came a fubject of emulation with thefe young rivals: two of the braveit Lords of Salcander's court dared to fingle combat whoever fhould maintain that love is a paffion worthy of a hero, and offered to prove by their fwords, that the foul of the courageous is ever free and unfubdued. This challenge being propofed, Salcander caufed all thofe who dignified themselves with the title of Lover to appear before him two by two, and having given each of them a ticket whereon to write their own and the name of their miftreffes, ordered it to be determined by lot who 'fhould firft engage the antagonifts of love. Philemon and Menander paid an implicit obedience to the prohibition of their miftreffes upon this occafion; fo that their lot having come out, the Herald proclaimed these words: Cleophantes fervant of Polixena, and Diodorus fervant of Meliffa. The two brothers immediately ftept forth; and, Cleophantes and Diodorus having advanced at the fame time, each party pretended that the glory of firft entering the lifts belonged exclufively to them. This difpute would have ended in bloodfhed, had not the prince, to prevent mifchief, procured their feparation. In order to reconcile them, the lot was drawn a fecond time; both parties withdrew, fully determined to revenge, at the firft opportunity, the infult which they thought they had received: and they would certainly have been ftained with the blood of each other, had not their friends prevented their meeting. They agreed, however, to repair to a small ifland of the Archipelago, in the neighbourhood of Crete, where they would fubmit their quarrel to the decifion of the fword. They fet fail on the day appointed; but a form foon arofe; the fhip on board of which were Philemon and Menander, was driven to the Pharo of Meffina, where it was wrecked on the coaft of Sicily, the crew having with difficulty faved themselves by fwimming, or on pieces of the wreck. Cleophantes and Diodorus were carried towards the coaft of Africa, and when they had almost gained the mouth of the Nile, were again driven out to fea; and, after being toffed about for fome time at the mercy of the winds and waves, they landed fafely at Tamagoufta, a fea-port in the island of Cyprus. Next day they fet out for Nicofia, where they were no fooner arrived than they waited upon Polixena and Meliffa. After the ufual compliments, they in formed their miftreffes of the extraordinary adventure which they had met with. The fair Cyprians, terrified at the recital, repented of the deception which they had hitherto believed innocent, and, to prevent bad confequences, gave their lovers an account of the whole matter. Diodorus and Cleophantes thought the best way of fettling the difpute between them, and the two brothers was to marry their iniftreffes immediately. Their nuptials were celebrated before the return of their rivals, who arrived at Nicofia juft as the new married couples were returning from church, and met them in the freet, attended with all their friends whom they had invited upon the occafion. One may cafily conceive the aftonishment of Timander's nephews, when they learned the trick which Polixena and Meliffa had put upon them. They first thought of calling Diodorus and Cleophantes to an account, but sensible that they had no fhare in the treachery of their miftreffes, they judged it wifer to conceal their refentment, and to avoid any explanation which would have rendered them the fubject of general converfation throughout the city. They refolved, however, never again to attach themfelves to any lady who had already had a lover: a matter of no fmall difficulty in Cyprus, for the natives of this ifland are fo beautiful, and fo much given to love, that frequently their heart has yielded to its way before the period of infancy has elapfed. It was not without reafon that the Ancients confecrated to Venus this voluptuous region. One day as Philemon and Menander were walking in an extenfive meadow, where all the ladies of the city used to affemble at certain hours of the day; they looked every where in hopes of finding fome of them fufficiently folitary to deferve their choice. But they were all attended by one or more gallants, whofe countenances plainly expreffed that they were their most humble adorers. They at laft perceived two ladies feparate from the reft, who feemed to be converfing with their women. To thefe Timander's nephews agreed to pay their refpects, but no looner had they accofted them, than they perceived the one to be blind and the other dumb. Excepting these defects, however, they found them extremely beautiful. To the freshness of a complexion in which the lily and the rofe were admirgbly blended, the blind lady united re gular gular features, an elegant shape, and a voice whofe notes ravished the ear, and charmed the foul. The graces of her lively and fprightly wit difplayed ftill more the charms of her perfon: and, if nature had not refufed her fight, the illand of Cyprus fcarcely produced one who could compare with her. "to decide in a queftion of love, and "that all affairs of this kind must "be appealed to the tribunal of a prin"cels the faireft in the world." The most inchanting blush covered the face of Caritea as Themiftes pronounced thefe words: it heightened the beauty of her looks, and the nephews of Timander gazed on her with aftonishment. The praifes, answered "The to Themiftes, which you have' "beftowed on my beauty, are more flattering than juft, and, as I am "unwilling to fufpect you of infincerity, I muft fuppofe them to proceed from prejudice, and not from deliberate examination. Irejoice that you have left the trial of this affair to me, 66 To all the charms which nature had lavished on the mute, were added eyes which far furpaffed all the rest: they fpoke in the moft enchanting manner every thing which the tongue could exprefs. She had fo many other external graces, that nothing could have rivalled ber beauty, if he had poffeffed the gift" of fpeech whereby to ditplay fo many perfections. Philemon and Menander became deeply enamoured of the Cyp-and I have not fo low an opinion of rians, and nothing could divert them my own abilities, as to think myself in the pursuit, Timander, who ap- "incapable of deciding with equity. proved not their paffion, during his life "Let both parties have a fair hearing; endeavoured to diff.ade them from it," and, first of all, I fhould be glad to but in vain: on his death-bed he bequeathed his armour to whoever of his nephews fhould make the best choice of a miftrefs. This armour, he knew, was the great object of their ambition, and he expected that they would facrifice their foolish paffions to the hope of obtaining it. But they were far from making fuch a facrifice. Upon the death of their uncle, they went to Themiftes, one of the fovereign judges of the island, before whom they offered to juftify the choice, on which each of them belought him to pronounce fentence in his favour Themiftes thinking the matter worthy of the attention of the Princefs Caritea, who, fince her father's death, ruled over Cyprus, ordered the young men to be brought before her, and as foon as they were admitted to an audience, he thus addreffed her : "Madam, the brave "Timander died without iffue, and "Philemon and Menander, his two ne"phews, are his heirs: On his death"bed he bequeathed his armour to "whoever of his nephews fhould make "the happiest choice of a miftrefs. Now both of them lay claim to the armour as exclufively their own: Philernon "is in love with Dorothea, to whom "Heaven has denied the ufe of speech; "Menander's miftrefs is Ifmenia, whom "total blindness prevents from ever be"holding the light of day. Each offers "to justify his pretenfions; they pre"fented themfelves at our tribunal, and "we declared that it was your province "alone to take cognizance of this af fair, that it belonged only to you "know why Philemon thinks he has a "better claim than his brother to the armour of Timander:" The princefs was filent and Dorothea's lover thus ftated his claim : 66 "Were I to plead my caufe before a man, I fhould be far from withing "that Dorothea were prefent; for her "beautiful eyes would not fail to convert the moft equitable judge into the "moft empaffioned lover; and though "I gained my caufe, I would be in dan .. ઃઃ ger of lofing the fruit of my love. "But as I have the honour to explain "the reafons of my choice before the "princefs of Cyprus, I cannot help withing for the affiftance of her beau"tiful eyes, confident that her looks "would demonftrate the fuperiority of my claim with greater eloquence than "the moft finifhed harangue. The eyes of Dorothea render the gift of speech 66 altogether unneceffary; but you, "Menander, cannot deny that nature "has acted the part of a cruel ftepmo"ther in depriving Ifmenia of fo power"ful an attraction as that of fight. What charm can you difcover to compenfate "this prodigious want? What beauty "can fupply the place of Dorothea's "eyes? I yield my pretenfions, if in your own mind you allow not my ❝iniftrefs to be fuperior to yours. I "fee your courage absihed by the force "of truth, and that you are already con "ftrained to allow yourself vanquished. "Your eyes are already fixed on the "ground: You dare not fix them on "the princefs who is the arbiter of our difpute. "by the flame of a fine eye? Far from "allowing that you are more fortunate "than I in the choice of a miftrefs, I "might even difpute the very existence "of that love which you pretend to have for Ifmenia, fince it wants thofe qua"lifications which infpire true love. "But granting that you are seriously in "love, the more on that account you "deferve our pity: for Ifmenia cannot "difpute. The better, however, to con- return your paffion. We cannot know what we have never feen; and we "cannot love what we do not know. "Your paffion for Ismenia, therefore, is no lefs foolish than that of Xerxes for a plane, or of Pygmalion for a statue. "Other arguments might be advan"ced in behalf of my caufe; but I will "only add, that the beautiful Caritea can perceive, better than any other "perfon, the whole extent of the claim "which I have to the armour of my "departed uncle. I reft on the good"nels of my caufe, and on the equity "of our auguft princefs." Philemon ended; and Menander, upon a fignal from Caritea, thus began hand or any other part of the body "fhare with the eye its properties; the "eye, that celeftial gift, fo quick in its "motions, which in a moment paffes "over so vaft an extent of space which "renders vifible the foul, which pene"trates into the inmoft receffes of the "heart, which developes all its folds, and "with one glance difcovers the most "fecret intentions of the foul? You must allow it to be altogether impoffible: "and if you hefitate to pronounce your "own doom, I muft needs fay that If"menia's lover is no lefs blind than her. "felf. You ftill venture to maintain, "that your choice is happier than mine! "Well! upon what do you build fo ridiculous a pretenfion? Ifmenia is fairer, you fay, than Dorothea; as if a woman could be fair without eyes? Know 66 you not that eyes are to the human 66 body, what the fun is to the universe ? "The transparent clearness of the atmofphere, the liquid cryftal of the rivers and fountains, the verdure which in fpring adorns the fields; all these objects are without doubt beautiful; "but what are they in the abfence of the fun, but objects of horror and of dark"nefs? The fame is the cafe with fe t k "male beauty. Let the complexion equal "the lily and the rofe; let the features "of the face be perfect models of har mony; and let the body, with regard "to proportions, be the masterpiece of "nature; without two beautiful eyes, all thefe perfections become deformities, an inftead of beauty, we find a monfter of uglinefs, hideous and difgufting. "Such, however, is the beauty with who you are in love. But, I mif"take; it is not love which inflames "I would here implore the affiftance "of Juftice and Love, did I not know "that thefe blind divinities have al"ready espoused my caufe, and that "the fentence which is to terminate our difpute, will be pronounced by the mouth of their common Oracle, "Without farther preface, I obferve, "that while Philemon maintains that "the eyes of his miflrefs can fup"ply the want of the voice, he must "likewife find out fome other organ to "fupply the place of the ear: for, Do"rothea has been deaf as well as dumb "from her infancy. With regard to "her expreffive looks, I anfwer, that they cannot be fufficiently varied to "exprefs with accuracy all the differ 66 ent operations of the understanding "and heart. I al'ow, indeed, that the hand can, by means of writing, re"prefent many of our ideas; but the "beautiful Dorothea must be unac quainted with this valuable art, fince "the is deprived of the fenfe of hearing, through which the rudiments of all our knowledge is conveyed. With respect to geftures and other figns employed for the expreffion of thought, "the grimaces and contortion which "are neceffary to make thefe intelligi"ble, must be inconfiftent with the "charms of beauty. Befides, from being "free from this inconvenience, the "want of fight is attended with this ad"vantage, that it gives a greater de gree gree of ingenuity and profundity of "reflection to the mind. Not diftracted "with the diversity of external objects, "the mind returns upon itself, and con"templates with advantage the won"ders of nature; hence fome great men "have voluntarily deprived themselves "of the faculty of fight, in expectation of rifing with greater certainty to the "difcovery of fome fublime truth. "You farther pretend, Philemon, "that your choice is fuperior to mine, "because my miftrefs is not beautiful: "without difputing this affertion, I "only afk you, whether every thing "which is amiable, is not alfo beau"tiful? You cannot be ignorant that "love may have three different objects; "the virtuous, the ufeful, and the a"greeable. I may love Ifmenia for "the virtue which I have discovered "in her; and in this refpect I have an "advantage over you, fufficient to anni. "hilate your pretenfions: But I am far "from allowing that my Ifmenia wants "charms, because fhe is blind. You "might as well fay that the palaces of "kings ceafe to be beautiful edifices as "foon as the windows are fhut: and 66 your mistress muft appear ugly in 66 your eyes, whenever fleep weighs "down her eye-lids, for then the "differs in no refpect from a blind "perfon. The eyes, I confefs, add to "the beauty of the countenance; but "it lofes not all its graces, when they "are concealed; the fun may be involved in clouds, and the day no lefs agree"able. You add, that it was never heard "that a woman without eyes could "excite love; as if eyes alone had the property of pleafing. You muft "firft prove that a beautiful mouth has "no attraction; that there is nothing "agreeable in fair cheeks; that the finest "hands, the moft delicate foot, the most “beautiful neck, contribute nothing to "wards fémale beauty. I allow that "love is a fire; but can it be kindled "only by the eyes? Is not a file often "fufficient to captivate the heart? may "not the fire of paffion be kindled by the blufh which reddens the cheek, "or by the firft heavings of a breaft of "alabafter? "With regard to the supposed infenfibility of the beautiful Ifmenia: if we "may believe you, fhe is altogether in"capable of love, becaufe fhe cannot "know what fhe has never feen, and " cannot love what fhe does not know. How unjuft are your opinions con "cerning man; to fuppofe that all per"fection confifts in thofe external qua “lities which ftrike the fenses! Am I "then nothing elfe but what I appear "to every eye? What is my body but "the covering of my being, the lodging "of an immortal foul, which is foon "to be feparated from it? This is the "object of Ifmenia's love: and to know, "to value, and to love the foul, the "fense of hearing, and the affiftance of "reafon are alone fufficient. You thus "fee, Philemon, that the blindness "of my miftrefs gives me a great "advantage over you, because having "only the eyes of the mind, the can "love only the beauties of my foul, "which are the moft noble and the "moft exalted fubject of love and ef ❝teem. Celeftial beings cannot pof"fefs more pure affections; and nothing can bring Ifmenia nearer to angels, "than that love with which you pretend "to reproach her." "Such, Madam, is the reply which "I confider as fufficient to the futile "objections of Philemon. I will not "conceal from you how ambitious I am to gain the armour of Timan"der: but believe me, the reason why "I defire them moft, is the confidence I have, that one day they will, in "Menander's hands, become formida"ble to the enemies of our august princefs." As foon as Menander had ended his difcourfe, Caritea and Themiftes withdrew. After deliberating upon the cafe, they agreed that Philemon had the beft claim to the armour of Timander; for, as beauty depends on the fight, the want of hearing and of fpeech cannot detract from it, whereas blindnefs is not only a great deformity in itself, but deprives every other part of the body of its charms. The lovers waited the fentence with the utmof impatience : Caritea reentered and declared in favour of Philemon. Menander's dejection was extreme, and to confole him Caritea thus spoke: " Arm yourself with patience, "Menander; you will thus have a new opportunity of pleafing your miftrefs, for, by your own confeffion, "the beauties of the mind are alone capable of infpiring love. Invested with "this armour, you will appear more agreeable than in the helmet, the cuirafs, "and buckler of Timander; and mott certainly it is the b-ft armour which you can ufe in the prefent circum"Rances." 66 66 POETRY. 64 POETRY. FOR THE EDINBURGH MAGAZINE. 'To LORD DALKEITH ON HIS BIRTHDAY, MAY 24th 1793. T O rescue greatnefs, from each vicious ftain, To footh the fimple, and extoll the vain; 'To praise the rich, however bafely bred, Has been, alas! too much the Mufes trade. And birth-day odes, with dedications, vie, Which most from truth and decency fhall ftray; Which beft can cull materials from the duft, And burnifh deeds which fame had left to ruft. The prefent lines a different tract purfue, No pompous tales, no flowery fragments Nor drag a fingle ancestor to view. birth, For twenty years has paft in jocund mirth; The child, the boy, the youth fucceffive came, Now, laft and greateft, it proclaims you MAN, Exalts you to that grave important ftate, From which the world your character will date, (For, fpite of all the fcoffings of the vain, grace, And fhine the nobleft of a noble race. Let Faction's leaders, clamour, ftorm, and rage; And defperate men, in party plots engage: Let Jockeys buftle on Newmarket's courfe, And rifk their fortunes on a fav'rite horfe : Let Gamblers meet, like Swindlers, to be tray, And rob each other in a friendly way. For Faction's tools, to difcontent are faves, And eager Gamblers, must be fools or knaves. The liberal arts, improve the human mind, Have few dull hours, and leave no fting be hind, The richest ideas to the foul impart, And with fine feelings humanize the heart. Nor once regret, that you have miss'd a throne; Be faithful to your mistress, love your friend, But on your felf for happiness depend. Scotland, tho' fcorn'd by travellers from the South, Who, fway'd by prejudice, deny the truth; Can boast of scenes, diversified and gay, The wand'ring Esks, where oft with stea. Which fertile England never could display, You've watch'd the motion of the dangling dy eye, Have tofs'd in air the smaller finny store, fly, And pull'd the larger, panting to the fhore; Thefe furnish views, more varied than the fcenes |