 Charms, in the Eye of a Man who
had never seen one of another Cast? The Ladies themselves seem so sensible of
this, that they are all industrious to procure Foils; nay, they will become
Foils to themselves; for I have observed, (at Bath particularly) that they
endeavour to appear as ugly as possible in the Morning, in order to set off that
Beauty which they intend to shew you in the Evening.
    Most Artists have this Secret in Practice, tho' some, perhaps, have not much
studied the Theory. The Jeweller knows that the finest Brilliant requires a
Foil; and the Painter, by the Contrast of his Figures, often acquires great
Applause.
    A great Genius among us, will illustrate this Matter fully. I cannot,
indeed, range him under any general Head of common Artists, as he hath a Title
to be placed among those
 
                    Inventas, qui vitam excoluere per Artes.
 
                    Who by invented Arts have Life improv'd.
 
I mean here the Inventor of that most exquisite Entertainment, called the
English Pantomime.
    This Entertainment consisted of two Parts, which the Inventor distinguished
by the Names of the Serious and the Comic. The Serious exhibited a certain
Number of Heathen Gods and Heroes, who were certainly the worst and dullest
Company into which an Audience was ever introduced; and (which was a Secret
known to few) were actually intended so to be, in order to contrast the Comic
Part of the Entertainment, and to display the Tricks of Harlequin to the better
Advantage.
    This was, perhaps, no very civil Use of such Personages; but the Contrivance
was nevertheless ingenious enough, and had its Effect. And this will now plainly
appear, if instead of Serious and Comic, we supply the Words Duller and Dullest;
for the Comic was certainly duller than any thing before shewn on the Stage, and
could be set off only by that superlative Degree of Dulness, which composed the
Serious. So intolerably serious, indeed, were these Gods and Heroes, that
Harlequin (tho' the English Gentleman of that Name is not at all related to the
French Family, for he is of a much more serious Disposition) was always welcome
on the Stage, as he relieved the Audience from worse Company.
    Judicious Writers have always practised this Art of Contrast, with great
Success. I have been surprized that Horace should cavil at this Art in Homer;
but indeed he contradicts himself in the very next Line.
 
Indignor quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus,
Verum Opere in longo fas est obrepere Somnum.
 
I grieve if e'er great Homer chance to sleep,
Yet Slumbers
