VISION II.

SPECTATOR. No 501.

H

OW are we tortured with the Abfence of what we covet to poffefs, when it appears to be loft to us! What Excurfions does the Soul make in Imagination after it! and how does it turn into it felf again, more foolishly fond and dejected, at the Difappointment! Our Grief, instead of having Recourse to Reason, which might restrain it, fearches to find a further Nourishment. It calls upon Memory to relate the feveral Paffages and Circumstances of Satisfactions which we formerly enjoyed; the Pleasures we purchafed by thofe Riches that are taken from us; or the Power and Splendour of our departed Honours; or the Voice, the Words, the Looks, the Temper, and Affections of

our

our Friends that are deceased. It needs must happen from hence, that the Paffion should often fwell to fuch a Size as to burst the Heart which containts it, if Time did not make thefe Circumstances less strong and lively, fo that Reafon fhould become a more equal Match for the Paffion, or if another Defire which becomes more prefent did not overpower them with a livelier Reprefentation.

Thefe

are Thoughts which I had, when I fell into a kind of Vision upon this Subject, and may therefore ftand for a proper Introduction to a Relation of it.

I found my self upon a naked Shore, with Company whofe afflicted Countenances witneffed their Conditions. Before us flowed a Water deep, filent, and called the River of Tears, which iffuing from two Fountains on an upper Ground, encompaffed an Island that lay before us. The Boat which plied in it was old and shatter'd, having been fometimes overfet by the Impatience and Hafte of single Paffengers to arrive at the other fide. This immediately was brought to us by Misfortune who fteers it, and we were all preparing to take our Places, when there appeared a Woman of a mild and compofed Behaviour, who began to deter us from it, by representing the Dangers which would attend our Voyage. Hereupon fome who knew her for Patience,

and

and fome of those too who 'till then cry'd the loudeft, were perfwaded by her, and return'd back. The rest of us went in, and she (whose Good-nature would not fuffer her to forfake Perfons in Trouble) defired Leave to accompany us, that the might at least adminifter fome fmall Comfort or Advice while we failed. We were no fooner embarked but the Boat was pushed off, the Sheet was spread; and being filled with Sighs, which are the Winds of that Country, we made a Paffage to the farther Bank thro' several Difficulties of which the most of us seem'd utterly regardless.

When we landed, we perceived the Island to be strangely over-caft with Fogs, which no Brightness could pierce, fo that a kind of glomy Horror fat always brooding over it. This had fomething in it very fhocking to eafy Tempers, infomuch that fome others, whom Patience had by this time gain'd over, left us here, and privily convey'd themselves round the Verge of the Ifland to find a Ford by which fhe told them they might escape.

For my part, I ftill went along with those who were for piercing into the Centre of the Place; and joining our felves to others whom we found upon the fame Journey, we marched folemnly as at a Funeral, thro' bordering Hedges of Rosemary, and thro' a Grove of Yew

Trees,

Trees, which love to over-fhadow Tombs and flourish in Church-Yards. Here we heard on every Side the Wailings and Complaints of feveral of the Inhabitants, who had caft themfelves difconfolately at the Feet of Trees; and as we chanc'd to approach any of these, we might perceive them wringing their Hands, beating their Breafts, tearing their Hair, or after fome other manner vifibly agitated with Vexation. Our Sorrows were heightned by the Influence of what we heard and faw, and one of our Number was wrought up to fuch a Pitch of Wildness, as to talk of hanging himfelf upon a Bough which fhot temptingly acrofs the Path we travelled in; but he was reftrain'd from it by the kind Endeavours of our above-mentioned Companion.

We had now gotten into the most dusky filent Part of the Iland, and by the reboubled Sounds of Sighs, which made a doleful whiftling in the Branches, the Thickness of Air which occafioned faintish Respiration, and the violent Throbbings of Heart which more and more affected us, we found that we approach'd the Grotto of Grief. It was a wide, hollow, and melancholy Cave, funk deep in a Dale, and watered by Rivulets that had a Colour between Red and Black. Thefe crept flow, and half congealed amongst its Windings, and mixed their heavy Murmur with the Echo of

Groans

Groans that rolled thro' all the Paffages. In the most retired part of it fat the doleful Being her felf; the Path to her was strewed with Goads, Stings, and Thorns; and the Throne on which the fat was broken into a Rock with ragged Pieces pointing upwards for her to lean upon. A heavy Milt hung above her, her Head oppreffed with it reclined upon her Arm: Thus did fhe reign over her disconfolate Subjects, full of herself to Stupidity, in eternal Penfivenefs, and the profoundest Silence. On one fide of her stood Dejection just dropping into a Swoon, and Paleness wafting to a Skeleton; on the other fide were Care inwardly tormented with Imaginations, and Anguish fuffering outward Troubles to fuck the Blood from her Heart in the Shape of Vultures. The whole Vault had a genuine Difmalness in it, which a few scattered Lamps, whose blueish Flames arose and funk in their Urns, difcovered to our Eyes with Encrease. Some of us fell down, overcome and spent with what they fuffer'd in the way, and were given over to thofe Tormentors that stood on either Hand of the Prefence; others, galled and mortified with Pain, recover'd the Entrance, where Patience, whom we had left behind, was ftill waiting to receive us.

With her (whofe Company was now become more grateful to us by the want we had found