A Journey from this World to the Next | Page 7

herself to a female who sat next her, and
asked her to what chance they owed the happiness of her company. She
answered, she apprehended to a consumption, but the physicians were
not agreed concerning her distemper, for she left two of them in a very
hot dispute about it when she came out of her body. "And pray,
madam," said the same spirit to the sixth passenger, "How came you to
leave the other world?" But that female spirit, screwing up her mouth,
answered, she wondered at the curiosity of some people; that perhaps
persons had already heard some reports of her death, which were far
from being true; that, whatever was the occasion of it, she was glad at
being delivered from a world in which she had no pleasure, and where
there was nothing but nonsense and impertinence; particularly among
her own sex, whose loose conduct she had long been entirely ashamed

of.
The beauteous spirit, perceiving her question gave offense, pursued it
no farther. She had indeed all the sweetness and good-humor which are
so extremely amiable (when found) in that sex which tenderness most
exquisitely becomes. Her countenance displayed all the cheerfulness,
the good-nature, and the modesty, which diffuse such brightness round
the beauty of Seraphina,[5] awing every beholder with respect, and, at
the same time, ravishing him with admiration. Had it not been indeed
for our conversation on the small-pox, I should have imagined we had
been honored with her identical presence. This opinion might have
been heightened by the good sense she uttered whenever she spoke, by
the delicacy of her sentiments, and the complacence of her behavior,
together with a certain dignity which attended every look, word, and
gesture; qualities which could not fail making an impression on a
heart[6] so capable of receiving it as mine, nor was she long in raising
in me a very violent degree of seraphic love. I do not intend by this,
that sort of love which men are very properly said to make to women in
the lower world, and which seldom lasts any longer than while it is
making. I mean by seraphic love an extreme delicacy and tenderness of
friendship, of which, my worthy reader, if thou hast no conception, as it
is probable thou mayest not, my endeavor to instruct thee would be as
fruitless as it would be to explain the most difficult problems of Sir
Isaac Newton to one ignorant of vulgar arithmetic.
[5] A particular lady of quality is meant here; but every lady of quality,
or no quality, are welcome to apply the character to themselves.
[6] We have before made an apology for this language, which we here
repeat for the last time; though the heart may, we hope, be
metaphorically used here with more propriety than when we apply
those passions to the body which belong to the soul.
To return therefore to matters comprehensible by all understandings:
the discourse now turned on the vanity, folly, and misery of the lower
world, from which every passenger in the coach expressed the highest
satisfaction in being delivered; though it was very remarkable that,
notwithstanding the joy we declared at our death, there was not one of

us who did not mention the accident which occasioned it as a thing we
would have avoided if we could. Nay, the very grave lady herself, who
was the forwardest in testifying her delight, confessed inadvertently
that she left a physician by her bedside; and the gentleman who died of
honor very liberally cursed both his folly and his fencing. While we
were entertaining ourselves with these matters, on a sudden a most
offensive smell began to invade our nostrils. This very much resembled
the savor which travelers in summer perceive at their approach to that
beautiful village of the Hague, arising from those delicious canals
which, as they consist of standing water, do at that time emit odors
greatly agreeable to a Dutch taste, but not so pleasant to any other.
Those perfumes, with the assistance of a fair wind, begin to affect
persons of quick olfactory nerves at a league's distance, and increase
gradually as you approach. In the same manner did the smell I have just
mentioned, more and more invade us, till one of the spirits, looking out
of the coach-window, declared we were just arrived at a very large city;
and indeed he had scarce said so before we found ourselves in the
suburbs, and, at the same time, the coachman, being asked by another,
informed us that the name of this place was the City of Diseases. The
road to it was extremely smooth, and, excepting the above-mentioned
savor, delightfully pleasant. The streets of the suburbs were lined with
bagnios, taverns, and cooks' shops: in the first