with our own concerns, to have refpect to that of others; and therefore we did not confider them as fuffering, but ourselves as fuffering in the moft førlorn eftate. It had alfo the ground-work of humanity and compassion in it, though the mind was then too dark and too deeply engaged to perceive it: But, as we proceeded onwards, it began to discover itself; and, from obferving that others were unhappy, we came to question 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 tolerable company.

A confiderable part of the troublesome road was thus deceived : At length, the openings of the trees grew larger, the air feemed thinner, it lay with lefs oppreffion 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 time thefe gleams began to appear more frequent, and then brighter, and of a longer continuance. The fighs, that hitherto filled the air with fo much dolefulness, altered to the found of common breezes, and in general the horrors of the island! were abated.

When we had arrived at laft, at the ford by which we were to pafs out, we met with these fashionable mourners, who had been ferried over along with us, and who, being unwilling to go as far as we, had coafted by the fhore to find the place were they waited our coming; that, by fhewing themfelves to the world only at the time 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 eafy 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 thefe blamed us

for staying fo long away from them; others advifed us against all te.nptations of going back again; every one was cautious not to renew our trouble, by afking any particulars of the journey, and all concluded, in a cafe of fo much melancholy and affliction, we could not have made choice of a better companion than Patience. Here Patience, appearing ferenie at her praifes, delivered us over to Comfort. Confort fmiled at his receiving the charge; immediately the fky purpled on that fide to which he turned, and double day at once broke in upon me.

SPECTATOR, Vol. VII. No. 501. O.

When Hercules was in that part of his youth, in which it was natural for him to confider what courfe of life he ought to purfue, he one day retired into a defart, where the filence and folitude of the place very much contributed to his meditations. As he was mufing on his prefent condition, and very much perplexed in himself on the ftate of life he fhould choofe, he faw two women of a larger ftature than ordinary, approaching towards him. One of them had a very notie air, and graceful deportment: Her beauty was. natural and eafy, her perfon clean and unfpotted, her eyes caft towards the ground with an agreeable reserve, her motion and behaviour full of modefty, and her raiment as white as fnow. The other had a great deal of health and floridness in her countenance, which he had helped with an artificial white and red; and endeavoured to appear more graceful than ordinary in her mein, by a mixture of affectation in all her gef tures. She had a wonderful confidence and affurance in her looks, and all the variety of colours in her dreís that the thought were the most proper to fhew her complexion to an advantage. She caft her eyes upon herself, then turned them on those that were pref ent to fee how they liked her, and often looked on the figure the made in her own fhadow. Upon her near-. er approach to Hercules, the stepped before the other lady (who came forward with a regular compofed car

riage) and, running up to him, accofted him after the following manner:

My dear Hercules (fays fhe) I find you are very much divided in your own thoughts upon the way of life you ought to choofe: Be my friend, and follow me; I'll lead you into the poffeffion of pleafure, and out of the reach of pain, and remove you from all the noife and aifquietude of bufinefs. The affairs of war and peace fhall have no power to disturb you; your whole employment fhall be to make your life ealy, and to entertain every fenfe with its proper gratifications. Sumptuous tables, beds of rofes, clouds of perfumes, concerts of mufic. Crowds of beauties, are all in readiness to receive you.. Come along with me to this region of delights, this world of pleafure, and bid farewell for ever to care, to pain, to bu-. finefs.

Hercules, hearing the lady talk after this manner, defired to know her name; to which the answered, my friends, and thofe that are well acquainted with me, call me Happiness; but my enemies, and thofe who would injure my reputation, call me Pleasure.

By this time the other lady was come up, who ak drefied herself to the young hero, in a very different

manner.

This

Hercules (fays the) I offer myself to you, because I know you are defcended from the Gods, and give proofs of that defcent by your love to virtue, and application to the ftudies proper for your age. makes me hope you will gain both for yourfelf and me an immortal reputation. But, before I invite you into my fociety and friendship, I will be open and fincere with you, and muft lay down this as an established truth: That there is nothing truly valuable which can be purchased without pains and labour. The Gods have fet a price upon every real and noble pleafure. If you would gain the favour of the Deity, you must be at the pains of worshipping him; if the friendfhip of good men, you must study to oblige them : If you would be honoured by your country, you must take care to serve it; if you would be eminent in war

or peace, you must become mafter of all the qualifica tions that can make you fo. Thefe are the only terms and conditions upon which I can propose happiness. The Goddess of Pleafure here broke in upon her difcourfe: You fee (fays fhe) Hercules, by her own confesfion, the way to her pleafure is long and difficult whereas that which I propofe is fhort and eafy. Alas! faid the other lady, whofe vifage glowed with a passion made up of fcorn and pity, what are the pleafures you propofe? To eat before you are hungry, drink before you are athirft, fleep before you are tired; to gratify appetites before they are raifed, and raise fuch ap petites as nature never planted. You never heard the most delicious mufic, which is the praise of one's felf; nor faw the most beautiful object, which is the work of one's own hands: Your votaries pafs away: their youth in a dream of mistaken pleafures, while they are hoarding up anguifh, torment, and remorse, for old age..

As for me, I am the friend of Gods and of good: men, an agreeable companion to the artizan, and household guardian to the father of families; a patron and protector of fervants, an affociate in all true and generous friendships. The banquets of my votaries are never coftly, but always delicious; for none eat or drink at them, who are not invited by hunger and thirst. Their flumbers are found, and their wak-ings are cheerful: My young men have the pleafure of hearing themfelves praiied by thofe who are in years; and thofe in years, of being honoured by thofe who are young. In a word, my followers are favoured by the Gods, beloved by their acquaintance, efteemed by their country, and (after the clofe. of their labours) honoured by pofterity.

he

We know by the life of this memorable hero, that gave up his heart to the Goddess of Virtue; and Ibelieve every one who reads this, will do him the juftice to approve his choic.

TATLER, Vol. II. No. 97.

IT

ALEXANDER.

T is recorded of Alexander the Great, that in his Indian expedition he buried feveral fuits of armour, which by his directions were made much too big for his foldiers, in order to give pofterity an extraordinary idea of him, and make them believe that he commanded an army of Giants.

SPECTATOR, Vol. II. No. 127. C.

There is ftill extant, an epiftle of Alexander the Great to his tutor Ariftotle, upon that philofoper's publifhing fome part of his writings, in which the prince complains of his having made known to all the world, thofe fecrets in learning which he had before communicated to him in private lectures; concluding that be had rather excel the rest of mankind in knowledge than in power.

SPECTATOR, Vol. V. No. 379.

The character of this prince indeed was, that he was unequal and given to intemperance; but in his fober moments, when he had the precepts of his great inftructor warm in his imagination, he was a pattern of generous thoughts and difpofitions, in oppofition to the strongest defires, which are incident to a youth and conqueror.

TATLER, Vol. IV. No. 191.

A noble painter, who has the ambition to draw an hiftory-piece, has defired me to give him a fubject on which he may fhow the utmost force of his art and genius. For this purpose I have pitched upon that remarkable incident between Alexander and his phyfician. This prince, in the midft of his conquests in Perfia, was feized with a viclent fever; and, according to the account we have of his vast mind, his thoughts were more employed about his recovery, as it regarded the war, than as it concerned his own life. He profeffed a flow method was worse than death to