excellence, but extend our approbation even to the dress which

happened to be the fashion of that age. We all very well remember

how common it was a few years ago for portraits to be drawn in this

Gothic dress, and this custom is not yet entirely laid aside. By

this means it must be acknowledged very ordinary pictures acquired

something of the air and effect of the works of Vandyke, and

appeared therefore at first sight to be better pictures than they

really were; they appeared so, however, to those only who had the

means of making this association, for when made, it was

irresistible. But this association is nature, and refers to that

Secondary truth that comes from conformity to general prejudice and

opinion; it is therefore not merely fantastical. Besides the

prejudice which we have in favour of ancient dresses, there may be

likewise other reasons, amongst which we may justly rank the

simplicity of them, consisting of little more than one single piece

of drapery, without those whimsical capricious forms by which all

other dresses are embarrassed.

Thus, though it is from the prejudice we have in favour of the

ancients, who have taught us architecture, that we have adopted

likewise their ornaments; and though we are satisfied that neither

nature nor reason is the foundation of those beauties which we

imagine we see in that art, yet if anyone persuaded of this truth

should, therefore, invent new orders of equal beauty, which we will

suppose to be possible, yet they would not please, nor ought he to

complain, since the old has that great advantage of having custom

and prejudice on its side. In this case we leave what has every

prejudice in its favour to take that which will have no advantage

over what we have left, but novelty, which soon destroys itself,

and, at any rate, is but a weak antagonist against custom.

These ornaments, having the right of possession, ought not to be

removed but to make room for not only what has higher pretensions,

but such pretensions as will balance the evil and confusion which