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therefore this inconvenience, it was ftipulated between them by article, and confirmed by the confent of each family, that, notwithstanding they here poffeffed the fpecies indifferently, upon the death of every fingle perfon, if he was found to have in him a certain proportion of evil, he should be dispatched into the infernal regions by a passport from Pain, there to dwell with Misery, Vice, and the Furies. Or on the contrary, if he had in him a certain proportion of good, he should be dispatched into heaven by a paffport from Pleasure, there to dwell with Happiness, Virtue, and the Gods.

SPECTATOR.

CHAP. V.

LABOUR.

ABOUR, the offspring of Want, and the mother of Health and Contententment, lived with her two daughters in a little cottage, by the fide of a hill, at a great distance from town. They were totally unacquainted with the great, and kept no better company than the neighbouring villagers; but having a defire of feeing the world, they forfook their companions and habitation, and determined to, travel. Labour went foberly along the road with Health on the right hand, who by the sprightliness of her converfation, and fongs of cheerfulnefs and joy, foftened the toils of the way; while Contentment went fmiling on the left, supporting the steps of her mother, and by her perpetual good-humour increafing the vivacity of her fifter.

In this manner they travelled over forests and through towns and villages, till at last they arrived at the capital of the kingdom. At their entrance into the great city, the Mo

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ther conjured her daughters never to lofe fight of her; for it was the will of Jupiter, fhe faid, that their feparation fhould be attended with the utter ruin of all three. But Health was of too gay a difpofition to regard the counfels of Labour: she suffered herself to be debauched by Intemperance, and at last died in child-birth of Difeafe. Contentment, in the absence of her fifter, gave herself up to the enticements of Sloth, and was never heard of after : while Labour, who could have no enjoyment without her daughters, went every where in search of them, till fhe was at last feized by Laffitude in her way. and died in misery.

CHA P. VI.

WORLD.

THE OLD MAN AND HIS ASS..

A

N old man and a little boy were driving an ass to the

next market to fell. What a fool is this fellow (fays a man upon the road) to be trudging it on foot with his son, that his afs may go light! The old man, hearing this, fet his boy upon the ass, and went whistling by the fide of him. Why, firrah! (cries a fecond man to the boy) is it fit for you to be riding, while your poor old father is walking on foot? The father, upon this rebuke, took down his boy from the afs, and mounted himself. Do you fee (fays a third) how the lazy old knave rides along upon his beaft, while his poor little boy is almoft crippled with walking? The old man no fooner heard this, than he took up his fon behind him. Pray, honeft friend (fays a fourth) is that afs your own? Yes, fays the man. One would not have thought fo, replied the other, by your loading him fo unmercifully: You and your fon are better able to carry the poor beast than

he

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This was

he you. Any thing to please, fays the owner; and alighting with his fon they tied the legs of the afs together, and by the help of a pole endeavoured to carry him upon their fhoulders over the bridge that led to the town, fo entertaining a fight, that the people ran in crowds to laugh at it till the afs, conceiving a dislike to the overcomplaifance of his master, burst asunder the cords that tied him, flipt from the pole, and tumbled into the river. The poor old man made the beft of his way home, ashamed and vexed, that by endeavouring to please every body, he had pleafed no body, and loft his afs into the bargain.

CHA P. VII.

HERCULES's CHOICE.

WHEN

WORLD.

HEN Hercules was in that part of his youth, in which it was natural for him to confider what course of life he ought to pursue, he one day retired into a defart, where the filence and folitude of the place very much favoured his meditations. As he was mufing on his prefent condition, and very much perplexed in himself on the state of life he should chufe, he faw two women of a larger ftature that ordinary approaching towards him One of them had a very noble air, and graceful deportment; her beauty was natural and easy, her perfon clean and unspotted, her eyes caft towards the ground with an agreeable reserve, her motion and behaviour full of modefty, and her raiment as white as fnow. The other had a great deal of health and floridnefs in her countenance, which he had helped with an artificial white and red; and endeavoured to appear more graceful than ordinary in her mien, by a mixture of afc&atio

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affectation in all her geftures. She had a wonderful confidence and affurance in her looks, and all the variety of colours in her dress, that she thought were the most proper to fhew her complexion to advantage. She caft her eyes upon herself, then turned them on those that were prefent, to see how they liked her, and often looked on the figure she made in her own fhadow. Upon her nearer approach to Hercules, fhe ftepped before the other lady, who came forward with a regular compofed carriage, and running up to him, accofted him after the following manner :

My dear Hercules, fays fhe, I find you are very much divided in your own thoughts upon the way of life that you ought to chufe: be my friend, and follow me; I will lead you into the poffeffion of pleasure, and out of the reach of pain, and remove you from all the noise and difquietude of bufinefs. The affairs of cither war or peace fhall have no power to difturb you. Your whole employment shall be to make your life easy, and to entertain every sense with its proper gratifications. Sumptuous tables, beds of rofes, clouds of perfumes, concerts of mufic, crowds of beauties, are all in readiness to receive you. Come along with me into this region of delights, this world of pleasure, and bid farewel for ever to care, to pain, to business.

HERCULES hearing the lady talk after this manner, defired to know her name; to which she answered, My friends, and those who are well acquainted with me, call me Happiness; but my enemies, and those who would injure my reputation, have given me the name of Pleasure.

By this time the other lady was come up, who addreffed herfelf to the young hero in a very different manner.

HERCULES, fays fhe, I offer myself to you because I know you are defcended from the Gods, and give proofs. of that decent

defcent by your love to virtue, and application to the studies proper for your age. This makes me hope you will gain, both for yourself and me, an immortal reputation. But, before I invite you into my fociety and friendship, I will be open and fincere with you, and must lay down this as an eftablished truth, that there is nothing truly valuable which can be purchased without pains and labour. The Gods have fet a price upon every real and noble pleasure. If you would gain the favour of the Deity, you must be at the pains of worshipping him; if the friendship of good men, you must Atudy to oblige them; if you would be honoured by your country, you must take care to serve it. In short, if you would be eminent in war or peace, you must become mafter of all the qualifications that can make you fo. These are the only terms and conditions upon which I can propose happiness. The Goddefs of Pleasure here broke in upon her difcourfe You fee, faid fhe, Hercules, by her own confeffion, the way to her pleasures is long and difficult, whereas that which I propose is short and easy. Alas! faid the other lady, whofe vifage glowed with paffion made up of fcorn and pity, what are the pleasures you propofe? To eat before you are hungry, drink before you are athirit, fleep before you are tired? to gratify appetites before they are raifed, and raife fuch appetites as nature never planted. You never heard the most delicious mufic, which is the praife of one's self; nor saw the most beautiful object, which is the work of one's own hands. Your votaries pafs away their youth in a dream of miftaken pleafures, while they are hoarding up anguish, torment, and remorfe, for old

age.

As for me, I am the friend of Gods and of good men, an agreeable companion to the artizan, an houfhold guardian to the fathers of families, a patron and protector of servants,

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