312 HISTORY OF 



lier affections. The passion of love, which may be considered 

 as the nice conduct of ruder desire, is only known and prac- 

 tised in this part of the world ; so that what other nations 

 guard as their right, the more delicate European is contented to 

 ask as a favour. In this manner the concurrence of mutual ap- 

 petite contributes to increase mutual satisfaction ; and the power 

 on one side of refusmg makes every blessing more grateful when 

 obtained by the other. In barbarous countries woman is con- 

 sidered merely as a useful slave ; in such as are somewhat more 

 refined she is regarded as a desirable toy ; in countries entirely 

 polished she enjoys juster privileges, the wife being considered 

 as a 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 consists, 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 differently at different times. The 

 ancients had a different taste from what prevails at present. 

 The eyebrows joining in the middle was considered as a very 

 peculiar grace by TibuUus, in the enumeration of the charms of 

 his mistress. Narrow foreheads were approved of and scarce 

 any of the Roman ladies, that are celebrated for their other per 

 fections, but are also praised for the redness of their hair. The 

 nose of the Grecian Venus, was such as would appear at present 

 an actual deformity ; as it fell in a straight line from the fore- 

 head without the smallest sinking between the eyes, without 

 which we never see a face at present. ' 



Among the modems, every country seems to have peculiai 

 ideas of beauty.' The Persians admire large eyebrows, joining 

 in the middle ; the edges and corners of the eyes are tinctured 

 with black, and the size of the head is increased by a great vari- 

 ety of bandages, formed into a turban. In some parts of India 

 black teeth and white hair are desired with ardour ; and one of 



1 Biiffnn. 



