ranfom, think yourfelf in danger of perpetual captivity? The purpose of my incurfions is to increase my riches, or, more properly, to gather tribute. The fons of Ifhmael are the natural and hereditary lords of this part of the continent, which is ufurped by late invaders, and low-born tyrants, from whom we are compelled to take by the fword what is denied to juftice. The violence of war admits no diftinction; the lance, that is lifted at guilt and power, will fometimes fall on innocence and gentleness."

"How little, faid I, did I expect that yesterday it fhould have fallen upon me!"

Misfortunes, anfwered the Arab, fhould always be expected. If the eye of hoftility could learn reverence or pity, excellence like yours had been exempt from injury. But the angels of affliction fpread their toils alike for the virtuous and the wicked, for the mighty and the mean. Do not be difconfolate: I am not one of the lawlefs and cruel rovers of the defert; I know the rules of civil life: I will fix your ranfom, give a passport to your meffenger, and perform my ftipulation with nice punctuality."

"You will easily believe that I was pleafed with his courtesy and finding that his predominant paffion was defire of money, I began now to think my danger lefs, for I knew that no fum would be thought too great for the release of Pekuah. I told him, that he fhould have no reason to charge me with ingratitude, if I was ufed with kindness, and that any ranfom which could be expected for a maid of common rank, would be paid; but that

he

he must not perfift to rate me as a princefs. He faid, he would confider what he fhould demand, and then filing, bowed and retired.

"Soon after the women came about me, each contending to be more officious than the other, and my maids themselves were ferved with reverence. We travelled onward by fhort journeys. On the fourth day the chief told me, that my ranfom must be two hundred ounces of gold; which I not only promised him, but told him, that I would add fifty more, if I and my maids were honourably treated.

"I never knew the power of gold before. From that time I was the leader of the troop. The march of every day was longer or fhorter as I commanded, and the tents were pitched where I chofe to reft. We now had camels and other conveniences for travel, my own women were always at my fide, and I amufed myself with obferving the manners of the vagrant nations, and with viewing remains of ancient edifices, with which these deferted countries appear to have been, in fome diftant age, lavishly embellished.

"The chief of the band was a man far from illiterate he was able to travel by the ftars or the compafs, and had marked, in his erratick expeditions, fuch places as are most worthy the notice of a paffenger. He obferved to me, that buildings are always best preserved in places little frequented, and difficult of accefs: for, when once a country declines from its primitive fplendour, the more inhabitants are left, the quicker ruin will be made. Walls supply stones more eafily than quarries, and palaces and temples will be demolished, to make ftables of granate, and cottages of porphyry.

THE ADVENTURES OF PEKUAH CONTINUED.

"WE wandered about in this manner for some weeks, whether, as our chief pretended, for

my gratification, or as I rather fufpected, for fome convenience of his own. I endeavoured to appear contented where fullennefs and refentment would have been of no ufe, and that endeavour conduced much to the calmnefs of my mind; but my heart was always with Nekayah, and the troubles of the night much overbalanced the amufements of the day. My women, who threw all their cares upon their mistress, set their minds at eafe from the time when they faw me treated with refpect, and gave themselves up to the incidental alleviations of our fatigue without folicitude or forrow. I was pleafed with their pleafure, and animated with their confidence. My condition had loft much of its terrour, fince I found that the Arab ranged the country merely to get riches. Avarice is an uniform and tractable vice: other intellectual diftempers are different in different conftitutions of mind; that which fooths the pride of one will offend the pride of another; but to the favour of the covetous there is a ready way; bring money and nothing is denied.

"At last we came to the dwelling of our chief, a ftrong and fpacious houfe built with stone in an island of the Nile, which lies, as I was told, under the tropick. Lady, faid the Arab, you fhall rest after your journey a few weeks in this place, where you are to confider yourself as fovereign.

My occti

pation is war: I have therefore chofen this obfcure refidence, from which I can iffue unexpected, and to which I can retire unperfued. You may now repose in fecurity: here are few pleasures, but here is no danger." He then led me into the inner apartments, and feating me on the richest couch, bowed to the ground. His women, who confidered me as a rival, looked on me with malignity; but being foon informed that I was a great lady detained only for my ranfom, they began to vie with each other in obfequioufnefs and reverence.

Being again comforted with new affurances of speedy liberty, I was for fome days diverted from impatience by the novelty of the place. The turrets overlooked the country to a great distance, and afforded a view of many windings of the ftream. In the day I wandered from one place to another, as the course of the fun varied the fplendour of the profpect, and faw many things which I had never feen before. The crocodiles and river-horfes are common in this unpeopled region, and I often looked upon them with terrour, though I knew that they could not hurt me. For fome time I expected to fee mermaids and tritons, which, as Imlac has told me, the European travellers have ftationed in the Nile, but no fuch beings ever appeared, and the Arab, when I enquired after them, laughed at my credulity.

"At night the Arab always attended me to a tower fet apart for celeftial obfervations, where he endeavoured to teach me the names and courfes of the ftars. I had no great inclination to this study, but an appearance of attention was neceffary to pleafe

please my inftructor, who valued himfelf for his kill; and, in a little while, I found fome employment requifite to beguile the tedioufnefs of time, which was to be paffed always amidst the fame objects. I was weary of looking in the morning on things from which I had turned away weary in the evening: I therefore was at laft willing to obferve the ftars rather than do nothing, but could not always compofe my thoughts, and was very often thinking on Nekayah, when others imagined me contemplating the sky. Soon after the Arab went upon another expedition, and then my only pleafure was to talk with my maids about the accident by which we were carried away, and the happiness that we fhould all enjoy at the end of our captivity."

"There were women in your Arab's fortrefs, faid the princess, why did you not make them your companions, enjoy their converfation, and partake their diverfions? In a place where they found business or amufement, why fhould you alone fit corroded with idle melancholy? or why could not you bear, for a few months, that condition to which they were condemned for life?"

"The diverfions of the women, anfwered Pekuah, were only childish play, by which the mind, accustomed to ftronger operations, could not be kept busy. I could do all which they delighted in doing by powers merely fenfitive, while my intellectual faculties were flown to Cairo. They ran from room to room as a bird hops from wire to wire in his cage. They danced for the fake of motion, as lambs frisk in a meadow. One fometimes pretended to be hurt, that the reft might be alarm

ed;