"Of lively portraiture display'd, Softly on my eye-lids laid : "And as I wake, fweet mufic breathe "Above, about, or underneath, "Sent by fome fpi'rit to mortals good, "Or the unfeen genius of the wood. I reflected then upon the fweet viciffitudes of night and day, on the charming difpofition of the feafons, and their return again in a perpetual circle: And oh! faid I, that I could from thefe my declining years return again to my firft fpring of youth and vigour but that alas! is impoffible: all that remains within C my power, is to foften the inconveniencies I feel, with an eafy contented mind, and the enjoyment of fuch delights as this folitude affords me. In this thought I fat me down on a bank of flowers, and dropt into a flumber, which whether it were the effect of fumes and vapours, or my prefent thoughts, I know not; but methought the genius of the garden ftood before me, and introduced into the walk where I lay, this drama and different fcenes of the revolution of the year, which whilst I then faw, even in my • dream, I refolved to write down, and fend to the SPECTATOR. The firft perfon whom I faw advancing towards me, was a youth of a most beautiful air and fhape, tho' he feemed not yet arrived at that exact proportion and fymmetry of parts which a little more time would have given him; but however, there was such a bloom in his countenance, fuch fatisfaction and joy, that I thought it the moft defirable form that I had ever feen. He was clothed in a flowing mantle of ( green filk, interwoven with flowers: he had a chaplet of roses on his head, and a narciffus in his hand; primrofes and violets fprang up under his feet, and all nature was cheered at his approach. Flora was on one hand, and Vertumnus on the other in a robe of changeable filk. After this I was furprised to fee the moon-beams reflected with a fudden glare from armour, and to fee a man completely armed advancing with his fword drawn. I was foon informed by the for for genius it was Mars, who had long ufurped a place among the attendants of the fpring. He made way a fofter appearance it was Venus, without any ornament but her own beauties, not fo much as her own ceftus, with which he had encompaffed a globe, which 'fhe held in her right hand, and in her left fhe had a fcepter of gold. After her followed the Graces with 'their arms entwined within one another: their girdles were loofed and they moved to the found of soft mufic, ftriking the ground alternately with their feet. Then came up the three months which belong to this feafon. As March advanced towards me, there was methought in his look a louring roughness, which ill 'befitted a month which was ranked in so soft a season ; but as he came forwards his features became infenfibly more mild and gentle: he fmoothed his brow, and looked with fo fweet a countenance that I could not but lament his departure, though he made way April. He appeared in the greateft gaiety imaginable, and had a thousand pleafures to attend him his look was frequently clouded, but immediately returned to its first compofure, and remained fixed in a fimile. Then came May, attended by Cupid, with his bow firung, and in a pofture to let fly an arrow: as he paffed by, methought I heard a confufed noife of foft complaints, gentle ecftafies, and tender fighs of lovers ; vows of conftancy, and as many complainings of perfidiousnefs; all which the winds wafted away as foon as they had reached my hearing. After thefe I faw a man advance in the full prime and vigour of his age: his complexion was fanguine and ruddy, his hair black, and fell down in beautiful ringlets beneath his fhoulders a mantle of hair coloured filk hung lofely upon him: ⚫he advanced with a hafty step after the Spring, and fought out the fhade and cool fountains which played in the garden. He was particularly well-pleafed when a troop of Zephyrs fanned him with their wings: he had two companions who walked on each fide, that made him appear the moft agreeable, the one was Aurora with fingers of rofes, and her feet dewy, attired in grey: the other was Vefper in a robe of azure befet with drops of gold, whofe breath he caught < ་ 'whilft it paffed over a bundle of honeyfuckles, and tuberofes which he held in his hand. Pan and Ceres followed them with four reapers, who danced a morrice to the found of oaten pipes, and cymbals. Then came the attendant months. June retained ftill fome fmall likeness of the Spring; but the other two seemed to ftep with a lefs vigorous tread, efpecially August, who feemed almost to faint, whilft for half the fteps he took, the dog-ftar levelled his rays full at his head : they paffed on and made way for a perfon that feemed to bend a little under the weight of years; his beard and hair, which were full grown, were compofed of an equal number of black and grey: he wore a robe which he had girt round him of a yellowish caft, not unlike the colour of fallen leaves, which he walked upon. I thought he hardly made amends for expelling the foregoing fcene by the large quantity of fruits which he bore in his hands. Plenty walked by his fide ' with an healthy fresh countenance, pouring out from an horn all the various product of the year. Pomona 'followed with a glafs of cyder in her hand, with Bacchus in a chariot drawn by tigers, accompanied by a whole troop of fatyrs, fauns, and Sylvans. September, 'who came next, feen ed in his looks to promife a new Spring, and wore the livery of thofe months. The fucceeding month was all foiled with the juice of grapes, as if he had just come from the wine-prefs. November, though he was in this divifion, yet by the many ftops he made feemed rather inclined to the Winter, which • followed close at his heels. He advanced in the fhape of an old man in the extremity of age: the hair he had was fo very white it feemed a real fnow; his eyes were red and piercing, and his beard hung with a great quantity of icicles: he was wrapt up in furrs, but yet fo pinched with excefs of cold, that his limbs were all contracted, and his body bent to the ground, so that he could not have fupported himself had it not ⚫ been for Comus the god of revels, and Neceffity the mother of Fate, who fuftained him on each fide. The shape and mantle of Comus was one of the things that most surprised me; as he advanced towards me, his countenance feemed the most defirable I had ever seen; On the fore part of his mantle was pictured joy, delight and fatisfaction, with a thousand emblems of merriment, and jefts with faces looking two ways at once ; but as he paffed from me I was amazed at a shape fo little correfpondent to his face: his head. was bald, and all the rest of his limbs appeared old and deformed. On the hinder part of his mantle, was reprefented Mur'der with dishevelled hair and a dagger ail bloody, Anger in a robe of scarlet, and Sufpicion fquinting with both eyes; but above all the most confpicuous was the battle of the Lapithe and the Centaurs. I detefted fo hideous a shape, and turned my eyes upon Saturn, who was ftealing away behind him with a feythe in one hand and an hour-glais in t'other unobferved. Behind Neceffity was Veita the goddefs of fire, with a lamp which was perpetually fupplied with oil, and whofe flame was eternal. She cheered the rugged brow of Neceffity, and warmed her fo far as almoft to make her affume the features and likeness of Choice. December, January, and February, paffed on after the reft all in furrs; there was little distinction to be made amongst them, and they were only more or lefs difpleafing as they difcovered more or leís hafte towards the grateful return of fpring'. Z. · Wednesday, July 9. N° 425. Auri facra fames?. -Quid non mortalia pectora cogis, O facred hunger of pernicious gold! DRYDEN.' A VERY agreeable friend of mine, the other day, carrying me in his coach into the country to dinner, fell into difcourfe concerning the care of parents due to their children, and the piety of children towards their parents. He was reflecting upon the fucceffion of particular virtues and qualities there might be preferved VOL. VI. F from one generation to another, if thefe regards were reciprocally held in veneration: but as he never fails to mix an air of mirth and good humour with his good fenfe and reafoning, he entered into the following relation. I WILL not be confident in what century, or under what reign it happened, that this want of mutual confidence and right understanding between father and fon was fatal to the family of the Valentines in Germany. Bafilius Valentinus was a perfon who had arrived at the utmost perfection in the hermetic art, and initiated his fon Alexandrinus in the fame myfteries: but as you know they are not to be attained but by the painful, the pious, the chafle, and pure of heart, Bafilius did not open to him, because of his youth and the deviations too natural to it, the greatest fecrets of which he was mafter, as well knowing that the operation would fail in the hands of a man fo liable to errors in life as Alexandrinus. But believing, from a certain indifpofition of mind as well as body, his diffolution was drawing nigh, he called Alexandrinus to him, and as he lay on a couch, overagainft which his fon was feated, and prepared by fend ing out fervants one after another, and admonition to examine that no one overheard them, he revealed the most important of his fecrets with the folemnity and language of an adept. My fon, faid he, many have been the watchings, long the lucubrations, conftant the labours of thy father, not only to gain a great andplentiful estate to his pofterity, but also to take care that he fhould have no potterity. Be not amazed, my child, I do not mean that thou shalt be taken from me, but that I will never leave thee, and confequently cannot be faid to have pofterity. Behold, my dearest Alexandrinus, the effect of what was propagated in nine months; we are not to contradict nature, but to follow and to help her; just as long as an infant is in the womb of its parent, fo long are thefe medicines of revivification in preparing. Obferve this finall phial and this little gallipot, in this an unguent, in the other a liquor. In thefe my child, are collected fuch powers, as fhall revive the fprings of life when they are yet but just ceafed, and give new ftrength, new fpirits, and in a word, |