O. See you not (refumed the good old man,) the hill beyond the grove; that eminence which is the highest point of all the inclofures, and commands a boundless profpect. There, on a glorious throne, you may observe a majestic perfon in her bloom, well drest, but without art or lavish cost, and her temples adorned with a beautiful Tiar: This is Happiness, the regent of that bleffed abode, and as the moral heroes approach her, you may perceive her, with the Virtues who ftand affiftant round her, going to reward the friends of wisdom with fuch crowns as are bestowed on conquerors. 4. T. Conquerors! (I faid) In what conflicts have these perfons been victorious?

O. They have, in their way to the realm of Happiness, destroyed the most formidable and dangerous monfters, who would have deftroyed them, if they had not been fubdued: Thefe favage beafts at war with man are, ignorance and error; grief, vexation, avarice, intemperance, and every thing that is evil. These are vanquifhed, and have loft all their power. The moral hero triumphs now, though their flave before..

T. Great atchievements indeed! A glorious conqueft. But exclufive of the honour * of being crowned by Happiness and the Virtues, is there any falutary power in the crown that adorns the hero's head ?

I

O. There

O. There is, young man. The virtue of it is great. Poffeffing this, he is happy and bleffed. He derives his felicity from no external object, but from himself alone.

T. O happy victory! And being thus crowned, what does the hero do-where next his steps?

-

O. Conducted by the Virtues, he goes back to furvey his first abode, and fee the crowd he left; how miferably they pass their time; waste all their hours in crimes, and in the whirl of paffions live. El ves to ambition, pride, incontinence, vanity, and avarice, they appear tormented with endlefs anxiety. They have forgot the inftructions the good genius gave them, at their entrance into life, and fuffer thus because they cannot find the way to Wisdom.

T. True: (I faid) But I cannot comprehend, why the Virtues fhould bring the heroes back to the place they came from: Why should they return to view a wellknown scene?

O. The reason (answered my inftructor) is, because they had not a true idea of what they had feen. Surrounded by a confufion of things as they paffed on, they could not diftinctly perceive what was done. mifts of ignorance and error obfcured the prospect as they journied on, and by that means, they were fubject to mistakes. They

The

could

could not always diftinguish between good and evil. But now that they have attained -to true learning, with concern they behold the mad world the Virtues fhew them again, and being enlightned by wifdom, are perfectly happy in themfelves. The misery of the numberless fools they behold now, ftrikes them very strongly, and gives them a delightful relish for their present happinefs.

T. It must be so. And when they have seen these things, where do they then go?

O. Wherever they pleafe. Safely they may travel where they will: In all times, -and in all places they are fecure, as their integrity is their defence. Every where they live efteemed and beloved by all. The female monsters I have mentioned, Grief, Trouble, Luft, Avarice, or Poverty, have now no power to hurt them; but as if poffeffed of fome virtuous drug, they can grafp the viper, and defy deftruction.

T. What you fay is juft. But who are all (these persons descending the hill?

O. Those that are crowned (the old man faid) are the happy few I have described. You fee what joy is in their faces: And those who seem forlorn and desperate, under the command of certain women, are fuch who by their folly have not found the way to true learning; or stopping at the

rough

rough and narrow afcent you observed, went to look for an eafier path, and fo quite loft the road. The tormentors who drive them on are, Trouble, Despair, Ignominy, and Ignorance. Wretched Wretched you fee them return into the firft inclofure, to Luxury and Incontinence: and yet they do not accuse themselves as the authors of their own ruin, which is very strange; but rail at Wisdom, and revile her ways; afferting, that the true pleasures of life are only to be found in luxury and riot. Like the brutes, they place the whole fatisfaction of man in the gratification of fenfual appetite.

T. But who are thofe other lovely women, who return down the hill fo full of gaiety and mirth?

O. They are the Opinions, who having conducted the virtuous to the region of light, are coming back to invite and carry others. -thither, by fhewing them the felicity and fuccefs of those they brought to the manfion of Wisdom.

T. And do the Opinions never enter with those they bring into that happy place, where the virtues and true learning reside?

O. No: Opinion can never reach to science; they only deliver their charge into the hands of wisdom, and then, like fhips that give up their lading, in order to fail for a new

cargo,

cargo, they return to bring other Eleves to reafon and felicity.

T. This explanation of the table, (I said) is quite fatisfactory: But you have not yet informed us, what the good genius bids the multitude do, as they appear on the verge of life?

O. He charges them to act with courage, and be magnanimous and brave in all events; a thing I recommend to you, young man ; and that you may have a true idea of this, I will tell you what I mean by a bold spirit, in paffing through this world.

§. 7. O. Then lifting up his arm again, and pointing with his wand to a figure in the picture; that blind woman standing on a globe, as I told you beforé, is Fortune. The genius forbids us to truft her, or imagine her smiles will be lafting happiness. Reafon is never concerned in what she does. It is Fortune ftill; without principle she acts, is arbitrary and capricious, and inconfiderately and rafhly for ever proceeds. Regard not then her favours, nor mind her frowns: But as the gives and takes away, and often deprives of what we had before, we are neither to esteem or defpife her; but if we should receive from her a gift, take care to employ it immediately to fome good purpofe, and especially in the acquifition of true science, the most lafting and precious poffeffion.