Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

all other differences were foon accommodated, infomuch that for the future they refolved to live as good friends and confederates, and to fhare between them whatever conquefts were made on either fide. For this reason we now find Luxury and Avarice taking poffeffion of the fame heart, and dividing the fame perfon between them. To which I shall only add, that fince the discarding of the counsellors abovementioned, Avarice fupplies Luxury in the room of Plenty, as Luxury prompts Avarice in the place of Poverty. SPECTATOR.

CHA P.

1

IV.

PLEASURE AND PAIN.

HERE were two families which from the beginning

THE

of the world were as oppofite 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. Thefe, as I faid before, had their habitation in heaven. The youngest of the oppofite family was Pain, who was the fon of Misery, 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 ftation 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

[merged small][ocr errors]

tinction 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 Mifery, to meet one another upon this part of nature which lay in the half way between them, having promised to fettle it upon them both, provided they could agree upon the divifion 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 seen 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 Pleasure 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 either make their vifits 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 notwithstanding they here poffeffed the fpecies indif ferently; upon the death of every single person, if he was found to have in him a certain proportion of evil, he should be dispatched into the infernal regions by a paffport 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 should be dispatched into heaven by a passport from Pleasure, there to dwell with Happiness, Virtue, and the Gods.

SPECTATOR

[ocr errors]

L

[blocks in formation]

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 dif tance 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 conver fation, 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 good-humour increasing the vivacity of her fister.

In this manner they travelled over forefts 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

ther

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: the 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 fearch of them, till fhe was at last feized by Laffitude in her way, and died in mifery.

WORLD.

CHA P. VI.

THE OLD MAN

AND HIS A S S.

A

N old

man and a little boy were driving an afs 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 fon, 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 second 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 beast, 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 One would not have thought

own? Yes, fays the man. fo, replied the other, by your loading him fo unmercifully. You and your fon are better able to carry the poor beast than

he

he you. Any thing to please, says 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. This was fo entertaining a fight, that the people ran in crowds to laugh at it; till the afs, conceiving a diflike to the overcomplaifance of his mafter, burft afunder the cords that tied him, flipt from the pole, and tumbled into the river. The poor old man made the best of his way home, afhamed and vexed, that by endeavouring to please every body, he had pleafed no body, and loft his afs into the bargain.

WORLD.

CHA P. VII.

HERCULES'S CHOICE.

HEN Hercules was in that part of his youth, in

WHE

which it was natural for him to confider what course of life he ought to purfue, he one day retired into a defert, 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 than 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 unfpotted, her eyes caft towards the ground with an agreeable reserve, her motion and behaviour full of modesty, and her raiment as white as fnow. The other had a great deal of health and floridness in her countenance, which she had helped with an artificial white and red; and endeavoured to appear more graceful than ordinary in her mien, by a

mixture

« PředchozíPokračovat »