Defign, a Propriety of Execution, and a Solidity through the Whole. The eafy Method of cutting Wood, and smoothing it into the finest Surface, promoted the Invention and Improvement of the Art of Turning. The hardest Species of Wood, as the Box and the Maple, which are scarce fufceptible of any Impreffions from Iron and Steel, may, when they are configned to the Hands of the Turner, be easily rounded, and diminished into a Delicacy of Shape; they are capable of being ornamented with flowing Fillets, rifing Gorges, hollow Flutings, and fwelling Fruits. His Inftrument can form them into Columns, Baluftrades, Boxes, and every other Figure he pleases to afford them. This agreeable Art has, at all Times, made repeated Tranfitions from the laborious Artifan, to Perfons of distinguished Rank; it has relaxed the Aufterity of monaftic Solitaries, and has had the Honour to be the favourite Amusement of Princes themselves. The Conjunction of Solidity and Pliancy, in the fame Portion of Matter, is the Reason why Wood has been felected for representing, in high or demi-Relief, the Figures of Men and Animals, Flowers and Foliage; with all the Ornaments that have ever been attempted on Marble and Metals, in order to perpetuate their Duration. But alas! a falfe Tafte, with a partial Fondness for Glitter, has frequently condemned the finest Touches of Sculpture to Obfcurity, under a radiant Surface of Gold and Silver! How many rich Figures of German, Pilon, and others of our beft Statuaries, have loft the greatest Part of their expreffive Energy, and delicate Lightness, under the Bronze and Gildings that incruft them! Chevalier. I have heard a Piece of History related, which correfponds very much with your Obfervations. Lycippus of Sicyon, formed an incomparable Statue, which reprefented Alexander the Great, in the Bloom of Youth. Nero caufed it to be gilded over, because it was only Brafs. This ridiculous Ornament defaced all the Beauty of the Features, and hardened every Grace in the youthful Form. The Gold was at last taken off, and the Statue appeared more valuable than before, even with all the Disadvantages it had fuftained from its injurious Embellishment. But I don't confider, Sir, Sir, that I interrupt your Account of the Benefits we re ceive from Wood. Prior. The Sequel would be too long for one Confe rence; for which Reason the Enumeration of the Advan-tages we derive from the Solidity and other Qualities of Wood, fhall be reserved for your Entertainment To-mor row. 1 ཟ་ WOODS. Prior. DIALOGUE XVI. The PRIOR. The CHEVALIER. N our Yesterday's Converfation, Sir, I intimated to you several of thofe Advantages we derive from the Trees of the Foreft; but they are ren dered ftill more beneficial to us by their large Dimenfions, and chiefly by that Texture of their conftituent Parts, which prevents their Separation. We may eafily discover, in the wide Scenes of Nature, a Number of Bodies that are very maffive and compact; fuch as Stones and Blocks of Marble, which we can appropriate to a Variety of Uses. But we find it very difficult to affemble and range thefe Maffes in fuch a Manner as may be fubfervient to our Defigns. They are very untractable as well as brittle, and are only useful to us, by continuing in a State of Immobility; whereas the moft enormous Maffes of Wood are always obfequious to the Intentions of Man. Trees of eighty Feet in Length plunge their Roots into the Bowels of the Earth in fearch of a folid Bottom, in foft Soils that would fink under a Weight of Building. Thefe mighty Growths of Wood may, by the Force of Blows, be driven deep either in the Earth or Water, where they will form a Foreft of immoveable Piles that are frequently incapable of Corruption, and will for ever fuftain the Weight of the largest Structures, with fuch a firm Cohesion and Equality, as as are not to be obtained even from the Solidity of the Earth itself. I likewife fee vaft Bodies of Timber difpofed in a very different Situation. They afcend to the Tops of Buildings, where they ftrengthen the Walls, and prevent their starting from the Pofitions affigned them; they fuftain the whole Preffure of a huge Roof of Tiles, or Slates, or even Lead itself. Is it, at any time, neceffary for them to be in Motion, for the Service of Mankind? You will then behold immenfe Beams, which almost appear unmanageable, moving from their Places, and adapting themfelves to the full Play of mechanic Powers. They mount aloft, they defcend, they roll, they whirl along, with as much Agility as Force, for the Satisfaction of Man, and to aid the Inability of his feeble Arms. They furnish Materials for those Frames that fuftain, for many Ages, the ponderous Swing of the largest Bells. They are fhaped into Naves, and Axle-Trees, Wheels, and weighty Carrs; and are converted into all the Vehicles that can poffibly be formed, by the Wain-wright, for the Conveyance of our Burdens to what Quarters we pleafe. They fupply us with Draw-bridges and Portcullis's; Wine-Preffes, and Machines for Founderies; together with Cranes, and all thofe mighty Engines, which dispatch more Work in an Inftant, than could formerly be accomplished in many Hours. In a word, we are indebted to the Forests for all those Veffels that move upon the mighty Waters, and resemble floating Cities, which are wafted, with all their Inhabi tants, by the Winds, from one End of the Globe to the other. Chevalier. It was certainly a daring Attempt, to traverfe the Ocean on a Set of Planks, faftened together. How could fuch a Thought ever enter into the Imagination of Man? The Origin of Arts. Prior. Man obferved, that the Animals around him. were fupplied with all that was necessary to their Exiftence, from the Moment of their Birth; and were enabled to transport themfelves, from Place to Place, with furprizing Agility; while. he himself was constrained to move with a flow Progrefs, in 'the painful Pursuit of thofe Accommodations that were dif perfed 1 perfed at a large Distance from him. He beheld other Animals gliding as light as the Wind, in the Regions above him; he faw them cleave the Air, without the leaft Impediment, and tranfport themselves, from Land to Land, by a Flight that was unobstructed by interpofing Seas. Man came into the World deftitute of all thefe Advantages, but he derived an ample Equivalent from the Faculty of Reason, by which he compelled the terrestrial Animals to direct their Motions for his Service. The Levity of Wood, the Fluctuation of the Waters, and the Force of the Winds, furnish him with Expedients for procuring Vehicles, by Land and Sea, as light as the Wings of Birds. When thefe Inventions were compleated, he no longer was limited to a fcanty Portion of Earth, but was able to transfer himself wherever he pleased. A mutual Intercourse was then maintained by distant Provinces. The Cities, that were feated on the Outlets of Rivers, were furnished with Importations from foreign Lands, and then transmitted them, by their Rivers, to different Parts, and diffused them through a whole Kingdom. Paris and Nants were approximated by thefe Means, and all the Subjects of a mighty State feemed to be affociated into one City, by Virtue of thefe mutual Communications. They foon became intimate; they contributed to the Aid of each other, and frequent Vifits were interchanged between them. I may even affirm, that the whole Earth is now become one City, of which the Continents form the different Quarters, Man, fince the Invention and Improvement of Navigation, can take a Progrefs to each Extremity of the World, in the fame Manner as the Inhabitants of Venice pass from one Quarter of their City to another, in their Gondolas. He now can travel nine thoufand Leagues, in less than the Space of two Years, by the Aid of his Veffel and Sails, and he arrives at those Regions that have never been vifited by the Birds of his Climate. When Eagles and Falcons attempt to expatiate as far as Man, they are debilitated and loft in the midst of their Paffage. After this Account of the Advantages we derive from Wood, can we imagine it to be capable of affording us another, which is ftill more important? This, however, is a real Fact. Wood is the Support of our Lives, fince it contains the principal, and most natural Aliment of Fire, without |