ducted himself by the counfels of Poverty, his antagonist was entirely guided by the dictates and advice of Plenty, who was his firft counsellor and minifter of state, that concerted all his measures for him, and never departed out of his fight. While these two great rivals were thus contending for empire, their conquefts were very various. Luxury got poffeffion of one heart, and Avarice of another. The father of a family would often range himfelf under the banners of Avarice, and the fon under thofe of Luxury. The Wife and Husband would often declare themselves on the two different parties; nay, the same perfon would very often fide with one in his youth, and revolt to the other in his old age. Indeed the wife men of the world food neuter; but alas, their numbers were not confideraable. At length when these two potentates had wearied themfelves with waging war upon one another, they agreed upon an interview, at which neither of their counsellors were to be prefent. It is faid that Luxury began the parley, and after having represented the endless state of war in which they were engaged, told his enemy, with a frankness of heart which is natural to him, that he believed they two fhould be very good friends, were it not for the inftigations of Poverty, that pernicious counsellor, who made an ill ufe of his ear, and filled him with groundless apprehenfions and prejudices. To this Avarice replied, that he looked upon Plenty (the first minister of his antagonist) to be a much more deftructive counsellor than Poverty, for that he was perpetually suggesting pleasures, banishing all the neceffary cautions against want, and confequently undermining those principles on which the government of Avarice was founded. At last, in order to an accommodation, they agreed upon this preliminary; that, each of them should immediately difmifs his privy-counfellor. When things were thus far adjusted towards a peace, all all other differences were foon accommodated, infomuch that for the future they resolved to live as good friends and confederates, and to fhare between them whatever conquefts were made on either fide. For this reafon we now find Luxury and Avarice taking poffeffion of the fame heart, and dividing the fame perfon between them. To which I fhall only add, that since the discarding of the counsellors above-mentioned, Avarice supplies Luxury in the room of Plenty, as Luxury prompts Avarice in the place of Poverty. HERE were two families which from the beginning world were famopposite to eat other darkness. The one of them lived in heaven, and the other in hell. The youngest defcendant 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 faid before, had their habitation in heaven. The youngeft of the oppofite family was Pain, who was the son of Mifery, who was the child of Vice, who was the offspring of the Furies. The habitation of this race of beings was in hell. THE middle station of nature between these two oppofite extremes was the earth, which was inhabited by creatures of a middle kind, neither fo virtuous as the one, nor fo vicious as the other, but partaking of the good and bad qualities of these two oppofite families. Jupiter confidering that this fpecies commonly called man, was too virtuous to be miferable, and too vicious to be happy; that he might make a dif tinction C 5 tinction between the good and the bad, ordered the two youngest of the above-mentioned families, Pleafure who was the daughter of Happiness, and Pain who was the son of Mifery, to meet one another upon this part of nature which lay in the half way between them, having promifed to fettle it upon them both, provided they could agree upon the divi fion of it, fo as to fhare mankind between them. PLEASURE and Pain were no fooner met in their new habitation, but they immediately agreed upon this point, that Pleasure should take poffeffion of the virtuous, and Pain of the vicious part of that fpecies 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, contrary to what they had feen in their old places of refidence, there was no perfon fo vicious who had not fome good in him, nor any perfon fo virtuous who had not in him fome evil. The truth of it is, they generally found upon fearch, that in the most vicious man Pleafure might lay claim to an hundredth part; and that in the most virtuous man, Pain might come in for at least two-thirds. This they faw would occafion endless disputes between them, unless they could come to fome accommodation. To this end there was a marriage propofed between them, and at length concluded: by this means it is that we find Pleasure and Pain are fuch conftant yoke-fellows, and that they ei ther make their visits together, or are never far asunder. If Pain comes into a heart, he is quickly followed by Pleafure; and if Pleasure enters, you may be fure Pain is not far off. BUT notwithstanding this marriage was very convenient for the two parties, it did not feem to answer the intention of Jupiter in fending them among mankind. To remedy therefore therefore this inconvenience, it was ftipulated between them by article, and confirmed by the confent of each family, that hotwithstanding they here poffeffed the species indifferently; upon the death of every fingle perfon, if he was found to have in him a certain proportion of evil, he should be difpatched into the infernal regions by a passport from Pain, there to dwell with Mifery, Vice, and the Furies. Or on the contrary, if he had in him a certain proportion of good, he fhould be dispatched into heaven by a paffport from Pleafure, there to dwell with Happiness, Virtue, and the Gods. SPECTATOR.. L CHA P. V. LABOUR. ABOUR, the offspring of Want, and the mother of Health and Contentment, lived with her two daughters in a little cottage, by the fide of a hill, at a great diftance 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 fprightlinefs of her converfation and fongs of cheerfulness and joy, foftened the toils of the way; while Contentment went smiling on the left, fupporting the steps of her mother, and by her perpetual goodhumour increafing the vivacity of her fifter. IN this manner they travelled over forefts and through. towns and villages, till at laft they arrived at the capital of the kingdom. At their entrance into the great city, the Mo ther conjured her daughters never to lose fight of her; for it was the will of Jupiter, she said, that their separation should be attended with the utter ruin of all three. But Health was of too gay a difpofition to regard the councils of Labour: fhe fuffered herself to be debauched by Intemperance, and at laft died in child-birth of Disease. 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 she was at last seized by Laffitude in her way, and died in mifery. WORLD. AN С Н А Р.. VI. THE OLD MAN AND HIS ASS. N old man and a little boy were driving an ass to the next market to fell. a man upon the road) to be that his afs may go light! The old man, hearing this, fet his boy upon the afs, 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 ass your own? Yes, fays the man. One would not have thought fo, replied the other, by your loading him so unmercifully. You and your fon are better able to carry the poor beast than What a fool is this s-fellow (fays trudging it on foot with his son, he |