effort to leave my seat, and to
_mingle_ in the extraordinary scene. Here, however, my guide
interfered--and, in a manner the most peremptory and decisive, forbade
all further participation of it. "_View_ it attentively," replied he,
"and impress firmly on thy memory what thou shalt see--it may solace
thee the remainder of thy days."

The authoritative air, with which these words were delivered, quite
repressed and unnerved me. I obeyed, and intently viewed the objects
before me. The first thing that surprised me was the representation of
all the metropolitan cities of Europe. London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin,
and Petersburg, in particular, occupied my attention; and, what was
still _more_ surprising, I seemed to be perfect master of every event
going on in them--but more particularly of the transactions of _Bodies
Corporate_. I saw Presidents in their chairs, with Secretaries and
Treasurers by their sides; and to whatever observations were made the
most implicit attention was paid. Here, an eloquent Lecturer was
declaiming upon the beauty of morality, and the deformity of vice:
there, a scientific Professor was unlocking the hidden treasures of
nature, and explaining how Providence, in all its measures, was
equally wonderful and wise. The experiments which ensued, and which
corroborated his ingenious and profound remarks, suspended a
well-informed audience in rapturous attention; which was followed by
instinctive bursts of applause.

Again I turned my eyes, and, contiguous to this scene, viewed the
proceedings of two learned sister Societies, distinguished for their
labours in _Philosophy_ and _Antiquity_. Methought I saw the spirits
of NEWTON and of DUGDALE, looking down with complacency upon them, and
congratulating each other upon the _general_ progress of civilization
since they had ceased to mingle among men. "These institutions,"
observed my Guide, "form the basis of rational knowledge, and are the
source of innumerable comforts: for the _many_ are benefitted by the
researches and experiments of the _few_. It is easy to laugh at such
societies, but it is not quite so easy to remedy the inconveniences
which would be felt, if they were extinct. Nations become powerful in
proportion to their wisdom; it has uniformly been found that where
philosophers lived, and learned men wrote, there the arts have
flourished, and heroism and patriotism have prevailed. True it is that
discrepancies will sometimes interrupt the harm