that her visit to Trophonius only reduced her to a more than ordinary decency of behaviour, and made a very pretty prude of her. After having performed innumerable cures, I looked about me with great fatisfaction, and faw all my patients walking by themfelves in a very penfive and musing posture, fo that the whole place feemed covered with philofophers. I was at length refolved to go into the cave myself, and fee what it was that had produced fuch wonderful effects upon the company; but as I was ftooping at the entrance, the door being somewhat low, I gave fuch a nod in my chair that I awaked. After having recovered myself from my first startle, I was very well pleafed at the accident which had befallen me, as not knowing but a little ftay in the place might have spoiled my SPECTATORS.

N° 600. Wednesday, September 29, 1714.

Solemque fuum, fua fidera norunt.

VIRG. Æn. vi. 641.

'Stars of their own, and their own funs they know.'

I

DRYDEN.

HAVE always taken a particular pleasure in examining the opinions which men of different religions, different ages, and different countries, have entertained concerning the immortality of the foul, and the state of happiness which

Q3

which they promise themselves in another world. For, whatever prejudices and errors human nature lies under, we find that either reafon, or tradition from our firft parents, has difcovered to all people fomething in these great points which bears analogy to truth, and to the doctrines opened to us by divine revelation. I was lately difcourfing on this fubject with a learned perfon, who has been very much converfant among the inhabitants of the more western parts of Africa*. Upon his converfing with feveral in that country he tells me that their notion of heaven or of a future ftate of happinefs is this, that every thing we there wish for will immediately prefent itself to us. We find, fay they, our fouls are of such a nature that they require variety, and are not capable of being always delighted with the fame objects. The Supreme Being, therefore, in compliance with this tafte of happiness which he has planted in the foul of man, will raise up from time to time, fay they, every gratification which it is in the humour to be pleased with. If we wish to be in groves or bowers among running streams

The perfon alluded to here was probably Dean Lancelot Addifon, "diutinis per Europam Africamque peregrina"tionibus, rerum peritia fpectabilis. This amiable clergyman, the father of the author of this Paper, published " An "Account of Weft Barbary, &c." As the Dean died in his 71ft year, April 1703, this Paper was probably written in his life-time, many years, a dozen at least, before the date of its publication in the SPECTATOR. See TAT. with Notes, Vol. VI. No. 235, p. 162, Note; Dr. JOHNSON'S "Lives of English Poets;" Vol. II. p. 381. Edit. 8vo. 1781; and "BIOGR. BRIT," Art. ADDISON. [Lancelot.]

ог

or falls of water, we fhall immediately find ourfelves in the midst of fuch a scene as we defire. If we would be entertained with music and the melody of founds, the concert arises upon our wifh, and the whole region about us is filled with harmony. In fhort, every defire will be followed by fruition; and whatever a man's inclination directs him to will be prefent with him. Nor is it material whether the Supreme Power creates in conformity to our wishes, or whether he only produces fuch a change in our imagination as makes us believe ourselves converfant among thofe fcenes which delight us. Our happinets will be the fame, whether it proceed from external objects, or from the impreffions of the Deity upon our own private fancies. This is the account which I have received from my learned friend. Notwithftanding this fyftem of belief be in general very chimerical and vifionary, there is fomething fublime in its manner of confidering the influence of a Divine Being on a human foul. It has alfo, like most other opinions of the heathen world upon thefe important points; it has, I fay, its foundation in truth, as it supposes the fouls of good men after this life to be in a state of perfect happinefs; that in this state there will be no barren hopes, nor fruitlefs wishes, and that we fhall enjoy every thing we can defire. But the particular circumftance which I am moft pleased with in this fcheme, and which arifes from a juft reflection upon human nature, is that variety of pleafures which it fuppofes the

fouls

fouls of good men will be poffeffed of in another world. This I think highly probable, from the dictates both of reafon and revelation. The foul confifts of many faculties, as the underftanding, and the will, with all the fenfes both outward and inward; or, to ípeak more philofophically, the foul can exert herself in many different ways of action, She can understand, will, imagine, fee, and hear; love, and difcourse, and apply herself to many other the like. exercifes of different kinds and natures; but, what is more to be confidered, the foul is capable of receiving a moft exquifite pleasure and fatisfaction from the exercife of any of thefe its powers, when they are gratified with their proper objects; he can be entirely happy by the fatisfaction of the memory, the fight, the hearing, or any other mode of perception. Every faculty is as a diftinct tafte in the mind, and hath objects accommodated to its proper relish. Doctor Tillotfon fomewhere fays that he will not prefume to determine in what confists the happinefs of the bleffed, becaufe God Almighty is capable of making the foul happy by ten thoufand different ways. Befides thofe feveral avenues to pleasure which the foul is endowed with in this life, it is not impoffible, according to the opinions of many eminent divines, but there may be new faculties in the fouls of good men made perfect, as well as new fenfes in their glorified bodies. This we are fure of, that there will be new objects offered to all those faculties which are effential to us.

We

We are likewife to take notice that every particular faculty is capable of being employed on a very great variety of objects. The underftanding, for example, may be happy in the contemplation of moral, natural, mathematical, and other kinds of truth. The memory likewife may turn itfelf to an infinite multitude of objects, especially when the foul fhall have paffed through the fpace of many millions of years, and thall reflect with pleasure on the days of eternity. Every other faculty may be confidered in the fame extent.

We cannot queftion but that the happinefs of a foul will be adequate to its nature; and that it is not endowed with any faculties which are to lie ufelefs and unemployed. The happiness is to be the happinefs of the whole man; and we may eafily conceive to ourselves the happiness of the foul while any one of its faculties is in the fruition of its chief good. The happiness may be of a more exalted nature in proportion as the faculty employed is fo: but, as the whole foul acts in the exertion of any of its particular powers, the whole foul is happy in the pleasure which arifes from any of its particular acts. For, notwithstanding, as has been before hinted, and as it has been taken notice of by one of the greatest modern philofophers*, we divide the foul into feveral powers and faculties, there is no fuch divifion in the foul itself, fince it is the whole foul that remembers, understands, wills, or imagines. Our manner

* LOCKE,

of