S. And has no longer any Dread of thofe Females which you called Monsters? nor any Apprehenfion of being hurt by them?

O. C. Not in the leaft; for he will never any more be molefted either by ANGUISH, or SORROW, or INTEMPERANCE, or COVETOUSNESS, or POVERTY, or any other Evil; for he is now Mafter of them all, and fuperior to every thing that formerly gave him any Trouble. As they who practife the catching of Vipers, are never hurt by the Bite of thofe Creatures, which is fo venomous, and even mortal to others, because they have an Antidote against their Poifon; fo he is fafe from any Influence of all these Evils, becaufe he has the Antidote against them.

S. That you have explained to me very well; but I beg you would tell me yet farther, who they are that are descending from the middle of the Rock, fome of them crowned, and with an Air of Joy on their Countenances; and others without Crowns, that feem to have been rejected, and have the Marks of feveral Falls about them, and are followed by certain Women.

O. C. They, who are crowned, are fuch as got fafe to SCIENCE, and are delighted with the Reception that he has given them; and thofe without Crowns, who, feem to have been rejected by her, and are returning in fo bad a Condition, are fuch as found their Hearts fail them, when they came to the Precipice where PATIENCE ftands; and turned back from that Point, and are now wandering irregularly they know not whither.

S. And who are the Women that are following them?

O. C. They are SORROW and ANGUISH, and DESPAIR and INFAMY, and IGNORANCE.

S. By your Account, they are attended by every thing that is bad!

O. G. Undoubtedly they are, but when they are got down into the first Inclofure, to VOLUPTUOUSNESS and INTEMPERANCE, they don't lay the Blame on themfelves, but immediately fay all the ill Things they can of SCIENCE, and of thofe who are going to her; and tell how miferable and wretched thofe poor People are, and how much they fuffer, who leave the Life they might have enjoyed below, and the good Things beftowed there.

S. And what are the good Things which they mean?

O. C. Luxury and Intemperance; to fay all in two words; for to indulge their Paflions like brute Beafts, is

what

what they look upon as the Completion of all their Happinefs.

S. And thofe other Women that are coming down there, who look fo gay and fo well-pleafed with themselves, what are they?

O. C. The OPINIONS, who after conducting those to SCIENCE, who have gained Admiffion to the VIRTUES, are returning to bring up others, and to acquaint them how happy thofe are, whom they have already conducted up

thither.

S. And have they been admitted to the Virtues themfelves?

O. C. By no means; for 'tis not allowable for OPINION to enter, where KNOWLEDGE has her Dwelling. Their Bufinefs therefore was only to conduct them to SCIENCE; and when the has receiv'd them, they turn back again to bring others; like Transport-Ships, which as foon as they have deliver'd one Freight, return for another.

S. You have now, I think, very well explain'd all the Figures in the Picture; but you have not yet told us what Directions they were, which the Genius at the first Portal gives to those that are entering into Life.

O. C. He bids them be of good Courage. Wherefore be you also of good Courage; for I will tell you the whole, and leave no one Thing unexplain'd to you.

S. We fhall be extremely obliged to you.

O. C. You fee that blind Woman there, on the round Stone, who I told you before was FORTUNE.

O. C. As to that Woman, he orders them not to place any Confidence in her, nor to look on any of her Gifts as firm, or fecure; nor to confider them as their Property; for there is no hindering her from refuming them, and giving them to any body elfe; and 'tis what the is extremely apt to do. He therefore orders them to regard all her Prefents with Indifference, and not to rejoice if the makes them any, nor to be dejected if fhe takes them away, and to think neither well nor ill of her; for whatever fhe does is done without Thought, and all by mere Chance and Accident, as I have acquainted you already. 'Tis on this Account that the Genius commands them, not to attach themselves to any thing fhe can give; nor to be like thofe fimple Bankers, who when they have receiv'd any Sum of Money in Truft, are apt to be pleafed with it, and look upon it as

their

their own; and when they are called upon to repay it, grow uneafy, and think it very hard; not confidering that it was depofited in their Hands on that very Condition, that the true Owners might demand it again whenever they pleased. Juft thus the GENIUS commands Men to look upon all the Gifts of FORTUNE and to be aware, that the may recall them whenever he has a Fancy to do it; or may fend in more, and if the pleases, may refume that and the former all together. He therefore commands thofe who are entering into Life, to receive whatever fhe offers them, and as foon as they have receiv'd it, to go on in queft of a more lafting Acquifition.

S. What Acquifition do you mean?

Q. C. That which they may obtain from SCIENCE if they can arrive fafe to her.

S. And what is that the gives them?

O. C. The true Knowledge of what is really good, and the firm, certain, and. unchangeable Poffeffion of it. He therefore commands them to quit Fortune immediately, in Purfuit of this; and when they come to thofe Women, who, as I told you before, were INTEMPERANCE and Voi LUPTUOUSNESS, to leave them too directly, and not to mind whatever they can fay; but to go on for the Inclofure of FALSE SCIENCE; there he bids them ftay a little while, to get what may be useful to them on the reft of their Road, and then to leave her directly too, and go on for TRUE SCIENCE. These are the Orders which the GENIUS gives to all that enter into Life; and whoever tranfgreffes or neglects them, will be a miferable Wretch. I have now explain'd the whole of the Parable contain'd in this Painting; but if you have any particular Question to ask in relation to any thing that I have faid, I am very ready to answer it.

S. We are much obliged to you. Pray then, what is it that the GENIUS orders them to get in the Inclosure of Science, falfly fo called?

Q. C. Whatever may be of use to them.

S. And what is there, that may be of ufe to them?

O. C. Literature, and fo much of the Sciences, as Plate fays, may ferve People in the beginning of their Lives as a Bridle, to keep them from being drawn away by idler Pur fuits.

S. And is it neceffary for all who would arrive at True Science, to do this?

O. C.

O. C. No, it is not neceffary, but it may be useful; tho in truth, these things themfelves do not contribute towards making them the better Men..

S. Not contribute at all towards making them better !

O. C. Not at all, for they may be as good without them. And yet they are not wholly unufeful; for they may fometimes help us, as Interpreters do, to the Meaning of a Language we don't understand: But after all, 'tis better to underftand the Language ourselves, than to have any need of and Interpreter ; and we may be good, without the Affiftance of Learning.

S. In what then have the Learned any Advantage over others, towards becoming better Men?

O. C. Why do you imagine they should have any Advantage; fince you fee they are deceiv'd like others, as to what is good or bad; and continue to be as much involved in all manner of Vices? For there is nothing that hinders a Man, who is a Master of Literature, and knowing in all the Sciences, from being at the fame time a Drunkard, or Intemperate, or Covetous, or Unjuft, or Villainous, or in one word, Imprudent in all his Ways.

S. 'Tis true, we fee too many Instances of fuch.

O. C. Of what Advantage then is their Learning, towards making them better Men?

S. You have made it appear, that it is of none; but pray what is the Reafon of it?

O. C. The Reafon is this: That when they are got into the second Inclosure, they fix there as if they were arriv'd at True Science. And what can they get by that? fince we fee feveral Perfons, who go on directly from INTEMPERANCE, and the other VICES in the firft Inclofure, to the Inclofure of TRUE SCIENCE; without ever calling in, where these learned Perfons have taken up their Abode. How then can the Learned be faid to have any Advantage over them? On the contrary, they are lefs apt to exert themfelves, or to be inftructed, than the former.

S. How can that be?

O. C. Becaufe, they who are in the fecond Inciofure, not to mention any other of their Faults, at least profess to know, what they do not know: So that they acquiefce in their Ignorance, and have no Motive to ftir them up towards the feeking of TRUE SCIENCE. Befides, do you not obferve another thing; that the OPINIONS, from the firft Inclofure, enter in among them, and converse with them, as freely as with the former? So that they are not

at

at all better even than they; unless REPENTANCE fhould come to them, and fhould convince them, that it is not SCIENCE they have been embracing all this while; but only the falfe Appearance of her, which has deceived them. But while they continue in the fame Mind they are in, there is no Hope left for them. To clofe all, my Friends, what I would entreat of you is, to think over every thing I have faid to you, to weigh it well in your Minds, and to practife accordingly. Get a Habit of doing right, whatever Pain it cofts you; let no Difficulties; deter you, in the way to VIRTUE: and account every thing else defpicable, in comparison of this. Then will the Leffon that I have taught you, prove to yourselves a Leffon of HAPPINESS.

FIN I S.