VISION I. SPECTATOR. N° 460. Decipimur Specie Recti-HOR, Ο UR defects and follies are too often unknown to us; nay, they are fo far from being known to us, that they pafs for demonftrations of our worth. This makes us eafy in the midst of them, fond to fhew them, fond to improve them, and to be efteemed for them. Then it is that a thousand unaccountable conceits, gay inventions, and extravagant actions must afford us pleasures, and difplay us to others in the colours which we ourselves take a fancy to glory in: and indeed there is fomething fo amufing for the time in this state of vanity and ill-grounded fatisfaction, that even the wifer world has chofen an exalted word to describe its enchantments, and called it THE PARADISE OF FOOLS. Perhaps the latter part of this reflection may feem a falfe thought to fome, and bear another turn than what I have given; but it is at present none of my business to look after it, who am going to confess that I have been lately amongst them in a vision. Methought I was tranfported to a hill, green, flowery, and of an easy afcent. Upon the broad top of it refided fquint-eyed ERROR, and popular OPINION with many heads; two that dealt in forcery, and were famous for bewitching people with the love of themfelves. To these repaired a multitude from every fide, by two different paths which lead towards each of them. Some who had the most affuming air went directly of themfelves to ERROR, without expecting a conductor; others of a fofter nature went first to popular OPINION, from whence as the influenced and engaged them with their own praises, she delivered them over to his go vernment. When we had afcended to an open part of the fummit where OPINION abode, we found her entertaining feveral who had arrived before us. Her voice was pleafing; fhe breathed odours as she spoke: she seemed to have a tongue for every one; every one thought he heard of fomething that was valuable in himself, and expected a paradife which fhe promised as the reward of his merit. Thus we were drawn to follow her, 'till she should bring us where it was to be bestowed: and it was obfervable, that all the way we went, the company was either praising themselves in their qualifications, or one another for those qualifications which they |