134 SAMUEL JOHNSON

selves which they thought most likely to make them happy."

" Very few," said the poet, " live by choice."

��As [Rasselas] was one day walking in the street, he saw a spacious building, which all were, by the open doors, invited to enter ; he followed the stream of people, and found it a hall or school of declamation, in which professors read lectures to their auditory. He fixed his eye upon a sage raised above the rest, who discoursed with great energy on the govern- ment of the passions. His look was venerable, his action graceful, his pronunciation clear, and his diction elegant. He showed, with great strength of sentiment, and variety of illustration, that human nature is degraded and debased, when the lower faculties pre- dominate over the higher; that when fancy, the parent of passion, usurps the dominion of the mind, nothing ensues but the natural effect of unlawful government, perturbation, and confusion ; that she betrays the fortresses of the intellect to rebels, and excites her children to sedition against their lawful sove- reign. He compared reason to the sun, of which the light is constant, uniform, and last- ing; and fancy to a meteor, of bright but

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