68 STUDIES OF NATURE, 



faint fketch, in this cafe, the effeâ: refulting front 

 the whole is inexpreiïibly delightfLil. Thus, fof 

 example, a harmony becomes, in fome fort, celef- 

 tial, when it contains a myftery, which always fup- 

 pofes fomething marvellous and divine. I one day 

 felt a mod agreeable effed, as I was looking over 

 a colleâiion of old prints, which reprefented the 

 hiftory of Adonis, remis had flolen the infant 

 Adonis from Diana, and was educating him with 

 her fon Cupid. Diana was determined to recover 

 him, as being the fon of one of her nymphs» 

 Fenusj then, having, on a certain day, alighted 

 from her chariot, drawn by doves, was walking 

 with the two boys in a valley of Cythera. Diana, 

 at the head of her armed retinue, places herfelf in 

 ambufli, in a foreft through which Venus was to 

 pals. Fenus, as foon as flie perceived her adver- 

 fary approaching, and incapable either to efcape, 

 or to prevent the re-capture of Adonis, was in- 

 ftantly ftruck with the thought of clapping wings 

 on his flioulders, and prefenting Cupid and him to- 

 gether to Diana, defired her to take either of the 

 children which (he believed to be her property. 

 Both being equally beautiful, both of the fame 

 age, and both furnifhed with wings, the chafle 

 Goddefs of the woods was deterred from choofing 

 cither the one or the other, and refrained from 

 taking Adonis, for fear of taking Cupid, 



Thl^ 



