4.  Upon her nearer approach to Hercules, she stepped before the other lady, who came forward with a regular composed carriage, and running up to him, accosted him after the following manner: 

5.  My dear Hercules, says she, I find you are very much divided in your own thoughts upon the way of life that you ought to chuse:  be my friend and follow me; I will lead you into the possession of pleasure and out of the reach of pain, and remove you from all the noise and disquietude of business.  The affairs of either war or peace shall have no power to disturb you.  Your whole employment shall be to make your life easy, and to entertain every sense with its proper gratifications.  Sumptuous tables, beds of roses, clouds of perfumes, concerts of music, crouds of beauties, are all in readiness to receive you.  Come along with me into this region of delights, this world of pleasure, and bid farewell for ever to care, to pain, and to business.

6.  Hercules hearing the lady talk after this manner, desired to know her name; to which she answered, my friends, and those who are well acquainted with me, call me Happiness; but my enemies, and those who would injure my reputation, have given me the name of Pleasure.

7.  By this time the other lady was come up, who addressed herself to the young hero in a very different manner.

Hercules, says she, I offer myself to you, because I know you are descended from the gods, and give proofs of that descent by your love to virtue, and application to the studies proper to your age.  This makes me hope you will gain both for yourself and me an immortal reputation.  But before I invite you into my society and friendship, I will be open and sincere with you, and must lay down this as an established truth, that there is nothing truly valuable which can be purchased without pains and labour.

8.  The gods have set a price upon every real and noble pleasure.  If you would gain the favour of the Deity, you must be at the pains of worshipping him; if the friendship of good men, you must study to oblige them; if you would be honoured by your country, you must take care to serve it.  In short, if you would be eminent in war or peace, you must become master of all the qualifications that can make you so.  These are the only terms and conditions upon which I can propose happiness.  The goddess of pleasure here broke in upon her discourse: 

9.  You see, said she, Hercules, by her own confession, the way to her pleasure is long and difficult, whereas that which I propose is short and easy.  Alas! said the other lady, whose visage glowed with a passion made up of scorn and pity, what are the pleasures you propose?  To eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty, sleep before you are tired, to gratify appetites before they are raised, and raise such appetites as nature never planted.

10.  You never heard the most delicate music, which is the praise of one’s self; nor saw the most beautiful object, which is the work of one’s own hands.  Your votaries pass away their youth in a dream of mistaken pleasures, while they are hoarding up anguish, torment, and remorse, for old age.