STUDY XIÏ. 69 



This fable contains feveral fentimental beauties. 

 I related it pne day to J. J. Rùiijfeau, who was 

 highly delighted with it. " Nothing pleafes me 

 *' fo much," faid he, "as an agreeable image, 

 " which conveys a moral fentiment." We were 

 at that time in the plain of Neuilly, near a park, 

 in which we faw a group of Love and Friendship, 

 undfr the forms of a young man and young wo- 

 iT)an, of fifteen or fixteen years of age, embracing 

 each other with mouth to mouth. Having looked 

 at it, he faid to me, *' Here is an obfcene image 

 " prefented, after a charming idea. Nothing 

 " coul4 have been more agreeable, than a repre- 

 *' fentation of the two figures in ïjieir natural ftate : 

 ** Friendfhip, as a grown young woman carefîing 

 ** an infant Cupide Being on that interefting fub- 

 jeâ:, I repeated to him the conclu fion of that 

 touching fable pf Philomela and Progné. 



Le défert eft-il fait pour des talens fi beaux ? 

 Venez faire aux cités éclater leurs merveilles : 



Auffi bien, en voyant les bois, 

 Sans cefTe il vous fouvient que Térée autrefois, 



JPArmi des demeures pareilles, 

 Exerça fa fureur fur vos divins appas.— 

 Et c'eft le fouvenir d'un fx cruel outrage, 

 Qui fait, reprit fa fœur, que je ne vous fuis pas : 



En voyant les hommes, helas ! 



Il m'en fouvient bien davantage. 



F 3 Why 



