Emblem of life! which still as we survey, Dips her dear boy, whose pride restrains his tears; Far from the joyless glare, the maddening strife, These eyelids open to the rising ray, And close, when Nature bids, at close of day. And (tho' perchance of current coin possest, Blend thought with exercise, with knowledge health; Here every care in sweet oblivion cast, No tuneful echoes ambushed at my gate, When Christmas revels in a world of snow, To range the murmuring market-place, and view And, while the frugal banquet glows revealed, Pure and unbought-the natives of my field; Thus, in this calm recess so richly fraught Rise, ere the watch-relieving clarions play, If, when this roof shall know thy friend no more, Some, formed like thee, should once, like thee, explore; Invoke the lairs of his beloved retreat, And his lone walks imprint with pilgrim feet; -One fair asylum from the world we knew, 118. THE MOUNTAIN OF MISERIES.-A DREAM. ADDISON. Ir is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species, those who now think themselves the most unhappy, would prefer the share they are already possessed of, before that which would fall to them by such a division. Horace has carried this thought a great deal further, (Sat. i. 1. 1, ver. 1,) which implies, that the hardships or misfortunes we lie under are more easy to us than those of any other person would be, in case we could change conditions with him. As I was ruminating upon these two remarks, and seated in my elbow chair, I insensibly fell asleep; when on a sudden methought there was a proclamation made by Jupiter, that every mortal should bring in his griefs and calamities, and throw them together in a heap. There was a large plain appointed for this purpose. I took my stand in the centre of it, and saw, with a great deal of pleasure, the whole human species marching one after another, and throwing down their several loads, which immediately grew up into a prodigious mountain, that seemed to rise above the clouds. There was a certain lady of a thin airy shape, who was very active in this solemnity. She carried a magnifying glass in one of her hands, and was clothed in a loose flowing robe, embroidered with several figures of fiends and spectres, that discovered themselves in a thousand chimerical shapes, as her garments hovered in the wind. There was something wild and distracted in her looks. Her name was Fancy. She led up every mortal to the ppointed place, after having very officiously assisted him in makng up his pack, and laying it upon his shoulders. My heart melted within me to see my fellow-creatures groaning under their respecive burdens, and to consider that prodigious bulk of human caamities which lay before me. There were, however, several persons who gave me great diersion. Upon this occasion, I observed one bringing in a fardel Very carefully concealed under an old embroidered cloak, which, upon his throwing it into the heap, I discovered to be poverty. Another, after a great deal of puffing, threw down his luggage, which, upon examining, I found to be his wife. wri taw There were multitudes of lovers, saddled with very whimsical burdens, composed of darts and flames; but, what was very odd, though they sighed as if their hearts would break under these bundles of calamities, they could not persuade themselves to cast them into the heap when they came up to it; but after a few vain efforts, shook their heads, and marched away as heavy laden as the came. I saw multitudes of old women throw down their nkles, and several young ones, who stripped themselves of a my skin. There were very great heaps of red noses, large lips and rusty teeth. The truth of it is, I was surprised to see the greatest part of the mountain made up of bodily deformities. Observing one advancing towards the heap with a larger cargo than ordinary upon his back, I found, upon his near approach, that it was only a natural hump, which he disposed of with great joy of heart among this collection of human miseries. There were likewise distempers of all sorts; though I could not but ohserve, that there were many more imaginary than real. One little packet I could not but take notice of, which was a complication of all the diseases incident to human nature, and was in the hand of a great many fine people: this was called the spleen. But what most of all surprised me, was a remark I made, that there was not a single vice or folly thrown into the whole heap; at which I was very much astonished, having concluded within myself that every one would take this opportunity of getting rid of his passions, prejudices, and frailties. I took notice in particular of a very profligate fellow, who, I did |