STUDY VII. 127 



Regent informs them that Jupiter, Mercury, and 

 Apollo, are gods : the Parifli-minifler tells them 

 that they are demons. The profelTor affures his 

 pupil, that Virgil, who has fo nobly fupported the 

 dodrine of a Providence, is got at lead to the Ely- 

 fian Fields, and that he enjoys in this world the 

 efteem of all good men : The Curé informs him, 

 that this fame Virgil was a pagan, and muft cer- 

 tainly be damned. The Gofpel holds a contradic- 

 tory language, in another refpe6t ; it recommends 

 to the young man to be the laft j his college urges 

 him by all means to be the firft : virtue commands 

 him to defcend ; education bids him rife. And 

 what renders the contradiction ftill more glaring 

 to the poor lad, it frequently proceeds, efpecially 

 in the country, from one and the fame mouth : 

 for the fame good Ecclefiaftic, in many places, 

 teaches the claffics in the morning, and the cate- 

 chifm at night. 



I can very eafily conceive how the matter may 

 be arranged, and contradiflions reconciled, in the 

 head of the Regent j but they mufh of neceffity 

 confound and perplex all the ideas of the Learner, 

 who is not paid for comprehending, as the other 

 is, for retailing them. 



The cafe is much worfe, when fubjeâ:s of terror 

 are employed, where nothing ought to be admi- 



niftred 



