As I looked upon him, he applied it to his Lips, and began to play upon it. The Sound of it was exceeding fweet, and wrought into a Variety of Tunes that were inexpreffibly melodious, and altogether different from any Thing I had ever heard. They put me in Mind of thofe heavenly Airs that are played to the departed Souls of good Men upon their firft Arrival in Paradife, to wear out the Impreffions of their laft Agonies, and qualify them for the Pleafures of that happy Place. My Heart melted away in fecret Raptures.

I had been often told, that the Rock before me was the Haunt of a Genius, and that feveral had been entertained with Mufic who had paffed by it, but never heard, that the Mufician had before made himself visible. When he had raifed my Thoughts by thofe tranfporting Airs which he played, I wifhed to take the Pleasures of his Converfation. As I looked upon him like one astonished, he beckoned to me, and, by the Waving of his Hand, directed me to approach the Place where he ftood. I drew near, with that Reverence, which is due to a fuperior Nature; and, as my Heart was entirely fubdued by the captivating

C 2

vating Strains I had heard, fell down at his Feet and wept. The Genius fmiled upon me with a Look of Compaffion and Affability that familiarized him to my Imagination, and at once difpelled all the Fears and Apprehenfions with which I approached him. He lifted me from the Ground, and, taking me by the Hand, Mirza, faid he, I have heard thee in thy Soliloquies, follow me.

He then led me to the highest Pinnacle of the Rock, and placing me on the Top of it, Caft thy Eyes eastward, faid he, and tell me what thou feeft. I fee, faid I, a huge Valley, and a prodigious Tide of Water rolling through it. The Valley that thou feeft, faid he; is the Vale of Mifery, and the Tide of Water that thou feeft is Part of the great Tide of Eternity. What is the Reason, said I, that the Tide I fee rifes out of a thick Mist at one End, and again lofes itself in a thick Mist at the other? What thou feeft, faid he, is that Portion of Eternity which is called Time, and measured out by the Sun, and reaching from the Beginning of the World to its Confummation. Examine now, faid he, this Sea, that is thus bounded with Darkness at

both

both Ends, and tell me what thou discovereft in it. I fee a Bridge, faid I, standing in the Midst of the Tide. The Bridge thou feeft, faid he, is human Life; confider it attentively. Upon a more leisurely Survey of it, I found that it confifted of three Score and ten entire Arches, with feveral broken Arches, which, added to thofe that were entire, made up the Number about an Hundred. As I was counting the Arches, the Genius told me, that this Bridge confifted at firft of a thoufand Arches, but that a great Flood swept away the reft, and left the Bridge in the ruinous Condition I then beheld it. But tell me further, faid he, what thou difcovereft on it. I fee Multitudes of People paffing over it, faid I, and a black Cloud hanging on each End of it. As I looked more attentively, I faw feveral of the Paffengers dropping through the Bridge into the great Tide of Eternity that flowed underneath it; and, upon further Examination, perceived there were innumerable Trap Doors that lay concealed in the Bridge, which the Paffengers no fooner trod upon, but they fell through them into the Tide, and immediately C 3 difap

disappeared. These hidden Pit-Falls were fet very thick at the Entrance of the Bridge, fo that Throngs of People no fooner broke through the Cloud, but many of them fell into them. They grew thinner towards the Middle, but multiplied and lay closer together towards the End of the Arches that were entire.

There were, indeed, fome Perfons, but their Number was very small, that continued a Kind of hobbling March on the broken Arches, but fell through, one after another, being quite tired and spent with so long a Walk.

I paffed fome Time in the Contemplation of this wonderful Structure, and the great Variety of Objects which it prefented. My Heart was filled with a deep Melancholy, to fee feveral dropping unexpectedly in the Midft of Mirth and Jollity, and catching at every Thing that stood by them to fave themselves. Some were looking up towards the Heavens in a thoughtful Pofture, and, in the Midst of a Speculation, ftumbled and fell out of Sight. Multitudes were very busy in the Pursuit of Bubbles that glittered in their Eyes, and

danced

danced before them; but often, when they thought themselves within the Reach of them, their Footing failed, and down they funk. In this Confufion of Objects, I observed fome with Scymeters in their Hands, and others with Urinals, who ran to and fro upon the Bridge, thrusting several Perfons on TrapDoors, which did not feem to lie in their Way, and which they might have escaped, had they not been thus forced upon them.

The Genius feeing me indulge myself in this melancholy Profpect, told me I had dwelt long enough upon it. Take thine Eyes off the Bridge, faid he, and tell me, if thou yet seest any Thing thou doft not comprehend. Upon looking up, What mean, faid I, thofe great Flights of Birds that are perpetually hovering about the Bridge, and fettling upon it from Time to Time? I fee Vultures, Harpies, Ravens, Cormorants, and, among feveral other feathered Creatures, many little winged Boys, that perch in great Numbers upon the middle Arches. Thefe, -faid the Genius, are Envy, Avarice, Superftition, Defpair, Love, with the like Cares and Paffions that infest human Life.

I here