glories of the place. 'Tis therefore that I
have already waved the subject of your greatness, to resign myself to
the contemplation of what is more peculiarly yours. Greatness is
indeed communicated to some few of both sexes; but beauty is confined
to a more narrow compass: 'tis only in your sex, 'tis not shared by
many, and its supreme perfection is in you alone. And here, madam, I
am proud that I cannot flatter; you have reconciled the differing
judgments of mankind; for all men are equal in their judgment of what
is eminently best. The prize of beauty was disputed only till you were
seen; but now all pretenders have withdrawn their claims: there is no
competition but for the second place; even the fairest of our island,
which is famed for beauties, not daring to commit their cause against
you to the suffrage of those, who most partially adore them. Fortune
has, indeed, but rendered justice to so much excellence, in setting it
so high to public view; or, rather, Providence has done justice to
itself, in placing the most perfect workmanship of heaven, where it
may be admired by all beholders. Had the sun and stars been seated
lower, their glory had not been communicated to all at once, and the
Creator had wanted so much of his praise, as he had made your
condition more obscure: but he has placed you so near a crown, that
you add a lustre to it by your beauty. You are joined to a prince, who
only could deserve you; whose conduct, courage, and success in war;
whose fidelity to his royal brother, whose love for his country, whose
constancy to his friends, whose bounty to his servants, whose justice
to merit, whose inviolable truth, and whose magnanimity in all his
actions, seem to have been rewarded by heaven by the gift of you. You
are never seen but you are blest; and I am sure you bless all those
who see you. We think not the day is long enough when we behold you;
and you are so much the business of our souls, that while you are in
sight, we can neither look nor think on any else. There are no eyes
for other beauties; you only are present, and the rest of your sex are
but the unregarded parts that fill your triumph. Our sight is so
intent on the object of its admiration, that our tongues have not
leisure even to praise you: for language seems too low a thing to
express your excellence; and our souls are speaking so much within,
that they despise all foreign conversation. Every man, even the
dullest, is thinking more tha