ame virtues. This honour was first
begun with their deities; afterwards it was paid to heroes, and of
consequence to philosophers, orators, religious men, and others, not only
to perpetuate their virtues, but also to embalm their names and memories.
But now it goes further; a person of any condition whatsoever, have he but
as much money as the painter asks, must sit for his picture. This is a
great abuse, and sprung from as laudable a cause."

Are you not ashamed to sit after that? He is not, however, without his
indulgences. He will allow something to a lover and a husband.

"Has a citizen's wife but an only babe? he is drawn at half a year old; at
ten years old he sits again; and for the last time in his twenty-fifth
year, in order to show her tender folly: and then she stands wondering how
a man can so alter in that time. Is not this a weighty reason? a
reprovable custom, if painters did not gain by it. But again, portraits
are allowable, when a lover is absent from his mistress, that they may
send each other their pictures, to cherish and increase their loves; a man
and wife parted so may do the same." You undertake, you perceive, a matter
of some responsibility--you must account to your conscience for the act of
sitting for your picture. Then there is a chapter upon defects, which, as
I suppose he presumes people don't know themselves, he catalogues pretty
fully, till you are quite out of humour with poor human nature. The
defects are "natural ones--accidental ones--usual ones." Natural--"a wry
face, squint eyes, wry mouth, nose," &c. Accidental. "Loss of an eye, a
cut on the cheek, or other part of the face, pits of the small-pox and the
like." Usual. "Contraction of the eyes and mouth, or closing or gaping of
the latter, or drawing it in somewhat to this or that side, upwards or
downwards," &c. As for other bodily infirmities, how many have wry necks,
hunchbacks, bandy legs--withered or short arms, or one shorter than
another; dead or lame hands or fingers." Now, are you so sure of the
absence of all these defects, that you venture? You must think yourself an
Adonis, and not think that you are to be flattered, by having any very
considerable number of your defects hid. "The necessary ones ought to be
seen, because they _help the likeness_; such as a wry face, squint eyes,
low forehead, thinness, and fatness; a wry neck, too short or too long a
nose; wrinkles between the eyes; ruddiness or paleness of the cheeks, o