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"From Ferfia, faid the poet, I travelled through Syria, and for three years refided in Palestine, where I converfed with great numbers of the northern and western nations of Europe; the nations which are now in poffeffion of all power and all knowledge; whofe armies are irresistible, and whofe fleets command the remoteft parts of the globe. When I compared these men with the natives of our own kingdom, and thofe that furround us, they appeared almost another order of beings. In their countries it is difficult to wifh for any thing that may not be obtained: a thoufand arts, of which we never heard, are continually labouring for their convenience and pleasure; and whatever their own climate has denied them is fupplied by their commerce."

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By what means, faid the prince, are the Europeans thus powerful, or why, fince they can fo easily visit Asia and Africa for trade or conqueft, cannot the Afiaticks and Africans invade their coafts, plant colonies in their ports, and give laws to their natural princes? The fame wind that carries them back would bring us thither."

"They are more powerful, Sir, than we, answered Imlac, because they are wifer; knowledge will always predominate over ignorance, as man governs the other animals. But why their knowledge is more than ours, I know not what reafon can be given, but the unfearchable, will of the Supreme Being."

"When, faid the prince with a figh, fhall I be able to visit Paleftine, and mingle with this mighty confluence of nations? Till that happy moment shall VOL. XI. arrive,

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arrive, let me fill up the time with fuch reprefentations as thou canft give me. I am not ig

norant of the motive that affembles fuch numbers in that place, and cannot but confider it as the centre of wisdom and piety, to which the best and wifeft men of every land must be continually reforting."

"There are fome nations, faid Imlac, that send few vifitants to Paleftine; for many numerous and learned fects in Europe concur to cenfure pilgrimage as fuperftitious, or deride it as ridiculous."

"You know, said the prince, how little my life has made me acquainted with diversity of opinions: it will be too long to hear the arguments on both fides, you, that have confidered them, tell me the refult."

Pilgrimage, faid Imlac, like many other acts of piety, may be reasonable or fuperftitious, according to the principles upon which it is performed. Long journies in search of truth are not commanded. Truth, fuch as is neceffary to the regulation of life, is always found where it is honeftly fought. Change of place is no natural cause of the increase of piety, for it inevitably produces diffipation of mind. Yet, fince men go every day to view the fields where great actions have been performed, and return with ftronger impreffions of the event, curiofity of the fame kind may naturally difpofe us to view that country whence our religion had its beginning; and I believe no man furveys thofe awful scenes without fome confirmation of holy refolutions. That the Supreme Being may be more eafily propitiated in one place than in another, is

the dream of idle fuperftition; but that fome places may operate upon our own minds in an uncommon manner, is an opinion which hourly experience will justify. He who fuppofes that his vices may be more fuccessfully combated in Paleftine, will, perhaps, find himself mistaken, yet he may go thither without folly: he who thinks they will be more freely pardoned, difhonours at once his reason and religion."

"Thefe, faid the prince, are European diftinctions. I will confider them another time. What have you found to be the effect of knowledge? Are those nations happier than we?"

"There is so much infelicity, faid the poet, in the world, that scarce any man has leifure from his own distresses to estimate the comparative happiness of others. Knowledge is certainly one of the means of pleasure, as is confeffed by the natural defire which every mind feels of increasing its ideas. Ignorance is mere privation, by which nothing can be produced it is a vacuity in which the foul fits motionless and torpid for want of attraction; and, without knowing why, we always rejoice when we learn, and grieve when we forget. I am therefore inclined to conclude, that if nothing counteracts the natural confequence of learning, we grow more happy as our minds take a wider range.

"In enumerating the particular comforts of life we fhall find many advantages on the fide of the Europeans. They cure wounds and difeafes with which we languifh and perish. We fuffer inclemencies of weather which they can obviate. They have engines for the difpatch of many laborious works,

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works, which we must perform by manual industry, There is fuch communication between diftant places, that one friend can hardly be faid to be abfent from another. Their policy removes all publick inconveniencies they have roads cut through their mountains, and bridges laid upon their rivers. And, if we defcend to the privacies of life, their habitations are more commodious, and their poffeffions are more fecure.".

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They are furely happy, faid the prince, who have all these conveniencies, of which I envy none fo much as the facility with which feparated friends interchange their thoughts."

"The Europeans, anfwered Imlac, are less unhappy than we, but they are not happy. Human life is every where a ftate in which much is to be endured, and little to be enjoyed."

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XII.

THE STORY OF IMLAC CONTINUED.

AM not yet willing, faid the prince, to fuppofe that happiness is fo parfimoniously distributed to mortals; nor can believe but that, if I had the choice of life, I fhould be able to fill every day with pleasure. I would injure no man, and should provoke no refentment: I would relieve every diftrefs, and fhould enjoy the benedictions of gratitude. I would chufe my friends among the wise, and my wife among the virtuous; and therefore fhould be in no danger from treachery or unkindness. My children fhould, by my care, be

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learned and pious, and would repay to my age what their childhood had received. What would dare to moleft him who might call on every fide to thoufands enriched by his bounty, or affifted by his power? And why fhould not life glide quietly away in the foft reciprocation of protection and reverence? All this may be done without the help of European refinements, which appear by their effects to be rather specious than useful. Let us leave them, and pursue our journey."

"From Palestine, faid Imlac, I paffed through many regions of Afia; in the more civilized kingdoms as a trader, and among the barbarians of the mountains as a pilgrim. At laft I began to long for my native country, that I might repofe after my travels and fatigues, in the places where I had spent my earliest years, and gladden my old companions with the recital of my adventures. Often did I figure to myself those with whom I had sported away the gay hours of dawning life, fitting round me in its evening, wondering at my tales, and liftening to my counfels.

"When this thought had taken poffeffion of my mind, I confidered every moment as wafted which did not bring me nearer to Abiffinia. I haftened into Egypt, and notwithstanding my impatience, was detained ten months in the contemplation of its ancient magnificence, and in enquiries after the remains of its ancient learning. I found in Cairo a mixture of all nations; fome brought thither by the love of knowledge, fome by the hope of gain, and many by the defire of living after their own manner without obfervation, and of lying hid in the obfcurity

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