themselves into a willow, and bended beneath the blast; otherwise into a stream, and thus eluded the iron hand of danger; and when the storm was over, they appeared like themselves again: and the haughty madam looked down upon them with a smile of complacency.

But of all the multitude there was only one who sat immediately at her feet in a royal chair; upon whose head she rested her hand, and owned him her darling son. This favourite was a blooming majestic youth, in whose countenance was to be seen wisdom and magnanimity written in legible characters; and with deportment altogether different from those who sat near him, he looked down with an air of affection upon all the ranks below him.

But, strange as it may seem, this worthy personage, notwithstanding his merit and elevated station, did not appear to be the most happy man in the world; for it was not difficult to see anxious cares, and perplexing fears, crawling as so many snakes round the seat of majesty. I thought then, that surely the higher a man is in station, he is the more emphatically wretched, unless he can hug the servile chain like the mutable sons of Proteus, or has learned to live above the caprice of fortune. I thought in my dream, that by what means soever any pinnacle threw its rider, or however dirty his fall might be, that no sooner was the place proclaimed empty, than numbers strove who should first vault into it. Here I saw a curate aiming at a vicarage, a vicar at a bishoprick, and a bishop striving for an archiepiscopal see. Here I saw a valet aspiring to the fine gentleman, a baronet aiming at an earldom, and a country squire coveting the direction of the nation. Here I also saw a private sentinal aiming at a halberd, a halberdier at a captain's place, a captain earnestly suing for a regiment, and Prude, my lady's woman, affecting the name of Madam.-For my own part, when I saw the follies of mankind, I could not help wishing that they were again blessed with the right use of their

reason.

At last, more stayed, I found myself in the middle, of a spacious field, decorated with all the variety of nature, in bloom; the freshest verdancy was the velvet-like ground-work, embroidered with a richer variety of perfect colours than ever the delicate pencil of Apelles left on the stained canvass. I walked

along, admiring its beauties, ravished with the fragrancy of the full-blown flowers, which as oriental gems, richly decorated the enamelled plain. Here I beheld the glory of the divine Creator, sparkling in every verdant pile which decked the spreading lawn, in such a manner, that seeing could not satisfy the eye. Nor was my ravished ear less delighted with the tuneful voice of the early lark, as ascending she sung morning anthems to her Almighty Preserver. Like masters of music, equally fired with a sense of gratitude, the blackbird and thrush, emulous of song, poured their flowing harmony abroad through the vault of ether, as if scorning to be outdone in praise to their common Parent. Pleased to see the spangled field join in concert with the feathered songsters, who sent forth their chirping melody from the flowery hedges; the one cheerfully singing, the other sweetly smiling, the great Creator's praise; "O man," said I, "lord of this lower creation, what blessings dost thou enjoy beyond the most extensive privileges of all thy neighbours, the inhabitants of air, earth, and water! Conscience, reason, and understanding, an erect posture of body, sole dominion over all the numberless ranks of creatures, animate and inanimate, which possess this earthly globe; they are all thine by divine donation; they all were made for thine enjoyment; such are thine invalued privileges, joined with an ever-during existence, and a capacity fitted for the possessing of an Infinite Good!"

These are blessings peculiar to the state of favored man, and for which only depraved man is capable of being unthankful. But oh! let humanity blush at the awful consideration; notwithstanding all our enjoyments, we, only we men, are idle, when universal nature joins in general concert to speak the great

Creator's praise. Ingrateful man! shall the sun, the moon, the stars, with all the hosts of heaven, unceasing move in general concord, and harmoniously shew forth the praises of God? Must the fowls of the air, the beasts of the field, and all the inhabitants of the waters, be concerned in the enhancement of his manifest glories; and thou, above all others, most beloved, and most indulged, alone remain dumb in the general concert; worse than dumb, even refractory? The horse, that now glories to prance under thy weight; the vine which bleeds to satiate thine intemperance; the people of the feathered nations, whose little carcases must now indulge thy gluttony, will one day severally appear as the swiftest witnesses against thee. Thou ingrateful abuser of many blessings! what will become of thee when thy soul is demanded? How wilt thou stand before an infinitely holy God?-Dreadful thine account; for God is just, as well as beneficent.

I thought in my Dream, that as I was thus ruminating, I was greatly surprised, by seeing the monster Death enter the field, through a breach which Sin had made in its fences. He appeared at first in the form of a skeleton, with quiver and darts, as he is usually drawn. The most barbarous rage and inflexible cruelty sat brooding over his hollow eyes, whilst his unseemly fingers grasped the irresistible scythe: the mattock and spade, wrought in a field of corruption, with the resemblance of empty shades frisking over it, was the skeleton's flag. Close behind him, almost treading on his heels, followed a lean, ill-looking figure, with extended jaws; at the sight of which my blood chilled in my veins, and my flesh shuddered with perfect aversion. Nor was this aversion peculiar to me, for I perceived that all Nature seemed to fly from its presence; and, indeed, well might nature tremble at the thoughts of an encounter, for the same hunger-bitten follower of Death cast a languishing look on every object, and yawned with desire to devour it.

I thought that Death was no sooner entered the

field, than this meagre and greedy attendant addressed himself to him, in a craving manner, cryingGive, give on which the cruel skeleton brandished his shafts, and fiercely threw from his unerring hand, first at one, then at another object, till whole nations fell almost at once beneath his fatal javelin One instance, in particular, I saw, of a whole generation being swept away by one stroke of his scythe. Such was the amazing power he had obtained from complicated Sin, that all, especially mankind, fell at the first touch of the destructive dart; and as soon as fallen, this detested monster licked them up, and the world saw them no more for ever. Here I saw, that this grand devourer made no distinction between. this and that, but fed with as much delight on the flesh of a beggar as on that of princes and nobles; the celebrated beauty, and the youthful hero, afforded no greater relish to the hungry grave; than the country landlady, or rustic swain; old and young, beauteous and unseemly, rich and poor, noble and ignoble, were confusedly jumbled together in its insatiable intrails.

At a very small distance from this king of terrors, followed a tall, upright personage, of the exactest symmetry in all her parts; her mein was noble, and all her gestures uniform. This royal and majestic person sat on a seat of right judgment, held a pair of equal balances in her hand, and had for her motto, "I judge according to every man's works." I thought that this upright lady, who was in herself the most perfect beauty, invested Death with dreadful array, and equipped him in most of his terrors; as every human creature who fell a prey to the ravager, was immediately weighed in her impartial balances. O, said I, on seeing the procession, if weighed in these equal and impartial balances, who is he that shall not be found wanting?

Last of all, in the train of the skeleton, followed a monster of devilish birth, and of such a form as I had never seen before; it kept its eye, as I thought, continually fixed on the upright lady, whose name

was Justice, making inquisition for blood. To this monster was given every person whose actions did not weigh according to the rules of the sanctuary, and they were all stored in its incorrupting bowels. What was very strange, notwithstanding all the persons given to this insatiable monster remained entire within it, it continued as solicitous for more as it was the first moment of its being. Then I thought of that saying, Death and Hell are never satisfied.

I stood a considerable time admiring the strangeness of the scene, and soon I discovered something more; for Death metamorphosed himself into a dragon of an enormous size, and approached near the place where I had taken my standing for observation. Fearful lest I should be the prey at which he aimed, I began to think of methods of resistance, as I could not reconcile myself to the thoughts of the Grave, nor was I certified at that time that I should escape Hell if he seized me. Up he came within a very little distance of me, which greatly roused my apprehensions of danger; but to my unspeakable joy, he turned off to the left, followed by his dreadful retinue; and turning my eye to that side of the field, I soon discovered the prey at which he aimed: A beauteous lady in all the grandeur of life, decked with the richest silks, adorned with gold, pearls, and precious stones; attended by a numerous train of obedient servants, she herself glistening like a goddess in the midst of them; every attendant carefully observed the glance of her eye, the wave of her hand, or the nod of her head, having learned by these signs to read her ladyship's pleasure,

At first I was much amazed to see this jovial company altogether unapprehensive of danger; none of them seemed to regard the monster's approach, but maintained their jollity with as much delight as if Death had never been born. Touched with pity, I waved my hand to awake their attention, and entreated them to beware of yonder dragon; but at that instant I beheld a god who is said to be president over this world, raise a dust, and spread a mist