St eee 
29792. the mountain and grottoes, a vision. 279 
door, it was curious to see the scramble that ensued; 
though I found that a set of gentlemen drefsed in 
black, who ran from all quarters to thesé contests, 
were generally the most succefsful. I took particu- 
lar notice of a young man, awho endeavoured to jostle 
an old woman upon one of the pitfalls, and at the 
same time kept a watchful eye upon her fhoulders. 
He at last succeeded in sinking her ;. but had scarce- 
ly laid hold of the glittering burden when it sudden- 
ly disappeared. 
My conductrefs desiring me to cast‘ my eyes to- 
_ wards the right hand, I beheld great numbers of both 
-sexes at the entrance of many of the cells, lamenting 
for their lost companions. -‘‘ Those, (said fhe)’ who 
stand in this manner, are well supplied with the juice 
of the fragrant flowers already mentioned.” In fact 
. whenever any of them cast\a wistful.eye towards the 
. cavities, I perceiyed that ‘they instantly bathed their 
temples, and regained their Sal, firmnefs and con- 
stancy.. While I continued to observe them, somé 
of their companions returned; and it was beautiful 
to see the mutual endearments and exprefsions of 
_tendernefs and joy that would pafs upon the o¢casi- 
on 5 though there were, indeed, a few who contrac= 
ted their countenances into such a gloomy severity, 
when their lost mates appeared, that these last seem- 
ed greatly terrified, and retired again with précipita- 
. tion. 
During all this time the genius was conducting 
me through the grotto. Our progrefs, indeed, was 
»but slow, being retarded- by the numberlefs objects 
vtifat occurred. The pafsage now turned thin, and 
