which was a living Image of its deceased Mother. It was a long time before his Philofophy could get the better of his immoderate Grief; but his Paffion being allayed by Degrees, he refumed the Man, and fubmitted again to the Dictates of Reafon. His Thoughts now wholly turned on the Education of his Son EUPHEMION (for fo he called the Boy) whose very dawn of Infancy promised the greatest Splendor; but confidering that the Vivacity of his Temper would greatly expofe him to the Seductions of the World, he would often, as the Child fat playing on his Lap, mix an anxious Tear with the Smiles of paternal Pleasure. When EUPHEMION was paft his Childhood, the prudent DEMOCRITUS thought of an Expedient to make Pleasure the Paffage to Virtue, as Virtue was the only one to real Pleasure; for knowing, from his own past Conduct, the Propenfity of Youth to Voluptuousness, he made that the Enforcement of his Precepts, which generally is the Bane to all Morality. As they were walking together in a Gallery of Pictures, Behold, my Son, fays the Father, (obferving

ferving his Inclination to Women) that Representation of perfect Beauty embracing with no fmall Exitacy a young Man that kneels before her. Methinks, cries Euphemion, interrupting him, I can read in the Painting the greatest Transport of Soul; and fure he has fufficient Reason to appear fo enraptured, when the Mafterpiece of Heaven is in his Poffeffion. You fpeak, continues Democritus, as if you envied his Situation, and with too much Warmth and Enthusiasm, of Objects that are fo eafily to be obtained. To be obtained! replied Euphemion ; by what Means, and by whom? If it is in my Power, O tell me the Way, for it will make your Son the happiest of Mortals. Alas! faid the Father, fighing, I'm afraid the Impatience of your Temper will never fuffer you to undergo the Self-denial and Delay that is requifite before you can arrive at such a height of Felicity. The Boy ftill urging his Request with more Vehemence than ever, Democritus began in the following Manner. Since you prefs me fo earnestly to inftruct you in a Mystery that if obferved will procure you an Original equal

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to that Representation, you must be very cautious, when once you are initiated, not to deviate in the least from the divine Institution, nor to divulge the Secret; for the Delinquent, in fuch Cases, is always punished with Death, by the Deity to whom the Temple of those Rites are dedicated. The Story then, which never is told to any but those who are refolved to follow the great Example, is this. The young Man you fee there was a Native of Cyprus, who, being extremely addicted to Women, fell defperately in Love with an ideal Beauty, the Offspring of his own Imagination. As he was fitting one Day by the fide of a Fountain, fighing for the vifionary Object of his Defires, he fell asleep, and dreamt that DIANA defcended to him from a Cloud, and promised him the actual Enjoyment of his Wishes, provided he retired immediately to Ephefus, and during the Space of four Years lived in Chastity, and applied himfelf to the Cultivation of his Mind, according to the Precepts of Philofophy. The Vision seemed fo ftrong to the young Lover, that he complied with the celestial

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Admonition, and banishing from his Thoughts, as foon as poffible, all voluptuous Defires, he repaired to the Place where the Goddefs commanded him to go. At the End of four Years, when he had faithfully compleated the probationary State, he was tranfported back again in his Sleep to the Fountain where be firft faw the Deity, and awakening fuddenly, found, to his no small Surprize, that beautiful Virgin, the Reward of his Labours, embracing him in the Manner described by the Artist. This, my Son, afterwards became a religious Mystery, and is (fince you are acquainted with the Rife of it) the Test which you must now inevitably undergo. Diveft yourself therefore for a while of all the Affections which you have hitherto contracted, and vie with the refolute Cyprian, that you may participate his Blifs. EUPHEMION, who was all this Time attentive to what his Father faid, could not help expreffing fome Concern at fo fevere an Injunction; however, recollecting that he was only to curb his Paffion for the prefent, in order to give a greater Loose to it hereafter, he refolved

refolved from that Hour to begin the Trial. Accordingly, at the Age of fifteen he retired from all Objects that might in the least tend to divert his Mind from Philofophy. The first Year was spent in continual Struggles between Paffion and Reason; the second made his folitary Life somewhat more agreeable; the third afforded real Pleafure in the Purfuit, exclufive of the Object pursued; and the fourth compleated the happy Delufion, to render him, by habitual Study, entirely. Mafter of himself. At the Expiration of the Term, he seemed very little follicitous about the Original Inducement; but recollecting fome Circumftances of the promised Fair, he enquired of his Father one Day, in a ludicrous Manner, when he should poffefs the Nymph in reward of his Labours. To which DEMOCRITUS replied My Son, the Account I gave you of the Cyprian, as you feem already to understand, was entirely fabulous; the whole Picture is an ingenious Allegory. I used this Device to lead you imperceptibly into the Path of true Pleasure, and to make your Life an Explanation of those

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