colours than I had obferved in any other climate. And near them was the dark walk of allegory, fo artificially shaded, that the light at noon-day was never ftronger than that of a bright moon-shine. 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 Mufe.

AFTER I had obferved these things, I turned my eye towards the multitudes who were climbing the fteep afcent, and obferved amongst them a youth of a lively look, a piercing eye, and fomething fiery and irregular in all his motions. His He darted like an eagle up the mountain, and left his companions gazing after him with envy and admiration but his progress was unequal,

name was GENIUS.

and

and interrupted by a thousand 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 outstripped 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 excentric flights, I faw a perfon 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 stone 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 steadiness; for befide

the difficulties of the way, they were continually follicited to turn afide by a numerous crowd of Appetites, Paffions, and Pleasures, whose importunity, when they had once 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 steep and rugged, the fruits which were wholfome and refreshing seemed harsh and ill-tasted, their fight grew dim, and their feet tript at every little obftruction.

I SAW, with fome furprise, that the Mufes, whose business was to cheer and encourage those who were toiling up the afcent, would often fing in the bowers of Pleasure, 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

when they loft fight of the hill. `The tyrants then doubled their chains upon the unhappy captives, and led them away without refiftance to the cells of Ignorance, or the mansions 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 scarcely have taken notice of her, but for the numbers fhe 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 purpose she could not force them to abandon, she perfuaded them to delay. Her touch had a power like that of the Torpedo, which withered the strength of those who came within

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within its influence. Her unhappy cap tives 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 them. felves at the bottom before they fufpected they had changed their place. The pla cid ferenity which at firft 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 infignifi cance; a dark and fluggish water, which is curled by no breeze, and enlivened by no murmur, till it falls into a dead fea, where the startled paffengers are awaken ed by the fhock, and the next moment buried in the gulph of oblivion.

Of all the unhappy deferters from the paths of Science, none feemed lefs able to return than the followers of Indolence.

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