rt.

Philosophers discussed theories among themselves or taught wisdom to the
young, who listened attentively. Children romped or indulged in
amusements suitable to their age. Lovers passed and repassed, discussing
together in earnest whisper. Here and there a solitary poet composed an
ode or landscape painter plied his art. The more I gazed on the scene,
the more I became enraptured, for all was sunshine and content.

"How different," thought I, "is this to those false delusive joys that I
have just witnessed in the lower world of spirits, and which I, in my
besotted ignorance, mistook for a paradise!"

Then my guide turning towards me said:

"I perceive that you are enchanted with this scene, that the beauty
around you surpasses your wildest imagination, and that you could never
desire a paradise more delightful. These are those who in the world were
born rich, or, at least, if not rich, used the little they possessed to
relieve or promote the happiness and welfare of their kind, denying
themselves luxuries or even necessities in order to enlarge the field
of their charity, counting the dead pleasures of wealth as nothing in
comparison with the satisfaction they derived from rendering happy their
poorer neighbours. These are the angels of the lowest heaven, but there
are higher joys than these, which neither you nor I may ever be
permitted to witness."

So enraptured was I with all around me, that I hardly listened to the
words of my guide. I yearned to converse with some of the inhabitants of
this paradise, but a feeling of shyness, owing to a consciousness of
inferiority, held me back.

The inhabitants even invited me to discourse with them, for they looked
on me kindly, as if waiting for me to address them. Maidens of most
heavenly beauty gazed upon me with sweet looks of chaste innocence.
Lovely children seemed about to seize me by the hand to lead me away to
play, but on approaching nearer to me and perceiving that I was not of
their heaven, scampered off half-terrified. One or two hospitable
persons came forward and offered to take me into their houses, and to
show me some of the public buildings, but my guide observing that a
giddiness had seized me, owing to the excess of delight I experienced in
things so new to me, explained to them that I was yet a mortal only
temporarily withdrawn from the body, and that a longer stay in this
region might prove dangerous to me, as he had been commissioned to let
me