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LETTER XII.

TO PHILEMON.

Have been several Days, my dear PHILEMON, feeding my Eyes with those delicious Remains of ancient Architecture, the Ruins of PALMYRA, with which those very ingenious Gentlemen Mr.DawKINS and Mr. WOOD, who made a Voyage into ASIA on Purpose with the much to be lamented Mr. BOUVERIE, have fo greatly entertain❜d the Public. What a Blesfing it is to Mankind in general, and Glory to the Country in particular they belong to, when ample Fortunes fall to the Lot of Men who have fuch Taste and benevolent Difpofitions! I am almost perfuaded that LONGINUS himself must have been the Architect of the Temple of the Sun. There is something fo fublime in that View of the grand Entrance, and the noble Perspective behind it; and so analogous to his capacious Conceptions of

Great

Greatness in poetical Compofitions; that many a one, with a Fancy lefs warm than mine, join'd to a Temper fomewhat more dogmatical, would pronounce it abfolutely to be the Work of that great Genius, and endeavour to fupport his Opinion, like a modern Controverfialift, with a hundred notable Conjectures tack'd together with Shreads of ancient Hiftory. I muft own I was greatly furpriz'd that among this prodigious Heap of magnificent Ruins, there fhould be found only four IONIC Pillars, and all the reft should be of the CORINTHIAN Order. The Deteftation the PALMYRENES bore to the ROMANS might be a ftrong Reafon there fhould be none of the TUSCAN but why one GRECIAN Order should be fo little us'd, and the other totally neglected, feems not fo eafily to be accounted for, especially too when the IONIC was more in use, thro' ASI A Minor and the neighbouring Countries to PALMYRA, than both the other two join'd together. 'Tis true indeed, the Simplicity of the DORIC

G

DORIC would have ill fuited the magnificent Structures built in Honor of the greater Cœleftial Gods, but might nevertheless with the utmoft Propriety and Taste have been applied in Temples of the inferior Deities, and more particularly too of those who prefided over the Concerns of the innocent Shepherd and laborous Husbandman. Here not only the plain fubftantial Column of the DORIC, the Canon of whofe Order was afcertain'd, not by the lofty Cedar, but by sturdy Trees of a more common Growth, was the only proper Support for the Temple of PAN or SYLVANUS, but the Ornaments generally made ufe of in that Order. were fuch too as would be expected naturally in Buildings of that kind at the firft Inftitution of this rural Religion; namely, the Heads and Horns of Animals offer'd up in their Sacrifices. The want of this Species of Architecture makes me fufpect, that the Ruins which now remain were built at a Time when an unbounded Luxury had over-run the

State,

State, and almost extinguish'd the natural Taste for Truth and Propriety. The great Critic juft mention'd, has a most beautiful Observation in his Treatife upon the Sublime, concerning the Effect which immoderate Wealth has both upon private Families and Nations, and the speedy Progrefs it makes to obliterate in the human Soul, by the Luxury accompanying it, that noble and natural Regard for every Species of Virtue, which the benevolent Author of our Being has originally implanted in us. "I cannot conceive,

(fays LONGINUS) how it can happen "otherwise, but that we, who are fo

doatingly fond of immenfe Riches, or, to

fpeak more juftly, who idolize them, "fhould receive into our Souls thofe "Evils which are congenial with them. "For Profufion very clofely follows "Wealth, or, as we may fay, accompa"nies it; and the latter having open'd "the Gates both of Cities and private Families, they enter in and dwell toge"ther where having fettled for fome

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"time they make their Neft (as the wife obferve) and presently endeavouring to propagate their Kind, they beget Pride "and Luxury, which are no spurious Iffues, but their true and legitimate Off

"

fpring. Whoever permit these Children "of Wealth to come to Maturity within

them, they foon bring forth thofe impla"cable Tyrants in their Souls, Contumely,

Injustice, and Impudence"§. Now, Hiftory will inform us, that in all Empires a fimilar Depravity of Tafte for Arts and Sciences and natural Beauty, has ever attended a national Corruption of Morals. In the glorious and virtuous Part of the Ro-, MAN Republic under the Confuls, what admirable Edifices were erected for public Ufe, fuch as Temples for the Worfhip of the Gods, Senate-Houfes, Granaries and Aquæducts! In the Sink of Vice under the Emperors, we hear of expenfive, Mausoleums, immenfe Circuffes, fplen

did

* Ου δη εχω λογιζόμενος ευρειν ως οιον, &c. Longin. de Sublim. Page 248. Edit. Pearce.