plaints, and touched with the approaching miferies of men; whom the SCIENCES, wearied with perpetual ingratitude, were now threatening to forfake; and who would have been reduced, by their departure, to feed in dens upon the mast of trees, to hunt their prey in defarts, and to perish under the paws of animals, ftronger and fiercer than themselves.

A fynod of the celeftials was therefore convened; in which it was refolved, that PATRONAGE fhould defcend to the affistance of the SCIENCES. PATRONAGE was the daughter of ASTREA, by a mortal father; and had been educated in the school of TRUTH, by the goddeffes whom the was now appointed to protect. She had from her mother that dignity of afpect, which struck terror into falfe merit; and from her mistress, that referve which made her only acceffible to those whom the SCIENCES brought into her prefence,

She came down, to the general acclamation of all the powers that favour learning. HOPE danced before her; and LIBERALITY stood at her fide, ready to scatter, at her direction, the gifts which FORTUNE, who followed her, was commanded to fupply. As fhe advanced towards Parnaffus, the cloud which had long hung over it, was immediately difpelled. The fhades, before withered with drought, fpread their original verdure; and the flowers that had languifhed with chillness, brightened their colours, and invigorated their scents; the mufes tuned their harps, and exerted their voices; and all the concert of nature welcomed her arriyal.

On Parnaffus fhe fixed her refidence, in a palace raised by the SCIENCES, and adorned with whatever could delight the eye, elevate the imagination, or enlarge the understanding. Here the difperfed the gifts of FORTUNE, with the impartiality of JUSTICE, and the difcernment of TRUTH. Her gate ftood always open; and HOPE fat at the portal, inviting to entrance all whom the SCIENCES numbered in their train. The court was therefore thronged with innumerable multitudes; of whom, though many returned difappointed, feldom any had confidence to complain; for PATRONAGE was univerfally known to neglect few, but for want of the due claim to her regard. Those therefore who had folicited her favour without fuccefs, generally withdrew from public notice and either diverted their attention to meaner employments, or endeavoured to fupply their deficiencies by clofer application.

In time, however, the number of those who had mifcarried in their pretenfions became fo great, that they grew lefs afhamed of their repulfes ; and, inftead of hiding their difgrace by retirement, began to befiege the gates of the palace, and obstruct the entrance of fuch as they thought likely to be more fuccefsful. The decifions of PATRONAGE, who was but half a goddess, had been fometimes erroneous; and though fhe always made hafte to rectify her mistakes, a few inftances of her fallibility encouraged every one to appeal from her judgment to his own, and that of his companions; who were always ready to clamour in the common caufe, and elate each other with reciprocal applause.

HOPE was a steady friend to the disappointed;
N 2

and

and IMPUDENCE incited them to accept a fecond invitation, and lay their claims again before PATRONAGE. They were again, for the most part, fent back with ignominy; but found HOPE not alienated, and IMPUDENCE more resolutely zealous. They therefore contrived new expedients; and hoped at laft to prevail by their multitudes, which were always increafing; and their perfeve rance, which HOPE and IMPUDENCE forbade them to relax.

PATRONAGE having been long a stranger to the heavenly affemblies, began to degenerate towards terrestrial nature, to forget the precepts of JUSTICE and TRUTH; and, inftead of confining her friendship to the SCIENCES, fuffered herself, by little and little, to contract an acquaintance with PRIDE, the fon of FALSEHOOD; by whofe embraces fhe had two daughters, FLATTERY and CAPRICE. FLATTERY was nurfed by LIBERALITY, and CAPRICE by FORTUNE, without any affiftance from the leffons of the SCIENCES.

PATRONAGE began hourly to adopt the_fentiments, and imitate the manners of her husband; by whose opinion fhe now directed her decifions, with very little heed to the precepts of TRUTH: and as her daughters continually gained upon her affections, the SCIENCES loft their influence; and none found much reason to boast of their reception, but those whom CAPRICE or FLATTERY conducted to her throne.

The throngs who had fo long waited, and fo often been difmiffed for want of recommendation from the SCIENCES, were delighted to fee the

power

power of these rigorous goddeffes was tending (to its extinction. Their patroneffes now renewed their encouragements. HOPE fmiled at the ap proach of CAPRICE; and IMPUDENCE was always at hand to introduce her clients to FLAT

TERY.

PATRONAGE had now learned to procure her felf reverence by ceremonies and formalities; and, instead of admitting her petitioners to an immediate audience, ordered the antichamber to be erected, called among mortals, the ball of expectation. Into this hall the entrance was easy to those whom IMPUDENCE had configned to FLATTERY: and it was therefore crouded with a promifcuous throng, affembled from every corner of the earth, preffing forward with the utmost eagerness of de-. fire, and agitated with all the anxieties of competition.

They entered this general receptacle with ardour and alacrity; and made no doubt of a speedy admiffion, under the conduct of FLATTERY, to the prefence of PATRONAGE. But it generally hap pened, that they were here left to their destiny: for the inner doors were kept by CAPRICE; who opened and shut them, as it feemed by chance, and rejected or admitted without any fettled rule of diftinction. In the mean time, the miferable attendants were left to wear out their lives in al ternate exultation and dejection; and delivered up to the sport of SUSPICION, who was always whispering into their ear defigns against them which were never formed; and of ENVY, who diligently pointed out the good fortune of one or other of their competitors. INFAMY flew round the ball,

and

and scattered mildews from her wings, with which every one was ftained; REFUTATION followed her with flower flight, and endeavoured to hide the blemish with paint, which was immediately brushed away, or feparated of itself, and left the stain more vifible; nor were the spots of INFAMY ever effaced, but by limpid water from the well of

TRUTH.

It frequently happened, that SCIENCE, unwilling to lofe the ancient prerogative of recommending to PATRONAGE, would lead her followers into the hall of expectation: but they were foon difcouraged from attending; for not only ENVY and SUSPICION inceffantly tormented them, but IMPUDENCE Confidered them as intruders, and incited INFAMY to blacken them. They therefore quickly retired, but feldom without fome spots which they could never wash away, which fhewed that they had once waited in the hall of expectation.

The rest continued to expect the happy moment at which CAPRICE fhould beckon them to approach; and endeavoured to propitiate her, not with Homerical harmony, the reprefentation of great actions, or the recital of noble fentiments; but with foft and voluptuous melody, intermingled with the praifes of PATRONAGE and PRIDE, by whom they were heard at once with pleasure and contempt.

Some were indeed admitted by CAPRICE when they leaft expected it, and heaped by PATRONAGE with the gifts of FORTUNE: but they were from that time chained to her footstool, and condemued to regulate their lives by her glances and

her