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¬remote ages, the deity representing and pre- siding over female beauty." Here, as the reader will find in the sequel, the appropriation was indeed most perfect; but it must be left to every reader, according to his own fancy, to form an idea of the Armatian women; because not having any distinct characters of form or countenance, like those of France, or Spain, or Italy, or Greece, or Circassia, but embracing them all in their delightful varieties, the poet must drop his pen, and the painter his pencil : — but I must no longer delay your attention to the history you ask for.* ¬* Gn my return to England, and whilst I was writing these pages, I was very much surprized to observe in my pocket edition of Johnson's Spelling Dictionary, that our Venus also went by the name of Armata. I had never heard it before, and only found it in an index to this little volume. It passes all understanding how such a coincidence should have arisen. ¬
CHAP-
