N° 13. Thursday, March 25.

Multi de Magnis, per Somnum, Rebu' loquuntur. Lucr.

THE

HE ftrong Propenfity that, from my Youth, I have had to Love, hath betrayed me into innumerable Singularities, which the infenfible Part of Mankind are apt to turn into Ridicule. The astonishing Accounts of Sympathy, Fafcination, Errantry and Enchantments, are thereby become fo familiar to me, that my Conversation, upon thofe Subjects, hath made feveral good People believe me to be no better than I fhould be. My Behaviour hath heretofore been fuitable to my Opinions. I have loft great Advantages by waiting for lucky Days, and have been looked upon feverely by fair Eyes, while I expected the benign Afpect of my Stars. Many a time have I miffed a Ball, for the Pleasure of walking by a purling Stream; and chofe to wander in unfrequented Solitudes, when I might have been a King at Queftions and Commands. It is well known What a Profpe& I had of rifing by the Law, if I had not thought it more noble to fill my Study with Poems and Romances, than with dull Records, and mutable Acts of Parliament. intend at fome convenient Season, to communicate to the Publick a Catalogue

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of my Books; and shall, every now and then, oblige the World with Extracts out of those Manufcripts, which Love and Leifure have drawn from my Pen. I have a Romance, in feven neat Folios, almost finished; befides Novels, Ditties, and Madrigals innumerable. The following Story is collected out of Writers in fo learned a Language, that I am almoft afhamed to own it. I must say for my.. Excufe, that it was compiled in my twentieth Year, upon my leaving the University, and is adapted to the Taste of those who are far gone in Romance; not to mention the feveral Morals that may be drawn from it. I have thought fit to call it,

The Dreams of ENDYMION.

THE Night was far advanced, and Sleep had fealed the Eyes of the most watchful Lovers, when on a sudden a confused Sound of Trumpets, Cymbals and Clarions made all the Inhabitants of Heraclea ftart from their Beds in Terror and Amazement. An Eclipfe of the Moon was the Occafion of this Uproar; and a mixt Multitude of all Ages and Conditions ran directly to the Top of Mount Latmos with their Inftruments of Mufick to affift the fair Planet, which they imagined either to have fainted away, or to have been forced from her Sphere by the Power of Magical Incantations. As foon as they had restored her to her former Beauty, they returned home with Joy and Triumph to take that Benefit of Repofe, which they thought their Piety deferved. Only Cleander, the Amorous Cleander, gave himself up

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to his Mufings, and wandering through the Trees that cloath Mount Latmos, infenfibly reached the Summit of the Mountain. He was feeding his Eye with the fine Landskip that was spread before him, when he heard a languishing Voice utter thefe Words intermixt with Sighs: Cruel Goddess, why wilt thou make me wretched by the Remembrance of my Happinefs! Te Powers, said Cleander to himself, is not that the Voice of Endymion? He had no fooner faid this, than he crept along whither the Voice directed him, and faw to his inexpreffible Aftonishment the following Spectacle. This ftrange Object was a Man stretched at length on a Declivity of the Mountain, with his Arms across his Breaft, and his Eyes levelled at the Moon. Thou fair Regent of the Moon, faid he, after the Enjoyment of a Goddefs, why wilt thou degrade thy Lover, and throw him back to Mount Latmos and Mortality? Ah Inconftant! thou thinkeft no more of Endymion. 'Tis he, 'tis he, cried Cleander, 'tis Endymion, or the Ghost of my Friend. With thefe Words he ran to him, and caught him in his Arms with the warmest Expreffions. of Tranfport. If Cleander was overjoyed, Endymion was no lefs, and their Endearments had lafted a long time, if Cleander's Curiofity had not fpurred him to learn the Caufe of En. dymion's long Abfence from Heraclea, his Adventures, and the reafon of his odd Complaints. After repeated Intreaties, Endymion delivered himself in the following Manner.

YOU may remember, that my frequent Contemplation of the Heavens had gained me the Reputation of a great Aftronomer, a

mongst

mongst the Sages of Heraclea. But had there not been more powerful Motives, I had not, for Thirft of Knowledge, abandoned the goodnatured Ladies of our City, with so much Youth and Vigour about me. You must know, that I had fo often dreamt that Diana looked kindly on me, that I went to her Temple at Ephesus to learn the Will of the Goddefs. I was furprised to find her famous Statue there entirely to refemble the lovely Image that had a thousand times fmiled on me, in my Vitions. The fucceeding Night I bribed the Prieftefs with a confiderable Súm, to let me pass the time within the Temple. After I had faid whatever a violent Paffion could infpire, I fell in a Trance before the Shrine that encompaffed her Statue, and to my inexpreffible Joy faw the Goddess defcend, and bid me ask her, with a Smile, whatever I defired. • Bright Goddefs, faid I, were I to have my With, I would beg that the Pleasure, I now enjoy, might be eternal. But fince that is too much, give me, I pray thee, a Seat among the Stars that may place me ever in thy View, and nearest to thy Chariot. Or if the number of the Stars be compleat, and the Deftinies deny me this: Grant me at leaft to be wholly thine upon Earth, and difdain not the Prefent that I make thee of my felf. • Whether in Heaven, or in Earth, answered the Goddefs, I will lofe no Opportunity to gratifie thee. Scarce had the uttered these Words, but I loft the fight of her, and only heard the Sound of her Quiver, as the turned and glided away.

I

I related my Vision the next Morning to Enadne the Priestefs, who expreffed great Joy at my Succefs, and having fprinkled me with Water from the Sacred Fountain, and spoken myfterious Words, difmifs'd me with a Viol of powerful Juices, and Inftructions how to ufe it. According to her Commands I repaired to this Mountain, where having drank off the Enchanted Draught, I lay ftretched upon the Ground, and fixed my Eyes with Delight on the Moon. Suddenly, methought, the Hea vens were cleft, and an Ivory Chariot drawn by Horfes, or Dragons, took me up, and whirled me over Cities, Rivers, Forests, and Oceans, in a moment of Time. I was, at length, fet down in the middle of a Wood, where the Face of Nature was more delicious than the Imagination of Poets or Painters have yet defcribed. I had not walked long before I heard the Voices of Women, and at my drawing near I perceived Diana in the midt of her Nymphs. The beautiful Virgins were placed round her, under the Shadow of Trees: Some of them lay ftretched on the Grafs, others were viewing themselves in the Streams: Here was one sharpening the Point of an Arrow, there another was ftroaking a Hound; Their Horns were hung upon the Boughs, and their Bows and Quivers were carelessly feat. tered upon the Ground. The Queen herself was lefs diftinguished by her Golden Bow and Silver Crefcent, than by that Beauty, which had long held me Captive. I ruffled a little too eagerly thro' the Boughs where I had concealed myself, when a Nymph that stood near her, cafting a Look towards me, cried out,

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