Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/297

Rh cannot enter into the minutiæ of dometic tate; lacking judgment, the foundation of all tate. For the undertanding, in pite of enual cavillers, reerves to itelf the privilege of conveying pure joy to the heart.

With what a languid yawn have I een an admirable poem thrown down, that a man of true tate returns to, again and again with rapture; and, whilt melody has almot upended repiration, a lady has aked me where I bought my gown. I have een alo an eye glanced coldly over a mot exquiite picture, ret, parkling with pleaure, on a caricature rudely ketched; and whilt ome terrific feature in nature has pread a ublime tillnes through my oul, I have been deired to oberve the pretty tricks of a lap-dog, that my pervere fate forced me to travel with. Is it urpriing that uch a tateles being hould rather cares this dog than her children? Or, that he hould prefer the rant of flattery to the imple accents of incerity?

To illutrate this remark I mut be allowed to oberve, that men of the firt genius and mot cultivated minds, have appeared to have the highet relih for the imple beauties of nature; and they mut have forcibly felt, what they have o well decribed, the charm, which natural affections, and unophiticated feelings pread round the human character. It is this power of looking into the heart, and reponively vibrating with each emotion, that enables the poet to personify each paion, and the painter to ketch with a pencil of fire. Rh