fcurity of multitudes: for in a city, populous as Cairo, it is poffible to obtain at the fame time the gratifications of fociety, and the fecrecy of folitude.

"From Cairo I travelled to Suez, and embarked on the Red Sea, paffing along the coast till I arrived at the port from which I had departed twenty years before. Here I joined myself to a caravan, and reentered my native country.

my

"I now expected the careffes of my kinfmen, and the congratulations of my friends, and was not without hope that my father, whatever value he had fet upon riches, would own with gladness and pride a fon who was able to add to the felicity and honour of the nation. But I was foon convinced that thoughts were vain. My father had been dead fourteen years, having divided his wealth among my brothers, who were removed to fome other provinces. Of my companions the greater part was in the grave, of the reft, fome could with difficulty remember me, and fome confidered me as one corrupted by foreign manners.

"A man used to viciffitudes is not easily dejected, I forgot, after a time, my difappointment, and endeavoured to recommend myself to the nobles of the kingdom; they admitted me to their tables, heard my ftory, and difmiffed me. I opened a school, and was prohibited to teach. I then refolved to fit down in the quiet of domeftick life, and addreffed a lady that was fond of my conversation, but rejected my fuit, becaufe my father was a merchant.

"Wearied at laft with folicitation and repulfes, I refolved to hide myfelf for ever from the world, and depend no longer on the opinion or caprice of others.

others. I waited for the time when the gate of the happy valley fhould open, that I might bid farewell to hope and fear: the day came; my performance was distinguished with favour, and I refigned myself with joy to perpetual confinement."

"Haft thou here found happiness at laft? faid Raffelas. Tell me without referve; art thou content with thy condition? or, doft thou wish to be again wandering and enquiring? All the inhabitants of this valley celebrate their lot, and at the annual vifit of the emperour, invite others to partake of their felicity."

"Great prince, faid Imlac, I shall speak the truth; I know not one of all your attendants who does not lament the hour when he entered this retreat. I am lefs unhappy than the rest, because I have a mind replete with images, which I can vary and combine at pleasure. I can amufe my folitude by the renovation of the knowledge which begins to fade from my memory, and by recollection of the accidents of my paft life. Yet all this ends in the forrowful confideration, that my acquirements are now useless, and that none of my pleasures can be again enjoyed. The reft, whofe minds have no impreffion but of the present moment, are either corroded by malignant paffions, or fit ftupid in the gloom of perpetual vacancy.'

"

"What paffions can infeft thofe, faid the prince, who have no rivals? We are in a place where impotence precludes malice, and where all envy is repreffed by community of enjoyments."

"There may be community, faid Imlac, of material poffeffions, but there can never be community

D 4

munity of love or of esteem. It must happen that one will please more than another; he that knows himself defpifed will always be envious; and ftill more envious and malevolent, if he is condemned to live in the prefence of those who defpife him. The invitations, by which they allure others to a ftate which they feel to be wretched, proceed from the natural malignity of hopeless mifery. They are weary of themfelves, and of each other, and expect to find relief in new companions. They envy the liberty which their folly has forfeited, and would gladly fee all mankind imprisoned like themselves.

"From this crime, however, I am wholly free. No man can say that he is wretched by my perfuafion. I look with pity on the crowds who are annually foliciting admiffion to captivity, and wish that it were lawful for me to warn them of their danger."

My dear Imlac, faid the prince, I will open to thee my whole heart. I have long meditated an efcape from the happy valley. I have examined the mountains on every fide, but find myself infuperably barred: teach me the way to break my prifon; thou shalt be the companion of my flight, the guide of my rambles, the partner of my fortune, and my fole director in the choice of life."

"Sir, answered the poet, your escape will be difficult, and, perhaps, you may foon repent your curiofity. The world, which you figure to yourself fmooth and quiet as the lake in the valley, you will find a fea foaming with tempefts, and boiling with whirlpools: you will be fometimes overwhelmed by the waves of violence, and fometimes dashed

against

against the rocks of treachery. Amidst wrongs and frauds, competitions and anxieties, you will with a thousand times for these feats of quiet, and willingly quit hope to be free from fear."

"Do not feek to deter me from my purpose, faid the prince: I am impatient to fee what thou haft feen; and, fince thou art thyfelf weary of the valley, it is evident, that thy former ftate was better than this. Whatever be the confequence of my experiment, I am refolved to judge with mine own eyes of the various conditions of men, and then to make deliberately my choice of life."

"I am afraid, faid Imlac, you are hindered by ftronger restraints than my perfuafions; yet, if your determination is fixed, I do not counfel you to defpair. Few things are impoffible to diligence and fkill,"

4

С НА Р. XIII.

RASSELAS DISCOVERS THE MEANS OF ESCAPE.

THE

HE prince now difmiffed his favourite to reft, but the narrative of wonders and novelties filled his mind with perturbation. He revolved all that he had heard, and prepared innumerable queftions for the morning.

Much of his uneafinefs was now removed. He had a friend to whom he could impart his thoughts, and whofe experience could affift him in his defigns. His heart was no longer condemned to fwell with filent vexation. He thought that even the happy valley might be endured with fuch a companion,

panion, and that if they could range the world together, he should have nothing further to defire.

In a few days the water was discharged, and the ground dried. The prince and Imlac then walked out together to converfe without the notice of the reft. The prince, whofe thoughts were always on the wing, as he paffed by the gate, faid, with a countenance of forrow, Why art thou fo strong,

and why is man fo weak?"

"Man is not weak, anfwered his companion; knowledge is more than equivalent to force. The master of mechanicks laughs at ftrength. I can burst the gate, but cannot do it fecretly. Some other expedient must be tried."

As they were walking on the fide of the mountain, they obferved that the conies, which the rain had driven from their burrows, had taken shelter among the bushes, and formed holes behind them, tending upwards in an oblique line. "It has been the opinion of antiquity, faid Imlac, that human reafon borrowed many arts from the inftinct of animals; let us, therefore, not think ourfelves degraded by learning from the coney. We may efcape by piercing the mountain in the fame direction. We will begin where the fummit hangs over the middle part, and labour upward till we fhall iffue up beyond the prominence."

The eyes of the prince, when he heard this propofal, sparkled with joy. The execution was eafy, and the fuccefs certain.

No time was now loft. They haftened early in the morning to chufe a place proper for their mine, They clambered with great fatigue among crags

and