A. What fay you of the third End of Eloquence; I mean the Orator's endeavouring to please others, by talking; that he may raise his Reputation, or his Fortune? B. You know my Opinion already. I reckon fuch an Ufe of Eloquence very fair and allowable; feeing it excites a laudable Emulation, and helps to improve Men's Talents. A. What kind of Talents wou'd you have chiefly improv'd? Suppofe you had fome new State, or Commonwealth, to model, in what kinds of Knowledge wou'd you have the Subjects train'd up, and inftructed? B. In every kind that cou'd make them better. I would endeavour to make them good Subjects, peaceable, obedient, and zealous for the publick Welfare. I would have them .fit to defend their Country in Cafe of War; and in Peace to obferve and fupport the Laws; to govern their Families; cultivate their Lands; train up their Children to the Practice of Virtue, and infpire them with a strong and juft Sense of Religion: I would have them carry on fuch a Trade as the State and Neceffities of the Country might require: and apply themfelves to fuch Arts and Sciences as are useful in common Life, Thefe I think, ought to be the chief Aims of a Law-giver, A. Your A. Your Views are very just and folid. You wou'd then have Subjects averse to Laziness; and employ'd about fuch useful things as should tend fomeway or other to advance the publick Good. B. Certainly. A. And wou'd you exclude all useless Profeffions? B. Yes. A. You would allow only of fuch bodily Exercises as conduc'd to People's Health, and Strength? I do not mention the Beauty of the Body; for that is a natural Consequence of Health and Vigour, in Bodies that are duly form'd. B. I wou'd fuffer no other Exercises. A. Wou'd you not therefore banish all those that serve only to amufe People, and cannot render them fitter to bear either the conftant Labours and Employments of Peace, or the Fatigues of War? B. Yes; I fhould follow that Rule. A. I suppose you wou'd do it for the fame Reason that you wou'd likewise condemn (as you already granted,) all these Exercises of the Mind which do not conduce to render it more ftrong, found, and beautiful; by making it more virtuous. B. It is fo. What do you infer from that? I do not yet fee your Drift: your Windings are very long. A. Why, I wou'd argue from the plainest Principles; and not advance the leaft Step, without carrying Light and Certainty along with us. Anfwer me then, if you please. B. Seeing we lay down the Rule you laft mention'd, for the Management of the Body, there is certainly greater reason to follow it in the Conduct and Improvement of the Mind. A. Wou'd you permit fuch Arts as are only fubfervient to Pleasure, Amusement, and vain Curiofity; and have no relation either to the Duties of domeftick Life, or the common Offices of Society? B. I wou'd banish all fuch from my Commonwealth. A. If you allow'd of Mathematicians then, it would be for the fake of Mechanicks, Navigation, Surveying of Land, the Fortification of Places; and fuch Calculations as are useful in Practice; &c. So that it is the Usefulness of the Mathematicks that would recommend them to your Patronage. And if you tolerated Phyficians and Lawyers, it wou'd be for the Prefervation of Health; and the support of Justice. B. Right. A. And with the fame View of Usefulnefs you wou'd admit all other serviceable Profeffions. B. Cer B. Certainly. A. But how wou'd you treat the Muficians ? B. I wou'd encourage them. A. Wou'd you not lay them under fome proper Restraint, according to the Judgment and Practice of the antient Greeks, who always join'd Pleasure and Usefulness together? B. Explain yourself a little. A. Tho' they join'd Mufick and Poetry together, and carry'd both these Arts to the greatest Perfection; they apply'd them to inspire People's Minds with Fortitude, and noble Thoughts. They us'd Poetry and Mufick to prepare them for Battle; and carry'd Musicians and their various Inftruments, to War. Hence came Drums and Trumpets, which rais'd in them a Spirit of Enthufiafm, and a fort of Fury that they call'd Divine. It was by Mufick and the Charms of Verfe, that they soften'd savage Nations: and by the fame Harmony, they fweetly inftill'd Wisdom into their Children. They made them fing HOMER'S Verses to infpire their Minds with the Love of Glory, Liberty, and their native Country; and with a Contempt of Death, and Riches, and effeminate Pleasure. They gave their very Dances a grave and ferious Turn: for it is certain they danc'd not merely for the C 4 fake 5, 14. 2 Sam. vi. fake of Pleafure. We fee, by DAVID'S Example, that the Eastern People reckon'd Dancing a serious kind of Employment, like Musick, and Poetry. The myfterious Dances of the Priests were adopted by the Heathens among their Ceremonies, on folemn Festivals, in Honour of their Gods. There were a thousand Inftructions couch't under their Poems, and their Fables: nay their most grave and auftere Philofophy always appear'd with an Air of Gayety, and good Humour. All those Arts that confifted either in melodious Sounds, regular Motions of the Body, or the Use of Words; Mufick, Dancing, Eloquence, and Poetry, were invented to express the Pasfions; and by that means to communicate thefe Paffions to others. Thus did they endeavour to convey noble Sentiments to People's Minds, and give them lively affecting Views of the Beauty of Virtue, and the Deformity of Vice. So that all these Arts, under the Shew of Pleasure, favour'd the most serious Designs of the Antients; and were us❜d to promote Morality and Religion. Even the Diverfion of Hunting was encourag'd to train up the Youth for War. Their ftrongest Pleasures contain'd always fome folid Inftruction. From which Source flow'd those many heroick Virtues in Greece, which all Ages have fince admir'd. It is true this firft kind of Inftru 24 ction |