cried out, Death. The spectre that guarded the other road, was Envy: She was not armed with weapons of destruction, like the former; but by dreadful hiffings, noifes of reproach, and a horrid distracted laughter, the appeared more frightful than death itself, infomuch that abundance of our company were difcouraged from paffing any further, and fome appeared afhamed of having come fo far. As for myfelt I must confefs my heart shrunk within me at the fight 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 refolation grew, the ter rors before us feemed to vanish. Most of the company, who had fwords in their hands, marched on with great fpirit, 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 thefe 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 breathe a delicious kind of æther, and faw all the fields about them covered with a kind of purple light, that made them reflect with fatiffaction on their past toils; and diffused a fecret joy through the whole aflembly, which shewed itself in every look and feature. In the midst of thefe happy fields there ftood a palace of a very glorious ftructure: It had four great folding-doors, that faced the four feveral quarters of the world. On the top of it was enthroned the Goddefs of the mountain, who fmiled upon her votaries, and founded the filver trumpet which had calledthem up, and cheared them in their paffage to her paJace. They had now formed themfelves into feveral divifions; a band of hiftorians taking their stations at each door, according to the perfons whom they were to introduce. On a fudden, the trumpet, which had hitherto founded only a march, or point of war, now fwelled all its notes into triumph and exultation: The whole fabric shook, and the doors flew open. The firft who ftepped forward, was a beautiful and blooming hero, and as I heard by I 3 the No 81. the murmurs round me, Alexander the Great. He was conducted by a croud of hiftorians. The perfon, who immediately walked before him, was remarkable for an embroidered garment, who not being well acquainted with the place, was conducting him to an apartment appointed for the reception of fabulous heroes. The name of this falfe guide was Quintus Curtius. But Arrian and Plutarch, who knew better the avenues of this palace, conducted him into the great hall, and placed him at the upper end of the firft Table. My good Dæmon, that I might fee the whole ceremony, conveyed me to a corner of this room, where I might perceive all that paffed, without being feen myfelf. The next who entered was a charming virgin, leading in a venerable old man that was blind. Under her left arm the bore a harp, and on ber head a garland. Alexander, who was very well acquainted with Homer, ftood up at his entrance, and placed him on his right hand, The virgin, who it feems was one of the nine fifters that attended on the Goddefs of Fame, fmiled with an ineffable grace at their meeting, and retired. Julius Cæfar was now coming forward; and though moft of the hiftorians offered their fervice to introduce him, he left them at the door, and would have no conductor but himself. The next who advanced was a man of an homely but chearful afpect, and attended by perfons of greater figure than any that appeared on this occafion. Plato was on his right hand, and Xenophon on his left. He bowed to Homer, and fat down by him. It was expected that Plata would himself have taken a place next to his mafter Socrates; but on a fudden there was heard a great clamour of difputants at the door, who appeared with Ariftotle at the head of them. That philofopher with fome rudenefs, but great ftrength of reafon, convinced the whole table, that a title to the fifth place was his due, and took it accordingly. He had fcarce fat down, when the fame beautiful virgin that had introduced Homer brought in another, who hung back at the entrance, and would have excufed himfelf, had not his modesty been overcome by the invitation of all who fat at the table. His guide and beha viour made me eafily conclude it was Firgil. Cicero next appeared, and took his place. He had enquired at the door for one Lucceius to introduce him; but not finding him there, he contented himself with the attendance of many other writers, who all, except Salluft, appeared highly pleafed with the office. We waited fome time in expectation of the next Worthy, who came in with a great retinue of hiftorians, whofe names I could not learn, most of them being natives of Carthage. The perfon thus conducted, who was Hannibal, feemed much difturbed, and could not forbear complaining to the board, of the affronts he had met with among the Roman hiftorians, who attempted, fays he, to carry me into the fubterraneous apartment; and perhaps would have done it, had it not been for the impartiality of this Gentleman, pointing to Polybius, who was the only perfon, except my own countrymen, that was willing to conduct me hither. The Carthaginian took his feat, and Pompey entered with great dignity in his own perfon, and preceded by feveral historians. Lucan the poet was at the head of them, who obferving Homer and Virgil at the table, was going to fit down himself, had not the latter whifpered him, that whatever pretence he might otherwife have had, he forfeited his claim to it, by coming in as one of the hiftorians. Lucan was fo exafperated with the repulfe, that he muttered fomething to himfelf; and was heard to fay, that fince he could not have a feat among them himself, he would bring in one who alone had more merit than their whole affembly: Upon which he went to the door, and brought in Cato of Utica. That great man approached the company with fuch an air, that fhewed he contemned the honour which he laid a claim to. Obferving the feat oppofite to Cæfar was vacant, he took poffeffion of it, and fpoke two or three smart fentences upon the nature of precedency, which, according to him, confifted not in place, but in intrinfic merit; to which he added, that the most virtuous man, where-ever he was feated, was always at the upper end of the table. Socrates, who had a great fpirit of raillery with his wifdom, could not forbear fmiling at a virtue which took fo little pains to make itfelf agreeable. 1 4 Cicero Cicero took the occafion to make a long difcourfe in praife of Cato, which he uttered with much vehemence. Cajar anfwered him with a great deal of feeming temper; but as I flood at a great distance from them, I was not able to hear one word of what they faid. But I could not forbear taking notice, that in all the difcourfe which paffed at the table, a word or nod from Homer decided the controverfy. After a fhort paufe Auguftus appeared, looking round him with a ferene and affable countenance upon all the writers of his age, who ftrove among themselves which of them fhould fhew him the greatest marks of gratitude and respect. Virgil rofe from the table to meet him; and though he was an acceptable gueft to all, he appeared more fuch to the learned, than the military Worthies. The next man aftonished the whole table with his appearance: He was flow, folemn, and filent in his behaviour, and wore a raiment curioufly wrought with Hieroglyphics. As he came into the middle of the room, he threw up the skirt of it, and difcovered a golden thigh. Socrates, at the fight of it, declared againft keeping company with any who were not made of flesh and blood; and therefore defired Diogenes the Laertian to lead him to the apartment allotted for fabulous Heroes, and Worthies of dubious exiftence. At his going out, he told them, that they did not know whom they difmiffed; that he was now Pythagoras, the firft of Philofophers, and that formerly he had been a very brave man at the fiege of Troy. That may be very true, faid Socrates ; but you forget that you have likewife been a very great harlot in your time. This exclufion made way for Archimedes, who came forward with a fcheme of mathematical figures in his hand; among which I obferved a Cone and Cylinder. Seeing this table full, I defired my guide, for variety, to lead me to the fabulous apartment, the roof of which was painted with Gorgons, Chimæra's, and Centaurs, with many other emblematical figures, which I wanted both time and fkill to unriddle. The firft table was almoft full: At the upper end fat Hercules leaning an arm upon his club; on his right hand were Achilles and Ulyffes, and between them Eneas; on his left were Hector, Hector, Thefeus, and Jafon: The lower end had Orpheus, Efop, Phalaris, and Mufæus. The ushers feemed at a lofs for a twelfth man, when, methought, to my great joy and furprize, I heard fome at the lower end of the table mention Ifaac Bickerstaff: But thofe of the upper end received it with difdain; and faid, if they must have a British Worthy, they would have Robin Hood. While I was tranfported with the honour that was done me, and burning with envy againft my competitor, I was awakened by the noife of the cannon which were then fired for the taking of Mons. I fhould have been very much troubled at being thrown out of fo pleafing a vifion on any other occafion; but thought it an agreeable change to have my thoughts diverted from the greatest among the dead and fabulous Heroes, to the most famous among the real and the living. N° 82. Tuesday, October 18, 1709. Ubi idem & maximus & honeftiffimus amor eft, aliquando præftat morte jungi, quàm vitâ diftrahi. Val. Max. Where there is the greatest and most honourable love, it is fometimes better to be joined in death, than feparated in life. A From my own Apartment; October 17. FTER the mind has been employed on contemplations fuitable to its greatnefs, it is unnatural to run into fudden mirth or levity; but we muft let the Soul fubfide, as it rofe, by proper degrees. My late confiderations of the ancient Heroes impreffed a certain gravity upon my mind, which is much above the little gratification received from ftarts of humour and fancy, and threw me into a pleafing fadness. In this ftate of thought I have been looking at the fire, and in a perfive manner |