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once I had tafted eafe, I found many reafons against disturbing it. The branches fpread a fhade over my head, and the gales of fpring wafted odours to my bofom.

As I fat thus, forming alternately excufes for delay, and refolutions to go forward, an irresistible heavinefs fuddenly surprised me; I laid my head upon the bank, and refigned myself to fleep: when methought I heard the found as of the flight of eagles, and a being of more than human dignity stood before me. While I was deliberating how to address him, he took me by the hand with an air of kindness, and asked me folemnly, but without feverity, Theodore, whi"ther art thou going?" "I am climbing, answered

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I, to the top of the mountain, to enjoy a more "extenfive prospect of the works of nature." "At"tend first, said he, to the profpect which this place "affords, and what thou doft not understand I will

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explain. I am one of the benevolent beings who "watch over the children of the duft, to preserve

them from thofe evils which will not ultimately "terminate in good, and which they do not, by "their own faults, bring upon themselves. Look "round therefore without fear: obferve, contemplate, "and be inftructed."

Encouraged by this affurance, I looked and beheld a mountain higher than Teneriffe, to the fummit of which the human eye could never reach; when I had tired myfelf with gazing upon its height, I turned my eyes towards its foot, which I could eafily difcover, but was amazed to find it without foundation, and placed inconceivably in emptiness and darknefs. Thus I ftood terrified and confused;

above were tracks infcrutable, and below was total vacuity. But my protector, with a voice of admonition, cried out, Theodore, be not affrighted, but raise thy eyes again; the Mountain of Existence is before thee, furvey it and be wife.

I then looked with more deliberate attention, and obferved the bottom of the mountain to be a gentle rife, and overspread with flowers; the middle to be more steep, embarraffed with crags, and interrupted by precipices, over which hung branches loaded with fruits, and among which were scattered palaces and bowers. The tracts which my eye could reach nearest the top were generally barren; but there were among the clefts of the rocks a few hardy ever-greens, which though they did not give much pleasure to the fight or fmell, yet feemed to cheer the labour and facilitate the steps of those who were clambering among them.

Then, beginning to examine more minutely the different parts, I obferved at a great distance a multitude of both fexes iffuing into view from the bottom of the mountain. Their firft actions I could not accurately discern; but, as they every moment approached nearer, I found that they amufed themfelves with gathering flowers under the fuperintendence of a mo deft virgin in a white robe, who feemed not over folicitous to confine them to any fettled pace or cer tain track; for fhe knew that the whole ground was fmooth and folid, and that they could not cafily be hurt or bewildered. When, as it often happened, they plucked a thistle for a flower, Innocence, fo was fhe called, would fmile at the miftake. Happy, faid I, are they who are under fo gentle a government, VOL. II. Dd

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and yet are fafe. But I had no opportunity to dwell long on the confideration of their felicity; for I found that Innocence continued her attendance but a little way, and feemed to confider only the flowery bottom of the mountain as her proper province. Those whom the abandoned fcarcely knew that they were left, before they perceived themselves in the hands of Education, a nymph more fevere in her afpect and imperious in her commands, who confined them to certain paths, in their opinion too narrow and too rough. Thefe they were continually folicited to leave, by Appetite, whom Education could never fright away, though fhe fometimes awed her to fuch timidity, that the effects of her presence were fcarcely perceptible. Some went back to the first part of the mountain, and feemed defirous of continuing bufied in plucking flowers, but were no longer guarded by Innocence; and fuch as Education could not force back, proceeded up the mountain by fome miry road, in which they were seldom feen, and fcarcely ever regarded.

As Education led her troop up the mountain, nothing was more obfervable than that fhe was frequently giving them cautions to beware of Habits; and was calling out to one or another at every step, that a Habit was enfnaring them; that they would be under the dominion of Habit before they perceived their danger: and that thofe whom Habit fhould once fubdue, had little hope of regaining their liberty.

Of this caution, fo frequently repeated, I was very folicitous to know the reafon, when my pro

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tector directed my regard to a troop of pygmies, which appeared to walk filently before thofe that were climbing the mountain, and each to fmooth the way before her follower. I found that I had miffed the notice of them before, both because they were fo minute as not eafily to be difcerned, and because they grew every moment nearer in their colour to the objects with which they were furrounded. As the followers of Education did not appear to be fenfible of the prefence of thefe dangerous affociates, or, ridiculing their diminutive fize, did not think it poffible that human beings fhould ever be brought into fubjection by fuch feeble enemies, they generally heard her precepts of vigilance with wonder: and, when they thought her eye withdrawn, treated them with contempt. Nor could I myself think her cautions so neceffary as her frequent inculcations feemed to fuppofe, till I obferved that each of thefe petty beings held fecretly a chain in her hand, with which the prepared to bind those whom she found within her power. Yet thefe Habits under the eye of Education went quietly forward, and feemed very little to increase in bulk or ftrength; for though they were always willing to join with Appetite, yet when Education kept them apart from her, they would very punctually obey command, and make the narrow roads in which they were confined eafier and fmoother.

It was obfervable, that their ftature was never at a ftand, but continually growing or decreafing, yet. not always in the fame proportions: nor could I forbear to exprefs my admiration, when I faw in how

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much less time they generally gained than loft bulk. Though they grew flowly in the road of Education, it might however be perceived that they grew; but if they once deviated at the call of Appetite, their ftature foon became gigantick; and their ftrength was fuch, that Education pointed out to her tribe many that were led in chains by them, whom he could never more refcue from their flavery. She pointed them out, but with little effect; for all her pupils appeared confident of their own fuperiority to the ftrongest Habit, and fome feemed in fecret to regret that they were hindered from following the triumph of Appetite.

It was the peculiar artifice of Habit not to fuffer her power to be felt at firft. Thofe whom the led, fhe had the addrefs of appearing only to attend, but was continually doubling her chains upon her companions; which were fo flender in themfelves, and fo filently fastened, that while the attention was engaged by other objects, they were not eafily perceived. Each link grew tighter as it had been longer worn; and when by continual additions they became fo heavy as to be felt, they were very frequently too ftrong to be broken.

When Education had proceeded in this manner to the part of the mountain where the declivity began to grow craggy, the refigned her charge to two powers of fuperior afpect. The meaner of them appeared capable of prefiding in fenates, or governing nations, and yet watched the fteps of the other with the most anxious attention, and was visibly confounded and perplexed if ever the fuffered her regard to be drawn away. The other feemed to approve her fubmiffion

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