OLYMPIC DIALOGUE. 245 



mi/led ; even they know not what they do : but it be- 

 hoves us, who clearly fee into all this, to treat them 

 with indulgence as diltempered and brainlick geople ; 

 and, without regard to their gratitude or ingratitude, 

 to do them as much good in future, as their own igno- 

 rance and folly will allow us the opportunity for. Un- 

 happy beings ! whom do they hurt but themfelves in 

 voluntarily depriving themfelves of that benign influ- 

 ence through which Athens became the fchool of wifdom 

 and art, Rome the legiflatrix and miflrefs of the earth ? 

 whereby both attained to a degree of culture to which 

 even the better defcendants of the barbarians, who 

 are defirous of iharing in the countries and riches of 

 thefe degenerate Greeks and Romans, can never raife 

 them again. For whatmuft come of men, from whom 

 the mufes and the graces, philofophy and all the arts 

 that embellifh life and refine its enjoyments, with the 

 deities their inventors and patrons, have retired ? I 

 forefee at one glance all the evils that will intrude 

 themfelves in the place of fo many benefits ; all the 

 uglinefs, deformity, fquallor and monftrofities that 

 thefe fanatical deftroyers of the beautiful, will heap 

 upon the afhes and the ruins of the works of genius, 

 of wifdom, and art, — - and my heart iickens at the 

 loathfome fight. Away with it I — For, fofurely as I am 

 Jupiter Olympius, it fhall not remain fo for ever; 

 though ages may pais over it, till mankind have reach- 

 ed the loweft depth of their depravity, and ages more, 

 till, with our aid, they fhall have laboured up from 

 out the mire. The time will come, when they will 

 feek us again, again invoke our help, and confefs that 

 without us they can do nothing ; the time will come, 



k 3 when, 



