ed; or hid herself, that another might feek her. Part of their time paffed in watching the progrefs of light bodies that floated on the river, and part in marking the various forms into which clouds broke in the fky.

"Their bufinefs was only needle-work, in which I and my maids fometimes helped them; but you know that the mind will eafily ftraggle from the fingers, nor will you fufpect that captivity and abfence from Nekayah could receive folace from filken flowers.

"Nor was much fatisfaction to be hoped from their converfation: for of what could they be expected to talk? They had feen nothing; for they had lived from early youth in that narrow fpot: of what they had not feen they could have no knowledge, for they could not read. They had no ideas but of the few things that were within their view, and had hardly names for any thing but their clothes and their food. As I bore a fuperiour character, I was often called to terminate their quarrels, which I decided as equitably as I could. If it could have amufed me to hear the complaints of each against the reft, I might have been often detained by long ftories; but the motives of their animofity were fo small that I could not liften without intercepting

the tale."

"How, faid Raffelas, can the Arab, whom you reprefented as a man of more than common accomplishments, take any pleafure in his feraglio when it is filled only with women like these? Are they exquifitely beautiful?"

"They

"They do not, faid Pekuah, want that unaffecting and ignoble beauty which may fubfift without spriteliness or fublimity, without energy of thought or dignity of virtue. But to a man like the Arab fuch beauty was only a flower cafually plucked and carelessly thrown away. Whatever pleasures he might find among them, they were not thofe of friendship or fociety. When they were playing about him he looked on them with inattentive fuperiority: when they vied for his regard, he fometimes turned away difgufted. As they had no knowledge, their talk could take nothing from the tediousness of life: as they had no choice, their fondness, or appearance of fondnefs, excited in him neither pride nor gratitude; he was not exalted in his own esteem by the fmiles of a woman who faw no other man, nor was much obliged by that regard, of which he could never know the fincerity, and which he might often perceive to be exerted, not so much to delight him as to pain a rival. That which he gave, and they received, as love, was only a careless distribution of fuperfluous time, fuch love as man can bestow upon that which he defpifes, fuch as has neither hope nor fear, neither joy nor forrow."

"You have reason, lady, to think yourself happy, faid Imlac, that you have been thus eafily difmiffed. How could a mind, hungry for knowledge, be willing, in an intellectual famine, to lofe fuch a banquet as Pekuah's conversation?”

"I am inclined to believe, answered Pekuah, that he was for fome time in fufpenfe; for, notwith

standing

tanding his promife, whenever I propofed to difpatch a meffenger to Cairo, he found fome excufe for-delay. While I was detained in his house he made many incurfions into the neighbouring countries, and, perhaps, he would have refufed to difcharge me, had his plunder been equal to his wishes. He returned always courteous, related his adventures, delighted to hear my obfervations, and endeavoured to advance my acquaintance with the ftars. When I importuned him to fend away my letters, he foothed me with profeffions of honour and fincerity; and, when I could be no longer decently denied, put his troop again in motion, and left me to govern in his abfence. I was much afflicted by this ftudied procrastination, and was fometimes afraid that I fhould be forgotten; that you would leave Cairo, and I muft end my days in an island of the Nile.

"I grew at last hopeless and dejected, and cared fo little to entertain him, that he for a while more frequently talked with my maids. That he fhould fall in love with them, or with me, might have been equally fatal, and I was not much pleased with the growing friendship. My anxiety was not long; for, as I recovered fome degree of cheerfulnefs, he returned to me, and I could not forbear to defpife my former uneȧfinefs.

"He ftill delayed to fend for my ranfom, and would, perhaps, never have determined, had not your agent found his way to him. The gold, which he would not fetch, he could not reject when it was offered. He haftened to prepare for our journey hither, like a man delivered from the pain of VOL. XI.

I

an

an inteftine conflict. I took leave of my companions in the house, who difimiffed me with cold indifference."

Nekayah having heard her favourite's relation, rofe and embraced her, and Raffelas gave her an hundred ounces of gold, which the prefented to the Arab for the fifty that were promised.

CHA P. XXXIX.

THE HISTORY OF A MAN OF LEARNING.

THEY

HEY returned to Cairo, and were fo well pleased at finding themselves together, that none of them went much abroad. The prince began to love learning, and one day declared to Imlac, that he intended to devote himself to science, and pafs the rest of his days in literary folitude.

"Before you make your final choice, answered Imlac, you ought to examine its hazards, and converfe with fome of those who are grown old in the company of themselves. I have just left the obfervatory of one of the most learned aftronomers in the world, who has spent forty years in unwearied attention to the motions and appearances of the celestial bodies, and has drawn out his foul in endlefs calculations. He admits a few friends once a month to hear his deductions and enjoy his difcoveries. I was introduced as a man of knowledge worthy of his notice. Men of various ideas, and fluent conversation, are commonly welcome to thofe whofe thoughts have been long fixed upon a fingle point, and who find the images of other things ftealing away. I delighted him with my remarks; he fmiled

2

Imiled at the narrative of my travels, and was glad to forget the conftellations, and defcend for a mo ment into the lower world.

"On the next day of vacation I renewed my vifit, and was fo fortunate as to please him again. He relaxed from that time the feverity of his rule, and permitted me to enter at my own choice. I found him always bufy, and always glad to be relieved. As each knew much which the other was defirous of learning, we exchanged our notions with great delight. I perceived that I had every day more of his confidence, and always found new caufe of admiration in the profundity of his mind. His comprehenfion is vaft, his memory capacious and retentive, his difcourfe is methodical, and his expreffion clear.

"His integrity and benevolence are equal to his learning. His deepest researches and moft favourite ftudies are willingly interrupted for any opportu nity of doing good by his counfel or his riches. To his closest retreat, at his most bufy moments, all are admitted that want his affiftance: "For though It exclude idleness and pleafure, I will never, fays he, bar my doors against charity. To man is permitted the contemplation of the fkies, but the practice of virtue is commanded."

Surely, faid the princess, this man is happy."

I vifited him, faid Imlac, with more and more frequency, and was every time more enamoured of his converfation: he was fublime without haughtinefs, courteous without formality, and communicative without oftentation. I was at firft, great princefs, of your opinion, thought him the happiest