Miscellaneous essays by Monsieur St. Euremont ; translated out of French. With a character / by a person of honour here in England ; continued by Mr. Dryden.

The Character of a Woman that is not, and never will be found.

IN all the handsome Persons I have seen, if so be there were some Passages to be admired, there were also some, that one ought not to ob∣serve, or at least disguise them with much arti∣fice; for, to speak the truth, it's hard to com∣mend all, and be sincere. I am obliged to Aemi∣lia for leaving me purely in my Nature, as much disposed to speak well, as to remain exactly true. As she wants neither favour nor kindness, I have no busin•••••• either with Disguises or Flat∣teries. By her means I can praise to day with∣out Complaisance. Observators too exact loose a Malicious Nicety, which is applied but to ex∣amine Faults; and in a new Spirit which she inspi••••s them with, they pass with pleasure from their usual Censure, to real Approbations.

It is certain that the greatest part of Women are more indebted to our Complements, than their own Merits, in all the Praises which are given to the••. Aemilia is obliged only to her self for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••stice which is rendred to her, and secure of the good one ought to affirm of her, she has properly no Interest, but for that which may be procured from her.

In effect, if her Enemies speak of her, it is not in their power to betray their Conscience, and they confess with as much truth as anger, the

advantages which they are obliged to acknowledge in her: if so be her Friends enlarge themselves up∣on her Commendations, it is not possible for them to add any thing to the Merit which affects them. Thus the former are forced to submit to Reason, when they would follow the Malice of their Mo∣tions; and the others meerly just with all their Friendship, without a Capacity of being either officious, or favourable. She expects then nothing from the Inclination, as she apprehends nothing from an evil Will, in the Judgments that are made of her. But since one is free to conceal his Opini∣ons, Aemilia will have Reason to fear the Malice of Silence, the single prejudice that Rivals and E∣nemies can offer to her.

It's necessary to leave things somewhat general, to come to a more particular Description of her Person.

All her Features are regular, which is very sel∣dom observed. All her Features are regular and agreeable, which is as it were never seen; for it seems that a Fancy of Nature may produce the A∣greements of Regularity, and that compleat Beau∣ties, who have always something to be admired, rarely enjoy the Secret of Pleasing. Aemilia hath affecting Eyes, the Complexion parted, delicate, smooth; the Whiteness of Teeth, the Vermilion of Lips are Expressions too general for a secret and particular Charm, which I cannot describe. With∣out her, that Shape, that lower Part of the Face, where was placed the great Beauty of the Ancients, would be found no where but in the Idea of some Painter, or in the Descriptions which Antiquity has left us; and to enliven so many fine things, you

see upon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Face a lively Clearness, an Air of Health, a fullness in a good Degree, that leaves nothing more to be apprehended.

Her Stature of an exact Height, well propor∣tion'd, easie, of a Freedom as far from Constraint, as that excessive Beauty, wherein appears as it were a sort of Loosness, which ruines the good Grace, and the good Carriage. Add to this a noble Gate, a serious Behaviour, but natural, which is neither starch'd, nor confus'd; the Laugh, the Speech, the A∣ction, accompanied with Agreements and Decorum's.

Her Spirit is extensive without being Vast, never rambling so far in general Thoughts, as not to be able to return easily to singular Considerations; nothing escapes her Penetration, her Judgment leaves nothing ••nknown: And I cannot tell, whe∣ther she is more fit to unravel hidden things, than to judge soundly of those, which appear secret to us and not Mysterious; knowing equally how to be oppor∣tunely silent, and speaking. In her ordinary Conver∣sation, she says nothing with study, and nothing at a venture, the l••••st Matters mark Attention, there appears no endeavour in the most serious; what she has of Life ceases not to be exact, and her most natural Thoughts are express'd with a delicate Turn: But she hates lucky Imaginations, that escape from the Mind without Choice and without Judg∣ment, that are as it were always admired, and for the most part little esteemed by those, that have them.

In all her Person you see something of Great and Noble, which is found by a secret Relation in the Air of the Face, the Qualities of the Mind, and those of the Soul.

Naturally she would be too Magnificent, but a

just Consideration of her Affairs retains this noble Sentiment, and she chuseth rather to constrain the Generosity of her Humour, than to fall into a Condition, where she should stand in need of that of another, as fierce to refuse any Favour from her own, as officious with Strangers, and full of Heat in the Interests of her Friends. Not that these Con∣siderations make her lose an Inclination so noble, she regulates it in the use of her Estate; her Nature, and her Reason form an Unconcernedness without Neg∣ligence.

She has good Sense and Dexterity in Affairs she enters in voluntarily, if so be she finds therein a sub∣stantial Advantage for her self, or for her Friends: But she hates to act by a Spirit of Restlessness; equally against an unuseful Motion, and the Soft∣ness of a Repose, that takes a Pride in the Name of Tranquillity, to cover a true Indifference.

After having described so many Qualities so fine, it's proper to see what Impressions they make upon our Soul, and what's doing in her own.

She has something of Majestical, that imprints Respect; something of sweet and ingenious, that wins the Inclinations. She attracts you, she retains you, and you always approach to her with De∣sires, that you cannot shew.

To pierce into the inward Part, I don't believe her to be uncapable of the Sentiments she gives: But imperious upon her self, as well as upon you, she masters in her own Heart by Reason, what Re∣spect constrains in yours.

Nature being infirm in some Souls, doth not leave there force to desire any thing; impetuous in others, it brings forth transported Passions: exact in Aemi∣lia,

it has made the Heart sensible, which ought to feel, and has given to Reason, which ought to command, an absolute Empire over her Motions.

Happy she, that lets her self go to the Tender∣ness of her Sentiments, without interessing the Cu∣riousness of her Choice, nor that of her Conduct: Happy, that in a Correspondence established for the Sweetness of Life, contents her self with the Approbation of ingenious Men, and her own Sa∣tisfaction; that fears not the Murmurs of the en∣vious, who are jealous of all Pleasures, and malici∣cious against all Vertues.

One knows by an Infinity of Experience, that the Mind is blind in loving; and Love has as it were, never well established his Power, till he has ruined that of our Reason: Upon the Subject of Aemilia our Sentiments become more passionate, according as our Knowledge becomes more refined; and the Passion, which always appeared a Mark of Folly, is here the true Effect of our Happiness.

The great Enemies of Aemilia are those that have a false Knowledge of things, her Friends, all that know how to judge of things with Discretion. One has more, or less of Friendship for her, according as one has more or less of Nicety; and every one thinks to be the most curious, by knowing every day new Passages, in order to love her more.

Some Persons have no Occasion for this long dis∣cerning, and for so slow a Meditation. At the first sight they are touched with her Merit without the Knowledge of it, and feel secret Motions of Esteem, as well as Inclination for her. Scarce has she ut∣tered six Words, but they find her the most reaso∣nable in the World: No body ever appeared to

them so ingenious, nor so wise, and as yet they know neither her Procedure, nor her Conduct. They frame, as it were by Instinct, the most ad∣vantageous Thoughts of her Vertue; aud Reason being since consulted, instead of hiding the Sur∣prize, doth but approve of such happy, and just Preventions.

Amongst the Advantages of Aemilia, one of the greatest, in my Opinion, is to be always the same, and always pleasing. For one sees that the finest Humour doth at length become tiresome: The most fertile Spirits come to exhaust themselves, and make you fall with them into a Langour; the most enlivened Vivacities either repulse you, or weary you. From whence comes it, that Women have need of Fancies sometimes to stir us up, or else are obliged to mix in their Entertainments Diversions, that revive us? That which I describe pleases by her self alone, and at all times an eternal Equality never affords us a quarter of an Hour's distate. One is glad to be able to find with others one agree∣able Hour; with her one would complain of a te∣dious Moment. Go and visit her in what Condi∣tion soever it be, upon what Occasion soever, you go to a certain Pleasure, and to an assured Satis∣faction.

'Tis not an Imagination that surprizes you, and presently after is troublesome to you. 'Tis not a serious thing, that makes you purchase a solid Conversation by the loss of its Gayety: 'tis a Rea∣son that pleases, and a Judgment that's agreeable. I'll conclude by the Quality, which ought to be considered before all the rest. She is devout with∣out Superstition, without Melancholy; far from

that Infirmity, which frames Miracles particularly, and perswades it self at all Moments of supernatu∣ral Fopperies; averse from those retired Humours, which insensibly diffuse in the Mind the Hatred of the World, and an Antipathy against Pleasures.

She is not of Opinion, that one ought to retire from Humane Society, to seek God in the Hor∣rour of Solitude: She doth not believe that to be disengaged from a civil Life, to break the most reasonable and dear Correspondences, is to be united to God, but to be tied to ones self, and foolishly pursue ones own Imagination: She thinks to find God amongst Men, where his Goodness is most active, and his Providence appears to be more worthily employed; and there she seeks with him to enlighten her Reason, to perfect her Manners, to regulate her Conduct, both in the Cares of Sal∣vation, and the Duties of Life.

Behold the Description of a Woman that is not to be found; if so be one may make the Descrip∣tion of a thing that is not. 'Tis rather the Cha∣racter of an accomplished Person. I was not dis∣posed to seek it amongst the Men, because there is always wanting to their Commerce something of that Sweetness, which one meets with in that of Women; and I thought it less impossible to find in a Woman the strongest and soundest Reason of Men, than in a Man the Charms and Agreements natural to Women.

THE END.