as pleafing, but with fuch a condefcenfion as plainly fhewed that he claimed it as due; and indeed fo great was her dignity and fweetnels, that he who would not reverence, muft not behold her.

"Theodore," faid my protector, "be fearless, and be wife; approach thefe powers, whofe domi"nion extends to all the remaining part of the "Mountain of Existence." I trembled, and ventured to addrefs the inferior nymph, whofe eyes, though piercing and awful, I was not able to fuflain. Bright Power," faid I, "by whatever name it is "lawful to addrefs thee, tell me, thou who prefideft "here, on what condition thy protection will be "granted?" "It will be granted," faid fhe, "only "to obedience. I am Reafon, of all fubordinate

beings the nobleft and the greateft; who, if thou "wilt receive my laws, will reward thee like the rest "of my votaries, by conducting thee to Religion." Charmed by her voice and afpect, I profeffed my readiness to follow her. She then prefented me to her mistress, who looked upon me with tenderness. I bowed before her, and she smiled.

When Education delivered up thofe for whofe happiness she had been fo long folicitous, the feemed to expect that they fhould exprefs fome gratitude for her care, or fome regret at the lofs of that protection which he had hitherto afforded them. But it was eafy to discover, by the alacrity which broke out at her departure, that her prefence had been long difpleafing, and that he had been teaching thofe who felt in themselves no want of inftruction. They all agreed in rejoicing that they fhould no longer be subject to Dd 3

her

her caprices, or disturbed by her documents, but should be now under the direction only of Reason, to whom they made no doubt of being able to recommend themfelves by a fteady adherence to all her precepts. Reafon counfelled them, at their firft entrance upon her province, to inlift themfelves among the votaries of Religion; and informed them, that if they trufted to her alone, they would find the fame fate with her other admirers, whom he had not been able to secure against Appetites and Paffions, and who, having been feized by Habits in the regions of Defire, had been dragged away to the caverns of Despair. Her admonition was vain, the greater number declared against any other direction, and doubted not but by her fuperintendency they fhould climb with fafety up the Mountain of Exiftence. " My power," faid Reason, " is to advife, not to compel; I have already told you the danger of your choice. The path feems now plain and even, but there are afperities and pitfalls, over which Religion only çan conduct you. Look upwards, and you per"ceive a milt before you fettled upon the highest "vifible part of the mountain; a mift by which my profpect is terminated, and which is pierced only by the eyes of Religion. Beyond it are the temples of Happinefs, in which thofe who climb "the precipice by her direction, after the toil of "their pilgrimage, repofe for ever. I know not "the way, and therefore can only conduct you to

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a better guide. Pride has fometimes reproached "me with the narrownefs of my view, but, when "the endeavoured to extend it, could only fhew me, << below

"below the mift, the bowers of Content; even they "vanished as I fixed my eyes upon them; and those "whom the perfuaded to travel towards them were "inchained by Habits, and ingulfed by Despair, a "cruel tyrant, whofe caverns are beyond the dark"ness on the right fide and on the left, from whose prifons none can efcape, and whom I cannot teach "you to avoid."

Such was the declaration of Reason to those who demanded her protection. Some that recollected the dictates of Education, finding them now feconded by another authority, fubmitted with reluctance to the strict decree, and engaged themselves among the followers of Religion, who were diftinguished by the uniformity of their march, though many of them were women, and by their continual endeavours to move upwards without appearing to regard the prospects which at every step courted their attention.

All those who determined to follow either Reason or Religion, were continually importuned to for-. fake the road, fometimes by Paffions, and fometimes by Appetites, of whom both had reason to boaft the fuccefs of their artifices; for fo many were drawn into by-paths, that any way was more populous than the right. The attacks of the Appetites were more impetuous, thofe of the Paffions longer continued. The Appetites turned their followers directly from the true way, but the Paffions marched at first in a path nearly in the fame direction with that of Reason and Religion; but deviated by flow degrees, till at laft they entirely changed their courfe.

Dd 4

Appetite

Appetite drew afide the dull, and Paffion the sprightly. Of the Appetites, Luft was the ftrongeft; and of the Paffions, Vanity. The most powerful affault was to be feared, when a Paffion and an Appetite joined their enticements; and the path of Reafon was beft followed, when a Paffion called to one fide, and an Appetite to the other.

Thefe feducers had the greatest fuccefs upon the followers of Reafon, over whom they fcarcely ever failed to prevail, except when they counteracted one another. They had not the fame triumphs over the votaries of Religion; for though they were often led afide for a time, Religion commonly recalled them by her emiflary Confcience, before Habit had time to enchain them. But they that profeffed to obey Reafon, if once they forfook her feldom returned; for he had no meffenger to fummon them but Pride, who generally betrayed her confidence, and em ployed all her skill to fupport Paffion; and if ever she did her duty, was found unable to prevail, if Habit had interpofed.

I foon found that the great danger to the followers of Religion was only from Habit; every other power was easily refifted, nor did they find any difficulty when they inadvertently quitted her, to find her again by the direction of Confcience, unless they had given time to Habit to draw her chain behind them, and bar up the way by which they had wandered. Of fome of thofe, the condition was justly to be pitied, who turned at every call of Confcience, and tried, but without effect, to burst the chains of Habit: faw Religion walking forward at a

distance,

distance, faw her with reverence, and longed to join her; but were, whenever they approached her, withheld by Habit, and languished in fordid bondage, which they could not efcape, though they fcorned and hated it.

It was evident that the Habits were fo far from growing weaker by these repeated contefts, that if they were not totally overcome, every ftruggle enlarged their bulk and increased their ftrength; and a Habit oppofed and victorious was more than twice as ftrong as before the conteft. The manner in which those who were weary of their tyranny endeavoured to efcape from them, appeared by the event to be generally wrong; they tried to loose their chains one by one, and to retreat by the fame degrees as they advanced; but before the deliverance was completed, Habit always threw new chains upon her fugitive; nor did any escape her but those who, by an effort fudden and violent, burst their shackles at once, and left her at a distance; and even of these, many, rushing too precipitately forward, and hindered by their terrors from stopping where they were safe, were fatigued with their own vehemence, and refigned themfelves again to that power from whom an efcape must be fo dearly bought, and whofe tyranny was little felt, except when it was refifted.

Some however there always were, who when they found Habit prevailing over them, called upon Reafon or Religion for affiflance; each of them willingly came to the fuccour of her fuppliant, but neither with the fame ftrength, nor the fame fuc

cefs.