felves, and only culpable when they draw the Mind too much?

I could not but fmile upon reading a Paffage in the Account which Mr. Baxter gives of his own Life, wherein he reprefents it as a great Bleffing, that in his Youth he very narrowly escaped getting a Place at Court.

IT muft indeed be confeffed that Levity of Temper takes a Man off his Guard, and opens a Pafs to his Soul for any Temptation that affaults it. It favours all the Approaches of Vice, and weakens all the Refiftance of Virtue. For which Reafon a renowned Statesman in Queen Elizabeth's Days, after having retir'd from Court and publick Bufinefs, in order to give himself up to the Duties of Religion; when any of his old Friends ufed to vifit him, had ftill this Word of Advice in his Mouth, Be ferious.

AN eminent Italian Author of this Caft of Mind, fpeaking of the great Advantage of a ferious and compofed Temper, wishes very gravely, that for the Benefit of Mankind he had Trophonius's Cave in his Poffeffion; which, fays he, would contribute more to the Reformation of Manners than all the Work-houses and Bridewells in Europe.

WE have a very particular Defcription of this Cave in Paufanias, who tells us, that it was made in the Form of a huge Oven, and had many particular Circumstances, which difpofed the Person who was in it to be more penfive and thoughtful than ordinary; infomuch that no Man was ever obferved to laugh all his Life_after, who had once made his Entry into this Cave. It was ufual in thofe Times, when any one carried a more than ordinary Gloominels in his Features, to tell him that he looked like one juft come out of Trophonius's Cave.

ON the other hand, Writers of a more merry Complexion have been no lefs fevere on the oppofite Party; and have had one Advantage above them, that they have attacked them with more Turns of Wit and Humour.

AFTER

AFTER all, if a Man's Temper were at his own Difpofal, I think he would not choose to be of either of thefe Parties; fince the most perfect Character is that which is formed out of both of them. A Man would neither choose to be a Hermit nor a Buffoon: Humane Nature is not fo miferable, as that we fhould be always melancholy; no fo happy, as that we should be always merry. In a Word, a Man fhould not live as if there was no God in the World; nor, at the fame time, as if there were no Men in it.

N° 599. Monday, September 27.

I

Luus, ubique pavor.

Ubique

Virg.

T has been my Cuftom, as I grow old, to allow my felf in fome little Indulgences which I never took in my Youth. Among others is that of an Afternoon's Nap, which I fell into in the Fifty fifth Year of my Age, and have continued for the three Years laft paft. By this means I enjoy a double Morning, and rife twice a-day fresh to my Speculations. It happens very luckily for me, that fome of my Dreams have proved inftructive to my Countrymen, fo that I may be faid to fleep, as well as to wake, for the Good of the Publick. I was Yesterday meditating on the Account with which I have already entertained my Readers concerning the Cave of Trophonius. I was no fooner fallen into my ufual Slumber, but I dreamt that this Cave was put into my Poffeflion, and that I gave publick Notice of its Virtue, inviting every one to it, who had a mind to be a ferious Man for the remaining Part of his Life. Great Multitudes immediately reforted to me. The first who made the Experiment was a Merry-Andrew, who was put into my Hands by a neighbouring Juftice of Peace, in order to reclaim him from that profligate kind of Life.

Poor

Poor Pickle-herring had not taken above one Turn in it, when he came out of the Cave, like a Hermit from his Cell, with a penitential Look, and a moft rueful Countenance. I then put in a young laughing Fop, and, watching for his Return, asked him, with a Smile, how he liked the Place? He replied, Prithee Friend be not impertinent; and stalked by me as grave as a Judge. A Citizen then defired me to give free Ingrefs and Egrefs to his Wife, who was dreffed in the gayeft coloured Ribbons I have ever feen. She went in with a Flirt of her Fan and a fmirking Countenance, but came out with a Severity of a Veftal, and throwing from her feveral Female Gugaws, told me with a Sigh, that she refolved to go into deep Mourning, and to wear Black all the rest of her Life. As I had many Coquets recommended to me by their Parents, their Husbands, and their Lovers, I let them in all at once, defiring them to divert themselves together as well as they could. Upon their emerging again into Day-light, you would have fancied my Cave to have been a Nunnery, and that you had feen a folemn Proceffion of Religious marching out, one behind another, in the moft profound Silence and the moft exemplary Decency. As I was very much delighted with fo edifying a Sight, there came towards me a great Company of Males and Females laughing, finging, and dancing, in fuch a manner, that I could hear them a great while before I faw them. Upon my asking their Leader, what brought them thither? they told me all at once, that they were French Proteftants lately arrived in Great Britain, and that finding themselves of too Gay a Humour for my Country, they applied themselves to me in order to compofe them for British Converfation. I told them, that to oblige them I would foon spoil their Mirth; upon which I admitted a whole Shole of them, who, after having taken a Survey of the Place, came out in very good Order, and with Looks entirely English. I afterwards put in a Dutch Man, who had a great Fancy to fee the Kelder, as he called it, but I could not obferve that it had made any manner of Alteration in him.

A

A Comedian who had gained great Reputation in Parts of Humour, told me, that he had a mighty mind to act Alexander the Great, and fancied that he fhould fucceed very well in it, if he could ftrike two or three laughing Features out of his Face: He tried the Experiment, but contracted fo very folid a Look by it, that I am afraid he will be fit for no Part hereafter but a Timon of Athens, or a Mute in the Funeral.

I then clapt up an empty fantastick Citizen, in order to qualify him for an Alderman. He was fucceeded by a young Rake of the Middle-Temple, who was brought to me by his Grandmother; but to her great Sorrow and Surprife, he came out a Quaker. Seeing my felf furrounded with a Body of Free-thinkers, and Scoffers at Religion, who were making themselves merry at the fober Looks and thoughtful Brows of those who had been in the Cave; I thruft them all in, one after another, and locked the Door upon 'em. Upon my opening it, they all looked, as if they had been frighted out of their Wits, and were marching away with Ropes in their Hands to a Wood that was within Sight of the Place. I found they were not able to bear themselves in their firft ferious Thoughts; but knowing thefe would quickly bring them to a better Frame of Mind, I gave them into the Cuftody of their Friends 'till that happy Change was wrought in them.

THE laft that was brought to me was a young Woman, who at the first Sight of my fhort Face fell into an immoderate Fit of Laughter, and was forced to hold her Sides all the while her Mother was fpeaking to me. Upon this I interrupted the old Lady, and taking her Daughter by the Hand, Madam, faid I, be pleased to retire into my Clofet, while your Mother tells me your Cafe. I then put her into the Mouth of the Cave, when the Mother, after having begg'd Pardon for the Girl's Rudeness, told me, that the often treated her Father and the graveft of her Relations in the fame manner; that he would fit giggling and laughing with her Companions from one End of a Tragedy to the other; nay, that he would fometimes burft out in the Middle of a Sermon, and fet the whole Congregation a ftaring

at

at her. The Mother was going on, when the young Lady came out of the Cave to us with a compofed Countenance, and a low Curtfy. She was a Girl of fuch exuberant Mirth, that her Visit to Trophonius only reduced her to a more than ordinary Decency of Behaviour, and made a very Pretty Prude of her. After having performed innumerable Cures, I looked about me with great Satisfaction, and faw all my Patients walking by themfelves in a very penfive and mufing Pofture, fo that the whole Place feem'd covered with Philofophers. I was at length refolv'd to go into the Cave my self, and fee what it was that had produced fuch wondeful Effects upon the Company; but as I was ftooping at the Entrance, the Door being fomething low, I gave fuch a Nod in my Chair, that I awaked. After having recovered my self from my first Startle, I was very well pleas'd at the Accident which had befallen me, as not knowing but a little Stay in the Place might have spoiled my SPEC

TATORS.

ตลอ

N° 600. Wednesday, September 29.

Solemque fuum, fua fidera nôrunt.

Virg.

Have always taken a particular Pleasure in examining the Opinions which Men of different Religions, different Ages, and different Countries, have entertained concerning the Immortality of the Soul, and the State of Happiness which they promise themselves in another World. For whatever Prejudices and Errors Humane Nature lies under, we find that either Reason, or Tradition from our firft Parents, has difcovered to all People fomething in thefe great Points which bears Analogy to Truth, and to the Doctrines opened to us by Divine Revelation. I was lately difcourfing on this Subject with a learned Perfon, who has been very much converfant among the Inhabitants of the more Western

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