We have feen the virtues which have, corporation, who opposes the defigns of while living, retired from the public eye, ge- prince, who would tyrannically force his fubnerally tranfmitted to pofterity, as the trueftjects to have their beft cloths for Sundays; objects of admiration and praife. Perhaps the puny pedant, who finds one undiscovered the character of the late duke of Marlborough quality in the polype, or describes an unheedmay one day be fet up, even above that of hised procefs in the skeleton of a mole; and more talked-of predeceffor; fince an affem- whofe mind, like his microfcope, perceives blage of all the mild and amiable virtues are nature only in detail: the rhymer, who makes far fuperior to thofe vulgarly called the great fmooth veries, and paints to our imagination, ones. I must be pardoned for this fhort tri- when we fhould only fpeak to our hearts; all bute to the memory of a man, who, while equally fancy themfelves walking forward to living, would as much deteft to receive any immortality, and defire the crowd behind thing that wore the appearance of flattery, as them to look on. The crowd takes them at Ifhould to offer it.. their word. Patriot, philofopher, and poet, are shouted in their train. "Where was "there ever fo much merit feen? no times fo I know not how to turn fo trite a fubject out of the beaten road of common-place, except by illuftrating it, rather by the affiftance" important as our own! ages, yet unborn, of my memory than judgment; and, inftead," fhall gaze with wonder and applaufe! of making reflections, by telling a story. To fuch mufic the important pigmy moves forward, bustling and fwelling, and aptly compared to a puddle in a storm. A Chinefe, who had long ftudied the works of Confucius, who knew the characters of fourteen thousand words, and could read a I have lived to fee generals who once had great part of every book that came in his way, crowds hollooing after them where-ever they once took it into his head to travel into Europe, went, who were bepraifed by news-papers and and obferve the customs of a people which he magazines, thofe echoes of the voice of the thought not very much inferior even to his vulgar, and yet they have long funk into meown countrymen. Upon his arrival at Am-rited obfcurity, with fcarce even an epitaph fterdam, his paffion for letters naturally led him to a bookfeller's fhop; and, as he could fpeak a little Dutch, he civilly alked the bookfeller for the works of the immortal Xixofou. The book feller aflured him he had never heard the book mentioned before. "Alas!" cries our traveller," to what purpose, then, has "he fafted to death, to gain a renown which "has never travelled beyond the precincts of "China!" There is fcarce a village in Europe, and not one univerfity, that is not thus furnished with ats little great men. The head of a petty left to flatter. A few years ago the herringfithery employed all Grub-ftreet; it was the topic in every coffee-houfe, and the burden of every ballad. We were to drag up oceans of gold from the bottom of the fea; we were to fupply all Europe with herrings upon our own terms. At prefent, we hear no more of all this. We have fifhed up very little gold that I can learn, nor do we furnish the world with herrings, as was expected. Let us wait but a few years longer, and we fhall find all our expectations an herring-fithery. Goldfmith. $ § 7. The Hill of Science. A Vision, In that feafon of the year when the ferenity of the fky, the various fruits which cover the ground, the difcoloured foliage of the trees, and all the fweet, but fading graces of infpiring autumn, open the mind to benevolence, and difpofe it for contemplation, I was wandering in a beautiful and romantic country, till curiofity began to give way to wearinefs; and I fat me down on the fragment of a rock overgrown with mofs, where the rustling of the falling leaves, the dafhing of waters, and the hum of the diftant city, foothed my mind into the most perfect tranquillity, and fleep infenfibly ftole upon me, as I was indulging the agreeable reveries which the objects around me naturally infpired. I immediately found myself in a vaft extended plain, in the middle of which arose a mountain higher than I had before any conception of. It was covered with a multitude of people, chiefly youth; many of whom preffed forwards with the livelieft expreffion of ardour in their countenance, though the way was in many places fteep and difficult. I obferved, that those who had just begun to climb the hill thought themfelves not far from the top; but as they proceeded, new hills were continually rifing to their view, and the fummit of the higheft they could before difcern feemed but the foot of another, till the mountain at length appeared to lose itfelf in the clouds. As I was gazing on these things with astonishment, my good genius fuddenly appeared: The mountain before thee, faid he, is the Hill of Science. On the top is the temple of Truth, whofe head is above the clouds, and a veil of pure light covers her face. Obferve the progrefs of her votaries; be filent and attentive. I faw that the only regular approach to the mountain was by a gate, called the gate of Languages. It was kept by a woman of a penfive and thoughtful appearance, whofe lips were continually moving, as though the`repeated fomething to herfelf. Her name was Memory. On entering this firft enclosure, I was stunned with a confufed murmur of iarring voices, and diffonant founds; which increafed upon me to fuch a degree, that I was utterly confounded, and could compare the noise to nothing but the confufion of tongues at Babel. The road was alfo rough and ftony; and rendered more difficult be heaps of rubbish continually tumbled down from the higher parts of the mountain; and broken ruins of ancient buildings, which the travellers were obliged to climb over at every Rep; infomuch that many, difgufted with fo rough a beginning, turned back, and attempted the mountain no more; while others, having conquered this difficulty, had no fpirits to afcend further, and fitting down on feme fragment of the rubbish, harangued the multitude below with the greatest marks of importance and felf-complacency. About half way up the hill, I obferved on each fide the path a thick forest covered with continual fogs, and cut out into labyrinths,crofs alleys, and ferpentine walks, cutrangled with thorns and briars. This was called the wood of Error: and I heard the voices of many who were toft up and down in it, calling to one another, and endeavouring in vain to extricate themfelves. The trees in many places fhot their boughs over the path, and a thick mitt often refted on it; yet never so much but that it was difcernible by the light which beamed from the countenance of Truth. In the pleasanteft part of the mountain were placed the bowers of the Muses, whole office it was to cheer the fpirits of the travellers, and encourage their fainting fteps with fongs from their divine harps. Not far from hence were the fields of Fiction, filled with a variety of wild flowers fpringing up in the greatest luxuriance, of richer feents and brighter colours than I had obferved in any other climate. And near them was the dark walk of Allegory, fo artificially fhaded, that the light at noon-day was never ftronger than that of a bright moon-fhine. This gave it a pleafing romantic air for those who delighted in contemplation. The paths and alleys were perplexed with intricate windings, and were all terminated with the ftatue of a Grace, a Virtue, or a Mufe.. After I had obferved thefe things, I turned my eye towards the multitudes who were climbing the steep afcent, and obferved amongft them a youth of a lively look, a piercing eye, and fomething fiery and irregular in all his motions. His name was Genius. He darted like an eagle up the mountain, and left his companions gazing after him with envy and admiration but his progress was unequal, and interrupted by a thoufand caprices. When Pleafure warbled in the valley he mangled in her train. When Pride beckoned cowards the precipice he ventured to the tottering edge. He delighted in devious and untried paths, and made to many excurfions from the rode, that his feebler companions often out-tripped him. I obferved that the Mufes beheld him with partiality; but truth often frowned, and turned afide her face. While Genius was thus wafting his ftrength in eccentric flights, I faw a person of a very different appearance, named Application. He crept along with a flow and unremitted pace, his eyes fixed on the top of the mountain, patiently removing every stone that obftructed his way, till he faw moft of those below him who had at firft derided his flow and toilfome progrefs. Indeed there were few who afcended the hill with equal and uninterrupted fteadinefs; for, befide the difficulties of the way, they were continually folicited to turn afide by a numerous crowd of Appetites, Paffions, and Pleasures, whofe importunity, when they had once complied with, they became lefs and lefs able to refift; and though they often returned to the path, the afperities of the road were more feverely felt, the hill appeared more fteep and rugged, the fruits which were wholefome and refreshing feemed harth and ill-tafted, their fight grew dim, and their feet tript at every little obstruction. I faw, with fome furprize, that the Muses, whofe bufinefs was to cheer and encourage those who were toiling up the afcent, would often fing in the bowers of Pleasure, and accompany those who were enticed away at the call of the paffions; they accompanied them, however, but a little way, and always forfook them when they loft fight of the hill. The tyrants then doubled their chains upon the unhappy captives, and led them away, without refiftance, to the cells of Ignorance, or the manfions of Mifery. Amongst the innumer able seducers, who were endeavouring to draw away the votaries of Truth from the paths of Science, there was one, fo little formidable in her appearance, and fo gentle and languid in her attempts, that I fhould fcarcely have taken notice of her, but for the number she had imperceptibly loaded with her chains. Indolence (for fo the was called) far from proceeding to open hoftilities, did not attempt to turn their feet out of the path, but contented herfelf with retarding their progrefs; and the purpofe fhe could not force them to abandon, the perfuaded them to delay. Her touch had a power a power like that of the torpedo, which wi- | fide in the vale? I am found, said she, in the thered the ftrength of thofe who came within vale, and I illuminate the mountain: I cheer its influence. Her unhappy captives ftill the cottager at his toil, and inspired the fage at turning their faces towards the temple, and his meditation. I mingle in the crowd of always hoped to arrived there; but the ground cities, and blefs the hermit in his cell. I have feemed to flide from beneath their feet, and atemple in every heart that owns my influence; they found themfelves at the bottom, before and to him that withes for me I am already they fufpected they had changed their place. prefent. Science may raife you to eminence, The placid ferenity, which at first appeared in but I alone can guide you to felicity! While their countenance, changed by degrees into a the goddefs was thus fpeaking, I stretched out melancholy languor, which was tinged with my arms towards her with a vehemence which deeper and deeper gloom, as they glided down broke my flumbers. The chill dews were the ftream of Infignificance; a dark and falling around me, and the shades of evening fluggish water which is curled by no breeze, ftretched over the landfcape. I haftened and enlivened by no murmur, till it falls into homeward, and refigned the night to filence dead fea, where ftartled paffengers are and meditation. Aikin's Mifcel. awakened by the shock, and the next moment buried in the gulph of oblivion. Of all the unhappy deferters from the paths of Science, none feemed lefs able to return than the followers of Indolence. The captives of Appetite and Paffion could often feize the moment when their tyrants were languid or afleep to efcape from their enchantment; but the dominion of Indolence was conftant and unremitted, and seldom refifted, till refiftance was in vain. § 8. The Canal and the Brook. A delightfully pleafant evening fucceeding a fultry fummer-day, invited me to take a folitary walk; and leaving the duft of the highway, I fell into a path which led along a pleasant little valley watered by a finall meandring brook. The meadow ground on its banks had been lately mown, and the new grafs was fpringing up with a lively verdure. The brook was hid in feveral places by the fhrubs that grew on each fide, and intermin After contemplating these things, I turned my eyes towards the top of the mountain, where the air was always pure and exhilarating,gled their branches. The fides of the valley the path fhaded with laurels and other ever- were roughened by fmall irregular thickets; greens, and the effulgence which beamed from and the whole fcene had an air of folitude and the face of the goddefs feemed to fhed a glory retirement, uncommon in the neighbourhood round her votaries. Happy, faid I, are they of a populous town. The Duke of Bridgwho are permitted to afcend the mountain?-water's canal croffed the valley, high raifed on but while I was pronouncing this exclamatiun with uncommon ardour, I faw ftanding befide me a form of diviner features and a more benign radiance. Happier, faid the, are thofe whom Virtue conducts to the manfions of Content! What, faid I, does Virtue then re a mound of earth, which preferved a level with the elevated ground on each fide. An arched road was carried under it, beneath which the brook that ran along the valley was conveyed by a fubterraneous paffage. I threw myfelf upon a green bank, fhaded by a leafy thicket, thicket, and refting my head upon my hand, after a welcome indolence had overcame my fenfes, I faw, with the eyes of fancy, the following feene. "temptible and ufelefs? For me, the noblest "child of Art, who hold my unremitting "courfe from hill to hill, over vales and "rivers; who pierce the folid rock for my "diftant feas; wherever I appear I am view The firm built fide of the aqueduct fud-" paffage, and connect unknown lands with denly opened, and a gigantic form iffued forth which I foon difcovered to be the Genius of the Canal. He was clad in clofe garment of ruffet hue. A mural crown, indented with battlements, furrounded his brow. His naked feet were difcoloured with clay. On his left fhoulder he bore a huge pick-axe; and in his right hand he held certain inftruments, used in furveying and levelling. His looks were thoughtful, and his features harsh. The breaca through which he proceeded inftantly" clofed, and with a heavy tread he advanced into the valley. As he approached the brook, the Deity of the ftream arofe to meet him. He was habited in a light green mantle, and the clear drops fell from his dark hair, which was encircled with a wreath of water-lily, inter- praife lefs thining, but not lefs folid than woven with fweet-fcented flag: an angling yours. The nymph of this peaceful valley, rod fupported his fteps. The Genius of the " rendered more fertile and beautiful by my Canal eyed him with a contemptuous look, "ftream; the neighbouring fylvan deities and in a hoarfe voice thus began: "to whofe pleasure I contribute; will pay a "Hence, ignoble rill! with thy fcanty" greatful teftimony to my merit. "tribute to thy lord the Merfey; nor thus" windings of my courfe, which you so much "wafte thy almoft-exhaufted urn in lingering" blame, ferve to diffuse over a greater extent "windings along the vale. Feeble as thine "of ground the refreshment of my waters; "I readily acknowledge," replied the Deity of the Brook, in a modeft accent, "the "fuperior magnificence and more extenfive "utility of which you so proudly boaft; yet, "in my humble walk, I am not void of a The aid is, it will not be exceptable to that " and the lovers of nature and the Mules, "mafter ftream himfelf; for, as I lately" who are fond of ftraying on my banks, are "croffed his channel, I perceived his fands" better pleafed that the line of beauty marks "loaded with stranded reffels. I faw, and my way, than if, like yours, it were di "pitied him, for undertaking a task to which "rected in a freight, unvaried line. They "he is unequal. But thou, whofe languid" prize the irregular wildnefs with which "current is obfcured by weeds, and inter-" I am decked, as the charms of beaureous "rupted by mishapen pebbles: who lofeft" fimplicity. What you call the weeds "thyfelf in endless mazes, remote from any" which darken and obfcure my waves, afford "found but thy own idle gurgling; how "canft thou fupport an existence to con"to the botanist a pleafing fpeculation of the "works of nature; and the poet and painter |