DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Treasure %oom UTOPIA ^ \' ^d( iDfc t-^1 y ^ca \- . ':^ \ .T* i^r^ ^'w i .:, ^^"'-''"^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Duke University Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/giphantiaorviewoOOtiph i p N T I Aj OR •, A V I E W of I What Um TASSED^ What IS '^QI^ PASSING^ And, during the']^i|SENT Century, What WIL&PASS^ IN THE WORLD. Tranflated from the original F r e n c Hj With explanatory Notes. % O.N D ON^. . . Printed for Robert Hqrsfield, In Lud^atg'Street, 1761. . J TO THE Hon"^ Miss ROSS. Madam, UPON your hearing the other day Giphantia much praifed by fome friends, and thofe no ill judges, you exprefled a defire to fee it in Englifh, as you had not, you faid, French enough to read the ori- ginal. I immediately refolved to gratify your defire, and that very day fat about the tranllation. A 2 It Dedication. It is now finiflied : and, as my hand is not very legible, I take the Hberty to addrefs it to you in print with this Epiftle Dedicatory j which, as neither you, nor the Author, want any encomiums, nor the Tranflator any excufes, I fliall cut fhort, and beg leave to fubfcribe myfelf with great refpeft and fin- cerity. Madam, Your moft obedient and moft humble fervant, Feb. 5, 3761, The Tranflator. I TABLE O F T H E CHAPTERS. PART I. Page NTRODUCTION i CHAP. I. The Hurricane 4 CHAP. II. The fine Prospect 9 CHAP. III. The Voice 13 CHAP, IV. The Reverse 16 CHAP. V. The Apparitions 24 CHAP. VI. The Surfaces 27 CHAP. VII. The Globe 34 CHAP. VIII. The Discourses 38 CHAP. IX. Happiness 46 CHAP. X. The Hodge-Podge 51 CHAP. XI. The Mirrour s^ CHAP. XII. The Trial 63 CHAR CONTENTS. Page CHAP. XIII. The Talents 73 CHAP. XIV. The Taste OF THE Age 79 CHAP. XV. The Female Rea- SONER 82 CHAP. XVI. The Crocodiles Ss CHAP. XVII. The Storm. 93 CHAP. XVIII. The Gallery 99 CHAP. XIX. The other Side OF THE Gallery 116 GIPHAN- (I ) G I P H A N T I A- PART THE FIRST. Introduction. NO man ever had a ftronger inclina- tion for travelling than myfelf. I confider'd the whole earth as my country, and all mankind as my brethren, and therefore thought it incumbent upon me to travel thro' the earth and vifit my bre- thren. I have walk'd over the ruins of the antient world, have view'd the mo- numents of modern pride, and, at the fight of all-devouring time, have wept over 2 Introduction* over both. I have often found great folly among the nations that pafs for the moft civiliz'd, and fometimes as great wifdom among thofe that are counted the moft favage. I have feen fmall ftates fupported by virtue, and mighty em- pires Ihaken by vice, whilft a miftaken policy has been employ'd to inrich the fubjeds, without any endeavours to ren- der them virtuous. After having gone over the whole world and vifited all the inhabitants, I find it does not anfwer the pains I have taken. I have juft been reviewing my memoirs concerning the feveral nations, their prejudices, their cuftoms and manners, their politicks, their laws, their religion, their hiftory •, and I have thrown them all into the fire. It grieves me to record fuch a monftrous mixture of humanity and Introduction. 3 and barbaroufnefs, of grandeur and meannefsj of reafon and folly. The fmall part, I have preferv'd, is what I am now publilhing. If it has no other merit, certainly it has novelty to recommend it, . B CHAR (4> c H A P. r. The Hurricane. IWas on the borders of Guinea to- wards the defarts that bound it on ihe North. I contemplated the im- menfe wilds, the very idea of which- Ihocks the firmefl mind. On a fudden I was feized with an ardent defire to penetrate into thofe defarts and fee how far nature denies herfelf to mankind. Perhaps (faid I) among thefe fcoj-ching- plains there is fome fertile Ipot unknown to the reft of the world. Perhaps I fliall find men who have neither been polifh- cd nor corrupted by commerce with gathers,. Fn: The Hurricane. ^ In vain did 1 reprefent to myfelf the dangers and even the almoft certain death to which fuch an enterprize would expofe me •, I could not drive the thought out of my head. One winter's day (for it was in the dog-days) the wind being fouthwefl, the fky clear, and the air temperate, furniflied with" fomething to afiwage hunger and thirft, with a glafs-mafk to fave my eyes from the clouds of fands, and with a compafs to guide my fteps, I fate out from the borders of Guinea and advanced into the defart. I went on two whole days without feeing any thing extraordinary : in the beginning of the third I perceived all ^iround me nothing but a few almoft faplefs flirubs and fome tufts of rufhes, moil of which were dried up by the heaf B 2 of 6 The Hurricane." of the fun. Thefe are nature's laft pro-* dudtions in thofe barren regions-, here her teeming virtue flops, nor can life be farther extended in thofe frightful folitudes. I had fcarce continued my courfe two hours over a fandy foil, where the eye meets no objedl but fcattered rocks, when the wind growing higher, began to put in motion the furface of the fands. At firfl, the fand only played about the foot of the rocks and formed fmall waves which lightly fkimmed over the plain. Such are the little billows which are feen to rife and gently roll on the furface of the water when the fea begins to grow rough at the approach of a ftorm. The fandy waves foon became larger, daflied and broke one another ; and I was ex- pofed to the moll dreadful of hurricanes. Frequent The Hurricane. 7 ♦ Frequent whirlwinds arofe, which colledling the fands carried them in rapid gyrations to a vail height with horrible whiftlings. Inftantly after, the fands, left to themfelves, fell down in llrait lines and formed mountains. Clouds of duft were mixed with the clouds of the atmolphere, and heaven and earth feemed jumbled together. Sometimes the thicknefs of the whirl- winds deprived me entirely of the light of the fun: and fometimes red tranf- parent fands fhone from afar: the air V appeared in a blaze, and the fky feemed diffolved into Iparks of fire. Mean time, now tofied into the air by a fudden gufl of wind, and now hurled down by my own weight, I found myfelf one while in clouds of fand, and another while in a gulf. Every moment , ^^ . B 3 Ifhould 8 The Hurricane. I jfhould have been either burled or dafhed in pieces, had not a benevolent Being (v/ho vrill appear prefently) pro- teAed me from all liarm. The terrible hurricane ceafed with the dav: the nitrht was calm, and wearinefs overcoming my fears, I fell adeep. CHAP. <9) € H A P. IL The fine Prospect. TH E fun was not yet rifen, when I wak'd : but the firft rays en- lighten'd the eaft and objedts began to be vifible. Sleep had recover'd my ftrength and calm'd my fpirits : when I was awake, my fears return'd, and the image of death prefented itfelf again to my anxious thoughts, I was flanding on a liigh rock, from whence I could view every thing round me. I caft, with horror, my eyes on that fandy region, where I thought I ihould have found my grave. What was my furprife when towards the north I fpied an even, vaft and fertile plain ! B 4 From 10 The fine Prospect. From a ftate of the profoundeft forrow in an inftant I pafs'd (which ufually re- quires time) to a ftate of the higheft joy ; nature put on a new face ; and the frightful view of fo many rocks confufed- ly difpers'd among the fands ferv'd only to render more affe6ling and more agree- able the profpe6l of that delightful plain, I was going to enter. O nature ! how admirable are thy diftributions ! how wifely manag'd the various fcenes thou prefenteft to our fight ! The plants, which grov/ on the edge of the plain are very fmall •, the foil does not yet fupply fufficient moifture : but as you advance, vegetation flourilhes, and gives them a larger fize and more height. The trees are feen to rife by degrees and foon afford a fhelter under their boughs. At lail, trees co-eval 3 ' with The fine Prospect. ii with the world appear with their tops in the clouds and form an immenfe amphitheatre which majeftically difplays itfelf to the eyes of the traveller and proclaims that fuch a habitation is not made for mortals. Every thing feem'd new to me in this unknown land ; every thing threw me into aftoniihment. Not any of Nature's produ6lions which my eyes eagerly ran over refembles thofe that are feen any where elfe. Trees, plants, infeds, rep- tiles, fillies, birds, all were form'd in a manner extraordinary, and at the fame time elegant and infinitely varied. But what ilruck me with the grearefl won- der, was that an univerfal fenfibility, cloath'd with -all imaginable forms animated the bodies that feem'd the leaft fufceptible of it : even to the very 32 The fine Prospect. very plants all gave figns of lenfa- tion. I walk'd on flowly in this enchanted abode. A delicious coolnefs kept my Jenfes open to the pleafure; a fweet fcent glided into my blood with the air I breath'd ; my heart beat with an un- xifual force : and joy enlighten'd my foul in its mod gloomy recelTes. C H A P. ( ^3 ) c H A P. in. The Voice. NE thing furprized me: I did not fee any inhabitants in thefe gardens of delight. I know not how many ideas diilurbed my mind on that occafion, when a voice ftruck my ears, uttering thefe words : " Stop and look ftedfaftly <•' before thee -, behold him who has in- " fpired thee to undertake fo dangerous « a voyage." Amazed, Hooked a good while and faw nothing : at laft I per- ceived a fort of fpot, a kind of Ihade fixed in the air a few paces from me. I continued to look at it more attentive- ly, and fancied, I faw a human form with a countenance fo mild and ingaging that 14 The Voice. that inflead of being terrified, the fight was to me a frefli motive of joy. I am (faid the benevolent Shade) the Prefed of this Ifland. Thy inclination to Philofophy has prepoflefled me in thy favour : I have followed thee in thy late journey and defended thee from the hurricane. I will now fliow thee the rarities of the place , and then I will take care to reitore thee fafe to thy countiy. This Solitude with which thou art io charmed, ftands in the midfl of a tem- peftuous ocean of moving fands j it is an ifland furrounded with inacceflible defarts, which no mortal can pafs with- out a fupernatural aid. Its name is GiPHANTiA. It was given to the ele- mentary fpirits, the day before the Gar- den The Voice.' ig den of Eden was allotted to the parent of mankind. Not that the fpirits fpend their time here in eafe and floth. What would you do, O ye feeble mortals ! If difperfed in the air, in the fea, in the bowels of the earth, in the fphere of fire, they did not inceflantly watch for your welfare? Without our care, the un- bridled elements would long fmce have effaced all remains of the human kind. Why cannot we preferve you entirely from their diforderly fallies ? Alafs ! our power extends not fo far: we cannot totally fcreen you from all the evils that furround you : we only prevent your utter deflrudlion. It is here the elementary fpirits come to refrefh themfelves after their labours ; it is here they hold their aflemblies, and concert the befl meafures for the admi- nillration of the elements, CHAP. ( i6 ) CHAP. IV. The Reverse. OF all the Countries in the world (added the Prefed) Giphantla is the only one where nature Hill preferves her primitive vigor. She is incefiantly labouring to increafe the numerous tribes of Vegetables and Animals, and to pro- duce new kinds. She organizes all with admirable fkill ; but flie does not al- ways fucceed, in rendering them perpe- tual. The Mechanifm of propagation is the mafter-piece of her wifdom : fome* times ilie fails and her productions re- turn for ever into nothing. We cherifh, with our utmofl care, fuch as are fuf- ficiently organized to produce their kind : The Reverse. 17 kind •, and then plant them out in the Earth. A Naturalift wonders fometiiTies to find plants that had never been noticed before : it is becaufe we had ju(l then fupplied the earth with them^ of which he had not the leaft Tufpicion. Sometimes alfo thefe Exotics not meeting with a proper Climate, decay- by degrees and the fpecies is loil. Such are thofe productions which are men- tion'd by the Antients and which the Moderns complain are no where to b(r found. ■» Such a plant ftill fubfifts but has long dVoop'd, and loft its qualities^ and .de- ceives the Phyfician who is daily dif- sajppointed. The Art is blam*d i it ir JQOt i8 The Reverse. not known that the fault is in Na- ture. I have now a colledlion of new fim- ples of the greatefl virtue ; and I fliould have imparted them to mankind before now, had there not been ftrong reafons to induce me to delay it. For inilance, I have a fove reign plant to fix the human mind, and which would give fledinefs even to a Babylonian : but for thefe fifty years I have been diligently obferving Babylon, and have not found one fingle moment, wherein the Inclinations, Cufloms, and Manners have been worth fixing. I have another plant, moll excellent for checking the too lively fallies of the Ipirit of invention : but thou knowefl how The Reverse. 19 how rare thefe fallies are noW-a-days : never was invention at a lower ebb. One would think that every thing has been faid, and that nothing more re- mained but to adapt things to the tafte and mode of the age. I have a root which would never fail to allay that fournefs of the Learned who cenfure one another : but I obferve that without their abufmg and railing at each other, no man would concern himfelf about their difputes. It is a fort of pleafure to fee them bring themfelves as well as Learning into contempt. I leave the malignity of the readers to divert themfelves with the malignity of the Authors. Moreover, do not imagine that na- ture fleeps in any part of the earth i Ihe C ftr«nu- 20 The Reverse. ftrenuoufly labours even in thofe infi- nitely minute fpaces where the eye can- not reach. At Giphantia, fhe difpofes matter on extraordinary plans, and per- petually tends to produce fomething Hew : (he every where inceflantly repeats her labours, ftill endeavouring to carry her works to a degree of perfedlion which fhe never attains. Thefe flowers which fo agreeably ftrike the eye, fhe ftrives to render ftill more beautiful. Thefe animals, which to you feera- fo dextrous, Ihe endeavours to render ftill more fo. In lliort, Man that to you appears fo fuperior to the reft, ftie tries to render ftill more perfedt •, but in this Jier endeavours prove the moft unfuc- cefsful. Indeed, oiie would think that man- kind do all in their power to remain • I in The REVERSEi ii in a much lower rank than nature de* figns them ! and they feldom fail to turn to their hurt the beft difpofitions fbe gives them for their Qopdi- On the Babylonians, for inftance, nature has beftowed an inexhauftible fund of agree- ablenefs. Her aim was manifeftly to form a people the moil aimable. They were made to enhven reafon, to root out the thorns that fpring from the approaches of the fcience^, to foften the aufterity of wifdom, and, if polBble, to adorn virtue. Thou knoweft it : her favours which (hould have been diffufed on theft obje6ls have been diverted from their de- ftination ; and frivoloufnefs and debau- chery have been cloathed with them. In the hands of the Babylonians, vice lofes all her deformity. Behold in their man- ners, their difcourfes, their writings, with Ivh^t difcretion vice unveils herfelf, with C 2 what 22 The Reverse. what art (he ingages, with what addrefs fhe infinuates : you have not yet thought of her, and fhe is feated in your heart. Even he who, by his fundlion, lifts up his voice againft her, dares not paint her in her true colours. In a word, no where does vice appear lefs vice than at Baby- lon. Even to the very names, all things are changed, all things are foftened. The fincere and honefb are now-a-days your modifli men who are outwardly all complaifance but inwardly full of cor- ruption : Good company are not the Virtuous but thofe who excell in pal- liating vice. The man of fortitude is not he that bears the fhocks of fortune unmoved, but he that braves Providence. Bare-faced Irreligion is now ftyled free- thinking, blafphemy is called boldnefs of fpeech, and the moil fhameful excefles, Gallantry. Thus it is that with what they The Reverse. 23 they might become a pattern to all na- tions, the Babylonians (to fay no worfe) are grown libertines of the moft fedu- cing and moft dangerous kind. C3 CHAP. ( H ) C H A P, V. ' ThS Ap^ARttlOKS. I Return (continues the Prefect of Giphantia) to the elementary fpi- rits. Their conflant abode in the air, always full of vapours and exhalations ^ in the fca, ever mixed with falts and earths J in the fire, perpetually ufed about a thoufand heterogeneous bodies ; in the earth, where all the other elements arc blended together: this abode, I fay, by degrees fpoils the pure eifence of the Ipirits, whofe original nature is to be (as to their material fubftance) all fire, all air, or other unmixt element. This degradation has fometimes gone fo far, as that by the mixture of the different dements, the fpirits have acquired a fufficient The Apparitions. 25 fufficient confiftence to render them vifi- ble. People have feen them in the fire and called them Salamanders, and Cy- clops : they have ken them in the air and called them Sylphs, Zephyrs, Aqui- Ions: they have (ctn. them in the water and called them Sea-nymphs, Naiads, Nereids, Tritons : they have feen them in caverns, defarts, woods, and have called them Gnomes, Sylvans, Fauns, Satyrs, &c. From the aftonifliment caufed by thefe Apparitions, men funk into fear, and fear begot fuperflition. To thefe. Crea- tures like themfelves, they erefled altars which belong only to the Creator. Their imagination magnifying what they had feen, they foon formed a Hierarchy of Chimerical Deities. The Sun appeared to them a luminous chariot guided by C 4 ApollQ 26 The Apparitions. Apollo through the celellial plains ; Thunder, a fiery bolt darted by Jupiter at the heads of the guilty : the Ocean, a vaft empire, where Neptune ruled the waves : the bowels of the earth, the gloomy refidence of Pluto, where he gave laws to the pale and timorous Ghofts : in a word, they filled the world with Gods and Goddefles. The Earth itfelf became a Deity. ^When the elementary Spirits perceived how apt their Apparitions were to lead men into error, they took meafures to be no longer vifible : they devifed a fort of refiner by which from time to time they get rid of all extraneous matter. From thence forward, no mortal eye has ever feen the kail glimpfe of thefe fpirits. CHAP. (27 ) C H A P. VI. The Surfaces. MEAN while the Prefed moved on and I followed, quite afto- nifhed and penfive. At our coming out of the wood we found ourfelves before a hill, at the foot of which flood a hol- low column above a hundred feet higli and thick in proportion. I faw ifluing out of the top of the column vapours (much like the exhalations raifed by the fun) in fuch abundance that they were very vifible. From the fame column I faw coming out and difperfing them- felves in the air certain human forms, certain images itill lighter than the va- pours by which they were fupported. Beliold 28 The Surfaces. Behold (fays the Prefect) the Refiner of the Elementary Spirits. The co- lumn is filled with four Eflences, each of which has been extraded from each element. The Spirits plunge into them., and by a mechanifm, too long to be de- fcribed, get rid of all extraneous mat- ter. The images which thou feeft com- ing out of the column, are nothing more than very thin furfaces which fur- rounded them and ferved to make them vifible. Theie furfaces partake of the different qualities of the fpirits who ex- cel more or lefs in certain refpeds, as vifages are expreflive of the charat^ers of men, who differ infinitely. Thus, there are images or furfaces of fci- ence, of learning, of prudence, of "wifdom, &c. Men The Surfaces. 29 ?v!en often cloath themfelves with them, and like malks thefe furfaces make them appear very different from what they really are. Hence it is that you conflantly meet with the appear- ance of every good, of every virtue and every qualit)'-, though the things themfelves are fcarce to be found any where. At Babylon efpecLally, thefe furfaces are in fingular efteem : all is feen there in appearance. A Babylonian had ra- ther be nothing and appear every thing than to be every thing and appear nothing. So, you fee only furfaces every where and of every kind. Surface of modefty, the only thing needful for a Babylonian lady: it is called decency. Surface JO The Surfaces. Surface of friendfhip, by the means of which all Babylon feems to be but one family. Frendfhip is like a ftrong band made of very weak threads twiiled together. A Babylonian is tied to no one by the band, but he is tied to each of his fellow-citizens by a fingle thread. Surface of piety, formerly much in ufe and of great influence, now-a-days totally in difrepute. It gives people a certain Gothic air quite ridiculous in the eyes of the moderns. It is now found only among a few adherents to the old bigots, and in an order of men, who, on account of their fundtion, cannot ky it afide, how defirous foever they may be. Surface The Surfaces^ 3 1 Surface of opulence, one of the mcO: finking things in Babylon. Behold in the Temples, in the AfTemblies, in the publick Walks, thofe citizens lb richly drelTed, thofe women fo adorned, thofe children fo neat, fo lively, and who promife fo fair to be one day as frivolous as their fathers : follov/ them to their homes •, furniture of the beft tafte, commodious appartments, houfes like iittle palaces, all continues to pro- claim opulence. But flop there : if you go any farther, you will fee families in diftrefs and hearts overflowing with cares. Surface of probity, for the ufe of Politicians and thofe who concern them- lelves with the management of others, Thefe great men cannot be as honeft as the lower people •, they have certain maxims 32 The Surfaces. maxims from which they think it eflert- tial never to depart, and from which it is no lefs efiential that they appear extremely remote. Surface of patriotifm, of which the real fubftance has long fmce difap- peared. We muft diilinguifh, in the condu6t of the Babylonians, between the Theory and the Practice. The Theory turns entirely upon Patrlatifm. Publick Good, national Intereft, Glo/y of the Babylonian Name, all this ir, the language of Theory. The Prn/c- tice hangs folely upon the hinge of private intereft. It is very remarka- ble that in this refpe6l the Babylo- nians have long been dupes of one another. Each plainly perceived that Country did nOt much affedl him % but he heard others talk of it fo often find The Surfaces. 33 and fo affedlionately that he verily believed there was ftill fuch a thing as a true Patriot. But now their eyes are open and they fee that all are a- like. ^ cs^i % CHAP. ( 34) C II A P. VIL The Globe, SUCH is the lot of the elementary fpirits, continued the Prefed of Giphantia. No fooner are they out of the probation-column where they are purified, but they return to their ufual labours : and to fee where their prefence is moil neceflar}'-, and where men have moft need of their alTiftance. At their coming out of the column they afcend this hill. There by a mechanifm which required the utmoft flcill of the fpirits, every thing that pafTes in all parts of the world is feen and heard. Thou art go- ing to try the experiment thy felf. The GioBe. 35 On each fide of the column is a large ftair-cafe of above a hundred fleps which leads to the top of the hill. We went up ; and were fcarce half v/ay when my ears were flruck with a difagreeable humming which increafed as we ad- vanced. When we came to a platform in which the hill ends, the firil thing that ftruck my eyes was a Globe of a cons- iderable diameter. From the Globe pro- ceeded the noife which I heard. At a 'diftance it was a humming ^ nearer, it was a frightful thundering noife, formed i3y a confufed mixture of fhouts for joy, ravings of delpair, fhrieks, complaints, fingings , murmurs , acclamations , laughter, groans, and whatever pro- claims the immoderate forrow and ex- travagant joy of mortals. D Small ^6 The Glqbe. Small imperceptible pipes (faid tlie Prefe^l) come from each point of the earth's furface and end at this Globe. The infide is organized, fo that the m.o- tion of the air which is propagated through the imperceptible pipes, and grows weaker in time, refumes frefh force at the entrance into the Globe and becomes fenfible again. Hence thele noifes and hummings. But what would thefe confufed founds fignify, if means were not found to diftinguifh them ? Behold the image of the earth painted on the Globe-, the Iflands, the Conti- nents, the Oceans which furround, join, and divide all. Doft thou not fee Eu- rope^ that quarter of the earth that hath done fo much mifchief to the other three ? Burning Africa, where the arts and the wants that attend them have never pene- trated? Afia^ whofe luxury, pafllng to the The Globe. 37 the European nation?, has done fo much good, according to fome, and fo much hurt, according to others ! America, Hill dyed with the blood of its unhappy inhabitants, whom men of a religion, that breathes peace and good-will, came to convert and barbaroufly murder ? Obferve what point of the Globe, thou pleafes. Place there the end of this rod which I give thee, and putting the other end to thy ear, thou flialt hear diftindily whatever is faid in the correfponding part of the earth. D ^ C H A P. (38) CHAP. VIII. Discourses. SURPRISED at this prodigy, I put the end of the rod upon Babylon ; I applied my ear, and heard what follows : " Since you confult me about this *' writing, I will fairly give you my " opinion. I think it difcreet and too " much fo. What I not a word againft *' the government, againft the manners, *' againft religion ! who will read you ? " If you did but know how tired peo- " pie are with Hiftory, Morality, Phy- " lofophy, Verfe, Profe, and all that ! " The whole world are turned writers ; *' and you will more eafily find an au- *' thor than a reader. How make im- preflion on the crowd ? How draw 3 " atten- «( Discourses. 39 " attention, unlefs by ftrokes levelled, " right or wrong, againfl place-men ^ " by lufcious touches of imagination " proper to excite the guft of pleafures " blunted by excefs ; by the trite argu- " ments which, though repeated a thou- " fand times, ilill pleafe, becaufe they " attack what we dread ! This in my " opinion is the only courfe for a writer '^ to take who has any pretenfions to " fame. Mind our Philofophers : v/hen '' they refledt, for inflance, on the na- " ture of the foul, they fall into a doubt " which with all their reafon they can- " not get out of Do they come to " write ? They refolve the difFiculiy, " and the foul is mortal. If they afiert " this, it is not from an inward per- " fuafion, but from a defire to write, and ** to write fuch things, as will be read. ^* Again, if you had made yourfelf a D ^ " party ; 40 Discourses. " party : if you belonged to one of " thofe clubs, where the Cenfor pafles " from hand to hand, and where each, " in his turn, is the Idol I But no ; " you are among the literary cabals like *' a divine who fliould pretend to be nei- « ther Janfenifl nor Molinifl *. Who, " think ye, will take care of your in- " terells ? Who will preach you up ? " Who will inlift your name among thofe " we refped: ?" * The Janfenifts (fo called from Janfenius bifhop of Ypres) e;(piained the Dodrine of Grace after the Calvlnillical or rather Metho- diftical manner, whilfl the Molinifts (To named from Molina a Spanith Jefuit) explained it after the Arminian or rather Semi pelagian way. The Gallican clergy were divided be- tween thcfe two Opinions. The reader may remember, there are three opinions concerning Grace. Says the Calvinift and Methodiil, Grace does all. Says the Ar- minian and Semi-pelagian, Grace does half. Says the Pelagian, Grace does nothing. I re- Discourses. 41 I removed the end of the rod about a twentieth part of an inch lower and I heard, probably, a Farmer of the im- pofts, who was making his calculations upon the people. ** Is it not true (faid he) that in the *' occafions of the ftate, every one fhould *' contribute in proportion to his means, *' after a dedu6tion of his necelTary ex- *' pences ? Is it not alfo true, that a very " Ihort man fpends lefs in cloaths than " a very tall one ? Is it not true that *' this difference of expence is very con- *' fiderable, fmce there is occafion for ^' fummer-habits, winter-habits, fpring- *' habits, autumn-habits, country-habits, " riding-habits, and I know not how *' many others ? There fhould be like- *' wife morning and evening habits •, ** but the morning is not knov/n at D 4 " Babylon. 42 Discourses. " Babylon. I would therefore have all " his Majefly's fubj'efts meafured and ^^ taxed each inverfely as his ftature. . . . '^ Another confideration of equal weight. " A Tax on Batchelors has been talked " of-, but it was not confidered. Mo- '^^ ney fhould be raifed upon thofe who " are rich enough to be married, and " efpecially upon thofe who are rich '' enough to venture upon having chil- '' dren. And therefore married mqn '' fhould be taxed in a ratio compounded '' of the amount of their capitation and " the number of their children. I have '' in my pocket-book I know not hov/ " many proje6l:s as good as thefe, and '' which I have very luckily devifed. " Erxh man has his talents : this is *^ mine : and it is v/eli known how ^' much it is to be prized now-a-days." At Discourses. 43 At a little diftance a Grammarian was making his Obfervations. " Three lan- '' guages (faid he) are fpoken at Baby- " Ion : that of the mob : that of the " petit maitre ; and that of the better " fort. The firft ferves to exprefs in a " difagreeable manner, ihocking things. " With all their judgment, fome au- " thors have written in this language, " and the Babylonians, with all their " nicenefs, have read them with plea- " fure. The fecond is made up of a " certain contexture of words without o '' any meaning. You may talk this " language a whole day together, and *' Vv^hen you have done, it will be found " you have faid nothing at all. To enter ^^ into the charader of the idiom, it is " effential to talk inceffantly without " reafon, and as far as polTible from com- *' mon fenfe. The third wants a certain " precifion j 44 Discourses. precifion ; a certain force and certain graces •, but it is fufceptible of a fin- gular elegance and clear nefs. It will not perhaps be exprefTive enough of *' the flights of the poet or the tran- " fports of the mufician : but it exprefles '* with admirable eafe all the ideas of him " who obferves, compares, difcufles, and " feeks the truth. Without doubt, it is *' the propereft language for reafoning ; ** and moft unhappily it is the leall ufed *' for that purpofe." Methought I heard a woman's voice at a little dillance, and put my rod there. " I confefs (faid fhe) I am fool- *' ifhly fond of this romance. Nothing *' can be better penned. However, this " fame Julia, who holds out during three " volumes, and does not furrender till the ** end of the fourth, makes the intrigue Djsccurses. 45 a little too tedious. It is alfo pity that the vifcount advances fo (lowly. He ufes fuch preambles, fpends fo much time in proteilations, and prefles his conqueft with fo much caution, that he has put m.e, who am none of the livelieft, a hundred times out of pa- tience. Surely the author was little acquainted with the manners of the nation i» CHAP. (46) CHAP. IX. Happiness. TH E end of my rod by chance fell upon an aifembly, where they were talking of Happinefs. Each de- clared his opinion as follows : " At length (fays one) this fuperb " Colonnade is laid open j they think of " removing thofe pitiful little houfes " which darken that grand and beauti- " ful front; they repent of having built " under ground to adorn a place; Tafte " is reviving •, the Arts are going to " flourifh : very fhortly Babylon will " proclaim the magnificence of the *' monarch and the happinefs of the *' people It is a great queftion " whe- Happiness.^ 47 ** whether colonnades, fine fquares, and " large cities, will make a nation happy : " they mull be enriched. Induftry mufi: *' be excited, agriculture incouraged, " manufaftures increafed, and trade '' made to flourifli: without which, all " the reft is nothing Non- " fenfe ! I have faid it, and I fay it " again : if we will be happy, our man- " ners muft be more fimple-, the circle '* of our wants contra6ted ; and, in a " country-life, we muft withdraw from '' the vices which attend the luxury of " cities I do not know wherein " confifts the happinels of nations ; but '^ I think the happinefs of individuals " confifts in the health of the body and " peace of the mind .* . . . AfTured- " ly not. Health caufes no lively im- " prefllon, and tranquility is tirefome. " To be happy, you muft enjoy a great " reputa- 48 Happiness. reputation ; for, at every inflant, youf ear will be tickled with encomiums . . Yes ! and at every inftant your ear will be grated with cenfures, be- caufe there is no pleafing every body. It is my opinion, every man is happy in proportion to his authority and power : for one can gratify onefelf in the fame proportion Yes ! but then that eagernefs will be wanting which (lamps a value upon things : if all was in our power, we fliould care for nothing. For my part, I am of opinion, that to be happy we mufi: defpife all things ; that is the only way to avoid all kind of vexation and trou- ble whatfoever And I think, we fhould concern ourfelves with every thing : by that means we ihall partake of every occafion of joy Now I think we Ihould be indifferent to every " thing : Happiness. 49 " thing: as the means of enjoying an *' unchangeable happinefs . I take " Wifdom to be the thing, for that alone ^' will fet us above all events And " I fay, it muft be Folly : for Folly creates " her own happinefs, independently of " any thing crofs or difagreeable about *' her You are all of you in " the wrong. Nothing general can be " afligned that may be produ6live of the ^' happinefs of particular perfons. So '' many men, fo many minds : this de- ^' fires one kind of happinefs, and that *' another: one wifhes for riches, ano- " ther is content with neceflaries ; this " would love and be loved -, that confi- ** ders the pafiions as the bane of the " foul. Every one muft ftudy himfelf *' and follow his own inclination " Not at all; and you are as much mif- *' taken as the reft. In vain do I per- " fuade ^o Happiness. " fuade myfelf that I ihould be hapf)y,' " if I poflefied fuch a thing-, the mo- " ment I have it, I find it inlufHcient, " and wifliifor another. We defire with- " out end ; and never enjoy. A certain *' man was continually travelling about, " and always on foot: quite tired out, " he faid : If I had a horfe I fhould be " contented. He had a horfe-, but the " rain, the cold, the fun were ilill trou- " blefome to him. A horfe (fays he) is " not fufficient j a chariot only can fcreen " me from the inclemencies of the ain " His fortune increafed, and a chariot " was bought. What followed ? Exer- " cife till then had kept our traveller in " health : as foon as that ceafed, he " grew infirm and gouty, and prefently " after, it was not pofTible for him to " travel either on foot or on horfe back " or in a chariot." CHAR ( 5i ) CHAP. X, The Hodge-Podge. ID I D not keep the rod any longer in one place; but moved it here and there without diftindion : and I heard only broken difcourfes, fuch as thefe : " War, taxes, mifery, are dreaded •, in- *' fignificant fears all thefe : alafs ! mine *' are very different. I have here framed " a fyftem upon Earth-quakes-, and, by " calculation, I find that near the center *' of the globe there is now forming an *' internal fire that will turn the v/orH " upfide down. Within fix months the " earth will burfl like a bomb, and all " nature Yes ! all nature " vanifhes in my eyes • thou alone doft E " exifl 5^ Th£ Hddge-Podge. " exiil for me : cxtinguilli, my clear, ^' extinguifli the flame thou has lighted " in my bofom. What a moment 1 *' Pleafiire drowns all my fenfes : my " foul, penetrated with delight, feems " to be upon the wing : fhe beats, fhc " trembles, Ihe flies : O receive her, my " dear, (he is wholly thine. Ah ! I " hear my hufband's footflieps ; let us ^' run Courage, brave " foldiers ! flirike home ; revenge " your country , let the blood flow, " and give no quarter. May the " Iflanders perifli and the Babylonians " live ! I do aver, for my part *' that of all the nations there is not one '^ fo gay as the Babylonians. They al- " ways take things on the mofl: fmiling " fide. One day of prolperity makes " them forget a whole year of adverfity, Even at their own mifery, they all ^ fing ; » The Kodge-Podge. 5^ fing ; and an epigram pays them for their lojGTes caufcd by the follies of the Great O how little are our great ones ! and how foolifh are our wife ones ! I cannot help thinking man an imperfed creature. I plainly fee nature's efforts to make him reafona- ble ; but I fee too thefe efforts are fruit- lefs. Materiils are wanting. There are but two ages : the age of weak- nefs in which we are born and pafs two thirds of life •, and the age of in- fancy in which we grow old and die. I have indeed heard talk of an age of reafon ; but I do not fee it come. I conclude therefore, and I fay Yes ! madam ! of tranfparent cotton. The difcovery was very lately made in Terra Auftralis : fo no more colds and defluxions. Tranfparent handker- chiefs, gloves, and ftockings, will de- E 2 " fend 5^ The Hodge-Podge. *' fend from the weather, and at the fame " time give us a fight of that admira- " ble bofom, thofe charming arms, that " divine leg Doubts every " where, certainty no where. How " tired am I to hear, to read, to refle<5t, " and to know nothing precifely. Who " will tell me only what is This^ " fir, is the country-man v/ho leaving *' his plough, is come to talk with you " about the afi^air of thofe poor orphans " v/hich is not ended. That is true, "- but what would you have ^ We are fo *' overv;helmed ! No matter, it Ihall be *' decided Ah ! good fir, I am "•' glad to fee you ; I owe you a compli- ^' ment : the laft wig I had of you makes ''me look ten years older. Surely the " o;entleman did not think, I had fo '' magiilerial a face ! Do you know, my *' dear fir, that it is enough to make me " look The Hodge-Podge. ^^ " look ridiculous, and you to forfeit your " reputation Grant, O Lord, " three weeks of a weilerly wind that " my fhip may fail O Lord, *' three weeks of an eailerly wind that " my fhip may arrive Give " me, O God, give me children *' O God ! fend a mah2;nant " fever upon my ungracious fon '* O Lord ! grant mx a huf- *' band • . . . . O God ! rid me of " mine." Perhaps all this Hodge-Podge will not be relifhed by mod of my readers. I lliould be forry for it. To what end then do mortals hold fuch odd, fuch filly and fuch contradidlory difcourfes ? E 3 CHAP. ( 56) o C H A p. XI. The MiRRouR, S I was amufing myfelf with thefe broken fpeeches, the Prefect of Giphantia prefented me with a Mirrour. Thou canll: only (fays he) guefs at things : but with thy rod and that glafs, thou art croinor to hear and fee both at once; no- thing will efcape thee; thou wilt be as prefent to whatever pafTes. From fpace to fpace (continued the Prefe6l) there are in the atmofphere portions of air which the Ipirits have {o ranged, that they receive the rays re- fiedted from the different parts of the earth, and rem.it them to this Mirrour: I fo The MiRRoyR. 57 fo that by inclining tlie glafs different ways, the feveral parts of the earth's lurface will be vifible on it. They vvill all appear one after the other, if the Mirrour is placed fuccefllvely in all poHl- ble afpedls. It is in thy power to view the habitations of every mortal. I haflily took up the wonderful glafs, In lefs than a quarter of an hour I fur- veyed the whole earth. I perceived many void Ipaces, even in the mofl populous countries ! and yet I faw men crowding, jollling and deflroying one another, as if they ha4 wanted room. I looked about a good-while for hap-i pinefs, and found it no where •, not even in the raoft fiourifiilng kingdoms. I faw E 4 only 58 The Mirrour. only fome figns of it in the villages, which by their remotenefs were fcreened from the conragion of the cities. I beheld in one view the vail countries which nature meant to feparate by ftiil vafter oceans •, and I faw men cover the fea with Palps, and by that means join even thefe diftant countries. This is plain ly-'acling (faid I) againil nature's intentions : fuch proceedings cannot be crowned v/ith fuccefs. Accordingly, Eu- rope does not appear more happy fince her junction with America: and I do not know whether fhe has not more realbn to lament ir. I fav/ prejudices vary with the climates, and, every where, do much good and much harm, I be- The Mirrour. 59 I beheld wife nations rejoice at the birth of their children, and deplore the death of their relations and friends t I beheld others more wife Hand round tlie new^-born babe, and weep bitterly at the thoughts of the ftorms he was to undergo in the courfe of his life; they referved their rejoicings for funerals, and congratulated the deceafed upon their being delivered from the miferies^of this world. I faw the earth covered with monu- ments of all kinds,^which human weak- nefs eredls to the ambition of heroes. In the very temples, the brafs and the marble, which contain the remains of the dead, prefent images of war, and breathe fxaughter : the very ftatues of thofe friends of mankind, of thofe paci- fic fovereigns, wliom the calamities of the 6o The Mirrour. the times involve in fliort wars, are adorned with warlike inilruments and nations in chains, as if Laurels died in blood were only worthy to crown Kings. •& I faw the moft refpedable of human propenfities carry men to the llrangeft excefles. Some were addrefTmg their prayers to the Sun, others were implor- ing the aid of the Moon, and others prollrating themfelves before Moun- tains j one was trembling at the afpedl of thundering Jove, another was bend- ing the knee to an Ape. The Ox, the Dog, the Cat, had their altars. Incenfc was burning even to Vegetables ; Grain, Beans, and Onions had their worlhip and votaries. I faw the race of mankind divide themfelves into as m.any Parties as Reli- gions i The Mirrour. 6i gions ; thefe Parties I faw divefl them- felvcs of all humanity and cloath them- felvcs with Fanaticifm, and thefe Fa- natics worrying one another like wild beads. I faw men who adored the fame God, who facrificed upon the fame altar, who preached to the people the do6lrine of peace and love, I faw thefe very men fall out about unintelligible queilions, and mutually hate, perfe- cute, and deflroy one another. O God ! what will become of man, if thy good- nefs doth not exceed their weaknefs and folly? In a word, I faw the feveral nations, diverfified in a thoufand refpedls, all agree in their not being one better than another. All men are bad, the Ultra- montane 62 The MiRROUR. montane by fyftem, the Iberian by pride, the Batavian by intereft, the German by roughnefs, the Iflander by humour, the Babylonian by caprice, and All by a general corruption of heart. C H A P, ( 63 ) C H A P. XII. The Trial. AFTER this general furvey of the whole earth, I had a mind to view Babylon in particular. Having turned my glafs to the north, and inclining it gently to the 20th meridian, I tried to find out that great city. Among the places that pafied in fucceflion under my eyes, there was one that fixed my atten- tion. I faw a country-houfe, neither fmall nor great, neither too much a- dorned nor too naked. All about it was more embeUifhed by nature than by art. It overlooked gardens, groves, and fome ponds which bounded a hill on the eaft. A country feaft was at this time celebrating, to which all the neigh- bouring 64 The Trial. bouring inhabitants were come. Somc^ ftretched on the green turf, were drink- ing large draughts, and entertaining one another with their former amours -, and feveral were performing dances, which the old men did not think fo fine as thofc of time paft. Seefl thou (fays the Prefe6t to me) in the balcony, that young lady who with a fmiling air is viewing the fight ? She was married fome days ago, and it is on her account that this feafl is made. Her name is Sophia : fne hgs beauty as you fee, fortune, wit, and what is worth more than all the reft, a flock of good fenfe. She had five Lovers at one time : none made a deep imprefiion in her heart, none were difpleafmg to her •, fhe could not tell to which to give the preference. One T!^E Trial. 6$ One day (he faid to them, I am young •, and it is not my intention to enter yet into the bands of matrimony, which is always done too foon. If my hand is fo valuable as by your eager addreiles you feem to think, exert your endeavours to deferve it. But, I declare to you that I fliall not make any choice thefe leveral years » Of Sophia's five Lovers, the firft was much inclined to extravagance,. Wo- men (fays he) are taken with the out- fide : let us ipend freely and Ipare nothing. The fecond had a fund of economy which bordered upon avarice, Sophia (fays he) who has a folid judgment, muft think him beft that Ihows himfeif capa- ble 66 The Trial. ble of amafTing riches : let us turn t© commerce. The third was proud and haughty. Surely (fays he) Sophia, who has noble thoughts, will be touched with the luflre of glory : let us take to arms. The fourth was a fludious man. So- phia (fays he) who has fo much fenfe, will incline to where the moft is to be found. Let us continue to cultivate our mind ; and ftrive to diftinguifh ourfclves among the learned. The fifth was an indolent man, who gave himfelf little concern about worldly- affairs : he was at a lofs what courfe to take. Each The Trial. 67 Each purfued his plan, and purfued it with that ardor which love alone is capable of infpiring. The prodigal expended part of his ellate in cloaths, in equipages, in dome- fticks ; he built a fine houfe, furnifhed it nobly, kept open table, gave bails and entertainments qf all kinds : no- thing was talked of but his generofity and magnificence. • The merchant fet all the fp rings of commerce in motion, traded to all pares f the world and became one of the richefl men of his country. The miU- tary man fought occafions ; and foon fignalized himfelf. The fludious man redoubled his effortSj mad^ difcoveries, an^ became famous. F * Mean 68 The Trial. Mean while, the indolent lover made his refledlions ; and, believing if he re- mained unadive he Ihould be excluded, he flrove to conquer his indolence. The eflate, he had from his anceftors, feemed to him very fufficient, and he did not care to meddle with commerce , the hurry of war was quite oppofite to his temper, and he h^d no mind to take to arms •, he had never read but for his amufement, the fciences did not feem to him worth the pains to come at them ; he had no ambition to become learned. What then is to be done ? Let us wait, (fays he) time will fhow. So he re- mained at his country-houfe, pruning his trees, reading Horace, and now and then going to fee the only obje6t that difturbed his tranquillity. Ever refolving to take fome courfe, the time flipt away, and he took none* 3 The The Trial. 69 The fatal hour approaches (faid he fometimes to Sophia) you are going to make your choice, and mofb affuredly it will not be in my favour. Yet a few days, and I am undone. This peace- ful retreat, thofe delightful fields you will not grace, you will not enliven, with your prefence. Thofe ferene days that I reckoned to pafs with you in the purefl of pleafures were only flattering dreams with which love charmed my fenfes. O Sophia ! all that flirs the paf- fions and troubles the repofe of men has no power over me; my defires are all centered in you ; and I am going to lole you for ever ! You are too reafonable, replied So- phia, to take it ill that I fhould chufe where I think I Ihall be happy. F2 At 70 The Trial. At laft, the time was expired, and not without many reRedlions, Sophia- refolved to make her choice. She faid to the prodigal : if I have been the aim of your expences, I am forry for it : but what you have done for my fake, you would have done, had I been out of the queilion. You have lavifned away one part of your ellate to obtain a wife ; you would Ipend the other to avoid the trouble of ma- nagem.ent. I advife you never to think of it. She told the merchant, foldier and fcholar, I am fenfible, you have fliown a great ree;ard for me : but I think too you have fiiown no lefs, you for riches, you for glory, and you for learning. In trying to fix my inclination, each has followed The Trial. 71 followed his own ; each would do as much for himfelf as for me. Should I chufe one of you, his views would Itill reft upon other objedts ; one would be bufied with increafing his fortune, the other with his promotion in the army, and the third v/ith his progrefs in the fciences. I cannot therefore fa- tisfy any one of you : and my dehre is to ingrofs the heart of the man wl;o ingroffes mine. The fame day, fhe faw the fclitary gentleman. You have long waited for it (faid fhe to him) and I am at laft going to declare my mind. You knov/ what your rivals have done to obtain my confent : fee what they were and what they are. For your part, fuch as you was, fuch you remain. I think, I fee the reafon. Indifferent to ail F 3 other 72 The Trial. other things, you have but one paf- fion, and I am its objedl. I alone can render you happy. Well then ! my happinefs fhall be in creating yours. I will fliare the delights of your folitude, and will endeavour to increafe them. CHAP. (73 ) CHAP. XIIL The TArENTSo I Returned to rnj firft object, and^ after a long fearch, I perceived on the mirrour a fpot of land which feemed wrapped in a cloud. There iiTued from thence a confufed noifc like the murmurs of an ebbing tide. The fun quickly difperfed the vapours, and I faw Ba- bylon. I faw there fpedtacles wherein the cala- mities of paft times are lamented, in order to forget the calamities of the pre- fent •, I faw Academies where they fliould examine and difcufs, but where they dif- pute and quarrel; Temples that are built againft the reftoration of religion-, Ora- F 4 tors, 74 The Talents. tors, who foretell to the feduced people the moil terrible difailers, and Hearers who meaflTre the expreflions and criticize the ftylc; a Palace wherein are placed Magidrates for the fecurity of your pro- perty, and where you arc conducted by Guides who fleece you. I cail my eyes on the publick walks and gardens, ever open to idlenefs, co- quetry and recreation. I beheld fitting alone on the grafs a perfon who, with a fmilc, was penning down his ideas. I fixed the paper, and read what fol- io vvs : "' One day Jupiter proclaimed through '•'• the whole earth, that he had refolved " to diftribute different talents to the " different nations; that on fuch a day *' the diilribution would be made at '' Olym- The Talents." 7^ •' Olympus ; and that the geniufes of " the feveral nations fhould repair thi- *' ther. The Genius of Babylon ftayed not till the day appointed, but came the " firft of all to Jupiter's palace. He " made his appearance with that air of " confidence which is natural to him; " he uttered I know not how many very " handibme and well-turned compli- " ments, and made prefents to all the " celeflial court with a grace peculiar to " him. " He o;ave the Father of the gods a " quintal of wild-fire of a late invention, " that his thunder may be more effec- " tual and people begin to have faith: *' to Apollo a Babylonian grammar, that " he may reform the oddities of the " language: 76 The Talents. " language : to Minerva a colle6tion of *' Romances, that fhe may rorredl their *' ix_entioufnefs and teach the Romancers *' to write decently: to Venus two fmall *' votive pidlures, to thank** her for that *' the laft year there were at Babylon " but two hundred thoufand inhabitants *' who bore the long and painful marks " of her favours, " He made his court to the Gods, " wheedled the Goddefles, faid and did *' fo many handfome and pleafant things, " that nothing was talked of at Jupiter's " court but the agreeablenefs of the " Genius of Babylon. " Mean while, the day appointed was " come: and Jupiter, having advifed *' with his council, made the diftribu- *' tion of the different talents to the " Geniufes' The Talents. 'j'f *' Geniufes of the feveral nations. To " this he aF ^ned the gift of Philofonhy : " to that/ the gift of Legiflation-j'^^and " to another the gift of Eloquence. " He faid to one, Be Thou the moft " ingenious •, to another. Be Thou the " moft learned, and Thou, the moft " frusal; and Thou, the moft warlike; " and Thou, the moft politick: and Be " Thou (faid he, fpeaking to the Genius " of Babylon) whatever thou chufeft *' to be. " Delighted with his fuccefs, and re- " turning home, the Genius of Babylon " is at all. He framed I know not how " many fchemes, and executed none. " He made moft excellent laws, and ". afterwards embroiled them with num- *' berlefs explanations and comments. ^f. H( 78 The Talents. '' He would likewife turn Theologift, ij '' and engaged in difputes which proved *' fatal to him. "He traded, gained much, enlarged his expences, and became richer and lefs eafy. *' Orator, Poet, Merchant, Philofo- *' pher, he was every thing ; and in 1 (C many things he attained to perfecflion, but never could keep his ground." C H A P. 79 ) CHAP. XIV. The Taste of the Age. W O men of letters were walking at a little dilbance. "Will you *' not own (faid one of them) that, two " centuries ago, our learning was in its •■' infancy, and hardly fhowed to what " degree it might arrive. In the lafl '^ century, it took root and rofe fo high '' that nothing was feen above it. The " grcateft mailers among the Greeks " and Latins were taken for patterns: ^' they were equalled, if not furpaOed. " Succefs infplres confidence •, and too *' much confidence breeds negle6b. To " have the eye always on the Antients '' grew diflalleful. They have had their " merit 8o The Taste of the Age. " merit (faid the Babylonians) and we *' have ours : who can fay v/e do not " equal them ? They therefore fet up " for tliemfelves : and the taile, not the " more o;eneral and of all the nations, but " the tafte peculiar to them charadlerized " their works. See almofl all our poems, *' our hiflories, our fpeeches, our books, *' all is after the Babylonian mode ; much " of art, little of nature -, a vaft fuper- " ficies, no depth •, all is florid, light, ^' lively, fparkling •, all is pretty, nothing *' is fine. Methinks I forefee the judg- *' ment of poflerity : they will confider " the works of the feventeenth century " as the greateft efforts of the nation " towards the excellent \ and the works ** of the eighteenth, as pidures wherein " the Babylonians have taken pleafure " to paint themfelves. cc If cc cc quenched their thirft, none were intoxicated. Volup- tas made herfelf defired, prefented her- felf feafonably, and was always received with joy. As fiie offered herfelf with reilridlion. Hie was always cherifhed and never cloyed. Men, not being enervated by excefs, preferved to a very advanced age, all their organs in vigor •, their taflie remained ; and old age flill drank of Voluptas's cup. Nature has a rival, called Art, who, inceffantly employed in rendering him- felf ufeful or agreeable to fociety, ftrives to fupply what nature cannot or will not do for men. He refumes nature's works, VoLUPTAS. jr works, retouches them, fometimes em- bellifhcs, often difguifes and degrades them. Arc failed not to obierve the condu6l of Voluptas, and to refine whatever fhe offered to mankind. He could not bear an interval between pleafures, and would have them fucceed one an- other without intermiflion. He ran- facked all the countries of the world, united all the objeds of fenfuality, and multiplied a thoufand ways the pleafures of fenfe. Men, furrounded with fo many alluring objeds, thought them- felves happy, and in their intoxication, faid: Without Art^ Nature is nothing. But very foon their fenfes were cloyed; fatiety bred difguft, and difguft made them 32 VoLUPTAS. them indifferent to all kinds of pleafure. Neither Art nor Nature could affed them to any degree. From that time, they have hardly been able to amiufe or divert themfelves. Voluptas has no longer any charms for them. CHAP. ( 33 ) CHAP. Vl. Perpetual Youth. THERE is no place (continued the Prefed) where thefe difTipa- tions, fuppofed to fupply the room of pure pleafurC) are more neceflary than at Babylon •, fo there is no place where they are more frequent. The Babylonians are known not to be made for much thinking, and, for good reafon, it is not defired they Ihould think. A wife policy has always pro» pofed to keep as many employed as poflible, and to amufe the reft. For thefe laft it is, that the arts of amufement are incouraged, thiat pub- Part IL D lick 34 pERPETtJAL lick walks are kept up at a great charge^ that Ipedacles of all kinds are exhibited, and fo many places tolerated, where gam- ing, drinking, and licentioufnefs ferve for food to thefe heedlefs men, who, without thefe avocations, would not fail to difturb the fociety. Thefe various avocations fill up the moments of life to fuch a degree, that there i^ no time for recolledlion, and for counting the years that infenfibly fly away. A man declines, decays, is bent under the load of years, and he has not once thought of it. Rather let us fay, there is no old-age at Babylon, for men of this kind : A perpetual Youth runs through their life-, the fame agitations in the heart, the fame dulliiefs in the foul, and the lame Youth. 3j fame void in the mind. Youths of twenty- five and of fixty, march with an equal pace to the fame end. The defires, eagerneffes, failles, exceffes are the fame. All forgetful of themfelves, ftill go on ; and death alone is capable to flop the career of thefe decrepid youths. It is remarkable, that one day, one of thofe young old men, bethought himfelf to make refledlions. " When a " man (faid he) is come, like me, to a " certain age, he does not fully live, he " dies by degrees, and he ought fuc- " cefTively to renounce whatever does " not fuit his (late. There are things " that becom.e nobody, which however *' are connived at in youth ^ but which " make an old man ridiculous. What " bufmefs have I now with this coflly D 2 " furniture. 36 Perpetital *' furniture, thefe fplendid equipages^^ *^ with this table ferved with fo much " profufion ? Am I excufable for keep- " ing a miilrefs, whofe luxurioufnefs " will not fail to ruin me in the end ? *' does it become me to appear Hill in *' thofe places, where licentioufnefs " carries inconfiderate youth? I will ^ forfake a world for which I am no *^ longer fit, and will embrace that *' peaceful and retired life to which my declining age invites me. What I ' Ihall retrench from my expences, I will give to my nephew, who is *^ coming into the world, and fhouldfet *' out with fome figure. Since I am *' dying by degrees, fo by degrees he 6C ii " ought to inherit.'* Tills Y o u T H. 27 This refolution being taken and well taken, a friend of his comes to viGt him, fees him thoughtful, afks the reafon and learns his defiga. "^^ What, " (fays he to him) have you not flill " fpirit enough to withftand reafon? '** She knocks, and- it is going to be opened ! what do you mean ? Reafoii may be of ufe to a young man, to curb the fury of his pafTions ; but muft be fatal to an old one, in totally " extinguilliing the little relifh he has " left for pleafures. What a firie fight ^' will it be, to fee Plutar<:h's morals, Nicole's effays, and Pafcal*s thoughts lodged in thy brain, clofe by Bocace's ' novels. La Fofitaine's tales, and Rouf- ' feau's epigrams ! Believe me: Reafon ■' is good only for thofe, who have ■^ cultivated it long ago ; heads made D 3 'J like u 3S Perpetual, &c. '' like ours cannot fuit it. Our max- " ims and reafon's are too contradic- " tory •, and inftead of regulating, it " would throw all into diforder and ^ confufion." *' But (replied our new convert) *' doft thou know what thou art doing " with thy extraordinary eloquence? *' never was fo much reafon ufed to " prove, that we muft a6t againft reafon. '' Come, let us go, my dear marquis, *' a free fupper waits us at the .... *' where the nymph, thou knowcil, " will compleat my convidlion : From *' thence we will go to the ball. To- *' morrow, champagne at your cou- '* fm the countefs's, and lanfquenet, at *' our friend the Prefident's.'* CHAP, D 39 ) CHAP. vir. The Itching s. WE walked toward the fouth. On this fide, Giphantia ends in a point, and forms a little promontory, from whence there is a large profpedl. This promontory is covered all over with a plant, whofe boughs defcend and creep every way. This is the produdion of the fecond Kernel. The plant never bears either leaves or bloflbms, or fruit : It is formed by an infinite number of very thin fmall fibres, which branch out of one another. View carefully the fibres (fays the Prefeft to me.) Doll thou fee at their D 4 e:ttremitv. 40 T H E I T C H^y^N G S. extremity, little longifh bodies, which move fo brifldy ? They are fmall mag- gots, which this plant breeds ; whether l^-egetation, carried beyond its ufual ibounds, produces them; or whether there comes at the extremity of the fibres, a fort of corruption, by which they are engendered. In time, thefe .maggots wafle away fo as to become in- vifible : But withal they get wings, and growing flies, they difperfe themfelves over the earth. There, they ftick faft to men, and ceafe not to infefl them with a fling given them by n^^ture. And as the tarantula, with the poifon which Ihe leaves in the wound Ihe has made, infpires an immoderate defire to leap and dance, juflfo thefe fmall infedls caufe, according to their different kinds, different Itchings, Such are the itch OX Th E It c H I N G s. 41 of talking, the itch of writing, the itch of knowing, the itch of Ihining, the itch of being known, with a hundred others. Hence, all the motions, men put then^ felves into, all the efforts they make, all the palTions that ftir them. The fenfation they feel on thefe occa- fions, is fo manifeftly fuch as we are de- fcribing, that when any one is feen in an uncommon agitation of body or mind, it is very ufual to fay. What fly flings ? what maggot bites ? Though nothing can be feen, it is perceived that the caufe of fo many motions is a fling- ing : A man often finds it by experience, and knows what it is owing to. When once men are troubled with thefe refllefs prickings, they cannot be quiet. He, for inftance, that is ftung with 42 The Itching s, with the itch of talking, is continually difcourfing with every body, correcting thofe that do not need it, informing thofe that know more than himfelf. His vifage opens, lengthens, and fhortens at pleafure : He laughs with thofe that laugh, weeps with thoft that weep, •wjthout fharing the joy of the one, gr the grief of the other. If by chance he gives you room to fay any things fpeak fad and flop not ; for, in an in- llant, he would begin again, and take care not to be inrerrupted. Never does he lend an ear to any one ; and even when he feems to hold his tongue, he is flill mutterino; to himfelf. He de- Ipifes nothing fo much as thofe filent animals, who hear little and Ipeak flill lefs ', and he thinks no m.en more worthy of envy than thofe, who have the talent of T H E It c H I N G s. 43 of drawing a circle of admirers, of raif- ino- the voice in the midft of them, and of faying nothings incefiantly ap- plauded. Sometimes the itch of talking is turned into the itch of writing ; which comes to the fame thing •, for writing, is talking to the whole world. Then thofe torrents of words, which flow from the mouth, change their courfe and flow from the pen what numbers of bablers in thefe filent libraries ! Oh how m.uft thofe who have ears, and run over thefe immenfe colledlions, be fl:unned with what they hear! They are like great fairs, where each author cries up his wares to the utmoft of his power, and fpares nothing to promote the fale. Come (fays an Antient) come and learn of 44 The Itching s. of me to pradlice virtue and become ,happy ; come and draw from thefe pure fountains, whofe flreams are pol- luted by the corruption of men .... Come rather to me (cries a Modern) time and obfervation have opened our eyes ; we fee things, and only want to fhow them to you .... Mind them not ("fays a Romancer) feek not truth there; truth ilill lies in the bottom of Demo- critus's well. Come therefore to me for amufement, and I will help you to it. Come and read the life and ex- ploits of the duke of * * * *, the model of the court -, he never attacked a girl without debauching her^ he has em- broiled above fifty families, and thrown whole towns into confufion : He mufl, it is plain, be one of the mofl accom- plilhed men of the age .... I have things The It c h I n g s, 45^. things to ofFer ycai, much more in- terefting than all this, (fays a Verfifier) I have the prettieft odes and fineft fongs in the world, little foft verfes, nofegays for Iris, and a complete colle6lion of all the riddles and fymbolical letters, which for thefe ten years have puzzled the fagacity of the ftrongeft heads in Babylon .... Away with thofe trifles (fays a Tragic Poet) and come to me: I manage the pafTions as I pleafe : I will force tears from your eyes, tranfport you out of your fenfes, and make your hair fland an end .... That is very kind indeed, (fays a Comic Poet) but I believe, it will be better to come to me, who will make you laugh at all others and even at yourfelves. I pity you all, (fays a Man-hater) burn me all thofe t)ooks there and mine too j and let there 46 The Itching s. there be no mention of learning, arts, Iciences, and the like wretched things ; for it is I that tell you, as long as you have any reafon, you lliall have neither wifdom, nor condu6l, nor happinefs. I fay nothing of the itch of knowledge, which fhould always precede that of writing, and which commonly follows it at a good difiance, and often never comes at all. , At Babylon, the itch of being fingular, is like an epidemical difeafe. It is pretty well known wherein the Babylonians are alike, but it would be the work of an age, to fay wherein they differ. Every one diilinguifhes hlmfelf by fome remarkable ftroke. Hence comes the mode of portraits, and the facihty of drawing them. Draw them by fancy, you The Itchings.' 47 you are fure they will meet witli a like- nefs ; draw them after nature, you will never fail of originals. There are feme for the pulpit, for the ufe of the orators who want grace, there are fome for the theatre, for the ufe of poets who want genius, there are fome for writings of all kinds, for the ufe of the authors who want ideas. The moll troublefomeof all the itches produced by thefe infedls, is the itch of being known. Thou canft not conceive, what efforts are made by all the men flung with this itch. I fay all the men; for, who has not a view to reputa-tion, and fame ? The Artifan fhows his work, the Gamefler his calculations, the Poet his images, the Orator his grand ftrokes, the Scholar his difcoveries, the General his 2 48 THElTCttlNGS* his campaigns, the Minifter his fchemes* And even he that fees the nothingnefs of this chimasra, flill contemplates its charms, and fighs after it: Jufl fo a lover, with a troubled heart, drives to abandon a faithlefs miftrefs, from whom he cannot bear to part. What defigns, what efforts of imagination to make one's felf talked of! how many things attempted and dropt ! what hopes, fears, cares, and follies of every kind 1 CHAP, ( 49 ) CHAP. VIII. Compensations. WHAT you tell me (fays I) is very extraordinary. But I can- not fee why the elementary fpirits. raife and cultivate this plant with fo great care. They who wilh us fo much good, in this refpe<5l do us very little. To behold men, flung to the quick, a£ting like madmen, lofmg their fenfes for chimeras, is a thing, in my opinion, deferving pity ; but perhaps it may be an amufement to the elementary Ipirits. Like many others (replied the Prefed) thou judgefl and feefl things but in one view. The itches have their inconve- niences ', but that is nothing in com- Part. II, E parifon 50 COMFENS ATIONS. parifon of their advantages. Without the itch of talking and writing, would eloquence be known ? Would the fciences have been tranfmitted and im- proved from generation to generation ? Wouldnot you be like fo many untaught children, without ideas, without know- ledge, without principles ? Was it • not for the itch of being known, who 'would take the pains to amufe you, to inftrudt you, to be ufeful to you by the mdfl: intereiling difcoveries ? Without the itch of ruling, who would bufy themfelves in unravelling the chaos of the laws, in hearing and judging your quarrels, in watching for your fafety ? Without the itch of fhining, in what kingdom would policy find a vent for thofe refpe6lable knick-knacks where- with flie adorns thofe Ihe is pleafed to diilinguifh ? Com pen sat ions. 51 diflinguifh ? And yet, this kind of no- things are, for the good of the ftate, to be acquired at the price even of blood. Thanks to our flies, there are fome mad enous;h to facrifice all for their fake, and others fools enough to behold them with veneration. Take away our infe6ts, and men (land ftupidly ranged by one another, like fo many ftatues •, let our infeds fly, and thefe fl:atues receive new life, and are as bufy as bees. One fmgs, another dances, this reads his verfes and falls into an extafy, that hears him and is tired : The Chymift is at his furnace, the Speculatifl in his fbudy, the Mer- chant at fea, the Ailronomer difcovers a new fatellite, the Phyfician a new medicine, the foldier a new manoeuvre ; E z in 52 Compensations. in fine, the flatues are men ; and all this is owing to this plant and our care. I beg (faid I to the Prefedl) we may fland at a diftance from this admirable plant ', I dread more than I can exprefs, the neighbourhood of thefe volatiles. I rejoice much to fee them authors of fo many benefits j but I fear Hill more, the uneafinefs they create. CHAP. ( S3 ) CHAP. IX. Nil Admirari. YOUR fearfulnefs, (fays the Pre- fedl) furprifes me. Tell me, I pray, what idea haft thou of what is called grandeur, dignities, and high rank in a ftate ? I am in this world (anfwered I) like a traveller, who goes on his way curioufly obferving the objedls, but defiring none, becaufe he is but a pafTenger. More- over, if things are eftimated according to the happinefs they procure, I do not think that the higheft places fhould be much valued ; for, I fee, they make no man happy, and are a misfortune to many. E 3 What 54 Nil A d m i r a r t. What of riches ? added the Prefe6t. Pleafure (faid I) is like a very rare commodity, which, however, every one would fain purchafe. Among tliofe that fucceed, the rich buy it very dear, it comes cheap to the reft : One may as -well be among the laft as the firft. Of the few pleafures that exift, the lower clafs enjoy as large a fhare as the higheft. What of wit, genius, talents ? fays the Prefed. One half of the world, replied I, ftudy to amufe the other. The firft clafs is formed of men of talents ; whofe brains are wound up by nature higher than ordinan/. They are incef- fantly ftriving to pleafe : If they fail, they Nil a d m I r a r I. ^^ they wade away with grief; if they fucceed, it is never fully, and a fingle cenfure creates them more pain than all the encomiums together give them pleafure. It is, therefore, better to be of the fecond clafs, I mean among thofe who are amufed by the others. As far as I fee, faid the Prefedt, the afpedt of the great and their pomp, of the fcholar and his extenfive genius, of the rich and his vaft poiTefTions, makes little or no impreflion on thy mind. I confefs, replied I, that no man was ever lefs dazzled with all this than my- felf. Wrapt in a certain co'olnefs of fenfe, I am guarded againfl all ftrong impreflions. I behold with the fame eye the ignorant who know nothing, and the learned who know all, except E 4 truth, 56 Nil Admirari. truth ; the proteftor who plans, though he knows his weaknefs, and the pro- te£led who cringes, though he perceives his fuperiority •, the pealant that is dif- gufted with the fimplicity of his diet, and the rich fenfuai, who with thirty niceties, can hardly make a dinner -, the duchefs, loaded with diamonds, and the fhepherdefs decked with flowers •, vanity, which dwells in the cottage as well as in the palace, and upholds the low as well as the high^ care, which fits on the throne by the king, or fol- lows the philofopher in his retirement. AH the parts on the flage of this world, ieem to me one no better than another : but I do not defire to adi: any. I would obferve all and be taken up with no- thing. Hence it is, that I dreaded the neighbourhood of thcfe rcftlcfs flies ' And N I L A D M I R A R I. 57 And hence it is precifely, interrupted the Prefed, that thou hadft nothing to fear from them. Thou admired no- thing ; it is fufficient : The flies can take no hold of thee. The firfl impref- fion they muft make, is the impreflion of furprife and admiration ; if they make not that, they mifs their aim. But the moment admiration is admitted, a crowd of pafTions quickly follow. For, in the objedt of wonder, great hurt or great good is expeded, Hence Love or Averfion, and all , their attendants ; reftlefs Defire which never fleeps ; Joy, which embraces and devours its objects ; Melancholy, which, at a diftance, and with v/eeping eyes, contemplates and calls for what it dreads: Confidence, which walks with head eredl, and often rneets a fall •, Defpair, which is preceded by 5? NilAdmirari. by fear and followed by madnefs, and a thoufand others. If thou wilt reft fecure from their attacks, cherifli thy coolnefs of fenfe, and never lofe fight Df the grand principle, Nil Ad m ir a ri. CHAR ( 59 ) CHAP. X. The Fantastical Tree. A FTER having walked fome time -^ A. by the fide of a rivulet, we came into a beautiful and fpacious meadow. It was enamelled with a thoufand forts of flowers, whofe various colours were, at a diftance, blended together and formed fhining carpets, fuch as art has never woven. The meadow was bounded by a piece of rock, like a wall ; againft which grew a tree, like au efpalier. It did not rife above a man's height, but fpread itfelf to the right and left, the length of the rock, above three hundred paces. Its leaves were very thin and very narrow, but in fuch abundance, that it was not poflible to fee the leaft part. 6o Fantastical Tree. part, either of the trunk or of the branches, or of the furface of the rock. Thou feeft, faid the Prefedt, the pro- dudl of the third and lafl Kernel •, we give it the name of the Fantaflical Tree. From this precious tree it is, that inventions, difcoveries, arts and fciences take their original ; and that by a me-* chanifm, which will furprife thee. Thou knowefl that the fibres of the leaves of a tree, are ranged uniformly on each of them •, to fee one, is to fee all the reft. Here, this uniformity has no places each leaf has its fibres ranged in a particular manner •, there are not two alike in the Faataftical Tree. But, what Fantastical Tree. 6i what is mod wonderful, the fibres, on each leaf, are ranged with fymmetry, and reprefent diftindlly a thonfand forts of objeds ; one while a colonade, an obelifk, a decoration ; another while me- chanical inftruments ; here, geometrical diagrams, algebraical problems, aftro- nomical fyftems ; there, phyfical ma- chines, chymical inftruments, plans of all kinds of works, verfe, profe, conver- fation, hiftory, romances, fongs, and the like. Thefe leaves do not fade. When come to perfe6lion they grow by dec^rees prodigioufly Imall, and roll themfelves up in a thoufand folds. In this ftate, they are fo light, that the wind blows them away; and fo fmall, that they enter through the pores of the ikin. ^- Once 62 Fantastical Tree. Once admitted into the blood, they circulate with the humours, and gene- rally flop at the brain, where they caufe- a finguiar malady, the progrefs of which is thus : When one of the leaves is fettled in the brain, it is imbibed, dilated, opened, becomes fuch as it was on the Fantaf- tical Tree, and prefents to the mind the images wherewith it is covered. During the operation, the patient ap- pears with his eyes fixed, and a penfive air. He feems to hear and fee what paffes about him, but his thoughts are otherways employed. He walks fome- times at a great rate, and fometimes flands flock-flill. He rubs his forehead, (lamps with his foot, and bites his nails. They who have feen a geometri- cian Fantastical Tree. 63 cian upon the folution of a problem, or a naturalift on the firft glimpfe of a phylical explication, muil have obferved thefe fymptoms. This violent ftate proceeds from the efforts of the foul, to difcern what is traced on the leaf j it holds longer or fhorter, according as the leaf takes up more or lefs time in dilplaying, and aptly prefenting itfelf. The abatement of the malady appears by light emanations from the brain, fuch as fome ideas fuddenly conceived, fome deligns hailily thrown upon paper, Ibme fcheme fketched in a hurry. The foul begins to difcern the objedts, and contemplate at leifure the Fantaftical leaf. Thefe 64 Fantastical Tree- Thefe laft fymptonis declare an ap-^ preaching crifis, which quickly Ihows itfelf in a general evacuation of all that has been tranfmitted to the brain. Then verfes flow, difnculties are cleared, problems are refolved, phaenomena are explained, dilTertations are muliiplied, chapters are heaped upon chapters •, and the whole takes the form of a book, and the patient is cured. Of all the accidents which af- flidled him, there only remains an im- moderate affecliion for the offspring of his brain, of which he was delivered with fo much pain. CHAP. ( 65 ) CHAP. xr. Predictions. EH OLD, added the Prefeft, fliowing me the extent of theFan- taftical Tree, behold leaves for a century of defigns, of difcoveries,and of writings. Thou mayefl examine at thy leifure what, during that fpace, will torment above a millioh of heads. I drew near, and attentively viewed a good while the wonderful tree, efpe- cially thofe branches on which the fciences vegetated; and after having examined it to the laft boughs with all the attention and exadnefs I am capable of, I think myielf qualified to make here fome Prediftions. The hiftorical branch has an admir- able effbdl ; all the events are painted Part II, F like 66 Predictions. like a camayeu "*, as by the hand of the greatell mafters. So many leaves, fo many little pictures. What will moil furprife, is, that thefe pidlures, {qqd. in different points of view, reprefent the fame fubje6l, but reprefent it very varioully : And, according to the man- ner of beholding it, the fame a6i:ion appears courageous or rafh, zealous or fanatical, rational or filly, proud or magnanimous. So, according to the point of view, wherein thefe leaves pre- fent themfelves to the brain of an hiilo- rian, he will fee things in a good or bad light, and will write accordingly. I would * Camayeu, is a ftone, whereon are found varioas figures formed by nature. It is the name the cr"enral€ give the onyx, on which and on agate, thefe natural figures are often found. When the figures are perfected by art, it is Hill called a camayeu, ?;S »;• aifo a painting in one colour, re- preienting balTo rdievos. Predictions. ()J I would not have fuch works entitled, ^he hijlory of ^vhat pajfed in fuch a time^ but rather, T'he manner in which fuch an author faw what faffed. Moreover this branch is plentifully furnilhed, and fhould be fo. As long as there are men,- there will be ambition, traitors, dif- turbers of the publick peace, merit will be forgotten and the worthlefs prefer- red, virtue will be opprefled, vice will be triumphant, countries will be ravaged, cities will be facked, and thrones will be dyed in blood -, and thefe are the food of hiftory ; excellent fchool, for youth to learn Iciibns of humanity, candor, and Hncerity ! The metaphyfical branch is almofl equally furniflied : But its leaves are very thin, and their fibres fo excefiively fmall, that thev are hardlv perceivable. F 2 I greatly 68 Predictions. I greatly pity the brains where they will fettle. I fee but one way to give them eafe : And that is, to treat the mofl thorny queftions after the modern man- ner ; I mean to fupply the want of clear ideas and deep reflexions, by bold and confident aflertions, which may ferve to impofe. The moral branch droops, and re- ceives fcarce any fap •, its withered leaves declare an approaching decay -, alas ! it is dying. The plans on it are quite effaced. This is too vifible from the works that are publiflied of this kind. The ideas of good and evil are con- founded j virtue is fo difguifed as hardly to be known, nor is it eafy to difcern what is to be called vice. And yet, the whole is not faid. There remains many arguments to be publifhed againft I the Predictions. 6g the obfolete notion of juftice ; many j efts to be pafTed upon thofe who ftill talk of probity in the old fafhioned ftile ; many frefh proofs to demonftrate, that na- tional, private, and efpecially perfonal intereft, fhoiild be the fole rule of con- du6t. At thefe fo fine lefibns, the Baby- lonians will clap their hands and cry: " In truth, all the world was blind ; " and men did not fee clearly till this " prefent time." The poetical branch is in a very bad ftate ; there are only a few boughs left, among others, the dramatic bough, and that fo very weak, it can hardly fupport itfelf There will appear from time to time at Babylon fome tragic poets, but no comic. I fufpedt the reafon. For- merly the Babylonians were only ridi- F 3 culous *]o Predictions. culous ; they were brought upon the ftage and people laughed : Now, they are alraofl all vicious, but vicious upon principle ; and fuch objefe by no means raife laughter. The manners begin to be no longer theatrical. The panegyrical branch is very con- fiderable, and beij'ds under its load. There will be pan^yricks applicable to a great man fro rr^'-. whom fome favour is expelled \ to an author who having flattered, receives homn.ge for homage; to another, who is flattered, in order that he may flatter again. There will be fome commercial ones, which will be fold, to one for his protedion, to an- other for his table, to a third for his money. There will be alfo fome, and in great plenty for thofe, who beg them : But Predictions, 71 But there will be hardly any for thofe that deferve them the moft. With good-fenfe alone, and the fim- pleft notions which a bough of the philofophical branch furniilies, and which teach to eflimate the things of this life according to their value, there will be formed, among the^eople, a number of pradlical philofophers; whilft, among the men of letters, 11 the penetration imaginable, all the knowledge they think they have, all the wit in the world will form only imperfedlphilofophers. They will avoid praifes, but fo as to attain them by fome round-about way. They will profefs the moft ardent zeal for all the citizens, nay, for all men in general; but they will care only for themfelves; They will decide upon the moft com- F 4 plicated. 72 Predictions. plicated, the moft obfcure, the moft important queftions, with an aflonifh- ing confidence -, but in deciding every- thing they will clear up nothing. They will wear outwardly the moft referved modefby •, inwardly they will be eaten up by ambition. Now, fhall we call fuch perfons philofophers ? It is thus that we give the name of ftars to thofe meteors, which kindle fometimes in the vipper region of the air, make a blaze, and inftantly vanifh. In general, I thought, I faw upon a a great number of leaves, things entire- ly contradictory. The century will Aide away, and the fentiments upon the fame objeds will not be reconciled. According to cuftom, each will ipeak his opinion, and attack the reft. Dif- putes Predictions. 73 putes will arife; and the molt bitter ironies, the ftrongeft invectives, the mofl cutting railleries, nothing will be fpared to raife the laughter of the crowd, and the pity of the wife. CHAR ( 74 ) CHAP. XIL The System. F an infinite number of plans of different works, that I faw drawn on the leaves of the Fantailical Tree, I remember three. In the firfl, the point in queftion is very abftradl, but treated in fo fingular a manner, that perhaps it will not be difagreeable to give here a flight fketch of it. " When I have examined matter, it has appeared to me, that it could not think, and I have readily ad- mitted Beings purely fpiritual. It is *' true, the leafl ideas of fuch fubftances *' have never been formed. This ** proves the fagacity of man does not ^^ reach The System. 75 *< reach very far: But does it prove " there is nothing beyond ? " When I have confidered the « animals, I have not been able to help " thinking them intelligent, and thatfo " iliuch ingenuity was not without fom.e " underftanding. They are, therefore, " faid I, provided with a fpiritual fub- " fiance. But what ! thefe infe6ls, " thefe worms, thefe microfcopical " animals, who increafe without num- " ber in the fhorteft fpace, have they " each a fpiritual, that is to fay, " an unchangeable, immortal foul? I « do not imagine, any fuch thought " ever entered into a found head. " Then calling to mind that intel- " ligent Being difFufed through the ^\ whole earth, and perhaps farther, *' that 76 The System. ' that immenfe fpirit of whom fome ' antient philofophers have talked, un- ' der tlie name of the univerfal foul -, ' I have thought that, without multi- ' plying infinitely fpiritual fubftances, ' that foul was very proper to fupply ' their place, and alone fufficient to ' give life to all the animals. I have ' therefore embraced the opinion of ' the antients, but with one reftridion. " They were perfuaded that every ' thinking organized Being, is ani- ^ mated by a particle of the univerfal ' foul ; That cannot be. If this foul is ' capable of perceptions, it is fpiritual, ' and indivifible, and if it is in- ' divifible, it cannot feparate from * itfelf any part to go and animate ' any Being whatever. If this fpirit ' informs different bodies, it is becaufe " it The System. 'j'] " it operates at the. fame time in difFer- " ent places , and not becaufe it fends " any where fome emanation of its " fubflance. *' Farther: The antients believed that *' man, like the animals, derived from " the univerfal foul all the intel- " lio-ence he is endowed v/ith -, another " miftake. If we confider in man, that " hidden principle which carries him " fo efHcacioufly to follow the impref- *' fions of fenfe, though ever fo repug- '* nant to reafon, we iliail agree, with " the antients, that this principle mufl " be the fame with that which animates, " rules, and diredls the animals-, the " pure fenfitive nature of the univerfal " foul is vifible in it. But when I per- " ceive in man another ae;ent, which " tends 7? The System. *' tends to fubjcdl all his adtions to the *' rules of juflice ; which fo often op- " pofes the fenfes (though feldom with " fuccefs) which, even when it fuc- " ceeds not to hinder the fin, never " fails to fting him with remorfe and '^ repentance -, I cannot help thinking, " that befides the univerfal fpirit, there *' is in man another principle of a " fuperior order: A principle known *' by the name of rational foul. It is *' manifeft by the clafliing between the *' paiTions and reafon, that there are in *' us two contradictory Beings, which *' oppofe one another. If I may be *' allov/ed to compare things of fo dif- " ferent a nature, I fhould fay that every ^' thing which partakes of the univerfal '^^ foul is like a fpunge foaked in " water, and immerfed in the fea •, and c " that The System. 79 *^ that if, moreover, the body is en- *' dued with a reafonable foul (which is *' the cafe of man) it is like the fame '' fpunge foaked in water, but in which " a drop of oil has found its way, *' In fine, the antients believed, that *^ the univerfal foul was diffufed every " where ; but neither can That be. " Perhaps it pervades the terreilrial *' globe, or, it may be, the whole iblar " fyilem, or even farther : But flill it " it is certain, it has its bounds, it is f ' God alone that fills im.meniiry. " But how fhall the exigence of a " thinking Being be admitted, which^ bounded as it is, has however fb pro- digious an extenfion ? What ideas * can be formed of its capacioufnefs !* and its limits? How can it animatt^ 8o The SystemI *' fo many bodies phyfically feparated *' one from the other, and forming fo " many individuals? Let us fathom, " as far as in us lies, thefe depths of " obfcurity. " Since fpiritual fubftances have no folidity, they are penetrable, and take up no room. From their pene- trability it follows, that feveral fpirits may exift in one and the fame fpace, and that a body may alfo be in the fame place. From their taking up no room it follows, that they have " neither length, nor breadth, -nor " depth ; that they have no extenfion " properly fo called. But flill a fpirit *' is a real Being, a fubflance : Though " it takes up no room, it is necelTarily " fome-where j and, though it has no " extenfion T H E S Y S T E M. 8r *^ extenfion properly fo called, it has " necefTarily its bounds. So, in a me- " taphyfical fenfe, all fpiritual Beings " may be faid to be more or lefs ex- " tended, to contain, and to be con- " tained : And then we may return to *' our comparifon of the fpunge, pene- " trated by a drop of oil, impregnated '' with water, and immerfed in the " fea. " On the other hand, by virtue of " the laws of combination, the refult " of the unbns necefTarily differs from " the fubflances that are united •, and it " does not appear, that the foul and the " body fhould miake an exception, " When the fpirit and matter are united, " think not the fpirit the fame as be- " fore j it is, in fome meafure, materi* Part II. G « alized- 8a The System. " alized ; think not the matter fuch as *' it was before -, it is, in fome meafure, ^' ipiritu alized. From this mixture re- *' fults a new Being, different from " pure fpirit, though it retains its " nobleft virtue ; different from brute " matter, though it partakes of its *' qualities : It is a particular Being, " forming an individual, and thinking " apart ; in fine, it is fuch a Being as *' you that are reading, fuch as I that " am writing. Therefore, what per- " ceives in us, is properly fpeaking, " neither the univerfal Ipirit nor the " rational foul, - nor organized matter : " but a compound of all three. Jufl " as when a lion roars, it is not the " univerfal foul, that is in a rage -, it is the " compound of that foul and the brain *' of the lion. Hence it comes, that " each The System. 83 ** each animal forms a feparate think- " ing individual, though all the animals " think only by virtue of one and the " fame Ipirit, the univerfal foul. Let " us proceed without lofing fight of the *' faint light which guides us thro' thefe " dark paths. " We have {ten that, to form an '' animal, there needs only a combina- *' tion of organized matter, and the *' univerfal foul ; and, to form a man, " there muft be another union of orga- " nized matter, univerfal fpirit, and ra- " tional foul. If the univerfal ipirit was " wanting ; ever obedient to the dic- " tates of the rational foul, we Ihould " fee none but virtuous and fpotlefs " men, fuch as are no where to be " found. If the rational foul was want- G 2 t' ing' 84 The System* " wanting, abandoned to this inftincS *' of the univerfal fpirit, which always " follows the allurements of fenfe, we *' fhould fee none but monfters of vice ^' and diforder. " The rational foul is united to the " human body, the inftant the motion *' effential to life is fettled there, it is " feparated the inflant that motion is *' deftroyed ; and, once feparated, it *' is known to return no more, it de- " parts for-ever ; and enters into a " ftate of which there is to be no end. *' The univerfal foul is united and " feparated in the fame circumflances : " But it is not always feparated for- " ever. Let, in any perfon, the mo- " tion effential to life, after having " totally ceafed, come to be renewed, ^^ (a thing (C The System. 85 (a thing which every phyfician knows to be very pofTible) and what will be the confequence ? The rational foul, ' ' which departed upon the ceafing of " the vital motion, cannot return ; but " the univerfal foul, always prefent, " cannot fail of re-uniting with the or- ganized body fet in motion again. The man is dead, for his foul is fepa- rated from his body. He preferves, " however, the air of a living man -, be- " caufe the univerfal foul is re-fettled in " his brain, which it direds tolerably " well. " Such to you appears a perfon *' perfedlly recovered from an apo- " pledic or lethargic fit, who is but half " come to life -, his foul is flown ; there '^ remains only the univerfal fpirit. G ^ " Excefi 3 s 86 The System. ^' Excefs of joy, or of grief, any fud- " den oppofition may occafion death, *' and does occafion it, in fa6l:, oftener *' than is imagined. Let a fit of *' jealoufy or pafTion afFe6i: you to a *' certain degree, your foul, too ftrongly " lliocked, quits its habitation for- ** ever : And, let your friends fay *' what they pleafe, or fay what you *' will yourfelf, you are dead, pofitively *' dead. However, you are not buried: *' the univerfal foul ads your part to " the deception of the whole world, " and even of yourfelf. *' Do not complain therefore, that '' a relation forgets you, that a friend " forfakes you, that a wife betrays you. *' Alas ! perhaps it is a good while " fince you had a wife, or relations, or " friends : The System. 87 « friends •, they are dead •, their images ^' only remain. " How many deaths of this kind " have I feen at Babylon ? Never, for « inftance, did contagious diftemper ^' make fuch havock as the late pious " broils. It is true, the Babylonians " are fo conftituted, that their foul fits " very loofe; the leaft fhock parts it " from the body •, this is confirmed by " obfervation. Call to mind their no- " torious quarrel about mufick, their " rage, their fury: How few heads " were untouched ? They are mad, faid *' fome reafonable people : But for my " part, I knew they were dead. " God reft the foul of the author of -^^ the Petites Lettres a de grands Philofo- ^' phesJ He had long been declining; G 4 !' and 88 T H E S Y S T E M. " and at lad died fome months ago. " Inflantly, the univerfal foul, pof- " fefled of his brains, diflodged fome " fhreds of v^rfes, jumbled them to- " gether, and framed that lifelefs " comedy, the indecency of which " gave offence to all the Babylonians *' that remained alive. " I fliall now fpeak of the figns by " which the living may be diftinguifhed " from the dead: And, doubtlefs, the " reader fees already what thefe figns " may be. To behold wickednefs with " unconcern ; to be unmoved by virtue; " to mind only felf-interefl ; and with- " out remorfe, to be carried away with " the torrent of the age, are fmns of ^' death. Be affured, no rational foul ** inhabits fuch abandoned machines. '' What Th E S Y S T E M. 89 " What numbers of dead amongfl us ! " you will fay. What numbers of dead *' amongfl us ! will I anfwer. " As there are figns which declare " that fuch a particular perfon, who " thinks himfelf, and whom you think " full of life, is however deprived of it ; " fo there are figns which fhow the ra- " vages, thefe concealed deaths have " made in the world. For inftance, " there muft have been, of late years, a " great mortality among the learned: " For, if you obferve almoft all the " produdions of modern literature, you " will find only a playing with words, " deftrudive principles, dangerous af- " fertions, dazzling hints. Alas ! our " authors are manifeflly but machines, t' aftuated by the univerfal foul. " And, 90 The System. " And, very lately, have we not had '^ frelh proofs of this mortality ? What *' is meant by thefe libels unworthy of " the light? Thefe when's? Thefe ips? *' Thefe what-d'ye-calh ? Thefe "uchere- *' fere's ? And I know not how many *^ more with which we are deluged. Be *' not perfuaded that rational fouls arc *' capable of fuch exceffes. *' I will conclude with opening a door *' to new refle6i:ions. Suppofe a mian, *' like fo many others, vegetates only, " and is reduced to the univerfal foul, *' I dem.and whether the race of fuch *' a man is not in the fame flate. If *' fo, I pity our pofterity. Rational *' fouls were fcarce among our fore- " fathers j they are flill more fo among 2 " US y The System. 91 " us ; furely there will be none left " among our offspring. All are dege- " nerating, and we are very near the « laft ftage." CHAR ( 9^ ) CHAP. XIII. Letter to the Europeans. THE fecond of the works, of which I remember to have fcen the plan delineated on the leaves of the Fantaflical tree, was digefted into the form of a letter, addrefled to all the nations of Europe, the fubftance of which is as follows : " O ye powerful nations of Europe ; ' nations poliihed, ingenious, learned, ' warlike, made to command the reft ; ' nations the moll accomplifhed upon ' earth; the times are come: Your * profound fchemes for the happinefs ' ofman have prolpered: You enjoy it ' at length, and I congratulate you ' upon it* " In Letter, (Sc. 93 ■ " In nature's infancy, thofe uncivil- " ifed ages wherein men wandering In " the fields, were fed with the produds " of the earth, a perfed fecurity, eafy '' pleafure, profound peace, or rather " languifhing indolence benumbed all *' the faculties of the foul. But when *' the fweets of property had flattered " the human heart ; when each had his *' inclofure and could fay, 'This is mine \ *' then all was in motion. A man had " too much of one thing, and too little *' of another-, he gave the fuperfkiity ^' for what he wanted : And trade was " eftabhfhed. It was at firfl carried on " among neighbours -, then, from coun- " try to country ^ and at laft, from one " of the quarters of the world to the " other three. From that time, man- " kind have formed but one numerous 5 " family. 94 Letter " family, whofe members are incef- " fantly employed in cheating one *' another. The fpirit of diftrufl, *' finefs, and fraud, have difplayed all " the Iprings of the foul -, the talents " have fhown themfelves, the arts have " taken birth ; and men begin to enjoy " the full extent of their underftand- *' ing. " How well thefe profound fpecula- " tifts have conjedtured, who have told " us : JVoidd you have a ft ate flourijh ? *' incoiirage poptiloiif7iefs ; for realftrength *' and riches confift m a great number of " citizens, I'o incourage pcpulotifnefs, *' enlarge trade fncre and more^ fet up ma- " nufaEliires^ introduce arts of every kind\ '' and^ to conftirne fuperfiuities^ call in '' luxury. Let the names of thofe who " have To the Europeans. 95 " have opened this admirable way, be " carefully preferved in our kalendar. " It is true, by following this method, ' you have miffed your aim, which was ' populoufnefs. What fortune foever ' a man may raife, it is confuraed by ' the boundlefs expence of luxury^^ ' which always exceeds the revenues : ' There is nothing left for the educa- ' tion and fettlemcnt of children ; and ' means muil be ufed to have a fmall ' number, or even none at all. Lono- ' races fuit only thofe remote times ' when your anceftors, plentifully fur- ' nifhed with neceffaries, were fo unfor- ' tunate as to have no idea of pagean- ' try. It is no wonder, if people fo ' barbarous as not to know filk, lace,, ' tea, chocolate. Burgundy, Cham- '' pagne. gs all its fertility. By degrees, my troubled fenfes were calmed : I looked round me, and found myfelf in my own country, fix hundred furlongs north-weft from Babylon, to which city I addrefs and de- dicate this narrative of my hazardous travels. F I N I S, Soiol