marched away as heavy laden as they came. I saw multitudes of old women throw down their wrinkles, and several young ones who stripped themselves of a tawny skin. 6. There were very great heaps of red noses, large lips, and rusty teeth. The truth of it is, I was surprised to see the greatest part of the mountain made up of bodily deformities. There were likewise distempers of all sorts; though I could not but observe that there were many more imaginary than real. But what most of all surprised me, was a remark I made, that there was not a single vice or folly thrown into the whole heap; at which I was very much astonished, having concluded within myself that every one would take this opportunity of getting rid of his passions, prejudices, and frailties. 7. I took notice in particular of a very profligate fellow, who, I did not question, came loaded with his crimes; but upon searching into his bundle, I found that, instead of throwing his guilt from him, he had only laid down his memory. He was followed by another worthless rogue who flung away his modesty instead of his ignorance. 8. When the whole race of mankind had thus cast their burdens, the phantom which had been so busy on this occasion, seeing me an idle spectator of what passed, approached toward me. I grew uneasy at her presence, when of a sudden she held her magnifying glass full before my eyes. I no sooner saw my face in it, but was startled at the shortness of it, which now appeared to me in its utmost aggravation. The immoderate breadth of the features made me very much out of humor with my own countenance, upon which I threw it from me like a mask. 9. It happened very luckily that one who stood by me had just before thrown down his visage, which it seems was too long for him. It was indeed extended to a most shameful length; I believe the very chin was, modestly speaking, as long as my whole face. We had both of us an opportunity of mending ourselves; and all the contributions being now brought in, every man was at liberty to exchange his misfort unes for those of another person. I saw with unspeakable pleasure the whole species thus delivered from its sorrows; though at the same time as we stood round the heap, and surveyed the several materials of which it was composed, there was scarce a mortal in this vast multitude who did not discover what he thought pleasures and blessings of life, and wondered how the owners of them ever came to look upon them as burdens and grievances. 10. As we were regarding very attentively this confusion of miseries, this chaos of calamity, Jupiter issued out a second proclamation, that every one was now at liberty to exchange his affliction, and to return to his habitation with any such bundle as should be allotted to him. Upon this Fancy began again to bestir herself, and parceling out the whole heap with incredible activity, recommended to every one his particular packet. The hurry and confusion at this time was not to be expressed. A venerable gray-headed man, who had laid down the colic, and who, I found, wanted an heir to his estate, snatched up an undutiful son, who had been thrown into the heap by his angry father. 11. The graceless youth, in less than a quarter of an hour, pulled the old gentleman by the beard, and had like to have knocked his brains out; so that, meeting the true father, who came toward him with a fit of the gripes, he begged him to take his son again, and give him back his colic; but they were incapable either of them to recede from the choice they had made. A poor galley slave, who had thrown down his chains, took up the gout instead, but made such wry faces, that one might easily perceive he was no great gainer by the bargain. It was pleasant enough to see the several exchanges that were made, for sickness against poverty, hunger against want of appetite, and care against pain. 12. The female world were very busy among themselves in bartering for features: one was trucking a lock of gray hairs for a carbuncle; another was making over a short waist for a pair of round shoulders; and a third cheapening a bad face for a lost reputation; but on all these occasions there was not one of them who did not think the new blemish, as soon as she got it into her possession, much more disagreeable than the old one. I made the same observation on every other misfortune or calamity which every one in the assembly brought upon himself in lieu of what he had parted with; whether it be that all the evils which befall us are in some measure suited and proportioned to our strength, or that every evil becomes more supportable by our being accustomed to it, I shall not determine. 13. I must not omit my own particular adventure. My friend with a long visage had no sooner taken upon him my short face, but he made such a grotesque figure in it, that as I looked upon him I could not forbear laughing at myself, insomuch that I put my own face out of countenance. The poor gentleman was so sensible of the ridicule, that I found he was ashamed of what he had done; on the other side, I found that I myself had no great reason to triumph, for as I went to touch my forehead, I missed the place, and clapped my finger upon my upper lip. Besides, as my nose was exceeding prominent, I gave it two or three unlucky knocks, as I was playing my hand about my face, and aiming at some other part of it. 14. The heap was at last distributed among the two sexes, who made a most piteous sight as they wandered up and down under the pressure of their several burdens. The whole plain was filled with murmurs and complaints, groans and lamentations. Jupiter at length taking compassion on the poor mortals, ordered them a second time to lay down their loads, with a design to give every one his own again. They discharged themselves with a great deal of pleasure; after which, the phantom who had led them into such gross delusions was commanded to disappear. There was sent in her stead a goddess of a quite different figure. 15. Her motions were steady and composed, and her aspect serious but cheerful. She every now and then cast her eyes toward heaven and fixed them upon Jupiter. Her name was Patience. She had no sooner placed herself by the mount of sorrows, but, what I thought very remarkable, the whole heap sank to such a degree that it did not appear a third part so big as it was before. She afterward returned every man his own proper calamity, and teaching him how to bear it in the most commodious manner, he marched off with it contentedly, being very well pleased that he had not been left to his own choice as to the kind of evils which fell to his lot. 16. Besides the several pieces of morality to be drawn out of this vision, I learned from it never to repine at my own misfortunes, or to envy the happiness of another, since it is impossible for any man to form a right judgment of his neighbor's sufferings; for which reason, also, I have determined never to think too lightly of another's complaints, but to regard the sorrows of my fellow-creatures with sentiments of humanity and compassion. LESSON XXVIII. THE VISION OF SIR LAUNFAL. BY JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. James Russell Lowell was born in Cambridge, Mass., in 1819. He graduated at Harvard College in 1838, and two years afterward was admitted to the bar in Boston. He never, however, practiced his profession, but gave his attention wholly to literature, publishing, in 1841, a volume of poems entitled A Year's Life. In 1844 he published A Legend of Brittany; in 1845 Conversations on the Old Poets; in 1848 a new series of poems; and, in the same year, The Vision of Sir Launfal, his most popular production. During the Mexican war, and the political movements that followed it, Mr. Lowell began in the Boston Courier a series of witty satires, in verse, purporting to have been written by Mr. Hosea Biglow. They were in the Yankee dialect, and were received with high favor, being afterward published in book form as The Biglow Papers. He was appointed Professor of Modern Languages and Belle Lettres in Harvard College in 1855, and in 1857 became editorin-chief of the Atlantic Monthly. He wrote also for Putnam's Monthly, and was for a time editor of the North American Review. His essays in these periodicals were afterwards published in three volumes: Fireside Travels, Among my Books, and My Study Windows. The Cathedral, a poem which many consider the best expression of his genius, was published in 1869. He still resides in the house where he was born. A PART FIRST. ND what is so rare as a day in June? An instinct within it that reaches and towers, Thrilling back over hills and valleys; The buttercup catches the sun in its chalice, 2. The little bird sits at his door in the sun, With the deluge of summer it receives. And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings; 3. Joy comes, grief goes, we know not how; Every thing is upward striving; 'Tis as easy now for the heart to be true, What wonder if Sir Launfal now |