takes up a great deal of room ; but it gene
rally extends no further than to fmall Matters.
'Tis a Lift of Trifles they fet too high a va
lue upon, by which they make themfelves lit
tle. The Good is fooner faid, but it relates to
effential Qualities that influence all Parts of Life,
and whereby we benefit on a hundred Occa
fions. The 111 that may be faid of the En'
glifi), as well as the Good, is more confidera
ble, and does not lean fo much on Ridicule,
as it does on the Bad ; 'tis more aftonifhing
than diverting ; but 'tis not fo general as the
111 that may be faid of the French, which brings
Things to an Equality. I think, I would rather
be a deferving Englifinnan, than a deferving
Frenchman ; I would likewife rather meet a
Frenchman of Merit, than an Englifi) ; as there
would be more Pleafure in finding a Treafure
of Gold Coins, which might be made ufe of im
mediately, than to find one of Ingots, which
muft be firft turned into Specie. On the whole,
to give in a few Words, and by a fenfible Com
parifon, a juft Idea of what may be blameable
in the Charafter of thefe two Nations ; one may
fay, that in one, the high Road is cover'd with"
Dirt, that the Crowd walk in it and are be-
dagled, as are even moft of thofe that go ano ther

concerning the French, eye. 175
ther Way, as it happens in a dirty Country,
where 'tis no Difhonour to be dirtied ; that in
the other Nation the high Road is more beaten,
and full of Duft, which fpreads over the whole
Country, and penetrates every Thing ; that its
Inhabitants are cover'd with it, and made uni
form; that few People dare go into the By
ways to fhake off the Duft, becaufe 'tis highly
efteem'd in the Country, and that they make
a great Shew of it. One of thefe Nations re
proaches the other with her Dirt, and values
nerfelf on being lefs dirty. The other prefers
her Dirt to the Duft ; fhe takes a particular Plea
fure in fhunning it at that Rate, and difdains
thefe dufty Folks. That is, that the great Opi
nion which Nations have of themfelves, and the
Contempt they have of one another, redoubles
the Ridicule of Self-love among the private Peo
ple, and it will be found in the End, that 'tis
an Advantage to be born in a Nation that has
no Reafon to boaft fo much of the Name it
bears. I embrace you, SIR, &c.

LETTER

176

LETTERS,

Letter V.

Believe, Sir, I have told you ever]/
Thing I had to' fay of the French;
however, I am come to them again.
I have faid little or nothing of their
Wit, which is one of the -moft im
portant Things in their Charafter ; the Subjeft,
in my Opinion, deferves to be handled more at
large. v
t 'Tis difficult to tell what Wit is ; nothing va
ries more, and Men don't agree about it, other-
wife than in this, that the different Things
which they take for Wit, are moft commonly
of little value ; fome make it confift in the
Facility of fpeaking and expreffing one's felf
handfomely ; others in the Art-of telling a Story
to Advantage. This Man places it in Buffon-*
ry and Jefting ; that there in Points of Wit
and Equivocation. Some think it muft be in
Raillery and Slander. Moft People are pofitive
'tis to be found in florid Difcourfes* and where-
ever there's much Fancy or Invention. They
give it as many different Shapes as a (k) Spirit
is capable of affuming, to underftand the Word
in its proper Serife, and, I believe, 'tis from
thence it takes its Name. It may be faid likens
wife, in order to make the Etymology com-*
pleat, that as People often think 'tis where 'tis
not,
( k ) in French Effrit fignifies Ghoft as teell- as Wit,

concerning the French, rye. 177
not, fo on the other hand they often over-look it^
where it really is, or at leaft moft of them
do fo. Tho' there may be fuch a Thing as Wit,
and it differ'd much from what I have faid, if
'tis of value, as it certainly is, 'tis not, how
ever, that which is commonly fet upon it, ot
at leaft its Ufe is not fo general as is imagin'd.
The French look on it as an effential Things
as one of the Qualities whereby a Gentleman
ought to fet himfelf forward, and in my Opi
nion, 'tis fo far from it, that every Gentleman
may be very well without it ; I don't fay as
to himfelf, where 'tis eafy to comprehend 'tis
not of any great Ufe, but even with Regard
to others, and in Society, where it ought
to be in its proper Place. Wit is an Orna
ment to Man, and can't be acquired ; Nature
gives it to us, and by that, as well as the
fmall Number of People fhe beftows it upon,
fhe demonftrates that we don't want it.
That which puts Men in a State of conver-
fing together, and is proper for all Times, and
all Countries, is good Senfe, which is a Qua*
lity effential to Man. We may, perhaps, look
upon it as the Vifta of the Soul, Which is gi
ven him to know the Truth, the effential Part
of Things, and to benefit by them. For it ap
pears that 'tis partly for that End that Man
Was made and font into the World, where fo
many Things offer themfelves to him ; and
good Senfe ought to be, in my Opinion, that
Which fhould conduft and enable him to ful
fil the Defign of his Creation in this Refpeft.
This good Senfe has its proper Language, and
this Language is fufficient for us. If our Eyes
are good, Objefts will not be wanting, and
there will be enough to pleafe ourfelves with.
N For

i78 LETTER V.
For among Men, thofe that fee clearly, and
refer what they fee to an End worthy of Man,
are poflefs'd of this good Senfe and have from.
that Time, in my Opinion, all that the Nature
of Man requires, as he is a reafonable Creature.
Thofe that choofe rather to devote themfelves
to the difcerning the particular Ways whereby-
all Things are varied and embellifhed, and pleafe
themfelves in varying and embellifhing their
Difeourfes, may well be the People of Wit. In
that Cafe, Wit would be nothing elfe than good
Senfe refin'd; and it would be allow'd to be a
sreat Ornament to the Man that had a fhare
of it and likewife that it fhould concur to the
fame' End with the good Senfe, of which 'tis
a Part; that it muft benefit by every Thing,
lead us to Good, by reprefenting it in a more
lively or more agreeable Manner, and induce
us to avoid Evil, by making it frightful and
odious in our Eyes. Thus Wit might add fome
thing to good Senfe, and ftrengthen it by em
bellifhing it ; it would have that Effeft, at leaft,
with Regard to People that are affefted with
Splendour, and give way to it. But Wit, ge
nerally fpeaking, except it be well managed,
or in fuch a Manner as not to be taken no
tice of, has this Inconveniency, that it influen
ces more with Regard to itfelf, in order to raife
Admiration, than in recommending Truth by
making it agreeable, and 'tis always true that
good Senfe alone, without any Ornament, when
'tis properly enforced, and fets off Truth to Ad
vantage, is much preferable to Wit.
If you defire to be more exaftly informed
in the Point of Diftinftion between good Senfe
and Wit, and would have me Reafon upon it
with more Serioufnefs, you fhall have my
Thoughts

concerning the French, rye. ij9
Thoughts on that Topick. I imagine two Fa
milies in Man's Underftanding that anfwer to
the Good and the Beautiful, the two Perfections
of the Objefts he has before him. That which
correfponds with the Good, and fhall have the
firft Rank in our new Syftem, ffiall be that
which knows and difcovers the effential Part
of Things. It will be proper for it to have a
Body, (if one may fpeak after that Manner,)
and Depth, and fhall contain more Truth thart
it feems to do: This is it that I'll call good
Senfe, I reprefent it to myfelf as the Male
Faculty of the Soul, (if I may ufe that Term,)
and is in my Opinion, chiefly proper for Men.
The Beautiful fhall be what accompanies the
Good, and embellifhes it ; it ffiall have fome
thing more of Shew, and make us take Notice
of Relations that are agreeable on Account of
their Delicacy, as well as their Exaftnefs. This
fliall be the Female Faculty of the Soul, as it
may, perhaps, be that which fhould come to
the Women's Share. Good Senfe and Wit ffiall
have Truth equally for a Foundation, and muft
not fubfift without it ; and as good Senfe, tho*
without Ornament, is ftill beautiful, fo likewife
Wit fhall not deferve the Name if it has not the
Good, and the Solid with the Beautiful. Every
Work where the Beautiful is predominant, ffiall
be a Work of Wit, and that where the Good
rules, fhall be a Work of good Senfe. When
both the Good and the Beautiful are found to*3
gether, and concur to the fame End, and that
Wit does not make itfelf remarkable, being
only an Appendix to good Senfe, but ftill has
its Effeft, as being embodyed with it, we will
acknowledge this Mixture to have fomething
in it very agreeable, and efteem at a high rate
N 2 thg

x8o L E TTER V.
the Works that have it. But we will ftill have
a greater value for thofe where the Good ex
cels, and difpenfe with all Embeliffiment ; fuch
are beautiful in themfelves, and far fuperiour
to thofe that have any Mixture. 'Tis princi
pally in thefe Works of the firft Rank, which
are very few, that we meet with the Sublime*
which few attain to, and whereof we fcarce dare
venture to determine the Idea. Should it not
confift in fetting off to the greateft Advantage
a Truth that has Grandeur in it, in bringing
it back to its Simplicity and Unity, by the
Manner of conceiving and expreffing it ; would
not Wit, at that rate, have its Sublime likewife*
and would not that be the Natural of fome parti
cular Kind, I mean when it has as much good
Senfe as Delicacy? That is the Purity of Wit*
and we muft always come back to the Purity,
as being that which is the effential Part of the
Sublime, of whatever Kind it is. 'Tis very rare
to find the Natural in Works of Wit ; and People
of Tafte are not only more charm'd with it
than the moft fparkling Thoughts ; but even
when 'tis fuch as we fuppofe, it has ftill this
Charafter of the Sublime, that the Original is
unknown. It does not depend on us to form
it and enrich our Works with it; it feems to
be born of itfelf, and it offers itfelf to the Wit,
as belonging to it, and almoft as if Wit had
no Share in it. We muft acknowledge to the
Honour of the French, that they know it bet
ter than others. Let us return to their Wit,
and to thofe among them that fhine moft with
it, and fee how far we ought to value it. Here
again you muft endure a great deal of Reafon
ing more than you expefted, or I intended That

concerning the French, rye. 1 8 1
That the Good, in all Sorts of Writings, may
fbbfift without the Beautiful, at leaft without
that which the Imagination, or the Vivacity
of Wit can add, is very certain ; and the ex
cellent Produftions which we have in this Kind
are Proofs of it. 'Tis now a Queftion, if the
Beautiful can alfo fubfift without the Good, or
the Agreeable without the Profitable ; we muft
come back to this Queftion, and confider of the
Value to be put on Works of this Kind : Thofe
of Voiture and Sarafin, for Example, who were,
I believe, the firft of the Wits of their Days,
when Wit feems to have had its Period. I don't
at all hefitate about this Queftion, and what
I have faid already, I fey again : In the Pro
duftions of Wit, the Beautiful cannot be fepa-
rate from the Good, as in Nature the Beauty
of Man can't be feparate from Health, which
paufes it -, without the Good there can be no
true Beauty : For Man being made for the Good,
he cannot be without it, except he ceafes to
be what he is; and it being the Nature of Good
to communicate itfelf to every Thing fufcepti-
ble of it, he cannot avoid introducing it into
all the Produftions of his Wit. Man then fhou'd
incline to Good, as his End, and turn all his
good Senfe, and likewife all his Wit to that
Side, if he would make any ufe of it, fince
Wit ought not to be feparate from good Senfe,
and that in the End, nothing but the Good
deferves to be adorned with the Beautiful. 'Tis
obvious enough from thence, that, the true Pro
duftions of Wit are not of the Nature of thofe of
Voiture and Sarafin, that have nothing but the
Beautiful, or fomething to pleafe, nor any other
End but to caufe fome agreeable Surprize. Voi-
twe and Sarafin were profefs'd Wits, that adorned
N 3 the

182 LETTERS.
the Beautiful, which they made their chief Aim,
with the Good which they might have; but
they had it not in fuch abundance as to make
it run over in the Produftions of Wit ; that
is, that Voiture and Sarafin could not fail of
doing what they did, they could not avoid
changing the Order which makes the Beauty
of the Objefts of Wit, and dazzle Men with
Shew. They were not thoroughly acquainted
with the true Value of the Good, fo as to im
prove it, and confequently their Works, not
fquaring with the Condition of Man founded
on the Good, cannot -be fo valuable as People
imagine. At the hazard of advancing a great
Paradox, I fay the Price of Produftions of Wit,
and generally of all thofe where there's room
for the Good, depends chiefly on the Value of
the Author, or the Good that is in him ; that
his Charafter influences the whole, and gives
\t its Dignity, more than all the Wit of thofe
Compofitions, and that it belongs therefore to
Men who have a great deal of the Good to
form the Beautiful and adorn themfelves with
it, to fport with Produftions of Wit, and make
Others Sport, none but thofe can do it nobly,
Let us confider the Thing another Way; 'tis
an Affair of Importance, and 'tis it that leads
Us to a true Knowledge of the Value of Con>
pofitions of Wit.
In my Opinion, all Writings that are ratio
nal and folid, tend to difcover the different Re
lations which Things may have, whether among
themfelves, to form a well proportion'd Whole,
pr to Man that is placed in their Center, and
muft probably have fome Advantage by it. The
Difeovery of the Relations, of things among
themfelves, requires nothing but Attention and
Judg-

concerning the French, rye. 183
Judgment, and the greateft Part of thofe that
love to make ufe of their Reafon, turn it that
Way. We fee infinite Numbers of thefe Pro
duftions, and thofe of Wit that have any Rea
lity, are commonly of this Kind. The Dis
covery of the Relations which Things have to
Man, requires, befides the Soundnefs of Reafon,
Soundness of Heart, and Inclination for Or
der. For, to be fenfible of thefe Relations, Man
muft be in Order himfelf, and be fuch that
all Things may refer to him as their chief
Aim. Every good Man is attentive to that
which furrounds him, and turns to this fort
of Difcovery, to which he makes the other
fubordinate-, for he apprehends the Relations
which Things have among themfelves don't con
cern him no further than as they relate to him,
and he conducts himfelf by what concerns him.
If a Man of this Charafter goes to write, his
Works muft be extraordinary ; the Profitable
is there mixed with the Agreeable, or rather,
the Agreeable is introduced to improve the Pro
fitable and the True, which flows from him
more naturally than the Agreeable. The Wits
we have mentioned, Voiture and Sarafin, were
not in that State, they gave no Attention to
thefe Relations ; and the Agreeable, inftead of
embelliffiing their Produftions, becomes the ef
fential Part of them : Being Men of a lively
and fruitful Invention, and having Leifure enough
befides, they undertook to invent Relations,
whether among Things themfelves, or between
Things, and the idle Man With Regard to Good,
which ought to be his Occupation; and they
have embellifh'd thefe Relations with every
Thing the Fertility of Wit could afford. Such
Novelties muft pleafe the Men they were in-
N 4 vented

184 L ET TER V.
vented for, fince they confirm them in their Idle-
riefs, and there's no room to be aftonifh'd*' if,
by their Ignorance of the true Relations which
Regard the Man that is aftive and bent up*
on Good, they admire thefe Produftions, and
look upon them as the Mafter-pieces of human
Wit. Neither is there any room to be furpriz'd
if thofe that own thefe invented Relations to
be of no Value, fhould take Occafion from thence
to defpife the Produftions of Wit, of whatever
Nature they may be, and deny that Works
of Wit are of any Advantage to the World,
Let us not be fo fevere, and agree there's
fome fporting in Men's Difcourfes, fince Nature
gives them Wit and forms them with an In
clination to fporting ; but let us afk them what
are its Dignity and Ufe, as the Diverfions that
regard the Body have theirs, . and help to make
it vigorous and aftive. A Man of Senfe does
not divert himfelf either with Dancing on the
Ropes, or Juggling, but he makes choice of
genteel Exercifes, and none blames him on that
Account : Let us do the fame Thing with Re
fpeft to Men of Underftanding ; let us have
noble Diverfions that are proper for us, and by
recreating us give us Encouragement to return
to our Work. That the Aim of Works of Wit
fiiould be the Good made agreeable ; that they
fhould inftruft us by their fporting, and even
without difcovering any Defign of inftrufting,
if People would have it fo. That thofe Men
who have a Talent for Drollery may praftice
it if they pleafe, they ought to do it as Men
that play with Children, to whom they give
found Ideas of ever}?- Thing they fpeak to them
about, and not as Children that play the Fool
With other Children, That every Man of Wit fet

concerning the French, rye 185
fet the Price which Things have with Relation
to Man. For every Thing being made in order
to lay before his Eyes certain Truths, which in
the main regard the Value of Things, every
Thing referring to them one Way or another,
every Produftion of a Man of Genius muft have
this Mark of Reality to contain thefe Relations
and this Value, and make them known to thofe
that are ignorant of them. That is proper for a
Man of Senfe, as well in his Sports as in his fe
rious Concerns, and 'tis it that gives them Dig
nity. Every Thing muft likewife be handled
in Proportion to its Value, and by that alfo,
the Price of every Thing in thefe Produftions,
being mark'd as it were, they may be of ufe
to that Kind of Knowledge, that of all others
is the moft profitable, and to which all others
muft refer. At that rate every Thing in Na
ture may be a Subjeft of Difcourfe for Men,
and there may be room for Wit every where,
in fmall Things as much, and, perhaps, more
than in great, for they have the fame Origi
nal, and all of them deferve our Attention,
fince Nature lays them all before our Eyes.
Good Senfe without any Ornament is beft plea
fed with Things of Importance, leaving Wit to
fport herfelf with little Things, and Wit, on
her Part, accommodates herfelf to this Partition
and naturally inclines to the Little, as being
fitteft to play with.. Let us play then with
all that is trifling and little in the World, and
put a hundred and a hundred Things to that
ufe, in Expeftation of finding another for them,
and that Wit fhould find its own, if it be not
that of Sporting. Let us return to the Works
of Voiture and Sarafin. The

¦126 LETTER V.
The French value them at a high Rate, and
they are Things of Importance in their Eyes.
Voiture impofes on them more than arty other ;
they put him (as it were) at the Head of their
Wits, and (I) one of the Number calls him
their King. Sarafin has likewife his Admirers
that extol him to the Skies, and have as much
Reafon to do fo as thofe of Voiture, if it be
true that thefe Authors Kind of Writing is what
People would improve. It muft be acknow
ledged both of them excel in it : Voiture in his
Letters, and Sarafin in fome of his Poems, where,
in my Opinion, he has the Advantage of the
other. Never did People play the Child more
agreeably than thefe Writers have done ; never
was there a more fruitful Imagination than
theirs ; the Flowers grow under their Hands,
as they do under their Shepherds Feet ; and
they fpread them on every Thing they touch;
never was Work more marvellous in its Kind,
and likewife never was any Kind of Writing
more fantaftical. To thefe two Authors I'll add
Balfac, no lefs efteem'd than they, and is the
fame in the grave and lofty Stile, that the
others are in the familiar and gay, and I fay
they are Frolicks of Nature ; that fhe was wil
ling to try how far the irregular Imagination
of Men can be agreeable and fublime ; what
kind of Things this Imagination would bring forth
of itfelf, and the Time when fhe fhould have
good Senfe at her Service, inftead of being at
the Service of good Senfe. Had not I faid al
ready that the Good, or the Rational ought to
be the effential Part of Men's Writings, I would
fey it in this Place, and infift that the Ratio nal
(/) Peiitlbn in his Difcourfe on Sarafin'* Works.

concerning the French, rye. 187
nal may be faid to be, as it were, the Body
of every Work. If an Author pleafes himfelf
with embellifhing and making it agreeable, let
bim do fo, then he may employ his Wit and
adorn this Body. But Wit or Invention without
a good Foundation, is like a Shadow cloath'd,
or a Phantom ; or, if I muft make a Compa
rifon not to frightful, I fay then 'tis withWit
as with Sugar, it fweetens fome particular Meats
that would not be fo grateful without it, and
gives them a better Relifh ; it ferves for Com
fits, that People eat with Pleafure, but of it
felf is not good. The Works of Voiture and
Sarafin, efpecially Voiture 's, are not Comfits, they
are Sugar difguis'd - after different Ways-, they
are fugar'd Pafte made into Figures, we fee
them for a Minute, and are pleafed with them ;
but muft be Children to eat much, or make a
Meal of them.
We muft make another Remark on Voiture's
Works, it relates particularly to his Letters,
which are moft efteem'd, and which People
would chiefly imitate. We write Letters to our
Friends to let them know how Things are with
us, and efpecially if they any Way relate to
them, and we write every Thing we could
fay in cafe we happen'd to meet them. The
Perfection of thefe Sorts of Letters confifts then
in their refembling common Difcourfe ; that
they be familiar and natural, and that they be
not only free from the Umbrage of the Com-
pofi'tion, but that they furpafs it, and that the
Language of the Heart be felt in them. This
is far from the Charafter of Voiture's Letters,
inftead of being natural, they are only witty, and
imitate that Kind of Friendfhip that will not
fce imitated, they jeft with it ; This Writer feigns

188 LETT ER V-
feigns to feel what he does not feel, and ag
gravates it to make himfelf valuable, and feem
to be much affefted. This is a Jeft with which
the Perfons that receive fuch Letters have no
.great Reafon, in the main, to be pleas'd $ for
'tis unhappy that our Friends, when they write
to us, are oblig'dto have recourfe to Fiftion, and
that in every Letter we receive from them we
find we are not yet advanced fo far as to in-
fpire them with any Regard for us. Nor have
the Perfons to whom Voiture writes, any Rea
fon to be pleas'd with his Flattery, and ex
tolling every one of them in their Turn above
the reft. Thefe Letters, in every Shape, have
an Effeft contrary to what they ought to have ;
they fhew us Voiture as he is a Wit, but not Voi
ture as a Friend, and it feems that in him the
Writer has devour'd the Man. In truth, all
Profeffions in which Men engage, are fubjeft
to this Inconveniency, and they rarely excel
in any but at the Expence of the Foundation,
which is Humanity, But that ought to have
a particular exception, with Regard to Wit,
which fhould be the Ornament of Humanity,
as the Flowers we fee in the Meadows ferve
to adorn them, without leffening any Thing of
their Value. This Author ought to employ him
felf upon other Subjefts, on Subjefts of Drollery,
and fuch as Man fhould be no Way interefted
in, for whom he has no Concern. Some of his
Writings are of this Kind, and 'tis in them we
muft acknowledge his great Genius, and there
place the Royalty to which they have raifed
him. Voiture is the King of Drollery and Tri
fles, and on the fame Foot, fhall be King of
the Wits (if they defire it,) of a Country where
Trifles are efteem'd, and his Encomium fhall

concerning the French, eye. 1S9
he exactly the fame that Sarafin has given him*
and by changing the Name might be given to
Sarafin himfelf.
Veturhs, nulli nuganwi laude fecondus. Let us
proceed with examining their beft Wits, of whom
the French boaft fo much, and endeavour to
find out the Price which ought to be fet up
on them.
They have famous Poets in the Drama, that
is, in the beft Produftions of the Underftanding.
Gorneille and Racine excell'd in Tragedy, and
Moliere in Comedy. Let us endeavour to fet
a Price, not on thefe Poets, but on this Kind
of Writing, where there's no more wanting to
excel than to be reckon'd among the great Ge
nius's, and in effeft it requires more than an
ordinary Capacity. Here the Relations extend
to Man ; but the End of the Drama being no
more' than to pleafe us, thefe Relations cannot
have all their Exaftnefs, and, in general, the
Poet can't avoid doing them Violence in or
der to accommodate them to the Tafte of the Pub
lick. In Comedy he leffens them, and puts
them below Man, and in Tragedy he extends
them to make them Heroick, and fets them
above him. Thefe Compofitions, as well as moft
others, have no other Aim but Applaufe, and
the whole, at laft, tends to applaud the Poet.
We will then applaud thofe we have named,
and fey once more that they have excell'd in
this Kind of Writing, and have, perhaps, car
ried it further than any that went before them.
But we will not allow their Works to be as
important as they are ingenious, and the Beau
tiful of the Drama fhall no more impofe on
us to make us value it, than it does on the
Publick, on whom it has no other Effeft than to

ico LETT ERV.
to pleafe and amufe. But now, Sir, to tell yoa-
what I think of this Affair, the writing of. Tra
gedies, which they extol fo much above that,
of Comedies, and which in Reality infinitely
furpaffes it, for the Excellence of the Subjeft,
feems to me to be not only of little ufe, but
lefs proper for the Stage, which has more of
the comick Part, in one Senfe, than Comedy,
itfelf. The Stage is not made to give Men what
they have not, fublime Thoughts, which are
the fubjeft of Tragedy; 'tis not proper, at the.
moft, to take away what they have too much
of, the Follies that make them ridiculous : Co
medy, by fetting them in a clear Light, may
give People a diflike to them ; on that Account;
the Stage is its proper Place, and likewife be
caufe 'tis proportion'd to Man's Wit that loves
Mirth, and readily tends to Trifles. Every
Thing that is vain and frothy is fit to be re
prefented on the Stage, and Comedy being the
World in Epitome, Men that fee it afted, va
lue it fofficiently by laughing at it. 'Were it
reftified and clear'd of every Thing but Farce,
and applied as much to Correction as it is to
Amufement, it might, at laft, have its ufe,
apd be a Sport for People. But 'tis not fo with
Tragedy, it expofes ferious and grave Subjefts
on the Stage, and plays with Things from which
we might draw quite another Advantage. It
turns the Good into the Beautiful, after its Way,
by making it ferve for Reprefentations and
Paintings, about which there's no other Que
ftion but to know if they are well made: It
expofes and abafes Virtue in fome Refpeft, even
by recommending it : We are not ignorant of
the Price of Virtue, and we know very well
it muft be. of ufe in the World. The Queftion i?

concerning the French, eye. 191
is to know where to place it, and how Men
are made, if any one can fhew it to them as
at a Diftance, and out of the common Path of
Life ; if at any Rate he can give them a Dif-
penfation from praftifing it themfelves, he plea
fes them. The Poets do them this Service by
the help of Tragedies ; there they fet off Virtue
with Splendour, but in €0 extraordinary a Sphere,
and fo diftant from what is common and fa
miliar, and they are fo well acquainted with
the Art of turning it into fine Words and lofty
Sentiments, that they make a Kind of Propor
tion between the Play and Virtue. The Audi
ence feeing it become a Thefis, the fplendid
Play-thing of Wit, accuftom themfelves to look
upon it as if it were made for that Purpofe,
and think that a Thing reprefented with fo
much Luftre has all it can expeft from hu
man Wit. By approving and admiring thefe
Compofitions, and giving Way to all the Emo
tions which they produce, they are of Opinion
they have anfwera every Thing they can re
quire of them, with Regard to the Heart. Thus
Virtue becomes a Shew exhibited to the Curio
fity of the People, an Objeft for the Stage,
whither Men banifh her, and all thefe lofty
Sentiments appear to them to be as far diftant
from common Life, as the Apparel and Atti
tudes of the Stage are from thofe they wear
at home. Love alone which, generally fpeak
ing, is the effential Part of thefe Reprefenta-
tions, and in which all the Performances of the
Stage center and affift each other, Love which
is moft fuitable to the Inclinations of Youth,
has its Effeft in thefe Plays which were invented
for them, and communicates itfelf in good ear
neft. On this Account, efpecially, it may be
faid

192 LETTERV.
faid that Tragedy is mifchievous. It abafes the
Good by mixing -it with the Bad, with Love,
as it authorizes the Bad in making it go Hand
in Hand with the Good. We fhall therefore
have Reafon to look upon the greateft Efforts
of the Underftanding for writing Tragedies
among Things that are vain and ill-proportion'd,
and thofe for writing Comedies among fuch as
may be ufeful, were they as compleat as the
Wit of Man, conducted by good Senfe, might
make them,; but as they are, they rather cor
rupt than do good. .
The French have multiply'd and entirely abas d
Comedies, by a Kind of Writing which is al
together uncommon, that is Burlefque, to be
found no where, I believe, but among them,
and we muft not forget to put the Poet, to
whom they are obliged to for it, in the Lift
of their Wits. Scaron, a celebrated Author of
this Age, has excell'd in this Way of Writing,
and perfefted it. Here all the delations ex
tend not only to the idle, but likewife to the
extravagant Man, and this Wit deferves to be
acknowledged King of Extravagance, as well
as Voi ture King of Wantonnefs ; the Number of
his Admirers ffiews likewife that his Kingdom
is as confiderable. As to other Matters, it would
feem as if Nature and this famous Wit had made
War on one another reciprocally: Nature lodged
it very ill, and in a deform'd Body, andit on
the other hand, as if it were to revenge itfelf,
disfigures Virgil who is the Poet that is an Ho
nour to Nature; and he difguifes Virgil as Na
ture difguifed himfelf This Work of Ridicule de-
ferv'd to be efteem'd as much as it is, that
Men might fee how far we are capable of be
coming the Bubbles of the Imagination, when

we

concerning the 'French, eye. 19%
we depart from good Senfe and Simplicity, and
to what a Degree our Tafte^ is corrupted, when
¦we think of cultivating it "by any Thing elfe
but Truth, which is agreeable to Mam
Another Author that appear'd on the Stage
in the laft Century, had already fported him-*
felf with this deprav'd Tafte, in his Pantagruel,
where by the Help of fome fine Paffages, which
he feems to have thruft into them here and
there, as it were to allure the Reader, he makes
him run over whole Pages, not only of Stuff,
to which the Vulgar fuffer themfelves to be
eafily led, but even of fenfelefs and mad 'Whim-
fies ; that is, his Jeffs are accompany 'd with
Things that match them exaftly ; and he pre-
fents to thofe that run after this Kind of Wit^
what their Tafte deferves. Here we muft not
look for Relations ; for the Pleafure of this Wit
was to deftroy them, and to publifh a Work
where there were none, a Work inferior to
Man's- Condition, and which, by a myfterious
Appearance, was thought to be above it. The
French are, however, very proud of this Author,'
and they put him in the Rank of their ( m)
extraordinary Men. But fome one has done him
more Juftice, in deriving the Name of Rabelais,
from Rabie Lsfus, that is, Struck with Madnefs ;
and it may be faid, that fuch Numbers of Peo
ple as ufe his Language and Jefts, confirm this
Etymology, and fhew that they were bit, as
it were, by fome mad Thing or other. There's
nothing in that Author, in my Opinion, to re
commend Wit, and I believe other People will
not much envy the French on the Score of thefe
two extraordinary Perfons. We might likewife
O bring
(w) Vide Rabelais hi MoreryV DiH'wnM'f,

194 LETTER V.
bring feme other Wits of the Time paft on
the Stage, and fhew by them, that Wit, even
when People excel in it in the Eyes of the
Publick, has fomething very ambiguous, and
that a Nation, which had an Advantage of others
in that Refpeft, would not have fo much Rea
fon to boaft as is at firft imagin'd. But let
us quit the Wits of the Time paft, to come to
thofe that make a fhining Figure at this Time,
or fome of them at leaft.
The firft that offers is their celebrated Poet,
the Author of the Satyrs, that fweeps the French
Parnajfus, and drives away the Crowd of Wits
that have no good Title to it. His Works are
not without their Defert, and they juftify the
Efteem which the Publick has for them in fome
Meafure. They are well turn'd and elegant, and
have fomething in them very aweful : There
we fee Art and Pains join'd to the Talents of
Nature, and the Poet has happily introduced
the fineft Paffages in the ancient Poets, and
embellifhed his own Works with them. Here
the Relations extend to Man, inafmuch as he
is fociable, and preferves himfelf from Ridi
cule ; and, generally fpeaking, they are regu
lar and well proportion'd, nor are the Works
without Dignity. But the Price which the Poets
fets upon Good and Evil, efpecially the firft,
feems to proceed rather from the Head than
the Heart, anfwerable to his Satyrs, which af-
feft the Head rather than the Heart. That is
another Reafon for not putting them into the
firft Rank, as to their Beauty, which is the
Thing that gains them Applaufe. As to other
Things, our Author has no predominant Cha
rafter : He has good Senfe and Wit enough to
excel ordinary Genius's j but I can't fay he is a
great

concerning the French) eye. 105
great Genius. He feems often to employ his
good Senfe and his Wit feparately, and one of
them when the other fails, rather than make
ufe of both together, to fet off to Advantage
the Sentiments of the Heart, which make the
Poet. He fometimes raifes himfelf, but his
Flights are fhort, and his Poems favour much
of Straining and Pains ; one may perceive that
the Search of the Beautiful, and a particular
Kind of Brightnefs are their chief Spring ; from
thence proceed the Jeffs which we meet fo of
ten in him, as well as all this unneceffary Ma
lice, and the Paffages that divert the Reader,
but are not to the Honour of the Poet. They
make us fenfible that the whole is no more
than a Jeft, that the Poet has no other View
than to make himfelf merry, and to obtain the
Approbation of the Publick, and a great Num-5
ber of People that are pleas'd with this Ma
lice and ill Nature. This likewife gave him
an Opportunity of falling upon general Topicks, '
rather than the Defefts of his Nation, and by
this, as well as the proper Charafter of his
Wit, he does not benefit the French as much
as a Satyrick Poet might do. For this Reafon
chiefly, I look upon him to be as much be
neath the Excellent, where he is placed by the
Publick, as he is above the Ordinary or Indife
ferent, which he attacks with Succefs in his
Satyrs -* and I am perfuaded Time, which fets
the juft Value on Authors, will not put this
in the firft Rank, as the Age does. Give me
Leave to make one Remark on the French Wri
ters on this Poet's Account ; generally fpeaking,
they write for the Publick, not to do them good,
but to pleafe them, and have their Approba
tion ; they ftudy their Tafte, and they will
O 2 no£

i96 LETTER V.
-not venture to write any Thing that may be
difagreeable to them. The Publick is their Idol,
as Wit is the Publick's ; and I believe one may
fay, without being miftaken, that whatever Ge
nius a Writer may have, this very mean View
would be fufficient to ftint and hinder it from
foaring, as it otherwife would. A Genius truly
great has the Publick in his Eye, in order to
give them Laws, and not to receive them ; 'tis
this that produces the Performances that are
excellent. The French have a Writer, that better de-
ferves, in my Opinion', the Title of a Wit. He
gives an eafy and ingenious Turn to whatever
he writes in Profe and in Verfe, and employs the
Natural as well as the Brilliant. He knows Nature,
and feldom departs from her in the Works where
fhe ought to be follow'd. Let the Subjeft he
handles be never fo dry, he embelliffies it with
fine Thoughts, and in him is feen, in all its
Agreeablenefs, and, perhaps, in all its Profiife-
nefs, the' gay and elegant Wit, which is pro
perly the Wit of the French. But his Works
are defeftive (as well as a great many others)
in that which fhould be their Excellency; the
Good, which the) Heart alone, when 'tis reple-
niffi'd with it, fpreads over them. The Au
thor feems to keep himfelf neuter between the
Good and the Evil which may be done to Men
by writing, at leaft, if it be true, that there's
no Harm in entertaining them with Things that
flatter the ordinary Tafte, to paint in lively
Colours and moving Strokes, Love that mif-
leads them, and to make a Jeft of feveral Sub
jefts, which might be turn'tt to better Advan
tage. The Relations are more natural in his
Works than in thofe of Voiture and Sarafin, and he

concerning the French, rye. 197
he may be put into the fame Rank with them
as to the Beauty of Wit, if he does not even
furpafs them ; but thefe Relations are not lefs
extended to the idle Man, that lives only for
Pleafure, and the Value of Things is not much
better obferv'd in them. For that Reafon efpe
cially, we can't fet a very great one on his
Works, be they never fo well writ, and let
them deferve never fo many Encomiums in
other Refpefts. If it be true that Wit can't be
carry'd further than this Author has done, as
fome imagine, that put him at the Head of
the Moderns, that Work of his which has gi
ven room for this Opinion, ffiall likewife ferve
for a Proof that Wit, whatever Flights it may
take, can't of itfelf go very far. He raifes
himfelf by the help of the Works of good Senfe,
which others furniffi hint with, and the Writers
of this Charafter are in the right to take that
Method ; but we fhall likewife be in the right
to fay, that if they will carry away the Bell
from good Senfe, if Wit will have itfelf pro
claimed King, he muft be reduced to the Strata
gem ufed by the Wren, that hid himfelf un
der the Eagle's Wing to be carry'd up to the
Skies, and did not take his Flight, to overcome,
till the Eagle had finifh'd his.
Here we have a Wit of another Charafter,
a famous Author, who after having writ on
all Sorts of Subjefts, with an extraordinary Fa
cility, and gaining a great deal of Reputation,
bethought himfelf, at laft, to drain all his Know
ledge, and difcharge it into a large Book of
Criticifm, in order to entertain the Curious.
This Author, above any other, demonftrates
how far a Man that is defeftive in the Senti
ments of the Heart may go aftray thro' Wit ;
O 3 and

198 L ETT E R V.
and his Work, which, by the agreeable Man
ner 'tis writ, deceives fo many People, may
fhew on what Side the general Tafte of our
Times is turn'd. The Relations of Things among
themfelves are well obferv'd here; Argument
is this Author's Mafter-piece ; but the Relati
ons which Things have to Man are entirely
overthrown and deftroy'd. They neither reach
the idle nor extravagant Man, but the vicious
is made more vicious by them. The Author
pleafed himfelf with difperfing Obfeenenefs thro'
them, as well as jefting on fome Subjefts, that
every reafonable Perfon will always refpeft,
and he improves both the one and the other
by Wit, that fits every Thing, the Filthy and
the Bad, as well as the Good, and diverts him
felf with fliewing the Wonders he can do in
the Bad more than the Good. The Body of the
Book is a Wonder of itfelf, for the many idle
and impertinent Things which an agreea
ble Stile, and a natural and ingenious Turn
makes- us value and admire; 'tis the Work in
the World where the Men that run after Wit,
thofe that have a mind to be amufed and de
ceived, are beft fitted. This frightful Volume,
this Mountain of a Book, after making great
Out-cries in a Preface that matches it exaftly,
and may excufe a Man of Underftanding from
reading the Work, brings forth nothing more:
than a Moufe, or rather the Moufe brings forth
a whole Brood, that creeps every where to gnaw
and fpoil, without even fparing the moft fa
cred Things, Shall this Author, who thinks fo
ill of every Thing we efteem, have Liberty of
faying what he thinks, and ffiall others make
it a Decorum not to fay what they think of
Jiim > Let us fpeak boldly, and fay that the
Author

concerning the French, rye. 199
Author of the Critical Diftionary is a Quack,
and, perhaps, the moft remarkable of all the
Quacks that ever appear'd ; being deck'd with
a vain-glorious Erudition, a Heap of Facts and
Circumftances that never deferv'd to be taken
Notice of by a Man of Senfe, he makes him?-
felf known by a Kind of Pomp, and attrafts
the Eyes of every one ; and the Fertility of
his Wit that makes him fit for afting any Part,
puts him in a Condition of pleafing a Crowd.
Sometimes he afts the Philofopher, that feems
to have good Manners in great Efteem, and he
makes Reflections that recommend him ; at
other Times he is a Libertine that fports with
every Thing, and humours his Fancy. Some
times he appears as a Free-Thinker, before whom
nothing muft ftand ; at other Times he oppo-
fes the Free-Thinkers themfelves, and you would
be of Opinion he was going to fight them. He
is a Scholar that cites or refutes other Scho
lars; he is a Cavalier that imitates the Lan
guage of the Court ; fometimes he affects that
of War, at other Times that of the Bar. He
often makes ufe of a Language that is only fit
to charm the Mob with, and he fpeaks it fo
well, that 'tis by it chiefly he carries the Bell
from all the Quacks that went before him.
There's no Part but he afts, nor any Figure
but he affumes, to increafe the Crowd of Spe
ftators, as well as to pleafe them ; and the
Fruit of all that is to make them look upon
all Things as if they were made to be jefted
with. Some content themfelves with being bare
Speftators of his apifh Tricks, and lofe no more
than their Time. Others, more to be lamented,
give Credit to his Difcourfes, and furnifh them
felves with his Drugs, as fomething very ex-
O 4 traordinary,

2oo LETTERS.
traordinary, that preferves People from the Scru
ples and uneafy Terrors of Religion, and they
find, in Reality, what they feek after. 'Tis a
Work that in every Shape is proper for fedu-
cing thofe that will be feduced.
Here would be Matter in abundance for dif-
paraging that Kind of Wit call'd Bel Efprit,
ihould we make it our Bufinefs to do fo, and
to the Authors I have quoted I might add others,
which would conclude the Proofs I have al
ready advanced ; that Wit, when 'tis not con
ducted by good Senfe, is liable to all Sorts of
Errors, and that even with its greateft Efforts*
fuch Things as it produces fall fhort of the
Excellency they feem to have at firft View;
but 'tis better to confider it in its true Ufe, when
being guided by good Senfe, 'tis devoted with
it to the Good of Society, by the Heart turned
that Way, and filled with good Thoughts. Two
Works of this Charafter have beep much ta
ken Notice of in our Days,' and France fur-
niffi'd us with them : Works that are excellent
on Account of their Defign, which is to inftruft,
and are embelliffi'd by the Delicacy of Wit,
and agreeable Paffages diffufed thro' the whole.
One of them makes a Kind of Parallel be
tween the Charafters of Men in former Times,
drawn by one of the moft celebrated Writers
of Antiquity, and thofe of the Men in oiir Gener
rations. He makes at the fame Time, by his
Manner of Writing, a Parallel between the plain
and unaffefted Genius of Antiquity, or at leaft
of the Author he has tranflated, and put at the
Head of his Work, and the Genius of our Times,
fo fertile in Turns of Wit, that are natural to
it, and he fucceeds in it fo far, that the Admit
yer§ of Antiquity muft be under a Temptation
1 to

concerning the French, rye. 2.01
to declare for the Genius of the Moderns, that
is the witty. But the Work is valuable in
this Refpeft, and it may be faid % to be its
Effential ; that, generally fpeaking, the Author
feldom fuffers the Reader to give any Atten
tion to Wit, which he embellifhes. There the
Author makes it his chief Bufinefs to paint the
Manners of his Nation, and feeks after fuch
Means as may enable him to be ufeful to it,
and no doubt but he is fo. We obferve in his
Writings, befides the French Genius, which he
poffeffes in its utmoft Perfection, all the Pene
tration that a difinterefted Man, or a Stranger,
could add to them, and his lively and grace
ful Painting is undoubtedly as much to be
valued for the Inftruftion they give us, and their
Agreeablenefs, as the moft ingenious Satyrs left
us by Antiquity, and they far excel thofe writ
in our Times.
The other of thefe two Performances pre-
fents to us in a Poetick Stile, as foft and harmo
nious, and as rich as the Poetry itfelf, the Se
quel of one of the moft celebrated Poems of
Antiquity ; and this Sequel or Fidtion, fo dif-
paraged by its being abufed in our Days, ap
pears again in its ancient Luftre, is fill'd with
important Inftruftions worthy of the Attention
pf the Perfons for whom it was chiefly writ;
that is, thofe that are appointed to govern, to
whom People of Genius owe their Lucubrati
ons preferably to all others. This Work is,
perhaps, in our Times, the fame Thing that
thofe of the Greek Poets were in the Times
wherein they appear'd, that is, they excell'd all
others. We may fay fomething like it of the
Work we join with it, which does not yield
fp it in any Thing in its Kind ; and in each of

202 L &TT E R V.
of thefe Performances every Thing refers to Mart
in the Order and State he ought to be in, and
tends to make him return to it. Thefe two Au
thors are not Wits-, they are not of the Number
of thofe that make ufe of the Good, which they
have only in their Heads, to embellifh the Beau
tiful, or that which is intended to pleafe, and
which they have in their Hearts. They are
Men of Wit that have the Good in their Hearts,
and the Beautiful in their Heads. In them Wit
does not devour the Man, it only adorns him,
and mixes the Beautiful with the Good, which
is their chief Aim, as well as the effential Part
of their Works. The Charafter of a good Man
that touches us fenfibly in every Thing he
writes, affefts the Reader more than all the
Beautiful or the Good in the Work itfelf, or
rather this Charafter makes the true Beauty,
which is the fame Thing to Compofitions of
Wit, that a good Countenance is to fome Peo
ple, it pre-engages us in their Favour, and puts
us into the propereft Difpofition of being ea
fily perfuaded.
To thefe two Performances let us add a third :
The agreeable Fablers in the witty Poetry of
another fine Genius, an Original Genius, and,
perhaps, the only one of his Kind. This Work
which gives delight even to the moft ferious
Perfons, that have but very little Value for any
Thing that has no more to recommend it than
the Agreeable, fhews us what one of thofe we
have juft mention'd has already taught us in
fome Refpeft ; that every Man that has only
Wit for his Share, would do well to borrow
fomething of thofe that have good Senfe for
theirs, in order to improve his Wit ; and that
in whatever Manner he poffeffes it, he ought to

concerning the French, eye. ^05
to confederate it to the Rational, to the Good
that deferves to be embellifh'd, and by that Me
thod, if its Value is not increas'd, it comes at
leaft into Vogue. Wit, by keeping clofe to the
Good, participates of its Dignity, it raifes it
felf and fhines much more than when it makes
itfelf known and adorns itfelf, which is feldom
obferved in any Works but fuch as are of no
Value. This Author may likewife fhew us what
Wit is capable of when it forfekes the Good.
He has fully'd his Talent and taniiffi'd his
Reputation by a Work far different from that
we have mentioned : There the Agreeable is
employed to give Currency to the Bad and
the Foul, and makes fome Perfons relifh them,
that> would otherwife difdain them. Were it
not for the firft Work, the fecond would be lefe
mifchievous, and this Conjunction foews us that
in order to be a ufeful Writer to Society, and
deferve the Praifes due to Men that diftinguifh
themfelves, 'tis not \enough to have extraordi
nary Talents, that may be of great ufe ; nor
will it fuffice to employ them in fuch a Man
ner as that Good may refult from them; he
muft have Good in his Eye, and devote his
Talents to it; and a Heart full of that in which
the Merit of Man confifts, muft determine his
Underftanding to one and the fame End, the
only one that is worthy of him ; otherwife a
Work may deferve all Sorts of Praifes, with
out the Author's having any Share in them.
The extraordinary Regret which the Author
we fpeak of was under, as they fey, towards
the End of his Days, for the Work which gives
occafion to thefe Refleftions, demonftrates that
Wit mifleads the very Perfons that have Vir-*
tue and Sincerity; but have no great Value for

204 L ET T E R V.
for them, becaufe they value Wit too much;
by which they acquire a more general, or at
leaft a quicker Reputation.
Shall not we put the Book of Moral Refle
ftions among the celebrated Produftions of Wit?
If it be true that Wit is good Senfe refin'd, this
will, no doubt, be a Work of Wit, and even
the firft in its Kind. But as it is all natural
and plain without any brilliant, good Senfe may
reclaim it and boaft of it, and in that Cafe, it
would be a Mafter-piece of good Senfe. 'Tis
fo without doubt, and it may prove what I
faid in the Beginning of my Letter : That good
Senfe, without any Ornament, when it appears
in its full Force, has the Advantage of Works
where there's a Mixture of Wit ; that the Good
has its proper Beauty, which is fufficient for it.
This Book of Refleftions ought to be plac'd
among the Works of the firft Rank, as well
on Account of the Defign, as the Manner of
executing it. It fets a Value on Things that
Men ought to be acquainted with, but are not,
on every Thing they do in the whole Courfe
of their Live? ; and by a gentle Violence, if I
may ufe the Expreffion, it forces their pretended
Riches from them, their imaginary Virtnes with
which they are content, and which hinders them
from acquiring fuch as are real. Here likewife
every Thing is made relative to Man, who js
unmafk'd by this Work, and compell'd to know
his own corrupt Nature, The falfe Relations,
on which his Corruption is founded, are there
overthrown, and by that, Man is excited to
fearch for true Relations, and incline to Reli
gion, which comprehends them all. Thefe Re
fleftions lead him infenfibly to fee the Necef
fity of it, and by giving him found Ideas of
Man's

concerning the French, eye. 205
Man's Condition, they teach him how he fhall
not be eafily miftaken in the Things that ought
to correft it. He fees that Religion does not in*-
creafe thefe Appearances, nor render Man what
he would really feem to be. All the ingeni
ous or rational Produftions of Men fhould be
byafs'd in fome Meafure to a like End, as 'tis
not impoffible but all the Produftions of Na
ture have a fecret Tendency the feme Way,
and are made to lead us to it. Wit, as well
as good Senfe, is given to Man for his Good,
and Man's Good confifting in Religion, Wit
and good Senfe cannot avoid regarding it, when
they are apply 'd as they fiiould be. They ought
to fet us forward, fo far, at leaft, as to fhew
us the Value of every Thing that offers. But
I muft not leave this Subjeft without making
fome other Remarks that have a Relation to
it, and I muft fay fomething to you of a par
ticular Sort of Authors, little known in other
Nations, but are an Honour to this.
The Women in France have obferv'd that Wit
belpng'd to them, as much as to the Men, and
have enter'd the Lifts with them upon it. There
are no lefs than ten or twelve Writers among
them, that have fucceeded fo well, both in Profe
and in Verfe, as to carry the Prize from moft
Men, and to preferve the Rights of their Sex
to Pamaffus; which is as much as to fay, that in
this Country, the Publick ought not to be fur
priz'd at Female Authors, which are diflik'd in
the World thro' Prejudice, with Regard to their
Capacity. It muft be own'd, indeed, that Par*
Tiajfus is not inhabited by Men, but by Maids,
and I confefs, were I to regulate any Thing in
that Country, it would be in Favour of their
Sex. 'Tis true, the Charafter-- of an Author does not

206 LETTER V.
not feem to agree with them entirely, and 'tis
not without fome Reafon, that we have hitherto
feen but few Women Writers * but fince the
Bagatelle is made the Subjeft of Books, and even
allowing that Women had no Genius for that
I fpeak of, they may, however, become Authors,
and prefent the Publick with the Je ne fcai quoi,
which next follows the Bagatelle, and is not to be
found, I believe, but in France. They fay, one
fhould write as he fpeaks, and the Women are
already in Poffeffion pf Wit for Converfation, as
well as the Men ; 'tis properly among them the
Bagatelle difplays itfelf, and adorns the Perfons
that know how to make ufe of it. They have
therefore Reafon to write, and the Men ought
not only to join with them for Wit, but even
yield it to them. They have poffefs'd themfelves
of the Government, and have Force and Autho
rity in their Hands; they ought gallantly to
leave Agreeablenefs and Finery to the Wo
men, whatever thofe Things may be. The
Women would become more accomplifh'd by
them, and the Men, in their Commerce with
them, would be the more happy, fince after all,
the Women bring the Men whatever they have .
that is aimiable ; and 'tis certain, the Women
would not fhew their bright Parts were it not to
pleafe them, as they are not beautiful but for
them. So that in Conformity to the Refleftions
I have made in the Beginning of my Letter,
and protefting againft all Abufe, in Cafe they
fhould not make ufe of this Advantage with Dif
eretion, I would adjudge to their Sex, the Beau
tiful, the Agreeable and the Nice in Matters of
Wit, as they have them already in Things that
relate to the Body ; I would join thefe two Things
as being made to be together, and which we have no

concerning the French, rye 207
no Reafon to feparate, and I would improve Na
ture itfelf in their Favour. 'Tis certain, that this
Sex, when they preferve the Agreeablenefs that
is proper for them, and don't mix any Thing that
is foreign to it, have more Delicacy of Wit than
Men. It becomes a Woman better to fay pretty
Things than it does a Man, as Beauty is more
becoming in Women than Men ; they fpeak with
more Softnefs and Bafhfulnefs, and confequently
with a better Grace, and every Thing, even to
the Tone of their Voice, is fuitable to what they
fpeak, and adds new Ornaments. A Man ought
to fpeak rationally, and with Dignity, anfwer-
able to his Height, and a majeftick Air which
become him, and 'tis in them he ought to take
Pleafure. But the Truth on't is, Men, generally
fpeaking, are not fatisfy 'd with thofe Things,
and there are but few that have Reafon enough to
be above the Beautiful and the Nice, efpecially
the French. Their Politenefs and other Things
enervate the Underftanding, and befides the
Women Authors, they have Authors that have
the Weaknefs of Women in great Numbers. I
muft fay fomething of them.
The Wits of this Kind make their principal
Merit confift in a fine Stile, the Purity of Diftioh
and the Manner of Writing according to the
Mode. The Stile independant of what is ex-
prefs'd, is an Affair of Importance in France, and
valued at a high Rate. There's no doubt but
with moft Readers, a Book writ in a fine Stile,
tho' otherways trifling, will be read much more
than another that may be very inftruftive, ' and
even witty, but writ in a bad Stile. 'Tis true
the Thing has not come to pafs that I know
of; but if it fhould, I am perfuaded there would
be a great Confirmation in the French Pamaffm, and

208 L E T T E R V.
and that all the Mufes would be frighten'd at
filch an unlucky Event. For the Maids of the
Holy Hill are like all the reft in this Refpeft,
that they don't love to appear in a bad Equi
page, and often take fo much Pleafure in adorn
ing themfelves, that they don't know one ano
ther, and infpire the Wit of Drefs inftead of that
of Thoughts and Sentiments. The Crowd of Rea
ders does on their Part what the People are
us'd to do, when they fee a great deal of Fi
nery : They amufe themfelves with the Shew1
which dazzles them, and take no Notice of any
Thing elfe. It may, perhaps, be true that
there's fome Defign in this Kind of Writing,
and that the Writers, to honour the French
Language, for which they have here an extraor
dinary Veneration, try whether there may not
be a Way of improving it, independant of
Thoughts, in the room of which they place
Turns and Harmony, and likewife figurative
Ways of Speaking, whereof there are thoufands
in the French Language, which are as fo ma
ny Thoughts annex'd to it, and adorn it. There's
fomething more real than this Harmony, and
the figurative Ways of Speaking, that is your
Romances and Novels, which are almoft as nu
merous in France as thofe Ways of Speaking.
They are Realities among Nothings, and their
ufe is to make Men go from Nothing to the
Bad, to which the other ferves. for an Intro
duction. The fine Stile join'd to the Appro
bation of the Publick, which Writers look up
on a*s the chief End of every Work, are the
two Things that make bad Writers fo nume
rous in France'; and leffen the Merit of the
good ones ; of fuch, at leaft, that have not the
Courage to fet themfelves above fuch Things

concerning the 'French, (ye. 209'
as thefe, as much as is neceffary. We ought
either not to write, or write Things that are"
fuperior to Stile; and an Author ought to be
hy his Charafter, as well as by his, Works*
above the Crowd, which are the main Part of
the Publick.
After thefe Wits we muft place thofe who
diftinguifh themfelves on all Sorts of little Sub
jefts, and are an Honour to their Nation by
their Numbers, as well as by the Brillant they
entertain us with. By this, the Nation, as much
as by their Women Authors, has the Advan
tage of every other Nation, and in my Opini
on, of all other Nations together. If thofe other
Wits make France the Country of Encomiums
and Panegyricks, of Comedies and Operas, of
Romances and Novels ; thefe here make it the
Country of Songs ; Drinking-Songs and Dan*
cing-Songs ; Satyrick and Love.-Songs ; Obfcene
and Impious-Songs ; and laftly, the Country of
Ballads ; which give the Vulgar an Opportunity
of partaking of the Pleafures of the polite Peo
ple, and make the Songs be heard aloud in the
Streets, in the Towns and the High-ways in the
Country, This Fertility of Wit fills France with
Stanzaes and Sonnets, Fables and Stories* De-*
fcriptions and New-Year's-Gifts* Parodies and
Rhimes, Roundoes and Ballads, Paftorals and
Eclogues, Madrigals and Epigrams, Riddles and
Epitaphs, Odes, Epiftles and Elegies ; and every
Man of Gallantry is compell'd to write feme-
thing : 'Tis like a Capitation which the Fafhion
levies of thefe People ; and there are fome, who
finding themfelves incapable of furnifhing any
Thing to this Fund of Poetry, apply themfelves
to their Friends, who pay for them, To their
Copioufnefs, we muft add their ready Wit, oj
P

2io L ET T E RV.
Wit at a Pinch, whereof we fee Effays from
Time to Time, which do moft Honour to thofe
who fucceed in them. But thefe Effays have
not been very fortunate hitherto ; and all thefe
Sports of Wit, as well as thefe others that are
more celebrated, which have their Theatre, are
Sports for the People for whom they are pro
vided, much more than for thofe who contrive
them, and divert themfelves by writing them.
The ready Wit falls to the Share of People that
fhine in Converfation, who are likewife poffefs'd
of Jefts, Sallies of Wit, Puns, obliging Expref
fions, Drollery and agreeable Ralleries, fmart
Rapertees, Equivocation and playing with Words,
Proverbs, merry Stories, pretty Expreffions, fa
fhionable Ways of Speaking, and other Advan
tages which, if they don't confer Titles, attraft,
at leaft, Encomiums to thofe who diftinguifh
themfelves that Way, and are diftinguifh'd from
the Vulgar, that can't fpeak any thing but what
is natural. Would not you be of Opinion, Sir,
that the French ought to be left in Poffeffion of
thefe Advantages which Nature has given them*
and by which they accomplifh themfelves by
ftudying to cultivate them, and to content our
felves with the Charafter of plain good Senfe,
without any Ornament, which fhe gives us, and
to affociate ourfelves in this Refpeft with the
People, with whom they range us?
I embrace you, SIR, &c.

Letter

[211 ]

Letter VL
Of TRAVELLING.

O U have feen me, Sir, return'd from
my Travels ; and you have rejoic'd
with me upon that Occafion; I now
offer you a frefh Subjeft of rejoicing,
in acquainting you with my prefent
Condition, and the agfeeable Life I lead in the
Country, on the Eftate which I have inherited,
and which the Remembrance of my preceding
Travels renders compleatly delicious. If Tra
velling ought to redound any way confiderably
to our Advantage, and if Reft, as being fweer,
ought to fucceed Labour, 'tis in the Country
that we may hope for thofe Advantages: The
Life one leads in a City is too full of Hurry ;
we pafs it in ftroling from Houfe to Houfe,
from one Company to another, to which we
lie unavoidably expos'd by thofe by whom we
are furrounded on every Side : This is no other
than Travelling. In my Opinion, the Country
alone fixes us in our natural Situation : It places
us, agreeably, in the Mid-Way between Retire
ment and Society, as well as between Repofe
and Labour, which we, there, may caufe to
fucceed each ether, even juft as we pleafe: It
P 2 with-

2i2 LETTER VI.
withdraws us from all Manner of Dependance,
and fets us at Liberty ; without which we can
not poffibly be happy. Here we meet with
By-Paths, which furnifh us with Means to fhun
the Crowd, and to pafs away Life with Plea
fure. Cuftom, the Scourge of Men of Senfe,
and which, in Cities, reigns with an arbitrary
Sway, here, fcarce maintains Authority enough
to be even fo much as taken Notice of; and
Opinion, upon which one depends when once
we have any Regard to Cuftom, in like Man
ner ceafes to torment us. The Happinefs we
feek for, tho' without knowing iri what it con
fifts, and for which we, therefore, feek in vain,
here makes itfelf known, and offers itfelf to us.
Here, our Manners are foften'd, our Paffions
grow calm, our Schemes and Defigns diminifh,
and our whole Race of Life becomes quiet
and fedate ; or, at leaft, the Country is the Place
where all that may the moft eafily be attain'd,
and, where, naturally, the Inclination for thofe
Things fhould be form'd: And, undoubtedly,
this is the Place of Profpeft, from whence one
ought to take a View of the World, in order
to be acquainted with it, and to make ones
Choice. A fmall Term of Retirement, and the
Refleftions it produces, do perfeftly well after
fome Years Travelling, and difpofe one to put
all to the Ufe to which it ought to have been
defign'd. _ Nay, I can't help fancying, that, it
is here, in the retir'd Life one enjoys in the
Country, that we aftually form ourfelves for So
ciety. It. is where we become calm and eafy,
and where we attain to the Knowledge of our
ownfelves : It is the Means of returning to
an orderly, regular Courfe of Life, if we have
any Inclination that way ; and it is certain, that

Of Travelling. 2 1 3
that no irregular, diforderly Perfon can ever
be truly fociable : Who can be orderly with
others, ifnotfo with himfelf? In chufing, there
fore, this Kind of Life, I have not, as you feem
to tax me, withdrawn myfelf from Society ; on
the contrary, as I drew nearer to my native
Country, in quitting foreign Parts, in order to
repatriate, I now once more approach it, in
ftripping myfelf of all that fmells outlandifh,
and which prevents my being a Man, to acquit
myfelf of that which I owe to others, as well
as to myfelf. Thofe who think of enjoying
Life, will find, in the End, that the Country
affords all the Advantages tending thereto, and
to the putting it to a right Ufe : It is our pri
mitive Station, and the Sentiments I have of
it are Tokens of its being fo : It is where I,
for my Part, defire to live and die.
But, it is my Opinion, that I am come late,
and that I ought to haften myfelf to reap feme
Benefit. Half my Life feems to be near elaps'd,
at leaft half of that Part of it which deferves
that Name; and Time, which is precious through
out the whole Courfe of Life, fhould by me
be efteem'd at a double Price. I ought, for the
future, to manage it as one does the Remain
der of ones Subftance, when moft of it is con-
fum'd; and, in Effeft, this is the Subjeft of my
prefent CEconomy. Multiplicity of Acquain
tance, unneceffary Vifits, the reading of all Sorts
of Books, or indeed much of any Kind of
Reading, any agreeable Correfpondences by Let
ters, or the like ; thefe are the great Expences
which I avoid. It is not fo eafy for me to
give an Account of the Profits, or of the good
Ufes I put my Time to ; and, perhaps, I am
like thofe young, raw GEconomifts, who for
P 3 Fear

2i4 L ETTERVl.
Fear of mifplacing their Money, do nothing at
all with it. Neverthelefs, it is true, that I have
my Views; that is, I propofe to live, to reap
Advantage from myfelf, as well as from Time,
and to enjoy what I have of my own ; to know
Man in endeavouring to attain the Knowledge
of myfelf: For, in Reality, it is fomewhat.unac-
countable^ that Man, who loves himfelf above
every Thing elfe in the World, fhould be de
firous of knowing every Thing elfe before he
knows himfelf, and that Quiet and Tranquillity,
from whence that Knowledge is alone extrafted,
fhould be Happineffes fo long unknown to him.
Generally fpeaking, he never attains it till he
has run thro' an Infinity of Toil and Fatigue ;
and happy for him , if ever they bring him to
it : My Sentiment, from hence forwards, will
be, that as War ought not to be wag'd but
with a View of obtaining and enjoying Peace,
and to re-eftablifh that Peace upon a firmer
Foundation, fo none fhould undertake to travel
but in order, at length, to live peaceably at
home, and enjoy his Eafe unmolefted. If all
People arriv'd at that Happinefs, by Means of
their Peregrinations, it might, indeed, be faidt
that Fortune, whom fo many Travellers hunt
for without ever meeting with her, waits for
them at their Return, and that, with this Prof
peft, every one ought to make all poffible Hafte
to fet out : As for the other Profits one reaps
from Travelling, they feem, in my Eye, to be
Very inconflderable. I fometimes confider them,
making ferious Refleftions upon Travels ; and
you can't imagine how very needlefs and un
profitable I look upon the greateft Part of them
to be, and how far I am from attempting to
juftify thofe Tours I have been taking. Every
Voyage,

Of Travelling. 2 1 5
Voyage, or Journey taken merely for Cuftom-
fake, I look upon as no good Undertaking, and
think all the Time fpent therein loft and mif-
employM. 'Tis upon this very Head that I am
foing to tell you my Thoughts ; and I wifh
could communicate them to all the World :
Nor fhould I believe that I had travell'd to
no Purpofe, provided that, in painting out the
Abufe of Travelling, I could but prevent any
one from throwing away his Time in rambling
Abroad. I take it to be with Travelling as it is with
the greateft Part of Cuftoms, which, originally,
were found to be wholefome and well intended,
but which grew to Abufes and Nuifances, when
they fubfifted longer than the Caufes to which
they ow'd their Rife. Some great and difcerning
Men took it into their Heads to travel, with
the View of fearching, among the politer and
better regulated Nations, for Laws and Infti-
tutions, which were wanting in their own, or
of acquiring the Knowledge of fuch Things where
in they were themfelves deficient. Thefe were
either Legiflators, or Philofophers, who imagin'd
they could not, by any other Means, attain to
the Accompliffiment of their Defigns. Their
Compatriots moft gladly depended on their Care
in the Execution of thofe Commiffions; and
content with being themfelves Sharers in the
Gain, voted Honours to thofe Perfons who had
been the Projeftors of what redounded fo much
to their Benefit and Advantage. I conjefture,
that, after this, an Itch of being fo honour'd
and efteem'd, Curiofity, a reftlefs Difpofition,
with orher fuch like Motives, induc'd others
likewife to betake themfelves to ramble ; this
brought on bartering of Commodities •, which,
P 4 accord-

si6 LETTER VI.
accordingly as it increaVd, and grew more and
more extenfive, occafion'd Travelling to become
more in Ufe, and eafier to be undertaken and
perform'd. By little and little, and more efpe
cially by Imitation, the Number of Travel
lers fwell'd ; and the Incapacity of Parents to
breed up their Sons, which oblig'd them to have
Recourfe to this Expedient, has, at length,
brought Travelling to be a very common Thing;
a Cuftom ; which is what difpenfes People from
giving Reafons for what they do, and which,
thereby, is become the ftrongeft and moft effi
cacious of all Reafons. This Cuftom, whereby
Travelling is authoriz'd, and as it were efta'
blifh'd, is by fo much the more pernicious, as
the People we vifit in our Travels, the polite
People, whofe Cuftoms and Manners of Living
are preferib'd as Models, are the moft corrupt ;
at leaft in feme certain particular Refpefts;
fo that, confequently, there is more to be loft
than won among them. So it was, that the Ro->
mans diffipated their Remnant of Virtue among
the Greeks ; that, in the laft Centuries, People
Were corrupted by travelling into Italy; and
that, in thefe our Days, Travellers refort to
France in fearch of falfe Merit ; a Merit which
harbours Corruption by throwing a Veil over
it. Divers Reafons are found out in the Vindi
cation of Travelling, in order to flop the Mouths
.of fuch as are not fatisfy'd barely with its be
ing authoriz'd by Cuftom ; and the chief of
thofe Reafons are reduc'd to the Alterations and
Improvements it muft of neceffity work on the
Charafters of young People. Their Charafter
is, generally fpeaking, vicious; a Removal or
an Amendment of this is what is aim'd at :
'Tis

Of Travelling. 217
'Tis hop'd, that by giving them the Opportu
nity of feeing better Examples, they will mo-
dellize thereupon, and change their Difpofitions ;
nay, this Change is depended on as already
come. But I would willingly afk, In what con
fift the Changes that are expefted from Man,
and which are look'd on as depending on him
felf? I profefs, that I cannot allow them fuch
a Length as to deferve that he fhould travel for
them ; neither do I believe them to be of a Na
ture to be obtain'd by that Method. It feems
to me, that, moft commonly, this is no other
than the Paffage from one of the Periods of Life
to the other, and not in the leaft a Paflage from
a bad Charafter to a good one-, and that it is
no Manner of Change in Man's Effential. It
may very well be of Man as of Fruits : They
have their Seafons ; are green, they grow ripe,
and they corrupt ; as to the reft, the good are
good, and the bad are bad ; all this by Nature.
Some Improvement, indeed, they may receive
by a convenient Soil, Situation, &c. their Co
lour and Tafte may be thereby fomewhat im-
prov'd ; yet all that does not go fo far as to
alter their Kind, or to make good what is na
turally otherwife. And if even this could be
brought to bear, I cannot ftill think, that Tra
velling can ever work the feme Effeft upon Men
as Culture does upon Vegetables, or that it can
be fo really beneficial to Youth as the Educa
tion that may be given them at home ; at leaft
Experience, to which its Champions have Re
courfe to prove it, does not prove it at all. We
have, here, very lately, feen a Perfon return from
his Travels, and People full of their Exclama-
ons upon the wonderful Transformation wrought
jn him j when there was none in the leaft but
what

218 LETT E R VI.
what Time would, of neceffity, haverbrought on :
This was a tardy Fruit, then come to its Maturi
ty, and which in its own native Soil would have
ripen'd full as foon. It is my Opinion, that
all the Changes which are remark'd in young
People are of the very fame Nature ; they are
to come ; and if they happen to appear in a
Traveller, it is only becaufe Travelling was
no more capable of preventing than it was of pro
ducing them. Travels are perfbrm'd, common
ly, in an Age wherein the Periods which, in
Life, fucceiflvely form themfelves are extremely
fenfible ; they continue long enough to give
Room for one of thofe Periods to form itfelf,
and ordinarily reach that Period which con
veys us beyond our Puerility, or our fiery ju
venile Years, to the Age of Reafon. Young
Travellers, therefore, muft needs return home
in fome Meafure chang'd : But this Change
would, doubtlefs, have been brought about with
more Facility, and would have extended farther,
Was there, in Travelling, an Opportunity of en
joying that fedate and retir'd Sort of Life, which
is requiflte towards the producing both that, and
every Thing which may benefit Mankind. This
Sort of Life it is that we ought rather to feek,
nay even to fearch for it in remote Places, in
cafe we cannot obtain it at home : There, in
finding ourfelves, we fhould attain to all that
is neceffary for us to find, and we fhould give
Room for very confiderable Changes, if in us
fuch were wanting. Out of that, and in the
perpetual Hurry and Agitation in which we
live, we only pafs through all Sorts of incon-
fiderable Changes, or affume all Kinds of Shapes*
merely to continue the fame we are, to repair,
by the Diverfity thereof, the Infufficiency that
there

Of Travelling. « 1 9
there may be ih our Charafter. In a Word,
whether we do not change at all, or if we do
change to the Point towards which we ought
to incline ; if from bad and vicious, as we once
were, we turn about and become good and vir
tuous, acquire a true Way of thinking, and a
Reftitude of Judgment which we had not be
fore, I am very pofitively perfuaded, that we
«ught to attribute all to Caufes of far greater
Efficacy, than are either Travelling, or any
of the common Methods praftis'd by us, in or
der to produce thofe Effects.
And how fhall we be capable of changing
ourfelves, and determining upon the Methods
which are to produce this Change, fince we
de not, as yet, rightly know what it is that
we ought to be, what it is to be a Man? Have
we attain'd any clear and certain Idea of that
Particular, as we have of Things of lefs Moment ?
For Example, as we have of thofe Brute Crea
tures, which are created for the Ufe of Man.
None are ignorant that the Horfe is made for
Burden, and the Ox to bear the Yoke ; that the
Cow^&c. give Milk, and the Sheep Wool; and
that this is the Nature, the Effential of thofe
Animals. Neither is any one more put to it in
regard to what is believ'd to be the Effential
of the feveral different Stations of Life a Man
may enter into; as a Magiftrate, a Commander,
a Merchant, an Artizan, or the like ; and very
ready and very particular Anfwers are made to
Queftions ftarted upon that Subjeft. But they
will not fo readily and precifely tell one in
what confifts the Effential of Man ; of Man in
himfelf, independent of thefe different Stations
and Conditions : On this Point Men do not
agree; and have only confus'd and rambling Ideas

22o LETTER VI.
Ideas which afford little or no Satisfaction. It
is certain, that Man is a Creature confummately
excellent ; but little known ; as little to him*
felf as he is to others : And there is no fmall
Appearance, that it is Order alone, when he
re-enters into it, that can remove the Veil from
before his Eyes. It imports him to carry within
his ownfelf both his Occupation and his Dig
nity, and not to find himfelf reduc'd to be made
this or that, in order to employ, improve, or
advance himfelf: Nay, he ought even to be
above all Stations whatever, in which he may
happen to be plac'd, how eminent foever they
may be ; and by fo much the rather, as all
thofe Stations and Conditions of Life have in
View nothing but the Re-eftablifhment of Hu
manity. But fince Man has loft his Occupation,
his Dignity, the Knowledge of that which re
gards him is likewife loft, and in the Diforder
we are in, we are ignorant even of what our
Occupation and our Dignity confifts in. As it
is Order alone that can bring us to this Know
ledge, I believe, that there is but one only Me
thod to re-enter into Order ; this is to follow
the Inftinft exifting within us ; the natural In-
ftinft, which is, perhaps, all we have of the
primitive State of Man, and which is left us
to re-conduft us to it. All the living Beings,
we know of, have theirs, which does not de
ceive them : Muft not Man, who is the moft
excellent of all thefe Beings, have his Inftinft.;
fuch an Inftinft as extends itfelf throughout his
whole Charafter, and as is no lefs infallible
than extenfive? Undoubtedly he has it; and
this Inftinft is the Confeience, wherein the Deity
makes himfelf known to us, and converfes with
us. By not purfuing this Inftinft, which, above all

Of Travelling. 2 2 1
all Things, we ought to cultivate, both in our
felves and in our Children, it is that we have
not the Knowledge of what Man is ; and, for
Want of this Knowledge, we are in an Uncer
tainty as to what regards the Education of
Youth, and are at a Lofs how to employ them,
to prevent their falling into thofe Exceffes to
which Inaction and their immature Years na
turally incline them.
Such Parents as are not themfelves in a State
of Humanity, and are, barely, fix'd in Stations
thereunto relating, have, for their Off-fpring, no
thing in View except thofe very Stations and
Conditions of Life, and, with thofe very feme
Motives, devote and dedicate them to the feme,
Humanity, confider'd in itfelfj not having the
leaft Share in their Procedure, nor, in the leaft,
infpiring them with a Knowledge of the Prin
ciples or Fundamentals which make a Man.
From thence it comes to pafs, that they find
themfelves at a Lofs at the Junfture when their
Sons fhou'd give InftanGes of their being Men,
it plainly appearing that they are not fo, juft
at the Time when they have attain'd the Age
of Reafon, without, as yet, having wherewithal
to hide that Want of Humanity, which is vifible
in them, and which the feveral States of Life,
to which they are deftin'd, in fome Meafure,
help to conceal. The Parents then, not know
ing what better Courfe to take^ abandon them
to themfelves, and to Chance, to which the
Education they give them naturally reduces
them : They fend them abroad to travel ; that
is to fay, to acquire a Merit, of which they
have a confus'd and indeterminate Idea, and
with which Travelling (confus'd and indetermi
nate itfelf as it is) muft needs furniffi them,
Travelling

222 L E T T E R VI.
Travelling perfeftly well proves our Ignorance
and the Lofs of Humanity, which we ramble
the World to fearch, without knowing what we
feek for, and which we flatter ourfelves to have
found, according to the exterior Appearance
of what we meet with, and accordingly as it
flatters our Imagination.
One of the principal Advantages of this Na
ture regards the Mind. Iri Youth, it feems, it
muft be form'd by Travelling; and it is one
of the chief Motives that fends them Abroad.
In Effeft, it is upon the Mind, by affording
it inceffant Opportunities of Improvement, that
Travelling fhould chiefly operate. But this Oc
cupation, befides its accuftoming us to value our
felves upon what we term Wit, and therein to
center our whole Merit, which is far from a
good Charafter, we form this Wit upon no other
Model than the general one, which is not the
beft Method. It cafts us into Imitation, which
never produces any thing grand or noble : It
caufes us to confider a Turn of Wit (as it is
call'd) as a Matter of mighty Importance, and
occafions our affuming what is none of our own,
and which is neither convenient for, nor belongs
to us. It forms a Mind more to Decifion than
to Refleftion, or Difcernment, and renders it
rather bold than juft. Befides, in fubjefting
ones Mind to a certain Point, and in accuftom
ing it to confider what is prefented to it only
after a certain receiv'd and fafhionable Manner,
we confine and limit it while it is in its Pro-
duftion, and divert it both from what it might
produce new of itfelf, and in which its true
Beauty confifts, and from the Liberty of
Thought, its real Vigour. But why are we to
be fo much concern'd about the Formation of
our

Of Travelling. 223
Our Wit ? It is not unlikely, that the Interior,
all one as the Exterior, of Man may be of a
Nature to form and difplay itfelf, without
requiring any farther Affiftance than that of
Truth and Reality, together with the Conver
fetion of fome Perfons of Senfe and Judgment,
in order to corroborate it, and to inure it to
execute its Funftions. Nothing is requir'd but
what is eafily to be obtain'd, and what every
one meets with in his own Country. In a Word,
one needs not be reduc'd to go very far to feek
for what is neceffary for us : That feems na
tural to fo noble a Creature as Man, and even
to every Creature; and the Affiftance of the
other Countries, which we vifit in our Travels,
has I know not what of fomething in it foreign
to a Man, and that even favours of Imperti
nence. True it is, that the Mind, when it aban
dons and delivers up itfelf to its own Strength,
may, according to the common Idea, harbour
fomething in it monftrous and "deform'd ; but
in this State it is original : It foars, it afpires,
and dares confider and look at all Things as
they aftually are in their Nature : It places it
felf above Expreffions and Turns which con
fine it, as well as above Precedents and Pre
judices which flop its Career, and is in a State
of following Truth, whitherfoever fhe condufts
it. This is, doubtlefs, the Aim of Nature,
who places not in the Charafter of Wit, the
Reafon which fhe gives to Men, fo much Di-
verfity to the End that they fhould disfigure
it by imitating one another ; but with a View
of difplaying her Store, and of giving Man
Room to manifeft the Wonders of Humanity.
All this not only does not oblige us to tra
vel, but it may be from hence gather'd that, in

224 L ETT ER VI.
in what Manner foever it may be, it is ai3
Abufe to think of fafhioning the Mind alone^
independant of Truth, and of therein making
to confift the principal Article of the Education
we beftow upon our Youth. It is their Hearts
which we ought to endeavour to frame and
regulate, by inculcating to them the Princi
ples of Juftice and Probity, without having fb
deep a Concern for the reft, which will follow
readily enough of itfelf: The Qualities of the
Heart excufe us from the flaffiy Ornaments of
the Mind, and fufficiently embellifh us, or they
reftify and bring to Perfection the others ; and
after all, it is only the Man who abounds in
laudable Qualities that the Embellifhments of
the Mind would become, as it is only Mea
dows and Gardens that are adorn'd with Flowers.
Man, in his Corruption, is an uncultivated Land :
To go about to fafhion his Mind in that State,
would be planting Flowers in a Thicket of
Brambles, which all the Flowers in the World
would never render agreeable. But if that
Ground is clear'd, and has the Care and Pains
it requires beftow'd upon it, it will of itfelf
become beautiful, by producing divers Sorts of
Herbs, each of which will have its refpeftive
Flower and Virtue.
Another great Benefit, which is pretended to
accrue from Travelling is, the Knowledge of
the World. By feeing Men, and reading the
great Book of the Univerfe, fay thofe Cham
pions, one cannot avoid attaining that Know
ledge : In this they are figmewhat in the Right.
If by the Knowledge of the World, is under
ftood the Manner of People's living in the World,
it is, indeed, by Travelling, having, a View of
the different Scenes, and the various Perfonages which

Of Travelling. 2 2 f
Which the World prefents fo our Sight, that
we riiay acquire the Knowledge of it. But there
is, in Reality, nothing in all that which can
afford any very great Satisfaftion, fince we'
thereby only become acquainted with Manners,
Cuftoms and outward Decorums which enter
little into the Charafter of a Man. All thefe
Matters, even if they could be juft as we would
wifh them to be, do not conclude any thing
in Favour of him who poffeffes them, fince
they are liable to be affum'd by a Knave, an
Impoftor, if it is his Intereft fo to do : Nay,
and it is very polfible, that an honeft Man,
fuch a Man in Reality as even the moft beau
tiful Appearances might induce us to imagine
him to be, may negleft them. This Knowledge
is the very fame that is to be met with through^
out the World, and tends only towards ren-*
dering us like to that Appearance, and to fet
a great Value upon what we, by thofe Means,
are not perfeftly acquainted with, but obferve
it to be efteem'd by others, whom we fuppofe
to be fenfible of its Worth, and to fee therein
Things impenetrable to our Opticks. Much
better would it be for us to be acquainted with
the Man, than with his Mafk ; with the Springg
which fet him at Work, talking and acting,
than with his Exterior, and the Droll he is-
playing. This Knowledge, indeed, not only
guides us to that of ourfelves, to which all true
Knowledge of Man ought to bear fome Re
ference, but it may be, likewife, of Ufe, iri
furnifhing us with Occafions of fetting a Price
upon Appearances, which may, otherwife, de«
ceive us, and, in Conclufion, to put us out of
Conceit with a Kind of Life made up of no
thing but falfe Colours. The true Knowledge

226 LETTERVl.
of the World is that of Mankind its Inhabi
tants, that of the Bottom of their Charafter,
and of the Advantage that may be drawn from
thence : It makes us difcover Things direftly
oppofite to the Appearances which attraft us,
and it muft of neceffity produce an oppofite
Effeft. Travelling does not procure it us ; and
Strangers are neither more worthy of our At
tention, nor eafier to be known than are the
People we live among.
On the contrary, one of the Obftacles we
meet with in this Study, is an Exterior, which
employs our Thoughts, and flops us : Thefe fo
reign Manners, thefe new Circumftances divert
our Attention, and contribute towards conceal
ing Men from us ; whereas the Exterior to which
our Eyes are accuftom'd, does not fo much em
ploy us, and is to us a far lefs Obftacle. As
to the reft, fince the World is known to be a
fuperficial Matter, and that its Nature is not
to be penetrated, one would willingly afk, In
what Manner the Knowledge of the World fo
highly honours thofe who have attain'd it, and
that they thereby acquire the Title of Men of
the World? J
There are fome Travellers who apply them
felves chiefly to the Study of the Language of
the Country which they vifit in their Travels:
They have in View the reading of the Books
they there meet with ; and thefe, in particu
lar, fancy they travel to fome Purpofe, and
reap Advantage from foreign Regions. But I
cannot think, that they are upon any better
Foundation than the reft; and to me it ap
pears, that this Sort of Study, and, indeed, that
of Languages m general, may be, for the moft
Part, no other than an Abufe. Life is fo ve ry

Of Travelling* 527
ry fhort) that this Occupation, extended beyond
the Term in which a Man is fit for nothing
elfe, if it is true that there is a Term of which
this may be laid, has fomething in it difpro-
portionate and ridiculous. It is as if an Ar-
tizan, when fo much haften'd that he has but
one Day allow'd him to finifh the Piece of
Work in Hand, fhould fquander away the whole
Morning in getting ready other Tools and
Utenfils, befides thofe he had before, and with
which he might make an End of his Bufinefe
very well.
Nay, for the Generality of Mankind, this
Sort of Study has fomething in it ftill vainer ;
They cram whole Magazines full of Utenfils
and Implements without having any Occafion
for them ; without being AV'orkmen -. For I look
upon the reading of Books, as it is now efta
blifli'd in the World, ought to be lefs regarded
than a Piece of Work, than any thing elfe laid
hold on to exempt one from doing one's Duty 5
that it is no other than an idle Amuferrient*
which, generally fpeaking, is of lefs Value than
even Idlenefs itfelf, and that is of lefs Worth
than are a Number of other Amufements which
Mankind make Ufe of to fool away their Time.
To travel in order to procure that Satisfaftion,
is running after a Thing which, even at home,
is not worth the Pains of being fought for,
and that with the bare Time employ'd in it
is always purchas'd too dear. Let us lay afide
Travelling for a Moment, that I may have the
Pleafure of communicating to you my Thoughts
concerning Reading.
For my Part, I take it* that one needs read
no more than juft enough for a little Inftru
ftion, to amufe a few idle Moments, and to
Q. 2 give

228 LETTER VI.
give fome Nouriffiment to the Spirits, when
they begin to flag, and languiffi, and cannot
without Difficulty fupport themfelves. I look
not upon any Books to be really good, or ex
cellent, except fuch as Treat of the Faculties
the Authors themfelves aftually profefs, and ex
cel ill'; fince it is certain, that none can know
a Thing fo well as fuch who know it by Ex
perience. Some of thofe who have made Pro
feffion of Wifdom and Probity, and have ex
cell'd therein, have wrote upon that Subjeft ;
and thefe Books ought to fuffice us : They are
diftinguiffi'd from others ; nay, more efpecially
becaufe they contain Sentiments which is the
effential Language of Man, of Man in a State
of Order, who fays what aftually paffes within
himfelf, and who, while in his natural Simpli
city, can never fall into the embarraffing, crook
ed and troublefome Paths of Reafoning. We
are reduc'd to have Recourfe to fo much Rea
soning, merely for Want of cultivating the
Sentiments we have within us, ancj which
would never fail us, would we but purfue
them ; did we but cultivate the Humanity
they would produce. Thefe Sentiments fprout
up in the Heart, from a Seed which lies there
conceal'd, and which nothing but an Inclina
tion to Virtue, at certain critical Minutes, is
capable of animating. As they form themfelves
in Humanity, they bear a perfeft Affinity there
to ; and the Truths they contain bear no lefs
a Conformity to Man than do the Means which
produce them. Reafoning, when we abandon
ourfelves to it, by making our principal Lan
guage and Difcourfe to confift in Argument,
tinothers our Sentiments ; and as it is from a
corrupted Tafte that it proceeds,* it more and
more

Of Travelling. 229
more by Degrees, corrupts our Tafte, and we
wander away from that Simplicity, in which
Truth is to be met with. Man, in his State
of Simplicity, is ignorant of the Art of Reafon
ing ; and he who has his true Occupation ne
glects it. It agrees only with that Inaction,
that Leifure, which throws us out of the State
of Humanity, and with a certain falfe Curiofi
ty, which that Leifure engenders ; and it
ought to be left to our heady ftubborn
Cafuifts, in whom it chiefly operates, and
manifefts its Miracles ;' to the Republick of
Sages, who make Knowledge their Capital, and
who, in their Intoxication, renounce the Advan
tages of the Heart, of which they know nothing,
and which are utterly loft in them.
In this State, an obftinate Pofitivenefs, and
a froward Spirit of Controverfy, take place of
the Love of Truth, of the confcious Diffidence
of knowing it ourfelves, and of the Moderation
which is requifite towards making it known to
others. I cannot help looking upon thefe Peo
ple, as the Authors of all that is worthlefs
and ridiculous in Books, and, confequently, as
the Authors of one of the Sources of Man's
Folly and Corruption : Such Heaps of frivolous,
ufelefs Trafh as they write, and treat of as
Matters of Importance, is, doubtlefs, the Occafi
on that all Sorts of People betake themfelves
to writing, and fluff the World with Fooleries
and Nothings ; and the Example they give of an
infatiable Reading, of a whole Life fpent in
Reading, as in an Exercife becoming and pro
per for Man, has, likewife, its Effeft, and pro
motes Reading more than it would, otherwife,
be. In laying afide all this Reading, in leaving
to the Vulgar, of what Kind foever they be, thofe
Q. ? Myriads

*so LETTER VI.
Myriads of Volumes which are written for them,
and which, in my Opinion, would be fuffi
cient to pervert and make them Vulgar, if they
were not fuch before, we fhould have our Imagi
nation lefs loaded with Opinions, which diftort
and make it crooked, and lefs accuftom'd to
Trifles, Nothings, which extenuate and reduce
it to nothing : We fhould approach nearer to
the Truth, inafmuch as we fhould the more
give ourfelves up to what is tranfafted in the
Heart, which is agreeable to the Truth, and
where Truth, if fuffer'd to aft, feldom fails ma
king Imprelfion : We fhould not meafure it by
Rules which limit or confine it; and, above
all, we fiiould be confiderable Gainers in that
we fhould not rejeft that which does not agree
with what we imagine we know already, which
is what does us a hundred Times more Harm
than all the Knowledge we can pick up from
Reading will ever do us Good. Man is not
made to heap up Ideas, and to cram Magazines
with them, but to give them Room to faffiion
themfelves within him, upon every Occafion,
and thereby to make a fimple, unmix'd Ufe of
his Reafon ; nor is it by any other Method that
he preferves the Liberty of Thought, upon
which all true Knowledge is grounded. It may
be faid of fuch Numbers cf People, who amafs
their Knowledge by an unlimited Reading,
that they are more ignorant eventhan the very
Vulgar themfelves, to whom they give that De
nomination ; that they are far lefs acquainted
With the real Knowledge of Man, that Know
ledge without which all the reft, far from adorn
ing, ferve only to render him hideous, by gi
ving a Sort of Lufter to a deform'd Charafter,
Which in 110 wife deferves it, By this Know ledge,

Of Travelling. 2 3 1
ledge, unknown to the Learned, the deep-read
Men, I underftand that which teaches us the
Price of Things ; which is a Point that always
fhould be kept in View. The greateft Part
of their Learning makes apparent how remote
they are from that Point : It is founded upon
their Ignorance, and proves it ; fince it wholly
confifts in a Chaos of Tranfaftions and Opi
nions which, in the main, tend to nothing at
all ; in a Medly of Arguments they make Ufe
of to difplay the Art and Method of Argumen
tation, as Boys climb to let People fee that
they can climb. Nay, thefe Folks have even
a greater Share of Stupidity than all others-, fince
they are lefs capable of fuffering themfelves
to be difabus'd, and of being made fenfible of
the Emptinefs, the Vacuum of the Profeffion
which of all Profeffions in the whole World has
the moft of it, I mean the Nothingnefs of their
Erudition ; for that is the Matter moft in Que
ftion among the Learned; they muft be, as it
were, difiinftur'd from their Literature, before
they can be reduc'd to the State of Nature,
Man ought to be in, and to receive the na
ked, fimple and familiar Truth, which is the
Ornament of Humanity. - Lefs than any others
in the World are they poffefs'd of the right
Senfe, the Attention, and Freedom of Thought
which render a Man reafonable, converfable and
fit for Society, and, in Effeft, "which render him
Man. Their Library, as it furniffies out their
Charafter, fo it is the Source of their Ideas, and
their fole Guide ; and one is reduc'd to con
verfe with them upon the fame Footing as we
fometimes do with Children, when we afk them
Queftions, in Hopes of fome natural, .pretty
Reply : If the Mother, Nurfe, or the like is
Q. 4 hy,

232 L ETT E R VI.
by, the Children are not fuffer'd to fpeak for
themfelves, but fomebody either anfwer for
them, or put Words into their Mouths. To
conclude, we ought to comprehend, thatitffiews
a Weaknefs of Underftanding to fuffer one's felf
to be impos'd on by all thefe ufelefs Trifles;
that the Book-learned Part of the World, who
have attain'd an exaft and methodical Know
ledge of all that we have no Manner of Oc
cafion for, are a Species of Mankind we might
perfectly well difpenfe with, and whom it would
be very beneficial we were without ; and that
this Species is no other than a Singularity of
Nature, which fhe has expos'd to our View
merely for our Inftruftion, at leaft, if we may
be permitted to accufe Nature with this odd
fantaftical Charafter. Perhaps, ffie gives thefe
People an Inclination to Reading, and a Ca
pacity for Erudition much after the feme Man
ner as fhe gives to fome certain Perfons a Pro-
penfion to eat much, and a capacious Maw to
contain what they fwallow : Thereby fhe makes
us comprehend the Benefit ffie beftows upon
thofe to whom fhe gives a free, difengag'd Mind,
fit to aft, and to bring itfelf over to what is
proper and convenient for it, to that which is
really agreeable to Man. Let us now return
to Travelling.
A main Advantage pleaded in the Behalf of
Travelling, and which is mightily built upon,
|s the Men of Merit, thofe excellent Men who
are to be met with difpers'd up and down the
World : That is what is to be feen, cry our
Sticklers, and to feek out them it is that we
Plight to direft our Steps. It is true that this
|s what may be propos'd with the moft plaur
|ible Appearance of R?afon. Since People travel tQ

Of Travelling. 233
to fee Men, they ought to endeavour to get
a Sight of that Part of Mankind who are truly
Men :• But the Difficulty lies in the finding
them, and in not undergoing a Transformation
thereupon. If I might fpeak my Sentiment as
freely upon this Subjeft as upon others, I would
willingly avow, concerning the Man of Merit,
that, in fome Refpeft, he is not to be met
with at all, and after that I had render 'd him
as it were tranfparent in one of my Letters,
I foould be tempted (in changing a little the
Ideas in his Regard) to render him wholly in-
vifible in this. By this Man of Merit, I mean
him who has Principles of which he never lofes
Sight, and to which both his Words and his
Aftions bear a ftrift Reference ; the Man, who,
being Mafter of no lefs a Share of Courage than
of Reafon, not only knows the Value of Things,
but dares aft accordingly, and whofe Motives,
which have no lefs than the Deity for their
Center, are ftill more eftimable than are even
his Aftions ; the Man, in all whofe Views Con
feience bears a Part, and who, during the whole
Courfe of his Life, ufes his utmoft Endeavour
to anfwer the Intent which his Creator might
have had in creating him, without which he
does conceive that a Man cannot poffibly have
any true Merit. In a Word, the Man of Me
rit is he who is really a Man, a Man fram'd
for Dominion. Nor is this an ./Enigma, a Rid
dle not to be explain'd. Man's Dominion ex
tends over the Little World, the Microcofm,
Himfelf; whether therein to maintain Order,
if any there already is, whether to eftabliffi it,
if there is none. When he puts in Praftife
this Dominion, he is a Man ; he is in a Con
dition to execute the Will of his Creator, and the

234 LETT E R VI.
the Creator takes Delight in making it known
to him, and in making Himfelf known to him;
exteriorly, by the Works of the Creation, and;
by Divine Writ, whereof He gives him the re-
quifite Intelligence, and interiorly, by the na
tural Inftinft which caufes him to depend im
mediately upon the Creator. Proportionably as
a Man approaches this State, which is to fay,
proportionably as he becomes a Man, he gra
dually becomes a Man of Merit, and as he
gradually becomes that, he is lefs feen, and en
deavours ftill to appear lefs. As his Conduft
is extremely fimple and plain, marching with
an equal Pace, ftrait on, without turning this
or that Way, his Converfation is likewife plain
and fimple, and ferves only to expofe the Senti
ments of his Heart, in their own natural Co
lours. This Man is not in any wife an Ob
ject to be gaz'd at, a Man to make a Spefta-
cle of; and he may be found to be a Perfon
fo very different from the Ideas we commonly
have of Men of celebrated Merit, that except
he has fome particular Qualities that render
him confpicuous, it is very poffible, that of a
hundred Perfons who fee him, there may not
be two of them capable of difcerning him. One
may pafs whole Days in Company with a Plato,
without making any Difcovery, without even
fufpefting that it is a Plato we are converfing
with. Having reach'd the City of his Abode,
one is in a Hurry to get a Sight of this ex
traordinary Man, on whofe Account the Jour
ney was undertaken; and one is ftrangely fur
priz'd at finding this celebrated Philofopher,
this Plato, no other than the feme plain unre
garded Foreigner, with whom we have often
eat, drank and convers'd familiarly, without having

Of Travelling. 235
having taken any more Notice of him than
of any other; at finding him the Plato we know
already, and whom we know only for an or
dinary Perfon.
But be thofe Men of Merit, whofe Acquain
tance we feek after, whatever they will, why
muft we needs feek for them among Strangers ?
Why do we not rather endeavour to be ac
quainted with thofe of our own Country ? There
are Men of Merit all the World over ; and we
muft not imagine, but that the Thing which
is the moft valuable Part of the Earth, the
Salt, the Quinteffence of it, is diftributed every
where. But they are not known every where.
Let us endeavour to difcover thofe we have
among ourfelves ; we may, perhaps, have Tra
velling enough before we meet with them ; nor
will the Journey afford either lefs Variety or
Profit than if, in Search of them, we had tra
vell'd to diftant Regions. By taking a clofe
View of People of all Claffes, to whofe Re
putation we are no Strangers, we ffiall perceive
how fallacious Reputation generally is ; we fhall
become acquainted with thofe lingular Tempers
and Difpofitions, which becaufe their Sentiments
differ from thofe of others, becaufe they have
a right Way of thinking, pafs for odd and pre-
pofterous. We fliall find in Perfons, cry'd down
and exclaim'd againft for fome mighty Failings,
which render them infupportable, great Quali
ties, folid Judgment, Probity and Sincerity,
which make rich Amends for all their fo in
fupportable Blemiffies ; and in others, who are
look'd upon as exempt from all Blame, we lhall
be fo far from finding in them Encouragement
to contract a Friendfhip, that we ffiall be put
hard to it to difcover in them any Footftep of

236 L E TT E R VI.
of Humanity. We fhall be aftonifh'd to find
Merit in People who never bore that Chara
fter, nor were ever regarded ; and to meet with
Arrogance, Prefumption and Narrownefs of Soul
in the Majority of thofe who pafs for grand
Perfonages. We ffiall difcover the Nothingnefs
of thefe Men in Vogue, who are call'd fmarr,
pretty Fellows, Men of Wit, and the contempti
ble Emptinefs of thofe who bear the Title of
Literati, Men of Letters and Erudition, if we
extend our Curiofity fo far as to dive into them.
In a Word, we fhall meet with, in our Ram
ble, abundance of Things we never expefted,
and very commodioufly, much at our Eafe, we
may view thofe Objefts. How much more
agreeable ought we not to think this Sort of
Travelling than the other ? How much more
advantageous muft it not be, fince it will bring
us acquainted with thofe People among whom
we are to pafs our Lives ? If by it we can but
attain the Advantage of having no farther De
pendance on the Opinion of Men, whom we
know for fuch bad Judges, or at leaft, to de
pend lefs upon it, we ffiall have travell'd to
a far better Purpofe than if we had vifited
every Foot of Land in Europe.
If the Acquaintance of Perfons qf Merit is
not a fufficient Motive to induce us to travel,
ftill much lefs ought we to travel with the Opi
nion that Travelling, of itfelf, furnifhes us with
Merit. If it is true that the Ground-Work of
all Merit is Integrity, or rather that Merit it
felf is the fame as Integrity and Probity, after
what Manner is it that we muft needs acquire
it by Travelling, as is pretended? It expofes
before our Eyes a general Corruption, and plain
ly convinces us, that Virtue is a Stranger in
every

Of Travelling. 237
every Climate; for in all Countries, the Bad
is what generally prefents itfelf to one's View,
and what Remnant there ftill may be of Good,
lies conceal'd; fo that Travelling muft much
rather deftroy than eftabliffi Merit in a Tra
veller, at leaft, in all thofe who are conver-
fant only with undiftinguilh'd Perfons, and who
are more attentive to what is receiv'd by the
Multitude than to Singularities, upon whom the
Crowd fet no Price, and which they themfelves
want a Capacity to do. Had Travelling no
more then this one Inconveniency attending it,
that a Traveller has perpetually before his Eyes
the ordinary and corrupt Manner of Life now
in Praftice, which ftill confirms them in his
own Corruption, and that the few Examples
which oppofe it are conceal'd from their In
flection, that ought to be fufficient to difcredit
Travelling ; and the fmall Attention us'd by
Travellers fully convince us, that People fend
their Youth abroad to fee the World upon a
Foundation quite different from the Profpeft of
feeing them return compleat Gentlemen.
In regard to the Majority of them, it may
be faid, that Travelling is a very efficacious
Method to confirm them in the vicious Dif-
pofitions may be in them, and to perfuade them,
that Pleafure, Riches, Grandeur, Luxury, and
the like, are Man's Bleffings, that his Happi
nefs confifts in the Enjoyment of thofe Bene
fits, and that his Parts and Ability are difplay 'd
in procuring the Means, or at leaft, that it is
only certain Exceffes in all this that can be
blame-worthy ; that Perfons of Merit are thofe
who reftify Things, and avoid Excefs, who know
how to accommodate themfelves according to
the Time, and to manage their own Affairs, and

238 LETTER VI.
and that this is what it behoves every one to
obferve. Travelling is a Method very proper
to give Youth a falfe Merit, which is, perhaps,
more direftly oppofite to true Merit than are
all the common Vices or Defefts which we
endeavour to correft in them. It is where they
may confirm themfelves in Prefumption and In*
docility, and affume an Affurance which com-
pleats the rendering their Charafter important,
even as important as they could wifh it to be,
and fets to it, as we may fay, the finifhing
Stroke. Upon this Foot, it would be very true,
that young People are faffiion'd by Travelling 5
and Fathers, who generally have the fame Ideas
as their Sons, will have the Pleafure of feeing
the Education they have beftow'd on them au
thoriz'd and brought to Perfeftion by Travel
ling. But let us examine a little after what
Manner People perform their Travels ; for af
ter all, that is the Matter moft in Queftion,
in order to pafs a Judgment, and to fet a Price
upon Travelling.
It is eftablifli'd, that a young Man, who has
attain'd a certain Age, muft quit his Country,
and that for the Reafons I have been already
touching upon : He wants Education and Me
rit; the Publick perceives it, and cannot fet
that Value upon him as is defir'd. It is re-
quifite, therefore, for him to abfent himfelf, and
to give Room to the Publick to forget him, to
think that he is gone in Search of what he
wants, and which he can never meet with at
home. Or if this Reafon does not take Place*
if he is a promifing, hopeful Youth, it is
eftablifli'd that Travelling is the readieft Way
to compleat his Charafter ; and with this View
he is fent abroad. So that, for fome Reafon or

Of Travelling. 239
or other, Cuftom demands that a young Man
fhould leave his Home, difappear for a while,
and fee the World. If this can be effefted un
der the Direftion of fome prudent Perfon, who
will take Care of him, will interpofe between
the World and him, and parry off its Blows,
it will certainly be fo much the better; and
if the Ability and Capacity of this Tutor can
extend fo far as to make the corrupted, the
corrupting World inftrumental towards the ren
dering this young Man wife, all the Advantage
that can poffibly be hop'd for, both from the
Tutor and from the World, is, certainly, ob
tain'd. But, for the Generality, this is not the
Cafe ; I fpeak only of ordinary Travellers. In
what Country, or after what Manner foever
they pafs the Time allotted them for their Tra
vels, is not much to the Purpofe ; they are in
a foreign Country, and they remain there as
long as they have Occafion. One would think,
that the different Charafters of Nations fhould
carry along with them at leaft this Advantage,
that fuch Perfons who cannot bring it about
to correft themfelves by Reafon, might there
meet with Matter enough to do it, with lefs
Difficulty, by Example and Praftice : But this
is what is not at all regarded ; and it muft be
mere Chance, a favourable Chance that con
ducts them, and makes them find their Anti
podes, People whofe Charafter is oppofite to their
own, can ftand Battle with it, and take its Place.
They hope for and expeft all Things from Tra
velling, and yet do not direft their Steps ac
cording to their Neceffities; lefs clear-lighted
in that Refpeft than in any other whatever.
The Trader, who has Occafion for Wool, does
not go to Italy for it, nor he who wants Silk to

24o L ETT E R VI.
to England: But Mr. fuch a one wants a lit
tle Flegm, and he goes to France: Another is
found to have too much ; his Friends defire to
brighten him, and fend him to travel in Hol
land. It is no Manner of Advantage to them,
that there are Nations of different Charafters;
they perufe not the great Book of the World
with the Attention and Application it requires;
they only run it over, flapping from Place to
Place, merely to look at the Piftures. They
take a View of the Buildings of the Cities they
pafs thro', their Fortifications, Churches, Col
leges, Hofpitals, the Arfenal, the Library, the
Cabinet of Curiofities, &c. They go to Court,
and fee the Prince at Dinner ; they poft them
felves in his Way as he goes to Chapel, or
get a near View of him on fome other Oc
cafion ; and the Ufe they pretend to put all
this to, is to talk of it, and to have it in their
Power, every now and then, to fay, We have
feen it ; We have been there. They make Pro-
vifion of a Budget of Singularities, Fafts, and
little Adventures of their own to talk of, all
which ferves to help out in Converfation, which,
more than all the reft, muft needs be improv'd
by Travelling ; not unlike Boys, who run to
the Sea Shore, and to fhew they have been
there, fill their Pockets with little Shells, they
bring home all that ferves to diftinguifh a Tra
veller from another Man. The Things that in
their Conception have moft of the grand in them,
and confequently beft worth feeing, are publick
Solemnities, pompous Ceremonies, Reviews,
Proceffions, Mafquerades, and the like, as be
ing Sights which ia vail Conflux of Speftators
renders ftill more confiderable ; but more par
ticularly a Coronation, which amaffes People from

Of Travelling. 44 f
from all Parts : Thefe make Travelling a Mat*
ter of Importance, as feeding the Traveller's
Eyes with noble Spectacles. He who has the
good Fortune to have been an Eye- Witnefs of
a Solemnity of this Kind, has nothing more to
fee after that : He returns home to his Ac
quaintance, big with this* and as full of Joy
and Content as if the Crown had been fet upon
his own Temples* and is by them receiv'd with
Veneration. All that know of this glorious Cir^
cumftance of his Life, throng around him, look
at him with Attention, and think, in Regard
to him, that a peculiar Train of good Luck
attends fome People, and that they are born
to extraordinary Rencounters. But, even when
the Traveller has not all this to fhew at his
Return from his Peregrinations ; when, inftead
of Diamonds, he has only Pebbles to produce,
he ftill never fails coming home rich and faa
tisfied : He is fenfible of the Succefs of all Tra
vels, and knows what waits for him at his Re*
turn. He was no more thought of; and here
he appears all on a fudden, thereby become
a new Man, on Account of the Eyes he draws
after him, and which, in Effeft, gives him a
new Countenance. The Difpofition of a whole
City, waiting with Expectation, is at that Time
.- chang'd for him, and it alfo changes his for all
that fee him, at leaft as long as the Feaft lafts,
and he has wherewithal to furnifh out Matter
for the Curiofity of thofe to whom he expofes
himfelf as a Shdw. Before he is quite drain'd,
another Traveller arrives, and turns away the
Eyes of the Publick from him* and this laft
Comer is, in like Manner* exalted* and, by the
Arrival of others, deliver'd from a teo tirefome
Perquifition ; So that, in cafe Travels are not
R. attended

242 LETTER VI.
attended with all the Benefits which are at
tributed to them, they fail not, however, of be
ing intirely as advantageous to the Traveller
as he can either expeft or defire : They put
between him and^ the Publick wherewithal to
content them reciprocally. The Publick will
needs be fond of the Wonders which the World
expofes to Sale, in being fond of thofe who
have had a Sight of them; and thefe, for their
Part, are over-joy 'd at the Publick's Regard to
them, on that Score, which renders them little
Wonders themfelves, and ftill confirms them
in that Regard. Be it how it will, it is for
the Publick that we travel, and it is the Pub*
lick that recompences the Pains we are at in
travelling. To confider rambling the World in
that Light, it would not be fo unprofitable as
it may appear at the firft Bluffi ; and we might,
perhaps, find ftill other Advantages in it, if
examin'd with the moft favourable Difpofitions.
Let us look into this Affair : Let us continue
to confider it on its faireft Side, and then re
turn to what I at firft intimated, concerning
Man in general ; wherein, it may be, I have
not div'd deep enough.
I take it, that Men may be confider'd in
two Lights. They are Men; that is to fey,
Creatures confummately noble, whofe Price de
pends on themfelves, by inverting themfelves
with Humanity, whereby they fhew themfelves
endow'd with all Kinds of Qualities which em-
belhfh and adorn them.
They may likewife be confider'd in the dif
ferent Stations they hold in their refpeftive Oc
cupations, whether they have devoted themfelves
to officiate m the Magiftracy, the Field, the
School, in Trade, &c. They agree, and are

right

Of Travelling* . 14 J
right enough in the Idea they have of thefe
different Profeffions, and in the Price they fet
upon them ; nor are they very much at a Lofe
as to the Preparatives which thefe feveral Vo
cations require in order to officiate therein an*
fwerable to their Ideas. But in refpeft to Man
in himfelf, in refpeft to plain, fimple Humani*
ty, their Idea is not fo clear : The Cafe appears
to them dubious and intricate ; and they agree
only in this Point, that they do not confider
it as a State proper for a Man. But as thefe
different States of Life are found to be grounded
upon Humanity, and as to be a worthy States
man, or a worthy Captain, it is abfolutely neceffa
ry to be, more or lefs, a Man, they find that Hu«
manity muft not be wholly neglefted, and are
oblig'd in fome Manner to adopt it, and to in*
culcate it into young People. Befides, there
are fome Intervals of Life wherein one finds
onefelf reduc'd to Humanity; for, in Effeft, thefe
particular Occupations do not perpetually take
Place : The Magiftrate cannot always exercife
his Funftion, nor the Soldier his Sword, and
fo of the reft ; Humanity now and then inter
venes, and becomes an Occupation to be follow'd
like the others. Some Regard muft neceflarily
be had to Humanity, and we muft have enough
of it not to be caught altogether unprovided
therewithal upon an Emergency, But in this*
as in every Thing elfe, Men have moft judi-
cioufly comprehended, that all Exceffes are to
be avoided, and take Care not to engage them
felves in Humanity fo far as to be caught in
the Net, and fo become Man in Earneft : For
they have before their Eyes the Example of thofe
lingular Men of Antiquity, known by the odi
ous Nameof Philofophers. Thofe Men, or fome
R 2 of

244 LETTER VI.
of their Number, ferioufly determin'd and made
their Choice, and in renouncing the feveral ufual
States and Conditions of Life, thofe Circumftan
ces of Humanity, enter'd into the State of Hu
manity itfelf, and, as a Set of People, Stran
gers to the reft of Mankind, attrafted their At
tention, and became their Gazing-Stock. Nay,
in thefe our own Days, fhould any one venture
himfelf to tread thofe unknown Regions, efpecially
if he is fo rafh as to offer to penetrate too
far, he runs an apparent Hazard of miffing the
¦ Road, and -doling himfelf beyond Recovery, as
thofe others did of old. Men, in this Perplexity,
have Recourfe to the only remaining Expedient.
It is univerfally agreed, that Humanity ought
to have feme Sort of Hommage paid it, fince, be
it as it will, Man is Man, of Human Species,
and all imagine, that, in affuming Humanity,
they render to it the Exterior and the Appea
rances, and thereby inhance their own Value;
and from hence it is that Travelling takes its
Merit. We roam abroad not only to be Eye-
Witneffes how far thofe who have the publick
Approbation extend the Appearances of Humani
ty, in order to imitate and become like them,
but Travelling itfelf is a Proof that, in Regard
to Humanity, the World entertains thofe mo
derate Sentiments which are requifite to be had
on that Subjeft ; that it places in Man's Ex
terior the Value that Men have agreed to fet
upon it, which extends fo far as to dedicate a
confiderable Part of their Lives in Queft there
of. Travelling, confider'd in this Light, may ve
ry well be faid to be attended with the Ad
vantages attributed to it; and there would be
Room to ftand up in its Juftification, even in
the

Of Travelling. 2 4 j
the circumftantial Detail I had enter'd upon.
Youth would be in the Right to travel in or
der to faffiion their Intelleftuals, and to have
them form'd like thofe of others. It is true
that Travelling ferves rather to form our Turn
of Wit, as we term it, than our Wit or Un
derftanding itfelf; but this Article is what re
commends it, fince by doing that it feves us
abundance of Pains : For as the Appearances of
Humanity excufes our being truly Men, the Ap
pearances of Senfe excufes one from having it
in Effeft, from having the true Difeernment be
longing to it, which is fo difficult to be ac-
quir'd, fo little regarded, and fo feldom met with ;
and Travelling, by qualifying us to talk by
Rote, and thereby fetting us above all folid At
tention, which lays us under a Cpnftraint, fets
us above People of real Senfe, who fo frequently
find themfelves forc'd and conftrain'd. People
would be, likewife, in the Right to travel in
order to know the World : Deportment, Beha
viour, which make up the Effential of this
Knowledge, form themfelves perfeftly well by
Travelling, if not by Travelling at leaft by the
Confideration of having travell'd : We from
thence affume an Air of Importance, a Coun
tenance which gives Notice that we expeft to
receive from others all that we are ready to
give them, and which indicates to them the
Price they ought to fet upon us. This is re-
ceiv'd and eftablifli'd : The Publick refpefts the
diftinguifhing Mark we fet upon ourfelves, and
which we bring from fo far, and ratifies it.
Hereby we have, in the common Courfe of
Life, a valuable Sanftuary, and an infallible
Prefervative -againft being ever after eafily dif
abus'd and undeceiv'd as to the Efteem we have
R 3 of

246 L E TTE R VI.
of ourfelves. We are excus'd firom all Attention
to what paffes within ourfelves, which of all
others is the moft painful, and from the Know
ledge of ourfelves, which is, generally, the moft
uncomfortable of all Knowledge. In the Study
of the World, when in order to excel we make
jt our only, or at leaft, our chief Study, we
pafs our Life agreeably, fatisfied with ourfelves
and with others; and Travelling, as being no
other than a Walk we take up and down in
the World, is, in that Refpeft, of no fmall Im
portance, in accuftcming us to infpeft into no
thing but what prefents itfelf to our View, and
to enjoy rather than know it, to be feen and
lik'd rather than known. Travelling gives us
to underftand, that, to make Advantage of Life,
we muft, likewife, make a Walk of it, a Plea
sure, a Diverfion which looks no farther than
the prefent Moment; and this is, perhaps, the
Ufe to which the Majority of Travellers put
their Peregrinations, and their fole View. As
to the Study of Languages, to the which Tra
velling gives us Room to apply ourfelves, we
reap from it not only a Multiplicity of Reading*
which adds to the Knowledge we had before
amafs'd, a Variety of other Knowledge which
pontinues ftill to help to difpenfe usfrom theKnow-
ledge of ourfelves : But, independent of all Read-
ing, Languages are an Ornament : They fuffice
to place the Poffeffor among the Number of the
Learned; and if they do not abundantly for
ward the Maturation of one's Mind, they, at
Jeaft, give it Room to repofe, and one is there
by difpens'd from producing its Fruit. But
above all Things, Travelling may afford us
Satisfaftion in what regards Perfons of Worth,
Men of Merit: The fame Motive that fets Peo ple

Of Travelling. 247
pie upon Travelling, prepares, it feems, ready
to the Traveller's Hand, what is convenient
he fhould have ; it forms exaftly that very Me
rit he feeks for.
Thofe Perfons who are adorn'd with all ami
able Qualifications, and who among their Em-
belliffiments introduce a Portion of Virtue, as
much as is neceffary to enhance their Chara
fter, and to make them pafs for virtuous Men,
meet with univerfal Applaufe. Some of this
Clafs a curious Traveller can no more mifs of,
in his Rambles, than he can of the City whi
ther he direfts his Courfe, and to which the
High-Road condufts him. Nor can their Exam
ple, ever in the leaft, fail of encouraging the
Traveller, in like Manner, to render himfelf
that Man in Vogue, that confpicuous Perfon,
who knows how to adorn himfelf with whatever
is receiv'd and eftablifli'd, and to acquire that
Merit, of which Reputation is both the Mo
tive and the Recompence. But even if Tra
velling does not altogether reach that Length,
if it does not furnifh a young Man with all
that knowing how to do, which this Merit requires,
it will ftill ferve to make him lofe that un-
fafhionable Charafter of former Ages, which
flands in his Way to oppofe his Career; that
embarraffing Modefty, that Bafhfulnefs which
is fo troublefome, and which Nature, when let
alone to operate, preferves in Youth, and feems
to pleafe herfelf in diftinguifhing thereby thofe
who are well-born. Travelling is an approv'd
Remedy againft this Embarrafment, and upon
this Score, more than all the reft, one may
ftand up in its Behalf It is certain, and all
that proves it, that the current Merit of our
Age demands, either the bold Charafter of the
R 4 Vulgar,

«43 LETTER VI.
Vulgar, which difpenfes them from' Travelling
for a Charafter, or Travelling, which leads us
to fetch from abroad this happy Boldnefs, which
enables us courageoufly to foar above Age and
Experience, and tranfports Youth, with all its
Vivacity, into the Charafter of ripe and com
pleat Man. Some how or other, Travelling
difpenfes us from a painful, troublefome Merit,
and which is feldom acquir'd till very late, and
inftead thereof, by Way of Subrogation, intails
pn us another, which is eafy, and whofe For
mation requires but a few Years, a Merit which
has this Advantage over the other, that it makes
us very well fatisfied with ourfelves, provided
Others are fo. In a Word, Travelling fets us
jn a Condition to reap from ourfelves the fame
Advantage the World does ; it is left to us to
judge whether or no that is very confidera-
ple, and whether it is very much worth the
while to travel.
But let us fay a few Words of Travelling
In Regard to our own Nation, and let us han
dle the Subjeft a little more ferioufly. Our
pore-Fathers were not Travellers : It was not
eftablifli'd among them, that they muft faffiion
themfelves by foreign Models, in order to make
themfelves look'd upon. Probity, Sincerity and
Stedfafinefs fufficieptly adorn'd them ; and they
were ignorant that Men with thofe Qualities,
'fropd in Need of Manners or Behaviour, or that
in order to be valued in their own Country
they muft relinquiffi it, and ranfack remote Re
gions for ivherewithal to pleafe the Publick.
With the Manners and Charafter acquir'd in
Jheir refpeftive Families, they not only pafs'd
their Lives laudably and with Dignity at home,
put carried with them their Manners to fuch
foreign

Of Travelling. 249
foreign Lands as their Occafions call'd them to
vifit, from whence, rather proud than affiam'd
of them, they again return'd them to their own
Homes. Without the leaft out-landifh Mixture
in their Charafter, they liv'd honourably, and
left to our Nation a Reputation fo firmly efta
blifli'd, that it is only now at laft, after a long
Series of Years, that we have brought about its
Deftruftion. But likewife, fay our modifli Folks,
thofe good People, for want of quitting their
Mountains to come down and faffiion themfelves
a little, were wonderfully ruftick, unmanner
ly, and fimple, and had but a very fmall Share of
the Enjoyment of Life. They en joy 'd Life more
than we do. As among them the Pleafures of
Life depended not on foreign Things, but on the
natural Produfts of the Country, they enjoy'd
them with Appetite, and their Lives glided away
in Eafe and Felicity. If by the Unpolitenefs and
Rufticity they are reproach'd with, is meant
their Ufage of doing and faying all Things natu
rally, and anfwerable to their own proper effen
tial Charafter, if they term Simplicity the Inca
pacity of counterfeiting or difguifing, of attempt
ing to deceive or impofe on others by borrowed
Qualities, it is a freffi Eulogy given them ; and
moft certainly, could they return to the World,
they would glory in what we make the Objeft of
our Reproach, as they would, undoubtedly, re
proach us with what we value ourfelves upon.
Could People but tranfport themfelves from thefe
to former Times, as they travel into other Coun
tries, thither it would be that one might, indeed,
be tempted to take a Ramble. The clownifh,
unpoliffi'd Commonwealth of thofe Days gives
the Idea of a Fabrick rais'd out of unwrought
pragmepts of a Rock, which has both Majefty and

250 L E TT E R VI.
and Solidity : That of this Day, our Nation, with
all the Splendor and Politenefs wherewith it
Arrives to embelliffi itfelf, reprefents to the Ima
gination nothing but Paint and Varnifh ; and I
am' perfuaded, that the Cuftoms, Manners and
Charafter of our Anceftors had more real De
cency and Decorum in them than have the Man
ners and Charafter we affeft. Every Nation
has its own Charafter, given it by Nature,
which is appropriated to the Soil, and to the
Circumftances of its Inhabitants : Each Nation
has, alfo, its peculiar Manners and Ufages,.as
a neceffary Confequence of its Charafter. No
real Alteration fhould be made in either of thefe
Particulars, but their Owners ought to content
themfelves with reftifying where there is Oc
cafion ; they fhould cultivate the Charafter, and
adapt the ^Manners to it. To go abroad for
Manners to bring them home, is juft toiling
to become a Foreigner in one's own Country.
But the Mifchief Travelling does us extends
not only to the caufing us to transform our
ancient Charafter ; it introduces among us
Cuftoms and Ufeges which are our Deftruftion :
Luxury, which we ought to fhun more than
any thing elfe whatever, and which lefe futes
us than any other Nation in the Univerfe. We
are fo little adapted to it, that it renders us
ridiculous in the Eyes of every rational Man,
nay even in the Eyes of thofe we call worldly
Men, who love Luxury when in its own pro
per Province : For what is to be feen among
other Nations is proportion'd to their Opulency,
and ours is wholly difproportionate to our Po-
vert}r, or, if you will have it fo, to our Riches,
¦which inftantly melt away thro' the Diftribu-
tion fo made of them. The Folly of foreign
Nations

Of Travelling. 251
Nations lies in confuming in Luxury the Su
perfluity ; and this Folly is exclaim'd againft
by Perfons of better Senfe among them : Ours
is in employing therein the Neceffary : This
reaches to Extravagance ; and I am not pofi-
tive, that we have among us many Perfons
who are mov'd by it, and who are fenfible
of it in its whole Extent. Our Country is not
cut out for Luxury : Neither does the Charafter
of its Inhabitants, which, originally, confifts
in Cordiality, and plain down right Integrity,
nor the Soil itfelf, which requires OEconomy
and Labour, and produces only what ferves
for the mere Neceffities of Life, afford us the
leaft Encouragement to quit a plain fimple
Manner of living ; Luxury being fo abfblutely
a Foreigner in our Climate, that not only it
was nothing elfe but our Travels into other
Countries that firft brought us acquainted with
it, but likewife every Thing that conduces
towards it is convey'd to us from thence ; and
that is what compleats the Mifchief it does us.
Nay, it is Luxury, and all voluptuous living,
which drag along with them Confufion and a total
Negleft of domeftick Cares, baniffi from Families
all OEconomy and Tranquillity, and fills all with
Diforder. It is Luxury that nourifhes Pride,
the Forerunner of Ruin, which deprives Men
of their Eye-fight, fets them above Precautions,
and urges them to fall into wrong Meafures ;
Pride, which renders them no lefs odious than
Luxury does ridiculous, and which breaks off
that Union wherein the Strength and Safety
of a People confifts. Nor fhould Pride find
any better Encouragement among us than Lu
xury, fince, in Comparifon with our Neigh
bours, who furround us, we are as inconfide- rable

25* LETTERWl.
rable as we are poor. But, above all, Luxury
is prejudicial to us, in that it lays us under the
Neceiiity of acquiring wherewithal to fupport
it. From thence arifes a Neceffity of entering
into Emploies, and to obtain them nothing is
left untried : This engenders, or at leaft increa-
fes Fraud, Perjury, Extortion, and all thofe de
teftable Aftions, which brand the Perpetrators,
and the Nations among whom thefe Things be
come common, with a Mark of Infamy, fo
hideous and deform'd, that all the Pomp and
Luxury in the World can never erafe it. All
the difaftrous Confequences with which Luxury
can be attended, and even thofe which it has
not any where elfe, it has for us : In the End
it will be found, that the Diffipation of our
Wealth is the leaft of all the Evils it brings
upon us, and were that a Remedy to deliver
us from it intirely, I know not whether that
Particular might not be look'd upon rather as
a publick Benefit than an Evil. If it was a
Matter now in Agitation, whether to introduce
Luxury among us, of to forbid it, any Man
of Underftanding, who was fenfible how little
it fuits our Conveniency, if he could not fuc
ceed by diffuading us by folid Reafon and Ar
gument, might be tempted to introduce it, to
the End that he might make Trial, well fatisfied
that we fhould deteft and abhor it, when we
found its Confequences.
But, he would find himfelf miftaken ; for
Luxury dazzles the Eyes of Men, and corrupts
them to fo great a Degree, that thereby they
become in a Manner depriv'd of their rational
Faculties; at leaft, it muft produce this Effeft
upon thofe to whom it is a Stranger, and who,
as they have it only by Imitation, carry it
beyond

Of Travelling. 2551
beyond all Bounds, and know not how to go
vern themfelves according to the Means they
have to fupport it. This we are taught by Ex
perience : He who plainly fees his Ruin before
his Eyes, ftill purfues the Path that leads him
to it ; and he who beholds his Neighbour's Fall,
is fo far from being terrified, or deterr'd, that
he dreams of nothing but how to out-do him,
and puts himfelf in a Sweat to follow him
down the Precipice. The Mother and the Chil
dren join with the Father of the Family, and,
upon this Article, bear a ftrift Harmony with
him : Or if the Contagion proceeds from them,
the Mafter of the Houfe has not the Power
to refill his Wife and Children, and at laft fol
lows their Foot-fteps ; but fo or otherwife, they
all hurry down the Hill, and ruin themfelves
in Concert with each other. Luxury and fo
reign Manners find Entrance even among Men
of the beft Underftandings ; and render them
like thofe who have loft their Senfes : It is
true, they do not ruin themfelves ; but they
fet Examples of a Courfe of Life, by imitating
which others meet their Ruin ; and it is their
Example, in particular, which feduces them,
and occafions the Mifchief. All this makes more
common the unjuft Methods of amaffing Wealth,
and of repairing diffipated Fortunes ; thofe bafe
Praftifes lofe their Infamy, and even become
fupportable to the very Perfons who once held
them in Deteftation. The Manner of living
'of thefe Times, when once admitted among
them, charms their Senfes ; they become like
fo many Statues : They embelliffi the Common-
Weal; their Attitude is that of honeft Men, na
turally difpos'd to do their Duty, and laying
afide this they aftually do it ; But the Mifchief

254 LETTER VI.
is, they ought to do it in this Particular, they
ought to difpel the Enchantment, and to pre
vent out-landifh Modes from doing us all the
Prejudice we have Caufe to apprehend, from
compleating our utter Ruin.
Luxury and Travelling, join'd together, drag
after them a Courfe of Life which is adapted
to them, and which is as pernicious as its Ap
pearances are beautiful and commendable : I
mean, in particular, the Liberty which young
People of both Sexes have of feeing one ano
ther when they pleafe, of paffing whole Days
together, and of devoting the far beft Portion
of their Times to Diverfion. Even provided
it was true, that other Nations fet us this Exam
ple, which is not fo, at leaft in Regard to the
Female Sex, fince they have no where the Li
berty, while Virgins, of being alone with Men,
it would ftill be a Way of living very contra
ry to Decency, and which all the Precaution,
all the Referve that might be imagin'd or hop'd
for could never juftify, nor prevent its being
attended with very bad Confequences. Certain
it is, that Maidens, by daily feeing, and con
verting familiarly with young Men, part with
that Shynefs, that Modefty, that becoming Bafh
fulnefs, and the Tafte of a retir'd Life fo re-
quifite in their Sex. Marriage, which fhould
put an End to that Sort of Life, inftead of be
ing to them a State of Happinefs and Satisfa
ftion, becomes, if they marry Men of Judg
ment who know how to govern their Families,
a State of Conftraint, of Difcontent ; and if
they marry Men of Gaiety and Pleafure, they
continue in their former Way of Life, which is
as little proper for married Women as for Vir
gins, no more convenient for the Hufband than for

Of Travelling. 255
for the Wife ; and of thefe two Evils this laft:
is that which is moft to be fear'd, and which
moft commonly happens. This Intercourfe, this
over-great Familiarity, has ftill another Inconve
niency ; it leffens the Efteem of both Parties for
each other, and People join in Wedlock with
very indifferent Difpofitions, the Foundation
of a good Marriage, which confifts in a reci
procal Efteem, being thereby fhaken even before
the Efpoufals. Young Girls thereby learn to
take a Pleafure in feeing Men in general ; and
they afterwards find it very difficult to fix
themfelves to their Hufbands, and to be intire
ly attach'd to them. Hufbands, on the other
Side, fuffer themfelves to be led away by the
Allurements of Diverfity, of Company, and
break in upon that ftrift Union in which the
Sweets of Matrimony confift. All this breeds
Divifions, Quarrels and a Propenfion to illi-
citous Pleafures, which thofe Divifions ftill aug
ment. In a Word, fome, from this Source, aban
don themfelves in Earneft, and in others it
creates an Infenfibility of the abominable Vile-
nefs of fuch Proceedings ; and from thence it
is that, at laft, the Road to all Corruption is
laid open. From thence, likewife, proceeds the
indifferent Education of Children, which makes
the Diftemper utterly incurable. Certain it is,
¦Jhat Perfons addicted to Pleafure, to the Pafs
that the Manners of our prefent Age would di-
reft them, even if they are not arriv'd to the
laft Degree of Corruption, but have rather fome
Inclination to Good, are incapable of giving
their Children a good Education : The Exam
ple before their Eyes of a Life pafs'd in Plea
fures out weighs all the Inftruftions can be given
them, and infallibly corrupts them : The poor
Children

255 LETT ER VI.
Children, ftraying away from their natural Sim
plicity, and inuring themfelves to Trifles, Ap
pearances, Vanity and Difguife, form an Idea of
a falfe Merit, which removes them farther from
that Merit which Man ought to have in View*
the Order into which he ought to re-enter,
than any other Particular whatever. If this
Courfe of Life hinders Men from acquitting
themfelves of domeftick Duties, it is a no lefs
Obftacle in regard to the publick Duties : Thofe
who enter on Emploies in the Magiftracy, carry
with them the Corruption which they had in
troduced into their Families, and very far
from remedying Abufes, they authorize, and
render them univerfal, both by the Example they
fet, and the Reafons they find to juftify them.
As to the reft, all thefe Niceties, thefe Improve
ments, and this Kind of Politenefs which People
affeft, and by which they pretend to enhance
the Price of the Manners 'of our prefent Age*
are direftly, and in themfelves, what our Nation
ought to defpife. Thefe Things as little agree
with the Mafculine Charafter which Nature has
given us, as Paint and Female Ornaments would
become a Man. What an Averfion ought we not
to bear them, fince they caufe us to degenerate,
and transform us into Women, in Effeft, and
bring along with them a Corruption, and Indig
nities, which fo intirely difguife us, that we are
no longer to be known for the fame People !
But what Obligations do not well-inclin'd Per
fons lie under, who, by the Emploies they hold,
are become Publick Men ? Doubtlefs they are
under very great ones, and at any Price foever
they ought to ftand their Ground firmly in Op
pofition to foreign Manners, in Oppofition to
Luxury and Corruption, which undo us. The
Truth,

Of Travelling. t$7
Truth is, there is a Pleafure in battling with
Luxury, fince the only Matter in Debate is, by.
Dint of good Argument, to plead the Caufe of
an eafy, plain, and reafonable Way of Life. ^ Of
all the Tafks requir'd of an honeft Man, this is
the eafieft ; and it Can fcarce be comprehended
how we meet with fo fmall a Number of Peo*
pie who make Choice of it for themfelves, But
as for the Refiftance to be made againft the
Corruption which Luxury produces, fomething
more than an ordinary Refolution is requird$
and there are fome Cafes, wherein compleatly to
acquit one's felf of one's Duty, one muft have
a good Portion of heroick Virtue, and a Strength
not to be attain'd in Luxury and an effeminate
voluptuous Life. But then again, every Man
who defigns to execute his Duty in the Em
ploy he holds in the Magiftracy, is aftually
call'd to this State of Heroifm: In entering
into this Profeffion, he enters into an open
War againft all Vice and Corruption, and ought
to be tlways in Expeftation of Occafions eithei?
to illuftrate him, or to expofe him for Negleft
of his Duty, and for deferting his Country s
Intereft in its Neceffity. It is my Opinion,
that all will agree, that every honeft Man ought
much rather to expofe, nay facrifice himfelf
for the Service of his Country, than to defert
it in Time of Need. I would gladly add one
Refleftion upon this Point. Honeft Men have
generally a Maxim Which limits and refrains
them from giving to their Country all the
Affiftance that the Exigence of feme important
Cafes demands. They content themfelves with
voting for it With their whole Might, and think
not themfelves oblig'd to a perfonal Mainte
nance of thofe Suffrages* or to buftle in the
y Aitair

258 LETTER VI.
Affair fo vigoroufly as they might; and the
Reafon they give is, that it feldoms happens
that fo doing advances the Caufe, and they
fhould only expofe themfelves to no Purpofe.
Here, I believe them to be miftaken: I take
it, that every Man, who bears an Office, fhould
have little Regard to the Succefe, when the Caufe
in Queftion tends to what is equitable and ne
ceffary ; that he then ought to do his Duty,
and execute his Funftion to its utmoft Extent;
and this Duty is very plain, and depends nei
ther on the Refolution of another to do his,
nor on the many Meafures taken in order to
fucceed. The Succefs of every Enterprize is the
Affair of Providence, which has a thoufand Ways
to bring about its Defigns ; and the Conduft of
honeft Men in the Exigences which offer is of
greater Importance in the Eyes of Providence
than is the Succefs itfelf. If it permits a Thing
to depend on the Conduft of Mortals, it is
merely to try them, and to give them an Op
portunity of doing their Duty. But if the Suc
cefs does not anfwer the honeft Man's Endea
vours, he has, however, comply'd with his Ob
ligation, in doing what he was able, and it. is
not his Fault that Juftice did not take Place:
This is a Satisfaftion both to himfelf and to
the Publick ; fince the Welfare of the Pub
lick chiefly depends upon honeft Men. Every
Man, in a publick Station, ought to do the
feme for his Country that Socrates did for his;
at the Hazard of being left alone, and of un»-
dergoing the Hatred and the Violence of all
thofe whom he had oppos'd, he ought to keep
his Footing courageoufly againft whatever ble-
mifhes its Charafter, and to banifli from it
all Reproach, and that Impunity which autho rizes

Of Travelling* ij^i
kizes Vice, and cultivates it ; nor need we more
than a fmall Number of Men, of the ancient
Charafter of our Nation, to render it this im
portant Piece of Service.
Happy Nation, could it but return to it*
felf, and did it but know how to enjoy its
Advantages ! Equity, Simplicity and Probity
Were its Inheritance ; with thefe Nature em-
belliffi'd it, while others deck'd themfelves.
out with vain Pageantries, and oftentatious Or*
naments, now in fuch Vogue here. In its State
of Simplicity* it fent forth Armies which gave
it a Superiority over very powerful Oppofers 3
and what in our Anceftors was the Ob jeft of
their Enemy's Contempt prov'd fatal to the
Contemners : It made itfelf efteem'd by its
Juftice ; and by its original Charafter it rais'd
itfelf as far above other Nations as, at prefent*
it finks beneath them by debafing itfelf to
imitate them : Never had Nation lefs Caufe td
be weary of its Charafter ! How cOUld it be pof-
fible for us to relinquiffi it, to lift ourfelves
among the Crowd of Imitators, and that we
fhould prefer to Realities, adapted to us, Ap
pearances which do not agree with our Circum
ftances, and which drive us into crooked Paths
flill lefs proper, lefs agreeable ? It feems as if
Providence, which governs the Univerfe, was
difpos'd, that, among the Nations of the Earth,
there fhould be one of a plain fimple Chara
fter, which being without a large Share of
Wealth as well as without Pretenfions to any
extraordinary Pomp and Splendor, lay under'
no Temptation of degenerating into Luxury.
A happy Obfcurity, a Courfe of Life far re->
mote from all Orientation, all Effeminacy,
ought to have made us in Love with our
S 2 Moun*

26o L ET T ER VI.
Mountains, and to have fix'd us there. In that
Situation Providence was difpos'd to have pro
tefted us, exempt from the Troubles and Difor
ders which agitate the reft of the World, and
to have propos'd us for a Model. Providence
in us had a Mind to recompence the World
for the Lofs^ of Nature's Order, defigning us as
a Remnant, preferv'd in the View of the whole
Earth, a Charafter utterly loft, and banifh'd
from wealthy and voluptuous Nations. How,
I fay once again, how could we ever be weary
of it ? What have we feen among the other
Nations, fo often unhappy, fo frequently ra-
vag'd amidft their Pomp, fo often difunited
among themfelves, thro' their nice Improve
ments, and their oblique Manners, that can
have rais'd in us the Defire of imitating them ?
How comes it to pafs, that we have drawn
out for ourfelves a Plan, which we can never
be able to fill, and ftill far lefs able to main
tain ; a Plan which, even if we could fill
and maintain it, would for ever render us ri
diculous ? How can People of rational Under
ftanding reconcile themfelves to a little foo-
liffi Pageantry, ' ill Anting their Circumftan
ces, and which ferves only as a Blemiffi up
on their Charafter ; a few gaudy outward Ap
pearances, which are maintain'd by Avarice
or fordid Penury alone, not unlike that Lamp,
which with the flinking filthy Oyl it con
tains, infefts the Apartment it fhould illumi
nate? After having been vanquiffi'd by foreign
Manners, to oppofe which depends upon our
felves, and after having join'd to thofe Man
ners others ftill more pernicious, which our
own Corruption, arriv'd to the higheft Degree,
has produce!, it is to be fear'd that, in other
Refpefts,

Of Travelling. 261
Refpefts, we may experience the Fate of thofe
foreign Nations, whofe Speftators we fo long
have been, and in our Turn become a Spefta-
cle for them to gaze at. Some of our Prede
ceffors, Perfons of Judgment and Penetration,
when they firft obferv'd foreign Cuftoms in-
troduc'd among us, and the Luxury and li
centious Lives of our Youth, evidently forefaw
the Nation's Ruin, and even prefag'd it from
the firft Moment : And the Judicious of thefe
our Days, beholding all thofe Nuifances brought
to the higheft Pitch they can poffibly arrive
at, call t&|Mind thofe Prefages, and cannot but
apprehenlfouT Downfal to be near at Hand.
Some among them have had melancholy Rea
fons for fuch Apprehenfions. Dear, Sir, I cor
dially embrace you, and am, &c.

Letter.

% 6%

LETTER VII.

Letter VII.
INCE my laft Letter to you, with
which I thought to have finifh'd what
I had to fay concerning the French
Nation ; (n) fomething has happen'd
u which gives Room for another Letter,
The Adventure muft not be reckon'd among
the moft memorable Occurrences: But a Tra
veller who fets himfelf to write, lays hold of
every Handle he meets with. The Story is
this : We came from Paris, to Lyons, in the
Flying-Coach, in Company with an Abbe, who
pafs'd for a Wit, and fome Merchants. Mon
fieur L'Abbe, was reading Boileau's Satyrs.
The Merchants liften'd to him with great At
tention and Admiration. Mr. ¦  and myfelf;
whom the reft of the Company took to be Eng*
liftmen, only liften'd, but fpoke not a Word.
At the firft Stage, the Abbe, not being able
any longer to bear with our Silence, afk'd us
if we had ever read that Poet's Works, what
we thought of them, and if we had any Thing
as good in our own Country. We anfwer'd that
we had read them, and that with Pleafure, as
one efthe celebrated Works of our Times; that
We found more Good than Bad in them ; but
that we were, however, of Opinion, that fome
Englifi Poets had in Point of Genius the Ad^
vantage over him. He did not feem to be any
\yay pleas'd with this ; and having for a Mo.
ment
( n ) this is not a Vision : The Thing happen'd as it is r?'
fated, and occafion'd the ivpting this Letter.

concerning the French, rye. 263
ment or two turn'd over the Book, he prefented it
open to us, faying, with a fneering Smile : Ton
are come from Paris, Gentlemen, here's a Satyr on that
Town. Will you be pleas'd to fi)ew us what you find
good or bad in it ? We did not expeft a Propofal of
this Nature ; but having nothing better on our
Hands, we accepted of it, as an Amufement that
came in the Way. The Satyr was criticiz'd, and
I had a Mind to put our Criticifm in writing, to
fend it to you. It may ferve as an Amufement
to you for half an Hour, and to me during the
leifure Time I fhall have the two or three Days
I am oblig'd to flay in this Place. That alone
would not have been fufficient to make me
write it; but after having entertain'd you in
my Letters with the Charafter and Wit of
the French, I thought the Rehearfel of this
Criticifm, which has fome Relation to thofe
Things, might well follow them. It regards
an Author who is not only a Wit, but in fome
Refpeft regulates the Wit of others, and I own,
I would look upon it as a Favour, if I were
allow'd to carve Wit for myfelf, when I fhould
happen to be merrily difpofed, without ano
ther's propofing any Thing to me on that Head.
If it be true that we cannot have Wit, as thefe'
Gentlemen pretend, they muft expeft to fee us
take the feme Refolution which People generally
do on like Occafions, and which the Philofophers
took formerly with Regard to Riches ; that is, to
give out, that we defpife what we want; to main
tain that they are pernicious, and efpecially to
cry out vehemently againft thofe who are poffefs'd
of them. Here you have all the Satyr, becaufe it
was all criticis'd ; and becaufe that, in order to
judge well of any Performance, it is requifite that
the whole Piece fhould be expos'd to View.
S 4 BOILEAU'*

36*4 LETTER VII.
$ A T I R E VI,
2) E Mr. D***,
gfui frapp Vairt ban Idieu ! de ces luguhres cris}
Efi ce done pur veillcr qu'onfe ccuche d Tarts ?
Voila de grandes Exclamations, Elles ne
conviennent peut-etre pas trop bien a un D£»
but, qui a bonne grace d' etre fimple. Mais
elles conviennent a la Satire, & au fujet que
le Poete s'eft choifi ; car a Paris il y a pen
de Nujts oii il n'arrive quelque trifle Evener
ment. Et quel facheux Zdtmton, durant les nuits entierei%
Rajfemble id les Chats de tomes les gout teres ?
Ce n'efl pas a cette chute que le Lefteur s' attend,
$c ces Chats, rajfemblex par un D&mon, ne doivent
pas trouver ici leur place,
J'ai beanfauter du lit plein de trouble §5? d'effroi,
ffe penfe qu'avec eux tout VEnfer efi chez moi ;
pun miatile en p-ondant ccrnme un tigre en furie
Id autre route fa voix comme un Enfant qui crie.
Ces Chats reffemblent aux Chats de tout Pais,
e'eft ce que Jeur Defeription nous aprend. Du
refte, ces derniers vers font bons, & peignent
fiien. la chofe,

a

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 265
BOILEAUj Sixth Satyr
Criticised.
What Noife is this? Good God J What doleful Cries
Aflault my Ears, and keep un/hut my Eyes?
What fpiteful Goblin does this Clamour make ?
Do Men at <Paris go to Bed to wake ?
Thefe are thundering Exclamations. They
may not, perhaps, be over and above fuitablefor an
Exordium, which would have a better Grace were
it fimple. But they agree very well with Sa
tyr, and with the Subjeft our Poet has chofen ;
for at Pam few Nights pafs without fome di-
faftrous Accident.
The caterwauling Cats in Garret groJT,
Worfe than Cur-Dogs a-nights in Hamlets houl
It is not this Fall, this Cadence that the
Reader expefts ; nor are thefe Cats, (0) affembled
j?y a Goblin, worthy to be introduc'd here.
Difturb'd and terrify'd, in vain J rouzej
It rattles as if Hell was in the Houfe -¦
One grumbles like a Tygcr here,- and there
One like a fquawling Brat, torments my Ear.
Thefe Cats are like the Cats every where
elfe ; and this we are taught by the Defeription
here given us. A* to the reft, thefe laft Verfes
are good, and paint out the Thing very well. This
(0) Here, as well as in many other Places, I mufi fenft
my Reader to the Original, which is very different from the
1'0'nflation.

266 LETTER VII.
Ce tiefi pas tout encore. Les Smris 55? les Rats,
Semblent, pour m'eveiller, s"entendre avec les Chats;
C'eft encore tout comme ailleurs ; on ne re-
cohnoit jufques ici, ni une grande Ville, ni un
grand Poete, & tout cela tient plus du Comique
que du Satirique.
This importuns pour mot, darant la mtit obfcure,
gfye jamais, en pl'einjour, nefut I'Abbi de <P 
Voila apparemment de FEfprit, ou une Pen-
fee vivequi doit relever le refte. II faut, en
ce eas la, qu'il y ait du miftere hi deffous, quel-
que raport cache entre l'importunit^ que peut
caufer cet^Abbe, & celle que caufe le bruit des
Souris & des Chats. Hors de la, ce trait n'a que
de malignity, & la malignity, l'ors-quelle n'eft
pas tournee contre le Mauvais, eft mauvaife elle
meme, dans la Satire auffi-bien qu'ailleurs, &ce
n'eH jamais ce qui embellit une Piece de Poefie.
Ces petits traits a quoi on ne s'attend point, don-
nent plfitot l'idee d'un Satire qui heurte ou qui
rue, que d'un Satire qui fe joue.

1*om eomfpire a l&fois a- troubler mon nsfos ;
Et je me plaim iai du moindre de mes- maux.
C'eft-a-dire, que nous allons entendre des
chofes plus terribles, que celles qui lui ont fait
croire tout V Evfer chez hi. Car

Criticifm on Boleau. Satyr VI. 26*7
This is not all my Curfe ; the Mice and Rats
To wake me feem in Confort with the Cats.
All this is ftill the very feme as in other
Places ; we have not hitherto the leaft Idea ei
ther of a great City, or a great Poet : All we
have yet met with favours rather of Comedy
than Satyr.
As ill I can, by Night, this Plague endure,
As e'er I could, by Day, VAbb'e de Ture.
This carries a Face of Wit with it, and is
feemingly a fprightly Thought which fhould
heighten and enliven the reft. In this Cafe,
there muft of Neceffity lie fome Myftery at
Bottom, fome unaccountable Affinity between
the Difturbance this Abbe might occafion where
he came, and that which the Noife of the Mice
and Cats gives. Laying afide that, this Stroke
has nothing in it but downright fcurrilous Ma
lignity, which, when not pointed againft what
is effentially bad, is inexcusable, as well in Sa
tyr as elfewhere, and is what never embel-
lifhes a Piece of Poefy. Thefe vulgar, mean,
unlook'd for Strokes, give us rather the Idea
of a ruffianly Satyr, that ruffies in to knock
out ones Brains, than of one fporting with us
for a little Diverfion.
All Things at once confpire to break my Reft,
And that which I lament, diflurbs me leaft.
That is to fay, that we are about to hear of
Things ftill more terrible than thofe which
made him fancy that Hell was in the Hovfe. Nq

208 LETTER VII.
Car a peine les Coqs, commen$ant leur ramage
Auront de Cris aigusfrappe le vbifinage,
gfifun affreux Serrurier, que le Ciel en couroux,
A fait pour mesp'echez trop voijion de chez nous;
Avec unfer maudit, qidd grand bruit ilapprete,^
2)e cent coups de marteau me vafendre la tite.
Le Genie de la Satire devoit engager le Poete
a nous donner une defeription des Defordires de
Paris. Car la Satire doit corriger les hommes de
leur Corruption, ou comme les Habiles gens s'ex-
priment la deffus, c'eft un (/>) Ouvrage fait pour re-
prendre, pour cenfurer les Vices, les Pajjions dereg-
lees, les Sotifes, les Impertinences des- Hommes ; ce-
pendant jufques ici, nous ne voyons rien qui repon-
de d cette Idee. Le Poete s'attache plutot a cen
furer les Animaux, ou la Nature qui leur a don-
n£ des qualitez incommodes, & ce qu'il dit la
deffus, peut fe dire du moindre Village auffi bien
que de Paris, & mieux encore. Surtout les Cris
aigus, qu'il apelle Ramage, fe font plus entendre
a la Campagne qu'a la Ville. Son chagrin contre
le Serrurier a le meme defaut que la cenfure des
Animaux : il retombe fur la Nature qui a difpofe
les chofes de maniere qu'il faut de Serruriers,
des gens faits comme celui qu'il d£peint ici,

(/>) Voyez 1? Di&ionaire dt VAcaMmit Franfoife fur le mot
de SaHri.

Criticifm 0#Boileau. Satyr VI. 269
No fooner the lhrill Cock bis Mattins crows,
Than the Smith rifes, and his Hammer goes:
Heav'n for my Sins has polled him fo near,
That on his Anvil every Thump I hear j
It tears my Brains, and every dreadful Sound
Makes in my Head a terrible Rebound.
The Genius of Satyr fhould have engag'd our
Poet to have given us a Defeription of the Dif
orders of Paris. For Satyr ought to correft
Man's Corruption, or as the Vzrtuofi exprefs
themfelves thereon, It is (p ) a Work compos' d in
order to reprehend, to cenfure the Vices, the irregu
lar Pajfons, the Follies, and the Impertinence of
Mankind : Neverthelefs, we hitherto meet with
nothing in the leaft anfwerable to that Idea.
The Poet rather dwells upon cenfuring irrational
Creatures, or Nature which has given them
troublefome Qualities, and what he fays up
on that Subjeft may be faid of the moft mconfi-
derable Hamlet, as well as of Paris, and with
flill more Reafon. More efpecially the ffirill
Cries [cris aigus~\ (of the Cocks) which he calls
(q) Ramage [chirping, &c. of little Birds] are
more to be heard in the Country than in Town.
His Spleen againft the poor (r) Smith is no lefs
faulty than his cenfuring the irrational Crea
tures : He again falls foul upon Nature, which
has fo difpos'd Things that there is a Neceffity
for Smiths, People of the very Stamp he here
defcribes,
(p ) See the Dictionary of the French Academy ; on the Word
Satire. (7) See the French ; the Englilh Editor ufing a Afferent
Turn. if) Ssrrurier; a Lcck-Smith.

27o LETTER VII.
& Contre qui il n'y arien a dire. Ce n'efr. pas le
chagrin du Poete contre ce qui Hncommode, qui
merite d'etre racontd au Public, mais le mal qui fe
trouve dans ce qui le chagrine ; c'eft la ce quifait la
beaute d'une Satire. Mais, fur-tout, il a tort en
ce que pour fi peu de chofe, pour le bruit que peut
faire un Serrurier dans le Voifinage, il fait interve-
nir le Courroux du del. On auroit deja pii lui re-
procher fur ce pied la le debut de cette Piece, ou
il s'adreffe au Bon Dieu mal a propos. Il vau-
droit mieux tourner 1'Efprit de Satire contre de
pareilles manieres de parler, que de les autori-
fer en les emploiant dans un Poeme Satirique,
Elles ne font bien nulle part, mais dans la Poefie
encore moins que dans la Profe, & ce n'eft que
faute de Genie qu'un Poete y a recours. A par
ler naturellement, cette Satire, ou cette Piece
de Poefie, car on ne fait ait juifte ce que c'eft, juf-
ques ici eft tres peu de chofe. Mais peut etre que
la Poefie, comme un genre d'ecrire particulier*
& voiie principalement a 1'Harmonie, a quel que
chofe de privilegi£, & qu'au lieu de reconnoitre
le fimple Bon-fens pour Juge, elle a fon propre
Tribunal ou l'Oreille prefide. En ce cas-la, il y
auroit de la temeriteanous de juger de cette Piece
comme nous faifons, & ce n'eft qu'entant que
nous la fupofons fujette a Bon-fens, que nous
nous hazardons d'en dire notre penfee.

y*entent

Criticifm on Bolieau. Satyr VI. 271
defcribes, and againft whom nothing fhould be
feid. It is not the Poet's Spleen againft that
which difturbs him that merits being recited to
the Publick, but the Mifchief which attends the
Thing that incommodes him; there lies the
Beauty of a Satyr. But, more than all the reft,
he is in the Wrong, for fo trifling an Occafion
as the Noife a Smith could make in the Neigh
bourhood, to bring in les Courroux du Ciei. [the
Wrath of Heaven.] One might before have re
proach'd him for that, when in the very firft Line
of this Piece, he, fo mal a propos,addxeSks himfelf
to the Good God. It would be much better to
point the Sting of Satyr againft fuch Expreffions,
than to authorize them by making Ufe of them
in a Satyrick Poem. They are far from being
commendable any where ; but in Poetry flill lefs
than in Profe ; and it is merely for want of Ge
nius that a Poet ever has Recourfe to them. To
fpeak naturally, this Satyr, or this Piece of
Poetry, for one does not juflly know what it is
thus far is really very little or nothing. But
perhaps Poetry, as a particular Manner of Wri
ting, and dedicated chiefly to Harmony, has a
peculiar Privilege, and inftead of acknowledg
ing fimple Good Senfe for its Judge, has its own
peculiar Tribunal, at which the Ear fits Prefi
dent. In this Cafe, it would be Temerity in us
to judge of this Piece as we do, and it is only
on Account of our prefuming it to be obnoxious
to Good Senfe, that we venture to give our Sen
timents of it.

Now

z7z LETTER VIL
ff'entens deja par tout les charettes count,
Les Masons travailler, les Boutiques s'ouvrin

Ces deux vers font bons en ce qu'ils font fiitt*
pies, & qu'ils donnent une idee de ce qui fe paffe
a Paris a la pointe du jour. Du refte ils ont le
defaut des precedens j ce n'eft pas uryAbus qu'ils
attaquent ; ce ne font point les vers n'une Satire*
Si le Poete continue* ainfi, ce n'eft plus fur le
pied de Satire qu'il faudra examiner cette Piece,
mais fur celui d'une Defeription du Bruit & des
Incommoditez de Paris.

'Tandis que dans les airs mille cloches emheS,
2)'ttnfunebre Concert font retentir les nue's,
Et fe melant au bruit de la grele $$ des vents,
Tour honorer les Marts, font mourir les VivanS.

La defeription du bruit des Cloches eft bonne,
fupofe qu'il foit fi grand a Paris que le Poete ait
raifon de relever. Du refte, Paris n'eft pas autre-
ment dans un Pais de Grele 8c de Vents, & la
Grele fur tout femble etre ici de trop. Mais quand
meme il y greleroit plus fouvent, le bruit des
Cloches eft un tres petit inconvenient auprix d'un
grand Orage ; cependant, c'eft ce petit bruit, ce
Concert, comme il I'apelle, qui fait id le grand
mal,

Criticifm on Boifeau* Satyr VI« 27 j
Now Carts and Coaches run along the Streets*
And next my Ear the Mafon's Mufick greets 3
Now Doors unlock'd on rufly Hinges jar,
And opening Shops expofe deceitful Ware^
Thefe Verfes are good, becaufe they are plain
and fimple, and give an Idea of what paffe3
early in the Morning at Paris. As to the reft,
they have the fame Defefts as thofe which pre*
Cede them : It is not an Abufe they are attack3
ing ; thefe are not Satyrick Lines. If the Poet
holds on thus, this Piece muft not be examin'd
on the Footing of a Satyr, but upon that of a
Defeription of the Noife and Incommodities of
Parist Now Clocks ahd Cries a horrid Confort make.
And fnoring Priefts for hated Duties wake :
Now in the neighb'ring Tow'rs the crazy Bells
By drunken Sextons ring departing Knells 5
The troubled Air they with Confufion fill,
To compliment the Dead, the Living kill j
While Storms of Hail upon the Windows beat*
And various Difeords in one Ghaos meet
The Defeription of the Noife of the Bells U
good, fuppofing it to be fo very exceffive at
Paris that the Poet has Caufe to make fuch a
Buftle about it; As to the reft, Paris does not
Hand in a Country of Hail and Winds ; and the
Hail, moVe efpecially, feems to be fuperfluous*
But even if it hail'd there oftener, the. Jangling
of Bells is a very fmall Inconveniency compar'd
with a great Storm ; neverthelefs, it is this hor*
T rU

274 LETTER VII.
mal, & que des 14 il n'etoit point neceffaire de
faire accompagner de la Grele & des Vents. La
verite eft qu'il faloit une rime i Vivans, ou le
Poete en vouloit venir ; les Vents font bons d cela,
& voila I'origine de cette Tempete. Elle devoit
renforcer le bruit des Cloches pour lui aider a pro-
duire une Pointe d'efprit, s'il eft vrai, du moins,
qu'il y ait de l'Efprit a etendre ce bruit jufques
a faire mourir les gens.

Encore je benirois la bonte fouveraine,
Si le Ciel a ces maux avoit borne ma peine.
La Bonte fouveraine 8c le Ceil, font ici precife-
ment la meme chofe, ainfi l'un eft de trop ; ou
plutot ils font de trop tous deux ; le fujet eft trop
petit pour remonter jufques la, & il ne faudroit
jamais fe fervir de pareilles expreffions que ferieu-
fement & avec dignite\ Le Poete donne fouvent
lieu dans cette Piece a lui faire cereproche: cela
ne lui fait pas honneur.

Mais fifeulen mon lit jepefie avec raifon,
C'eft encor pis vingtfois en quitt-ant la maifon.
Ces deux vers font tres peu de chofe ; le premier,
fur tout, ne dit rien, & les Expreffions, fi notre
critique

Cfiticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI: 275
rtd Noife, this Confort, as he terms it* that herd
does fo much Mifchief, for which Reafon there
was no Occafion to accompany it with Hail and
Winds. The whole Truth is, a Rhime was
wanting to (s) vivans, [the Living] to which
Word the Poet wanted to fleer his Courfe ; lei
Vents [the Winds] hit it exaftly, and there's
the Origin of this Tempeft. It fhould have
heighten'd the Tintamarre of the Bells, to have
affifted the Poet in the Produftion of a Turn off
Wit, if it is true that there lies any Wit in ex*
tending this Noife fo far as to make it kill Folks*
(t) But this is nothing to the Plagues to come*
'Twere well if I had known the worft at home.
The Supreme Clemency, and Heaven, [intro*
duced in the Original] mean, in this Place^
precifely one and the fame Thing, fo that one
of them is certainly fuperfluous ; or rather they
are both fo : The Subjeft is too mean for fuch
high Flights ; nor ought Expreffions of that Na*
ture to be ever us'd but in very fublime and fe=
rious Matters. The Poet, in this Performance,
gives frequent Room for this Reproach j nor is
his fo doing much to his Credit.
A-Bed if I could not forbear to curfe*
How fhould I in the Street ? For there 'twas worfe*
(») Thefe two Verfes have very little in them §
the firft, in particular fays nothing at all, and
T 2 th®
CO See the French.
CO This Diftick differs mttch from tie French* Vict*
(ji) Neither this, nor feveral of the enfuing Paragraphs, caff
Well be render' A intelligiih U thofe who are wholly ignorant 4.
Frensfe

276 LETTER VII.
critique doit s'etendre jufques la, n'en valent pas
mieux que le Sens. Pefier en eft une qui n'eft
rien moins que noble. Pefier avec raifon, eft
plus mauvais encore ; c'eft la Rime qui fait em-
ploier au Poete ces termes, & c'eft fur les mots
qui font la Rime, que la critique tomberoit aflez
fonvent, fi on vouloit y faire attention, & lui re-
lever de petites chofes. Mais au lieu de critiquer
fa Piece par la, par ce qu'il peut y avoir de defa-
greabie feulement, comme on peut lui reprocher
d'avoir fait la Satire de Paris, on voudroit ne lui
relever que les defauts qui regardent 1' Effential,
fi du moins il y a de 1' Effentiel dans fa Piece.

En quelque endroit que faille il faut fendre la preffe
'D'un 'Peuple d'lmporttms qui fourmillent fans ceffe.

Ce dernier vers eft fi mechant & fi parfaite-
ment inutile, que fi cette Satire en general, ou
du moins ce que nous en avons vd jufques ici, &
la Rime en particulier ne le reclamoient, on le
croiroit fopofe. C'eft une explication du mot de
Prejfe, qui s'explique aflez de foi-meme. Que
fignifie Peuple d'Importuns ? Peuple dit tout : Im-
fortum fe dit plutot d'une perfenne a une autre,
ou du moins il ne defigne que ceux qui ont tort, en

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 277
the Expreffion, if we may carry our Criticifm
to fuch a Length, is not a Jot better than the
Senfe. Pester [as in the Original, fignifying
to rail, or florm] is an Expreffion very far from
having any thing of noble in it ; and Pester
avec raifon [to form or curfe with reafon} is ftill
worfe : It is for the Rhime fake that our Poet
makes Ufe of thefe Terms, and it is upon the
Words which make the Rhime, that one's Criti-
cifms might fall often enough, were one difpos'd
to be over exaft, and take him up for Trifles.
But inftead of criticifing this Piece of his up
on that Article, where one might meet with
Rhimes which carry with them only a difagree-
able Sound, as he may be reproach'd within this
his Satyr upon Paris, we only would remark up
on the Faults which regard the Effential, if there
be any Effential in the Piece.
I prefs'd, where e'er I went, from Throng to Throng,
Joftled and fhov'd, and fometimes heav'd along;
The Crowd, inceflantly, came on in Swarms,
I fcarce had Ufe of Feet, and none of Arms.
This laft Verfe [in the French'] is fo very bad,
and fo intirely ufelefs, that if this Satyr in gene
ral, or at leaft the Part we have already perus'd,
and, in particular, the Rhime, did not lay
Claim to it, one would believe it to be fuppofi-
titious. It is an Explication of the Word Preffe,
which alone fufficiently explains itfelf. And
what does (x) Peuple d'Importuns fignify ? Peuple
by itfelf fays all. Importun is rather faid of one
T 3 Perfon
00 The Salt of this whole Paragraph muft, unavoidably, he
intirely loft to all thofe who have not fome Scrap of French to help
them out.

578 LETTER VII.
en incommodantquel qu un. En quoi tous ces gens
Ja ont-ils tort a l'egard du Poete ? Il femble qu'il
veuille dire, qu'ils fortent dans la rue pour le voir
naffer. Et fans cejfe ; qu'ajoute t-il ici afourmiller,
fi ce n'eft la Rime? Tantot nous avons trouve que,
jufques la, les vers de cette Satire etoient peu de
chofe. Ceux que nous avons vus depuis ne valent
pas mieux, & il eft certain que, jufques ici, cette
Piece ne m^ritoit pas meme d'etre critiquge, fi
elle n'^toit faite par un Poete qui a de la Reputa
tion, & qui en a fait de meilleures.

Jdunme heurte d'un ais, dent jefiiis totitfroiffL
^e vois d'un autre coup men chcpeau renverfe.
La. d'un Enterrement lafunebre ordonnance.
(D'un pas lugubre ££? lentvers I'Eglife s'avance:
Et plus loin des Laquais, Vim V autre s'agacans,
Font aboyer les chiens, $$ jurer les paffans.
(Des fPaveurs en ce lieu me bouchent le paffage.
La je trouve une croix deftmefie presage :
Et dei Couvreurs, grimpez au toit d'une maifon,
Enfontpleuvoir I'ardoife £S? la mile a foif.n.
On ne cait que dire des ces vers ; il ne font ni
pffez bons pour etre loiiez, quel que purgez d'E-
fprit qu'ils foient,''ni affez mechans pour etre
bldmez : ils peignent paffablement bien des cho
fes qui ne valoient peut-etre pas la peine d'etre
peintes, La fur une charette nnepoutre branlanH
V'tent mena^ant de lion lafotde qtdelle augments,
gix Chevatix, attelez d ce fardeau pefant,
Qnfgews a t' efHouvoit far le pave glijfant.

Criticifm on Bolieau. Satyr VI. 279
Perfon to another, or, at leaft, it only means
fuch Perfons as are in the Wrong, in being trou
blefome to others. In what are all thefe People
in the Wrong, as the Poet pleafes to intimate ? He
feems to hint, that they have all left their Homes
purpofely to flare at him. Then, this fans cejfe;
what has it to do here, tack'd to fourmiller, but
only for Rhime-fake ? A good while ago we found,
that the Couplets of this Satyr had very little in
them : Thofe we have met with fince are not a
Whit better ; and it is very certain, that, hither
to, this Poem would not be even worth Criticifm,
were it not the Performance of a Poet in Reputa
tion, and who has wrote better.
Torn are my Ruffles, rumpled my Cravat,
And rudely from my Head they tofs my Hat.
Here, to'ards the Church, a pompous Funeral Show
Advances, with a folemn March, and flow :
There Lackies fall together by the Ears,
And there fet Dogs upon the Pafiengers:
Here Paviers flopping me, I'm at a Lofs 5
And there I meet an ill-prefaging Crofs :
Here Tilers are at Work, and down they pour
Of Dirt, of Brick, and Tile a dangerous Show'r :
One knows not what to fay of thefe Verfes :
They are neither good enough to be commended,
clean and fmooth as they are, nor bad enough to
be cry'd down: They tolerably well defcribe
Things which, perhaps, deferve not a De
feription. There on a Cart, with an extended Team,
Is drawn along a huge, unweildy Beam ;
The Cart the trembling Street and Houfes fliakes,
And threatens from a far the Crowd it makes :
T 4 Againft

aSo LETTER VII.
JZ)'«» Carroffe enpaffant il accroche une roui\
Et du choc le renverfe en un grand tas de bou'e :
ghtand un autre a I'inftant, s'effor^ant depaffer,
tDans lemime embarras fe vient embarraffer.
Tout eft bon, a n'envifager ce Poeme que com-
rne la defeription des Incommoditez d'une grande
Ville. Sur ce pied la on reconnoit Paris a cette
Peinture, & elle vaut encore fon prix par la beautl
des yers,

Vd'gt Caroffes bien-t'd arrivent a la file,
Tfont en moins de rienfuivis deplus de mille :
Les Carofes, meme hors des cas finguliers, tels
que celui que le Poete d^peint, font pour les Paf-
fans une des Incommoditez de Paris. If fembfe
qu'un Poete Satirique auroit bonne grace de fe jet-
ter ici fur le Fafte de cette grande Ville, fur ce
qu'il a d?incommode auffi bien que de blamable
4'ailkurs.

Et pour fttrcroit de maux, un Sort malencontreux
Conduit en cet endroit un grand troupeau de Soeufs.
Chacun pretend paffer ; Vunmugit, F autre juref

En prenant en main une des Satires du cele-*
bre Poete des Francois, nous nous attendions a
critiquer des Penfees, des Cenfures trop ou trop
peu feveres ; mais elle ne nous prefente que des
Expreffions, Ce font done les Expreffions, au cas
qu'elles

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 281
Againft a Coach it runs, and breaks a Spoke,
And overturns it with a furious Shock 5
It lays it in the Dirt : Another came,
And forcing to get by, it fares the fame.
All this is good, were this Poem to be con
fider'd only as a Defeription of the Incommo
dities of a great City. Taken on that Foot
ing, this Pifture gives one fome Idea of Paris ;
nor are the Couplets themfelves without their
Merit. Thefe Coaches foon are follow'd by a Score,
Thofe, in an Inftant, by a hundred more :
The Coaches at Paris, even laying afide An
gular Cafes, like this our Poet has been paint
ing, are for Paffengers one of the Inconvenien
cies of that City. Here it might feem, that
a Satyrick Poem might, with a very good Grace,
fall upon the Luxury of that great City, up
on what is not only incommodious, but like-
wife blame-worthy in other Refpefts.
And, as ill Luck wou'd have it, in the Nick,
The Stop fo lengthen'd, and the Crowd fo thick,
A Drove of Oxen in the Street appears 5
Each ftrives to pafs 5 one lows, another fwears :
In taking in Hand a Satyr of one of the
moft celebrated Poets of France, we expefted
to have criticis'd upon the Thoughts, the too
fevere or too favourable Cenfures ; but it only
prefents Expreffions. It .is, therefore, upon the
Expreffions,

382 LETTER VII.
qu'elles manquent de jufteffe, qu'il nous refte a
critiquer ; c'eft d dire, qu'il faudra nous refoudre
a faire fur une Piece qui n'eft guere bonne, une
Critique de peu de valeur. Sur ce pied la nous
dirons, que de peu de la maniere dont ceci eft ex-
prime il femble qu'a Paris ce foient les Bceufs
qu'on entende, les unsmugir &les aufresjurer. Ou,
fi cela eft dit des Hommes, que le mot de chacun
doit defigner, l'inconvenient de les faire mugir ne
fera pas moins grand que celui defaireyww les
Bosufs. Eft-ce done la ce Poete fi exaft, fi fcru-
puleux dans le Langage, que fon Efprit tremblant
fur le choix de fes Mots, n'en dir a jamais un, s'il
tie tombe a propos ?

2)es Mulets en fonnant augmentent le murmure,
Le bruit de quelques clochettes doit etre comp-
tfi pour peu de chofe parmi ce Tumulte, qui, en
faveur de ces clochettes, & afin qu'on les entende,
devient un murmure. Ici encore, comme au vers
precedent, la critique tombe fur le Mot qui fait
la Rime.

. Et bien tot cent Chevdux dans lafoule appelfez,
2)e Venibarras qui croit ferment les defilez.

A Paris comme ailleurs, les Chevaux fe trou-
vent engagez dans la foule par rencontre, & fans
que perfonne les y demande. C'eft le Poete qui les

Criticifm on Boileu. Satyr VI. 283
Expreffions, in Cafe they want Juftnefs, that
we are to criticife 5 which is to fay, that we
muft refolve with ourfelves to make, upon a
Piece of very little Value, a Criticifm worth
very little. Upon this Footing, we fhall fey,
that after the Manner thefe laft Lines are
exprefs'd, it feems, that at Paris it is to be
underftood of the Oxen, that one lows and ano
ther fwears. Or, in Cafe that is faid of the
Men, which the Word each ought to imply,
the Inconveniency of making them low would
be nothing lefs than that of making the Oxen
fwear. Is this, then, that Poet fo exaft, fo foru-
pulous in Point of Diftion, that, his Mind trem
bling upon the Choice of his Words, would never
jitter one, but what fell pat to the Purpofe !
The Noife of Mules the horrid Din increafe ;
The Noife of a few little Bells [carried by
Mules] might be reckon'd a trifling Matter a-
midft all this Tumult, which, in Favour to
thefe Mules Bells, and to make them to be
heard, dwindles into a (y) Murmur. Here, as
well as in the immediately preceding Verfe,
the Criticifm falls upon the Word that makes
the Rhime.
And ftrait a hundred Horfe augment the Prefs^
The Defilees of the Confufion clofe,
Surround the Crowd, and more confus'd it grows :
At Paris, as in other Places, Horfes fome
times happen to be mix'd among a Crowd of
People, by mere Accident, without being (¦&)
call'd
(y) See the French.
(«0 See the French,

284 LETTER VII.
les apelle pour rimer a defilez. Il bronche trop
fouvent au bout du vers ; & c'eft \i une remarque
facheufe pour un Ouvrage de Poefie, qui doit ti-
rer en partie fa Beauts, d'une Rime naturelle, &
qui ne foit nullement affeftee. Mais peut-etre
que dans ces vers encore, il y a du miftere qui
nous paffe, & que les Chevaux appellez, aulfi-bien
que les Bceufs qui jurent, font de ces endroits ou
le Poete aux Saumaifes futurs prepare der tortures.

Et par tout des cPajfans enchainant les brigades
Au milieu de la paix font voir les barricades.
On n entend que des cris pouffez confinement.
ZDieu pour s'y faire ouir, tonneroit vaitiemeut.

On entend les Clochettes des Mulets a un point
qu'elles augmentent meme le bruit, ou du moins,,
on entend les cris des hommes, & Dieu en ton-
rant, ne viendroit pas a bout defe faire entendre ?
Voila aparement de l'Efprit : l'envie d'en faire
voir, ou de s'eloigner du Simple, fait dire quelque-
fois de grandes niaiferies : 8c s'il faut, a l'exem-
ple du Poete, apeller chaque chofe par fon nom,
& n'avoir d'egarda la Reputation d'un fameux Au-
teur, nous dirons que la liberte qu'on fe donne de
parler de la Divinity mal a propos & fans refpeft,
conduit infenfiblement a dire de grandes fotifes;
Celle-ci en eft une qui fent plus le Corps de-garde que

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 285I
call'd thither by any Body. It is the Poet calls
them, to make out a Rhime to Defilez. He
{tumbles too often at the End of the Verfe •
and that is a very unlucky Omen in a Piece
of Poetry, whofe Beauty ought to confift in
an eafy natural Rhime, nothing ftiff or affefted.
But, perhaps, in thefe Verfes, as well as in fe
veral others, there lies a Myftery which fur-
paffes our Comprehenfion ; and it may be, that
thefe Horfes call'd in, as well as the fwearivg
Oxen, are of thofe particular Paffages where the
Poet aux faumaifes futurs prepare des tortures.
Chain in the Paflengers by firm Brigades,
And fhew in midft of Peace the Barricades $
Nothing but one continual Cry was heard,
Heav'n thunder'd, but his Thunders were not fear'd -
And none his Voice (to Dsemons dreadful) mind,
Before no Paflage, no Retreat behind,
Still crowding, as they crowd they fafter bind.
The Mules Bells are heard, and that to fuch
a Point as, it feems, they even increas'd the
Din, or, at leaft, the Voices of Men bawling
out were diftinftly heard ; but Heavens (a) Thun
der could not, by any Means, make itfelf au
dible. Here's clean Writ for you ! The Am
bition of making People think one has Wit,
or to avoid being thought fimple, fometimes
induces one to make Ufe of very filly Ex
preffions'; and if, after our Poet's Example, we
muft call every Thing by its right Name, and
have no Regard to the Reputation of a fa
mous Author, we would fay, that the Liberty Folks
(a) Here the Englifh differs very much. Vide,

28* LETTER VII.
que le Parnaffe, & je doute qu'il s'en trouve de
plus grandes dans les Ouvrages des Ecrivains,
qu'il apelle fi fouvent des Sots.

Moi done, qui dots fouvent en certain lieu me rendre~f
Le jour deja baiffant, ££ quifuis las d'attendret
Nefachantplus tantSt a quel Saint me voter,
Je me mets au hazard de me faire rover.

Puis-que le Poete -parle de Diett cavalierement
8c fans refpeft, il ne f aut pas attendre de lui qui'l
refpefte les Saints, ainfi il ne faut pas lui relever
cette maniere de parler proverbiale & baffe, du
moins par l'abus qu'il en fait. Au refte, onferoit
tente" de dire, qu'il ne fait plus a quel Saint fe voiier,
pour continuer fon chemin ; car il n'y a nul ra
port entre le premier & le fecond de ces quatre
vers, entre la neceffite' de fe rendre fouvent en cer
tain lieu, & le jour qui baiffe deja. Ce qui fuit
las a" attendre eft encore quelque chofe de bien froid

ala

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 287
Folks give themfelves of talking mal a propos
and difrefpeftly of the Deity, infenfibly leads
them to utter very great Abfurdities. This we
are now about, is one that favours more of the
Guard-Room than of Parnaffus ; and I am in
Doubt, whether our Poet ever met with any
Thing worfe, in the Works of thofe Writers
whom he fo often calls Blockheads.
But I, who had an Aflignation made,
Was with moft Pain, and moft Impatience ftay'd 5
As well affraid that I might come too late,
As weary in fo curft a Place to wait;
Not knowing to what Saint my Vows to pay,
I ventur'd every thing to make my Way }
I ran in Danger of the Wheel to fcape,
Since the Poet talks of God en Cavalier, and with
out Refpeft, it muft not be expefted from him,
that he fhould fhew much Reverence to the
Saints ; fo he is not to be reprimanded for that
low and proverbial Manner of fpeaking, other-
wife than for the Abufe he makes of it. As
to the reft, one might be tempted to think,
that he knows not to what Saint to pay his Vows,
in order to continue his Way : For there is not
the leaft Connexion between the firft and the
fecond of thefe four Verfes [in the French. Vide.]
between (b) the Neceffity he lies under of ren
dering himfelf often in a certain Place, and the
Sun which is already going down. Then this
qui fuis las d' attendre [who am weary of wait
ing) of his, has fomething in it extremely cold,
after all that Tumult he had been defcribing; and
(£) Tins in Englifh cannot he render 'd intelligdde, the Terms
being merely French*

388 LETTER VII.'
a la fuite du Tumulte qu'il a depeint, & le hatari
ou il fe met de fe faire roiier, doit avoir auffi une
caufe plus forte que cet Ennui.
Je faute vingt ruiffeaux, j'efquive, jetnepouffe:
Guenaud fur fon cheval enpajfant m'iclabmffe.

Comme ce Poete, d'un cote*, neglige de blam*
er ce qu'il y auroit a blamer a Paris, & de don-
ner de la dignity a fon Poeme, de l'autre il va
chercher de petites circonftances qui ne valoient
pas la peine d'etre relevees, & nomme les gens
par leur nom, ce qui a toujours quelque chofe d'o-
dieux. A la veiite il ne fait pas grand mal a G«e-
jiaud, en difant qu'il en eft Sclaboujfe ; mais cela
n'empeche pas qui'l n'ait tort de le nommer,
pour lui donner mal a propos une efpece de
ridicule. On pourroit dire, que c'eft le Poete qui,
en chemin faifant, fe plait a mettre le pied dans
la boue, & a eclabouffer les Paflans.

Et n'ofant plus pdroitre en Petatotijefuih
Sans finger ok je vais, me fauve oii jepuis*
Deux vers fimples, qui viennent bien a la fuite
des precedens, & qui font bons par la.

Tandis

Criticifm on Bolieau. Satyr Vl. 289
and the Danger of the Wheel he runs, ought,
likewife, to have had a ftronger Reafon thari
this Inconveniency.
And twenty foennels was oblig'd to leap;
I fqueez'd and fhov'd, but ftill 'twas worfe and worfej
For now I met with Guenaud and his Horfe $
The Water on my Face, and Cloaths was dafh'd,
And I, with Dirt, from Top to Toe was fplafh'd t
As this Poet, on one Side, neglefts finding
Fault with what is, really to be found Fault
with at Paris, and giving Dignity to his Poem$
on the other Side, he rummages for little tri
fling Circumftances not worth the Pains of ta<
king Notice of, and names People by theit
Names, which has always fomething in it very
odious. The Truth is, he does not any great
Injury to Guenaud, in faying he was fplafiM
by him ; but that is no Argument of his not
being to blame for naming him, and wrongfully
making him, in fome Meafure, ridiculous. One
would be inclin'd to fay, that it Was the Poet
himfelf, who, as he Went along, took Delight
in thrufting his Foot into the Mire, and fplafiV
ing the Paffengers.
Nor daring in that Pickle to appear,
1 labour 'd to get out, and ear'd not where 3
Two plain Verfes, which Come futably enough
at the Hells of thofe that precede them, and
on that Score are not altogether defpicable.
V Whild

2<>o LETTER VII.
T'andis que dans un coin engrondantje m'effuie,
Souventpour m'achever ilfurvient une'pluie,
On diroit que le del qui fe fond tout en eau,
Veuille imionder ces lieux d'un ^Deluge nouveau.

Ces vers font bons, fupofe qu'a Paris il pleuve
plus fouvent qu'ailleurs, & que les Pluiesy foient
plus abondantes. Hors de la cette Pluie, quelque
bien decrite qu'elle foit, pourroit bien etre ici de
trop. On diroit que D* * *. le fpirituel D * * *.
ainfi que les hommes du commun, fe trove reduit
a parler du Terns, des Vents Si. de la Pluie, pour
fe tirer d'affaire.

1>our traverfer la rue, au milieu de VOrage,
Un ais fur deux paves former un etroit paffage.
Leplus hardi Laquais n'y marche qu'en tremblant.
Jl font pomt ant paffer fur ccpont chancel ant.

Nous compterons ces vers parmi les bons : ils
decrivent un inconvenient de Paris, & le decrivent
bien. Mais que ne faute-t-il ce Ruifleau, com
me il a faute' les vingt autres ? En voici la raifon,
qui commence par un Et ; & non pas par un Car,
comme les raifons ordinaires.

Et

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 201
While grumbling in the Cofner of a Street,
I ftay'd to clean the Dirt, and dry the Wet.
Thus pofted, thus employ'd, while I remain'd,
To plague me worfe, if pofflble, it rain'd,
And pour'd as if the Skies were to be drain'd j
As if another Flood would fall to drown
The Place, and to a Sea convert the Town.
Thefe Verfes are good, fuppofing that it rain'd
oftener at Paris than elfewhere, and the Rains
there were more exceffive : Otherwife this Shower
of Rain, how well foever it may have been def
crib'd, may very well be here look'd upon as
fuperfluous. It induces one to think, that Mon
fieur Boileau, the bright, the witty BoileaU, as
well as other Men of an ordinary Genius, finds
himfelf reduc'd to bring in Storms and Rain
to extricate him from a Nonplus.
To crofs the Street, the Waters rifing high,
Slight Boards athwart the flowing Kennels lie }
The boldeft Lackey trembled when he pafs'd,
And the moft hafty there forgot his Hafte :
Like others, I the tottering Plank muft pafs,
Or flay, and ftill be wetter where I was.
We'll reckon thefe Verfes among the good
ones: They defcribe an Inconveniency of Par iff
and defcribe it well. But, why does he not
leap this Kennel, as he leap'd the twenty others ?
Here follows the Reafon, which [in the French.
Vide.] begins with an Et, \^An£\ and not with
a Car, [For] like other ordinary Reafoias.
U 2 The

202 LETTER VII.
Et les nombreux I'orrens qui tombent des goutieres,
Groffiffant les Ruijfeaux, en ontfait des Rivieres.
L'eau qui tombe abondamment des Goutieres
pourroit bien dans la Poefie former des Torrents,
mais non des Torrens qui grofiiffent les Ruifieaux &
en font des Rivieres. Cette gradation reprefente
l'Ordre de la Nature, & alors ces Torrens poeti-
ques n'ont plus lieu. A cela pres ces vers font
beaux, Ton ne feuroit mieux decrire ce qui fe
paffe a Paris dans le terns des grandes Pluies. Au
refte, s'il eft permis de deviner, en paffant, pour-
quoi, aux depens du Bon-fens, le Car par ou ilsde-
voient commencer fe trouve change en un Et ;
c'eft, je penfe qu'un fecond Car le fuivoit de trop
ptes, & que l'oreille delicate du Francois ne feuroit
fuporter deux Car fi pres l'un de l'autre.

jf'y paffe en tribudoant ; mais malgr'e I'embarras,
Lafra'ienr de la Nuit precipite mes pas.
Ces vers encore font bons; ils achevent de
peindre l'incommodite des rues de Paris inon-
dees.

Car fi- tk que du fair les Ombres pacifiques,
"D'un double cadenat font fermer les Soutiqties,
£hte retire c/jpz lui, le paifible Marchand,
Va revoitfes billets, & compter fen argent ;
ffduedans le March e-neuf tout eft calme & tranquille,
Les vcleurs a I' infant s'emparent de la Ville. Cette

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 2.93
The Waters, which ftom Spouts in Torrents fell,
To Rivers foon the roaring Kennels fwell.
The Waters which fall in abundance from
Spouts, may, in Poefy, very well form Torrents ;
But not Torrents which fwell Kennels fo very
much as to make Rivers of them. This Gra
dation reprefents the Order of Nature, and then
thefe Poetick Torre?its take Place no longer.
This excepted, thefe Verfes are good ; nor can
what paffes at Paris, in great Rains, be better
defcrib'd. As to the reft, if, en pajfant, we may
have Leave to guefs, why, repugnant to good
Senfe, the For, with which they ought to be
gin, is transform'd into an And ; it is, I fancy,
becaufe a fecond For follows it too clofe at
the Heels, and becaufe the delicate Ears of the
French axe not able to bear with two For's fo
near each other.
I tripp'd in pafling, but approaching Night
Quicken'd my Speed as it increas'd my Fright.
Thefe Verfes are, likewife, good ; they com
pleat the Defeription of the Incommodity of the
Streets of Paris, when over-flown with great
Rains. For when the peaceful Shades the Skies obfcure,
And Shops are fliut, and Chains defend the Door j
When o'er his Bags the glad Mcchanick looks,
His Bills examines, and his guilty Books;
When ev'ry Thing at the Marche-Neuf's in Peace,
Then the Thieves fally, and the City fieze :
U 3 Thi\

204 L E T TE R VII.
Cette Defeription encore eft belle, & l'on y
reconnoit Paris. Mais la circonftance de la
tranquillite du Marche-neufa quelque chofe de pe
tit, 8c ne rencherit point fur les Boutiques fermees
8c fur le Marchand retire ; & le dernier vers, qui
d'ailleurs feroit tres bon, a le defaut de fe rapor-
ter d cette circonftance. • On diroit que la tran
quillite du Marche-neuf, eft le fignal qui donne
lieu aux Voleurs de s'emparer de la Ville, Il fa
loit rendre cette tranquility plus generate, 8c telle
qu'elle regardat tout Paris, puifque c'eft de tout
Paris que les Voleurs s'emparent. Ici, le Poete perd
encore une belle occafion de blamer : Ce n'eft
guere pour fubfifter que l'on vole a Paris, ou du
moins ce n'eft pas ce qui y rend le nombre des
Voleurs fi grand ; on y vole pour avoir de quoi
four,nir au Train de vie qui y eft ordinaire.

Le bois le plus funefte, & le moins frequents,
Eft, au prix de 'Paris, un lieu defiirete.
M^heur done d celui qu'une affaire imprivuS
Engage unfeu trop tard au detour d'une rue ;
$ien tot quatre Bandits, lui fer rant les ckez:
La Hourfe .- Ufaut fe rendri ; ou bien non, rejiftez,
A fin que vdre mart, de tragique mhnoire,
W?s majfacresfameux. aille groffir niifioire.

Ce

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 295
This Defeription is, likewife, fmart enough, and
it gives us an Idea of Paris. But the Pacifickt
nefs of the Marche-Neuf carries with it fome
thing very mean, and does little Credit to the
Bills and guilty Books of the glad Mechanick ;
and the laft Verfe, which is, otherwife, very
good, labours under the Defeft of depending
upon that Circumftance. One might imagine,
that the Calmnefs of the Marche-Neuf 'was the
Signal which gave Room for the Thieves to fieze
the City. This Calmnefs fhould have been made
more general, and fuch as might have inclu
ded all Paris, fince it was all Paris that the
Thieves fiez'd. Here, again, the Poet lofes a
very proper Occafion of exerting his Satyrick
Faculty : It is very feldom that People rob at
Paris for bare Subfiftence ; or, at leaft, it is not
that which makes the Number of Felons fo
great : They rob there in order to get where
withal to fupport the voluptuous Manner of
Living in Praftice.
No Wood, where bloody Murderers retreat,
But what's ftill fafer than a 'Paris Street?
Wretched the Man whom Bufinefs keeps abroad,
The Danger would be lefs to truft the Road,
If thro' an Alley he's oblig'd to go,
'Tis Odds but he in Ambufh finds the Foe:
Befet by Rogues, faluted with a Curfe,
'Tis well if they're contented with his Purfe:
If he refills they cut his Throat, and then
His Death's recorded by fome Ballad Pen;
Or fung in Doggrel Verfe, or ferves to fill
The Tales of Maflacrees, and Weekly Bill.
U4 This

LETTER VII.
Ce morceau qui nous reprefente ce qui fe paffe
j&Parjs^ & qui s'y paffe affez fouvent pour meriter
d'entrer dans une Satire, peut, je crois, paffer pour
ce qu'il y a demeilleur, C'eft un trait de peinture
naturel 8c hardi, qui frape comme venant de main
de maitre. En effet, on diroit qu'un Maitre n'a
touche a cette Piece que par-ci par-la, comme il
eft ordinaire aux Peintres fameux, de relever de
quelques traits les Ouvrages de leurs Aprentifs, &
de les faire paffer enfuit fous leur nom.

four mai qifime Ombre ktonne, accable de Sommeil,
f'ous les jours je me couche avecque le Soleil.
M&is en ma chambre d peine ai-je eteint la lumiere%
$u'il ne ra' eft plus permis de fermer la, paupiere.

Ces vers ne font plug de la meme force \ le
Poete dit qu'il fe couche avec le Soleil, parcequ'une
Ombre I'etonne ; c'eft fa principale raifon ; & il
ajoute, comme en paffant, qu'il eft accable de
Sommeil, qu'en eft une beaucoup plus naturelie &
plus forte. A ces circonftances, il en ajoute une
autre affez plaifante : il fe couche avec le Soleil^
§c ij eteint la Lmniere,

$)es Filcux effrontez, d'un coup depiflolet,
Ebr anient pta fenetre, $$ percent mon volet \

C'eft

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 297
This Fragment, which reprefents to us what
is tranfafted at Paris, and which happens of
ten enough to deferve a Place in a Satyr, may,
I believe, pafs for fome of the beft of the
whole. It is a Stroke bold and natural, which
ftrikes as done by a Mafterly Hand. In Ef
feft, one would be apt to think, that this Piece
had been touch'd by a Mafter, only here and
there, as famous Painters commonly embellifh
the Performances of their Difciples with feme
Strokes, and then make them pafs under their
own Name.
For me, my Bufinefs with the Day is done ;
I regulate my Setting with the Sun :
Faft then my Doors, my Shutters clofe I keep,
And when he goes to Bed, I'd go to Sleep :
But 'tis in vain in Town to hope for Reft,
For Sleep the Eyes, and Quiet flies the Breaft ;
And fcarce my Candle's out before I find
No Eafe is there, or for the Eyes or Mind ;
Here is no longer the Force and Energy that
appear'd in the foregoing Lines. The Poet fays,
that he fets with the Sun, hecaufe [as the Ori
ginal has it] he is afraid, even, of a Shadfiow;
that is his chief Reafon ; and he adds, as hy
the Bye, that he'd fain Sleep, which is a much
ftronger and more natural Reafon for going to
Bed early. To thefe Reafons he joins another
pleafant enough ; he lies down with the Sun, and
puts out his Candle.
Some defp'rate Burglarer his Piftol fires,
Nor always innocent of Blood retires ;
The Ball thro' Windows and thro' Curtain flies,
And Fear prefents the Robber to my Eyes. This

2<?8 LETTER VII.
Celt un hazard bien extrordinaire que celui-la,
& qui ne doit point etre compt£ parmi les incom
moditez de Paris. Il auroit autre chofe a dire
fur les Filoux, qui les caraftenferoit mieux, &de
tous Perfonnages que le Poete pouvoit leur faire
jouer, il n'y en a peut-etre aucun de fi recherche*
que celui de leur faire tirer ce coup de piftolet, ni
qui les diftingue moins des Voleurs. Au refte,
ces fix vers, auffi-bien que plufieurs autrejs de ce
Poeme, ne font rien moins que des vers aifez &
libres, dont la Rime foit heuf eufe ; elle eft trop
charged, trop clouee au vers. Ce Poete avoit
raifon de vouloir aprendre de Moliere I'art de la
trouver, 8c fi plufieurs de ces Poemes reffembloient
a* celui-ci, on pourroit dire qu'il avoit raifon de
vouloir aprendre de lui I'art de ne rimer plus.

J'entens crier par tout, adimeurtre, on m' afjoffme ;
Ou, lefeu vient de prendre a la maifon voifme,

Les Affafiinats, quoi que frequens a Paris, ne
le font pas au point qu'il en donne l'idee, en fai-
fant crier par tout au meurtre, & les Embrafemens
n'y font pas plus ordinaires.qu'ailleurs ; peut-etre
m£me

Criticifm en Boileau. Satyr VI. 199
This is an Accident of a very extraordinary
Nature, and which has no Room to be reckon'd
among the Incommodities of Paris. Something
elfe might have been faid concerning the Thieves,
which would have charafteriz'd them much bet
ter ; and of all the Parts our Poet could have
made them aft, there would not, perhaps, have
been one fo inconfiftent, fo far fetch'd as that
of making them fire their Piftols, or that lefs
diftinguifhes a Felon or Robber. As for the
reft thefe laft (c) fix Couplets, as well as fe
veral others in this Poem, are far from being
free and eafy Verfe, commendable for their
lucky unaffected Rhimes : No, they are too
much forc'd, and, as it were, rivetted into the
Tails of their refpeftive Verfes. This Poet was
in the Right to have a Defire to learn of Mo
liere L'Art de la trouver ; [The Art of
finding it.] and if many of his Poetick Per
formances are like this, one might fay, that
he would have been in the Right to have learn'd
L'Art de ne rimer plus. [The Art of
rhiming no more.
Hark ! Murder ! Help me ! Help ! I hear 'em cry,
Thieves ! Thieves ! And ferenaded thus I lie.
Now Fire they tell me's in our Neighbour's Houfe,
And from my Bed, in mortal Dread I rouze :
Aflaffinations, tho' frequent enough at Parisf
are not, however, fo very common as the Idea
he gives us feems to intimate, nor go they
fuch a Length as to felute one's Ears fo often with

(c) They are fo in the Englifh, tld but fix Verfes in tht
French.

3oo LETTER VII.
meme l'y font-ils moins qu'en aucune autre
grande Ville, & que ce'ft le Poete qui met ici le
feu a une maifon pour fe tirer d'affaire.

1'remblant, & demi mort, je me leve k ce br ait,
Et fouvent fans pourpoint je cours toute la nuit.
Car lefeu, don't la flame en ondes fe diploie,
Fait de not re car tier une fecondeTroie ;
Vous diriez que tout fon cartier eft reduit en
cendres, que le feu le pourfuit dans fa fuite ; &
meme que cela lui arrive fouvent.

Ok main Grec affam'e, maint avide Argien,
Au travers de charbons vapiller le T'rc'ien.
, Ce Pillage acheve de donner l'idee d'un grand
Embrafement. Enfin fous mille crocs la Maifon aUm'ee
Entrains auffi lefeu quifeperd en f untie.

-Cet Embrafement, comparable a celui de
Troie, & qui l'oblige de courir toute la nuit, fe
reduit enfin a une Maifon brfilee. Les Evene-
mens generaux qui fe trovent ramaffez dans cette
Piece, devroient du moins avoir leur exaftitude,

Criticifm on Boileu. Satyr VI. 301
with Murder ! Murder ! Nor are Fires more fre
quent there than elfewhere ; nay, perhaps, it
might be made appear that they are even lefs
common there than in any other great City,
and that it is the Poet who liere fets a Houfe on
Fire merely to extricate himfelf.
Half naked from our Houfe to his I run,
All Night in Terror that 'twill take our own;
The raging Flames our Neighbourhood deftroy,
And all around is like a fecond Troy.
Would not one imagine, that his whole Neigh
bourhood was reduc'd to Afhes, that the Flames
were purfuing him clofe at the Heels, and even
that all this happen'd very frequently ?
Where many an Argive Rogue, and greedy Greek,
Thro' Fire and Afties Trojan Plunder feek.
This Plunder compleats the Idea of a moft la
mentable Conflagration.
Down with a thoufand Cracks the Fabrick falls,
And bare at laft are left the burning Walls ;
The Fury of the Flames the Ruins broke,
And the choak'd Fire is loft itfelf in Smoke.
This mighty Conflagration, comparable to that
of Troy, and which oblig'd him to (d) run all
Night long, at length dwindles to the burning
of one (<?) Houfe. The general Incidents which
we meet with pil'd up together in this Piece, ought
(d) So fays the Original. Vide,
(*) As in the French.

3o2 L ETTE R VII.
& Stre par-la au deffus de la Critique j mais il fau
dra nous contenter de la beaut£ particuliere des
vers. Ces deux ici font tres beaux, 8c peignent
bien la chofe. C'eft domage qu'ils en renverfent
tant d'autres. *

Je me 'retire done, encore pile d'effroi :
Mais le jour eft venu quandje rentre chezmoi.
Je fais pour repofer. tin effort inutile :

Ces trois vers peuvent, je crois, etre mis au
rang des bons ; ils font fimples & fans Efprit. Il
y a un peu plus d'Efprit dans celui qui fuit, & il
vaut un peu moins.

Ce n'efi qu'a prix d' argent qu'on dort en cette Ville.

Ne diroit-on pas que le Sommeil fe vend ai Paris
que c'eft a tant par heure, ou 4 tant par nuit
qu'on y dort ?
Ilfaudroit dans I'enclos d'un vafie logement,
Avoir loin de la rue un autre apartment.

C'eft

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 303
ought at leaft to have their Share of Exaft
nefs, and in that Point to have kept out of
the Reach of Criticifm : But I perceive we muft
alone content ourfelves with the particular Beau
ty of the Verfes. Thefe laft Verfes are very
good, and paint the Thing extremely well: It
is Pity that they knock on the Head fo many
others. Still pale with Fear, I to my Houfe return'd,
And every Thing, methought, about me burn'd :
'Twas light before I to my Lodging came,
But to my Bed both Day and Night's the fame :
Thefe Verfes may, I fancy, be likewife rank'd
in the Number of the good ones : They are
plain, and without abundance of Wit. There
is fomewhat more Wit in what follows, tho"
not without Blemifh.
I lay me down to reft, for Reft I pray,
Which none can have, in Town, unlefs they pay.
At 'Paris, Sleep, like other Things is fold,
And you muft purchafe your Repofe with Gold :
Would not any Body fwear, that, at Paris,
Sleep was fold at fo much by the Hour, or that
People flept at fuch a fet Price per Night ?
Room within Room, at Rates exceflive, hire,
And far from thofe which front the Street retire ;
'Tis well if you the Noife from thence can keep,
And if in any Corner you can Sleep.

He

304 LETTER VII.
C'eft trop s'arreter fur ce qui regarde.; fon
Sommeil. Au lieu de nons dire comme quoi on
ne peut pas dormir a Paris, ou y paffer tranquil-
lement la Nuit, 8c d'apuier la-deffus, il pouvoit
fe plaindre de ce qu'on n'y peut pas paffer tran-
quillement le Jour, qu'on n'y eft point a foi, &
caufe du grand nombre de gens dont il faut effuier
les Vifites. Get inconvenient doit etre tres-grand
pour un Homme d'efprit, pour un Poete fameux,
& il convient mieux a la Satire ; c'eft fur ce pied
la qu'il feroit boa d'avoir loin de la rue un autre
apartement.

'Paris eft pour un Riche un 'Pats de Cocagne.
Pas trop Pais de Cocagne, puifque tantot lefeu
prend a la maifon voifine, que tantot on eft menace"
d'un Deluge riouveau ; que les Filoux tirent des
coups de pifiolct & font crier au meiirtre que le bruit
des Cloches, des Vents 8c de \aGrele font mourir les
gens, & que le Riche lui meme eft renverfe dans
fon Carroffe, qui fe trouve jette, dans un tas de
bou'e dans un grand tas.

Sans fortir de la Ville, il trouve la Campagne,
IlJ/eut dans fon Jar din, tout peuple ddarbtes verdst
Receler le 'Printems au milieu des Hivers,
Etfoulant le cParfum de fes plantes fleuries,
Aller entretenir fes donees reveries.

Fouler

Criticifm on Boileau j Satyr Vt. 3 of
He dwells by much too long upon his Sleep*
zng. Inftead of acquainting us, in fuch prolix
Terms, that People cannot reft as they would
at Paris, for the Noifes they hear in the Nightj
he might rather have -complain'd of his not
having an Hour in the Day to himfelf, by
Reafon of the Multiplicity of Vifitors, with whofe
Impertinence he was continually pefter'd. This^
indeed, would have been a very great IhCoh-*
veniency to a Man of Wit, a famous Poet, and
a much properer Subjeft for Satyr : Upon this
Account, it would be very proper he fiiould
retire far from thofe Rooms which front the Street
'Paris is for the Rich a, glorious Place,
Not fo very glorious a Place neither, all Things
confider'd 5 fince, every now and then, a Neigh*
hours Houfe takes Fire, one is threaten'd with
another Deluge, the Thievei fire their Pifiols thro'
Windows and Curtains, People cry out Murder^
the Tintamarre of Bells, the Winds and the Rain
kill Folks, and the Rich themfelves are frequently
overturn d in their Coaches, and left fprawling
in the Mire, a great Heap of Mire. [ See the
French*} . *
From Town they, when they pleafe, to Country pafs j
Within' the Walls they have their Grots and Groves,
Their flow'ry Gardens, and their green Alcoves i
In Midft of Winter they enjoy the Spring,
And hear the captive Birds in Cages fings
The City Air's perfum'd with Sylivan Sweets,
And lonely Walks are join'd to crowded Streets J
Where he Who's rich may on his Wealth employ
His Thoughts, and fweetly his dearfelf enjoy.
X TrafnpU

3o6 LETTER VII.
Fouler du Parfum, eft une expreffion hardie, &
la Penfee l'eft auffi : A Paris les Jardins ne pre-
fentent point en hiver des Plantes fleuries a fouler.
Mais quand cela feroit, il n'y auroit-pas la dequoi
remplir l'idee d'un Pais de Cocagne, & fi la Ville
de Paris la donne, c'eft par de tout autres endroits,
Ce Pais de Cocagne, de quelque maniere qu'on
l'entende, eft une conclufion a laquelle on ne s'at-
tend point dans une Poeme fur les Incommoditez
de Paris.

Mais, moi, grace au Tdeflin, qui n'ai nifeu ni lieu
Je meloge ok jepuis, & comme 1 1 plait d Tdiett.

D'abord le Poete a un chez foi au voifinage
d'un Serrurier ; apres cela il infinue qu'il a un
Apartment, quand il dit, que pour dormir il en
faudroit avoir mi autre. Ici il n'a ni feu ni lieu ;
le tout en vingt-quatre heures de terns. N'eft-ce
pas h\fur la Scene, en unjour, renfermer desamees ?
Mais c'eft qui'l importe davantage de lui relever,
c'eft que, finiffant comme il a commence, il fait in-
tervenir Dieu mal a propos ; Dieu 8c le Defiin, 8c en
parte d'une maniere indigne. C'eft qu'un peu d'Ef-
prit fort, qui met au-deffus des Sentimens vulgaires,
fait bien ; cela donne un air cavalier qui impofe 8c
fait honneur dans le monde. En cela le Poete n'i-
mite pas fon modelle : Horace non-feulement pro-
nonce avec refpeft les noms de Jupiter & d'Apollon,

mais

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 307
Trample on Perfumes, [as in the Original. Vide.}
is a bold Expreffion, and the Thought is alfo
bold. The Gardens at Paris prefent us not,
in Mid-Winter,, with flowery Plants to'tread upon.
But even if all that was real' Faft, it would not
be fufficient to furnifh out an Idea of un Pais
de Cocagne, \_a glorious Place ;] and if the City: of
Paris deferves that Title, moft other Places do
the fame. After what Manner foever this 'Paw
de Cocagne is to be underftood, it is a Conclu
fion one did not expeft in a Poem concern
ing the Incommodities of Paris.
But I, thank Fate, who've neither Houfe nor Home,
Am glad if any one will make me Room j
Tofleep f'm. forc'd to hire another's Bed,
Lodge where I can, and where by Chance I'm led.
At firft, our Poet has a Home in the Neigh
bourhood of a Smith: Afterwards, he infinuates,
that in order to get a little Sleep, he muft take
a new Lodging : Here he has neither Houfe nor
Home; and all this within four and twenty
Hours. Is not this/«r la Scene, en un Jour, ren-
fermer des Annees? But what he moft deferves
to be taken up for is, that, concluding as he
. began, he, difrefpeftfully, introduces God ; God
and Fate ; and that after a very unworthy Man:
ner. He does it becaufe he is of Opinion, that
a little, ftrong Wit, alias Libertinifm, which
exalts one above vulgar Sentiments, does well;
that gives one a Gentleman-like Air, which
makes one efteem'd and honour'd in the World.
But in this our Poet does not intimate his Mo
del; Horace, not only pronounces the Names
of Jupiter and Apollo with Reverence, but even
X 2 adorn?

0o8 LETTER VII.
mais il pare meme plufieurs de fes Poefies de
Sentimens religieux ; il fe . fait glorie de les
avoir, & il veut que les Romains les aient de
meme qu'ils refpeftent les Dieux. Pour Virgile,
qui eft un Poete fans defaut, outre qu'il fait de la
Religion le grand merite de fon Heros, du pieux
En4e, les plus beaux endroits de fon Poeme tirent
leur beaute' des Sentimens* religieux que l'on y re
marque. Mais Virgile & Horace valoient par le
Coeur autant que par l'Efprit ; ils ne fe regloient
pas fur le gout du Peuple, mais, en Genies fu-
perieurs, ils en regloient le Gout. La plupart de
ceux qui prennent aujour'd'hui le nom de Poetes,
pourroient bien netre que des Genies fubalternes,
des Imitateurs des Poetes. Ou ils ne fentent pas
les grandes Folies des Hommes, fes Folies en
vogue, ou ils font Peuple eux memes. Au refte,
comme il n'y a rien de plus trifle que de n'avoir
pas les Sentimens de Religion, qui font le Merite
¦fie l'Homme, il n'y a rien de plus lache que de
n'ofer pas faire paroitre ces Sentimens, lors-qu 'on
les a, d'etre Homme, & d'avoir honte de ce qui
fait I'efJentieJ del'Humanit&

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 300
adorns feveral of his Poems with religious Sen
timents : He glories in poffeffing them himfelf,
and is defirous that the Romans fhould, like-
wife, be poffefs'd of them, and that they fhould
revere the Gods. As for Virgil, who was a
Poet without Fault, befides his making the chief
Merit of his Hero, the pious Alneas, to confift
in Religion, the Beauty of the fineft Paffages
in his Poem lies in the religious Sentiments
wherewith they are embellifh'd. But Virgil and
Horace are no lefs to be admir'd for the Beauty
of their- Minds, than for the Sprightlinefs of
their Wit and Genius ; they did not regulate
their Thoughts according to the Tafte of the
Publick, but like Men of fuperior Genius, they;
regulated that. The Majority of thofe who,
*in our Days, affume the Name of Poets, may
very well be' look'd on only as Subalterns,
Men of low Genius, Imitators of the Poets :
They either are blind to the Follies of Man
kind, to the Follies in Vogue, or elfe they are
themfelves like the reft of the Vulgar! As to
the reft, as the,re is nothing more deplorable
than not to have Sentiments of Religion, in
which Man's Merit confifts, fo there is nothing
more pufilanimous than not to difplay . thofe
Sentiments, when one is poffefs'd , of them, to
be a Man, and to be afham'd of what is the
very, Effential of Humanity.

But

310 LETTER VII.
But what ! Is this one of the applauded Poems
of France, one of the ten or twelve Satyrs of
its famous Poet ? And does Paris afford Monfieur
Boileau nothing but this! This City, fays he,
abounds with all Sorts of Inconveniencies : We
hear Noifes all Night long, wliich hinder us
from fleeping : At break of Day the Tradefmen
begin to work, and the Noife redoubles : There
are Storms of Wind and Hail : The Streets are
crowded, and confequently very incommodious
for Paflengers, fince the Throngs are fometimes
fb very great, that People are thereby interrupted
from their urgent Affairs, by not being able to
get along : Thofe who are out late at Night, are
in Danger of falling into the Hands of Robbers :
To little Purpofe it is there to go to Bed in Hopes
Of Reft ; for fome neighbouring Houfe or other
takes Fire, and one is expos'd to new Terrors
and Vexations : Paris is a fit Place for none but
the Rich, who pafs their Lives glorioufly ; and
the Poet, not being of that Number,, paffes there
his Time but very indifferently. — This is a Sum
mary of what, in florid Terms, this Poetick Per
formance acquaints us with, and which is very
little worthy our Knowledge. The whole is of
no Manner of Value, either for the Wit or good
Senfe it contains ; nor has it any thing to recom
mend it as a Poem, excepting the bare Expreffion
alone,: That is what it has Poetical in it. A fin
gle Profaick Verfe, that is, a Verfe which expf efles
itfelf in ordinary Terms, is confider'd as an
unpardonable Fault in a Piece of Poetry ; with
much more Reafon, then, may a Poem, intirely
Profaick, a Poem that fays nothing at all, be con
fider'd as a bad Performance, among Poetick Per
formances. Where is the Profaick to be met with
but in the Expreffion > If that is true ; if the Ex
preffion

Criticifm on Boileau. Satyr VI. 311
preffion is all the Advantage Poefy has over Profe,
Poefy is very inconfideraMe. But that is not the
Cafe : This Language of the God% as the Poets
term it, ought to tell us fublime Things, and
likewife to tell them us after a fublime Manner 5
hence it proceeds, that Mediocrity in Poefy is
look'd upon as a Fault ; and this one would take
to extend as well over the Senfe as over the Ex
preffion. It is certain, that to drefs up ordinary
Thoughts in fine Expreffions is giving us the Ap
pearances of Poefy, and not Poefy itfelf! But in
this Piece, perhaps,- Fault might be likewife
found with the Expreffion, nay even with the
very Rhime, which ought to be one of" the chief
Ornaments of a Poetick Performance; I have al
ready, enpajfant, drop'd a Word on that Subjeft;
I know not whether or no I am in the Right. It
, feems to me, that the Rhime, in order to give a
good Grace to Verfe, ought not to contain the
Effential, but fome Circumftance only; that it
ought to embellifh as well as finifh it, and to have
fomething in it free and fporting ; and that the
Verfe have as little Dependance upon it as pofli-
ble. Thefe of this Poet have none of that Beauty:
The Senfe very often depends upon the Rhime,
which makes his Verfes rather hobble than foar.
In Regard to the Senfe, were it worthy of Poetick
Numbers, this Defeft ought to be over-look'd ; but
that excepted, fince the Effential of Poefy is here
wanting, it confequently ftarts a freffi Reafon for
placing this Satyr in the Rank of ordinary Poems.
But every celebrated Poet may, perhaps, to a
certain Point, have it in his Power to eftabliffi a
Piece, in ranking it anlong his other Produftions,
as Sovereigns have it in their Power to ennoble
any of their Subjefts, or legitimate their fpurious
Off-fpring. If that were fo, our Criticifm would reach

3i2 LETTER VII.
reach farther than it ought to go, and we fhould
be in the Wrong to condemn this Poem otherwife'
than on the Footing of a Satyr, pf which it bears
the Name without having the Charafter. And if
we would be pofitively bent to have it needs be a
good Satyrick Piece, there ftill remains one Hole
for it to creep into, and to becomefuch ; but I am
not fure we could get it to pafs upon the World :
I mean to confider it as une Piece chagrine, a pee-
vifi Piece, wherein the Poet has amafs'd all the
Incidents he could think of to put out of Humour,
not a reafonable Man, "which is the Aim of com
mon Satyrs, but Incidents which work that Effeft
upon capricious whimfical Perfons, who fret at
every Thing that does not hit their Tafte. This
is a Charafter which really deferves to be def
crib'd. Upon a Footing of this Nature, indeed,
this Poem may very well be call'd a Satyr ; and
it muft be allow'd, that, generally fpeaking, the
Poet has handled his Subjeft mighty well.
This, Sir, if my Memory has not faii'd me, is
the very Criticifm we made upon Monfieur Boi-
leau's Satyr, except it was that we were fome-
what more particular. To have made a better
Criticifm, we fhould have had a better Piece
to work upon : But Monfieur Id Abbe , who
prefented this to us, probably thought, he muft
give us one which did not treat of Matters of too
fublime a Nature, and one that, at leaft, was not
beyond our Comprehenfion; and therefore he
pitch'd upon this, as rather eafy to be criticis'd
upon, than proper to furnifh out Matter for a
good Criticifm. Adieu, dear Sir; I make ac
count foon to follow my Epiftle, and in a few
Days to have the Pleafure of embracing you,
as being, &c.
FINIS.

THE

INDEX

T O T H E

REMARKS,^.

STROLOGERS, why the Englifi Women are faid
to frequent 'em 14
ABrefs, Mrs. Bettertdn the firft that ever appear'd
on the Englifi Stage - 1 7
ABorS, on the Englifi Stage, reprefented in proper
Habits x 19
Andronicus, a Tragedy, never afted on the Englifi Stage, be
caufe too full of Maffacres '^d.
Abbe's, Ladies,- Men of Bufinefs, petty Mairres in France, tri
fling People 19
Academy, French, its Members defended 45
Antients, which of Boileau' s Writings made him be- put in
Parallel- with 'em 5 l
Artificer, that had but one Day to work, and fiiould employ •
it in making Tools, compar'd to a Man that learns many
languages 64

B

The I N D E X.
B
Borough, in England,' little ' ones c"enftir'd : io
Bookfellers and Merchants, in England, value theif Reputation
more than Profit 1 3
Ba/bful and Modeft, Englifi Women very much fo 14 '
Blue-Garters, in England, not feen among Mechanicks at Bowls^'
throwing at Cocks, Foot- ball, Bear-baiting, &c. 13
Bafiards, the Englifi Laws that allow them to belaid at whofe
Door the Mother pleafes, very juft 25
Boileau, very unjuftly cenfur'd * 3 8
Bookfellers qf the Palais, falfly reprefented by the Swifs Writer,
with relation to the Books they fhew Foreigners.: 45
Bayle's Critical Dictionary, falfly faid to be a Mountain of a
Book, a frightful Volume, &>c 49

Clergy, Englifi, faid to be in Coffee-houfes with Pipes in their
Hands, &Pc. falfly cenfur'd 11
Country Clergy, Englifi, the famous Dr. Hudfon ufed to fay,
were more Pious and Learned than the reft of their Brethren ii.
ConduB of the Clergy, at the Time of the Rebellion in Charles
I.'S Time * ibid.
Comedies, Englifi, too full of Puns, and loofe Expreflipns 16
Cuftoms, a Man fhould conform to thofe of his own Nation 30
CharaBer of an odd whimfical Writer among the French 37
Country, one's own, falfly faid, fufficient without Travelling
•to form the Mind 61
— —  Gentleman may carefully mind his Son, and noc
let him lofe Sight of his Parifh-fteeple ibid.-
Converfationp an agreeable Commerce 71
D
Dramatic Poets, Englifi, govern'd by Intereft only, have no
other View but that of pleafing the Multitude 1 6
Dreadful Spectacles, appeal" lefs terrible to the Englifi, than to
the French j{j
 Reafons why reprefented on the Englifi Sta»e 1 1
Dryden, a profefs'd Plagiary, tho' otherwife an excellent Writer ibid.
Dramatic Writings, the Defign of them 7i
E

The I N D E X.
E
Englifi, to be learnt preferable to any other modern Tongue 6
1 that they have but little Education, a great Miftake to
afhrm it 7
Europe, cannot afford a better School than England 8
England, no Country in the World where Virtue is more
efteem'd, or Vice abhorr'd ibid.
Englifi Tradefmea, wonderfully Induftrious 14, &c.
Executions, reprefented on the Englifi Stage, the Reafons of it 19
 that the Englifi are not fond of feeing 'em ibid.
Education, the Advantages of it in forming the Mind 57
Errors, often in Travelling 66

Ferocity, of the Englifi, fome Remains of it ftill left 16
Fleckno (Mac) a fine critical Poem of Dryden on Shadivell ' 18
French, condemn our Cuftom of introducing Executions on the
Stage, owing to their Tafte, not their Judgment 2 1
Fantafiical Humour of the French, very ridiculous 3 3
Foreigners, the French difcover great Humanity for 'em 34
French,, falfly faid to be pleafed' with Trifles only 40
Fontenell'e, unjuftly cenfur'd by the Swifs Writer 48
French, among Foreigners, have a predominant, haughty Air 5 j
France, has many lively and fuperficial Spirits ^ 3
Fine Tafte, the French juftly afcribe it to themfelves ^ 4
Fruits and Men refemble one another, they are green, and they
ripen <, 7
Faults much better corrected by a retired Life, than Travel 59

Gentleman, in England, what entitles to that Charafter 1 1
Good Men, in England, whofe Piety is folid and rational 1 f
Gallantry, Ben. Johnfon did not know what it was, and why 1 6
Gaolers, a Set of rapacious, cruel, and mercilefs Men z6
Great Men, in France, Exile ridiculoufly infupportable to 'em 32
Good-natur'd Man, a Term of Reproach among all Nations 3 <,
Good Books, are never ill-writ, but a very had Book is fometimes
writ with Punty and Elegance 5°
Good Effefts arifing from Travelling 58
Governors, to young Perfons, in Travelling, very Advantageous
to them ' 5 *
Gallantry, reigns even among the Swifs 67
a 1 Ii

The I N D E X.
H
]$aughtinefs of the EngVfi, the Motives of it 8
Houfe of Commons, Refleftions on it la
Uandfome, the Women in England ,very much fo 14
Cannibal, not , reprefented on the JE*^/^&' Stage with a full-*
bqtttfm'd W'g '2
pusbands, in England, that moft pf them ke^p Miftrefles, an
IJntruih • 2 2
Hom'cide, punifh'd formerly all oyer Europe, by a pecuniary Fins
of about five or fix. Pounds . 24
Hpndfome ^ Reception of Strangers \a France, yam pwing t<$ a
Defire of deceiving them 40

Encumbents, nine Thoufand depriv'd of their Benefices in the
Time of the Grand Rebellion in England 12.
Induflxious and careful, the Englifi very much fo 14
Johnfon (Ben.) preferr'd, by the Fnglifi, to Moliere 16
Incenfe, utt,er'd by the French Acadsnyfts in their Speeches, per
fume the whole Audience' 43
Ignorance, an Evil, at leaft to the Publick 6?
Irf-.tiaie Defire of Reading, not good ibid,
Inv'fihle Man of Merit ibid.

Kingdom of England, very unequally reprefented s iq
T£.now\edge of the World, the chicl Benefit of Travelling 65

tpve of Truth, makes us fond of Satvr 4
Lawyers, full of Pride and Diftionefiy 11
lawrels, thofe of a French modern Poet, grown fo very dry,
that they would fcarce co;;r four Hairs of his Head 18
Literature, great Men in all Parts of it in France, owing to
th? Care that '•was taken to improve the Fortunes ot Men of
,Le:ters 21
Laws, that forbid the having two' Wives, and not three,
lour. &V. none fuch in England 24
Liberty, that of the French, confifts in fitting down in -an eafy
Chair when they are weary, and fuch-like Trifles 30
Lc-vr, only bad when fix' d on an 'unlawful Object 47
Languages

Th INDE X.
Languages, learnt by Travelling ,64
Linguifts, Authors, Compilers, Tranflators, &c. very ufeful 65
Love, the antient dramatic Writers have but few Charafters on
that Subjeft 66
M
Miftake of the Author of the Letfers on the ETtglifi and French,
in his Enquiries 4
Manners of rhe World, the Englifi not form'd fo early to them,
as in France 8
Man of Quality, Englifi, look'd upon only for his Probity.
Examples of it 9
Motrals, thofe of the Clergy of England, very ftrift 1 3.
Moliere, the more abufed by an Englifi Author, the more he
has generally ftole from him 17
Miftreffes (kept) don't converfe with the married Women 22
Marybane, Bowling-Green there, formerly frequented by two
Blue-Garters, to their great Difhonour 23
Mode of "living, very different in the Peafant, , Artificer, Citizen,.,
&fc 31"
Man of Merit, of every Country, polite, well-bred, and affable, 'I6
Mind, confiderably improv'd by feeing different Objefts and
Countries 58
¦' . , 1 - when abandpn'd to itfelf, very barren, and narrow in
. its Views 62,
Men in Masks, we are oblig'd to deal with them 63
Mind, better employ'd about ferious things than Trifles 70
N
Nobility, by Extraction and Creation, greatly different 1 I-
Nation, every one has a Value for itfelf a
Northern Nations, why they have hitherto made fo finall a
Progrefs in Arts and Sciences 5 3

a

O
Odd Fools, in England, as well as in France 14
Oedipus, a Tragedy, writ by Lee, in the Time of his Lunacy.
A very out of the way tragi-comical Circumftance in it ab>
Qtway had a true Genius for the Stage ibid:
Ordinaries of Newgate, perhaps, deferve the Fate of thofe whofe
' Souls are committed to their Care ; famous for the Dying-
Speeches" they publifh every Execution ,26"
'Oratory, made by the French Academifts. The Subjeft of 'em 41

The INDEX.

Poetry may flourifh in Norway and Aftracan 3
Philofophy, the Love of that and Truth, the Motive of tlie Au
thor, -very prevalent in London ' , 5
Peafcts (Englifi) not always on the Gallop 14
People, that frequent Coffee-houfes, an idle, foppifh, ufelefs,
" fauntring Set of People ibid.
Phyficians introduc'd on the French Stage, an improper Cha*'.
rafter for it 17
Poet s, in all Countries, a ridiculous Set of Men 1 8
Perjury, (lightly punifti'd in England. . Forgery rigoroufly 2 5
Prifoners for Debt, in England, their Cafe very hard ibid.
Popular Notions, ought not to regulate our Sentiments 30
Prefumption, the French unjuftly reproach'd with it, what it is
¦53, ©V.
Prejudice, more eafily wore off by Travelling 60
'Philofophers themfelves muft have fome Amufements 70
Plato himfelf might have pardon'd Voiture and Sarrafin 7 1
a
Qualities of both Heart and Mind, muft unite to form the
Man of Merit 63
R

Remarks. Thofe on the Englifi and French confin'd to London
only 7
R'efervednefs, of the Englifi, Advantage of it 9
Reprefentation of the Kingdom of England, better reprefented
in Queen Elizabeth's Time 10
Religion, in England, either fantaftical, or none at all 15
Rehearfal (Comedy of) writ to ridicule and expofe the Faults
of the. Stage ¦ 16
Rochefter (Earl of) had an infnvte deal of Wit, and was a
'great Debauchee; vindicated, however, in fome Refpefts 15
Rabelais, a fine Writer, notwithftanding his Obfcenities, ,/E.nig-
ma's, Extravagancies, and mad Rants in his Pantagruel 48
Religion, apt to be deprav'd by Travelling 66

Smoaking, the Swifs Writer stf.'ndcd, becaufe Englifi Clergy
ufe it la
Stage,

The I N D E X.
Stage (French) better- regulated than the Englifi tfi
Shadwell the Poet, more Vain and Impertinent than Idle • a
Poet, but a very bad one I > ! 8
Swifs Writer, why did' he pick out Shadwell, the moft cpntemp-'
tible of all the Englifi Poets, to compare with Moliere, the
moft excellent among the French ? / ibid.
Satyr (Boileau 's fixth) unjuuly cenfur'd by the, Swifs Writer 5 r
Swifs Writer, from the Top of the Alps, looks on the French as
ft> many Atoms ; exhales his Ill-humour in Letters, &>c. 54
Study of Languages, falfly faid lo be an Abufe 64
Siildy; the moft proper Methods of regulating it ' ibid.
Stage Entertainments, unjuftly cenfur'd 7 j

Thinking Swifs, rare to be met with 5;
Timon ; the Author of the Letters on the Englifi) and French
Nations, almoft of that Charafter 4.
Title, of Captain, not beftowed on every Pop that wears a
Sword 10
Trading, in England, not derogatory to Nobility 11
Taverns, in England, nor frequented by the Clergy ibid.
Teeth, , Englifi Women take more Care of Sheirs than formerly 14
Tragedy, the Englifi efteem it more than Comedy 19
Theft, feverely punifh'd in England 24
Time, that beft employed which is fpent in the Country 3 1
Tragedies, French, falfly faid to leifen Virtue 46
Travelling, falfly faid not to better a Man 56
 Swifs Writer's Letter on it, full of falfe Reafonings ^7
 ¦ — ¦ falfly faid to corrupt the Mind 59

Univerfities, Englifi, their Difcipline does not permit Appliea*-
tion to Bodily Exercifes 7
Vice and Debauchery reigns in London, as in other populous
Cities 8
yajfals, in England, difcharged of every thing, by paying their
Rent to the Lord of the Manor ibid.
Venice Preferu'd, a Tragady, in which is feen Executioners, and
a Scaffold, Qpic. 20
VijitSj of two Sorts, the profitable, and the agreeable 3 1
Vivacity of the French, "imjuftly faid to be a falfe Brightnefs 5 2
 a copious Definition of itj call'd by the* Romans, Acies
Mentis 53
Voiture, falfly faid to be the King of Trifles- 72
Virtue, too often only made a Piece of Wit 73
 a

The INDEX.

w
Wycherly, might have juftly been compar'd with Moliere 18
Writers, none good but thofe in happy Circumftances 21
Wife, in England, . would lofe her Charafter if fhe receiv'd Vi
fits from Women of the Town 22
Women are Men, and Mert Women in France 29
Wit, Tafte and Politenefs, particularly confpicuous-in France 3 3
Writers, French, vindicated from the Afperfions of the Swifs
Author 45
Wit, rather a delicate kind of Good-Senfe, than a ftiining Good-
Senfe 46
Work, the moft trifling,' written in a florid Stile, preferr'd by
moft Reader* to another, whofe Subjeft is fo-licf, but Stile
mean 3 1
Wifdom and virtue, he that wants 'em a contemptible Perfon 63
World, is_ nothing but a fuperficial thing 64-
Women only to be admitted on Parnaffus 69
World, a Parterre, where Flora fpieads all her Dainties 71

"Fouth, if too much cramp'd in. their Liberty, will be dull and
heavy, if too much indulg'd, will give a Loofe to Paffions,
criminal Pleafures, Qpc. 58

ADVERTISEMENT.
Lately Publifi'd,
V A Defeription of the Temple of VENUS,
with the Paftoral Amours of Arift&us and the Son of Antihchus.
Together with Cupid fleeping in the Idalian Grove.
Venus i iota Gente tributa petat. Ovid.
Tranflated from the French, by Mr. Lock man.
This Piece, that cannot offend the chafteft Ears, is Written by
the celebrated Author of the Perfian Letters, and- has met
with univerfal Applaufe. Printed by r. Edlin.

REMARKS

O N T H E

LETTERS CONCERNING
The Englifi and French, &c.

l^jJH ITE N the Letters concerning the
Englijh and French Nations, and
upon Travelling, were firft pub
lifhed, I read them with abun
dance of Curiofity and Atten
tion ; and was not a little glad
of having at length found a Thinking Swifs. It
muft be allowed we frequently entertain ridicu
lous Prejudices againft fome Particular Nations :
But I can now eafily conceive a Sect of Philo
fophers upon the top of the Alps, as I have for
jfome time imagined, that Poetry may flouriflu
in Aflracan and Norway, fince we have many
Poets among us,, that one would think came
from thofe Countries. As But

4 Remarks on the
, But what a Philofophef is this ? His moral
Philofophy fearches not for the ridiculous Part
of Man's Charafter, in the, imperceptible and
neceffary Motions of Self-love, (the fruitlefs Em
ployment of our Modern Wits) but in the moft
common, and ordinary Actions, in things which-
ftrike our Senfes, and which we think agreeable
to Reafon, becaufe they are fo in oppofition
to Cuftom.
This Gentleman, with his thinking Head, js
he not, by your Leave, a Frenchman in-difguife,
or a mere Swifs Speffator I An infipid Fiction,
which hath reduced a Wretched Author to the
Condition of being an Unfortunate, Unknown
SpeSator. This Author is a Sjvifs, a very 'Swifs,
an Englifi and French Swifs at the fame time :
That is, one who hath formed his Mind, from
the Intercourfe which he hath had among Men
of both Nations. As a Swifs, he hath Simplicity
and good Senfe ; like an Englifimran he difcoyer s
a profound Judgment, and deep Penetration,
artd abounds with the Delicacy and Vivacity
of the French. * According to him, the Swifs
judges impartially, the Englifiman excels in Re
flection, and ' the Frenchman in Imagination.
We are here confidering 'Philofophy in Repre-.
fentation, and Morality in Picture : In other
refpeifts the Author is a mere Timon. I cannot
think it would be agreeable to live with fuch a
one, but mould always delight to read his ' Wri
tings ; becaufe he is generally a Follower of
Truth. 'Tis indeed' the Love of Truth, that
makes us fond of Satyr -, therefore fuch a Difpo
fition is very commendable ; for whatfoever
proceeds from the Love of Truth, is 'generally
good : And, on the contrar}', a Difpofition to Pa-
fiegyrick is not good, becaufe it derives its Ori-.
g nu\

Englifh Letters, &c. 5
ginal from Falfhood. Thus Elogy, even fhorf
Elogy, has but an offenfive Beauty, as every
Body knows by Experience.
I affirm, I have not fuffered my felf (tho' a
Frenchman) to be prejudiced by the Succefs and
quick Sale of thofe Letters. The Inclination
I have for Satyrical Philofophy, for criticizing
on Manners, for the Cenfure on bad Cuftoms,
have not inclined me to Partiality in perufing
this new Piece. The Author, in many Points,
appears to me, to have affumed the Character
of a Man-hater, and to have carried his Re
flections too far, againft Things in their, own
Nature Innoqent, and fometimes Laudable. On
thefe occafions, I had rather he thought me a
Timon, than an Arifiarchus. He is likewife in
fome places Infipid and Falfe, tho' commonly
Judicious and True. '
I have formed this Judgment of him from his
Letters upon the Englifh and French, and upon
Travelling. For never having been in England,
I can be1 no competent Judge of what is con
tained in them relating to thofe of that Na
tion. I underftand their Language, but am
wholly unacquainted with their Manners and
Cuftoms. However, I had an Inclination to
know the Opinion that is 'entertained of them
at London, where the Love of Truth and Phi
lofophy prevails more" than ' any where elfe.
J have in that City, a Friend of great Learn
ing and Wit •, he is not a Refugee, but an Englifi)-
man of Quality, with whom I contracted. an in
timate Friendfhip, when he was at Paris, in
the" Years 17T 9 and 1720, to whom I writ the
following Letter ;
SIR,

6 Remarks on the
SIR,
,** '-TpHERE has been printed at Geneva, and
X " lately reprinted at Paris, a Book, in-
" tituled, Letters concerning the Englifh and
" French, and upon Travelling. I take the op-
" portunity by My Lord * * * * * who is re-
-" turning to England, to fend it you, tho', per-
" haps, you have already feen it. The Paris
" Edition, you will prefently fee, is much, the
" beft. ' I beg you will give me your Thoughts
" very particularly of that Piece ; whether the
" Defeription 'the Author gives of the Englijh,
" your Manners, your Inclinations, your Vir-
*' tues, and your Vices, be juft and true ? I am
*' perfwaded you will decide this Queftion with
." the utmoft Impartiality."
About a Mo,nth after my fending this Letter?
I received the following Anfwer, which I have
faithfully trrnflated firom the Englifi), a very
ufeful Language, which every Frenchman of Let7
ters ought to be acquainted with, preferably to
any other modern Tongue. l After this Letter
you will find three other Letters from me, about
the Letters upon the French, and upon Travelling,
which I had not written but to oblige the Au?
jhor of the- Englifi) Letter.
SIR,
AB O U T fix Months fince, I had the Book
" you mention in your Letter, of which
you have fent me the Paris Edition. I fhall
readily communicate to you my Remarks on
;'_ what the Author fays concerning the Englifi) ;
" upoa

Englifti: Letters, &c. 7
" upon condition that in return you alfb , ac-
" quaint me with your Opinion, of what, he
" fays in refpedt to the French. You may af-
" fure your felf, this is a Bargain, in which I
" will not deceive you. I would have you ufe
" the fame Fidelity, and endeavour to be as
" open and free in your Reflections, as I fhall
" probably be in mine."
In the firft place, I can affure you, that the
Author hath not travelled through all England:
But hath only feen London, and is wholly unao-
quainted with People of Diftinction. His Re*
marks are confined to that City, and'to the Cha
racters of thofe he hath feen in Coflee-houfes;
and from thence probably he hath drawn thte
fuperficial Knowledge he hath of the Englifi.
When he talks in general of their Temper and
Genius, he is certainly right •, but when he de-
fcends to Particulars, he always betrays his Ig*
norance. He had good Reafon then to tell his
'Reader at his firft fetting out, We may both be
deceived. In his third Page he fays, the Englifi have very
tittle Education. If he means that they are not
fond of the Accomplifhments of riding the great
Horfe, Fencing, Dancing, and the like Exercifes^
and that with refpect to thofe the Education in
England is bad, he is plainly miftaken. 'Tis
true, there are not many excellent Mafters in
England of this kind ; they would fcarce get a
Livelyhood among us ; therefore our }r0urtg Gen
tlemen are fent to Foreign Univerfities to learn
thofe Exercifes ; Befides, the Difcipline of our
two Univerfities do not permit the young Nobi
lity there educated, to apply themfelves to bodi
ly Exercifes, efpecially dancing. 'Tis not the
Method

8 Remarks on the
Method there to form them to the Manners of
the World, fo early as they do in France, where
you may commonly fee a Child , of Twelve,
Years old -Politer and better bred, than a young
Gentlema'ri . cf Eighteen in England'. But at
the fame time,' as Tor the real Culture and Im
provement of the Mind,, polite Learning, good,
Erudition, Philofophy, &c. I will venture to fay
all Europe cannot afford a better School than
England: But what they are more efpecially in-
ftructed iri, is the Laws, the Interefts, and the
Privileges of their Country, arid pray what can
they learn . better ?
Ibid. .. Vicious Perfoni are very numerous amongfi
them. 'Tis true Vice and Debauchery reign at
London, as they do in all great and populous Ci
ties ;' but as to the other Pa'rts of England, it ii
certain there is no Cotriltry iri the World, where
Virtue is more efteemed, or Vice had in greater
Abhorrence. The Gentlemen among us, of the
beft Eftates, but diffolute Manners, find very
few Votes in their feveral Counties, to be chofen
Members of Parliament : For fhould Libertines'
and Debauchees be Reprefentatives of a Na
tion !
The People of England, fays he, Pag. 4. Paj
rot Refpecl enough to great Men, and are not al
ways ready to yield to them that Complaifancdt
which .. is paid them in all other Countries. This is
the Effect of our precious Liberty • the People
here have no Devoirs to the Great, where every
one lives by his own Induftry : We have no Te
nures here, as there are in other Countries-
held by Virtue of a Feudal Right. The Vaffal
in England is difcharged of every thing, by
paying his Rent to the Lord of the Mannor ;
he is obliged to no Homage, Servitude, or Duty".

Englifh Letters, &c. 9
We muft add to this, that no Man of Quality
among us, is regarded for his Wealth, his Birth,
or his Superiority of Genius and Knowledge ;
but only for the Reputation he hath acquired by
his Probity. I have known a Duke of a great
Family, who was very wealthy, a Man of Wit
and Learning, pafs a Month at his Seat, which
was finer, and more magnificent than that at
Petworth, without receiving above two or three
Vifits from the neighbouring -Nobility and Gen
try, tho' he had, in the Country, above Ten
thoufand Pounds Sterling a Year. I have, on
the other Hand, known a private Gentleman,
of a fmall Eftate, but a good Man, in that
Neighbourhood, who, at the Time of Election
for Reprefentatives of the County, had the
whole Neighbourhood attending him to the
Election, when at the fame -time few or none
followed the Duke. As to the Haughtinefs of
the People of England, it proceeds from their
Independance, and the refpectful Submiffions
'they receive from their great Men, when they
follicit their Vote for Members of the Houfe of
Commons. The Refervednefs which the Englifi)
always prudently obferve, is a Bar to their
making Advances to Strangers, and to certain
Politeneffes which they might otherwife' fhew :
But when they know, and value a Foreigner,
they are even Prodigal of their Civilities, and
lay afide all Stiffnefs and Referve. Pray, Sir,
in all our Acquaintance, could you ever difco
ver a different Conduct in me >
In the 7th Page, the Swifs gives us fufficient
Proof, that his pretended Knowledge of England,
is taken chiefly from his Obfervations in our
Coffee-houfes. The Title of Captain, fays he,
is given by us to every Fop that wears a Sword,

io Remarks on the
if we don't know him, as the Title of Abbot
is to any Coxcomb in France, that wears the
little Band and Cloak. 'Tis true, in all the
Counties of England, as well as London, thereis
f.n eftablifhed Militia, and they that, have' the
Commiflion of, Captain in the Militia, have the
Title too, as well as Gentlemen of that Rank
belonging to the Army : But without fuch a
Commiffion they are not ftiled Captains ; tho'
'tis true, in Coffee-houfes and Taverns in Lon
don, many that wear Swords affume the Title
of Captains, to procure Refpect.
What the Author fays,pag. ?. That in our Houfe
of Commons a few leading Men govern the reft,
appears to me very juft. He might here have
remarked another very confiderable Defect, that
the Kingdom is very unequally reprefented ;
For the Deputies for the Counties, and the No-
, bility of England, amount to no more than Four-
fcore and Twelve Perfons t, the Reprefenta-
tives for the Cities, and the great Towns, are
about the fame Number ; when there are above
three hundred Burgeffcs for little Boroughs,
which are byafled in Elections, by Money,
Promifes, or Threats. The Reprefentation of
the Kingdom was better regulated at Queen
Elizabeth's coming to the Crown : But fince
that Time, under Pretence that a greater Num
ber of Members would contribute to the Security
of the , publick Liberty, the little Boroughs,
whofe Reprefentatives were not then -above a
hundred, are now increafed te> treble that Nun>
ber 5 a Number too great ; and is the Source of
the Depravation and Defects that we find in
our tumultuary Parliaments.
Page ] 2. he fays, That .which is the Nobility
In Fiance, and elfewhere, is what we call Gentry, This.

En^Mi Letters, Sec. i 1
This Title heretofore' properly appertained to
none but fuch as had Seigniories or Lordfhips j
but now the Antiquity of a Name and Family,
entitles a Man to the Rank of a Gentleman.
Trade, indeed, among us, does not leffen any
Man's Gentility, ( nor do I think it fhould ; ) for
tho' a younger Brother of a good Family en
deavours to get an Eftate by Bufinefs, yet he is
ftill accounted Noble : But when a private
Gentleman is advanced to the Peerage, he muft
have Letters Patent, which are ordinarily given
by the King at Arms, whom his Majefty au
thorizes to to do. However, there is a great
Diftinction made between Nobility by Extrac
tion, and that obtained by Creation.
Page 13. he proceeds to fay, you may find
Clergymen in Coffee-houfes, with a Pipe in
their Hand, and fometimes in Taverns. The
Author had been more exact in his Account, if
he had only faid, that in London there is in St.
Paul's Church- Yard a Coffee-houfe, called the
Chapter Coffee-houfe, and there the Clergy gene
rally refort.
As to what he faj'-s of their frequenting Ta
verns, the Canons of the Church do allow it j
but it is a very rare thing to fee a Clergyman
in any of them. Befides the Chapter Coffee-
houfe at St. Paul's, where the Clergy ordinarily
refort about feven a-Clock at Night, there are
feveral about the Temple, where the Lawyers,
full of Pride and Difhonefty, do wilfully fuf
fer their Clients to be ruined in their Hands.
The Country Clergy, who have Law-fuits de
pending, do fometimes go to thefe Coffee-houfes,
to confult their Lawyers ; nor are they liable to
Scandal by fo doing.
B 2 I

i z Remarks on the
l fhall here obferve, that I have heard Dr.
Hudfon, Keeper of the , Bodleian- Library, known
for his Editions of Dionyjius Halycarnajfeus, and
the Hiftory of Jofephus, declare, with much
Reafon and Juftice, That the Country Clergy
were by much the moft learned and pious of
any in England : For many of our London Di
vines, are like your Abbots, that follow the
Court •, the Court is at London ; I have faid
enough. The Swifs is much offended, becaufe many of
our Englifi) Clergy fmoak. This trifling Nicety
little deferves to be taken notice of, which puts
me in mind of the ftrict Enquiries that were
heretofore made into the Manners and Conduct
of the Clergy, at the Time of the Rebellion, in
the Reign of King Charles I. and the Year 1642.
For when the Presbyterian Faction was grown
powerful enough to execute their vile Projects,
for the Abolition of Epifcopacy, and the Extinc
tion of Royalty, they took Arms againft the
King, and attacked the Ecclefiaftical Govern
ment at the fame Time. Then it was that the
Parliament appointed a Committee of their own
Body, to enquire into the Morals of all the
Clergymen in England, and to that end fent
Commiffioners into every County. I have read
feveral authentick Books, and original Manu-
fcripts, containing Examinations, and Depofitions
on that Subject. Their Enquiries only in the
County of Leicefier, make up three great Vo
lumes in Folio. And in all thofe Examinations,
and all the Depofitions made before the Inqui-
fitors, there was no Crime objected to fo much
as one Eccjefiaftick, fave that of fmoaking To-
b.icco, and going to the Garrifon of 4fiihy-de-la-
Z-'ueh, a Place that held out for the King. The
Crimes!

Englifh Letters, &c. 1 3
Crimes laid to the Charge of the Clergy in other
Counties, were of the like Nature. In fhoit,
after thefe Commiffaries, and the Committee of
Parliament had finifhed their Inquifition, and
the Parliament had abolifhed Epifcopacy, and
had deprived more than Nine Thoufand Incum
bents of their Benefices, Mr. White, who was
Prefident of the Committee, and made the Re
port, had much Difficulty to make up a Lift of
One hundred Clergymen, that could juftly be
reproached for their Life and Manners : Befides,
the whole World knew, that he laid to their
Charge innumerable Crimes which -they had ne
ver committed. Dr. Walker, and others, have
fufficiently vindicated thofe Gentlemen. But it
is certain, never was Enquiry carried on with
more Violence, Malignancy and Cunning ; yet
it ,ferved only to give an inconteftable Proof of
the Piety and good Conduct of the Clergy of
thofe Times. And I may venture to fay,
that for the moft Part, the Gentlemen of that
Order now amongft us, could ftand the Teft of
the ftricteft Enquiries, and appear equally illu-
ftrious both for their Piety and Conduct.
Page 19. The fumptuous way of Living a-
mong our Englifh Merchants, obliges them to fell
their Goods at the higher Rates. Our Merchants
are for the moft Part very honeft, and are con
tent with a moderate Gain ; and you may al
ways take their Words, both as to the Goodnefs
and Price of their Wares. The eftablifhed Opi
nion about Merchants and Bookfellers in Eng
land is, That they prefer their Reputation to
their Profit.
Page 22. The Author fays, He always faw the
Englifh Peafants on the Gallop. It is, methinks,
very ftrange, that I, who have travelled through all

14 Remarks on the
all Parts of the Kingdom, fhould never make that .
Obfervation. Their ordinary Pace on Horfeback
is aTrdt,and if you fee a Man galloping, you may
conclude he is drunk. 'Tis true, about London,
where there is a great deal of Duft, the People
frequently gallop, but they are commonly Tay
lors, or Londoji Apprentices.
Page 24. The Swifs, with Reafon, commends the
Modefty, and the gentle Bafhfulnefs of our Englifi)
Ladies : As to their Beauty, the Taftes of Man
kind are fo various, that I fhall fay nothing of
it here. In general they are very handfome,
and take much more Care of their Teeth now,
than formerly. I have feen, fays the Author,
Patches in the Face of a.n old Woman through her
Speclaclcs. That may be ; in England, as well as
*w France, there are old Fools. The Englifi) Wo
men too, he fays, are much for enquiring into
future Events, and confulting Aftrologers. And,
pray, from whence had he all this ? Why, about
forty Years fince, the Dutchefs of Grafton, and
fome other Ladies of Quality, went to confult
an Aftrologer, to know fomething about their
Husbands. Upon this Story hath the Swijs form
ed his Judgment of Englifi/ Ladies confulting
Aftrologers ; whereas, in Truth, they are here,
as elfewhere, equally defpifed by both Men and
Women in Engl ami.
Page 30. Idleness reigns much in England. I
affirm, on the contrary, that no People are more
addicted to Induftry and Application. The Au
thor, who frequented chiefly the London Coffee-
houfes, has framed his Idea of that Character
from Perfons he faw there; an idle, foppiih, ufe
lefs Set of People, which may be frequently feen
fauntring in our Coftee-houfes. AU our Trades
men in England take abundance of Pains. And
before

Englifh Letters, &c. i 5
before that unhappy Affair of the South-Sea, no
one propofed to enrich himfelf under thirty
Years Care and Induftry in his refpective Trade.
They were contented with a moderate Profit,
and left it to Time to make their Fortunes. But
we had alfo our Mifiifippi, which hath brought
this corrupt Tafte amongft our Englifi Traders.
The Author, Page 32. declaims againft the
pretended Irreligion of the Englifi). In Matters
of Religion, fays he, Tou would imagine that.
every Engliihman is for having a Religion after
his own way, or vone at all ; and that there were
7io Hypocrify in their Country. That is to fay,
England hath either a fantaftical Religion, or
none at all. It is granted there are many Li
bertines and Unbelievers in London, efpecially
in ourCoffee-houfes ; but their Number is very in-,
confiderable in refpeft of thofe, who fubmit;
their Judgment to the true Faith. The ferious
Difpofition of the Englifi, keeps them from in
clining to Debauchery, and confequently from
falling into (Irreligion. The Author however
allows, that England abounds with good Men,
whofe Piety is Solid and Rational : (Let us par
don this Contradiction) " This appears, fays he,
" by the Number of their excellent Books of
" Devotion ; for none but Men of Piety and
" Goodnefs could be the Authors of them. The
" Morality contained in them is fo pure and
" found, that they muft be the Compofitions of '
" learned Men ; befides, there are fome Books
" that are univerfally applauded, and yet the
" Authors are unknown ; which is ftill remote
" from the Views of moft learned Men."
What the Swifs fays, Page 37. That the young
Women here often make a Vow to marry the. fiifi
Man that asks them, is grounded on nothing but

one

ifcT Remarks on the
one or two Maid-fervants, that have been aban
doned by their Lovers. Does this deferve
to be cited to characterize a Nation,, and
ferve to introduce this notable Reflection ? One
may in this difcover fome Remains of Fe
rocity, which is the Ground of their ancient
Character. The 1 2th Letter, Page io. concerns our The
atre : I agree with him, that fome of our Come
dies are full, not only of Puns, but very inde
cent Expreffions, and that the French Stage is
better regulated, and more chafte than ours.
The Englifi) are fenfible of thefe Faults, and
condemn them ; but our Poets, who are govern
ed by their Intereft, and have no other View
but pleafing the Multitude, are little con
cerned about procuring the Approbation of the
more Intelligent and Polite, who would willing
ly have their Plays formed upon another Tafte.
That inimitable Play of the Duke of Bucking
ham's, intituled, The Rehearfal, was compofed
to ridicule, and expofe the Faults of the Stage,
which we complain of) as much as the Swifs.
" The Englifi), fays he, prefer Ben. Johnfon,
" to Moliere ; for in all forts of Subjects they
" give the Preference to their own Countrymen ;
" and we are obliged to them for naming the
" ableft Men amongft them, to whom to give
" the Preference, tho' we do yiot prefer him on
" all Subjefts (as the Swifs is pleafed to advance)
" to all the reft of the World." We indeed efteem
Johnfon, as a good Writer, and Mr. St. Evremont
is of our Opinion. No Man hath fearched fur
ther into humane Nature, or hath better finifhed
the Characters he hath introduced upon the Stage.
I own, he knew nothing of Gallantry ; but that,
as well as all other Faults he is reproached with, muft

Englifh Letters^ Sic. i f
muft be attributed to the Manners of the Age he
lived in. Women began not to appear on the
EngUfl) Stage, till after the Reftoration of King
CharlesII. Before his Reign all our Plays were
afted by Men, and the firft Woman that ap
peared on the Englifi Stage, was the Wife of
Mr. Betterton, an incomparable Acton King
Charles II. by introducing Aftreffeson our Stage,
corrupted our Manners. One of them,lvrf Gmn
was a Miftrefs to that Prjnce h and the Earl ot
Oxford, Aubrey de Vere, married another Actrels,
who had pleafed him in afting the Part of Roxi*
Una, in fhe Siege of Rhodes, written by Su
William Bavenant. i
" Moliere, fays our Author, had mote Matter
"than Johnfon : The Charafters in France are'
" general and comprehend all forts of People h
" whereas in England every one living writes as
" he pleafes, the Poet is confin'd only to parti-
" cular Charafters." A notable Diftinftion !
As if we had not at London, as well as at Paris,
Mifers, Ufurers, Lyars, inconfiderate young
Men, Jealous Husbands, Cuckolds Coxcombs,
Hypocrites, &c. IM.France, indeed . hey in
troduce Phyficians on the Stage, which is not
done here /becaufe they are for : the > moft Part
Men of Condition and Merit : Nor fhould it be
permitted, in any Country, to ridicule States or
Frofeffionsin general, but only thofe • in i part.
cular that abufe fuch Profeffion or State* and
this is praftifed in England, as ; wel i as in France*
It is ?rue, our modern Poets fteal from Moliere
and have the Front in their P«ficeB ™Lf an
loeues to prefer themfelves to him-, and tis an
old Obfervation, that the ^^f'£
bv an Author the more he hath generally ftoleri
frU him Wts, in all Countries, are e^bj

18 Remarks on the
culous Kind of Men : For Mr. Shadwell fays,
in his Preface to the Mifer, " That no French
" Piece hath been made ufe of by any of our
" Poets, how bad foever, but appeared , better
" in Englifi), than in the Original." (This is,
I affirm, a very extravagant Propofition.) Then
he goes on, " 'Tis not becaufe we want In-
" vention, or Wit, that we borrow from the
" French -, but out of mere Idlenefs. This puts
" me on altering the Mifer of Moliere, &c."
By your Leave, Mr. Shadwell, you are not fb
Idle, as Vain and Impertinent ; you are indeed
a Poet, but a very bad one.
The Swifs, in his 51ft and $ 2d Pages, thinks
it to his Purpofe to make a Comparifon between
this Mifer of Mr. Shadwell, and that of Moliere.
But pray, why has he picked out the moft con
temptible of all the Englifi) Poets, to compare
with the beft of the French ? It is doing a Dis
honour both to the Englifi), and Moliere, to un
dertake fo ridiculous a Parallel. That celebra
ted Poem of Mr. Dryden's, Mac Fleckne, con
tains critical Remarks on Mr. Shadwell's Works,
which are fo very juft, that the whole World
muft judge him to be a bad Writer. He had, ¦
indeed, fome Reputation at firft ; but like that
of one of your Modern Poets well known, and
of whom fome body has faid very pleafantly,
in a Pamphlet, That his Lawrels were grown fo
very dry, that they would fcarce cover four Hairs
of his Head. If the Swifs would have produced
fome Tranflator, or Imitator of Moliere, among
the Englifi), and at the fame time have done
them Juftice, he might have mentioned the
Country Wife, and the Plain Dealer, both which
the Author, Mr. Wicherly, hath taken from the
School of Women, and the Man-hater of Moliere. What

Englifh Letters, &c. 19
What the Author fays in the 67th Page, is by
no Means true. We don't reprefent Hanibal
with a long Peruke. The Greeks and Romans have
always appeared on our Stage, ' in Roman or
Grecian Habits. And with refpeft to modern
Perfons, they are reprefented in an agreeable
Habit, which is conformable to their Charafter,
and the Cuftom of their Country.
We efteem Tragedy much more than Comedy,
becaufe we love to be affefted, and moved. An
ingenious Comedy, well carried on, infinitely
pleafes us. We have not above three or four
Tragi-Comedies, where there is a Mixture both
of the Serious and Comick. Should thefe three
or four Pieces, which, at this Time, pleafe not
the generaLTafte, form the Englifi) Theatre ¦, or
fhould they have given this Author a handle to
decry our Tafte ?
In England, the Death of Perfons is commonly
reprefented on the Stage. This is founded on
that Maxim of Horace.
Segnius initant animos immijfa per auresi
§>nam qua, -font oculis fubjeBa fidelibus —
But it is falfe to affirm, that we are fond of
feeing real Executions on the Stage.
Tho' in the old Tragedy of Thus Andronicus,
all the Perfons are either maffacred, or executed
by Ruffians ; yet the Englifi) axe now offended at
it, and for this Reafon, that Piece is with them
reckoned a bad one, and is never afted.
The Tragedyof CEdipus, the Swifs mentions,
was compofed by Mr. Lee, in the Time of his
Lunacy ; fo that the Play is in general very ex
travagant, tho' there are many excellent Things
in it. I can't fay at the fame time, that that
C 2 which

%o Remarks on the
which was afted at "Paris, whofe Author, it is
faid, is a very fage, and a very fiegmatick Poet,
is better than that of Mr. Lee. The Swifs fays.
nothing of that, extraordinary. Incident in this,
Englifi) Tragedy "¦; where CEdipus appears at the'.
Window, as having his Eyes put out, and then, as
from a Tribunal, he rnakes a beautiful Harangue,
which he concludes comically^ by throwing.
himfelf out of the Window, and killing himfelf
by that extravagant Fall : Neverthelefs, it is not
thV Aftor that reprefents CEdipus, who throws.
hiirifelf out of the Window ; but a Man of Paft-
board, made like him, which is thrown down:
For had it been the Aftor, he would really have.
killed himfelf '. The People ufually laugh -very
"heartily, at fo bold and heedlefs a Leap : Thus;
ends that fine Tragedy, whofe Cataftrophe evi-;
dently fhews, what kind of Brain the Author
had; It is falfe to affirm, that we have a Tragedy,
in which is reprefented a Man having his Flefh
torn from him by red-hot Pincers. The Author
means that Piece of Otway's, entituled, Venice
Preferved, There are many moving Paffages in
that Piece, whofe Author had a true Genius for
the Stage j and here you fee Executioners, and
all Preparations for an Execution, and a Scaffold
built. If one muft fpeak the Truth, thefe Spe
ctacles appear lefs horrible to us, than to the
French ; lefs horrible, indeed, than they ought
to appear to us : For if a Poet had regard to the
Difpleafure, and the Indignation of the Publick,
in bringing ^Executions on the Stage, (which he
would not fail to do in France) he would by no
means expofe them upon the Stage. But he flat
ters himfelf that we fhall approve of them 5
whereas he fhould rather imagine, that we fliall bear

Englifh Letters, &c. 2 1
bear Mth them for the fake of their 6ther Beau-'
ties. After all, we cannot deny but that an in
nocent Perfon lead fo a Scaffold, and already in
the .Hands of the Executioners, makes a very
moving, and a very tragical Sight. If we con
fult Reafon only, I know not whether this Prac
tice is to be condemned. The French condemn
it ; .but 'tis their Tafte, not their Reafon, that
decides againft it.
As for what follows, the Swifs hath Reafon to
fay, that Dryden hath at the fame time plun
dered and abufed the Poet Corneille. Dryden
was a profeffed Plagiary ; but was himfelf en
dued with excellent Qualities, and what he pro
duced, from his own Invention is much efteem
ed. It. hath been, remarked, that if you would
know when he hath ftolen from, Corneille, you
muft obferve whether or no he hath fpoke ill of
him in his Prologue. Dryden was very poor 5
fo. that many of his Pieces feem to have been.
compofed out of mere Naceffity, that is, in hafte.
There are, indeed, no good Authors, but thofe
who are eafy in their Circumftances ; and, I
believe, that it is at Paris, as at London, under
Lewis XIV ; you had gTeat Men in all kinds
of Literature ; becaufe Care was taken, in France
to improve the Fortunes of Men of Letters,.
knowing how neceffary they were to the State.
.The Extravagance of two young Gentle
men, the Author fpeaks of in the 75th Page, is a
Thing unknown in England. I have heard that
the Earl of Pembroke, eldeft Brother to the pre
fent Earl, was fallen into the Cafe he men
tions ; but it is fuch a one as never happened
fince. That Nobleman was troubled with a kind
of Madnefs and Fury, Thus does the Sw'}fs build

22 Remarks on the
a general Accufation upon a fingular and un
common Example.
Page 8. Mofi of the married Men keep Miflref-
fes. There is nothing more falfe, arid for which.
there 'is fo little Foundation. I have been in all
the Counties of England, except the three Nor
thern ones, which border on Scotland. The Now
bility of each County are very well known to
me ; fo that I can affure you, it very rarely
happens, that there is not a ^good Correfpondence
between the Husband and the Wife. A married
Man that lives- not with his Wife, or keeps Mi
ftrefles, is extremely contemned ; he paffes for
a Debauchee/ and a Man of ' no Morals, At
London itfelf,: where there is abundance of De
bauchery, we fee very few of thofe bad Families."
The Author then had little Reafon to fay, That
moft of the married Men in England' keep-Mifireffes,
So that it.hath been feen, That they have taken
them Home, and have made them eat at the' fame
Table with their Wives. * All this may be; and
I will add further, that when they pleafe, as
the Author fays, they make them lye with
them in the fame Bed. But what a Proof- is
this ? As if there were not Debauchees in Eng^
land, as well as in other Places. Tou may fee,
adds he, thefe kept Miftrefies converfing with the
married Women. Here you have another Falf-
hood, or at leaft it is a thing which rarely hap
pens. A married Woman would lofe her Repu
tation, if fhe received Vifits from a Woman of
the Town, or was often feen any in Company
with a noted Miftrefs of feme Lord.
^ The Earl of Rochefter, of whom he here
fpeaks, is' not the Author of -all the Tales and
licentious Pieces, which are attributed to him.
He had an infinite deal of Wit, and was a great
Debauchee.

Englifh Letters, &c. 2 3
Debauchee. He had, at the fame time, a great
Refpeft and Tendernefs for his Mother, and a
very great Regard for his Wife. He was a great
Penitent in the latter Part of his Life, and died
with Sentiments becoming a good Chriftian.
All the Swifs advances in the 88th Page, is
abfblutely falfe. You fee not Blue Garters a-
mongft Mechanicks, playing at Bowls, throw
ing at Cocks, playing at Foot-ball, ranging them
felves together to throw down Paffengers, Prize
fighting, Bear-baiting, & c. all Diverfions of the
meaneft of the Populace, and not of People of
Condition $ nor even of Merchants. There is, in
deed, > a Place near London, called Marybone,
whither two Blue-Ribbons did formerly refort,
to play at Bowls with any that offered them
felves j which mightily difhonoured them in
the Eye of the World. 'Tis true, at Hazard-
Tables, Perfons of the higheft Rank are of
ten confounded and mixt with others. But the
fame is done in other Countries ; for this Play
makes all equal. The moft common Affront,
he fays, and greateft amongft the Englifi), is cal
ling a Perfon French Dog ; in French, chien Frm-
qois. The Englifi) formerly had an exceeding Ha
tred for the French ; the continual Wars between
the two Nations, have produced that Animdfity ;
but fince the Peace, that Hatred is quite diffipa-
ted : The French are now confidered and efteem
ed in England, and French Dog is no longer in
the Mouth of the People.
The fifteenth Letter is full of enormous Faults,
and lets us fee, that the Author attempts to fpeak
of the . Englifh Laws, without a fufficient Know
ledge of them.. It is true, with regard to the
Penal Laws, and in criminal Matters, the Let
ter of the Law is generally ftuck to : So that be
fore

24 Remarks on the
fore a guilty Perfon is punifhed, his Crime rnuft
be clearly expreffed, and his Punifhment exact
ly declared by the Law. This Rule prevents all
arbitrary Sentences of Judges, and fecures the
Lives of the Englifi). But what the Swifs fays
upon the Subjeft of the Laws forbidding the hav
ing two Wives, but that it forbids not to have three
or more, hath no Foundation, but in the Con
ceit of fome ignorant Perfons amongft the mean
eft of People. The Law forbids having more
Wives than one only. The Aft of Parliament
made the firft Year of James I. ch. 1 1. enafts,
that a married Man, that marries one or more
Perfons, during the Life of his firft Wife, fhall
be punifhed as guilty of Felony, that is to fey,
with Death. AB:. I. Jac. c. ii. It is then
falfe, that the Law forbids the having two Wives,
but not three or more. The Author is wrong in
his Subjeft of Affaults. Our Law condemns all
Outrages, and inflicts for them proportionable
Punifhments. The Cafe of cutting off a Nofe,
happened to Sir .  Coventry, in the Reign of
King Charles II. The Criminals were not pu
nifhed according to the Pains to be inflifted by
the Statute made againft Mutilation ; but were
fined a Thoufand Pounds, to be paid to Sir ¦ 
Coventry, as a Reparation for the Outrage. What
would the Swifs have faid, if he had lived fome
Ages ago, when Homicide was punifhed, nei
ther in England, or. many other Countries, but
by a Fine of five or fix Pounds Sterling ?
He is miftaken likewife, in what he fays a-
bout Theft. All the Penalties inflifted for that
Crime in England, are very fevere. If any one
fteals any thing, tho' but of little Value, out of
a Houfe j jf he breaks open the Door, or gets in
at the Window, he is condemned to die ; but if
he

Englifh Letters, &c. 25
he goes into the Houfe, the Door being operi, and
by the Permiilion of the People that dwell in it,
and fteals thence Things but of little worth, that
is to fay, if they exceed not the Value of three
Shillings, he is condemned, either te a Prifon
for feme Years, or to hard Labour, and to be
whipt. The Author fays_, with Reafon, that the Oath
of a Strumpet in England, fhall determine
the Father of the Child fhe is delivered of.
In fuch fecret Communications, there is no
furer Way of coining to the Knowledge of the
Father ; and very little Abufe happens in
thefe Cafes. The Duke he fpeaks cf, Page,
148. is the Duke of N * * * *, who had
no Children, and whofe Wife was divorced.
The Earl of U * * * *, Grandfather to the
prefent Duke of R * * * * had recourfe to the
Parliament, procured his Wife's Child to be de
clared a Barnard, and obtained a Divorce. The
Punifhments inflifted for Perjury in England, are
too flight •, but are ver)?- rigorous againft Perfons
guilty of Forgery. The Cafe which the Author
mentions, Pag. 151. is that ofToung and Blakeal:
Thefe two Villains were protected by the Go
vernment. But what is to be done when Princes
govern with wicked Policy ? Why, the Cafe is
to be lamented.
The Author, Pag. 173. reprefents, well e-
riough, the wretched Condition of Prifoners for
Debt, The Parliament from time to time gives
them their Enlargement, and almoft every fe
ven Years an Aft paffes to give them Relief. It
muft, however, be confeffed, that we want fome
good Regulations for our Prifons, as well for
Prifoners of State, as Prifoners for Debt. It is
D very

26 Remarks on the
very furprizing, that a Nation fo jealous of"
her Liberty, takes no better Care for fhe Re
lief of thofe, who, by their Poverty, have loft
Theirs, and who find themfelves expofed to
the Oppreffions, Injuftiqe, and Cruelties of
rapacious and mercilefs Gaolers, who facrifice,
to their infamous Avarice, all the Sentiments''
of good Nature and Honour.
He cites, Pag. 161. Relations of Judgments,
paffed at the London Seilions, held at a Place
called the Old-Bailey •, and gives an Account of
the Executions of Perfons condemned to die
in that Court. Thefe Relations are defigned
for the common People, and accommodated
to their Tafte. The Confeffor, called the Or
dinary of Newgate, is order 'd to compofe thofe
Pieces, the Sale of which brings him abun
dance of Money. A French Refugee, he fays,
in Orders of the Church of England, had a
long Time that Office, who was, a covetous
Man, void of Merit, Judgment, Probity,
Learning, or Principles. It is very furpri
zing, that an Employment, which requires a
Man of Learning, Wifdom and Piety, one
capable of inftrufting and preparing thofe
Wretches for Eternity, fhould be filled- by
Perfons that deferve, perhaps, the Fate of thofe
that are intrufted to their Care.
I fhall fay nothing to the 16th Letter, which
contains a Defeription of London : I fhall
only add, that 'tis in the Country only,
where our People of Diftinftion difplay their
Magnificence. London is not the ordinary
Place of their ' Refidence ; and they come not
thither, but to attend the Parliament, or about
their ordinary Affairs. You now fee, Sir,
what

Englifh LetteW^Szc. ,'; >- 27
what I have remarked, in reading over thofe,
fix Letters ; which, however, appear to me a-
greeably written, and full of Spirit. But they
ifriuft be read with CauJtiri'JjJn France, if we
would- rior-f(^ a fanriasrof theS^T'of
whom the Swifs hath not fo much drawn a ge
neral Qjasrafter,? as deferibed tke Imperfeftiorifi
dTijfome,'' particular Perfiins. Aed tho' he feme-
times commends us, yet his Book hath very
much difgufted pur Nation. It may, however,
be profitable to him •, for that Reafon we fhould
pardon the Author hialnjuftice,. and Miftakes.
Pray, Sir, raij^not, op/Vour ParVvto fencfme
what you have remarked defeftive in his Letters
vpon the French, Ola-. : v O

-TTT Si ,>

D 2

LETTERS

LETTE R S

Written- From '
A R I1-

S,

ON THE

•Subje£l of LETTERS, concerning the
FRENCH, and upon Travel

ling.

L E TTE R I.

SIR,

till.
tt
ti

H E Number of Faults you
have remarked in the Letters
upon the Englifh, are nothing,
as I take it," in Comparifon
of thofe I have found in the
Letters concerning the French. Of this you
will be a Judge * this fliall be the Subject
if you will permit me, of feveral Letters'
which I fhall have the Honour of writing to
you j for fhould I give you the Whole in this
I fhould fatigue my felf, and tire you. '
il . d - . «J

Letters, &"c. 29
t" I muft take notice to you, in- /the firft
"Place,, that all is exaftly true iwhich I fhall
" not. confute in: the Letters, upon.ihe French,
'* »n4 confequently, that I believe, that I there
" find many Truths : For who can ..deny our
*' Abbots, our Ladies, our Men of' Bufinefs,
" and our petit jjfaitres, to .be.- fech as the Au-
" Jhor reprefent?; them.? J cannot fay, but that
" many of his Pictures are very like, and that
", many of his Strokes of Satyr -are. juft, and well
M .drawn ; as wh,erj, the, Author ifays (for Exam-.
** pie J In Ftance. moft Part of the Wbmen are Men,
" and the moft part of the Men dredWomen. .One
"may find, there a hundred other of the like
" Reflections, which, to our Difgrace are too
" true. The Article concerning Mode, pag. 188.
" torn. 2. deferves above all to be read."
But fee now what I. condemn. in his Letters.
I. The Author applies that to the French, which
is applicable to all other Nations, or, at leaft, to
many other, befides the French : Thefe are: ge
neral and common Characters, which don't fpe-
cify us at all. II... t Moft of the. Faults, with
which the Author reproaches us, are but the
Defefts of fome particular Perfons, and have
not fpread themfelves over the whole Nation.
III. ; Many Truths have not been -fufficiently
laid Open,. and I have therefore found Reafon to
add- to them. IV. The Author aggravates- the
Matter too often, and his Reflections are over-
ftrained ; and, V.-.-He1 advances things in all re
fpefts abfblately falfe. I .fhall treat in this Let
ter only on the firft Article. <,
The French, according to our Author, are
Slaves to the Cuftoms and Ufages of their Coun
try. This Jbe does, or this fi)e does not. Thefe

5 o ->. "Remarks ' on th# •' l
are the beft Reafons, fayi he, ^>bne cart' gk* in
France, either for approving or condemning an
Aftion, This is affuredty a fruS Reflection Of a
Man-hater. 1 know that- Guftorh, in feme Se'rife^
is a Scourge to realbnable Men'*,1 but'fe IV tfeeh a
Fault to be attached to the Lawfc attd Cisft$n& of
the- Country/where one lives ?vBftoiild k&§ a
Man conform to eftablifhed Cuftttos nmw&ti. a
FrencbmavhXiyt like a 'Spaniard, an Italftfl$s&c a
Germati? When ©lie fays, Thitisttbtiufnalty -U be
dome,1 thai, implies * a great de^L/ and ebrifittns
all that1 can«<b» Pledged}* to make 'it apparent'
to 'Him^haffce-ifs inthe wrong. ' As for our Sen
timents, teepdlhould nOt?'b!ei;reguiated byV£#|i£
lar Notions-^; $>Ut in our orafeary • Cpri&ttct; %ri
fhould conforni. to the greater' dumber.- '-"GPhS
Maxim is.' obferved- in eVir^ GBiiritafy -,-. a«dl to
fuppofe a Place where it is not praftifed, is to re-
pm&nk aa^ulrtr^'wKe'fe *aW!ffle '©nta^cU^nd
iir%alafcB«f|ofitioi* of the WtjiMhave a- g^rSra|'
Refideairjwis.^olive there^dor&nig t<y%helfi$w«
GjfpriGe, without'' following -any Law, /'ox con**
plying, with -any Cuftom. J This would be^S
merry Natidn.^Tt is then ridiculous' in otfr; $£»
tifeor to fay, that the French make Cufforii/fhs
Queeni of their' Country > a great' Queen, iiodefi
than their King, the great itirig ; MifbitfubK
that by this ifervile Attachment to efta^ifrfli
Cuftoms, -i the French have loft all their Liberal
which now confifts in no mbre than fitting fldwn
in an eafy Chair, When they atfe* weary, and M
other fuoh-like Trifles. I Own he hathvfbm§
Reafon to laugh at the pretended Liberty of^'thg
French; but if keeping up> to Cuftqnis:,'ha*K
caufed the Lofs of it, all the World labouf^n-
der the fame Misfortune, ; -*f,<- 'J •"' *>vsJ-
' ' '. r'W.\» V^ 'U'.'l "'''.!
The

Englifh, -fatter s, y£rc 31
, T]je/«»c6rfays he, ,Pag. ,17. r^^ ,yery ex-
a$; irij returning) Vifits. ; An honeft> M$n ,is not
moh jffrupjitow, $f, fendring back wh'af Lhath been
depofitea in bis Ftand,, than the French are in re
turning the Vifits that are made them j and one of
their^jchief Employments. . is, paying and receiving
jjyf^V; Is there, aaCountcy where, tjiere are no
'^41je perfons, \vhojthink the Time beft employed,
Jpi^t they fpend in the 'Country ? -With regard
|o (Vif^Sjp^ R^rpeft,; and good . Senfe* they, are
iajw^^^etlff^^ ^t- *n France, as elfewhere,
afMar^qf SfiftTg^hat^nowshow to employ him-
Mfjj^^cesbptjftjyfp forts of, Vifits y. the Profita-
Mjf, aadpthe .J^greeablf . As we are made for
qp^e|jj,, thefe are not, a little neceffary to fup
port Life ; itmay.be the happier for the m, fince
all ourlJneafinels.i arifes from our Commerce,
and Intercourfe with Mankind. See then how
we think xh. France ; do they think otherwife in
Switzerland? Is-jthere not in all Cquntries, that
which .is^c^led,. Knowing how to live ?. But if you
will belieyejiouiy Philofopher, it is , not ..to know
how to liv.etU\.ai we feem to live in France, and
that the French Politenefs, every where fo high
ly extolled, is but mere Childifhnefs.r Here I
am a little tempted to: believe our Philofopher,
a &lanff without Politenefs, or Breeding- * It is
.trii.e,>that ^flowing how to live in Franc*,: $s not
the farne with Knowing, how to live in other Coun-1
.trifs^ but all, People have their:jpwn>;way ,of
living^: Nay, jn every Country, each .Profeffion
and Condition,. has one, peculiar to , itfelf. ,*Tke
[Mofie.of living with the Peafant, the ; Artificer,
,and the Citizen, is , very different from that of a
Man of Condition. He that knows not how to
live,, was he a Philofopher, i$,- not Worthy to
live* '; . - ¦¦" •- -r:--: ' ..' " /'. :
"If

3 z Remarks on the •
" If it fhould happen to a Courtier, a gi&at
"Man, continues the Author, to difpleafe the
" King, arid his Majefty commands him to re-
" tire from Court, that is to fey, to go. and
" live at his Country-Seat, "the. fame Seat that
" he hath taken Pains to embellifh, where, he
" hath made a delightful. Retirement, this is an
" Exile he cannot bear •, ' Leifure and Liberty
" make him unhapp}'." ' I confefs, this' is a
great Weaknefs, and a "kind of 'Folly. The
Perfon we call a great Man, choofes rather to
be little, to be little at Court, than to keep' up
his Grandeur at Home, and amongft his VafTals.
A Man of --Quality, and K a- Nobleman, ten
Leagues in the Country, where he is reflected,
honoured, and- even adored, quits his little King
dom, if I may fo call it, to make himfelf a
Citizen -of ¦ a great City, and occupy a little
Houfe. But ten Paces fronv him no one knows
the Name of the little King that dwells thefe.
He is blended amongft rich Burghers, and quite
obfcured by a proud Financier; whofe Father was
a mean Man, and was, perhaps, formerly a
mean Domeftick to fome or other of, his Fa
mily. Such is "the fantaftical Humour of the
French ; and I agree with the Author, that it
•deferves our Pity. But with" "reflect to difgra-
ced Courtiers,' Favourites banifhed to their Coun
try-Seats^ it is natural to-be touched with the
like Misfortune ; efpecially in France, where
they paliioftarely love their Kirig, and are ex
tremely ferry to have the Misfortune to difpleafe
him. There is no Country in the World, Eng
land only excepted, where Banifhment7 from
Court is not a real Punifhment to a Nobleman.
A Philofopher will fay, this is a Benefit, this is
a Reward 5 I grant it : But in all Countries,

Engliih Letters, &c. 3 2
you are to diftinguifh between Courtiers, and
they that' are truly wife. «
Our Author very agreeably rallies the French^
for the Efteem they have for their "own Nation;
This is, indeed, ' the Charafter, of all Countries.;
Has not every Nation a Value for itfelf ? The
Germans value themfelves, as more judicious and
brave than their Neighbours ; the Englifi), as the
moft perfeft of all People, in their Form of
Government, and the Qualifications both of Bo- '
dy and Mind 5 the Spaniards, as the" moft noble,
moft generous, and moft civil People alive >, the
. , , Italians value themfelves, as a very famous Na
tion, very Polite, Ingenious, Witty, and fruit
ful of Invention. Will not theFrenchman .affume to
himfelf fern eSuperiority? Is he to biameto think,
that Wit, Tafte, and Politenefs, abound more
in France than any where elfe ? The great Men
of all Ranks, which that Kingdom hath produced,
the Encomiums which Strangers themfelves give
them ; their Bravery, their Conquefts, their Sue-*
cefs in Trade, the Love they have for Letters,
and liberal Arts, all this ought naturally to give
a Frenchman fome Idea of his * Own Nation. He
regards, fays the Author, all other People »as
Barbarians, and void of Underftanding ; he de-*
fpifes them, and 'tis a great Favour, if he will
allow them to have common Senfe If fome
Frenchmen judge 'after this manner, they are'
themfelves Men of no Judgment 5 and thefe are
the People in all Countries, who ridiculoufly
cry up their own Country, and contemn other
People. A Man of Wit in Spain, or in Italy t
is neither a Spaniard, or Italian^ but he is av
Man. t . , .
- What a refin'd Piece of Criticifm is this, to
difcover a fort of Pride in our Polit«riefs, With

^ 4 Remarks on the
refpeft to Strangers ? Could v not the Author find
out that we were .polite, but only to make us
appear odious ? The French, fays he, will allow
us to be honeft Men, and ufe us as Men do their
Wives t, they treat us as inferior and weak Crea
tures, to whom fome Regard is due. But, then
adds very kindly, however, this ought not to lef
fen the Obligations we have to them, fince they can
difpenfe with being polite on our Account, and do
not receive Pleafure enough from their Intercourfd
with us, to have any Intirefi in obferving our Rides,
or putting any confiraint upon themfelves for us.
All Nations that entertain Strangers, have not,
in reality, the fame Regard for them as the
French -, but when they would teftify any Friend
fhip, they think with them, that every Stran
ger hath need of Affiftance. So that the Affec
tion they have for them, if I may fo fay, is a
kind of Proteftion. This is what makes our
Cerifurer imagine, that we have a Value for
Strangers, whom we treat well, as thinking them
¦meak and inferior Creatures. He would have faid,
perhaps, that there is a great deal of Self-love
mixed with the Civilities that we pay to Stran
gers 5 and that we intend thereby to infpire them
with an Efteem for us, and make them think
us generous and obliging, and give them an Idea
of our Politenefs. This is true h and, in general,
it is certain, that-a civil, polite, well-bred Man,
would be, quite otherwife than he is, if he could
pleafe by being ill-bred, fierce and brutal.
The Author confeffes, ' that the French have,
c indeed, a well-difpofed Heart : This is the Rea*
* fon, fays he, we find among them the Model
• of true Friendfhip • but here, fays he you
• may fee their fantaftical Humour : For the
4 French do not pretend to value themfelves on
4 this

Engllfti Letters, &c 3 5
' this Sincerity of Heart. In this Country of
' good People, the Name of good-natured Man,
1 or good-natured Woman, are Affronts, which
' mean only an Idiot, or ignorant Perfon, to
* whom one would not defire to be compared.'
In every Country, the Appellation of a good-
natured Man, is a Term of Reproach ; that ,is,
good . Nature carried to a certain Degree, is, a
Quality that renders a Man credulous, eafily im
pofed on, and makes him a Fool. This Remark
then of the Swifs, is frivolous and infipid ; and
People will ftill continue to fey of a weak and
eafy Perfon, that -he is a good-natured Man, ot
fometimes, a good-natured Prince.
I fhall end this Letter by examining the Com
mendation he gives a Frenchman of Merit. ' A
* Frenchman of Merit, fays he, has almoft the
' fame Qualities, that deferving Perfons have
' every where elfe ; • becaufe there is but one
* kind of true Merit amongft Men, and he has,
' befides, all the Agreeablenefs peculiar to the
' French. One has no great Trouble to guefs at
' him j his Manners, if I may ufe that Ex-
' preffion, make him tranfparent, and difcoyer
* all his Worth 5 'tis in him that the Defire of
* one of the Ancients is accomplifhed, with re-
' fpeft to Virtue. We find Virtue, as it were,
c vifible in him, and become palfionately in'
s Love with it. We find ourfelves fenfibly dif-
' pofed in Favour of a Frenchman of Merit ; We
4 defire to be like him, and are grieved that
' the reft ©f the World are not. We may be-
' lieve him without Scruple, and truft entirely
1 fo his Word.' So far, as that, I think, he is
defcribing a Man of Merit of every Country in
the World, when he- is Polite, ^ell-bred, and
Affable 5 and I admire the Goodnefs of the Au-
E 2 thor,

j 5 , Remarks on the.
thor, that he choofes to place hhn in _ France,
rather than elfewhere. Let us fee, if in what
follows, we fhall find any more of the French
man, in this Man of Merit. ' Probity, Honour,
* and Generofity, appear in him, in fome mea-
' fure, as in their Original. 'Tis he that dife .
1 fufes it among the French, and gives them the
' Vogue they have in the World.' That- is to fay,
according to this Author, a Man of Merit in
other Nations, is of a different Species ; which
js entirely falfe, Then proceeds, to fay, 'He
' poffeffes the good Qualities of his Nation, and
' happily improves every thing in them but
1 their Defects, which he reftifies. If he fhines
* in Converfation, 'tis in faying things that are
' obliging, to defend thofe that are attacked,
¦ or to aft in fuch a manner, as to make People ,
* well pleafed with themfelves. He fucceeds fo
' well in this, that every one follows him, well
' fatisfied with himfelf ; this- is all they can re-
* proach him with; If he gives too much Atten-
i; tion to Trifles, 'tis becaufe he would not neg-
' left any Occafion of pleafing ; and he does it
' with fo good a Grace, that People fcarce think
' themfelves obliged to him ; and it feems as. if
' he had nothing elfe in View, but to be plea-
' fed : In a Word, to be an honeft Man, and to
¦ pleafe, is his Profeffion ; he applies himfelf to
¦ it, and he excels in it, &c.'
Is there, in reality, much of the Frenchman
in this Charafter ? I profefs, there is. But why
does_ he make honeft, obliging, complaifant,
charitable Men, to be Frenchmen, rather than
Italians, or Englifi) ? Do you know nobody, Sir,
in England, who \s adorn'd with thefe Qualities 1
1 1 can fee, in that Defeription, my Lord L-  ,
t*ud Sir G  — . This proves,, that this is np
more

Englifh Letters, &c. 37
more the Defeription of a Man of Merit in
France, than of one in any other Country what
foever. Befides, I find, that the Complaifance,
and Politenefs of this Man of Merit, borders
upon Infipidnefs. When I meet with Men thus
-polite, I am tempted to call out for Salt.
I know but one Frenchman who hath this kind
of affefted Merit, which the Author improperly
boafts of, and which he attributes to our Nation.
He is a Man noted for the Works he hath pub
lifhed, of which the greateft Part are not now
much in Efteem. This Man of Merit commends
every Body , he finnes in Converfation, by faying
things that are obliging, and by aBing in fuch a
manner, that People may be well pleafed with them
felves -, but he hath really nothing elfe .in View but
to pleafe himfelf, to get Friends and Followers,
and te paft too for as good an Author, as he is a
good-natvr'd Man. It is true, that as his Praifes
extend to the whole World, he commends no
particular Perfon, and confequently his Opinion
is of no Weight. Being an Enemy to all Cri
ticifm on Matters of Wit, which he thinks con
trary to the Laws of Reafon and Virtue, he
defpifes the Talents that dare break through
Rules, and cannot bear to have it declared, that
a new Piece is a bad one. He , hath his ' Reafons
for laying afide thofe auftere and edifying Rules,
and not fuffering a Criticifm to be made on any
Authors lefs than 4000 -Years old; this he au-
thorifes from his own Example. We muft, ac
cording to him, leave a modern Author, ftill
living, to enjoy his Reputation, tho', ill gotten,
'Tis a publick Treafure . he hath ufurped -, no
matter, he enjoys it, becaufe he hath gotten the
Poffeffion of it, and no honeft Man ought to
difpute it with him. Monfieur Defpreattx, if we
be^

38

Remarks on the

believe this Man, is highly blarneable, for ex-
pofing many of the Writers of his own Times*
It is good, fays he, to open the Eyes of the
Publick j but not at the Expence of the un
happy Author, whom the Criticifm mortifies,
and difcourages. Notwithftanding all the fine
Harangues of this Teacher of interefted Charity,
he neverthelefs criticifes on ridculous Novelties,
and confequently does not fpare himfelf. Good-
natur'd, obliging, and complaifant as he is,
his Morality brings him m nothing, nor is
any Perfon affefted by it.
I will take the firft Opportunity, Sir, of
fending you my other Reflections.
I have the Honout to be, Sec-

LETTER

Englifti Letters, Sic.

19

LETTER IL

SIR,

«
cctc cc<c cccccc
cccc cc ti tcIt
it it
cc cc

Shall finifh in this Letter, what I'
" promifed you in my former. I
" have ftill four Articles to ex-
" amine. . ,
" When we go about to charafterize a Nation,
we fhould not dwell upon the Qualities of
particular Perfons ; yet this is what the Au
thor of the Letters does. Read his third, that
treats of the Manners and Converfation of the
French. And there you have not really
the Charafter of the French in general ; but
that of the Gafcoins, or rather of all vain
and ridiculous Perfons, who are common in
all Countries. Neverthelefs, our Author, with
out making any Allowance, forms the Cha
rafter of all the French, out of the moft
fenfelefs Vanity and Folly. The French, if
you believe him, are 'continually entertain
ing you with a Detail of their Defcent,
Wealth, Wit, and Bravery. Your Compa
ny, in France, is compofed of none but
fuch as endeavour, by this Method, to make
themfelves valued."

' You may likewife imagine, fays he, how cu-
* rious.the Converfation muft be in a Company,
* where every one thinks he deferves the Atten- ' t,ion

40 ' Remarks on fhe
' tion of the reft, and labours for if. Among
4 People that have1 no other View than mutual-
* ly to impofe on one another, Strangers, who,
* they think, may be more eafily deceived,
4 muft of courfe be well received ; and 'tis not
4 impoffible, but that1 the good Reception met
4 with in France, may, in fome meafure, be
' owing to this.' What is your Opinion, Sir, of
this judicious Refleftion ? If you had never
been in France, you would take it to be a Coun
try made up of foolifh, ridiculous Perfons, where
Strangers are never well received, but becaufe
they are credulous, and are ready to give Atten
tion to the Praifes every one gives them.
I allow France, as well as other Countries, is
not without vain and arrogant People ; we may
judge of that, by fome of our Modern Authors.
One prefers himfelf to'Homer, Racine, and Fon
taine-, becaufe he hath writ a dry Poem, full, of
Epigrams, ill-contrived Tragedies, in a barba
rous Stile, and ill-writ Fables, without Wit or
Fancy. Another endeavours to correft the Poet
Defmarets ; and inftead of being contented to be
equal to him, he infults all his Cotemporaries
of the fame Profeffion, and prefers himfelf to
the moft celebrated Poets now living, &c. Thefe
are Frenchmen, I grant •, but have we many like
thefe ? Or do they not ferve only for a Diver-
fion, and Jeft to their Countrymen ? Our Philo
fopher ftill further abufes the French Politenefs,
which he looks upon a fort of Folly, and what
the Swifs happily avoid. ' The Don Quixots hi
Wit and Behaviour, fays he, are as great Fools, as
the Don Quixots in Courage. In effect, according
to him, the French are pleafed with nothing but
Titles ; and this is a Difpofition, of all others,
the moft frivolous : But this is rather a Proof, which

Englifh Letters, Sic. 4 i
which the Author brings1 to Tupport his Thefis f
that the French are frivolous and fenfelefs. Sure
he faw none but Women and Coxcombs in
France, or fuch as were Extravagant to the laft
Degree, to affirrn, that in France, they are plea
fed with 'nothing bntTrifles: : y . .
I finely1 as I have had the Honour to tell, you
formerly, many true Things in the Refleftions
of our Author -, but, methinks, fome Things
are not fufficiently explained and cleared up.
I find frequent Falfhood blended with Truth,
The Paffage I am about to recite, will ferve to
illuftrate this ; pag. 106. torn. 2. you have the
following Words.
' There is, in France, a Body of Men, cho-»'
' fen out of the People of Wit, the moft cele-
' brated Writers of the Nation, and who, fot
' their Excellence, affume that Name 5 a Body
' who make Purity of Stile, and Eloquence,
' their Bufinefs, and who, by their Superiority
' of Genius, give Laws to others.' Here he
fpeaks of the French Academy, like a true Pro*
vincial, or rather rallies them. ' Every one of
4 thefe, fays he, when he is. admitted into. their
' Society, pronounces an Oration, to fhew, af*
4 ter a new Manner, and viva Voce, that he ' is
' worthy of their Choice ;' but, fometimes, he
makes the contrary appear : The Candidate,
however, is fure to declare, that he is unworthy
of the Honour he receives, who, notwithftand*
ing the Senfe hef had of his own Unworthinefs,
had made ufe of the moft preffing and powerful
Sollicitations, to obtain his Place. ' This Ora-
4 tion, continues he, which may ferve as a Pat-
4 tern for others, and thews, iipon what an
4 Orator is principally to exercife himfelf with a
4 good Grace, ought to contain Encomiums on
" b F 'the

42 Remarks on the
\ the Living and the Dead. They commend,
t as by a Decree, Men already extolled, and
' whofe Praifes are to be celebrated from time
'. to time ; and, indeed, they praife them as if
4 they were paid for it.' The Refleftion of the
Author is almoft as comical, as the Cuftom he
ridicules j then he adds, ' They, who thps cele-
4 brate the Praifes of others,- have themaifb in
4 their turn from others ; ana*, thefe learned
' Men placed, as at the Head of the -French Na-
'• tion, will, doubtlefs, exercife themfelves in an
4 Habit, that is invented to praife, and. is tp con-
4 fift in the Celebration of an Aftion, the moft
4 Noble that human Wit is capable of. It is
4 more to be feared, they don't entertain their
4 Countrymen with Antithefes, and fine Lan-
4 guage.' As to what follows, ; our Cenfurer,
who thus ridicules the French Academy, could
not deny, but many of its Members were Per
fons worthy of Refpeft, both on account of
theip high Birth, and1 eminent Stations in the
World. The Academy, by introducing fo many
Noblemen into its Body, has taken good Care
of the Intereft of the Men of Letters that com
pofe it. A Maxim, that brings to my Memory
a half Line of Ines de Cafiro, Let the great ones
enter. The Author reproaches the Members of the
Academy, for living upon Incenfe. 'Tis' true,
when we are prefent at their publick Affemblies,
we are commonly entertained with Elogies on
the Living and the Dead. There you hear the
Praifes of Lewis XIV. Cardinal Richelim, the
whole Body of the Academy, the learned So
ciety that have been, and the prefent Members
of it, &c. It is a fine and well-chofen Incenfe :
But we have always the fame ; we are all over
perfumed

Englifh Letters 9 Sic. 45
perfumed by it, and fo penetrated by its Odours,
that when we go out, we fhould' have a great
Care, how we take the Air, to prevent Acci
dents. The Cuftom of Panegyrick, which the
Author fo much reproaches. the Academy with,
is, neverthelefs, very valuable in its Original.
The firft Members of the Academy, full of Gra
titude to their, generous Founders, andcilluftrious
Proteftors, made a Statute, which the prefent
Members think it their Duty to obferve, not
withftanding the Inconveniencies they difcover
in it themfelves ; which fhews, they prefer Gra
titude to all other Confider ations, fince they fa-
crifice to it good Senfe, the publick Tafte, and,
perhaps, their own too : To profefs themfelves
unworthy of the Honour they receive, to ac
knowledge the diftinguifhing Merit of all thofe
to whom they are affociated, to hope for a com
munication of their fuperior Lights, to teftify
that they have long fince afpired to that high
Dignity -, after that, to praife the late King, and
the Cardinal, to beftow great Encomiums on
the deceafed, whom they fucceed, are the ordi-
. nary Topicks of the ingenious Orations of
thofe that are newly admitted into the French
Academy. I confefs, it would be much better,
if the Perfen elefted on thofe Occafions, was at
liberty to choofe his Subjeft, only bringing into ,
his Oration, fome civil Addrefs to the Academy,
handfomely thanking them for their Choice.
This is what is done in the other Academies of
Paris, efpecially that of Polite Learning. To
paint the Member of the Academy one fucceeds,
in true and natural Colours, is what will certain
ly be approved of : But how infipid muft it be,
to have our Ears filled with the Praifes of a pub
lick Minifter, that died 24 Years fince, and
F 2 whofe

44 Remarks on the
whofe great Qualities every one knows ? The
Praifes of Lewis. XIV. have been fo often cele
brated, that how juft, foever they maybe that
are ftill given him, they appear, „at leaft, in
fignificant, The Tribute, then, to be required of
a young Academift, might be changed. This is a
kind of offering Incenfe, that hath no End : For
the elefted Member hath fcarce paid what he
was to offer, but it is returned to him upon the
Spot. Was he, a bad Author ; 'twill be -faid, his
Way of writing is always good. Has he writ no
thing? he hatha great Talent, a fine Genius;
he is a Member of the Academy,
I cannot, however, condemn their faithful
Dbfervance of their antient Statutes. 'Tis for
this Reafon only, that I approve of that Rule
obferved in the French Academy, which- pre-
fcribes, that none be admitted into their Body,
that, have not canvaffed or follicited for it. It is
true, that, as in this the Honour of the Acade
my is only confidered, fo, by this Rule, all hum
ble and modeft Perfons are, in a manner, exclu
ded. ; But this Statute is antient, and founded up
on Reafon, Another Statute enjoyns, that to,
be admitted, you muft neceffarily have publifh-.
ed fome Piece : As this Statute is not very im
portant in the Efteem of our Academy, there
is.no great Harm in breaking through it ibme-
times, in favour of fome Perfons, for whofe Ad
mittance there are fufficient Motives, without
the fuperfiuous Merit of being an Author. I
have .been, I fear, too prolix on the Article of
the French Academy. Perhaps, Sir, you know
nothing of all this in England.
r The Article of the Bookfellers of the Palace,
(Pag, i^?.) who offer their Books to Paffengers,
that js, The Mercury Gallant, the Works of the
Country,

Englifh Letters, Sic. 45
Country, the Courtier, &c. This Article is fuper-
annuated ; there are no fuch Books offered now-
a-days, but the Works of the Abbot de B 
Ingenious Varieties, the Courtiers Library, the Sal
lies of Wit, the Univerfal Man, the Hero, the
Revolutions in Spain, the new Clovis, new Fables,
the- Iliad in Verfe, and other fuch Drugs. See
the Books which Meffieurs the Bookfellers com
monly fhew to Strangers, Countrymen, and to
thofe, whofe Air and Countenance difcover their
Tafte, and Underftanding : For they avoid pre-
fenting fuch Books to Perfons, whom they take
robe Men of Underftanding. ;You will fay, that
they can diftinguifh the Knowing, from the Ig
norant ; our Author, feems to judge of the moft
Part of our Books, by thofe which were offered
to him in the Palace ; and we muft believe from
thence, that we have none but frivolous Pieces,
trifling Hiftories, Romances, Songs upon Trifles,
mere Nothings.
What an Exaggeration is here, or rather a Dif
order of Mind ? What, are the Works of our Ma
thematicians, Philofophers, of the Academies of
Sciences, and polite Learning, mere Trifles'?
Our Books of Morality and Controverfy, our
Searches into facred and prophane Hiftory, our
Works of Eloquence, our Plays, that are excel
lent in their kind, are they very Nothings!
Vhere were born Gajfendi, Defcartes, Male-
branchei Petau, Sirmond, Morin, Bejfuet, Fenelon,
Pafcal, and Tillemont, and an infinite Number
of other Writers, a Lift of whom would make
up a large Volume, and muft filence our igno
rant Critick, who dares to imagine, that all
our Books are reduced to the Mercury Gallant,
to Books of Friendfhip and Amours, to fome Ro
mances-, Tales of Fairies, and amorous Poems ?
This.

46 Remarks on the
This is apparently the whole Catalogue, that
makes up the French Library, of the Swifs.
This Pedantick Decifion of the Author, I own,
provoked*my Anger.' I fhall now make fome
more moderate Refleftions on the 15th and 16th
•Letters, tho', in them, I have found many things
extravagant, and, at the fame time, falfe. Yet,
I muft firft : acknowledge, that I am charmed
with the Beginning of his fifteenth Letter, that
treats of the Definition, and the Diftinftion of
Good Senfe, and Wit ; I fhall always call, with
the Author, Wit, a delicate kind of good Senfe,
father than a fparkling good Senfe, as Father Bo-
hours hath defined it ; and you fhall never find
a true Wit, void of Judgment. I allow him to
abufe Balzac and Scarron, and to fay they have
no real Wit : Their Works are fufficiently neg
lected in France, and fe had no need of the Au
thor's Criticifm ; but I can't bear his paffing the
like Judgment upon Sarufin, and Voiture : Nor
can I fuffer him to fay, that our Tragedies leffen
the Efteem of Virtue. ' Tragick Poets, fays he,
* difplay Virtue ; but in fuch an extraordinary
4 Sphere, and fo diftant from what is common
4 and familiar, and they know fo well how to
* turn it into fine Words, and lofty Sentiments,
4 that they make a kind of Proportion between
4 the Play and Virtue. The Audience finding
' it become a Thefis, the magnificent Sport of
4 Wit, accuftom themfelves to look upon it, as
4 it were, made for that Purpofe. Thus Virtue
4 becomes a Shew, exhibited to the Curiofity of
4 the People,- an Object for the Stage, from
4 whence Men banilh her ; and all thofe lofty
4 Sentiments appear to them to be as far diftant
4 from common Life, as the Apparel and Atti-
4 tudes of the Stage, arc from thofe they wear 4 at

Englifh Letters, Sic. 47
4 at Home.' AlLthis is true : No-body pretends
that Tragedy will intirely reform a corrupt, vi
cious Man ; but we may fay, that it elevates the
Soul, gives Men a great Opinion of Virtue, and
makes Vice odious. This is a good Effeft, which
it always produces. As to an immediate Influ
ence on our Praftice, Tragedy does not extend to
that •, becaufe, then it would be neceffary it
fhould deftroy all the Obftacles, that have been
formed in us by evil Habits. ' Love alone*'
4 which, generally :. fpeaking, is the effential
c, Part of thefe Representations, and in which
' all the Performances of the Stage center, and
' affift each other ; Love, which is moft fuitable
* to the Inclinations of Youth, has its Effeft in
£ thefe Plays, which were invented for them,
e and communicates itfelf in good Earneft. On
4 this Account, efpecially, it may be faid, that
4 Tragedy is mifchievous -, it debafes the Good,
' by mixing it with the Bad, with Love, as it
4 authorifes the Bad, by. making it go hand in
' hand with the Good.' But can our Author,
, who is a Philofopher, be ignorant, that Love hath
nothing bad in its own Nature ; he muft mean
then, that it is fo only, when it is fixed upon
unlawful Objefts; , Every Body knows, that the
firft Rule of Tragedy, is never to offer an irre
gular Paffion, with refpeft to the Objeft, as for
Inftance, one that is vicious and criminal. Our
French Theatre is alfo fo nice in that Point, that
an Amour of a married Man is never fuffered to
be brought upon the Stage, and very 'rarely one
of an unmarried Man, with a married Woman.
Whenever that happens, there are all poffible
Precautions taken ; and here the Poet's Art is
moft difcovered, as we have lately feen in the
^Tragedy pf Mariamne.
. What

48 Remarks on the
What our Cenfurer fays of Rabelais, is a little'.
fevere. * ' Here, fays he, we muft not look for
4 Relations •, for the Pleafure of his Wit was to
4 deftroy them, and to publifh a Work that- was;
" inferiour to Man's Condition, and, by a myfte-
4 rious Appearance, which he gave it, was
4 thought to be above it.' It is, with feme
Reafon, however, that they do honour, in France,
to that Author, and efte'ern him as one of their
beft Writers, in fpite of the Obfcenities, the
Enigmas, Extravagancies, and mad Rants, which
we find in his Pantagrueh What a Genius, what
Art muft it require, to difguife the moft fublime
and important Matters, under the Appearance of
Meannefs and Folly ? This is a Comick-writer,
in a fingular and inimitable Kind.
See. now -three of our Authors, which our Phi
lofopher extremely difparages, Defpreaux, M.
de Fontenelle, and Bayle. With refpeft to the two
firft, we cannot well tell what he would fay :
For a Man muft be abfolutely deprived of all
good Tafte, nor have the leaft Underftanding, to
fpeak of Defpreaux, as this Author does : - Nor
can we eafily know Fontenelle, hy the Picture
which he draws of him : And as he does not
name him, we are in doubt, whether that be the
Perfon he has in View. When he fpeaks of M. '
Bayle, he obferves no Meafures at all. ' He
4 took it into his Head, fays he, to drain all his
4 Knowledge, and to difcharge it into a large
4 Book of Criticifm, to entertain the Curious1.'
'Tis thus our modern Apedentes, fpin out their
Learning, which, however, is a great Ornament
to the Mind. ' This Author, continues he, can
4 demonftrate, how far a Man, that is defeftive
* in the Sentiments of his Heart, may go aftray
4 thro' Wit.' That is to lay, that Mr. Bay le, was a

Englifh Letters, Sic, 49
a corrupt, and vicious Man, which is an horrid
Accufetion, and requires good Proof. ' The Body
4 of the Book,' fays he, fpeaking of the critical
DiBionary, ' is a Wonder of itfelf, for the ma-
4 ny idle and impertinent Things, which an a*
4 greeable Stile, a natural and ingenious Turn,
4 make us value, and admire. 'Tis the Work in
4 the World, where the Men, that run after Wit,
4 thofe that have a Mind to be amufed, and de*
4 ceived, are beft fitted. This frightful Volume,
4 this Mountain of a Book, after making great
4 Outcries in a Preface that matches it exactly,
4 and may excufe a Man of Underftanding from
4 reading the Work, brings forth nothing more
4 than a Moufe, or rather a whole Brood, that
4 creeps every where to gnaw and fpoil.  ¦
4 Let us fay boldly, that the Author cf the
4 Critical DiBionary, is a Quack ; being decked
4 with vain-glorious Erudition, a Heap cf Fafts,
4 and Circumftances, that never deferved to be
4 taken notice of by a Man of Senfe, he attrafts
4 the Eyes of the World, &c.' You may fee
the reft of his Defeription, Pag. 54. I will
not pretend to juftify Mr. Bayle, in relation to
Religion 5 but he muft be quite void of all Tafte
of good Writing, that can fpeak fo contemptibly
of an immenfe Work, that forces us to admire
the prodigious Learning of the Author, and his
agreeable Manner of handling the various Sub
jefts which he treats of. I grant, there are
fome contemptible Things, and many Miftakes
in his Critical DiBionary, which the Compiler
wrote too haftily : But does he for that deferve
all thofe outrageous Reproaches of the Swifs ?
He is a Philofopher, a ghiietifi. who can rciiih
- . -nothing but Books of Morality : Therefore he
U) does Juftice to the Characters of Bruyerc, themo-
G ral

50 Remarks on the
ral Refleftions of the Duke de Rochefo'ucault, to
Telemaehus, and the Fables of Fontaine : The
Judgment he gives upon thofe Books, is very
rational. The Author, fure; hath riot the leaft Idea of
the French Tafte, -if he pretends, that, what he
advances in Page 73, be true. ' The Stile, fays
4 he, independantly of what it expreffes, is a
4 Matter of great Importance, and highly va-
4 lued in France. There is no room to doubt,
4 but that to moft Readers, a Book, that -fays no-
' thing in a florid Stile, is the Book to be read,
' rather than one that fays the beft, even divine
4 Things, in a mean Stile/ 'Tis true, a Book
ill writ, in France, always paffes for a bad Book,
for this' Reafon ; becaufe, an Author that writes
ill, has but confufed Ideas, and always bad Rea
foning : For to deliver one's Thoughts confufedly,
is to' reafon ill, and one may have Reafon, and
not' reafon well. Therefoie, an Author that
reafons ill, whofe Thoughts are neither well
rriethodized, nor clearly difcovered, deferves
not to be read ; but this is not faying, that the
Stile is the Whole of a Book : For one may
reafon Well, and yet be in the Wrong. But
what does the Author mean by a .fine Stile ? A
Book' compofed of well-chofen, and harmonious
•Words, which, in a beautiful Stile j fays nothing;
this is certainly, in the Opinion of the Fren'dh,
a very defpicable Book. In a Word, a good
Book is never ill writ ; but a very bad Book,
is, fometimes, writ with Purity andElegance-,
and, in a Word, in a Beautiful Stile. ' A fine
* Stile, fays our Swifs, and the Approbation of the
* Publick, are the two Things, which, in France,
4 increafe the Number of bad Authors.* I ari-
fwer; that a fine Stile, in the Author's Senfe, and the

Englifh Letters, Sic. 51
the Approbation of the Publick, are two Things
which never went together, and by no Means
mcreafe the Number of bad Authors, as he af
firms. The Number of bad Books, writ in a
florid Stile, is very fmall 5 one cannot eafily
give a Lift of them. I make my Acknowledge
ments to certain Authors, who take notice of
this. I find very little Juftice in the Remarks of
our Swifs, upon the 16th Satyr of Mr. Defpreaux.
"What he offers upon the Subjeft of Rhim'es,is
fantaftical and infipid. As to what follows, the-
whole World knows, that the fiift Pieces of ,that
Poet, were fomewhat mean. The Author is mi-
ftaken, if he imagines, that. we regard his firft
Produftions, as Models of good Writing. , It is
hy a fmall Number of his Satyrs, his Epijil.es, his
Lutrin, and his Art of Poetry j .that we equal Mr.
Defpzeaux to the Antients, that is, to Horace,,
and Juvenal, and prefer him to all the Moderns,
who, have, perhaps, a more fparklihg Genius
than him ; but who have neither his Judgment,
nor Tafte, and come far fhort of him in what we
call Wit. Qur Authors, at this very Time, value
themfelves, for having much of it ; they call
that Wit, which pleafes : The New, - the. Bold',
the Agreeable, the Convincing, and the Exuberant,
Sec. But never call by that Name, the Noble,
the Natural, the Judicious, the Simple. Alas !
Sir, Wit comes to us, and Tafte proceeds from
us, &c.
I fhall add fome more Refleftions on this
Treatife of the Swifs. He praifes the Nation in
general, and fays, the French prejudice you in
their, Favour, that they are obliging, civil, and
feem born for Society ; but if you obferve them
well, according to him, they are only beautiful
r. G 2 in

5 2 Remarks on the
in Appearance. Vivacity, for which they have
fo great an Efteem, and, regard as' the diftin
guifhing Charafter of their Nation, is but a
falfe Brightnefs, that dazzles at firft, and is of-
fenfive at laft ; becaufe', a Man of good Senfe
does not content himfelf with bare Appearances,
and is difpleafed, to find nothing that anfwers
his Expectation. From . thence proceeds, fays
he, that Averfion Strangers fhew to the favour
able Reception of the French -, becaufe, we na
turally hate thofe that impofe upon us. No Man,
furely, ever read the like Conclufion. He hates
us, becaufe we are Polite, Courteous, Civil and
obliging, and when he hath thoroughly ftudied
us, he finds no Fund of fufficient Merit to an
fwer the foregoing good dualities. I would afk
of thofe who hate the Irench Nation, of thofe
little Wits that declaim againft Nations in ge
neral, whether, in Effeft, our Politenefs be the
Caufe of their Diflike ? It feems quite other-
wife-, it is rather a falfe Idea they have, that we
would lord it over all People, and have mean
1 houghts of them. It is true, perhaps, that the
French, among Strangers, have a fuperior and
predominant Air 5 and that this, 'tis faid, is
what hath been particularly remarked at Rome.
The Author both condemns and defpifes the
French Vivacity ; but it plainly appears, that he
kno\vs not what it is : He fhould then be in
formed. 'Tis not that, by which, with a Caft
of the Eye, a Man can penetrate into the Bot
tom of , Things, which directs us to our End in
an Inftant, which caufes us to fee, at firft, an
infinite Number of Confequences at one Time $
and, in Truth, all the Principles, on which it
depends. It is that which fuggefts to us, in one
Word, a decifive Proof, and an Anfwer, without a

Englifh Letters, Sic. 53
a Reply ; which diftates to us our fprightly Re
partees, and prevents the Length of Reafoning
and Meditation, and fuddenly lays hold of the
Efferitials of any Thing. This is what the Ro
mans called Aa.es Mentis. 'Tis this makes us
Aftive, Diligent and Laborious, full of Ardor
and Courage, and Indefatigable in Enterprifes.
I know, this Vivacity, void of Regularity of
Spirit, and good Senfe, hurries us into number
lefs Miftakes. It fhould, therefore, be cultiva
ted by Refleftion, by Reading, and by Experi
ence. But will the Swifs fay, that the Vivacity
of the French, is void of all -Judgment ? If he
feys that, we fhall not condefeend to anfwer him.
There are, 'tis true, in France, ma ny lively and
fuperficial Spirits ; but as the Swifs grants, that
Vivacity is a Quality fingular to the French, I
affirm, that until he proves that this Vivacity
hath nothing in it that" is Solid, and Judicious,
that that Quality itfelf ought to be regarded
as a very excellent one. 'Tis owing to the want
of this, that the Northern Nations have, hither
to, made fo fmall a Progrefs in Arts and Scien
ces 5 that they have (to ufe the Expreilion) but
feeble Wings, not aftive enough to mount; that
their Movement is flow, and their Efforts weak,
and cannot acquire, by the folid Unaftivity of
their Judgment, thofe Accomplifhments, which
the Italians and French attain, by the Sprightli
nefs of their Imagination.
A certain Prefurription, the Swifs affefts to
attribute to the French in general, is another of
his unjuft Reproaches. 'Tis well known, that
Nation is efteemed in moft Countries, and is va
lued by their very Enemies. We have our De
fefts ; Defefts that Cuftom, and the Spirit that
reigns in France, generally fpeaking, will not
fuffer

54 Remarks otkthe
fpffer us, to correft to this. Day : We know what
they are, and know how to - comfort ourfelves
under them. We find the like too in all other
Nations, and, at the fame time, allow _ them tp
have Qualities fuperiour to our own.. This is, then,
our Prefumption ; we fay the, Englifi),, in. gene
ral, furpaft us in Penetration, and Depth of Rea
soning j. that we have not fo good a Talent, at
Invention, as the Germans-, tho' we have a better
in bringing to Perfeftion, which is much fupe
riour to the former : We own, the Italians excel
us in the politer Arts, as Sculpture, Painting,
Architecture, Mufick, and Shows •, but, how
ever, that we come very near them in all thefe.
We commend the Swifs, for their Courage, Fi
delity, and Probity, and .pafs a very favourable
Judgment on all the Nations /about us. Thefe
are the common Notions, .you may find dif
perfed through all France. As to a fine Tafte in
all Things, we attribute if to ourfelves, with the
feme Sincerity, as we declare other Nations
excel us, in different Refpefts. And 'tis; cer
tain, they dp us Juftice, as to that Particular,
$nd many others. And whatever- our hot, and
angry Man-hater may fay, the French are not
generally hated by Strangers, as he would have it
Relieved. The mutual Hatred of Nations, is al
ways founded on Prejudice' and popular- Views,
and fubfifts no -where, but amongft the : common
People. It is. very ftrange, fo fublime a Philo
fopher, fhould endeavour to difcover right Rea-
Ton, in a Prejudice To difgraceful to Humanity.
But, to lay ferious Arguing afide, let us. now,
a little, laugh at the Swifs, penfive and full of
Meditation, _ who, from the Top of the Alps,
and the Height of his Spirit, regards the French
-as Atonies, exhales his Ill-Humour, in Letters full

EngWtti Letters, &c. 55
full of Sophiftry, and infinuates, that all our
Virtues proceed from our Vices-, as all the Vi
ces of the Englifi) proceed from their Virtues*
This is the Difference he makes between the
Letters upon the Englifh and the French. Don't
you complain ; your Nation is not fo much a-
bufed as ours ; you may applaud your felves for
your Vices, and we may blufh for our Vir
tues. If the Author judges' of the Merit of his Re
fleftions, by the happy Sale of his Book, he
hath room to value it, and to rejoyce at the print
ing it ; but he knows, there is no Country in the
World where Satyr is better received, than in
France. Some happy Strokes difperfed through
his Letters -, arid a true Defeription of fome ri
diculous Men, now living, who are more lively,
arid finely cenfured %y Moliere, in his Come
dies, than in the Book he hath publifhed -, his
Criticifms, Whether good or bad, on fome of
our; Authors, Scar-ron for Example, whom he
makes a Difgrace to dur Nation, for efteeming
Burlefque Writing, tho' thefe Trifles have di
verted the French but for a little Time \ his bold
Cenfure oT fo great a Man as Bayle -, feme folid
Reafonings, but -attended by falfe Gonclufions ;
fome profound Reflections, but fuch as af
fect the French no more, than they do the Greeks
or Romans ,; a conftant Endeavour to byafs
the Mind of the Reader ; - all this appeared new,
and hath pleafed. Befides, there is " a Spirit
through the Whole; you may peic.ive a fruit
ful and fprightly Imagination, a. lively and par
ticular Stile, that pleafes ; efpecially, in a Swifs :
In a thoufand Places you find ¦ Metaphyficks,
that affeft you ; exaft Morality ; with a fharp,
poignant, and riew kind of Satyr. Here,

56

Remarks on the

Here, Sir, you have my Thoughts, and the
Thoughts of many judicious Perfons, concern
ing the Letters upon the French.
J have the Honour to be, 8cc.

LETTER III.

SIR,
Continue to write to you, on the
; Subjeft of the Swifs Performance,
: and I will lay before you Part
" of my Refleftions, upon his Let-
" ter about Travelling. I muft tell you, at firft,
14 that I read it with fome Pleafure, as we read
44 Pieces of Genius, and Satyr. The End of the
" Author, in this Letter, is chiefly to demon-
44 ftrate the. Truth of this Maxim, That by
44 Travelling, a Perfon feldom becomes the bet-
44 ter Man.
Caelum, non animum, 7nutant, qui trans ?nare
currunt.
44 This is a Traveller, that declaims againft
44 the Abufe of Travelling, and endeavours to.
44 juftify a Country, and a fedentary Life,
" which he embraces at his, Return. This Let-
44 ter, how ingenious foever it may be, appears " full

Englifh Letters, Sic. f 7
" -full of falfe Reafonings,;arid of Paradoxes; ill
44 proved." .. •„: ; '- ;-. . ,
It is plain,' that Travelling ferves very much
to the forming of young Men. ;. Experience
proves it: But obferve the Reafoning of the
Swifs. 4 The '"Change which we obferye, fays;
4' he, in thofe ¦ that ¦ have travelled, , is -no, more,
4 -generally, than the paffing froin one ; Period", of-
4 Life to another, and never from a bad Cha--
4 rafter to a good one ; and it does not make',
4 any Alteration in the Mind of Man.' He,
adds too, ' That it may be with Men, as with7
4 Fruits 5 they have their, Seafons, they are
4 green,, and they ripen.' That is, according,
to our Philofopher, Nature needs not attend to
Education- ; a* Man,,, by his Refleftions, and the,
good Ufe / of his Reafon, labours to no Purpofe,
to deftroy :his evil Inclinations ; and if he be
comes better than. he was,- it is, a Change that
Time ought. neceflarily to bring about. It is
certain that Age improves us, and without put
ting us .to. any Pains, wears off many of our De*
fefts ; Multa adimunt anni venientes : But when
we .-concur with Time, if I may fo fpeak, and
affift her. with our Refleftions,, our Defefts go
off much fooner. You may do as you -pleafe;
a. young Man, born with a great many Faults,
will never be perfeft. Reafon,- Age, and Expe,-
rience, will reform him a little ; , but his Nature
will always be predominant. But muft.' we,
therefore, fay, that 'tis needlefs tp beftow Edu
cation upon ajyoung Man ? Is it not worth our
while to have "weakened his. Paliions, foftencd
the Roughnefs and Violence of his Difpofition,
a id fomewhat polifhed- his Mind, and to have
aceuftoiried h-im to put a Reftraint upon himielf
jV, H ' on

58 Remarks on the
on fome Occafions ? This is the Effect of Edu
cation •, and when Time comes to its Affiftance,
Nature is forced to yield.
Certainly, Travels are excellent Leffons, and
mightily contribute to the Education of a young
Man. When he is at Home, he either has Li
berty, or has not. If he hath not Liberty, arid
his Parents, or Mafters, keep him under, he-
will be dull, melancholy, and morofe ; his Tem
per will be foured, and he will retain his Faults,
or increafe them. If it be thought proper to
leave him entirely free, and abandon him to
himfelf, he will follow his Paffions, rJurfue cri
minal Pleafures, and fall into dangerous Ac
quaintance. How difficult is it to keep a young
Gentleman in fuch a Situation, that he may nei
ther be too much at Liberty, nor too much con-
ftrairied ? But if you fend him to travel, under
the Conduft of a polite and underftanding Per
fon, he enjoys the Liberty all young Perfons
aim at, and that Liberty hath no Inconvenien
cies attending it. He can form no particular
Intimacy, while he is travelling, which is com
monly the Occafion of the Depravation of the
Manners of young Men, at their coming into
the World. Add to this, that his Mind is con
fiderably improved, by feeing various Countries,
and Objefts,, one after another ; and by exami*
ning the Cuftoms, Laws, Manners, Virtues, and
Vices of different Nations. For nothing is bet
ter fitted to diffipate the Prejudices we are born
with, and make a Man think. Then the
Heart forms itfelf proportionably with the
Mind. 'Twas this made Ulyffes fo Wife; and
virtuous. §hii mores boiruvum mtiltorutn-vidit, & urbes. Yet

Englifh Letters, Sic 59
Yet for all this, according fo our Philofopher,
a young Man may, much better, correft his
Faults, by a quiet and retired Life. 'Tis grant
ed ; but doth fuch a kind, of Life agree, for the
moft Part, with young Gentlemen ,'? Do they
not want Aftion, and Exercife ? Tfce Author,
Page 143, begins to put us off with mere Fu-
ftian, upon the Subjeft of the moral Effence of
Man, and of that which conftitutes Humanity.
4 Travelling, fays he, plainly proves, that Hu-
' manity is loft, fince we go upon the Search in-
4 to the World, without knowing what we feek
4 for.' ,
But here you may obferve, that our Author is
not afraid to maintain, that Travelling, inftead
of improving the Mind, ferves only to corrupt
it ; he thus proves his Paradox : ' It is upon
the Mind,- fays he, that Travelling fhould
chiefly, operate, by affording it continual Op
portunities of Improvement ; but this Employ
ment, befides the accuftoming us to value
ourfelves upon what we term Wit, and therein
, center all our Merit (which is far from a good
Charafter ; we form this Wit upon no other
Model than the general one, which is not the
beft Method ; ) it throws us upon Imitation,
which never produces anything Great or No
ble ; it caufes us to confider a Turn of Wit,
(as it is called) as a Matter of mighty Impor
tance, and occafions our affuming what is
none of our own, and which is neither con
venient for, nor belongs to us : For the fame
Reafon, a young Man ought never to fee the
World ; fince that would throw him into Imita
tion.' So that young Gentlemen of the di
ftant Provinces, fhould never come to make any
Stay at Paris ; they had much better abandon
H 2 them"

60 Remarks on the
themfelves - to their own ¦ natural Difpofition,
arid- guard, as much' as poffible, againft every
thing, that may. render them Imitators of polite
and'i Well-bred Perfons. Our Author then con^
tinuesthus-: ' In fubjefting our Mind .to 'a cer-
.4 tain Point, and in.accuiioming.it to confider
' what is prefented to it, only after a certain re-
' ceived and fafhionable Manner,. Weoonfine and
' limit it while.it is in its Produftion, and' dir
' !vert it from what it' might produce:. new. of
4 itfelf,. and in which its true Beauty- confifts,
4 and from -Liberty of Thought^ .wherein Vi-
4 gour confifts.* Is it not, on the contrary, ;iri
Travelling through ^different Countries^ -that we
'more- eafily wear' off the Power of Prejudice,
when we no longer .-efteem the Cuftoms : of the
"Country where we were born, as- neceffary
Laws, and acquire a true Liberty of thinking
upon every thing; ? Would to God that Liberty
may be never carried too far : For 'tis remark
able, that they who have travelled- much, and
'have feen, almoft, all the different Religions
that are in the World, are difpofed '. to confider
their own; as they do that of other People's.
The happy Prejudice of their Birth and Educa
tion, is effaced,- and they believe themfelves no
better eftablifhed: in their Worfhip, than fo ma-
dny other wife Nations, who adore the fovereign
-Being, everyone after- their own. Way.
; ¦ ' But why, fays our Swifs, are we fo much
' concerned about the forming the Mind ? It is
"4 not unlikely/ but that the interior; as well as
4 the exterior Tart of Man, may be of fuch a
Nature, as to be able to form and difplay itfelf,
without requiring any further Affiftance than
'.(that of Truth and Reality, together with the
' Converfation of feme Perfons of Senfe and
4 Judgment,

, t

Englifh Letter s, Sic. $\
c Judgment/ in order to ftrengthen it, and to
4 inure it to execute its Functions. Nothing is
4 required, but what, is eafy to be obtained, and
* what every one meets with in his. own Coua-
4 try.' ' :.t;, . , ; f
* Is it not then really an Abufe, . to takefo vntch
Pains' in forming the Mind ? The Comparifon the
Swifs makes, between the Body and the Mind,
is.very juft ; T will now make ufe of it. Yes,
it is needkfs to exercife the. Body,, to faihion
it, to inftruft it how to move giactfully, to
keep itfelf upright, to bow well, to mount a
Horfe, and to handle Arms, &c. All this cymes
; of. itfelf, without the Help of Imitation, that is
to fey, the Aififtanqe of iv'Iafters ; fr.-^u wii.°nce
.the Author very judicioufly cc-ncLides. that
it is the fame Thing with the Mind-,; and that
'tis unneceffary to exeicife aijd cultivate it ;
In effeft, if if wants, .any Impicvernents, accor
ding: to him, -it is to be found in one's , own Coun
try, without fearchiug for it ahroao..'>; ,
Let the Country .Gentleman fhen carefully
.mind his Son,, and not le'. him k<fe Sight of his
-Parifh Steeple. • Let the Perigordin, the Low-
iBritain, thofe of Mauceau, ai.d -Anvernac-, ftay
-where they aire. Thefe will be you: -. deniable
-Men ; Men bred up in Truth, who will not be
confined in: their Thoughts, but ; poffefs, like
the Swifs, in an eminent Degree, the Liberty of
: thinking. | ¦¦ ¦ -
>, The Mind, ,fays he, without ordinary Afli-
j -fiances, and left to its proper Force,_ may
have fomething in it deformed, according to
the common Notion of it ; but in that is its
original State, it .exalts itfelf, and dares pene
trate into Things, becaufe the}'- feem to have
.fomething effential in them. On the contra ry,

6i Remarks on the
ty, it feems to me, that the Mind, abandoned
to itfelf, and deftitute of Affiftance, will not on
ly be deformed, but very barren, and its Views
very narrow. Is it not this that makes the dif
ference between Citizens, and thofe who
live in the Country, between Perfons that ne
ver go out of their own Province, and thofe that
have fpent the younger Part of their Time in
Paris, or in fome of the great Cities ? The Bi-
tifian himfelf, who never goes out of .that Capi
tal, makes but a mean Figure. But does this
Example favour the Opinion of the Author ?
Let us recolleft, that in Virgil's firft Eclogue,
Tityrus thought Rome refembled Mantua : You
See then, how he that never goes out of his
own Country j conjiders Things ; becaufe they feem
to have fomething effential in them. Let us fay,
rather, that he is always captivated by the Pre
judices of his Country, that he efteems the No
tions he imbibed there, as Principles ; that he
adopts, without difficulty, all the Opinions that
are current among his Neighbours ; that .he
embraces what they receive, and rejefts what
they rejeft. In Travelling we find the contrary,
or, at leaft, in converfing with Travellers, arid
reading their Account of Things, (which is Tra
velling in fome Senfe ) we correft our Er
rors and Prejudices, by which our Reafon
.becomes found, and prefumes to examine and
¦enquire into the Nature of Things, and by which
we attain to the Knowledge of what is effential
in every thing ; which the prevailing Opinion
¦of our own Country often deprives us of.
The Qualities of the Heart, continues he, ad
mit of our having thofe of the Mind, and fufficiently
adorn, where they reBify and perfeB us. This is
true : But to be a Man of Merit, it is not fuffi
cient

Englifh Letters, Sic. 6$
cierit to have the Qualities of the Heart, but to
have added to them thofe of the Mind alfo ;
without them, a Man may be an honeft Man,
but one of narrow Views, and infipid* A Man,
continues he, muft abound in good Qualities, to
have the Ornaments of the Mind agree with him %
as none but Fields and Gardens are adorned with
Flowers. "lis true, there is nothing which be
comes, nothing which does honour to a Man
void of the good Qualities of the Heart. He
may have many excellent Talents, either of Mind
or Body ; yet if he want Virtue and Wifdom,
he is a contemptible Perfon. From hence 'tis to
be inferred, that we fhould endeavour firft to
form the Heart ; but to attain to that we muft
cultivate the Mind. It is a chief Ingredient in.
the Charafter of the Mind, that it is the Prin
cipal of all pur Aftions.
A Knowledge of the World, is the chief Bene
fit Men reap by Travelling. 4 That Knowledge,
4 replies the Swifs, is needlefs ; it is better to
4 know a Man, than his Mask; the true Springs
4 of his Difcourfe and Aftions, rather than his
4 Outfide, and the Part that he afts.' 'Tis true 5
but we are obliged to live with, and aft among
a Thoufand of thefe Gentlemen in Masks -, we
fhould then be able to aft our Part as well as
they. This is that Knowledge of the World,
which is neceffary for our Conduct in Life, and
living happily. It carries with it an intelligent
difeerning Spirit, which penetrates into the
Heart of Man ; becaufe we know the Hearts of
Men by their Aftions. ' If they impofe on us,
our Knowledge of the World prevents our beirig
entirely made Fools of, as they ordinarily are
who have it not, and live altogether like Philo
sophers. The. Swifs then is plainly miftakeri in
his

6d[ Remarks on the
his Notions, whert he asks, Why the Knowledge
of the World does fo great Honour to thofe that
have it, fince the World is' confeffed to be only a
fuperficial Thing ? The World, that is, the; Men J
in it : The knowing of Men then, is fo have the
Knowledge of the World. Obferve, now, wkat'i
may be juftly • reply'd to him,- '«; <>•'
Travellingis profitable for learning of Lan
guages : This ourPhiiofopher owns ; but ridicules
thofe who apply themfelves to learn' them. The;
Study of Languages, fays he, is an Abufe; be-:
caufe of the Shoctnefs of Life. It is (fays he,
¦ with Juftnefs enough) as if an Artificer ftraitned
in Time,, and /having, but one Day to do his
Work, fhould fpend all the Morning in making
other Tools, than what he already had, and
whichJie might well enough make ufe of ' In
this he fpeaks rationally : But he does not confine
his Cenfure to" 'the Study of Languages only ;
he extends it to all kinds- of Study, and reading.-
You need not read, according to him, but as
much as is neceffary for a little Inftruftion, to
diiiipate our tedious Moments, ' and give fome
Nourifhment to: the Soul, when it languifhes.'
Thofe Reafoning of the Swifs, ought to rejoyce"
our modern Doftors of Ignorance; Reading, if you
believe him, is but an Amufement, little better
than Idlenefs itfelf,and like other AmufementsMen
throw away their: Time upon. That is to fay, to
employ our Time worthily, it fiiould be fpent in
-Reflection, Meditation, Invention, or in Coffee-
houfes ; and when: we read, it fhould be .only for
Diverfion. This is a Tafte I don't much blame ;
but if our. Swifs be really' as good a Philofopher,
as he would be thought, he would know, that
a Man has ;not only need of amufing himfelf
:with Books, but to employ much Pains, and
Labour

Englifh Letters, ckc. 6$
Labour in them ; that Meditation tints with but
few Perfons. ; that 'tis ridiculous to condemn dif
ferent TafteS. It is, indeed, very good, that
there are Perfons Speculativej Contemplative,
and Metaphyfical ; but 'tis good, likewife, to
have Men of Learning and Erudition, that have
Skill in the Greek and Hebrew Tongues, that are
Authors, Tranftators, and Compilers, &c. That
Ignorance is an Evil, at leaft, to the Publick ; and
if the Study of Metaphyficks is valuable^ that
of Metaphyficks, Hiftory, Law, and Polite Arts,
is no lefs fo, and much more fuitable to
the Generality of Mankind. I do not advife
any " one - to an infatiate Defire of reading, as
the Author calls it ; but I would not diffuade any
from it. It is needlefs to preach up Idlenefs and
Ignorance,, to which we are, of our own Nature,
fufficienfly inclined. I know a pretended fine
Wit, a rough-hewn Philofopher, who was com
plimented . upon his Capacity ; he was mightily
offended at it ; what is this, becaufe you take
me for a Fool ? It appears, that our Author was
not far from making the fame reply.
Let us return now with him to Travelling :
One Advantage procured by it, which may be
offered in- its Favour, is, it procures us the Know
ledge of Men of Merit all over the World ; but,
according to our Philofopher, a Man of Merit is
invifible : Is it impoffible to difcern it ; becaufe
true Merit is not a Thing eXpofed to view, or
become vifible ? What fay you of this Notion ?
The Author, in my Opinion, had more Reafon
on his Side, when he pretends, . that without Tra
velling we fhould endeavour to difcover, and
that, perhaps, we might travel a ,long Time,
e'er we found them ; and that we fhould never
direct our Travelling, according to our Wan's ;
I that

66 . -Remarks ori the
that thofe who want Sedatenefs,. fhould -go into
France, or the heavy , and dull, into Holland 5
like thofe Merchants, who would feek for Wooll
in Italy, or Silk in England. > And that in Tra
velling, we read not the great Book of the World,
to apply to ourfelves what may be fuitable for
us ;, but that we content ourfelves in turning
over Prints, that is, of Buildings in Cities, For
tifications, Churches,? Colleges, Libraries, Ca
binets, Princes, &c. I confefs all the Author
fays here, is very ingenious, and very folid.
'Tis for the Publick, adds he, that we travel
and it is the Publick that recompences us for it.
This Refleftion, and many others, are very
juft.. It is very pleafant, to hear our Swifs Philofo
pher lament the Politenefs that reigned, feme
Years fince, in his own Country. The Morality
one reads here is excellent. The Author of the
Fable of the Bees, an Englifi) Poem, printed at
London, fome Years ago, hath quite different
Principles ; becaufe, he pretends that Luxury
is very profitable to civil Society, Our Swifs,
on the contrar)?-, regards it as a moft pernicious
Evil, efpecially to the Swifs. He affirms, that.
it is effential to them to be fimple, and rough;
and that when they afiume the- Manners of any
other Nation, they become ridiculous. I very
much doubt, that the thirteen worthy Cantons,,
know more of the Mind of the Author, their de
ferving Compatriot, and the charitable Leffons
of his auftere Philofophy, than of the two Lines
made upon them by a Modern :
Barbarians, who make a Trade of War j
And fell their mercenary Blood for Pay.
Never-

Englifh Letters, Sic. 6j
- Neverthelefs, if we may believe the Author»
Gallantry reigns very much among the Swifs>
but a Gallantry wholly Simple and Natural. The
young People of both Sexes, have the Pleafure of
feeing themfelves always at their Eafe, and pafs
whole Days together. If the Women, as he af-
fures us, have in Switzerland the Liberty of fee
ing the Men in private, it muft be allowed,
it is a Manner of Life a little contrary to good
Senfe, and the Diferetion we may fuppofe
there ; nor does he know how to juftify it : But
as it is true, at the fame Time, that Libertinifm
and Debauchery do not reign among the Swifs,
I find that Cuftom does honour to their Virtue,
and recals the Innocence of the golden Age.

I have the Honour to be, See,

I 2 *£r

68

Remarks on the

R E F L E C T 1 .0

ON THE

Fifteenth LETTER of the SWISS
Gentlernaft,; on the ! Subjeft of the
FRENCH Wit in general.

SIR,
Had a Defign to confider particularly
your Thoughts on the French Wit,
which hath had the Misfortune to dif
pleafe you, and I ought to begin with
that, becaufe the Criticifm upon the fixteenth
Satyr of Defpreaux, is a natural Confequence of
it ; But I confefs the many Things to be feid
there, have fomewhat difcouraged me. 'Tis a
great deal, and, perhaps, too much, to have
made fo tedious an Apology. However, I fhall
purfue my Defign, and ftho' I difoblige you by
it) I believe, it will not be ufelefs to fay, at
leaft, a few Words, of your Syftem of Philofophy,
which, at one Blow, fells down a good Part of
the beft Writers of the laft Age. An Intereft
fo dear, and the ingenious Singularity of your
Manner of thinking, deferve that we fhould ex
amine a little your Charge againft them, be
fore

Englifh Letters, Sic. 69
fore we proceed to condemn the Voitures, the
Sarrafins, and the Bafeacs : What do I fay ?
Corneille, Racine, Moliere, and Boileau.
" Indeed, you do not refufe to place thbfe great
Authors on Parnaffus ; but, in recompence of this,
yOu would banifh from thence, for the future,
all Men, and admit none there but Women.
They, fay you, ought to content themfelves
with pure good Senfe, by Nature allotted them,
and leave to the Fernale Sex the Graces of W;t,
as an Appenage very fuitable to the Charms
Nature hath beftowed upon them: Nothing can
be more gallant ; but that Gallantry joyned with
-very laboured Reafons, tends to fhew, that the
French Genius is no more than a trifling Wit •.
For obferve the Hinge, on which, all his Reflec
tions turn ; and that is upon this Foundation,
that the happieft Produftions of the, great Mexi
juft now named, are no more in your Eyes, than-
mere Nothings, orFenfive, or, at leaft, unprofi
table to a reasonable Mcf.n. What, thofe charm
ing Tragedies \ thofe inimitable Comedies !
thofe divine Writings ! Yes, nothing is excep
ted, but Teleniachus, Bruyere's Charafters, and
Mr. Rochefoucault's Reflections. 'Tis with Diffi
culty you fhew Favour to the Fables of Fon
taine, and a little Work of an illuftrious Modern
ftill in being, and whom you do not name ; and
then you add, they do well to fupport them
felves on the Wings of others, to foar aloft.
As to Rabelais and Bayle, you have advantage-
oufly attacked them ; and no one will under
take their Defence, with refpeft to that irregula
rity of Spirit, and Heart, ycu juftly reproach
them with. Their Talents will not clear them
from their Abufe of them. But

7 o Remarks on the
But can no Indulgence, Sir, be granted to o-
thers ? And muft we be reduced to confefs, that
the Spirit of trifling hath fo far infatuated the
French Nation, that fhe hath proftituted her E-
fteem to Writers, by no Means deferving of it ?
This would be very ftrange : Let us fee youfr
Reafons. And^ firft, Wit is no more than a deli
cate good Senfe ; good Senfe produces the Good,
and Wit begets the Fine Senfe. The Good can
fubfift without the Fine, but the Fine, feparated
from the Good, is not worth our Search after.
Secondly, They that fetthemfelves to write, have
no other View than Relations, or Things in them
felves, or Things with Man, to whom every
Thing ought to relate. This fecond Sort of Re
lations, is that alone, in which we are interefted,
and the firft ferves only to fecond the other.
This I take to be the Subftance of your Rea-
fonings. According to this Marnier of philofbphizing,
you prefently profcribe Voiture,' Sarrafin, and
Balzac. Thefe Authors, fay you, have imagined
new Relations, and thefe Relations refpeft only
the leifurable Man. They make it effential to
Agreeablenefs, to negleft the good, a Thing fo
blameable in your Eyes, that you think they
fhould be taken offj by dragging away their
Perfons, like Children that play not their Parts
well with other Children, and regarding their
Works, as a fweet Pye, that hath no folid Meat
in it.
It is certainly much better to employ the
Mind about ferious Objefts, than mere Trifles ;
this is evidently what 3™ would fay, and here
in we do not difagree : But if rational Men,
and Philofophers themfelves, muft have fome
times Amufements, can one blame the Authors in

Englifh Letters, Sic. _ 71
in Queftion, for having procured them fome
fo ve,ry elegant ? See then their Charafter is
cleared ; they are not too culpable of imagining
Relations that refpeft Men at Leifure, that is,
a Man who feeks his Diverfion; much lefs are
they to be condemned, as Men that have Wkked-
nefs in their Heart, make a Sport of Friendfinp,
and who have reverfed the very Order of Naturel
With refpeft to their Manner of Writing, which
you compare to Sweet-meats put into Pyes, we
know well enough their Nourifhment is not ve
ry fplid ; nor is that what they pretend to, in a
Defign of diverting, and amufing the Mind.
What was more nourifhing had been rejefted.
It is with thofe Writings, as -with Converfation,
where Trifles are often pleafing, as Mr. Fontenelle
feys very elegantly to Madam de la Safiiere.
In fome other Converfation, I will gratify
you, as to this Point, at your own Houfe ; Con
verfetion is an agreeable Commerce, where
Chance furnifhes a hundred different Matters,
even as in common Difcourfe, which runs partly
upon Trifles ; the World will believe nothing of
this, let us then .lay afide the World, and its-
Belief. Trifling, Silence, Chimera's, even No
thing ; all is good. I maintain, that all thefe
, muft contribute to entertain us. It is aN Par
terre, where Flora fpreads out all her Dainties -x
the Bee lights on many different Flowers, and
extrafts Honey from every one of them.
When a Man wraps himfelf up in his Philo-
fopher's Mantle, finely one cannot then find an
elegant Trifle, unbecoming a virtuous Man ;
yet I know not if ever a Philofopher banifhed
any fo rigidly, as he hath Voiture and Sarrafin.
Plato himfelf might have confented to pardon
them. He fhould have had fome other Thing to

7 2 Remarks on the
to reprehend in their Writings, and you ^ have
faid fomething of it, with refpeft to Voiture ;
but this is not the Queftion, nor would it de
grade him into the Rank where he puts him,
viz. that of King of Trifles. To guard this
lcind of Authors againft a Cenfure fo -very fe
vere, it is fufficient that what Horace fays, is
true, Dulce eB defipere in loco.
Whilft you was thus got among- the French
Poets, Corneille, Racine, and Moliere, unhappily
prefent themfelves to you ; the Solidity of their
Works, it feems, put them under the Shelter of
Criticifm. Thus you acknowledge thetn as- Ma
fters of the Drama -, but the Stage does not
pleafe you, and it is in condemning dramatick
Writing, that you put them in the fame Rank
with VoitUre, Sarrajin, and Balzac. I would fey,
the Compofers of Trifles. It is with refpeft
to publick Shows, you would be precifely under
ftood ; but the Reproach, by a Counter-Blow,
falls on thofe that have taken Pains to rriake
them profitable.
The End of dramatick Writing, you fay, is
only to give , us Pleafure. If one fhould grant
this, which would be to degrade the Theatre,
and contradict almoft all the Mafters of the.
:, Art ; it would not follow from thence, that a
good Tragedy, or Comedy, with an ufeful Moral,
far from drawing Men to Virtue, makes a.
Sport of Virtue itfelf, and is an Amufement
proper to render it purely Theatrical, as you
pretend. It is, doubtlefs, hy a refined Reafon
ing, you believe Virtue debafed, by being ap
plauded in dramatick Writings'. The Poets, ac
cording to you, fhew it at a Diftance, and fo
difguis'd,_ that they difpenfe with Men from
the Praftice of it. They make only a pompous .
Shew

Englifh Letters, Szc. 7 3
Shew of it ; and the Speftators, on their Side,
contented with applauding, or being affected by
it, think they may quit themfelves of it, for that
barren and fuperficial Homage they pay to Vir
tue, without its entring the leaft into their
Heart. Here you have your Objection in its-
full Force.
It is true, that in thofe Entertainments, and
in many Books of Morality, Virtue is made
only a Piece of Wit :, But why then do "Men a-
bufe it ? Upon this foot, they fhould burn their
moft excellent Books, even thofe that defcribe
Virtue, juft as you would have it : For the Ge
nerality of Readers, pleafed with having found
out fine Things, are commonly very little the
better for them. It is not then furprizing, that
little Advantage is made of the moft ufeful
Plays ; but if no further Ufe is made of them,
they ferve to foften the Manners, inftil found
Maxims beyond all Contradiction, and fo fill
the Minds of Men with noble and generous Sen-r
timents, which is always one Way by which
Virtue enters into the Scul. If fome Poems carry
it to an extraordinary Sphere, it is the Fault of
the Poets, and not of Tragedy itfelf. Befides,
the Painting muft be well drawn, before it can-
have its intended Effeft.
Your Reproaches, againft Tragedy in general,
have very little Foundation to rely on. As to
. its Effeft, it ferves further to maintain the Senti-
-ments of Humanity, and an Efteem for Order in
the Soul of Man : This is a confiderable Preroga
tive it has over the Heart, and is capable of
-producing valuable Effefts.
It belongs not to me to juftify thofe Plays, that
are blaroeable in many Places ; this is not my
. Defign. I know I can employ my Time much
K better,

74 Remarks on the
better, than to frequent the Theatre, and if
you mean no more than that, we are agreed ;
but to carry your Cenfure fo far, as to condemn,
without any Appeal, this kind of Writing, as con
trary to Virtue, hy the very Care is taken to give
it a Luftre ; is not this, Sir, in good Earneft, to
carry Philofophy too far ? Let us condemn, to
gether, that Abufe of dramatick Writings the
Poets commit, in making Love their Primum
Mobile. We fhall be now on equal Terms ; the
antient dramatick Writers will ferve, by their
Example, to banifh this Depravation off the
Stage, and particularly in Tragedy. As to the
reft, it is to attack the moft noble Efforts of hu
man Wit, to place in the Number of Trifles the
happieft Produftions of it, for no other Reafon,
but becaufe they are French. This is, I think,
the only fecret Reafon, that could arm your
Zeal againft Corneille, Racine, and Moliere.
I fay no more of Boileau. There is fome
Truth in the Charafter you draw of him, and al
ways fome Excefs ; efpecially when you fay,
He is as much below the Excellent, where the com
mon Voice places him, as above the Mean, which
.he fuccefsfully attacks in his Satyrs. This is the
Remains of the Ill-Humour you contracted a-
gainft his fixteenth Satyr. It would ftill be too
nard, to fubfcribe the French Authors to tha'
too general a Criticifm, viz. That a Defire i
pleafe the Publick, which they idolize, weaken. ¦<
theirGenius, or fhews the Weaknefs of it ; where- •
as a Genius truly grand, intends to give Laws
to the Publick, and not receive them from it.
In fhort, as to what relates to Scavron, an Origi
nal as he was in his kind, we can give him up to
you without Pain ; but he himfelf has firft done
himfelf juftice,
«£*»¦* FINIS.

hi ft

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