tom of it till he arose on the other side. At his approach Yaratilda
flew into his arms, whilst Marraton wished himself disencumbered of that
body which kept her from his embraces. After many questions and
endearments on both sides, she conducted him to a bower, which she had
dressed with her own hands with all the ornaments that could be met with
in those blooming regions. She had made it gay beyond imagination, and
was every day adding something new to it. As Marraton stood astonished
at the unspeakable beauty of her habitation, and ravished with the
fragrancy that came from every part of it, Yaratilda told him that she
was preparing this bower for his reception, as well knowing that his
piety to his God, and his faithful dealing towards men, would certainly
bring him to that happy place whenever his life should be at an end. She
then brought two of her children to him, who died some years before, and
resided with her in the same delightful bower, advising him to breed up
those others which were still with him in such a manner that they might
hereafter all of them meet together in this happy place.

The tradition tells us further that he had afterwards a sight of those
dismal habitations which are the portion of ill men after death; and
mentions several molten seas of gold, in which were plunged the souls of
barbarous Europeans, who put to the sword so many thousands of poor
Indians for the sake of that precious metal. But having already touched
upon the chief points of this tradition, and exceeded the measure of my
paper, I shall not give any further account of it.

SIX PAPERS ON WIT.

First Paper.

_Ut pictura poesis erit_--

HOR., _Ars Poet._ 361.

Poems like pictures are.

Nothing is so much admired, and so little understood, as wit. No author
that I know of has written professedly upon it. As for those who make
any mention of it, they only treat on the subject as it has accidentally
fallen in their way, and that too in little short reflections, or in
general declamatory flourishes, without entering into the bottom of the
matter. I hope, therefore, I shall perform an acceptable work to my
countrymen if I treat at large upon this subject; which I shall endeavour
to do in a manner suitable to it, that I may not incur the censure which
a famous critic bestows upon one who had written a treatise upon "the
sublime," in a low grovelling style. I intend to lay aside a whole week
for t