-entry into this cave. It was usual in those times, when any one carried a more than ordinary gloominefs 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 less 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 all, if a man's temper were at his own dif pofal, I think he would not chufe to be of either of thefe parties; fince the moft perfect character is that which is formed out of both of them. A man would neither chufe to be a hermit nor a buffoon : Human nature is not fo miferable, as that we fhould be always melancholy; nor fo happy, as that we fhould 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.

IT

fears.

T has been my custom, as I grow old, to allow myself 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 doublemorning, and rife twice a day fresh to my fpecula-tions. It happens very luckily for me, that fome

of

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 public. I was yefterday 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 flumber, but I dreamt that this cave was put into my poffeffion, and that I gave public 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 MerryAndrew, who was put into my hands by a neighbouring juftice of peace, in order to reclaim him from that profligate kind of life. Poor pickleherring 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, afked him with a finile, how he liked the place? He replied, Pr'ythee friend, be not impertinent; and ftalked 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 the feverity of a veftal, and throwing from her feveral female gewgaws, told me with a figh, that the refolved to go into deep mourning, and to wear black all the rest of her life. As I had had many coquette's recommended to me by their parents, their hufbands, and their lovers, I let them in all at once, defiring them to divert themselves together as weil 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 most

profound

profound filence, and the moft exemplary decency. As I was very much delighted with fo edifying a fight, 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 aking 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 themfelves of too gay a humour for my country, they applied themselves to me in order to compose them for British converfation. I told them, that to oblige them I would foon fpoil their mirth; upon which I admitted a whole fhoal of them, who after having taken a furvey of the place, came out in very good order, and with looks entirely Englifb. I afterwards put in a Dutchman, who had a great fancy to fee the Kelder, as he called it, but I could not obferve that I had made any manner of alteration in him.

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 strike 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 fantastic 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 grand-mother; but to her great forrow and furprise, he came out a QuaEker. Seeing myfelf furrounded with a body of - Free-thinkers, and fcoffers at religion, who were making themselves merry at the fober looks and thoughtful brows of thofe who had been in the cave: I thrust them all in, one after another, and VOL. VIII. locked

2

locked the door upon them. 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 fight of the place. I found they were not able to bear themfelves 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. until that happy change was wrought in them.

The laft that was brought to me was a young woman, who, at the first fight of my fhort face, fell into an immoderate fit of laughter, and was forced to hold her fides 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 closet, while your mother tells me your cafe. I then put her into the mouth of the cave, when the mother, after having begged 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 The would fit giggling and laughing with her companions from one end of a tragedy to the other; nay, that he would fometimes burst out in the middle of a fermon, and fet the whole congregation a ftaring 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 courtfey. She was a girl of fuch exuberant mirth, that her vifit 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 fatisfaction, and faw all my patients walking by themselves in a very penfive and mufing pofture, fo that the whole place feemed covered with philofo phers. I was at length refolved to go into the cave myfelf, and fee what it was that had produced fuch wonderful effects upon the company; but, as I was

stooping

ftooping at the entrance, the door being fomething low, I gave fuch a nod in my chair, that I awaked. After having recovered myself from my first startle, I was very well pleafed at the accident which had befallen me, as not knowing but a little stay in the. place might have spoiled my SPECTATORS.

இருகு

No 600. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29.

·Solemque fuum, fua fidera nôrunt.

VIRG. Æn. vi. ver. 641.

Stars of their own, and their own funs they know. DRYDEN.

THAV

I was

A

AVE 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 foul, and the state of happiness which they promife them-felves in another world. For whatever prejudices and errors human nature lies under, we find that either reafon, or tradition from our first parents, has difcovered to all people fomething in these great points which bears analogy to truth, and to the doctrines opened to us by divine revelation. lately difcourfing on this fubject with a learned perfon, who has been very much converfant among the inhabitants of the more western parts of Afric. Upon his converfing with feveral in that country, he tells me that their notion of heaven, or of a future ftate of happiness, is this, that every thing we there wish for will immediately prefent itfelf to us. We find, fay they, our fouls are of fuch a nature that they require variety, and are not capable of being always delighted with the fame objects. The Supreme Being, therefore, in compliance with this tafte of happiness which he has planted in the