468 OF M A N H O O D. 



by the art of making themfelves amiable, than 

 by beauty Itfelf, of which men form fuch oppo- 

 fite judgments. Men are agreed as to the ulti- 

 mate objed: of their paffion for the other fex, 

 the eftimation of which is augmented by the 

 difficulty of acquifition. The beauty of women 

 commenced the moment they learned to make 

 themfelves refpedable, by refufmg all approaches 

 to their hearts which proceeded not from deli- 

 cacy of fentiment ; and, whenever the influence 

 of fentiment was felt, polilhed manners was a 

 neceffary confequence. 



The tafte of beauty, among the ancients, dif- 

 fered widely from ours. With them, a fmall 

 fore-head and joined eye-brows were charming 

 features in a female countenance ; and, in Per- 

 fia, large joined eye-brows are ftill highly e- 

 fteemed. In fome Indian countries, black teeth 

 and white hair are neceffary ingredients in the 

 charader of a beauty ; and in the Marian lllands 

 it is a capital objedt with ladies to blacken 

 their teeth with herbs, and to bleach their hair 

 with certain liquors. Beauty, in China and Ja- 

 pan, is compofed of a large countenance, fmall 

 and half concealed eyes, a broad nofe, minute 

 feet, and a prominent belly. Some Indians of 

 America and of Afia comprefs the heads of their 

 children betvv'^een two wooden planks, with a 

 view to enlarge and beautify the face ; others 

 comprefs them laterally, others deprefs the crown 

 only, and others make the head as round as pof- 



' fible 



