the gum of a mortal; ay, and a strong one too. The hardest food would not break it, and it could pierce the thickest fkulls. Indeed it was like one of Cerberus's teeth: one should not have thought it belonged to a man.--Mr. Addifon, I beg your pardon, I fhould have spoken to you fooner; but I was fo ftruck with the fight of the doctor, that I forgot for a time the refpects due to you. Swift. Addifon, I think our difpute is decided before the judge has heard the caufe. Addifon. I own it is in your favour, and I fubmit-but Mercury. Do not be difcouraged, friend Ad tifon. Apollo perhaps would have given a different judgment. I am a wit, and a rogue, and a fue to all dignity. Swift and I naturally like one another he worships me more than Jupiter, and I honour hiin more than Homer; but yet, I affure you, I have a great value for you--Sir Roger de Coverley, Will Honeycomb, Will Wimble, the country gentleman in the Freeholder, and twenty more characters, drawn with the finest ftrokes of natural wit and humour in your excellent writings, feat you very high in the clafs of my authors, though not quite fo high as the dean of St. Patrick's. Perhaps you might have come nearer to him, if the decency of your nature and cautioufnefs of your judgment would have given you leave. But if in the force and fpirit of his wit he has the advantage, how much does he yield to you in all the polite and elegant graces; in the fine touches of delicate fentiment; in developing the fecret fprings of the foul; in fhewing all the mild lights and fhades of a character; in marking diftinctly every line, and every foft gradation of tints which would efcape the common eye! Who ever painted like you the beautiful parts of human nature, and brought them out from under the shade even of the greateft fimplicity, or the most ridiculous weakneffes; fo that we are forced to admire, and feel that we venerate, even while we are laughing? Swift could do nothing that approaches to this.He could draw an ill face very well, or caricature a good one with a masterly hand: but there was all his power; and, if I am to fpeak as a god, a worthless power it is. Yours is divine: it tends to improve and exalt human na ture. Swift. Pray, good Mercury, (if I may have leave to fay a word for myself) do you think that my talent was of no use to correct human nature? Is whipping of no ufe to mend naughty boys? Mercury. Men are not fo patient of whipping as boys, and I feldom have known a rough fatirist mend them. But I will allow that you have done fome good in that way, though not half fo much as Addifon did in his. And now you are here, if Pluto and Proferpine would take my advice, they fhould difpofe of you both in this manner :-When any hero comes hither from earth, who wants to be humbled, (as most heroes do) they fhould fet Swift upon him to bring him down. The fame good office he may frequently do to a faint fwoln too much with the wind of fpiritual pride, or to a philofopher, vain of his wifdom and virtue. He will foon fhew the firft that he cannot be holy without being humble; and the laft, that with all his boafted morality, he is but a better kind of Yahoo. I would also have him apply his anticofmetic wash to the painted face of female vanity, and his rod, which draws blood at every ftroke, to the hard back of infolent folly or petulant wit. But you, Mr. Addison, should be employed to comfort and raife the fpirits of those whofe good and noble fouls are dejected with a fenfe of fome infirmities in their nature. To them you should hold your fair and charitable mirrour, which would bring to their fight all their hidden perfections, caft over the reft a foftening fhade, and put them in a temper fit for Elyfium.Adieu: I must now return to my above. bufinefs Dialogues of the Dead. $ 8. The Hill of Science. A Vifion. In that feafon of the year when the ferenity of the fky, the various fruits which cover the ground, the difcoloured foliage of the trees, and all the fweet, but fading graces of infpiring autumn, open the mind to benevolence, and difpofe it for contemplation, I was wandering in a beautiful and romantic country, till curiofity began to give way to wearinefs; and I fat me down on the fragment of a rock overgrown with mofs, where the rustling of the falling leaves, the dafhing of waters, and the hum of the diftant city, foothed my mind into the moft perfect tranquillity, and fleep infenfibly ftole upon me, as I was indulging the agreeable reveries which the objects around me naturally infpired. I immediately found myfelf in a vaft extended plain, in the middle of which arofe 3 F a moun a mountain higher than I had before any conception of. It was covered with a multitude of people, chiefly youth; many of whom preffed forwards with the livelieft expreffion of ardour in their countenance, though the way was in many places fteep and difficult. I obferved, that thofe who had but just begun to climb the hill thought themselves not far from the top; but as they proceeded, new hills were continually rifing to their view, and the fummit of the highest they could before difcern feemed but the foot of another, till the mountain at length appeared to lofe itfelf in the clouds. As I was gazing on these things with aftonishment, my good genius fuddenly appeared: The mountain before thee, faid he, is the Hill of Science. On the top is the temple of Truth, whofe head is above the clouds, and a veil of pure light covers her face. Obferve the progrefs of her votaries; be filent and attentive. I faw that the only regular approach to the mountain was by a gate, called the gate of languages. It was kept by a woman of a penfive and thoughtful appearance, whofe lips were continually moving, as though fhe repeated fome thing to herfelf. Her name was Memory. On entering this first enclosure, I was tunned with a confufed murmur of jarring voices, and diffonant founds; which increafed upon me to fuch a degree, that I was utterly confounded, and could compare the noife to nothing but the confufion of tongues at Babel. The road was alfo rough and ftony; and rendered more difficult by heaps of rubbish continually tumbled down from the higher parts of the mountain; and broken ruins of ancient buildings, which the travellers were obliged to climb over at every ftep; infomuch that many, difgufted with fo rough a beginning, turned back, and attempted the mountain no more; while others having conquered this difficulty, had no fpirits to afcend further, and fitting down on fome fragment of the rubbish, harangued the multitude below with the greatest marks of importance and felfcomplacency. About half way up the hill, I obferved on each fide the path a thick foreft covered with continual fogs, and cut out into labyrinths, crofs alleys, and ferpentine walks entangled with thorns and briars. This was called the wood of Error: and I heard the voices of many who were toft up and down in it, calling to one another, and endeavouring in vain to extricate themselves. The trees in many places shot their boughs over the path, and a thick mist often refted on it; yet never fo much but that it was difcernible by the light which beamed from the countenance of Truth. In the pleasanteft part of the mountain were placed the bowers of the Mufes, whose office it was to cheer the fpirits of the travellers, and encourage their fainting ftcps with fongs from their divine harps. Not far from hence were the fields of Fiction, filled with a variety of wild flowers fpringing up in the greatest luxuriance, of richer fcents and brighter colours than I had obferved in any other climate. And near them was the dark walk of Allegory, fo artificially fhaded, that the light at noonday was never ftronger than that of a bright moon-fhine. This gave it a pleasingly romantic air for those who delighted in contemplation. The paths and alleys were perplexed with intricate windings, and were all terminated with the ftatue of a Grace, a Virtue, or a Muse. After I had obferved these things, I turned my eye towards the multitudes who were elimbing the steep afcent, and obferved amongst them a youth of a lively look, a piercing eye, and fomething fiery and irregular in all his motions. His name was Genius. He darted like an eagle up the mountain, and left his companions gazing after him with envy and admiration: but his progrefs was unequal, and interrupted by a thoufand caprices. When Pleasure warbled in the valley he mingled in her train. When Pride beckoned towards the precipice he ventured to the tottering edge. He delighted in devious and untried paths; and made fo many excurfions from the road, that his feebler companions often outftripped him. I obferved that the Mufes beheld him with partiality; but Truth often frowned, and turned afide her face. While Genius was thus wafting his ftrength in eccentric flights, I faw a person of a very different appearance, named Application. He crept along with a flow and unremitting pace, his eyes fixed on the top of the mountain, patiently removing every ftone that obftructed his way, till he faw most of those below him who had at firft derided his flow and toilfome progrefs. Indeed there were few who afcended the hill with equal and uninterrupted fteadiness; for, befide the difficulties of the way, they were continually folicited to turn afide by a numerous crowd of Appetites, Paffions, and Pleasures, whofe importunity, when they had once complied complied with, they became lefs and lefs able to refift; and though they often returned to the path, the afperities of the road were more feverely felt, the hill appeared more fteep and rugged, the fruits which were wholefome and refreshing feemed harsh and ill-tafted, their fight grew dim, and their feet tript at every little obftruction. I faw, with fome furprize, that the Mufes, whofe bufinefs was to cheer and encourage thofe who were toiling up the afcent, would often fing in the bowers of Pleafure, and accompany those who were enticed away at the call of the Paffions; they accompanied them, however, but a little way, and always forfook them when they loft fight of the hill. The tyrants then doubled their chains upon the unhappy captives, and led them away, without refistance, to the cells of Ignorance, or the man fions of Mifery. Amongst the innumerable feducers, who were endeavouring to draw away the votaries of Truth from the path of Science, there was one, fo little formidable in her appearance, and fo gentle and languid in her attempts, that I should fcarcely have taken notice of her, but for the numbers she had imperceptibly loaded with her chains. Indolence (for fo fhe was called) far from proceeding to open hoftilities, did not attempt to turn their feet out of the path, but contented herself with retarding their progrefs; and the purpofe fhe could not force them to abandon, the perfuaded them to delay. Her touch had a power like that of the torpedo, which withered the ftrength of thofe who came within its influence. Her unhappy captives ftill turned their faces towards the temple, and always hoped to arrive there; but the ground feemed to flide from beneath their feet, and they found themselves at the bottom, before they fufpected they had changed their place. The placid ferenity, which at first appeared in their countenance, changed by degrees into a melancholy languor, which was tinged with deeper and deeper gloom, as they glided down the stream of Infignificance; a dark and fluggish water, which is curled by no breeze, and enlivened by no murmur, till it falls into a dead fea, where startled paffengers are awakened by the fhock, and the next moment buried in the gulph of Ob livion. Of all the unhappy deferters from the paths of Science, none feemed lefs able to return than the followers of Indolence. The captives of Appetite and Paffion could often feize the moment when their tyrants were languid or aileep to escape from their enchantment; but the dominion of Indolence was conftant and unremitted, and feldom refifted, till refiftance was in vain. After contemplating thefe things, I turned my eyes towards the top of the mountain, where the air was always pure and exhilarating, the path shaded with laurels and other ever-greens, and the effulgence which beamed from the face of the goddefs feemed to fhed a glory round her votaries. Happy, faid I, are they who are permitted to afcend the mountain !—but while I was pronouncing this exclamation with uncommon ardour, I saw standing befide me a form of diviner features and a more benign radiance. Happier, faid fhe, are those whom Virtue conducts to the manfions of Content! What, faid I, does Virtue then refide in the vale? I am found, faid fhe, in the vale, and I illuminate the mountain: I cheer the cottager at his toil, and infpire the fage at his meditation. I mingle in the crowd of cities, and bless the hermit in his cell. I have a temple in every heart that owns my influence; and to him that wishes for me I am already prefent. Science may raife you to eminence, but I alone can guide you to felicity!-While the goddels was thus fpeaking, I ftretched out my arms towards her with a vehemence which broke my flumbers. The chill dews were falling around me, and the fhades of evening ftretched over the landfcape. I haftened homeward, and refigned the night to filence and meditation. Aikin's Mifcel. § 9. On the Love of Life. Age, that leffens the enjoyment of life, encreases our defire of living. Thofe dangers which, in the vigour of youth, we had learned to defpife, affume new terrors as we grow old. Our caution encreafing as our years encrease, fear becomes at last the prevailing paffion of the mind; and the fmall remainder of life is taken up in ufelefs efforts to keep off our end, or provide for a continued existence. Strange contradiction in our nature, and to which even the wife are liable! If I fhould judge of that part of life which lies before me by that which I have already feen, the profpect is hideous. Experience tells me, that my paft enjoyments have brought uo real felicity; and fenfation affures me, that thofe I have felt are stronger than thofe 3 F 2 which which are yet to come. Yet experience and fenfation in vain perfuade; hope, more powerful than either, dreffes out the diftant prospect in fancied beauty; fome happiness, in long profpective, ftill beckons me to purfue; and, like a lofing gamefter, every new difappointment encreafes my ardour to continue the game. Whence then is this encreased love of life, which grows upon us with our years? whence comes it, that we thus make greater efforts to preferve our exiftence, at a period when it becomes fcarce worth the keeping? Is it that Nature, attentive to the prefervation of mankind, encreases our wishes to live, while fhe leffens our enjoyments; and, as the robs the fenfes of every pleafure, equips Imagination in the fpoils? Life would be infupportable to an old man, who, loaded with infirmities, feared death no more than when in the vigour of manhood; the numberle's calamities of decaying nature, and the confcioufnels of furviving every pleafure, would at once induce him, with his own hand, to terminate the fcene of mifery; but happily the contempt of death forfakes him at a time when it could only be prejudicial; and life acquires an imaginary value, in proportion as its real value is no more. Our attachment to every object around us, encreases, in general, from the length of our acquaintance with it. "I would "not chufe," fays a French Philofopher, "to fee an old poft pulled up, with which "I had been long acquainted." A mind long habituated to a certain fet of objects, infenfibly becomes fond of feeing them; vifits them from habit, and parts from them with reluctance from hence proceeds the avarice of the old in every kind of poffeffion; they love the world and all that it produces; they love life and all its advantages; not becaufe it gives them pleasure, but because they have known it long. The old man's paffion for confinement is fimilar to that we all have for life. We are habituated to the prifon, we look round with difcontent, are difpleafed with the abode, and yet the length of our cap. tivity only encreafes our fondness for the cell. The trees we have planted, the houfes we have built, or the pofterity we have be gotten, all ferve to bind us closer to the earth, and embitter our parting. Life fues the young like a new acquaintance; the companion, as yet unexhausted, is at once inftructive and amufing; its company pleafes, yet, for all this it is but little regarded. To us, who are declined in life apyears, pears like an old friend; its jefts have been anticipated in former eonverfation; it has no new story to make us smile, no new improvement with which to furprize, yet ftill we love it; deftitute of every enjoyment, ftill we love it, hufband the wafting trea fure with encreafing frugality, and feel all the poignancy of anguish in the fatal feparation. Sir Philip Mordaunt was young, beautiful, fincere, brave, an Englishman. He had a complete fortune of his own, and Chinvang the Chafte, afcending the the love of the king his master, which was throne of China, commanded that all who equivalent to riches. Life opened all her were unjustly detained in prifon during the treasures before him, and promised a long preceding reigns fhould be fet free. Among fucceflion of happiness. He came, tafted the number who came to thank their deli- of the entertainment, but was difgufted even verer on this occafion, there appeared a at the beginning. He profeffed an averfion majestic old man, who, falling at the em- to living; was tired of walking round the peror's feet, addreffed him as follows: fame circle; had tried every enjoyment, Great father of China, behold a wretch, and found them all grow weaker at every "now eighty-five years old, who was fhut repetition. "If life be, in youth, so difup in a dungeon at the age of twentypleafing," cried he to himself, "what two. I was imprisoned, though a ftran- "will it appear when age comes on? if it ger to crime, or without being even "be at prefent indifferent, fure it will "confronted by my accufers. I have now "then be execrable." This thought em bittered A delightfully pleafant evening fucceeding a fultry fummer-day, invited me to take a folitary walk; and, leaving the duft of the highway, I fell into a path which led along a pleafant little valley watered by a small meandring brook. The meadow ground on its banks had been lately mown, and the new grafs was fpringing up with a lively verdure. The brook was hid in feveral places by the fhrubs that grew on each fide, and intermingled their branches. The fides of the valley were roughened by small irregular thickets; and the whole fcene had an air of folitude and retirement, uncommon in the neighbourhood of a populous town. The Duke of Bridgwater's canal croffed the valley, high raised on a mound of earth, which preferved a level with the elevated ground on each fide. An arched road was carried under it, beneath which the brook that ran along the valley was conveyed by a fubterraneous paflage. I threw myfelf upon a green bank, fhaded by a leafy thicket, and refting my head upon my hand, after a welcome indolence had overcome my fenfes, I faw, with the eyes of fancy, the following fcene. The firm-built fide of the aqueduct fuddenly opened, and a gigantic form iffued forth, which I foon difcovered to be the Genius of the Canal. He was clad in a clofe garment of ruffet hue. A mural crown, indented with battlements, furrounded his brow. His naked feet were difcoloured with clay. On his left shoulder he bore a huge pick-axe; and in his right hand he held certain inftruments, used in furveying and levelling. His looks were thoughtful, and his features harfh. The breach through which he proceeded inftantly clofed, and with a heavy tread he advanced into the valley. As he approached the brook, the Deity of the Stream arose to meet him. He was habited in a light green mantle, and the clear drops fell from his dark hair, which was encircled with a wreath of water-lily, interwoven with fweet-fcented flag: an angling rod fupported his fteps. The Genius of the Canal eyed him with a contemptuous look, and in a hoarfe voice thus began: "Hence, ignoble rill! with thy feanty "tribute to thy lord the Merfey; nor thus "waste thy almoft-exhaufted urn in linger ing windings along the vale. Feeble as "thine aid is, it will not be unacceptable "to that master ftream himself; for, as I lately croffed his channel, I perceived his "fands loaded with ftranded veffels. I "faw, and pitied him, for undertaking a "tafk to which he is unequal. But thou, "whofe languid current is obfcured by "weeds, and interrupted by mishapen "pebbles; who lofeft thyfelf in endless "mazes, remote from any found but thy "own idle gurgling; how canft thou fupport an exiflence fo contemptible and ufe"lefs? For me, the nobleft child of Art, "who hold my unremitting courfe from "hill to hill, over vales and rivers; who 66 pierce the folid rock for my paffage, and "connect unknown lands with distant feas; "wherever I appear I am viewed with "aftonishment, and exulting Commerce hails my waves. Behold my channel thronged with capacious veffels for the conveyance of merchandize, and splen"did barges for the ufe and pleasure of "travellers; my banks crowned with airy bridges and huge warehoufes, and echo" ing with the bufy founds of industry! "Pay then the homage due from Sloth "and Obfcurity to Grandeur and Uti"lity." "I readily acknowledge," replied the Deity of the Brook, in a modeft accent, the fuperior magnificence and more ex"tenfive utility of which you fo proudly "boaft; yet in my humble walk, I am not "void of a praise lefs fhining, but not lefs "folid than yours. The nymph of this ' peaceful valley, rendered more fertile and beautiful by my ftream; the neigh"bouring fylvan deities, to whofe pleasure I contribute; will pay a grateful telli"mony to my merit. The windings of "my courfe, which you fo much blame, "ferve to diffufe over a greater extent of ground the refreshment of my waters; "and the lovers of nature and the Mules, "who are fond of ftraying on my banks, "are better pleafed that the line of beauty maiks my way, than if, like yours, it "were directed in a straight, unvaried line. "They prize the irregular wildnefs with 3 F3 "which |