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"them; and those whom the perfuaded to travel to"wards them were enchained by HABIT, and ingulfed " by DESPAIR, a cruel tyrant, whofe caverns are beyond "the darkness on the right fide and on the left, from " whose prisons none can efcape, and whom I cannot "teach you to avoid."

Such was the declaration of REASON to thofe who demanded her protection. Some that recollected the dictates of EDUCATION, finding them now feconded by another authority, fubmitted with reluctance to the ftrict decree, and engaged themfelves among the followers of RELIGION, who were diftinguifhed by the uniformity of their march, without appearing to re gard the profpects which at every ftep courted their attention.

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The Vision of Theodore continued.

LL those who determined to follow either REASON

or RELIGION, were continually importuned to forfake the road, fometimes by the PASSIONS, and fometimes by the APPETITES, of whom both had reason to boaft the fuccefs of their artifices; for fo many were drawn into by-paths, that any way was more populous than the right. The attacks of the APPETITES were more impetuous, thofe of the PASSIONS longer continued. The APPETITES turned their followers directly from the true way, but the PASSIONS marched at first in a path nearly in the fame direction with that of REASON and RELIGION; but deviated by flow degrees, till at last they entirely changed their courfe. APPETITE drew afide the dull, and PASSION the sprightly. Of the APPETITES, Luft was the ftrongeft; and of the PASSIONS, Vanity. The moft powerful affault was to be feared, when a PASSION and an APPETITE joined their enticements; and the path of REASON was best followed, when a PASSION called to one fide, and an APPETITE to the other.

These seducers had the greatest fuccefs upon the followers of REASON, over whom they fcarcely ever failed to prevail, except when they counteracted one another. They had not the fame triumphs over the votaries of RELIGION; for though they were often led afide for a time, RELIGION commonly recalled them by her emiffary CONSCIENCE, before HABIT had time to enchain them. But they that profeffed to obey REASON, if once they forfook her, feldom returned; for fhe had no mesfenger to summon them but PRIDE, who generally betrayed her confidence, and employed all her skill to fupport PASSION; and if ever fhe did her duty, was found unable to prevail, if HABIT had interpofed.

I foon found that the great danger to the followers of RELIGION was only from HABIT; every other power

was

was easily refifted, nor did they find any difficulty when any inadvertently quitted her, to find her again by the direction of CONSCIENCE, unless they had given time to HABIT to draw her chain behind them, and bar up the way by which they had wandered. Of fome of thofe, the condition was justly to be pitied, who turned at every call of CONSCIENCE, and tried, but without effect, to burst the chains of HABIT: They faw RELIGION walking forward at a distance, faw her with reverence, and longed to join her; but were, whenever they approached her, with-held by HABIT, and languished in fordid bondage, which they could not escape, though they scorned and hated it.

It was evident that the HABITS were so far from growing weaker by these repeated contests, that if they were not totally overcome, every ftruggle enlarged their bulk and increased their ftrength; and a HABIT, oppofed and victorious, was more than twice as ftrong as before the conteft. The manner in which thofe who were weary of their tyranny endeavoured to escape from them, appeared by the event to be generally wrong; they tried to lose their chains one by one, and to retreat by the fame degrees as they advanced; but before the deliverance was completed, HABIT always threw new chains upon her fugitive; nor did any escape her but those who, by an effort sudden and violent, burft their fhackles at once, and left her at a distance; and even of these, many, rushing too precipitately forward, and hindered by their terrors from stopping where they were safe, were fatigued with their own vehemence, and refigned themselves again to that power from whom an efcape must be fo dearly bought, and whofe tyranny was little felt, except when it was refifted..

Some, however, there always were, who, when they found HABIT prevailing over them, called upon REASON OF RELIGION for affiftance; each of them willingly came to the fuccour of her fuppliant; but neither with the fame ftrength, nor the fame fuccefs. HABIT, infolent with her power, would often prefume to parley

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with REASON, and offer to loofe fome of her chains if the reft might remain. To this REASON, who was never certain of victory, frequently confented, but always found her conceffion deftructive, and faw the captive led away by HABIT to his former flavery.-RELIGION never fubmitted to treaty, but held out her hand with certainty of conqueft; and, if the captive to whom fhe gave it did not quit his hold, always led him in triumph, and placed him in the direct path to the temple of Happiness, where REASON never failed to congratulate his deliverance, and encourage his adherence to that power to whofe timely fuccour he was indebted for it.

When the traveller was again placed in the road of Happiness, I faw HABIT again gliding before him, but reduced to the state of a dwarf, without ftrength and without activity; but when the PASSIONS or APPE TITES, which had before feduced him, made their ap proach, HABIT would on a sudden start into fize, and with unexpected violence push him towards them.— The wretch, thus impelled on one fide, and allured on the other, too frequently quitted the road of Happiness, to which, after his fecond deviation from it, he rarely returned. But, by a timely call on RELIGION, the force of HABIT was eluded, her attacks grew fainter, and at laft her correspondence with the enemy was entirely destroyed. She then began to employ those restless faculties in compliance with the power which she could not overcome; and as fhe grew again in ftature and in ftrength, cleared away the afperities of the road of Happiness.

From this road I could not eafily withdraw my attention, because all who travelled it appeared chearful and fatisfied; and the farther they proceeded, the greater appeared their alacrity, and the ftronger their conviction of the wisdom of their guide. Some, who had never deviated but by fhort excurfions, had HABIT in the middle of their paffage vigorously fupporting them, and driving off the APPETITES and PASSIONS which

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attempted to interrupt their progrefs. Others, who had entered this road late, or had long forfaken it, were toiling on without her help at least, and commonly against her endeavours. But I obferved, when they approached to the barren top, that few were able to proceed without fome fupport from HABIT; and that they, whofe HABITS were ftrong, advanced towards the mifts with little emotion, and entered them at last with calmnefs and confidence; after which, they were feen only by the eye of RELIGION; and though REASON looked after them with the most earneft curiofity, fhe could only obtain a faint glimpse, when her mistress, to enlarge her profpect, raised her from the ground. REASON, however, difcerned that they were fafe, but RELIGION faw that they were happy.

"Now, Theodore," faid my protector, "withdraw "thy view from the regions of obfcurity, and fee the "fate of those who, when they were difmiffed by EDU"CATION, Would admit no direction but that of REA"SON. Survey their wanderings, and be wife."

I looked then upon the road of REASON, which was indeed, fo far as it reached, the fame with that of RELIGION, nor had REASON difcovered it but by her inftruction. Yet when she had once been taught it, she elearly faw it was right; and PRIDE had fometimes incited her to declare that the difcovered it herself, and perfuaded her to offer herself as a guide to RELIGION; whom, after many vain experiments, fhe found it her highest privilege to follow. REASON was, however, at Jaft well inftructed in part of the way, and appeared to teach it with fome fuccefs, when her precepts were not mifrepresented by PASSION, or her influence overborne by APPETITE. But neither of these enemies was the able to refift. When PASSION feized upon her votaries, fhe feldom attempted oppofition; the feemed indeed to contend with more vigour against APPETITE, but was generally overwearied in the conteft; and if either of her opponents had confederated with HABIT, her authority was wholly at an end. When HABIT-endeavoured

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