THE GENTEEL STYLE IN WRITING
Buttherankofthewriterisnevermoreinnocentlydisclosed,thanwherehetakesforgrantedtheplimentspaidbyforeignerstohisfruit-trees.Forthetasteandperfectionofwhatweesteemthebest,hecantrulysay,thattheFrench,whohaveeatenhispeachesandgrapesatSheneinnoveryillyear,havegenerallyconcludedthatthelastareasgoodasanytheyhaveeateninFranceonthissideFontainebleau;andthefirstasgoodasanytheyhaveeatinGascony.ItalianshaveagreedhiswhitefigstobeasgoodasanyofthatsortinItaly,whichistheearlierkindofwhitefigthere;forinthelaterkindandtheblue,wecannotenearthewarmclimates,nomorethanintheFrontignacorMuscatgrape.Hisorange-treestoo,areaslargeasanyhesawwhenhewasyounginFrance,exceptthoseofFontainebleau,orwhathehasseensinceintheLowCountries;exceptsomeveryoldonesofthePrinceofOranges.OfgrapeshehadthehonourofbringingoverfoursortsintoEngland,whichheenumerates,andsupposesthattheyareallbythistimeprettymonamongsomegardenersinhisneighbourhood,aswellasseveralpersonsofquality;forheeverthoughtallthingsofthiskind"themonertheyaremadethebetter."Thegardenpedantrywithwhichheassertsthat`tistolittlepurposetoplantanyofthebestfruits,aspeachesorgrapes,hardly,hedoubts,beyondNorthamptonshireatthefurthestnorthwards;andpraisesthe"BishopofMunsteratCosevelt,"forattemptingnothingbeyondcherriesinthatcoldclimate;pleasantandincharacter."Imayperhaps"(hethusendshissweetGardenEssaywithapassageworthyofCowley)"beallowedtoknowsomethingofthistrade,sinceIhavesolongallowedmyselftobegoodfornothingelse,whichfewmenwilldo,orenjoytheirgardens,withoutoftenlookingabroadtoseehowothermattersplay,whatmotionsinthestate,andwhatinvitationstheymayhopeforintootherscenes.Formyownpart,asthecountrylife,andthispartofitmoreparticularly,weretheinclinationofmyyouthitself,sotheyarethepleasureofmyage;andIcantrulysaythat,amongmanygreatemploymentsthathavefallentomyshare,Ihaveneveraskedorsoughtforanyofthem,buthaveoftenendeavouredtoescapefromthem,intotheeaseandfreedomofaprivatescene,whereamanmaygohisownwayandhisownpace,inthemonpathsandcirclesoflife.Themeasureofchoosingwelliswhetheramanlikeswhathehaschosen,whichIthankGodhasbefallenme;andthoughamongthefolliesofmylife,buildingandplantinghavenotbeentheleast,andhavecostmemorethanIhavetheconfidencetoown;yettheyhavebeenfullyrepensedbythesweetnessandsatisfactionofthisretreat,where,sincemyresolutiontakenofneverenteringagainintoanypublicemployments,Ihavepassedfiveyearswithouteveroncegoingtotown,thoughIamalmostinsightofit,andhaveahousetherealwaysreadytoreceiveme.Norhasthisbeenanysortofaffectationassomehavethoughtit,butamerewantofdesireorhumourtomakesosmallaremove;forwhenIaminthiscorner,IcantrulysaywithHorace,Mequotiesreficit,&c.
"Me,whenthecoldDigentianstreamrevives,
WhatdoesmyfriendbelieveIthinkorask?
Letmeyetlesspossess,soImaylive,
Whateerofliferemains,untomyself.
MayIhavebooksenough;andoneyearsstore,
Nottodependuponeachdoubtfulhour:
ThisisenoughofmightyJovetopray,
Who,ashepleases,givesandtakesaway."
ThewritingsofTempleare,ingeneral,afterthiseasycopy.Ononeoccasion,indeed,hiswit,whichwasmostlysubordinatetonatureandtenderness,hasseducedhimintoastringoffelicitousantitheses;which,itisobvioustoremark,havebeenamodeltoAddisonandsucceedingessayists."Whowouldnotbecovetous,andwithreason,"hesays,"ifhealthcouldbepurchasedwithgold?whonotambitious,ifitwereatthemandofpower,orrestoredbyhonour?but,alas!awhitestaffwillnothelpgoutyfeettowalkbetterthanamoncane;norablueribandbindupawoundsowellasafillet.Theglitterofgold,orofdiamonds,willbuthurtsoreeyesinsteadofcuringthem;andanachingheadwillbenomoreeasedbywearingacrown,thanamonnightcap."Inafarbetterstyle,andmoreaccordantwithhisownhumourofplainness,aretheconcludingsentencesofhis"DiscourseuponPoetry."Templetookapartinthecontroversyabouttheancientandthemodernlearning;and,withthatpartialitysonaturalandsogracefulinanoldman,whosestateengagementshadlefthimlittleleisuretolookintomodernproduction,whilehisretirementgavehimoccasiontolookbackupontheclassicstudiesofhisyouth——decidedinfavourofthelatter."Certainitis,"hesays,"that,whetherthefiercenessoftheGothichumours,ornoiseoftheirperpetualwars,frighteditaway,orthattheunequalmixtureofthemodernlanguageswouldnotbearit——thegreatheightsandexcellencybothofpoetryandmusicfellwiththeRomanlearningandempire,andhaveneversincerecoveredtheadmirationandapplausesthatbeforeattendedthem.Yet,suchastheyareamongstus,theymustbeconfessedtobethesoftestandsweetest,themostgeneralandmostinnocentamusementsofmontimeandlife.Theystillfindroominthecourtsofprinces,andthecottagesofshepherds.Theyservetoreviveandanimatethedeadcalmofpoorandidlelives,andtoallayordiverttheviolentpassionsandperturbationsofthegreatestandthebusiestmen.Andboththeseeffectsareofequalusetohumanlife;forthemindofmanislikethesea,whichisneitheragreeabletothebeholdernorthevoyager,inacalmorinastorm,butissotobothwhenalittleagitatedbygentlegales;andsothemind,whenmovedbysoftandeasypassionsoraffections.Iknowverywellthatmanywhopretendtobewisebytheformsofbeinggrave,areapttodespisebothpoetryandmusic,astoysandtriflestoolightfortheuseorentertainmentofseriousmen.Butwhoeverfindthemselveswhollyinsensibletotheircharms,would,Ithink,dowelltokeeptheirowncounsel,forfearofreproachingtheirowntemper,andbringingthegoodnessoftheirnatures,ifnotoftheirunderstandings,intoquestion.Whilethisworldlasts,Idoubtnotbutthepleasureandrequestofthesetwoentertainmentswilldosotoo;andhappythosethatcontentthemselveswiththese,oranyothersoeasyandsoinnocent,anddonottroubletheworldorothermen,becausetheycannotbequietthemselves,thoughnobodyhurtsthem.""Whenallisdone(heconcludes),humanlifeisatthegreatestandthebestbutlikeafrowardchild,thatmustbeplayedwith,andhumouredalittle,tokeepitquiet,tillitfallsasleep,andthenthecareisover."