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The TATLER. [N°81.

Hic Manus ob Patriam pugnando Vulnera passi, Quiq; pii Vates & Phabo digna locuti, Inventas aut qui Vitam excoluere per Artes, Quiq; fui memores alios fecere merendo. Virg. From Thursd. Octob. 13. to Saturd. O&ob. 15. 1709. From my own Apartment, October 14.

Here are two Kinds of Immortality; that which the Soul really enjoys after this Life, and that Imaginary Existence by which Men live in their Fame and Reputation. The best and greatest Actions have proceeded from the Prospect of the one or the other of these ; but my Design is to treat only of those who have chiefly propofed to themselves the latter as the principal Reward of their Labours. It was for this Reason that I excluded from my Tables of Fame all the great Founders and Votaries of Religion; and it is for this Reason also that I am more than ordinarily anxious to do Justice to the Perfons of whom I am now going to Speak; for fince Fame was the only End of all their Enterprizes and Studies, a Man cannot be too fcrupulous in allotting them their due Proportion of it. It was this Confideration which made me call the whole Body of the Learned to my Affiftance; to many of whom I must own

my

. 225 my Obligations for the Catalogues of illuftrious Persons which they have fent me in upon this Occafion. I Yesterday employed the whole Afternoon in comparing them with each other; which made fo ftrong an Impreffion upon my Imagination, that they broke my Sleep for the firft Part of the following Night, and at lengh threw me into a very agreeable Vision, which I fhall beg Leave to defcribe in all its Particulars.

I dreamed that I was conveyed into a wide and boundless Plain, that was covered with prodigious Multitudes of People, which no Man could number. In the Midft of it there stood a Mountain, with its Head above the Clouds. The Sides were extremely steep, and of fuch a particular Structure, that no Creature, which was not made in an humane Figure, could poffibly ascend it. On a fudden there was heard from the Top of it a Sound like that of a Trumpet; but fo exceeding fweet and harmonious, that it filled the Hearts of those who heard it with Raptures, and gave fuch high and delightful Sensations, as feemed to animate and raise humane Nature above it self. This made me very much amazed to find fo very few in that innumerable Multitude, who had Ears fine enough to hear or relish this Mufick with Pleafure: But my Wonder abated, when, upon looking round me, I saw most of them attentive to Three Sirens cloathed like Goddesses, and distinguished by the Names of Sloth, Ignorance, and Pleafure. They were feated on Three Rocks, amidst a beautiful Variety of Groves, Meadows, [Vol. 2.]

Q

and

and Rivulets, that lay on the Borders of the Mountain. While the base and groveling Multitude of different Nations, Ranks and Ages, were listening to the fedelufive Deities, those of a more erect Afpect, and exalted Spirit feparated themselves from the reft, and marched in great Bodies towards the Mountain; from whence they heard the Sound, which still grew fweeter the more they liftened to it.

On a fudden, methought this select Band fprang forward, with a Refolution to climb the Afcent, and follow the Call of that Heavenly Mufick. Every one took fomething with him that he thought might be of Affiftance to him in his March. Several had their Swords drawn, fome carried Rolls of Paper in their Hands, fome had Compaffes, other Quadrants, others Telescopes, and others Pencils; fome had Lawrels on their Heads, and others Buskins on their Legs In fhort, there was fcarce any Inftrument of a Mechanick Art or Liberal Science, which was not made Ufe of on this Occafion. My good Damon, who ftood at my Right Hand during the Course of this whole Vision, obferving in me a burning Defire to join that glorious Company, told me, he highly approved that generous Ardor with which I feemed tranfported; but at the fame Time advised me to cover my Face with a Mask all the while I was to labour on the Ascent. I took his Counsel without inquiring into his Reasons. The whole Body now broke into different Parties, and began to climb the Precipice by Ten Thousand different Paths. Several got into little Allies,

which did not reach far up the Hill, before they ended and led no further: And I obfer ved, That most of the Artizans, which confiderably diminished our Number, fell into these Paths.

We left another confiderable Body of Adventurers behind us, who thought they had discovered By-ways up the Hill, which proved so very intricate and perplexed, that after having advanced in them a little, they were quite loft among the feveral Turns and Windings 3 and tho' they were as active as any in their Motions, they made but little Progrefs in the Afcent. Thefe, as my Guide informed me, were Men of fubtle Tempers, and puzzled Politicks, who would fupply the Place of real Wisdom with Cunning and Artifice. Among thofe, who were far advanced in their Way, there were fome that by one falfe Step fell backward, and loft more Ground in a Moment, than they had gained for many Hours, or could be ever able to recover. We were now advanced very high, and obferved, That all the different Paths which ran about the Sides of the Mountain, began to meet in Two great Roads, which infenfibly gathered the whole Multitude of Travellers into Two great Bodies. At a little Distance from the Entrance of each Road, there ftood an hideous Phantom, that opposed our further Paffage. One of these Apparitions had his Right Hand filled with Darts, which he brandished in the Face of all who came up that Way. Crowds ran back at the Appearance of it, and cried out, Death. The

Spectre

N° 81. Spectre that guarded the other Road, was Enoy: She was not armed with Weapons of Deftru&tion like the former; but by dreadful Hiflings, Noises of Reproach, and a horrid distracted Laughter, the appeared more frightful than Death it felf, infomuch that Abundance of our Company were difcouraged from paffing any further, and fome appeared afhamed of having come fo far. As for my felf, I must confefs my Heart fhrunk within me at the Sight of these ghaftly Appearances: But on a fudden, the Voice of the Trumpet came more full upon us, fo that we felt a new Refolution reviving in us; and in Proportion as this Refolution grew, the Terrors before us feemed to vanish. Most of the Company who had Swords in their Hands, marched on with great Spirit, and an Air of Defiance, up the Road that was commanded by Death; while others, who had Thought and Contemplation in their Looks, went forward in a more compofed Manner up the Road poffeffed by Envy. The Way above these Apparitions grew fmooth and uniform, and was fo delightful, that the Travellers went on with Pleasure, and in a little Time arrived at the Top of the Mountain. They here began to breath a delicious Kind of Æther, and faw all the Fields about them covered with a Kind of Purple Light, that made them reflect with Satisfaction on their past Toils, and diffused a fecret Joy through the whole Affembly, which fhewed it felf in every Look and Feature. In the Midst of these happy Fields, there stood a Palace of a very glorious Structure: It had Four

great