of their ancestors, by the artifice of ministerial men, disguised in the fhape of a law?

In this way will the English conftitution one day expire, as it appears to my eyes, who behold objects with less partiality, than those natives who either oppose or defend the ministerial power.

I am,

LETTER XXXVIII.

To the Reverend Father BATISTA iso GUANL at Rome.

Dear Sir,

S it not true, that individuals may be very defective in one sense, and very perfect in another? the eye may scarce have accuracy enough to diftinguish colours at a little distance, and yet the ear may be fo perfect as to discover the fucceeding notes in the dying vibration of one string, or expiring found of one bell; whilft another person shall discover the least deviation from true drawing, or varying fhade of the same colour, and not distinguish one air or tune from another the fame is equally true in the other fenfes of smelling, touching, and hearing.

THIS obfervation has led me to imagine, that the fame degrees of excellence which are to be found in the fenfes of individuals, may characterife a whole nation in this respect.

IN paffing thro' Paris to this city, I could not avoid being greatly aftonished at the pleafure with which the audience feemed to be delighted, with the fingers on their ftage; for that reafon which above all others is the most difgufting in mufic, the being eternally out of

tune.

Nor a finger in the opera ever performs an air without that error, and yet, the whole audience does not appear the leaft fenfible of it: an Italian porter would have raved at fuch founds, and left the theatre inftantly, half mad, unless the finger had quitted the stage.

THIS naturally made me fuggeft, that this nation in general is defective in hearing; the organs of that sense, in a French native, are not made with fufficient, delicacy, to distinguish between being in tune, and not in tune; whereas, thofe of an Italian peafant are extremely accurate in this fenfe.

NOTWITHSTANDING this, the deficiency which is fo notorious in this part of the organi zation

H 4

zation of a Frenchman, is amply atoned for, by the great perfection of the fenfe of feeing.

IN all attitudes of the human figure, whether in dancing, walking, or any other kind of polite action, nothing is more juft, graceful, and becoming, than what is to be found in France, not only in the fuperior ranks, but even the lower have a great degree of that becoming action.

THE eyes of this people are fo extremely fubtle and distinguishing, that the smallest improper action in a player, the leaft diftorted or ungraceful motion in a dancer's limbs is immediately perceived; the eye of that perfon, whofe ear cannot diftinguish between an inftrument in tune and not, difcerns the leaft ungraceful movement of the body, and receives much pain from it.

HENCE it follows, that the musicians of [ Paris are very often deficient in tuning their instruments, and their dancers the most graceful and just in all the attitudes of bodily motion.

THIS fuperior accuracy of sense in the eye does not terminate in the dancer, it goes on in

the

the painter and ftatuary, in the drawings, decorations and ornaments of all kinds of toys and furniture; and I believe, it is no violation of truth, to fay, that the French academy of painting and fculpture furnishes the best masters of these kinds in Europe at prefent: this you must confefs is no fmall conceffion from the lips of an Italian, where thefe arts have flourished and reigned in all the zenith of perfection.

THE English, with whom I have long refided, refemble our natives in the delicacy of hearing, more than either the Italians or French in that of eye-fight.

THEIR very ballad-fingers in the streets are in tune, and are really for that reafon alone, without confidering the tafte of their common airs, a more agreeable entertainment, than all the voices of the French opera.

THE ear of a Briton has a great degree of perfection, fenfibility, and tafte of the mufic; it distinguishes inftantly between the plea

powers

of

fures which are communicated by inftruments