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that Degeneracy by a modeft Greatness of Spirit on one fide, and a conscious Shame on the other. Endeavour alfo with a Generofity of Goodness to make your Friends aware of it; let them know what Defects you perceive are growing upon them; handle the Matter as you fee Reason, either with the Airs of fevere or humorous Affection; fometimes plainly defcribing the Degeneracy in its full proper Colours, or at other times letting them know that if they proceed as they have begun, you give them to fuch a Day or fo many Months to turn Bears, Wolves, or Foxes, &c. Neither neglect your more remote Acquaintance, where you fee any worthy and fufceptible of Admonition; expose the Beafts whofe Qualities you see them putting on, where you have no mind to engage with their Perfons. The Poffibility of their applying this is very obvious: The Egyptians faw it fo clearly, that they made the Pictures of Animals explain their Minds to one another instead of Writing; and indeed it is hardly to be miffed, fince fop took them out of their Mute Condition, and taught them to fpeak for themselves with relation to the Actions of Mankind.

VISION IV.

GUARDIA N. No 66.

HERE is a Sett of Mankind, who are

T wholly employed in the Ill-natured Of

fice of gathering up a Collection of Stories that leffen the Reputation of others, and fpreading them Abroad with a certain Air of Satisfaction. Perhaps, indeed, an innocent and unmeaning Curiofity, a Defire of being informed concerning those we live with, or a Willingness to profit by Reflection upon the Actions of others, may fometimes afford an Excufe, or fometimes à Defence, for Inquifitiveness; but certainly it is beyond all Excufe, a Tranfgreffion againít Humanity, to carry the Matter further, to tear off the Dreffings, as I may fay, from the Wounds of a Friend, and expose them to the Air in cruel Fits of Diver

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fion; and yet we have fomething more to bemoan, an Outrage of an higher Nature, which Mankind is guilty of when they are not content to spread the Stories of Folly, Frailty and Vice, but even enlarge them, or invent new ones, and blacken Characters that we may appear ridiculous or hateful to one another. From fuch Practices as these it happens, that fome feel a Sorrow, and others are agitated with a Spirit of Revenge; that Scandals or Lies are told, because another has told fuch before; that Refentments and Quarrels arife, and Injuries are given, received, and multiplied, in a Scene of engeance.

All this I have often obferved with abundance of Concern; and having a perfect Defire to further the Happiness of Mankind, I lately fet my felf to confider the Caufes from whence fuch Evils arife, and the Remedies which may be applied. Whereupon I shut my Eyes to prevent Diftraction from outward Objects, and a while after fhot away, upon an Impulfe of Thought, into the World of Ideas, where abftracted Qualities became visible in fuch Appearances as were agreeable to each of their Natures.

That part of the Country, where I happened to light, was the most noify that I had ever known. The Winds whistled, the Leaves ruft

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led, the Brooks rumbled, the Birds chatter'd, the Tongues of Men were heard, and the Echo mingled fomething of every Sound in its Repetition, fo that there was a trange Confufion and Uproar of Sounds about me. At length, as the Noife ftill encreased, I could difcern a Man habited like a Herald (and as I afterwards understood) called Novelty, that came forward proclaiming a Solemn Day to be kept at the House of Common Fame. Immediately behind him advanced three Nymphs, who had monftrous Appearances. The first of these was Curiofity, habited like a Virgin, and having an hundred Ears upon her Head to serve in her Enquiries. The Second of these was Talkativeness, a little better grown, fhe feemed to be like a young Wife, and had an hundred Tongues to fpread her Stories. The Third was Cenforioufnefs, habited like a Widow, and furrounded with an hundred Squinting Eyes of a malignant Influence, which fo obliquely darted on all around, that it was impoffible to say which of them had brought in the Informations fhe boasted of. Thefe, as I was informed, had been very inftrumental in preferving and rearing Common Fame, when upon her Birth-day he was fhuffled into a Crowd, to efcape the fearch which Truth might have made after her and her Parents. Curiofity found her there, Talkativeness convey'd her away, and Cenforioufness fo nurfed

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her up, that in a fhort time fhe grew to a prodigious Size, and obtained an Empire over the Universe; wherefore the Power, in Gratitude for these Services, has fince advanced them to her higheft Employments. The next who came forward in this Proceffion was a light Damfel, called Credulity, who carried behind them the Lamp, the Silver Veffel with a Spout, and other Instruments proper for this Solemn Occafion. She had formerly feen these three together, and conjecturing from the number of their Ears, Tongues and Eyes, that they might be the proper Genii of Attention, Familiar Converfe, and Ocular Demonftration, The from that time gave her felf up to attend them. The laft who followed were fome who had closely muffled themselves in upper Garments, fo that I could not difcern who they were; but just as the foremost of them was come up, I am glad, fays fhe, calling me by my Name, to meet you at this time, ftay clofe by me, and take a strict Obfervation of all that paffes. Her Voice was fweet and commanding, I thought I had fomewhere heard it; and from her, as I went along, I learned the Meaning of every thing which offered.

We now marched forward thro' the Rookery of Rumours, which flew thick and with a terrible din all around us. At length we arrived at the House of Common Fame, where a He

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