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punctually obey command, and make the narrow roads in which they were confined eafier and smoother.

it was observable that their ftature was never at a stand, but continually growing or decreafing, yet not always in the fame proportions: nor could I forbear to exprefs my admiration, when I faw in how much less time they gener ally gained than loft bulk. Though they grew flowly in the road of Education, it might however be perceived that they grew but if they once deviated at the call of Appetite, their ftature foon became gigantic; and their ftrength was fuch that Education pointed out to her tribe many that were led in chains by them, whom she could never more rescue from their flavery. She pointed them out, but with little effect; for all her pupils appeared confident of their own fuperiority to the strongest Habit, and fome seemed in fecret to regret that they were hindered from following the triumph of Appetite.

It was the peculiar artifice of Habit, not to fuffer her power to be felt at first. Thote whom fhe led, fhe had the addrefs of appearing only to attend, but was continually doubling her chains upon her companions; which were fo flender in themselves, and fo filently faftened, that while the attention was engaged by other objects, they were not eafily perceived. Each link grew tighter as it had been longer worn; and when, by continual additions, they became fo heavy as to be felt, they were very frequently too trong to be broker.

When Education had proceeded, in this manner, to the part of the mountain where the declivity began to grow craggy, the refigned her charge to two powers of fuperior afpect. The meaner of them appeared capable of prefiding in fenates, or governing nations, and yet watched the steps of the other with the moft anxious attention; and was visi. bly confounded and perplexed, if ever the fuffered her regard to be drawn away. The other feemed to approve her fubmiffion as pleafing, but with fuch a condefcenfion as plainly thowed that the claimed it as due; and indeed fo great was her dignity and fweetnels, that he, who would not reverence, muit not behold her.

"Theodore," faid my protector, "be fearlefs, and be wife ; approach these powers, whofe dominion extends to all the remaining part of the Mountain of Existence." I trembled, and ventured to addrefs the inferior nymph, whofe eyes, piercing and awful, I was not able to fuitain. "Bright

power," faid I, by whatever name it is lawful to addrefs thee, tell me, thou who prefidelt here, on what condition thy protection will be granted ?" "It will be granted," faid The, "only to obedience. I am Reason, of all fubordinate beings the nobleft and the greatest; who, if thou wilt receive my laws, will reward thee like the rest of my vota. ries, by conducting thee to Religion." Charmed by her voice and afpect, I professed my readinefs to follow her. She then prefented me to her Mistress, who looked upon me with tenderness. I bowed before her, and she smiled.

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SECTION XIV.

The vifion of Theodore continued.

WHEN Education delivered up thofe for whofe happiness The 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 fhe had hitherto afforded them. But it was easy to discover, by the alacrity which broke out at her departure, that her prefence had been long difpleafing, and that she had been teaching those who felt in themfelves no want of inftruction. They all agreed in rejoicing that they would no longer be fubject to 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 themselves, by a fteady adherence to all her precepts. Reafon counselled them, at their firft entrance upon her province, to enlift themselves 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 she had not been able to fecure against Appetites and Paffions, and who, having been seized by Habits in the regions of Desire, 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 Exist. ence. "My power," faid Reafon, "is to advise, 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 can conduct you. Look upwards, and you perceive a mill before you, fettled upon the higheft 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 Happiness, in which those who climb the preci pice by her direction, after the toil of their pilgrimage, repofe forever. I know not the way, and therefore can only conduct you to a better guide. Pride has sometimes reproached me with the narrowness of my view; but, when The endeavoured to extend it, could only fhow me, below the mist, the bowers of Content even they vanished as I fixed my eyes upon them; and thofe whom the perfuaded to travel towards them were enchained by Habits, and ingulfed by Defpair, a cruel tyrant, whofe caverns are beyond the darkness, on the right fide and on the left, from whose prisons 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 frict decree, and engaged themselves among the followers of Religion, who were distinguished by the uniformity of their march, though many of them were women, and by their continual endeav ours to move upwards, without appearing to regard the profpes which at every step courted their attention.

All thofe who determined to follow either Reafon or Religion, were continually importuned to forfake the road, fometimes by Paffions, and fometimes by Appetites, of whom both had reafon to boast the fuccefs of their artificers; 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 Reafon and Religion; but deviated by flow degrees, till at last they entirely changed their courfe. Appetite drew afide the dull, and Paffion the fprightly. 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.

These feducers had the greatest fuccefs upon the followers of Reason, 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;

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for though they were often led afide for a time, Religion commonly recalled them by her emiffary Confcience, be fore Habit had time to enchain them. But they that feffed to obey Reafon, if once they forfook her, feldom returned; for fhe had no meffenger to fummon them but Pride, who generally betrayed her confidence, and employ ed 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 cafily 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, faw her with reve rence, and longed to join her; but were, whenever they approached her, withheld by Habit, and languished in fordid bondage, which they could not escape, though they fcorned and hated it.

It was evident that the Habits were so far from growing weaker by these repeated contefts, that if they were not totally overcome, every ftruggle enlarged their bulk, and increased their strength; and a Habit, opposed and victorious, was more than twice as ftrong, as before the conteft. The manner in which thofe who were weary of their tyranny endeavoured to efcape from them appeared by the event to be generally wrong; they tried to loofe 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 efcape her but thofe, who, by an effort fudden and violent, burst their fhackles at once, and left her at a distance; and even of thefe, many, rufhing too precipitately forward, and hindered by their terrors from topping where they were fafe, were fatigued with their own vehemence, and refigned themselves again to that power from whom an escape must be fo dearly bought, and whose 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 Relig. ion for affistance: each of them willingly came to the fuc

cour of her fuppliant; but neither with the fame ftrength, nor the fame fuccefs. Habit, infolent with her power, would often prefume to parley with Reason, 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 she 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 Reafon never failed to congratulate his deliverance, and encourage his adherence to that power, to whofe timely fuccour he, was indebted for it.

SECTION XV.

The vifion of Theodore continued.

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 start 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 laft her correfpondence with the enemy was entirely deftroyed. She then began to employ thofe reftlefs faculties, in compliance with the power which she could not overcome; and as fhe grew again in ftature and in ftrength, cleared away the afperities of the road to Hap. piness.

From this road I could not eafily withdraw my attention, because 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 short excursions, had Habit in the middle of their paffage, vigorously fupporting them, and driving off the 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,

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