after their Death have always some agreement with what Eucolpion had promised to himself Senex canus exercitati vultus qui videbatur magnum aliquid promittere There is nothing so natural as the Person of Crisis none of our Confidents come near her and without mentioning her first Conversation with Polienos that which she tells him of her Mistress upon the affront she received is of an inimitable simplicity Verum enim fatendum est ex qua hora accepit injuriam apud se non est Whosoever has read Iuvenal is well enough acquainted with impotentia matronarum and the ill humour it puts them in Si quando vir aut familiaris infelicius cum ipsis rem habuerat But there is no body but Petronius that could have described Circe so Beautiful so Voluptuous and so Gallant Enothea the Priestess of Priapus ravishes me with the Miracles she promises with her Enchantments her Sacrifices her Lamentation upon the Death of the Sacred Goose and the manner of her Pacification when Polienos makes her a Present wherewith she might purchase a Goose and Gods too if she thought fit Philumena that honest Lady is not less good who after having spent several Estates in the Flower of her Youth and Beauty coming to be Old and by consequence unfit for all Pleasures endeavoured to continue this fine Art by the means of her Children whom she introduced with a Thousand Noble Discourses to Old Men that had it not In a word there is no Nature no Profession which Petronius doth not admirably pursue the Genius of He is a Poet he is an Orator he is a Philosopher at his pleasure As for his Verses I find in them an agreeable Force a natural Beauty Naturali pulchritudine carmen exurgit I know not if I am deceived but in my Opinion Lucretius has not so affectingly treated of the matter of Dreams as Petronius Somnia quae mentes ludunt volitantibus umbris Non delubra Deum nec ab aethere numina mittunt Sed sibi quisque facit nam cum prostrata sopore Vrget membra quies mens sine pondere ludit Quidquid luce fuit tenebris agit oppida bello Qui quatit flammis miserandas saevit in urbes Tela videt c. And what can one compare to this voluptuous Night whose Image fills the Soul in such a manner that one has need of a little Vertue to hold fast the simple Impressions it makes upon the Mind Qualis nox fuit illa Dii Deaeque Quam mollis thorus Haesimus calentes Et transfudimus hinc hinc labellis Errantes animas Valete curae Mortalis ego sic perire coepi What a Night O good Gods What Warmth What Kisses What Breathing What mixture of Souls in those hot and amourous Respirations Although the Style of the Declamer seems ridiculous to Petronius yet for all that he shews much Eloquence in his Declamations and to demonstrate that the most Debauched are not incapable of Meditation Morality has nothing more serious or better handled than the Reflections of Eucolpion upon the Inconstancy of Humane Affairs and the Uncertainty of Death In every Subject that 's offered one cannot think more nicely nor speak with more purity Oftentimes in his Narrations he lets himself go to the Simple Nature and contents himself with the Graces of Plainness sometimes his work is a finished piece and then there 's nothing so exact Catullus and Martial treat of the same things in a gross manner and if so be any one could find the secret of covering what 's obscene in a Language like his I 'll answer for the Ladies that they would praise him for his Discretion But that which Petronius hath more particular is That excepting Horace in some Odes he is perhaps the only Person of Antiquity that knew how to speak of Gallantry Virgil is affecting in Passions the Amours of Dido the Amours of Orpheus and Euridice have Charms and Tenderness Yet there is nothing of Gallant and the Poor Dido so Compassionate was her Soul became Amorous of the Pious Aeneas at the recital of his Misfortunes Ovid is ingenious and easie Tibullus delicate In the mean time their Mistresses ought to be Learned As they alledge Gods Fables and Examples drawn from the most remote Antiquity they always promise Sacrifices and I fancy that Monsieur ... learnt of them the Method of burning Hearts in Offerings Lucian as ingenious as he is becomes gross so soon as he speaks of Love and his Courtezans have rather the Language of the Stews than the Discourse of the Bed-Chamber As for me who am a great admirer of the Ancients I can't but render Justice to our Nation and believe for certain that we have over them in this point a great advantage And without romancing after having examined this matter I do not know one of these great Genius's that could have made Massinissa and Sophonisba Caesar and Cleopatra speak so gallantly of Love as we have heard them in our Language As much as others come below us therein so much doth Petronius exceed us We have no Romance that affords us a History so agreeable as the Ephesian Matron Nothing has so much of Gallantry as the Love-Letters of Circe and Polienos and all their adventure whether in the management or in the Descriptions hath a Character very much above the Politeness of our Age. You may judge in the mean time whether he could nicely treat of a Noble Passion since here 't was an affair of two Persons that at their first sight were to taste the utmost Pleasure MAXIM That one ought never to be wanting to his Friends THIS Maxim is generally approved of the weakest and the firmest Friend the ungrateful and the acknowledging Person observe the same Language Yet there are but few People that practise what they say Is there a dispute about the acknowledgment of a good turn a thousand Men reâ—ine upon the Discourses of Seneca Is there a Question about acquitting himself towards a Benefactor no body frankly confesses the debt nor concludes on the value of the Service He that hath given magnifies Objects he that hath received lessens them The World is full of Braggadocio's and Hypocrites in Friendship Nevertheless it is certain that Friendship is a commerce the traffick thereof ought to be honest but 't is still a traffick He that hath ventured most therein ought to reap the most It is not permitted to infringe it without coming to an account but where are those to be found that act sincerely and don 't put in the Balance the slightest displeasure to counter-poise the service of the greatest weight Every one brags of his own Heart 't is a vanity Al-a-mode you hear nothing less repeated and that without blushing then every one makes to himself a Rule of Acknowledgment always commodious for him but inconvenient for his Friends Tacitus has told us the reason of it 't is that our own acknowledgement is
Person He had the Vertue of the Ancient Romans but cultivated and polished he had the knowledge and capacity of the last without any mixture of Corruption It is to be acknowledged notwithstanding that his Actions were more advantagious to the Common-wealth than his Vertues The Roman People had too deep a taste of his Vertues and disengaged themselves from the Obligations of their Duty to follow the engagements of their Will The Humanity of Scipio did not cease to produce unhappy effects with time It taught the Generals how to make themselves beloved and as things always degenerate an agreeable command was followed by an unworthy complaisance and when Vertues wanted to gain esteem and friendship they employed all the means that might corrupt See the miserable effects of this particular Spirit Noble and Glorious in its beginning but which since produced the Ambitious and the Covetous the Corrupters and the Corrupted This first disrelishing of the Republick had notwithstanding so much of Honesty that people disengaged themselves from the Love of the Laws on purpose to settle their affections on Vertuous persons The Romans came to consider their Laws as the sentiments of the old Legislators who ought not to Rule their Age and those of Scipio were lookt upon as living and animated Laws As for Scipio he turned to the Service of the Publick all that consideration which they had for his Person but desiring to sweeten the austerity of Duty by the Charm of Glory he was perhaps a little more sensible therein than he ought and at Rome particularly where all the Citizens appeared Criminals when they attracted too favourable an esteem This new Genius which succeeded to the Publick Good encouraged the Romans long enough to great things and the Spirits dispos'd themselves thereto with something of Life and Industry which they had not before for the Love of our Countrey makes us abandon our Fortune and even our Lives for its Security but the ambition and desire of Glory much more excite our Industry than this first Passion always delicate and noble but rarely cunning and ingenious 'T is to this Genius that is owing the defeat of Hannibal and the ruine of Carthage the fall of Antiochus and the Conquest or subjection of all the Greeks from whence one may say with reason that it was advantagioâ—s to the Common-wealth for its Grandeur but prejudicial for its Liberty At length they were as much out of humour with that as they were with the love of the Republick that esteem that inclination so Noble for Men of Vertue seemed ridiculous to those that would consider nothing but themselves Honour began to pass for a Chimera Glory for a meer Vanity and every one rendred himself basely Interessed imagining to become judiciously solid But the Genius of Interest which took place to that of Honour acted differently amongst the Romans according to the diversity of Tempers Those that possessed any thing of Greatness would acquire Power Inferiour Souls contented themselves by heaping up Riches all manner of ways As they did not fall quite of a sudden to an entire corruption so there was a passage from Honour to Interest where both one and t'other subsisted in the Republick but with different respects There was something of Honesty in some particular things and Infamy in others The Tempers were corrupted in Rome in affairs that related to the Citizens Integrity became every day more rare Justice was hardly known any more the desire of becoming Rich the predominant Passion and the considerable perâ—ons applied their Industry in appropriating to themselves what did not belong to them But still there was a Dignity in what related to Strangers and the most depraved within shewed themselves Jealous of the Glory of the Roman Name abroad Nothing was more unjust than the Judgments of the Senators nothing so filthy as their Avarice in the mean time the Senate applied themselves with niceness to the preservation of their Dignity and never were they more careful of hindring the Majesty of the Roman People from being violated This Senate in other things so much given to Interest and so corrupted with their Citizens had as elevated Thoughts as Scipio could have when they were concerned with Enemies In the time of a great corruption they could not dispence with the shameful Treaty of Mancinus with the Numantines and this miserable Consul was obliged to go and deliver up himself into their hands with all manner of Disgrace Gracchus who had some share in the Peace being Quaestour in the Army of Mancinus made a useless endeavour to sustain it his Credit was of no Service and his Eloquence was vainly employed As there has happened through Gracchus one of the most important affairs of the Common-wealth and perhaps the rise of all those that have since disturbed it it will not be amiss to describe him to you He was a person very considerable by his Authority by the Advantages of his Body and the Qualities of his Mind of a Genius opposite to that of the Great Scipio from whom his Mother Cornelia came more Ambitious of Power than Animated through a desire of Glory unless it were that of Eloquence necessary at Rome to get a Reputation He had a great and lofty Soul more fit notwithstanding to embrace Novelties and to recall past affairs than solidly to pursue those established His Integrity could not suffer any Interest of Money for himself it is true that he did not procure that of others without mingling therein the consideration of some design yet the Love of good things was natural enough to him the hatred of bad ones yet more He had a Compassion for the Oppressed more Animosity against the Oppressors insomuch that his Passion prevailing over his Vertue he insensibly abhorr'd the Persons more than the Crimes Several great Qualities made him admired amongst the Romans he had not one in that exactness where it ought to have been His Engagements carried him farther than he thought his Firmness turn'd into something of obstinate and those Vertues which might have been useful to the Republick became so many advantagious Talents for Factions I see neither curiousness nor moderation in the Judgments that have been left of him Those that have held the Party of the Senate have made him pass for a Furious person the Partisans of the People for a true Protector of Liberty It seems to me that he aimed at goodness and that he naturally hated all manner of Injustice but opposition put these good motions in disorder A thing contested incensing him against those that made resistance made him pursue by his Spirit of Faction what he had begun by a Sentiment of Vertue Behold in my Opinion what was the Genius of Gracchus who stirr'd up the People against the Senate It s necessary to see what disposition the People was in After having rendred great Services to the State the People found themselves exposed to the Oppression of the Rich and particularly to
our proper love as our true Master and one cannot bring the least alteration withouâ— making us discern this change with Violence Upon the whole one ought not to disfigure them in War to render them more illustrious in their Amours we may give them Mistresses of our own Invention we may mix Passion with their Glory but let us take care of making an Anthony of an Alexander and not ruine Heroes confirmed by so many Ages in favour of a Lover whom we form to our single Fancy To reject the love of our Tragedies as unworthy of Heroes is to take away that which makes us hold to them by a secret relation and I know not what cohaerence which still remains between their Souls and others But to bring them to us by this common Sentiment don't let us make them descend beneath themselves nor destroy what they possess above Men. With this moderation I will affirm that there are no Subjects where a general Passion which Nature hath dispersed throughout can't enter without trouble and violence Moreover as Women are as necessary for the representation as Men it is convenient to make them speak as much as one can of that which is most agreeable to their nature and of which they speak much better than of other things If you take away from some the expression of Amorous Thoughts and from others a converse in Secret into which a confidence which they have of each other makes them enter you reduce them for the most part to very tedious Conversations As if all their motions as their Discourses ought to be the effects of their Passion their Joy their Sorrow their Fears their Desires ought to relish of a little love to be taking If you introduce a Mother who rejoiceth for the Happiness of her Beloved Son or afflicts her self for the misfortune of her poor Daughter her Satisfaction or her Loss will make but little impression upon the Souls of the Spectators To be affected with the Tears and Complaints of this Sex let us see a Mistress that bewails the Death of a Lover and not a Wife that laments for the loss of a Husband The Grief of Mistresses which is tender has much more influence upon us than the affliction of an invegling self-interessed Widow and as sincere as she happens to be sometimes always affords us a Melancholy Idea of Funerals and their dismal Ceremonies Of all the Widows that ever appeared upon the Theatre I love to see none but Cornelia because instead of making me think of Children without a Father and a Wife without a Spouse her Affections all over Roman recall into my mind the Idea of ancient Rome and the Great Pompey Behold all that may reasonably be allowed to Love upon our Theatres but let them be contented with this and so far even their Rules will allow of it and let not its greatest favourers believe that the chief design of Tragedy is to excite a sort of tenderness in our hearts In subjects truly Heroick the Greatness of the Soul ought to be kept up before all things That which would be pleasing and tender in the Mistress of an ordinary Man is often weak and disgraceful in the Mistress of a Heroe She may entertain her self when alone with the inward Combats which she is sensible of in her self she may Sigh in Secret for her misery trust to a beloved and severe Confident her Fears and her Griefs But sustained by her Glory and fortified by her reason she ought always to remain Mistress of her Passions and animate her Lover to great things by her Resolution instead of disheartening him by her weakness Indeed 't is an unworthy Spectacle to see the Courage of a Heroe softned by Tears and Sighs and if so be he fiercely contemns the Griefs of a Beautiful person that loves him he discovers the firmness of his heart less than the hardness of his Soul To avoid this inconvenience Corneille has no less regard to the Character of Illustrious Women than to that of his Heroes Aemilia encourages Cinna to the execution of their design and meditates how to ruine all the motions that oppose the death of Augustus Cleopatra hath a Passion for Caesar and leaves nothing undone to preserve Pompey she would be unworthy of Caesar if she did not oppose the baseness of her Brother and Caesar undeserving of her if he was capable of approving that Infamy Dircè in Oedipus disputes greatness of Courage with Theseus turning upon her self the fatal explication of the Oracle which he would apply to himself for the love of her But one should consider Sophonisba whose Character might be envied by the Romans themselves One should see her Sacrifice the young Massinissa to Old Syphax for the good of her Countrey one should see her hearken as little to the Scruples of Duty in quitting Siphax as she had done the Sentiments of her love in losing Massinissa One should see her who subjects all sorts of Obligations what binds us what unites us the strongest Chains the most tender Passions to her Love for Carthage and her Hatred for Rome In a word one should see her when she 's utterly abandoned not wanting to her self and when those hearts which she had gained to save her Countrey signified nothing to owe to her self the last support to prâ—serve her Glory and her Liberty Corneille makes his Heroes speak with so much decency that he had never given us the Conversation of Caesar with Cleopatra if so be Caesar could have been believed to have had the Business which he had at Alexandria as Beautiful as she was as far as to have rendred the Converse of a Lover to indifferent Persons that should hear it He had certainly let that alone but that the Battel of Pharsalia was fully won Pompey dead and all that took part with him in flight As Caesar then believed himself to be the Master of all they might offer him an acquired Glory and a power in all appearance assured But when he discovered the Conspiracy of Ptolomy when he beholds his affairs in an ill Condition and his own Life in Danger it is no more a Lover that entertains his Mistress with his Passion but the Roman General that speaks to the Queen of the Danger which relates to them and leaves her with hast to provide for their common Security It is ridiculous then to take Porus up with his single Love upon the point of a great Battel which was to make a decision of all things for him it is no less to make Alexander depart when the Enemies began to rally One might have made him enter with impatience to seek Porus not to draw him from thence with precipitation to go and revisit Cleophile he that never had those Amorous Impatiences and who never thought a Victory to be compleat till he had either destroyed or pardoned That which I find more miserable on his account is that he is made to lose much of one side without
made use of at our own expence and that of others to our advantage He that doth good because he thinks himself obliged to do it doth it always with an ill Grace He looks upon his Duty as a troublesome Master He seeks for occasions to free himself and to shake off a Yoke which he bears with discontent From whence it comes to pass that the Offices of these Persons have something of a Languor in them which takes a way all the Blossom of the good they do us Should you die with shame you must explain to them all your Necessities and explain them more than once if so be you would have them understand you you must push them on continually by the Interest of their own glory and make level all their ways Their Hearts are always in a sort of Lethargy Stir them up they awake for a moment and afford some token of Life say no more to them they return to their first State On the other side the Offices of true Friends have something of liveliness which always precedes our Wants and even prevents our very Desires They find every thing easie one is sometimes forced to retain them and moderate that heat which carries them to goodness 't is of them one may truly affirm That they think to have lost the day wherein they have done no service for those they love But Honour which disguiseth it self under the name of Friendship is nothing but a Self-love that serves it self in the Person it makes an appearance of serving The Friend who acts but by this motive advances to do good in Proportion only to the encrease of his Reputation He stops short when his Witnesses are gone 't is a false brave that turns his Eyes to see if he is regarded 't is a Hypocrite that gives Alms with an unwilling Mind and pays this Tribute to God only to impose upon Men. There are yet other Friends whose only Prospect is their own Satisfaction this Iâ—ternal Law which they lay upon themselves makes them faithful and generous but there is in all their Actions a stiff regularity that puzzles those whom they oblige They do all things by weight and measure 'T is a Misfortune to him that has need of their Service when they think to have accomplished their Duties Provided they have nothing to reproach themselves with the Misfortune of another doth not affect them on the other side they would be concerned that it was ended so soon They continue it sometimes for the continuance of their own Glory They râ—joice they triumph in secret for a disgrace which gives them an occasion of shewing themselves instead of searching the most ready means to assist you they search the most signal ones to make themselves honoured they always make a Figure as they go and in a word they look upon their Friends as Victims devoted to their Reputation To speak the Truth these Persons love nothing but themselves and if they think not to deserve reproach one may also be of Opinion that they deserve no acknowledgment You see others pass their lives in Formalities and Complaisance they won't so much as pardon you a Ceremony These are the First Men of the World to comfort one upon the Death of a Father or to make offers of Service after the Sword is drawn Is the danger pass'd they put themselves in Garrison with you and are as constant in their attendance as your Shadow They are always Slaves to Circumspection great admirers of their own Vertue very importunate with those that are indebted to them One must acknowledge that these constraints are extreamly troublesome to a Free Soul There is no good turn that is not purchased too dear at this Price There is no Misfortune worse than that of being served after this manner To love because one's obliged to it is not to love In the mean time if those Friendships that are urged only by Honour or Duty have something of Languor or Troublesomeness in them those that are made by the resemblance of Humours and Communication of Pleasures are very subject to Alteration Since a Man is sometimes disgusted with himself 't is yet more easie to be disgusted with others The end of Friendship depends less upon our will than the beginning There is no Sympathy so perfect that is not mixed with some contrariety no agreement that holds an eternal Familiarity The noblest Passions become ridiculous in growing old The strongest Friendships decay with the time every day makes a breach therein One is for going immediately so fast that he 's out of breath in the midst of his Journey He wearies himself and wearies others After all says a Fickle Friend 't is a very tiresome business to be always hinting to the same Person I love you Nothing comes near the Vexation that a too stedfast Passion occasions It is fine indeed to endeavour to hide his distaste and labour to entertain Correspondence Letters become insipid Conversations languish the Lover tells the Lady counts every hour each at length see himself reduced to talk of the Foul or the Serene Weather There is not that fine Genius in Love that is not exhausted there is not that Solid Heart in Friendship that is not repulsed The taste of the best things change before they are changed themselves When the sole Interest of our Diversions forms the Knot of Friendship Absence Employments Disorders of Life may easily break it or at least untie the same The new Delights which are enjoyed with new Friends efface the remembrance of past Contentments The first Pleasures of each Engagement have something of sharpness that excites the desire to engage it self more As soon as they become more solid they are satiated Wherefore there is no reason to reproach Inconstancy as a very great evil it is no move in the power of certain Persons to love or not to love than to be in health or out of order All that one can reasonably demand from Fickle Persons is ingenuously to acknowledge their Levity and not to add Treason to Inconstancy For it happens but too often that the best established Friendships the most strict Confidences insensibly slacken We are to blame to exclaim against Ingratitude and to decry those that desert us we are sometimes glad that they give us an Example of change We seek a Quarrel we seem to be angry to the end of finding some pretence to set our selves at liberty But supposing it were a real Anger perhaps it is not their fault it may be 't is our own which of us hath a right to judge of it That which we call a Crime of the Soul is very often a defect of Nature God was not pleased to make us Perfect enough to be always amiable why should we desire then to be always loved Without doubt we took more care at the beginning to conceal our Imperfections our Complacency held the place of the greatest merit we enjoyed the Graces of Novelty these Graces resemble a
any person of good Sense that had undeceived it When Coiffeteau was seen to charm all the World with his Metaphors and that the chief sails of his Eloquence passed for wonderful When the Florid Language of ... which had neither force nor solidity affected all the false Polite and pretended Curious When the affectation of Balsac that undermined the natural Beauty of his Thoughts passed for a Majestick Noble Style should not one have rendred an important Service to the Publick by withstanding the Authority that these Gentlemen usurped and by preventing the ill Opinions that each of them hath differently established in his own Time I confess That one has not the same privilege against the Gentlemen of the Academy Vaugelas Ablancour Patru have put our Language in its Perfection and I make no Question but that our present Authors will keep it up in the same Condition wherein they have left it But if one day a false Idea of Politeness should make our Discourse feeble and languishing if by too great a love for making Histories and writing News one should study for an affected easiness which can be nothing else but a false Nature if so be a too great Application to purity should at length produce something of dryness if to pursue always the Method of Thought one should take from our Language the fine turn it bears and depriving it of all Ornament one should make it barbarous with an intent to render it natural would not it be reasonable then to oppose Corrupters that would subvert the good and true Style to form one as little proper to express strong Imaginations as curious Thoughts What have I to do to recall what 's past or to foresee the future I acknowledge the Jurisdiction of the Academy and would have it decide whether Vast be in use or no. I will submit to their Judgment But to know the force and propriety of the term to be satisfied whether 't is an Imputation or an Honour they will permit me to refer my self to Reason This small Discourse will shew if I have the Notion of it I maintained That in the Mind this term Vast was taken in a good or evil Sence according to the things which are added to it that a Vast Mind Admirable Piercing mark'd a wonderful Capacity and that on the other side a Genius Vast and Immoderate was a Genius that lost it self in rambling Thoughts in fine but vain Idea's in designs too great and little proportioned to the means that might make us succeed My Opinion appears to me to be moderate enough I am dispos'd to deny that Vast can ever be a Commendation and that nothing is capable of making this quality true Great is a Perfection in Minds Vast always a Reproach A just and regulated extent makes the Great an immoderate Grandeur makes the Vast. Vastitas an excessive greatness The Vast and the Terrible have a great resemblaâ—ce Vast Things don't suit with those that make upon us an agreeable Impression Vasta solitudo is not one of those Solitudes which affords a delicious Repose which charms the Pains of Lovers and enchants the Misfortunes of the Miserable 't is a barbarous Solitude where we are astonished at being alone where we regret the loss of Company where the remembrance of lost Pleasures afflicts us and the Sense of present Misfortunes torments us Your Vast House is somewhat formidable to the sight Vast Appartments never gave any Person a desire of continuing there Vast Gardens cannot have that agreement which proceeds from Art or the Graces which Nature might afford Vast Forests put us in a Fright The prospect is dispersed and loses it self in 〈◊〉 king over Vast Plains Rivers of a reasonable greatness make us behold agreeable Banks and suggest to us insensibly 〈◊〉 pleasantness of their peaceable Current Rivers too large Overflowings Inundations displease us by reason of their violent Motions and our Eyes cannot endure their vast extent Savage Countries that are untilled Countries ruinated by the Desolatiâ—â— of War Lands forsaken and abandoned have something of vastness which produceth in us as it were a secret Sentiment of Horror Vastus quasi vastatus vaste 'T is almost the same thing with spoiled and ruined Let us repair from Solitudes Forests Plains and Rivers to Living Creatures and Men. Vastae immanes Belluae That which the Poets have feigned most Monstrous the Cyclops the Gianâ—s are named vast Vastosque abrupte Cyclopos Prospicio Vasta se mole moventem Pastorem Poliphenum Virg. Amongst Men those that exceed our ordinary Stature those whom bigness or height distinguishes from others are called by the Latins Vasta Corporum Vastus has pass'd as far as Customs and Manners Cato who had otherwise so many good Qualities was a Person vastis moribus according to the Romans He had nothing of Elegance in his Discourse nothing of Grace either in his Person or his Actions He had a rustical and harsh Behaviour in all things The Germans at present civilized and polished in many places loved heretofore that what was in use with them should have something of vastness Their Habitation their Attendance their Equipage their Assemblies their Festivals vastum aliquid redolebant that is to say they were pleased with an immoderate greatness wherein there was neither Politeness nor Ornament I have observed That the word Vast hath four or five different Significations in Cicero all in an evil Sence Vasta Solitudo vastus agrestis vasta immanis bellua vastam hiantem orationem The most usual Signification of vastus is too spacious too extensive too great immoderate One will tell me That vast doth not signifie in French what vastus may signifie in Latin in all the sences that are given to it I confess it But why should it not keep the most natural as well as grief pleasure liberty favour honour affliction consolation and a Thousand words of this nature keep theirs There is a reason for vast that is not found in the rest it is that there never was a French Term that expresses really and truly what the vastus of the Latins can express and we have not made it French to encrease a number of words which signifie the same thing it is to give our Language what it wanted and what rendred it defective We think with more force than we express our selves There is always a part of our Thought that stays behind we very seldom communicate it entirely and 't is by this Spirit of Penetration more than by the Intelligence of words that we enter absolutely into the Conception of Authors In the mean time as if we should profess to understand well what others think or to make our own Thoughts comprehended we should weaken the Terms that would have the force of expressing them But in spite of our selves vast will preserve in French the true signification it has in Latin One says too vast as one says too insolent too extravagant too covetous and 't is