the Influence of Tafle on Morals l £37 
When a tafte for the liberal arts was introduced 
among the Romans, with the rich fpoils of 
Grecian elegance and ingenuity, can we difcover 
in the hiftory of that wonderful people, a con- 
fequent improvement in the habits of virtue? 
You will fay, perhaps, their rugged tempers 
were foftened, and their auftere manners refined. 
But refinement is often remote from virtue ; and 
external graces unconnedted with internal beau¬ 
ties. It is true, they improved in all the ele¬ 
gances of life; but it is equally true, that their 
native vigour degenerated, into unmanly floth; 
and the Amor Patria , which had carried the 
Roman name fo high, was fucceeded by a mean 
and abjedl felfiftmefs*. Cato feems to have been 
well aware, that a tafte for the enervating arts of 
Greece, would be productive of thefe mifchiev- 
ous effedls-f ; and endeavoured by every means in 
his power, to ward off the threatened evil. But 
in vain was every remonftrance. A rage for the 
beautiful produdtions of genius univerfally pre¬ 
vailed, and bore down all oppofition. And we 
find the latter Cato, in one of his fpeeches re¬ 
corded by Salloft, reproaching his countrymen, 
in the following warm expreffions: Per Deos 
immortelles , vos ego appsllo: qui Jenifer Domos, 
* Gxaecia capta ferum vi£lorem cepit. 
Hoft. Epif. Lib. II. 
f Liv. Lib. 34. C. 4. 
Villas , 
