In Britain's Senate he a feat obtains, 395 400 VER. 394. And one more Penfioner St Stephen gains.] - atque unum civem donare Sibylle. Juv. MORAL ESSAYS. EPIST LE IV. то Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington. ARGUMENT. Of the Ufe of Riches. THE Vanity of Expence in People of Wealth and Quality. The abufe of the word Tafte, ver. 13. That the first principle and foundation in this, as in every thing else, is Good Senfe, ver. 40. The chief proof of it is to follow Nature, even in works of mere Luxury and Elegance. Inftanced in Architecture and Gardening, where all must be adapted to the Genius and Ufe of the Place, and the Beauties not forced into it, but refulting from it, ver, 50. How men are disappointed in their most expensive undertakings, för want of this true Foundation, without which nothing can pleafe long, if at all; and the beft Examples and Rules will but be perverted into fomething burdenfome or ridiculous, ver. 65, etc. to 92. A defcription of the falfe Taste of Magnificence; the first grand error of which is to imagine, that Greatness confifts in the Size and Dimension, inflead of the Proportion and Harmony of the whole, ver. 97. and the fecond, either in joining together Parts incoherent, or too minutely resembling, or in the Repetition of the fame too frequently, ver. 105, etc. A word or two of falfe Tafle in Books, in Mufic, in Painting, even in Preaching and Prayer, and lafly in Entertainments, ver. 133, etc. Tet PROVIDENCE is justified in giving Wealth to be Squandered in this manner, fince it is difperfed to the Poor and Laborious part of mankind, ver. 169. [recurring to what is laid down in the first Book, Ep. ii. and in the Epistle preceeding this, ver. 159, etc.] What are the proper Objects of Magnificence, and a proper field for the Expence of Great Men, ver. 177, etc. and finally the Great and Public Works which become a Prince, ver. 101, to the end. EPISTLE IV. IS ftrange, the Mifer should his Cares employ Is it less strange, the prodigal should waste EPISTLE IV.] Ths extremes of Avarice and Profufion being treated of in the foregoing Epiftle; this takes up one particular branch of the latter, the Vanity of Expence in people of wealth and quality; and is therefore a corollary to the preceed ing, juft as the epiftle on the Characters of Women is to that of the Knowledge and Characters of Men. Not for himself he fees, or hears, or eats; Than his fine Wife, alas! or finer Whore. For what has Virro painted, built, and planted? Only to fhew, how many taftes he wanted. What brought Sir Vifto's ill-got wealth to wafte? 15. Heav'n vifits with a Tafte the wealthy fool, 20 VER. 7 Topham, ] A Gentleman famous for a judicious collection of Drawings. VER. 10. And Books for Mead, and Butterflies for Sloane ] Two eminent Phyficians; the one had an excellent Library, the other the finest collection in Europe of natural curiofities; both men of great learning and humanity, VER. 18. Ripley] This man was a carpenter, employed by a firft Minilter, who raised him to an Architect, without any genius in the art; and after fome wretched proofs of his infufficiency in public Buildings, made him Comptroller of the Board of works. |