these they appear like the Mahometan Paradife, whofe Groves are faid to yield the Fruit of Knowledge and Peace; to others they become a Pandemonium, and ten thousand ugly Shapes are continually haunting them. When the Philofopher enters this divine Region, his Soul, as if it had paffed a Tranfmigration, glows with a new-born Vigour, or rather affumes the State described by PLATO in the Phadon when it leaves the Body. The Silence of a rural Scene, the not unpleafing Horror of the varied Light and Shade in the Woods, the Whispering of the Trees, and the unbounded Prospect of Heaven above, call up MEDITATION, as by a Charm, and all her Train of Intellectual Attendants. Behold SHE comes, awfully moving to his paufing Eye! See! INDOLENCE and all her Court of selfish VICES recede from her Prefence! VIRTUE precedes her, BEAUTY and TRUTH attend on each Side, and the laurelled Sifterhood of ART and SCIENCE immediatety follow. In her Hand the bears the faithful Record of all Ages, and Р

pre

fents

con

sents to her View Examples of whatever Wisdom, Valour, and Benevolence infpired. Here he reads the Institutions of SOLON, there the Patriotism of CURTIUS, and there the glorious Death of SOCRATES; whilft Honour excites a Divine Emulation to imitate fuch Godlike Examples. These are the Comforts that Retirement affords the Good, and the Good alone! For Despair and Horror whisper in every Breeze to the Wicked, and even Silence itself becomes an evertormenting Companion. I fhall clude this Effay with a fmall Description of an ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic on this Subject. There was the Picture of a Mirror upon the Walls of a Temple at MEMPHIS, in which feveral beautiful, and several deformed Figures were viewing themselves, which was called the Mirror of Solitude. The former feemed juftly contented with their Appearances, but the latter had no fooner beheld their own Refemblance, than their Curiofity was inftantly changed into the most violent Disgust to the faith

ful

ful Inftrument, that had given them, what they never would have received otherwise, a true Knowledge of themfelves.

ESSAY IX.

On CONTENTMENT. AFABLE.

Am inclined to think that the Mif

fortunes, as they are termed, of Life, are not so often owing to the Want of Care, as the having too much, and being over-follicitous to acquire, what Nature the great Subftitute of Heaven would effect for us, if we would be contented to follow her Dictates. The Brutes, led on by that inward Impulfe we call Inftinet, never err in their Pursuit after what is good for them; but Man, enlightened by Reason, that particular Mark of Providence which diftinguishes him from the rest of Beings, obftinately refuses to be conducted to Happiness, and travels towards Mifery with Labour and Fatigue. It would be abfurd to say a rational Creature would voluntarily chufe Mifery, but we too frequently do it blindly. Every thing, as the Philofophi

cal

cal Emperor obferves, is Fancy; but as that Fancy is in our own Power to govern, we are juftly punished if we fuffer it to wander at will; or industriously set it to work to deceive us into Uneafinefs. The moft fure and speedy Way to detect any mental Impofture is by Soliloquy or Selfexamination, in the Way laid down by our great Reftorer of ancient Learning. If our Fancy ftands the Teft of this Mirror, which reprefents all Objects in their true Colours, 'tis genuine, and may be accepted by the Mind with Safety; but if it recedes from the Trial, or changes in the Attempt, 'tis fpurious, and ought to be rejected. This will inform us that the great Miftake of Mankind in the Purfuit after Happiness, is cafting their Looks at a Distance for Lands of Paradife, whilft the Profpect, fo much fought after, blooms unbeheld around them.

At Ifpahan in Perfia, there lived a young Man of a noble Family and great Fortune named ACHMET, who from his Infancy fhewed the earlieft Signs of a restless and turbulent Spirit; and tho' by Nature endowed with an Understanding

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