ANIMALS. 4-07 



tised in this part of the world j so that what 

 other nations guard as their right, the more deli- 

 cate European is contented to ask as a favour. In 

 this manner, the concurrence of mutual appetite 

 contributes to increase mutual satisfaction ; and 

 the power on one side of refusing, makes every 

 blessing more grateful when obtained by the 

 other. In barbarous countries, woman is consider- 

 ed merely as an useful slave ; in such as are some- 

 what more refined, she is regarded as a desirable 

 toyj in countries entirely polished, she enjoys 

 juster privileges the wife being considered as an 

 useful friend, and an agreeable mistress. Her 

 mind is still more prized than her person ; and 

 without the improvement of both, she can never 

 expect to become truly agreeable ; for her good 

 sense alone can preserve what she has gained by 

 her beauty. 



Female beauty, as was said, is always seen to 

 improve about the age of puberty; but if we 

 should attempt to define in what this beauty con- 

 sists, or what constitutes its perfection, we should 

 find nothing more difficult to determine. Every 

 country has its peculiar way of thinking in this 

 respect ; and even the same country thinks dif- 

 ferently at different times. The ancients had 

 a. very different taste from what prevails at pre- 

 sent. The eye-brows joining in the middle was 

 considered as a very peculiar grace by Tibullus, 

 in the enumeration of the charms of his mistress. 

 Narrow foreheads were approved of, and scarcely 

 any of the Roman ladies that are celebrated for 

 their other perfections, but are also praised for 



