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It is possible, that if Plato had thought i proper at such a time to describe Socrates launching out into a discourse which was not of a piece with the business of the day he would have enlarged upon this hint and have drawn it out into some beautiful allegory or fable. But since he has not done it, I shall attempt to write one myself in the spirit of that divine author.

Thus they tell us, that Achilles, in the first come into any place without being followed Iliad, represents anger, or the irascible by the other. part of human nature; that upon drawing his sword against his superior in a full assembly, Pallas is only another name for reason, which checks and advises him upon that occasion; and at her first appearance touches him upon the head, that part of the man being looked upon as the seat of reason. And thus of the rest of the poem. As for the Odyssey, I think it is plain that Horace considered it as one of these allegorical fables, by the moral which he has given us of several parts of it. The greatest Italian wits have applied themselves to the writing of this latter kind of fables. Spenser's Fairy-Queen is one continued series of them from the beginning to the end of that admirable work. If we look into the finest prose authors of antiquity, such as Cicero, Plato, Xenophon, and many others, we shall find that this was likewise their favourite kind of fable. I shall only farther observe upon it, that the first of this sort that made any considerable figure in the world, was that of Hercules meeting with Pleasure and Virtue; which was invented by Prodicus, who lived before Socrates, and in the first dawnings of philosophy. He used to travel through Greece by virtue of this fable, which procured him a kind reception in all the market towns, where he never failed telling it as soon as he had gathered an audience about him.

After this short preface, which I have made up of such materials as my memory does at present suggest to me, before I present my reader with a fable of this kind, which I design as the entertainment of the present paper, I must in a few words open

the occasion of it.

In the account which Plato gives us of the conversation and behaviour of Socrates, the morning he was to die, he tells the following circumstance:

When Socrates his fetters were knocked off (as was usual to be done on the day that the condemned person was to be executed) being seated in the midst of his disciples, and laying one of his legs over the other, in a very unconcerned posture, he began to rub it where it had been galled by the iron; and whether it was to show the indifference with which he entertained the thoughts of his approaching death, or (after his usual manner) to take every occasion of philosophizing upon some useful subject, he observed the pleasure of that sensation which now arose in those very parts of his leg, that just before had been so much pained by the fetter. Upon this he reflected on the nature of pleasure and pain in general, and how constantly they succeed one another. To this he added, that if a man of good genius for a fable were to represent the nature of pleasure and pain in that way of writing, he would probably join them together after such a manner, that it would be impossible for the one to

'There were two families which from the beginning of the world were as opposite to each other as light and darkness. The one of them lived in heaven, and the other in hell. The youngest descendant of the first family was Pleasure, who was the daughter of Happiness, who was the child of Virtue, who was the offspring of the gods. These, as I said before, had their habitation in heaven. The youngest of the opposite family was Pain, who was the son of Misery, who was the child of Vice, who was the offspring of the Furies. The habi tation of this race of beings was in hell.

'The middle station of nature between these two opposite extremes was the earth, which was inhabited by creatures of a middle kind, neither so virtuous as the one, nor so vicious as the other, but partaking of the good and bad qualities of these two opposite families. Jupiter considering that the species, commonly called man, was too virtuous to be miserable, and too vicious to be happy; that he might make a distinc tion between the good and the bad, ordered the two youngest of the above-mentioned families, Pleasure, who was the daughter of Happiness, and Pain who was the son of Misery, to meet one another upon this part of nature which lay in the half way be tween them, having promised to settle it upon them both, provided they could agree upon the division of it, so as to share mankind between them.

Pleasure and Pain were no sooner met in their new habitation, but they imme diately agreed upon this point, that Plea sure should take possession of the virtuous, and Pain of the vicious part of that species which was given up to them. But upon examining to which of them any individual they met with belonged, they found each of them had a right to him; for that, con trary to what they had seen in their old places of residence, there was no person so vicious who had not some good in him, nor any person so virtuous who had not in him some evil. The truth of it is, they generally found upon search, that in the most vicious man Pleasure might lay claim to an hundredth part, and that in the most virtuous man Pain might come in for at least twothirds. This they saw would occasion endless disputes between them, unless they could come to some accommodation. To this end there was a marriage proposed between them, and at length concluded By this means it is that we find Pleasure

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and Pain are such constant yoke-fellows, and that they either make their visits together, or are never far asunder. If Pain comes into a heart he is quickly followed by Pleasure; and if Pleasure enter, you may be sure Pain is not far off.

On the first of that month he grew dull;
On the second, appeared drowsy;
On the third, fell a yawning;
On the fourth, began to nod;
On the fifth, dropped asleep;
On the sixth, was heard to snore;
On the seventh, turned himself in his bed;
On the eighth, recovered his former pos-
ture;

"But notwithstanding this marriage was
very convenient for the two parties, it did
not seem to answer the intention of Jupiter
in sending them among mankind. To re-
medy therefore this inconvenience, it was
stipulated between them by article, and
confirmed by the consent of each family,
that notwithstanding they here possessed
the species indifferently; upon the death
"This account I have extracted out of
every single person, if he was found to the journal of this sleeping worthy, as it
have in him a certain proportion of evil, has been faithfully kept by a gentleman of
he should be despatched into the infernal Lincoln's-inn who has undertaken to be his
regions by a passport from Pain, there to
historiographer. I have sent it to you, not
dwell with Misery, Vice, and the Furies. only as it represents the actions of Nicholas
Or on the contrary, if he had in him a cer- Hart, but as it seems a very natural picture
tain proportion of good, he should be de-of the life of many an honest English gen-
spatched into heaven by a passport from
Pleasure, there to dwell with Happiness,
Virtue, and the gods.'

On the ninth, fell a stretching;
On the tenth, about midnight, awaked;
On the eleventh, in the morning, called
for a little small beer.

of

L.

No. 184.] Monday, October 1, 1711.
-Opere in longo fas est obrepere somnum.
Hor. Ars Poet. v. 360.

tleman, whose whole history, very often,
consists of yawning, nodding, stretching,
turning, sleeping, drinking, and the like ex-
traordinary particulars. I do not question,
sir, that, if you pleased, you could put out
an advertisement not unlike the above-
mentioned, of several men of figure; that
Mr. John Such-a-one, gentleman, or Tho-
mas Such-a-one, esquire, who slept in the
country last summer, intends to sleep in
-Who labours long, may be allowed to sleep. town this winter. The worst of it is, that
WHEN a man has discovered a new vein the drowsy part of our species is chiefly
of humour, it often carries him much far-made up of very honest gentlemen, who
ther than he expected from it. My corre-
spondents take the hint I give them, and
pursue it into speculations which I never
thought of at my first starting it. This has
been the fate of my paper on the match of
grinning, which has already produced a
second paper on parallel subjects, and
brought me the following letter by the last
post. I shall not premise any thing to it,
farther than that it is built on matter of
fact, and is as follows:

live quietly among their neighbours, with-
out ever disturbing the public peace. They
are drones without stings. I could heartily
wish, that several turbulent, restless, ambí-
tious spirits, would for a while change
places with these good men, and enter
themselves into Nicholas Hart's fraternity.
Could one but lay asleep a few busy heads
which I could name, from the first of No-
vember next to the first of May ensuing,*
I question not but it would very much re-
dound to the quiet of particular persons, as
well as to the benefit of the public.

SIR,-You have already obliged the
world with a discourse upon grinning, and But to return to Nicholas Hart: I be-
have since proceeded to whistling, from lieve, sir, you will think it a very extraor-
whence you at length came to yawning; dinary circumstance for a man to gain his
from this, I think, you may make a very livelihood by sleeping, and that rest should
natural transition to sleeping. I there- procure a man sustenance as well as indus-
fore recommend to you for the subject of a
paper the following advertisement, which
about two months ago was given into every
body's hands, and may be seen with some
additions in the Daily Courant of August

the ninth.

try; yet so it is, that Nicholas got last year enough to support himself for a twelvemonth. I am likewise informed that he has this year had a very comfortable nap. The poets value themselves very much for sleeping on Parnassus, but I never heard they got a groat by it. On the contrary, our friend Nicholas gets more by sleeping than he could by working, and may be more properly said, than ever Homer was, to Having since inquired into the matter have had golden dreams. Juvenal indeed of fact, I find that the above-mentioned mentions a drowsy husband who raised an Nicholas Hart is every year seized with a estate by snoring, but then he is represented periodical fit of sleeping, which begins upon The fifth of August, and ends on the ele

"Nicholas Hart, who slept last year in Saint Bartholomew's hospital, intends to sleep this year at the Cock and Bottle in Little-Britain. 99

Tenth of the same month:

*At that time the session of parliament usually continued from November till May.

ness.

to have slept what the common people | opinion, sets himself above him in his ow call a dog's sleep; or if his sleep was real, judgment, and in several particulars prehis wife was awake, and about her busi- tends to be the wiser person. This is a Your pen, which loves to moralize great provocation to the proud man, and upon all subjects, may raise something, me- gives a very keen edge to what he calls his thinks, on this circumstance also, and point zeal. And that this is the case very often. out to us those sets of men, who, instead of we may observe from the behaviour of growing rich by an honest industry recom- some of the most zealous for orthodoxy mend themselves to the favour of the great, who have often great friendships and intiby making themselves agreeable compa- macies with vicious immoral men, provided nions in the participations of luxury and they do but agree with them in the same pleasure. scheme of belief. The reason is, because the vicious believer gives the precedency to the virtuous man, and allows the good Christian to be the worthier person, at the same time that he cannot come up to his perfections. This we find exemplified in that trite passage which we see quoted in almost every system of ethics, though upon another occasion:

I must further acquaint you, sir, that one of the most eminent pens in Grubstreet is now employed in writing the dream of this miraculous sleeper, which I hear will be of more than ordinary length, as it must contain all the particulars that are supposed to have passed in his imagination during so long a sleep. He is said to have gone already through three days and three nights of it, and to have comprised in them the most remarkable passages of the four first empires of the world. If he can keep free from party strokes, his work may be of use; but this I much doubt, having been informed by one of his friends and confidents, that he has spoken some things of Nimrod with too great freedom. I am ever, sir, &c.' L.

No. 185.] Tuesday, October 2, 1711.

-Tantæne animis cœlestibus iræ ?

Virg. Æn. i. 15.

And dwells such fury in celestial breasts?

THERE is nothing in which men more deceive themselves than in what the world calls zeal. There are so many passions which hide themselves under it, and so many mischiefs arising from it, that some have gone so far as to say it would have been for the benefit of mankind if it had never been reckoned in the catalogue of virtues. It is certain, where it is once laudable and prudential, it is an hundred times criminal and erroneous; nor can it be otherwise, if we consider that it operates with equal violence in all religions, however opposite they may be to one another, and in all the subdivisions of each religion in particular.

We are told by some of the Jewish rabbins, that the first murder was occasioned by a religious controversy; and if we had the whole history of zeal from the days of Cain to our own times, we should see it filled with so many scenes of slaughter and bloodshed, as would make a wise man very careful how he suffers himself to be actuated by such a principle, when it only regards matters of opinion and speculation.

-Video meliora proboque,
Deteriora sequor

Ovid. Met. vii. 20.

I see the right, and I approve it too;
Condemn the wrong, and yet the wrong pursue.

Tate.

On the contrary, it is certain, if our zeal were true and genuine, we should be much more angry with a sinner than a heretic; since there are several cases which may excuse the latter before his great Judge, but none which can excuse the former.

serve to

Interest is likewise a great inflamer, and sets a man on persecution under the colour of zeal. For this reason we find none are so forward to promote the true worship by fire and sword, as those who find their present account in it. But I shall extend the word interest to a larger meaning than what is generally given it, as it relates to our spiritual safety and welfare, as well as to our temporal. A man is glad to gain numbers on his side, as they strengthen him in his private opinions. Every proselyte is like a new argument for the establishment of his faith. It makes him believe that his principles carry conviction with them, and are the more likely to be true when he finds they are comformable to the reason of others, as well as to his own. And that this temper of mind deludes: man very often into an opinion of his zeal, may appear from the common behaviour of the atheist, who maintains and spreads his opinions with as much heat as those who believe they do it only out of a passion for God's glory."

Ill-nature is another dreadful imitator of zeal. Many a good man may have a natu ral rancour and malice in his heart, which has been in some measure quelled and subdued by religion; but if it finds any pretence of breaking out, which does not seem to him inconsistent with the duties of a Christian, it throws off all restraint, and I would have every zealous man examine rages in its full fury. Zeal is, therefore, a his heart thoroughly, and, I believe, he will great ease to a malicious man, by making often find, that what he calls a zeal for his him believe he does God service, whilst he is religion, is either pride, interest, or ill-gratifying the bent of a perverse revengeful nature. A man, who differs from another in temper. For this reason we find that most

BUULULI

of the massacres and devastations which | particulars, were laid together and formed have been in the world, have taken their into a kind of creed, according to the opirise from a furious pretended zeal.

I love to see a man zealous in a good matter, and especially when his zeal shows itself for advancing morality, and promoting the happiness of mankind. But when I find the instruments he works with are racks and gibbets, galleys and dungeons: when he imprisons men's persons, confiscates their estates, ruins their families, and burns the body to save the soul, I cannot stick to pronounce of such a one, that (whatever he may think of his faith and religion) his faith is vain, and his religion unprofitable.

nions of the most celebrated atheists; I say,
supposing such a creed as this were form-
ed and imposed upon any one people in the
world, whether it would not require an
infinitely greater measure of faith, than
any set of articles which they so violently
oppose. Let me therefore advise this gene-
ration of wranglers, for their own and for
the public good, to act at least so consist-
ently with themselves, as not to burn with
zeal for irreligion, and with bigotry for
nonsense.
C.

I

After having treated of these false zea- No. 186.] Wednesday, October 3, 1711. lots in religion, I cannot forbear mentioning a monstrous species of men, who one would not think had any existence in nature, were they not to be met with in ordinary conversation, I mean the zealots in atheism. One would fancy that these men, though they fall short, in every other respect, of those who make a profession of religion, would at least outshine them in this particular, and be exempt from that single fault which seems to grow out of the imprudent fervours of religion. But so it is, that infidelity is propagated with as much fierceness and contention, wrath and indignation, as if the safety of mankind depended upon it. There is something so ridiculous and perverse in 'A believer may be excused by the most this kind of zealots, that one does not know hardened atheist for endeavouring to make how to set them out in their proper colours. him a convert, because he does it with an They are a sort of gamesters who are eter-eye to both their interests. The atheist is nally upon the fret, though they play for inexcusable who tries to gain over a benothing. They are perpetually teazing liever, because he does not propose the their friends to come over to them, though doing himself or the believer any good by at the same time they allow that neither such a conversion. of them shall get any thing by the bargain. "The prospect of a future state is the seIn short, the zeal of spreading atheism is, cret comfort and refreshment of my soul; it if possible, more absurd than atheism itself. is that which makes nature look gay about Since I have mentioned this unaccount-me; it doubles all my pleasures, and supable zeal which appears in atheists, and ports me under all my afflictions; I can look infidels, I must farther observe, that they at disappointments and misfortunes, pain are likewise in a most particular manner and sickness, death itself, and what is worse possessed with the spirit of bigotry. They than death, the loss of those who are dearare wedded to opinions full of contradic-est to me, with indifference, so long as I tions and impossibility, and at the same keep in view the pleasures of eternity, and time look upon the smallest difficulty in an article of faith as a sufficient reason for rejecting it Notions that fall in with the common reason of mankind, that are conformable to the sense of all ages, and all nations, not to mention their tendency for promoting the happiness of societies, or of particular persons, are exploded as errors and prejudices; and schemes erected in their stead that are altogether monstrous 'I must confess I do not know how to and irrational, and require the most ex-trust a man who believes neither heaven travagant credulity to embrace them. I nor hell, or in other words, a future state would fain ask one of these bigoted infidels, of rewards and punishments. Not only nasupposing all the great points of atheism, tural self-love, but reason directs us to proas the casual or eternal formation of the mote our own interests above all things. It world, the materiality of a thinking sub-can never be for the interest of a believer stance, the mortality of the soul, the fortui- to do me a mischief, because he is sure upon tous organization of the body, the motions the balance of accounts to find himself a and gravitation of matter, with the like loser by it. On the contrary, if he con

Cœlum ipsum petimus stultitia—

Hor. Lib. 3. Od. i. 38.
High Heaven itself our impious rage assails.-P.
UPON my return to my lodgings last night,
found a letter from my worthy friend the
clergyman, whom I have given some ac-
count of in my former papers. He tells me
in it that he was particularly pleased with
the latter part of my yesterday's specula-
tion; and at the same time inclosed the fol-
lowing essay, which he desires me to pub-
lish as the sequel of that discourse. It con-
sists partly of uncommon reflections, and
partly of such as have been already used,
but now set in a stronger light.

the state of being in which there will be no
fears nor apprehensions, pains nor sorrows,
sickness nor separation. Why will any
man be so impertinently officious as to tell
me all this is only fancy and delusion? Is
there any merit in being the messenger of
ill news? If it is a dream, let me enjoy it,
since it makes me both the happier and
better man.

siders his own welfare in his behaviour to- | mankind more than the thought that Christ wards me, it will lead him to do me all the died for him? Or what dispose us to set a good he can, and at the same time restrain stricter guard upon the purity of our own him from doing me any injury. An unbe- hearts, than our being members of Christ, liever does not act like a reasonable crea- and a part of the society of which that imture, if he favours me contrary to his pre-maculate person is the head? But these sent interest, or does not distress me when are only a specimen of those admirable init turns to his present advantage. Honour forcements of morality, which the apostle and good-nature may indeed tie up his has drawn from the history of our blessed hands; but as these would be very much Saviour. strengthened by reason and principle, so without them they are only instincts, or wavering, unsettled notions, which rest on no foundation.

'Infidelity has been attacked with so good success of late years, that it is driven out of all its out-works. The atheist has not found his post tenable, and is therefore retired into deism, and a disbelief of revealed religion only.

'But the truth of it is, the greatest number of this set of men are those who, for want of a virtuous education or examining the grounds of religion, know so very little of the matter in question, that their infidelity is but another term for their ignorance. As folly and inconsiderateness are the foundations of infidelity, the great pillars and supports of it are either a vanity of appearing wiser than the rest of mankind, or an ostentation of courage in despising the terrors of another world, which have so great an influence on what they call weaker minds; or an aversion to a belief that must cut them off from many of those pleasures they propose to themselves, and fill them with remorse for many of those they have already tasted.

"The great received articles of the Christian religion have been so clearly proved, from the authority of that divine revelation in which they are delivered, that it is impossible for those who have ears to hear, and eyes to see, not to be convinced of them. But were it possible for any thing in the Christian faith to be erroneous, I can find no ill consequences in adhering to it. The great points of the incarnation and suffering of our Savicur, produce naturally such habits of virtue in the mind of man, that, I say, supposing it were possible for us to be mistaken in them, the infidel himself must at least allow that no other system of religion could so effectually contribute to the heightening of morality. They give us great ideas of the dignity of human nature, and of the love which the Supreme Being bears to his creatures, and consequently engage us in the highest acts of duty towards our Creator, our neighbour, and ourselves. How many noble arguments has St. Paul raised from the chief articles of our religion, for the advancing of morality in its three great branches!-To give a single example in each kind. What can be a stronger motive to a firm trust and reliance on the mercies of our Maker, than the giving his Son to suffer for us? What can make us love and esteem even the most inconsiderable of

"If our modern infidels considered these matters with that candour and seriousness which they deserve, we should not see them act with such a spirit of bitterness, arrogance, and malice. They would not be raising such insignificant cavils, doubts, and scruples, as may be started against every thing that is not capable of mathematical demonstration; in order to unsettle the mind of the ignorant, disturb the public peace, subvert morality, and throw all things into confusion and disorder. If none of these reflections can have any influence on them, there is one that perhaps may, because it is adapted to their vanity, by which they seem to be guided much more than their reason. I would therefore have them consider that the wisest and best of men in all ages of the world, have been those who lived up to the religion of their country, when they saw nothing in it opposite to morality, and to the best lights they had of the divine nature. Pythagoras's first rule directs us to worship the gods "as it is or dained by law," for that is the most natural interpretation of the precept. Socrates, who was the most renowned among heathens both for wisdom and virtue, in his last moments desires his friends to offer a cock to Esculapius: doubtless out of a submissive deference to the established worship of his country. Xenophon tells us, that his prince (whom he sets forth as a pattern of perfection) when he found his death ap proaching, offered sacrifices on the moun tains to the Persian Jupiter, and the Sun, " according to the custom of the Persians;" for those are the words of the historian. Nay, the Epicureans and atomical philosophers showed a very remarkable modesty in this particular; for though the being of a God was entirely repugnant to their schemes of natural philosophy, they contented themselves with the denial of a providence, asserting at the same time the existence of gods in general; because they would not shock the common belief of mankind, and the religion of their country.'

No. 187.]

the

-L

Thursday, October 4, 1711,

-Miseri quibus
Intentata nites-

Hor. Lib. 1. Od. v. 12
Ah, wretched they! whom Pyrrha's smile
And unsuspecting arts beguile!-Duncombe.
THE intelligence given by this corres
pondent is so important and useful, in order

Xenoph. Cyropæd. Lib. 8. page 500. Ed. Hutchins

1747. 8vo.

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