a fun-beam darting through an eyelet-hole 

 among the leaves. Many painters, and efpe- 

 cially Rubens, have been fond of introducing 

 this radiant fpot in their landfcapes. But in 

 painting it is one of thofe trifles, which pro- 

 duces no ejf'ett. In poetry indeed it may pro- 

 duce a pleafing image. Shakefpear hath intro- 

 duced it beautifully j where fpeaking of the 

 force of truth entring a guilty confcience, he 

 compares it to the fun, which 



fires the proud tops of the eaftern pines, 



And darts his light through every guilty hole. 



It is one of thofe circumftances, which poetry 

 may offer to the imagination ; but the pencil 

 cannot well produce to the eye j and if it could, 

 it were better omitted ; as it attracts the at- 

 tention from what is more interefting. 



Under the famenefs of Italian ikies the 

 beauties of a fetting-fun are hardly known. 

 There the radiant orb courfes his way with 

 equal fplendor from one end of the hemifphere 

 to the other. He fets glorioufly, but with 

 little variety. Nothing refracts his beam. To 

 the vapours of groffer climates, we owe thofe 

 beautiful tints, which accompany his whole 

 journey through the ikies ; but efpecially his 



parting ray. 



Thus 



