"tileus the wrestler, as reported by Suidas. David alfo, unarmed, tore to pieces a lion, 1 Samuel, chap. 17.; and Benaiah the fon "of Jehojada alfo flew a lion, 2 Samuel, chap. 23. ver. 20. Moreover we read, that Samfon having caught three hundred foxes, "tied lighted firebrands to their tails, and drove them into the "standing corn of the Philiflines, by which both the fhocks and standing corn, with the vineyards and olives, were burnt up. Many think it incredible, that three hundred foxes should be caught by one man; as the fox, being the most cunning of all "animals, would not fuffer itself to be easily taken. Accordingly Oppian, a Greek poet who writes upon hunting, afferts, that no fox will fuffer itself to be taken in a gin or a net; tho' we are "taught the contrary by Martial, lib. 10. epig. 37.

"Hic olidum clamofus ages in retia vulpem.

"In India, eagles, hawks, and ravens, are taught to hunt foxes, as we are informed by Olianus, Var. hift. lib. 9. cap. 26. They are alfo caught by traps and fnares, and in covered pits, as "wolves are, and other large animals. Nor is it wonderful that "fuch a multitude of foxes were caught by Samfon, confidering "that Palestine abounded with foxes. He had hunters without number at command; and he was not confined in time. The

..

"fame of that exploit was fpread far and near. Even among the Romans there were veftiges of it, as appears from Ovid, Fast. lib. 9. ver. 681. In one Roman feftival, armed foxes were let "loofe in the circus; which Ovid, in the place quoted, fays, was "done in memory of the Carfiolan fox, which, having deftroy'd

many hens belonging to a country-woman, was caught by her, "and punished as follows. She wrapped up the fox in hay, which "fhe fet fire to; and the fox being let go, fled through the standing corn, and fet it on fire. There can be no doubt but that

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1

"this festival was a veftige of Samfon's foxes, not only from congruity of circumftances, but from the time of celebration, "which was the month of April, the time of harvest in Palestine. "See more about foxes in Burman's works." Not to mention the ridiculous arguments of this writer to prove Samfon to be the fame with the Theban Hercules, nor the childish wanderings from that fubject, every one must be fenfible of his having overlooked the chief difficulty. However well fixed the fire-brands might be, it is not easily conceivable, that the foxes, who would naturally fly to their lurking-holes, could much injure the corn, or the olive trees. And it is as little conceivable, what should have moved Samfon to employ foxes, when, by our author's fuppofition, he had men at command, much better qualified than foxes for committing wafte. This author would have faved himself much idle labour had he embraced a very probable opinion, that if the tranflation be not erroneous, the original text must be corrupted. But enough, and more than enough, of these writers. Maturity of taste has banished such abfurdities; and at prefent, happily, books are lefs bulky, and more to the purpose, than formerly.

It is obferved above (a), that in a country thinly peopled, where the fame perfon muft for bread undertake different employments, the people are knowing and converfable; but ftupid and ignorant in a populous country, where industry and manufactures abound. That obfervation holds not with refpect to the fine arts. It requires fo much genius to copy even a fingle figure, whether in painting or in fculpture, as to prevent the operator from degenerating into a brute. The great exertion of genius, as well as of invention, required in grouping figures, and in imitating human

(4) Firft fection of the prefent Sketch.

actions,

actions, tends to envigorate those faculties with respect to every fubject, and of course to form a man of parts.

Such sketches of the hiftory of man as tend the moft to explain his nature, are chiefly infifted on in this work. The hiftory of mufic is entertaining, that branch efpecially which compares ancient and modern mufic; and accordingly I have occafionally handled that branch above. The other branches fall not properly within my plan; because they seem to afford little opening into human nature. There is one article however, which regard to my native country will not fuffer me to omit. We have in Scotland a multitude of fongs tender and pathetic, expreffive of love in its varieties of hope, fear, fuccefs, defpondence, and defpair. The style of the music is wild and irregular, extremely pleasant to the natives, but little relished by the bulk of those who are accuftomed to the regularity of the Italian ftyle. None but men of genius, who study nature, and break loose from the thraldom of custom, esteem that music. It was a favourite of the late Geminiani, whofe compofitions fhow no lefs delicacy of taste than fuperiority of genius, and it is warmly praised by Aleffandro Taffoni, the celebrated author of Secchia Rapita. Difcourfing of ancient and modern mufic, and quoting from various authors the wonderful effects produced by fome modern compositions, he subjoins the following paffage. "Noi ancora poffiamo connumerar trà noftri, "Jacopo Rè de Scozia, che non pur cofe facre compose in canto,

ma trovò da fefteffo una nuova mufica lamentevole e mesta, "differente da tutte l'altre. Nel che poi è stato imitato da Carlo "Gefualdo Principe di Venofa, che in quefta noftra età hà illu"ftrata anch' egli la mufica con nuova mirabili invenzioni (a) *.” The

(a) Penfieri diverfi, lib. 10. cap. 23.

"We may reckon among the compofers of the moderns, James King of Scotland, who not only compofed facred fongs, but was himself the inventor of

"a

The king mentioned must be James I. of Scotland, the only one of our kings who seems to have had any remarkable taste in the fine arts; and the mufic can be no other than the songs mentioned above. These are commonly thought to be the compofition of David Rizzio, because he was an Italian and a musician; but erroneously, as we now discover from Taffoni. That King was eminent for poetry no lefs than for mufic. He is praised for the former by Bishop Leflie, one of our hiftorians, in the following words: "Patrii carminis gloriâ nulli fecundus." We have many poems afcribed by tradition to that king; one in particular, Chrift's Kirk on the Green, is a ludicrous poem, defcribing low manners with no less propriety than fprightliness.

Useful arts will never be neglected in a country where there is any police; for every man finds his account in them. Fine arts are more precarious. They are not relished but by perfons of taste, who are rare; and fuch as can spare great fums for supporting them, are ftill more rare. For that reason they will never flourish in any country, unless patronized by the fovereign, or by men of power and opulence. They merit fuch patronage as one of the fprings of government: and a capital fpring they make, by multiplying amusements, and humanizing manners; upon which account they have always been encouraged by good princes.

"a new style of mufic, plaintive and pathetic, different from all others. In this manner of compofition he has been imitated in our times by Carlo Gefualdo "Prince of Venofa, who has illuftrated that style of mufic with new and wonderful "invention."

SKETCH

SKETCH VI

Progrefs of the FEMALE SEX.

THE

'HE history of the female fex, a capital branch of the hiftory of man, comprehends great variety of matter, curious and interesting. But sketches are my province, not complete histories; and I propofe in the present sketch to trace the gradual progrefs of women, from their low ftate in favage tribes, to their elevated ftate in civilized nations.

With regard to the outlines, whether of internal difpofition, or of external figure, men and women are precisely the fame. Nature, however, intending them for mates, has given them characters different, but concordant, fo as to produce together delicious harmony. The man, naturally more robuft, is fitted for fevere labour and for field-exercises; the woman for fedentary occupations; and particularly for nurfing children. To that difference the mind also contributes. A boy is always running about; delights in a top or a ball; and rides upon a stick for want of a horse. A girl has lefs inclination to move: her first amusement is a baby; which the delights to dress and undrefs. The man, bold and vigorous, is qualified for being a protector : the woman, delicate and timid, requires protection. The man, as a protector, is directed by nature to govern the woman, confcious of inferiority, is difpofed to obedience. Their intellectual powers correfpond to the deftination of nature: men have penetration and folid judgement to fit them for governing: