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VISION S

Publish'd in the

SPECTATORS, &c.

By the fame Hand.

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VISION I.

SPECTATOR. No 460.

Decipimur Specie Recti

O

Hor.

UR Defects and Follies are too often unknown to us; nay, they are so far from being known to us, that they pass for Demonstrations of our Worth. This makes us eafie in the midst of them, fond to fhew them, fond to improve in them, and to be esteemed for them. Then it is that a thoufand unaccountable Conceits, gay Inventions, and extravagant Actions must afford us Pleafures, and difplay us to others in the Colours which we our felves take a Fancy to glory in: And indeed there is fomething fo amusing for the Time in this State of Vanity and ill-grounded Satisfaction, that even the wifer World has chofen an exalted Word to defcribe its Enchantments, and called it the Paradife of Fools. N 4

Perhaps

Perhaps the latter Part of this Reflection may seem a false 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 confefs that I have been lately amongst them in a Vifion

Methought I was tranfported to a Hill, green, flowery, and of an eafy Afcent. Upon the broad Top of it refided fquint-eyed Errour, and popular Opinion with many Heads; two that dealt in Sorcery, and were famous for betwitching People with the love of themfelves. To these repaired a Multitude from every Side,by two different Paths which lead towards each of them. Some who had the most affuming Air went directly of themselves to Errour, without expecting a Conductor; others of a fofter Nature went first to popular Opinion, from whence as fhe influenced and engaged them with their own Praises, the delivered them over to his Government,

When we had afcended to an open Part of the Summit where Opinion abode, we found her entertaining several who had arrived before us. Her Voice was pleafing; fhe breathed Odours as she spoke: She feemed to have a Tongue for every one; every one thought he heard of fomething that was valuable in himself, and expected a Paradife which the promised as the

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Reward of his Merit. Thus we were drawn to follow her, 'till fhe fhould 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 thofe Qualifications which they took to be confpicuous in their own Characters, or dispraising others for wanting theirs, or vying in the Degrees of them.

At last we approached a Bower, at the Entrance of which Errour was feated. The Trees were thick-woven, and the Place where he fat artfully contrived to darken him a little. He was disguised in a whitish Robe, which he had put on, that he might appear to us with a nearer Resemblance to Truth: And as the has a Light whereby the manifefts the Beauties of Nature to the Eyes of her Adorers, fo he had provided himself with a magical Wand, that he might do something in Imitation of it, and please with Delufions. This he lifted folemnly, and muttering to himself, bid the Glories which he kept under Enchantment to appear before us. Immediately we caft our Eyes on that part of the Sky to which he pointed, and obferved a thin blue Profpect, which cleared as Mountains in a Summer Morning when the Mifts go off, and the Palace of Vanity appeared to Sight.

The

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