Michael Angelo, that celebrated restorer of the arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture, expressed how infinitely he was charmed with Munster Village[45].--'What is really beautiful, said he, does not depend either upon fashion, or times; there may be _different ways_ of expressing things in different ages; but there can only _be one_ of conceiving them properly.' The temple, in which they were, was adorned with the paintings of Raphael[46], copied by an able artist. Lady Darnley, pointing to these, (and addressing him) said 'There is proof how much we fall short, how faintly we copy originals!'--Raphael replied, that her ladyship did him much honor; the pieces she had selected, had met with the suffrage of the public; but that, in his own acceptation, _the cartoons_ were the best of his performances--which he apprehended a juster prevailing taste at present condemned: Otherwise the father of his people, approved of by Minos--so good so indulgent a prince to his subjects--would not lock them up from public observations.--Lady Darnley was here quite at a loss; she blushed, hesitated, unwilling either to refuse her sovereign _taste_ or _philanthropy_! Lawrence de Medicis perceiving her situation, in pity of her confusion, retired with his company. Charon again landed a groupe of figures; their dress declared them English, of the reign of King Charles II--They proved to be the Duke of Buckingham[47], Sir William Petty, Mr Dryden, Mr Locke, Mr Waller, etc. The Duke addressed Lady Darnley with that polite address peculiar to himself in his age, and which has since been sedulously studied, to the prevention of qualities which it should only be the harbinger of--he expatiated on her merit; that she had obliged the whole nation, as every one individual might receive improvement or pleasure by her means.--Lady Darnley returned him a most gracious answer, still intimating her apprehensions, that the arts perhaps were not likely to thrive in this soil, where our pursuits, opinions, and inclinations, vary with the weather--that the declension of letters after the reign of Charles II. but too fully justified her opinion.--The Duke answered her, that indeed that was the common and received opinion, and that the reign she mentioned was the Augustan age in England; but that he had the honor to assure her, that a just taste was by no means then formed.--The progress of philological learning, and the _Belles Lettres_ was obstructed by the institution of the Royal Society, which turned the thoughts of men of genius to physical inquiries.--To that body we were indebted for the discoveries relating to light, the principle of gravitation, the motion of the fixed stars, the geometry of transcidental qualities; but that it was left to her ladyship to revive the agreeable arts, for which her name must be handed down to posterity with honor. The following dialogue ensued between Charon and a Beau.