there long, before a beautiful being met me, and accöfted me with the question, "How I came thither?" My reply hath escaped my memory. But my fair guide, without further interrogations, led me towards a large ftructure, which, fhe informed me, was the temple of Zeal.

As we paffed along, we took notice of vaft armies, which encompaffed us on all fides. The colour of their cloaths was the deepest scarlet that I had ever beheld. Their fwords, which were always drawn, were reeking with the blood of those whom they had encountered.

Thus we advanced towards the middle of the country. As we drew nearer to the temple, the air grew fo thick, and the whole atmosphere was fo dark, that the building feemed entirely fituated in the very shades of night. The building was illuminated with a finall taper, which cast an additional gloom and horror around the place. Inftead of foliages, and other decorations, usual at the entrance of large edifices, there were carved the figures of human skulls, and other bones; so that the external ornaments refembled the appearances of a fepulchre. At the further end of the temple, we defcried the female to whom it belonged. She was feated upon a throne of ebony, and arrayed in deep mourning. Her face was very pale, and much emaciated, occafioned by VOL. II.

K

long

long vigils, and unremitted industry in her attention to her engagements. Her eyes and hands were lifted upwards, and fhe feemed to be actuated by the most fervent devotion. On her right hand ftood Superftition, dreft in the habit of a nun, and was her prime minifter of ftate, from whom fhe received all her intelligence. On her left appeared a hideous phantom, called Death; in one hand was lightning, and in the other a scythe.

After having taken a fufficient furvey of this scene of terrors, I defired my leader to conduct me back, with which request fhe immediately complied; and entertained me, as we paffed along, with fuitable reflections upon what I had seen. I was very defirous to know the lady by whom I had been fo highly obliged, when a fortunate incident occurred, which introduced me into the whole fecret.

There advanced towards us a tribe of nymphs, whose charms were too many and too great for the defcription of the pen; each held in her hand a golden harp. Their eyes were strong and sparkling, and at the fame time tempered with a peculiar foftness. Their hair flowed upon their fhoulders in graceful ringlets; and when they spoke, mufic iffued from their tongues. No fooner had their prefident, who was the goddess Harmony, attended by the liberal arts and sciences, paid her

respects

refpects to my conductor, than fhe immediately threw off her difguife; when, lo! all on a fudden, the mifts and clouds were difpelled; the day broke in upon us, and the fun fhone in its meridian glory. Whereupon I turned myself, to notice what was become of the scene, which I had fo lately beheld; when, to my great furprise and pleafure, the spot where the temple ftood was converted into a verdant hill, covered with flocks of fheep, whofe fleeces emulated the whitenefs of fnow; while the plains below were beautifully divided into regular inclofures, and ftocked with vaft herds of cattle. Instead of the cries of the miferable, our ears were entertained with the bleatings of fheep, the lowings of oxen, the sweet murmurs of rivulets, and the melodious warblings of nightingales! I was then turning towards my guide, who instantly vanished from my fight; but by the appellation which the nymphs gave her, I learnt that she was the goddess Liberty, the Genius of Great Britain!

DETRACTION,

A VISION.

Vifceribus miferorum et fanguine vefcitur atro.

SUPE

VIRG.

UPERIOR excellence is the general mark for calumny; and envy is ufually led to asperse what it cannot imitate. A little mind is fcandalized at the pre-eminence of its neighbour, and endeavours to depreciate the virtues which it cannot attain to. Thus the diftempered eye is impatient of prevailing brightnefs; and, by attempting to obferve the lucid object, inadvertently betrays its own weakness. Pride is the fruitful parent of detraction; and it is the unjust estimate which men set upon themselves, that generates in their minds this ridiculous contempt of greater worth. Perfons of this unhappy complexion regard all praises conferred upon another as derogatory from their own value. The arrows of the backbiter are generally fhot in the night; and the most unspotted innocence is the game of this infernal deftroyer. The heads of his darts are imbrued in poison; and it too frequently happens, that a small wound proves mortal to the injured. But to drop for the prefent thefe figurative expreffions, I would only observe, that it is pity a wellregulated

regulated fociety cannot more effectually curb this impious licentiousness of those fons of darkness. If a wretch, neceffitated by the cries of a ftarving family to seek illegal supplies of bread, fhall make an open attack upon me, the constitution of the realm configns fuch a pitiable malefactor to infamy and death. And fhall this miserable object of compaffion prove the victim of my refentment, while the backbiter mày, with impunity, revel in the exceffes of his iniquity, and boast defiance to all laws? As this is a topic, however, which hath been defcanted on by a variety of pens, I fhall endeavour to enliven it with the air of novelty, by throwing my further fentiments into the form of a vision.

I found myself, during the flumbers of the night, in a very extensive region, which was subject to the jurifdiction of a fury, named Detraction. The fields were wild, and carried not the leaft appearance of cultivation. The tops of the hills were covered with fnow; and the whole country seemed to mourn the inclement severity of one eternal winter. Instead of the verdure of a pleafing herbage, there sprang up to fight hemlock, aconite, and other baneful plants. The woods were the retreats of ferpents; while on the boughs were perched the birds of night, brooding in doleful filence.