Portland gazette., 1805-04-22

rnent; whether we arcmore deiIIous OF iuccels
IN this world, or folicitous'for our reception i'll
another, the cultivation OF our minds w IL be &
quay deferving the higheit attention. The mind,
like the waters, that are purified by perpetual
undulation, when cOnitanrly agtated BY deiire
OF knowledge, is preierved from that tagnation
which emitS nohome exhaations, and fwarm
with hideous monlterS. Between the tquali1.
cloathing Of Hottentots and The elegant garment
of an European, although drels is highly cha
raferiiticaI Of mental improvement, there Is
much leis difference than in their intellectua
acqui6t;ons.
Indultry is uiuai|y the attendan; Of virtue !;
idlenelS is Of the family Of vice, and may iome
+ times DC taken for her racther, and fometimes
for her offspring. The mind Of man, Ike foil
naturally fertile, mutt produce fomcthng; and
+ i care DC not taken IN reaErg more valuable
plants, weeds, ipontaneouS in their growth,
and difficult TO eradicate, will be the only har
vef.
III the OIympic games, TO which Horace in
our motto alludes, whoever wiihed to excel,
ihould from his youth have been Injured 70 hard
ihips, not making vigorous, yet inconltant, and
therefore ufclefs, efforts, but devoting himfelf
with urremtted exettion to the acquiGton Of a
reward, that conferred Immortality. Thus in
the purfuits of fcience or literature, confancy
is no lets requiG;e than activity. How many,
who begin the race with alacrity, foon become
impatient Of the fatigue, or are terrified BY the
length Of the courle, and ingoriouay re.inqulih
their hopes and their claims.
Meditating one evening on this lu6je6t, in
fpite Of my tervent relolutions 70 the contrary,
fell aAsep, and had the following viGen.
iaw an exceedingly high hill, on the top Of
which fplendid edifce bore the nfcription Of
" the temple of fcience" 1t had a hundred
doors ever open; but, though the avenues near
the bottom of the mountain were thronged with
thofe who directed their courfc to the fdmmlt,
the wcrlhippers in the temple were few. The
road Geemed to be of tedious aicent, and in fome
places dangerous precpces threatened the tra-
veers, and imperviouS thickets obltru6ted their
way; but obferved, that it "ecame lels peri
lous and more pleaiant, after they had proceed
cd lome diltance.
/ therefore wondered that 70 few were to be
feen on the higher parts, till Gifcovered the ha
citations of the Sirens, Idcnefs and Peafure,
6tuated near the bottom of the mountain, where
the path began to be broken BY irregularities, or
I darkened by overhaDging trees, Here many,
who thus far had travelled cheerfuly, were fc-
duced from their journey by one or other Of
s thefe females. some entered the labyrinth of
Pleafure, and were loft IN It's nlazes; but being
unable toreturn, continued without tatisfac-
ton through meadS of flowers, that faded as they
4 were gathered. Others, a more numerous
band, obeying the invitation Of Idlenets paffed
The fatal threlhold where a few only were OBJ
Z ierycd TO linger with irrefoution, and to utter
+ groans, like the Trojan horie, in croiing the
f proitrated walls of the heaven deferted citv.
A venerable figure was engaged in directing
and aihiting the travellers in their Journey,
whole head
Not yet by time completely 1lverd DER.
Befpoke him pah the bounds Of freakifh youth,
But Rrong for iervice aiL"
Thofe. who dilregarded his advice, were gene
rally wearied by unavailing efforts TO furmount
tome difficult pafs, and returned to obey the
mandates Of diiciplinc with humility. Some
however, confident in their own powers, fcorn-
ed the directions of their infruCor, whcm
they expected to furpafs by their ardor, declar-
ing they would rather be Ioa in exploring new
paths, than arrive at their objea by following
tue old one.
In the midi of the temple grew the tree Of
tame, under Whole golden branches were feat
ed the poets, orators and philofophsrs of all eg-
es The fruit of this tree was diitributed with
. imPartlahty; and beheld with wonder an En-
giiih bard, Whole laborS had deprived him of
tght, receiving reward equal TO that, which
many ages before had been behowed on Virgil
Through the long period that fucceeded the
settlement Of the barbarians in the Roman en-
pre-, until the fifteenth century, very few vota-
Fies had arrived at this temple. They appeared
at great intervals, like the folitary tars, viible in
an evening Of clouds, whole luftrc, inifead of
being magnifed, is diminihed by the furround-