cefs. Habit, infolent with her power, would often prefume to parley with Reafon, and offer to loofe fome of her chains if the reft might remain. To this Reason, who was never certain of victory, frequently confented, but always found her conceffion deftructive, and faw the captive led away by Habit to his former flavery. Religion never fubmitted to treaty, but held out her hand with certainty of conqueft; and if the captive to whom fhe gave it did not quit his hold, always led him away in triumph, and placed him in the direct path to the temple of Happiness, where Reason never failed to congratulate his deliverance, and encourage his adherence to that power to whofe timely fuccour he was indebted for it.

When the traveller was again placed in the road of Happiness, I faw Habit again gliding before him, but reduced to the ftature of a dwarf, without ftrength and without activity; but when the Paffions or Appetites, which had before feduced him, made their approach, Habit would on a fudden ftart into fize, and with unexpected violence push him towards them. The wretch, thus impelled on one fide, and allured on the other, too frequently quitted the road of Happiness, to which, after his fecond deviation from it, he rarely returned: but, by a timely call upon Religion, the force of Habit was eluded, her attacks grew fainter, and at last her correfpondence with the enemy was intirely deftroyed. She then began to employ those reftlefs faculties in compliance with the power which

the could not overcome; and as he grew again in ftature and in ftrength, cleared away the afperities of the road to Happiness.

From this road I could not eafily withdraw my attention, becaufe all who travelled it appeared cheerful and fatisfied; and the farther they proceeded, the greater appeared their alacrity, and the stronger their conviction of the wisdom of their guide. Some, who had never deviated but by fhort excurfions, had Habit in the middle of their paffage vigorously fupporting them, and driving off their Appetites and Paffions which attempted to interrupt their progrefs. Others, who had entered this road late, or had long forfaken it, were toiling on without her help at least, and commonly against her endeavours. But I obferved, when they approached to the barren top, that few were able to proceed without fome fupport from Habit: and that they, whofe Habits were ftrong, advanced towards the mists with little emotion, and entered them at last with calmness and confidence; after which, they were feen only by the eye of Religion; and though Reafon looked after them with the moft earnest curiofity, fhe could only obtain a faint glimpfe, when her miftrefs, to enlarge her prospect, raised her from the ground. Reason, however, difcerned that they were fafe, but Religion faw that they were happy.

"Now, Theodore," faid my protector, " withdraw thy view from the regions of obfcurity, and fee "the fate of thofe who, when they were difmiffed "by Education, would admit no direction but

"that

"that of Reason. Survey their wanderings, and be "wife."

I looked then upon the Road of Reason, which was indeed, fo far as it reached, the fame with that of Religion, nor had Reafon difcovered it but by her inftruction. Yet when he had once been taught it, the clearly faw that it was right; and Pride had fometimes incited her to declare that the discovered it herfelf, and perfuaded her to offer herself as a guide to Religion: whom after many vain experiments the found it her highest privilege to follow. Reafon was of the way, and however at laft well inftructed in part of the appeared to teach it with fome fuccefs, when her precepts were not mifreprefented by Paffion, or her influence overborne by Appetite. But neither of these enemies was the able to refift. When Paffion feized upon her votaries, fhe feldom attempted oppofition: fhe feemed indeed to contend with more vigour against Appetite, but was generally overwearied in the conteft; and if either of her opponents had confederated with Habit, her authority was wholly at an end. When Habit endeavoured to captivate the votaries of Religion, the grew by flow degrees, and gave time to escape; but in feizing the unhappy followers of Reafon, fhe proceeded as one that had nothing to fear, and enlarged her fize, and doubled her chains without intermiffion, and without referve.

Of those who forfook the directions of Reason, fome were led afide by the whispers of Ambition, who was perpetually pointing to ftately palaces,

fituated

fituated on eminences on either fide, recounting the delights of affluence, and boafting the fecurity of power. They were eafily perfuaded to follow her, and Habit quickly threw her chains upon them; they were foon convinced of the folly of their choice, but few of them attempted to return. Ambition led them forward from precipice to precipice, where many fell and were feen no more. Those that escaped were, after a long feries of hazards, generally delivered over to Avarice, and enlifted by her in the fervice of Tyranny, where they continued to heap up gold till their patrons or their heirs pushed them headlong at laft into the caverns of Despair.

Others were inticed by Intemperance to ramble in search of thofe fruits that hung over the rocks, and filled the air with their fragrance. I obferved, that the Habits which hovered about thefe foon grew to an enormous fize, nor were there any who lefs attempted to return to Reason, or fooner funk into the gulfs that lay before them. When thefe firft quitted the road, Reafon looked after them with a frown of contempt, but had little expectations of being able to reclaim them; for the bowl of intoxication was of fuch qualities as to make them lofe all regard but for the prefent moment; neither Hope nor Fear could enter their retreats; and Habit had fo abfolute a power, that even Confcience, if Religion had employed her in their favour, would not have been able to force an entrance.

There were others whofe crime it was rather to neglect Reason than to difobey her; and who re

treated

treated from the heat and tumult of the way, not to the bowers of Intemperance, but to the maze of Indolence. They had this peculiarity in their condition, that they were always in fight of the road of Reason, always wishing for her prefence, and always refolving to return to-morrow. In thefe was most eminently confpicuous the fubtlety of Habit, who hung imperceptible fhackles upon them, and was every moment leading them farther from the road, which they always imagined that they had the power of reaching. They wandered on from one double of the labyrinth to another with the chains of Habit hanging fecretly upon them, till, as they advanced, the flowers grew paler, and the fcents fainter; they proceeded in their dreary march without pleafure in their progrefs, yet without power to return; and had this aggravation above all others, that they were criminal but not delighted. The drunkard for a time laughed over his wine; the ambitious man triumphed in the mifcarriage of his rival; but the captives of Indolence had neither fuperiority nor merriment. Difcontent lowered in their looks, and Sadness hovered round their fhades; yet they crawled on reluctant and gloomy, till they arrived at the depth of the recefs, varied only with poppies and nightfhade, where the dominion of Indolence terminates, and the hopeless wanderer is delivered up to Melancholy: the chains of Habit are rivetted for ever; and Melancholy, having tortured her prifoner for a time, configns him at last to the cruelty of Despair.

While I was mufing on this miferable fcene, my protector called out to me, "Remember, Theodore,

" and