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In that season of the year when the serenity of the sky, the various fruits which
cover the ground, the discoloured foliage of the trees, and all the sweet but fading
graces of inspiring autumn open the mind to benevolence, and dispose it for
contemplation; I was wandering in a beautiful and romantic country, till curiosity
began to give way to weariness; and I sat me down on the fragment of a rock
overgrown with moss, where the rustling of the falling leaves, the dashing of
waters, and the hum of the distant city, soothed my mind into the most perfect
tranquillity; and sleep insensibly stole upon me, as I was indulging
I immediately found myself in a vast 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 pressed forwards with the liveliest expression of ardour in their countenance, though the way was in many places steep and difficult. I observed that those who had but just begun to climb the hill, thought themselves not far from the top: but as they proceeded, new hills were continually rising to their view; and the summit of the highest they could before discern, seemed but the foot of another, till the mountain at length appeared to lose itself in the clouds. As I was gazing on these things with astonishment, my good genius suddenly appeared. "The mountain before thee," said he, "is the hill of Science. On the top is the temple of Truth, whose head is above the clouds, and whose face is covered with a veil of pure light. Observe the progress of her votaries; be silent, and attentive."
I saw 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 pensive and thoughtful appearance, whose
lips were continually moving, as though she repeated something to herself. Her name
was Memory. On
About half way up the hill, I observed on each side of the path a thick forest
covered with continual fogs, and cut out into labyrinths, cross alleys, and
serpentine walks, entangled with thorns and briars. This was called the wood of
Error: and I heard the voices of many who were lost up and down in it, calling to
one another, and endeavouring in vain to extricate themselves. The trees in many
places shot their boughs over the path, and a thick mist often rested on it; yet
never
In the pleasantest part of the mountain were placed the bowers of the Muses, whose office it was to cheer the spirits of the travellers, and encourage their fainting steps with songs from their divine harps. Not far from hence were the fields of Fiction, filled with a variety of wind flowers springing up in the greatest luxuriance, of richer scents and brighter colours than I had observed in any other climate. And near them was the dark walk of Allegory, so artificially shaded, that the light at noonday was never stronger than that of a bright moonshine. This gave it a pleasingly romantic air for those who delighted in contemplation. The paths and alleys were perplexed with intricate windings, and were all terminated with the statue of a Grace, a Virtue, or a Muse.
After I had observed these things, I turned my eyes towards the multitudes who were
climbing the steep ascent, and observed amongst them a youth of a lively look, a
piercing eye, and something 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 thousand caprices. When Pleasure warbled in the valley, he
I saw, with some surprise, that the Muses,
Of all the unhappy deserters from the paths of Science, none seemed less able to return than the followers of Indolence. The captives of Appetite and Passion could often seize the moment when their tyrants were languid or asleep, to escape from their enchantment; but the dominion of Indolence was constant and unremitted, and seldom resisted till resistance was in vain.
After contemplating these things, I turned my eyes towards the top of the mountain,
where the air was always pure and exhilarating, the path shaded with laurels and
other evergreens, and the effulgence which beamed from the face of the goddess
seemed to shed a glory from round her votaries. "Happy," said I,
"are they who are permitted to ascend the mountain!" -- but while
I was pronouncing this exclamation with uncommon ardour, I saw standing beside me a
from of diviner features and a more benign radiance. "Happier,"