Voyage. Hereupon fome who knew her for Patience, and fome of those too who till then cry'd the loudeft, were perfuaded by her, and return'd back. The rest of us went in, and fhe (whofe Good-nature would not fuffer her to forfake Perfons in Trouble) defired Leave to accompany us, that she might at least administer fome fmall Comfort or Advice while we failed. We were no fooner embarked but the Boat was pufhed off, the Sheet was fpread; and being filled with Sighs, which are the Winds of that Country, we made a Paffage to the farther Bank thro feveral Difficulties of which the most of us feem'd utterly regardless.

When we landed, we perceived the Island to be ftrangely over-caft with Fogs, which no Brightnefs could pierce, fo that a kind of gloomy Horror fat always brooding over it. This had fomething in it very fhocking to eafy Tempers, infomuch that fome others, whom Patience had by this time gain'd over, left us here, and privily convey'd themselves round the Verge of the Island to find a Ford by which she told them they might escape.

For my part, I ftill went along with those who were for piercing into the Centre of the Place; and joining our felves to others whom we found upon the fame Journey, we marched folemnly as at a Funeral, thro' bordering Hedges

of

of Rosemary, and thro' a Grove of Yew-Trees, which love to over-fhadow Tombs and flourish in Church-Yards. Here we heard on every fide' the Wailings and Complaints of several of the Inhabitants, who had caft themselves difconfolately at the Feet of Trees; and as we chanc'd to approach any of thefe, we might perceive them wringing their Hands, beating their Breafts, tearing their Hair, or after fome other manner vifibly agitated with Vexation. Our Sorrows were heightned by the Influence of what we heard and faw, and one of our Number was wrought up to fuch a Pitch of Wildnefs, as to talk of hanging himself upon a Bough which shot temptingly across the Path, we travelled in; but he was reftrain'd from it by the kind Endeavours of our abovementioned Companion.

We had now gotten into the most dusky filent Part of the Ifland, and by the redoubled Sounds of Sighs, which made a doleful whiftling in the Branches, the Thickness of Air which occafioned faintifh Refpiration, and the violent Throbbings of Heart which more and more affected us, we found that we approach'd the Grotto of Grief. It was a wide, hollow, and melancholy Cave, funk deep in a Dale, and watered by Rivulets that had a Colour between Red and Black. These crept flow, and half congealed amongst its Windings, and mixed their heavy Murmur with the Echo of Groans that rolled thro' all the Paffages.

In the moft retired part of it fat the doleful Being her felf; the Path to her was ftrewed with Goads, Stings, and Thorns; and the Throne on which fhe fat was broken into a Rock with ragged Pieces pointing upwards for her to lean upon. A heavy Mift hung above her, her Head oppreffed with it reclined upon her Arm: Thus did fhe reign over her difconfolate Subjects, full of her felf to Stupidity, in eternal Penfiveness, and the profoundeft Silence. On one fide of her stood Dejection juft dropping into a Swoon, and Palenefs wafting to a Skeleton; on the other fide were Care inwardly tormented with Imaginations, and Anguifh fuffering outward Troubles to fuck the Blood from her Heart in the Shape of Vultures. The whole Vault had a genuine Difmalness in it, which a few fcattered Lamps, whose blueish Flames arofe and funk in their Urns, difcovered to our Eyes with Encrease. Some of us fell down, overcome and spent with what they fuffered in the way, and were given over to those Tormentors that ftood on either Hand of the Prefence; others, galled and mortified with Pain, recover'd the Entrance, where Patience, whom we had left behind, was ftill waiting to receive

us.

With her (whofe Company was now become more grateful to us by the want we had found of her) we winded round the Grotto, and afcended at the Back of it, out of the mournful Dale in

whose Bottom it lay. On this Eminence we halted, by her Advice, to pant for Breath; and lifting our Eyes, which till then were fixed downwards, felt a fullen fort of Satisfaction, in obferving thro' the Shades what Numbers had entred the Island. This Satisfaction, which appears to have Ill-nature in it, was excufable, because it happened at a time when we were too much taken up with our own Concern, to have Respect to that of others; and therefore we did not confider them as fuffering, but our felves as not fuffering in the most forlorn Eftate. It had also the Groundwork of Humanity and Compaffion in it, though the Mind was then too deeply engaged to perceive it; but aswe proceeded onwards it beganto discover it self, and from obferving that others were unhappy, we came to queftion one another, when it was that we met, and what were the fad Occafions that brought us together. Then we heard our Stories, we compared them, we mutually gave and received Pity, and fo by degrees became to lerable Company.

A confiderable Part of the troublefome Road was thus deceived; at length the Openings among the Trees grew larger, the Air feemed thinner, it lay with less Oppression upon us, and we could now and then difcern Tracts in it of a lighter Greynefs, like the Breakings of Day, fhort in Duration, much enlivening, and called in that Country Gleams of Amusement. Within a

fhort

fhort while thefe Gleams began to appear more frequent, and then brighter and of a longer Continuance; the Sighs that hitherto filled the Air with fo much Dolefulness, altered to the Sound of common Breezes, and in general the Horrors of the Island were abated.

When we had arrived at last at the Ford by which we were to pass out, we met with those fashionable Mourners who had been ferried over along with us, and who being unwilling to go as far as we, had coafted by the Shore' to find the Place, where they waited our coming; that by fhewing themselves to the World only at, that time when we did, they might feem alfo to have been among the troubles of the Grotto. Here the Waters, that rolled on the other fide fo deep and filent, were much dried up, and it was an easier Matter for us to wade over.

The River being croffed, we were received upon the further Bank by our Friends and Acquaintance, whom Comfort had brought out to congratulate our Appearance in the World again. Some of these blamed us for staying fo long away from them, others advifed us against all Temptations of going back again; every one was cautious not to renew our Trouble, by asking any Particulars of the Journey; and all concluded, that in a Cafe