Methought I was transported to a hill, green, flowery, and of an eafy afcent. Upon the broad top of it refided fquint-eyed Error, and popular Opinion with many heads; two that dealt in forcery, and were famous for bewitching people with the love of themfelves. To these repaired a multitude from every fide, by two different paths which lead towards each of them. Some who had the moft affuming air went directly of themselves to Error, without expecting a conductor; others of a fofter nature went first to popular Opinion, from whence as the influenced and engaged them with their own praises, fhe delivered them over to his government.

When we had afcended to an open part of the fummit where Opinion abode, we found her entertaining several who had arrived before us. Her voice was pleafing; fhe breathed odours as fhe fpoke: fhe feemed to have a tongue for every one; every one thought he heard of fomething that was valuable in himself, and expected a paradife which fhe promised as the reward of his merit. Thus were we drawn to follow her, 'till the fhould bring. us where it was to be bestowed: And it was observable, that all the way we went, the company was either praising themselves in their qualifications, or one another for those qualifications which they took to be confpicuous in their own characters, or dispraising others for wanting theirs, or vying in the degrees of them.

At

At last we approached a bower, at the entrance of which Error was feated. The trees were thickwoven, and the place where he fat artfully contrived to darken him a little. He was difguifed in a whitish robe, which he had put on, that he might appear to us with a nearer resemblance to Truth: And as fhe has a light whereby fhe manifefts the beauties of nature to the eyes of her adorers, so he had provided himself with a magical wand, that he might do fomething in imitation of it, and please with delufions. This he lifted folemnly, and muttering to himself, bid the glories which he kept under enchantment to appear before us. Immediately we caft our eyes on that part of the sky to which he pointed, and observed a thin blue prospect, which cleared as mountains in a fummer morning when the mifts go off, and the palace of Vanity appeared to fight.

The foundation hardly feemed a foundation, but a fet of curling clouds, which it ftood upon by magical.contrivance. The way by which we afcended was painted like a rainbow; and as we went, the breeze that played about us bewitched the fenfes. The walls were gilded all for fhow; the lowest set of pillars were of the flight fine Corinthian order, and the top of the building being rounded, bore fo far the resemblance of a bubble.

At the gate the travellers neither met with a porter, nor waited 'till one should appear; every one thought his merits a fufficient paffport, and

preffed

preffed forward. In the hall we met with feveral phantoms, that roved amongst us, and ranged the company according to their fentiments. There was decreasing Honour, that had nothing to fhew in but an old coat of his ancestors atchievements: There was Oftentation, that made himfelf his own conftant fubject, and Gallantry ftrutting upon his tip-toes. At the upper end of the hall food a throne, whofe canopy glittered with all the riches that gaiety could contrive to lavifh on it; and between the gilded arms fat Vanity, decked in the peacock's feathers, and acknowledged for another Venus by her votaries. The boy who flood befide her for a Cupid, and who made the world to bow before her, was called Self-Conceit. His eyes had every now and then a caft inwards, to the neglect of all objects about him; and the arms which he made ufe of for conqueft, were borrowed from thofe against whom he had a defign. The arrow which he fhot at the foldier, was fledged from his own plume of feathers; the dart he directed against the man of wit, was winged from the quills he writ with; and that which he fent against thofe who prefumed upon their riches, was headed with gold out of their treasures: he made nets for statesmien from their own contrivances; he took fire from the eyes of ladies, with which he melted their hearts; and lightning from the tongues of the eloquent, to enflame them with their own glories. At the foot of the throne fat three falfe graces, Flattery with a . fhell

fhell of paint, Affectation with a mirrour to practife at, and Fashion ever changing the posture of her clothes. These applied themselves to fecure the conquefts which Self-Conceit had gotten, and had each of them their particular polities. Flattery gave new colours and complexions to all things, Affectation new airs and appearances, which, as she faid, were not vulgar, and Fashion both concealed fome home defects, and added some foreign external beauties.

As I was reflecting upon what I faw, I heard a voice in the croud, bemoaning the condition of mankind, which is thus managed by the breath of Opinion, deluded by Error, fired by Self-Conceit, and given up to be trained in all the courfes of Vanity, 'till Scorn or Poverty come upon us. Thefe expreffions were no fooner handed about, but I immediately faw a general disorder, 'till at laft there was a parting in one place, and a grave old man, decent and refolute, was led forward to be punished for the words he had uttered. He appeared inclined to have spoken in his own defence, but I could not obferve that any one was willing to hear him. Vanity caft a scornful smile at him; Self-Conceit was angry; Flattery, who knew him for Plain-dealing, put on a vizard, and turned away; Affectation toffed her fan, made mouths, and called him Envy or Slander; and Fashion would have it, that at least he must be Ill-Manners. Thus flighted and despised by all, he was driven out for abufing

people

people of merit and figure; and I heard it firmly refolved, that he should be used no better where-ever they met with him hereafter.

I had already feen the meaning of moft part of that warning which he had given, and was confidering how the latter words thould be fulfilled, when a mighty noise was heard without, and the door was blackened by a numerous train of Harpies crouding in upon us. Folly and Broken Credit were seen in the house before they entered. Trouble, Shame, Infamy, Scorn and Poverty brought up the rear. Vanity, with her Cupid and Graces, difappeared; her fubjects ran into holes and corners ; but many of them were found and carried off (as I was told by one who stood near me) either to prifons or cellars, folitude, or little company, the mean arts or the viler crafts of life. But thefe, added he, with a difdainful air, are fuch who would fondly live here, when their merits neither matched the luftre of the place, nor their riches its expences. We have seen such scenes as these before now; the glory you faw will all return when the hurry is over. I thanked him for his information, and believing him fo incorrigible as that he would ftay 'till it was his turn to be taken, I made off to the door, and overtook fome few, who, though they, would. not hearken to plain-dealing, were now terrified to good purpose by the example of others: But when they had touched the threshold, it was a strange fhock to them to find that the delufion of Error was

gone,