The virgin in Eden: or, The state of innocency. Deliver'd by way of image and description. Presenting a nobleman, a student, and heiress, on their progress from Sodom to Canaan. With the parable of the shepherd, Zachariah, and Mary ... To which are added, Pamela's letters proved to be immodest roman online

their firft Shapes, fo as they come to be fo ftrong and
mighty, as to climb up Hills and Trees, and perform the
little A&ions of Play and Eating. I (hall pals over men-
tioning my bringing forth out of the Earth from Acorns
and fmall Seeds, Woods, Fdrcfts, winding Mazes, Beds
of painted Fbwers, Gardens of Rofes, and Bowers of
Jcflamsnes, entangled over with Amaranths^ and onlv



[45)

rpeak of two tilings, which arc very cxtriordlnaiy, neither
of them having ever fell out above once in my whole Tra*
vels. The firlt was my being unexpcibdiy flopped in my
Courie ; which was a great Surprize to the Hiilorians, who
have very judicioufly fet down that Incident in their largeft
Pieces of Antiquity in Capital Letters. The fccond Ob*
(bcle, which I mufl not omit, was this, I was forced td
go back, and bring again my Shadow, which was gone
down ten Decrees on the Dial. My toul Eclipfe, whicft
was fo very remarkable, is fo well known, that I (hali
fpeak nothing of it, only that I was tiien abalhed, and
thought a Star looked down from the Sky on the Earth
with a much brighter Luftre than myfelf. As I was*c6*>
deavouring to pierce into the utmoil Spaces that had beefl
defcribed to me, the pleafing Objc6t veiled itfelf in Dark^
nefs ; I was left alone, and could fee no Appearance in tht
Sky of any Being wliatfocver. At laft I heard great mur*
muring in the Air, as if there had been many Voices con-^
tending for Precedency ; when on a fudden a rich Sccrie 6f
Nature was opcn'd to me, adorn'd with Multitudes of
Images, which filled my Mind with a facred Pleafure^ if I
may be allowed that ExprefHon. As ibon as I had
flrengthen'd my Sight to the utmoft of my Ambition, I hw
the Moon, with die reft of the wandering Planets, comft
forth of their Houfes, difputing very earneilly, which of
them (hould be the Leader of the Company. When they
had (bttied that Ceremony, they began to difcourfe mey ill
very familiar Terms, about the feveral Produ^ons of Nat*
ture, that cannot be difcover'd, by reafon of their vaft Di*-
ftance, with the Help of a Telefcope. Your Philofophers
fay, they make Difleitions upon human Bodies to fee ho\f
they are contrived, and think, when they have unraveU*4
that Myftcry, tliey have attained to abundance of Kno^*
ledge: But were they to make fuch narrow Infpe6tions in-
to the great Number of Obje<5^s that are confined within the
Limits of our Circles, they would look upon all they have
hitherto found out, to be little trifling Niceties, icarce wor*
thy their Obfervation. What you underftand of our mu-»
table Revolutions, the diftiiici Stations we belong to, and
the particular Signs and Names we are diftinguiftied by, ifc
very imperfect, arid many of the Notions are altogether
extravagant. There is fomething fo fine and intricate ill
the Particles we are compofed of, that would puzzle all our
Thoughts to find out the curious Contexture of theitt. I
mufl ownj (aid I, that what you fay is more edifying thaa

iF 2 a Preach"



. i j i )i ii ^pp,w>,t. iii ia|ii i» wiii.i i^



[44]

a Preacher ; yet they are Subjc6^ too nice for ftich as ntvcf
framed an Idea of the beautiful Perfe(3ions that lie conceal*
ed in the upper Part of the Creation ; which the bare mu*
iing upon them, fcts forth to Men of Judgment, the great
Wifdom and Art vifiblc in the hidden Secrets of the Infi*
nitc Being. They were returning me an Anfwer j but bc-r
fore they came to the Conclufion of it, what with the Di-
vcrfiiy of Languages, and Variety of Subjefb, which I
ifimcied to be very charming, as well as loud, I got up to
reach my Pen and Ink to write down feme particular Paf-
iages, when unexpectedly I fcund myfelf in my Chamber
in jibraham*s Houfe, in the Land of Canaan^ with only a
Ru{h Candle burning at the Bed- fide. I called the Servant
that lay in the Room, and asked if any Company had
been there. Being anfwer*d in the Negative, I was much
furprized, bccaufe I thought I had been engaged almoft two
Hours in viewing and difcourfing with prodigious Multi-
tudes of high-born Beings about very conspicuous Matters.
As foon as I was dreflcd, and found out perfe<5tly, that thii
was only the Fruits of my natural Fancy, I caft away
from me all that was too copious for my Memory to re-
tain, and went to colIc6i what Heads might improve my
Mnd ; yet I could not believe there was any Seed of Vani-
ty in thofe mere Shadows of my Thoughts, which was fo
very intricate, as would offend any, who think it the moft
agreeable Task imaginable, to be frequently pra£lifing in
the retired Studies of Nature, where every Genius is not
capable of entering : for the Notions may ferve as Guides
to lead divine Minds through both Hemifpheres, diverfified
with Suns, Stars, Lamps and Tapers, feated one above ano-
ther, and going up to (o prodigious a Heighth, that fcarce
all our framed Ideas can reach, or pafs to the End of them.
If any of the Periods in this Vifion on the Works of the
Creation for confuting Atheifm appear too long, and the
Thread of them fpun out fomewhat of the fmallcfl, it will
be cfteemed fo by none, but thofe who imagine that they
can fee nothing more than Fields of Riddles painted
oiit in flrange Colours, or as an Afiembly of Monftert
hid in Embrio.. Such Men look upon the Pieces that fUnd
fixed in the immenfe TraA of the Heavens through falfe
Glafles, that prefcnt every Objc£l walking about in blind
pi%ui(es; and take all things of this Nature to be only
Crouds of immaterial Shadows, defcribed in new Kind oi
FonnBf according to the variable Humours of the Mind.



miiuLu i j.n i i ,,,, 1 1 J I UJWUI.L, J.J â–  mmmmmmmm mmmsM



C 45 I



Indigent and
humble Chrl/ii-
Qm are more ex-
cellent than
wealthy and
proud Sinners,




Tlje Peafant
that plows and
harrows in thf
Fields^ enjoj^
more Peace than
Tyrants encircTd
with Diadem$
and Sceptres, .



The PARABLE,

Of the Shepherd, Jofhua and Mary,

Who Ihed in thatched T'enements^ fecluded from
T^oife ajid Snares : .Iheir Sayings and ^xern^
plary Lives*

TH E Day after I had taken my FarewcH of Felix the
Student, and the Virgin, I pafled over to an Ifland ;
and being a Stranger there, I made myfelf known to a
'Gentleman, efteemed for his Virtue and Generofity. He
received me with Refpeft, and told mc I might make his
Houfe my Home. After we had pafled through (cveral
Conferences relating to Abraham^ Houfe in the Land of
Canaan ; Sir, (ays he, there are three Pcrfons that live in
my Neighbourhood, whom I value for their Knowledge
and holy Living ; though I poflefs a plentiful Fortune, and
they move in low Spheres, they exceed me in fevcral Scenes
of Life. I efteem their Converfation more than that of
the learned Rabbies of the Age. I call them- Righteous
ycjhuay Zachariah and Mary, Says he, Jojhua rents a little
Farm, Zachariah |s a Shepherd, and Mary keeps a SchooL
Having heard their Charafters, I was defirous of their Ac-
quaintance. It is a fecret Pleafure to mc to converfe with
j^cefe ai)4 t>u^(ilc Chriillans, though their Fortunes are



[46]

mean. I went firft to Jojhua-, he had a Wife and throe
Ciiildren. My Vifit to him was on the Sabbath-day, in
the Morning. When I came, he was reading to his Fa-
mily out of that excellent Parable, the Book oijob ; then
he retir'd to Prayer, fung a Pfalm, and went to Church.
I attended him to the holy Temple to obferve his Demeanor,
which was devout and ferious : He folemnized every Mo-
ment in fo decent a manner, that it afFeded my Soul. I
returned with him to his thatched Houfe, and partook of
what Nature had allotted for that Day's Rcpaft, which was
only a little Pottage, and Barley-Bread ; the Drink not
much better than fair Water. Though his Table was
thus meanly fprcad, he fat down with great Ccnteiit ; and
after he had cat his Morfcl, he faid Grace, and read two
Chapters in Ecclefiafles : then he and his Family went to
perform the remaining Duties of publick Worftiip ; which
he did with an awful Refpc£l and refolved Obedience to the
faving Truths then delivered. When Sermon was over,
he put up a fhort Ejaculation, and returned home, faluted
all he met with a chearful Countenance. At his Entrance
into his Cottage he made the following Prayer.

OjfefuSy what Reafon have w: U rejoice and pratfe thy
holy Namsy who hath vouchfafd to honour us this blejfed
Sahhaih with thy more immediaU Prefencc : A Favour that
ought to he deeply engraven on cur ThoughtSy fo as to infiuenct
the Actions of cur Life^ and raife a Scene of thy divine Mer^
Cfy fo as never to offend agauu

Thus Jofhua pafTed on from one Exercife to another for
near two Hours j then he walked into his little Plat, fet
with Cabbages and Pot-herbs. I talked with him there on
the Works of Nature and Providence : after which he went
in, and expounded upon the Texts of Scripture treated up-
on that Day. Near the going down of the Sun, he con-
cluded the Evening Exercife in thefe Expreflions: * O

• Thou Eternal and High God that reigns in endlefs Ages,

• we poor Peafants, the Vaflals of an earthly Lord, are
« come, at the Clofe of the Sabbath, to pour out our Souls
« to thee with due Reverence and Humility. We believe

• that tlirough the Merits of Chrift*s Blood our Pardon will

• be fealed in Glory before we remove out of this Tent of

• Clay. O great Jehovah, condefccnd fo far as to give
« ear to the unlearned Petitions of us frail, defpicable Mor-
> tals: aFgnoily that are no more regarded by the ric|i

^ * Divti^i



[47] .

f Dives's of the World, than a few lowly Drakes by the
^ haughty Swans of the Meadows, that take little notice of
' any other fcather'd Fowls but thofe of their own Tribe,
' dreiTed in the fame ihining Array. The Cafe is far
' otherwife with thee, O thou eternal Fountain of Light.
' Thou badft much j^ther look down with an Eye of
' Mercy on a few mortified Chriftians cloathed in plaia
' Apparel, than on a Company of imperious Sinners adom-

* cd with Purple and fine Linnen.

* On this Account we are embolden'd reverently to faQ

* down at the Footftool of thy Throne, preferring thy di-

* vine Favour before the Smiles of the Great. Here we

* are, where no Eyes fee, nor Ears hear, but thou the

* Great Being ; we befeech thee to anfwcr the Supplicati-

* ons we now put up : let them ever be rcceiv*d as a fuffi-
' cient Sacrifice.

* Caft us not away from thy Prefence, nor ever take

* thy Holy Spirit from us. Revive our Souls with the

* Pledges of thy Love ; raife our Thoughts beyond carnal

* Defircs ; let not Sin interrupt our fpiritual Flight towards

* Sicriy but increafc our Contemplations on thy Excellen-

* cies. It is but a ihort Space, and all Winter Storms will

* be laid, the long and tedious Nights will then end, and we .

* (hall awake to the Dawn of a glorious Refurre£tion. A

* Day, that never will be obfciir'd by Clouds of Darkneft;

* a Morn, in which we (hall (hine brighter than the Rays

* ofa material Sun at its meridian Height. Send dowa^

* we moft humbly befeech thee, a chofen Guard of thy

* heavenly Hoft to watch round about this our obfcure Ha-

* bitation, till the Light of another Day appears beyond the

* ftirther Hills, or the Cocks begin to fend forth their early

* Strains to raife our fleepy Souls, and rouze up our drow(jr

* Bodies, in order to pour out our early Petitions to Hea-

* Yen, and then go out of this Cottage to our daily La-
« hour.'

Whcnjojhua had ended this Prayer, he and his FamUjr
retir'd to reft ; and early in tiie Morning tliey arofe, ana
after fome fhort Ejaculations went into the Field to labour
Thus. 5^^//5 fpent his Sabbath, and the enfuingWeck> in
performing the Duties of Chriftianity and Indufiry. Such
bufy Labourers live in Silence, are fecluded from the Con-
verfation of wealthy and obftinate Sinners. 'Jojhua^ at the
End of his Pilgrimage, wound up his Time in taking leave
of the World : He told his Wife and Children he was going
to M a Victim to the Summons of Death.

The



',^^ »^ - ;.,>.,-v.i...^»»..^^..-^>i^»^:|.^



I 48 3

r The Almighty requires no more of me than what I re*
ceived. I have fcrved him to the utmoft of my Ability. I
need not repeat how averfe I have been from living in So-
dorrty where the Spots of Guilt might have overfpread mjr
Soul as a malignant Leprofy, and plunged it in the unfa*
thomcd Gulph of Defpair. I blefs his Name, that 1 was
never inrolled in the Regiftcr of the Wife, nor number**!
amongft the Learned. How much more eafy is it for me,
now in my laft Moments, to refign my Breath in a fmall
Cottage on a Flock-bed, with a Mind free from Blame, at-
tended with a virtuous Spoufe and inofFenfive Offspring,
than to give up the Ghoft on a Down-pillow with a pol-
luted Soul, furrounded by an imperious Concubine, and her
fpurious Brood, that never learnt the Science of living holy.
Happy Day when I came to this Habitation, encompaffed
with a few Acres of Land. Here I have been free from
die outrageous Tranfports of unruly Paflions, and the Baits
of Vice.

In this Retreat no Wantons have tempted our Hearts to
Lewdncfs, nor reeling Sots to drown us in Bowls of intoxi*
eating Liquors ; no crafty Knaves to fiiew us the Arts of
Deceit, nor perjur*d Rakes to drill us into pernicious Snares;
no ftately Palaces ia our Neighbourhood, to bring a Dif-
gracc on my little Houfe ; neither have gilded Gwriots run
by our Door, to demand Acclamations to a vain Lump of
Mortality ; no Stage-Players to divert our Thoughts to Sin,
nor filly Toys to withdraw our Souls from divine Contem-
plations ; no Drums to beat for Volunteers, nor roaring
Caimons to difturb our Peace ; no Siege laid againft our
Fort, nor Batteries raifed to beat it down ; no Robbers to
lifle our little Wardrobe, nor Licendiarics to burn my wi-
thy Chair of State; neither have there been any dillblute
Libertines to tempt the Wife of my Bofom to Lewdncfs,
nor to decoy the Daughter of my Youth.

Thus have we pafl'ed through the feveral Stages of Life
with an inward Satisfaction of Mind, and have fairly efca*
ped the dangerous Snares of Folly ; and now, by the un-
alterable Decree of God, I am going to leave the World,
and part with you, my Wife and Children. The Gain is
great to me, to exchange a few Roods of Land for an cver-
iafting Inheritance ; a Cottage of Earth, for a magnificent
Palace ; a hard Bed, for a foft Couch of Rofes ; a Nurfery
of Weeds, for the Garden of Life; a Vale of Mifery, for
a Region of GIpry,

Now



■ ^U■■.■.:^...,i...«aaLi^fe^^:^:^^^^^■:;..-^...,,.■^,/-.. ■^■v-.i/-^



[49]

Kow I addrcfs myfelf to you, my dear Spoufe and little
Flock : Let no Tears diftil from your Eyes, nor Sorrow
from your Hearts: Lament not the Lofs of me, neither
lake any unneceilary Thought for to-morrow, what ye /hall
fat, or what yejhall drinky cr wherewithal ye Jhall he cloath -
€d. View the Lillies that are growing in my iittlc Clofe,
and obferve the providential Care that is apparently over
thofe gaudy Flowers which fpread themfelves in the Val-
leys ; then how much rather will the Almighty cloaih you^ O
ye (f little Faith.

Have Patience but a while, and you will meet with the
fame God of A^ercies, when my Head is laid in the Duft,
as if 1 ftill continued with you. He that hath hitherto
provided Bread, will never let you want it when I am
gone. Call to mind the noble Example of the Heroe,
who took little Care for the future, but diftributed his large
Portion to the Ufe of the Poor, till nothing was left but
two finall Pieces of Silver, for the prefent Maintenance of
himfelf and Family : infomuch that this excellent Perfon,
fitting alone on a certain Day near a Grove, took upon
him to plead with the Almighty after the following man-
ner:

' O Thou Eternal King of Heaven and Earth, I in-

* truftcd thee with all my PofleiTions, bccaufe thou halt

* promifed that the Righteous Jhall never befcrfaken^ nor his

* Seed beg their Bread, It is exprefied in thy facred Word, ,

* He that hath pity upon the Poor, lendeth unto the Lord; and

* what he layeth out, it Jhall he paid him again : and, Blef-

* Jed he the Man that provideth for the Sick and Needy ^ the

* Lord Jhall deliver him in the time of Trouble, Now I

* befeech thee, O Jefus, to make good thefe Promifes to

* me in this my greateft NecefTity, cfpecially flnce my

* Faith is fo ftrong as to believe them without the Icaft
« Miftruft/

The difconfolate Gentleman having fat a while under
Covert of the fhady Bower, returned to his Houfe j and
after a little communing between God and his own Soul,
jie heard a Noife in an adjacent Field, and looking out d[
his Window, difcovefd two Men fcuffling together s
whereupon he went out to know the Rcafon of fuch a Con-
teft, and ufed Arguments to perfuade them to be reconcird,
and not to fall out by the way : But his Chriilian Advice
was rejeded, till the two Combatants fought fo long, as to
Jbc.forced to demand time of each other to recover Breath \
and then they acquainted him with the Occailon of their
t . . G • Quvrcl;



[5ol

Quarrel : That they had found a fort of precious Stone,
and could not agree who fhould carry it off, as being
Strangers one to the other ; but if he would purchafc it,
they might eafily divide the Spoil. The good Man rcply'd,
'Tw^ much to be fear*d it would be of no Value to him ;
?nd that he had but two Pieces of Silver remaining in the
World, out of all his Revenues, to buy Bread for his Fa-
mily : neverthclefs, rather than there fliould be any further
Contention between them, he would give them his whole
Stocks; which they readily accepted of, and parted good
Friends. Then the Gentleman fhcwed the Stone to a La-
pidary, who told him it was a valuable Jewel ; infomuch
that it brought him great Riches, and by that means received
ten-fold for what he had ever beftow'd in charitable Ufes.

Now let me intrcat you, my Wife and Children, to
arm yourfelves with the fame Faith ; and then the Almigh-
ty will provide for you by fome Means or other, though
not after fo wonderful a manner, and in fo great Plenty,
yet fo far as may be fufficient to fupply your craving Wants ;
and at lafl you (hall not foil in your Hope of receiving the
valuable Pearl of inert imablc Price, referved for your Ufe
in the everlafting Kingdom. Now I recommend you to
the Care and Prott£lion of Jefus, not doubting in the leaft
but he will be a provident Husband, to wipe away all bri-
ni(h Tears from the Eyes of a difconfolate Widow, and an
indulgent Guardian to the fatherlefs Children. I have nei-
ther Wealth nor Honours to leave; but this I bequeath to
you, That you be faithful to Death, always abounding in
good Works, loving one another, depending entirely on
the Divine VVill in all Changes and Chances of this tnorul
Stote. -

Let me conjure you, as you tender your own Peace, the
Requefl of a dying Husband, and the Bleffing of a Father,
never leave this Retirement to go to Sodom ; but keep a
tlofe Correfpondence with the moft High in this your fix*d
Habitation, labouring with your Hands as long as bodily
Strength continues ; and when that fails, then throw your
.fclves into the Arms of Providence, and you will meet
with a timely Supply when it is leaft cxpe£^ed. Have no
Regard to the Splendor of this World, nor envy the Pro-
fperity of Sinners. Implant in your Minds a Belief, that
we (ball in due time meet again in the Regions above, there
to fmg the Praifes of a high God, and hear the Hallelujahs
of Angels to eternal Ages. Now I bid farewell to this
vain, fhort, and frivolous Life: I bid fkrcwcU to Wife and
Childitn : 1 bid all a fin^ adicu« Tbf



1 1 1 . 1 11 jL.ji.j i i.tL ii ai.n.4*



itif' i\ iTiiUftitiiirii- â– III â–  miiiiiiff iBJii 'â– 



[5i]



5'

The following Piece is a Copy of a Writing found fa
yo/bua*s little Box after his Deceafe. The Lines are woi-
thy of Notice, becaufe their Original are deriv'd from a
poor Farmer, deftitute of acquired Parts, but endowed with
a natural Genius. The Contents of the Manufcript run in
a fine Thread of Thought, and exalted Ideas, ♦ Jf^ fays

* he, thefe Beings that I behold with my Eye are formed

* out of a rude Chaos, from what Original did it derive its

* Exiftcnce? Was it by the Finger of an eternal Spirit, or

* the gathering together of rude Matter out of an Abyfs of

* nothing ? Are there any Limits or Spaces between Finite

* and Infinite? Can Man's Thought reach the facred Coun-

* cil of the undivided Trinity ? Can his Wifdom find out

* what that infinite Being is now doing, and will bring ta

* pafs in future Ages ? Doth not every Generation bring

< forth uncommon and Grange Births ? Is not Nature al-

* ways a teeming with new Changes and Alterations, that

* no Power can create, or even fathom, but God ? What

* is higher than the original Creator, and what is wilder

* than the Ideas of Man? What is fo perfeft as that Spirit,

* which ever did, and ever will, rule in the vaft ar4

* boundlefs Circles ? When I look at yonder Firmament in

* a glorious and bright Day, or in a clear Night, and feo

* the Orbs, I am ftruck with a profound Awe. Thofe

* Sights fink me into Admiration, and confirm my Faith.

* Amazing Thoughts 1 to confider that this created Earth

* (hould undergo, as it were, an Eclipfe every twenty-four

* Hours, and then afTume again all its Luftre and Beauty,

< I fee every Evening the Face of the Earth veiled with

* Darknefs. There I behold an invifible Mind, that in-

* fpires my Thoughts with the ftrongeft Ideas, that thero

* is an Almighty Exiftence in the leaft trifling Obje^ that

* appears to our View, either in the Earth, iix the Sea, Oj?

< in the Air.

* To enrich my Soul, I have frequently carry *d my

* Conceptions further than all this. I have nicely enquir*d
« into the VVifdom of Nature, and arofc early in the

* Morning before any glimmering Light appeared on tbQ

* Mountains, except it was here and there a bright wander-^

* ing Star. In this high Flight I have afcended to the Top,
« of a Hill, and there obferv'd the Darknefs gently difper*

* fing itfelf from the Weftern Pole, and giving way to th«^

* Dawn of the Eaftern Light, that diffufes its Beams by

* degrees, till it had difpers'd all the Mifls and Clouds of tb<5

* fable Night into a clear and glorious Morning. Thus,^



[52]

f by viewing this vifible World, and obferving how Na-

* tune undreiies hcrfelf in the Habit of Silence, and repre-

* fents the Image of Death ; this tells me, that the whole

* Creation muft die as well as Alan, and be reduced to its

* primitive Nothing. I frequently furnifli*d my Mind with

* Points ftill more fubJime; for wlien I awake, and behold

* a bright and clear Morn, I am afTur'd that Men, the

* Image of the Deity, will be called out of tlieir feparatc

* Tombs and Sepulchres, and rife to a bright, or a gloomy
« Refurreaion.'

Th\isJo/hua hath left to fuccceding Ages, his Thoughts
of the World's funeral Obfequies, and the Immortality of
the Soul ; the Virtuous to a State of Joy, and tlic Rtvcrfc
to Agonies and Defpair.



The



'^immfW'ff^imimim



[53]

The PARABLE

Of Z A c H A R I A H thz , Shepherd.

AF T E R I had attended Jcfhuah Funeral, and wrote
his Elegy, I made a Vint to Zachariahj as he was
tending^ his Flock upon the Common. At firft Sight I
faw fomething in his Afpeft, that bcfpoke him both Wife .
and Divine, I fat down, and asked him fcveral Queftions
as to his way of living, and how he fjcLt the many vacant
Days by himfelf. Alas, Sir, fays he, though I h*vc in a
Cottage, am mean in Apparel, fare and lodge hard ; yet
my God hath inftru£ted me how to employ my Icifure
Hours and vacant Minutes. I converfe with Bodies of a
high Order; they enrich my Soul, There I view (he vi-
fible Beings to Perfe6Uon ; the Sun, the Moon, and the
Stars, thofe Luminaries fiand one above another, and ap-
pear to me in beautiful Colours: Scenes that entertain my
Mind on the Divine Energy. What, fays he, can be
more rcfin'd, than to furvey thofe Lights that difcover fo
many Beings rai^ged in a curious and regular Order ? The
Planets walk in their Brightnefs, and take their Prog reft
appointed them : they never exceed their Bounds, but keep
a fix'd, ftated, and perpetual Motion.

I told the Shepherd, he argu'd as one infpir'd. The
Points he mentioned to me, had perfectly cleared up what
had occafion'd many Difputes and Controverfles amongft
the learned Aftronomers; and yet even after many Gene-
rations that are paft, they are ftill as much in the Shades of
Ignorance as ever. The Wifeft, in my Opinion, never