strength in eccentric 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 first derided his flow and toilfome progrefs. Indeed, there were few who afcended the hill with equal, and uninterrupted fteadiness; for, befides the dif ficulties of the way, they were continually folicited to turn aside, by a numerous crowd of Appetites, Paffions, and Pleasures, whose importunity, when 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 wholefome and refreshing, feemed harsh and ill-tafted; their fight grew dim; and their feet tript at every little obstruction.

I faw, with fome furprise, that the Mufes, whofe business was to cheer and encourage those who were toiling up the afcent, would often fing in the bowers of Pleasure, and accompany thofe 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 refiftance, to the cells of Ignorance, or the manfions 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

fhould 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 herfelf with retarding their progrefs; and the purpofe fhe could not force them to abandon, fhe 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 themfelves at the bottom, before they suspected 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 ftream 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 ftartled paffengers are awakened 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. The captives of Appetite and Paffion could often feize the moment when their tyrants were languid or afleep, to escape from their enchantment; but the dominion of Indolence was conftant and unremitted; and feldom refifted, till refiftance was in vain.

After contemplating these things, I turned my eyes towards the top of the mountain, where the

air was always pure and exhilarating, the path fhaded with laurels and other ever-greens, and the effulgence which beamed from the face of Science feemed to fhed a glory round her votaries. Happy, faid I, are they who are permitted to ascend the mountain-But while I was pronouncing this exclamation, with uncommon ardour, I faw, standing befide me, a form of diviner features, and a more benign,radiance." Happier," faid fhe, "are they whom Virtue conducts to the manfions of Content !" "What," faid I, "does Virtue then refide in the vale ?" "I am found," said she, "in the vale, and I illuminate the mountain. I cheer the cottager at his toil, and inspire the fage at his meditation. I mingle in the crowd of cities, and blefs 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 raise thee to eminence, but I alone can guide thee to felicity!"While Virtue was thus speaking, I ftretched out my arms towards her, with a vehemence which broke my flumber. The chill dews were falling around me, and the fhades of evening ftretched over the landscape. I hastened homeward; and refigned the night to filence and me..ditation.

AIKIN.

SECTION VII.

The Journey of a day: a Picture of Human Life.

OBIDAM, the fon of Abenfina, left the caravanfera early in the morning, and pursued his journey through the plains of Indoftan. He was fresh and

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vigorous with reft; he was animated with hope; he was incited by defire; he walked fwiftly forward over the vallies, and faw the hills gradually rifing before him. As he paffed along, his ears were delighted with the morning fong of the bird of paradife; he was fanned by the last flutters of the finking breeze, and sprinkled with dew by groves of fpices. He fometimes contemplated the towering height of the oak, monarch of the hills; and fometimes caught the gentle fragrance of the primrose, eldest daughter of the fpring all his. fenfes were gratified, and all care was banished from his heart.

Thus he went on, till the fun approached his meridian, and the increasing heat preyed upon his ftrength; he then looked round about him for fome more commodious path. He faw, on his right hand, a grove that feemed to wave its shades as a fign of invitation; he entered it, and found the coolness and verdure irrefiftibly pleasant. He did not, however, forget whither he was travelling; but found a narrow way bordered with flow. ers, which appeared to have the fame direction with the main road; and was pleafed, that, by this happy experiment, he had found means to unite pleasure with business, and to gain the rewards of diligence without fuffering its fatigues. He, therefore, ftill continued to walk for a time, without the leaft remiffion of his ardour, except that he was fometimes tempted to ftop by the mufic of the birds, which the heat had affembled in the fhade; and sometimes amufed himself with plucking the flowers that covered the banks on either fide, er the fruits that hung upon the branches.

At

laft, the green path began to decline from its firft tendency, and to wind among hills and thickets, cooled with fountains, and murmuring with waterfalls. Here Obidah paused for a time, and began to confider whether it were longer fafe to forfake the known and common track; but remembering that the heat was now in its greateft violence, and that the plain was dusty and uneven, he refolved to pursue the new path, which he supposed only to make a few meanders, in compliance with the varieties of the ground, and to end at last in the common road.

Having thus calmed his folicitude, he renewed his pace, though he fufpected that he was not gaining ground. This uneafinefs of his mind inclined him to lay hold on every new object, and give way to every fenfation that might footh or divert him. He liftened to every echo; he mounted every hill for a fresh profpect; he turned afide to every caf cade; and pleafed himself with tracing the course of a gentle river that rolled among the trees, and watered a large region with innumerable circumvolutions. In these amusements, the hours paffed away unaccounted; his deviations had perplexed his memory, and he knew not towards what point to travel. He ftood penfive and confufed, afraid to go forward left he should go wrong, yet conscious that the time of loitering was now past. While he was thus tortured with uncertainty, the fky was overfpread with clouds; the day vanished from before him; and a fudden tempeft gathered round his head. He was now roufed by his danger to a quick and painful remembrance of his folly; he now faw how happiness is loft when ease