brows, and of the hair, when it falls in a proper manner round the face.

It is for much the fame reafon, that the best landschapepainters have been generally obferved to chufe the autumnal part of the year for their pieces, rather than the spring. They prefer the variety of fhades and colours, though in their decline, to all their freshness and verdure in their infancy; and think all the charms and livelinefs, even of the fpring, more than compenfated by the choice, opposition, and richness of colours, that appear almoft on every tree in the autumn.'

In our author's opinion, a compleat brown beauty is preferable to a perfect fair one; because the bright brown, he tells us, gives a luftre to all the other colours, a vivacity to the eyes, and a richness to the whole look, which one feeks in vain in the whiteft and most transparent skins. Accordingly he obferves, that Raphael's most charming Madonna is a brunette beauty, and that all the best artifts in the noblest age of painting, about Leo the tenth's time, ufed this deeper and richer kind of colouring.

With refpect to form, he obferves, that it takes in the turn of each part, as well as the fymmetry of the whole body, even to the turn of the eye-brow, or the falling of the hair : he likewife thinks that the attitude, while fixed, ought to be reckoned under this article; meaning not only the pofture of the perfon, but the pofition of each part, as the turning of the neck, the extending of the hand, the placing of a foot, and fo on, to the most minute particulars. He tells us, that the general cause of beauty, in the form or fhape of both fexes, is a proportion, or an union and har mony, in all parts of the body; that the diftinguishing character of beauty in the female form is delicacy and foftnefs, and in the male, either apparent ftrength or agility; and that the fireft exemplars that can be feen for the former, is the Venus of Medici, and for the two latter, the Hercules Farnele, and the Apollo Belvedere.

He now proceeds to expreffion, by which he means the expreffion of the paffions, the turns and changes of the mind, fo far as they are made vifible to the eye, by our looks or geftures. Under this head he obferves, that all the tender and kind p: ffions, in general, add to beauty, and that all the cruel and unkind ones add to deformity.

The finest union of paffions,' fays he, that I have ever obferv'd in any face, confifted of a juft mixture of modesty, fenfibility, and fweetnefs; each of which, when taken

fingly,

fingly, is very pleafing; but when they are all blended together, in fuch a manner as either to enliven or correct each other, they give almoft as much attraction, as the paffions are capable of adding to a very pretty face.

The prevailing paffion in the Venus of Medici is modefty it is exprefs'd by each of her hands, in her looks, and in the turn of her head. And, by the way, I queftion whether one of the chief reafons, why fide faces please one more than full ones, may not be from the former having more of the air of modefty than the latter. However that be, this is certain, that the best artifts ufually chufe to give a fide face rather than a full one; in which attitude, the turn of the neck too has more beauty, and the paffions more activity and force. Thus, as to hatred and affection in particular, the look that was formerly fuppofed to carry an infection with it, from malignant eyes, was a flanting regard; like that which Milton gives to Satan, when he is viewing the happiness of our first parents in paradife, and the fascination or ftroke of love, is, moft ufually, I believe, convey'd at firft, in a fide-glance.

It is owing to the great force of pleafingnefs which attends all the kinder paffions, that lovers do not only feem, but are really more beautiful to each other, than they are to the reft of the world; becaufe, when they are together, the most pleafing paffions are more frequently exerted in cach of their faces, than they are in either before the rest of the world. There is then (as a certain French writer very well expreffes it) a foul upon their countenances, which does not appear when they are abfent from each other; or even when they are together, converfing with other perfons, that are indifferent to them, or rather lay a reftraint upon their features.'

He further obferves under this head, that the chief rule of the beauty of the paffions, is moderation; for too fullen an appearance of virtue,' fays he, a violent and profitute. fwell of paffion, a ruftic and overwhelming modefty, a deep fadnefs, or too wild and impetuous a joy, become all either oppreffive or difagreeable.'

He now proceeds to confider grace, the nobleft part of beauty; and this, he tells us, is in a great meafure inexplicable, as it is perpetually varying its appearances, and the efore much more difficult to be confidered, than any thing fixt and fteady. Though grace may, at times, vifit every limb or part of the body, yet he obferves, that the mouth is the chief feat of it; as much as the chief feat for the beauty

Q3

beauty of the paffions is in the eyes. In a very graceful face,' fays he, by which I do not fo much mean a majeftic, as a foft and pleasing one, there is now-and-then (for no part of beauty is either fo engaging, or fo uncommon). a certain delicioufnefs that almost always lives about the mouth, in fomething not quite enough to be called a fmile, but rather an approach towards one; which varies gently about the different lines there, like a little fluttering Cupid; and perhaps fometimes difcovers a little dimple, that after just lightening upon you difappears, and appears again by fits. This I take to be one of the most pleasing sorts of grace of any; but you will under ftand what I mean by your own memory, better than by any expreffions I could poffibly ufe to defcribe it.'

Though grace is fo difficult to be accounted for in general, yet he obferves that there are two particular things which hold univerfally in relation to it; the firft is, that there is no grace without fome genteel or pleafing motion, either of the whole body or of fome limb, or at least of some feature; the second is, that nothing can be graceful, that is not adapted to the characters of the perfon. The graces of a little lively beauty,' fays he, wou'd become ungraceful in a character of majefty; as the majestic airs of an empress would quite deftroy the prettiness of the former. The vivacity that adds a grace to beauty in youth, would give an additional deformity to old age; and the very fame airs, which would be charming on fome occafions, may be quite fhocking when extremely mif tim'd, or extremely misplac'd.'

In the farther confideration of his fubject, our ingenious author has many curious obfervations; and towards the clofe of his performance, after taking a fhort furvey of that variety of beauty which is to be found in the works of nature, he leads the thoughts of his readers through the afcending fcale of beauty, to the contemplation of virtue, the most beautiful object in the univerfe, and to that of the goodness of God, the inexhauftible fountain of all that rich profufion of beauty, which is diffufed through the boundless expanse of univerfal nature.

After the fhort view we have given of this work, few of our readers, we apprehend, will be at a lofs to know who the real author is, fince they cannot but perceive that Sir Harry Beaumont is a fictitious name.

R

MONTHLY

I.

MONTHLY

CATALOGUE,

For March 1752.

MISCELLANEOUS.

THE
HE female Parricide: or the hiftory of Mary-Mar-

garet d'Aubrey, marchionefs of Brinvillier, who was beheaded and burnt at Paris, for poifoning her father, her two brothers, and attempting to kill her fifter in the fame manner. Tranflated from the French, with a preface by the tranflator, in which a parallel is drawn between the marchioness and mifs Blandy. 8vo. 15. Newbery.

The ftory of the marchionefs d' Brinvillier hath been fo generally known, for near a century paft, that 'tis unneceffary for us to repeat any particulars of it.

II. A fecond letter to the right hon, the earl of *** concerning the qualifications and duty of a furveyor. 8vo. 6d. Owen. See the first letter, Review for January last, page 76. ART. III.

III. The hiftory of the Swedish countefs of G

By C. F. Gellert, M. A. profeffor at the univerfity of Lipfic. Tranflated from the original German. 12mo. 35. Dodfley, &c.

The ingenious author of Pompey the little, characterizes our age, and its prefent prevailing tafte for books of amufement, by the epithet of a Life-writing age; an epithet the propriety of which fufficiently appears, from the vast number of productions of this kind, published within these ten years paft. But, at length, all the variety of which this fpecies of literary entertainment is capable, seems almost exhausted, and even novels themselves no longer charm us with novelty. Tired and furfeited with romantic heroifm, and extravagant virtue; examples of a different kind have of late been introduced to us; and no character has been thought too inconfiderable to engage the public notice, or too abandoned to be fet up as patterns of imitation. The lowest and most contemptible vagrants, chamber-maids, fuperannuated trumpets, pick-pockets and highwaymen, have found hiftorians to record their praifes, and readers to wonder at their exploits: even prifons and ftews have been ranfacked to find materials for novels and romances.' — But

* Vide preface to the adventures of a Lap-dog, 2d Edit.

if the wits of France and Great-Britain have thus exhaufted their flores, the cafe is very different with respect to our faber neighbours the Germans and Dutch. The literary productions of thefe countries have hitherto been of a more fold kind, and of a graver ftamp. The amufements, however, and the manners of the French, (together with their language) begin to gain footing in every nation in Europe; and among other instances of this, Germany hath produced a novel, the first work of the kind from this country, which hath had vivacity enough to recommend it to nations lefs flegmatic, and lefs confined to the weightier ftudics of schooldivinity, phyfic, chemistry, &c.--The ftory of the Swedifh countefs has nothing in it very romantic, extravagant, or unnatural; yet her adventures are fufficiently thiking, and well adapted to engage the reader's attention. It abounds with affecting fcenes, and interefting fituations; with good fentiments and exemplary leflons of true morality; and tho' we have not feen the original, we are perfuaded it will afford a rational entertainment to those who understand the language. As to the prefent tranflation, it seems to come from fome foreigner, whofe ignorance of the English idiom ought to have prevented his undertaking a tafk he was but ill qualified for. Under the drefs he has cloathed it in, Mr. Gellert's performance undoubtedly appears to fo much d fadvantage, that we fear it will find few readers who will have the patience to read it through, as we have done. To the generality, particularly thofe who do not make due allowance for the peculiar manners and notions of the country from whence we have this work, it will feem a tedious, heavy, low performance; whilft better judges will, we are perfuaded, allow that it contains more real merit than half the productions of our own adventure-makers.

IV. Remarks on the fentence given in favour of E-— WM, and Th-T, Efqrs; by the lieutenant criminal at Poris. 8vo. 6d. Johnson.

See our laft, p 146, ART. VI.

V. A particular defcription of a certain lady at prefent concealed. Her perfon, drefs, temper, &c. alfo a flight fketch of her niece. 8vo. 6d. Cooper.

This is a new improvement of that moft exquifite fpecies of modern humour, diftinguifhed by the name of conundrum; for which we want words to exprefs our admiration.

VI. The old lady and her niece detected, &c. 8vo. 6d Cooper.

The