and brambles, and returned without having difcovered any part that favoured their defign. The second and the third day were spent in the fame. manner and with the fame fruftration. But, on the fourth, they found a small cavern, concealed by a thicket, where they refolved to make their experiment.

Imlac procured inftruments proper to hew stone and remove earth, and they fell to their work on the next day with more eagerness than vigour. They were presently exhausted by their efforts, and fat down to pant upon the grafs. The prince, for a moment, appeared to be difcouraged. "Sir, faid his companion, practice will enable us to continue our labour for a longer time; mark, however, how far we have advanced, and you will find that our toil will fome time have an end. Great works are performed, not by ftrength, but perfeverance: yonder palace was raised by fingle ftones, yet you fee its height and fpacioufnefs. He that fhall walk with vigour three hours a day, will pass in seven years a space equal to the circumference of the globe."

They returned to their work day after day, and, in a fhort time, found a fiffure in the rock, which enabled them to pafs far with very little obftruction. This Raffelas confidered as a good omen. "Do not disturb your mind, faid Imlac, with other hopes or fears than reafon may fuggeft: if you are pleased with prognosticks of good, you will be terrified likewife with tokens of evil, and your whole life will be a prey to superstition. Whatever facilitates our work is more than an omen, it is a cause of success. This is one of thofe pleafing furprises which often

happen

happen to active refolution. Many things difficult to defign prove eafy to performance."

CHAP.

XIV.

RASSELAS AND IMLAC RECEIVE AN UNEXPECTED VISIT.

THEY

HEY had now wrought their way to the middle, and folaced their toil with the approach of liberty, when the prince, coming down to refresh himself with air, found his fifter Nekayah ftanding before the mouth of the cavity. He ftarted and stood confused, afraid to tell his defign, and yet hopeless to conceal it. A few moments determined him to repofe on her fidelity, and fecure her fecrecy by a declaration without referve.

"Do not imagine, faid the princess, that I came hither as a spy: I had long obferved from my window, that you and Imlac directed your walk every day towards the fame point, but I did not suppose you had any better reafon for the preference than a cooler fhade, or more fragrant bank; nor followed you with any other defign than to partake of your converfation. Since then not fufpicion but fondness has detected you, let me not lofe the advantage of my difcovery. I am equally weary of confinement with yourself, and not lefs defirous of knowing what is done or fuffered in the world. Permit me to fly with you from this taftelefs tranquillity, which will yet grow more loathfome when you have left me. You may deny me to accompany you, but cannot hinder me from following."

The prince, who loved Nekayah above his other fifters, had no inclination to refufe her request, and grieved

grieved that he had loft an opportunity of fhewing his confidence by a voluntary communication. It was therefore agreed that she should leave the valley with them; and that, in the mean time, fhe should watch, left any other ftraggler fhould, by chance or curiofity, follow them to the mountain.

At length their labour was at an end; they faw light beyond the prominence, and, iffuing to the top of the mountain, beheld the Nile, yet a narrow current, wandering beneath them.

The prince looked round with rapture, anticipated all the pleasures of travel, and in thought was already tranfported beyond his father's dominions. Imlac, though very joyful at his escape, had less expectation of pleasure in the world, which he had before tried, and of which he had been weary.

Raffelas was so much delighted with a wider horizon, that he could not foon be perfuaded to return into the valley. He informed his fifter that the way was open, and that nothing now remained but to prepare for their departure.

CHAP. XV.

THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS LEAVE THE VALLEY, AND SEE MANY WONDERS.

THE

HE prince and princefs had jewels fufficient to make them rich whenever they came into a place of commerce, which, by Imlac's direction, they hid in their clothes, and, on the night of the next full moon, all left the valley. The princefs was followed

followed only by a fingle favourite, who did not know whither she was going.

"I am

They clambered through the cavity, and began to go down on the other fide. The princefs and her maid turned their eyes towards every part, and, feeing nothing to bound their profpect, confidered themselves as in danger of being loft in a dreary vacuity. They ftopped and trembled. almoft afraid, faid the princefs, to begin a journey of which I cannot perceive an end, and to venture into this immenfe plain, where I may be approached on every fide by men whom I never faw." The prince felt nearly the fame emotions, though he thought it more manly to conceal them.

Imlac fimiled at their terrours, and encouraged them to proceed; but the princefs continued irrefolute till fhe had been imperceptibly drawn for. ward too far to return.

In the morning they found fome fhepherds in the field, who fet milk and fruits before them. The princefs wondered that he did not fee a palace ready for her reception, and a table spread with delicacies; but, being faint and hungry, fhe drank the milk and eat the fruits, and thought them of a higher flavour than the products of the valley.

They travelled forward by eafy journies, being all unaccustomed to toil or difficulty, and knowing, that though they might be miffed, they could not be pursued. In a few days they came into a more populous region, where Imlac was diverted with the admiration which his companions expreffed at the diverfity of manners, ftations, and employ

ments.

Their drefs was fuch as might not bring upon them the fufpicion of having any thing to conceal, yet the prince, wherever he came, expected to be obeyed, and the princess was frighted, because those that came into her presence did not proftrate themfelves before her. Imlac was forced to obferve them with great vigilance, left they fhould betray their rank by their unufual behaviour, and detained them feveral weeks in the first village, to accustom them to the fight of common mortals.

By degrees the royal wanderers were taught to understand that they had for a time laid afide their dignity, and were to expect only fuch regard as liberality and courtefy could procure. And Imlac, having, by many admonitions, prepared them to endure the tumults of a port, and the ruggedness of the commercial race, brought them down to the fea-coast.

The prince and his fifter, to whom every thing was new, were gratified equally at all places, and therefore remained for fome months at the port without any inclination to pass further. Imlac was. content with their stay, because he did not think it fafe to expose them, unpractifed in the world, to the hazards of a foreign country.

At laft he began to fear left they fhould be difcovered, and propofed to fix a day for their departure. They had no pretenfions to judge for themselves, and referred the whole fcheme to his direction. He therefore took paffage in a fhip to Suez; and, when the time came, with great difficulty prevailed on the princefs to enter the veffel. They had a quick and profperous voyage, and from Suez travelled by land to Cairo.