was particularly feized by a poem, which Imlac rehearsed, upon the various conditions of humanity. He commanded the poet to attend him in his apartment, and recite his verfes a fecond time then entering into familiar talk, he thought himfelf happy in having found a man who knew the world fo well, and could fo fkilfully paint the fcenes of life. He afked a thousand questions about things, to which, though common to all other mortals, his confinement from childhood had kept him a ftranger. The poet pitied his ignorance, and loved his curiofity, and entertained him from day to day with novelty and inftruction, fo that the prince regretted the neceffity of fleep, and longed till the morning fhould renew his pleasure.

As they were fitting together, the prince commanded Imlac to relate his hiftory, and to tell by what accident he was forced, or by what motive induced, to close his life in the happy valley. As he was going to begin his narrative, Raffelas was called to a concert, and obliged to reftrain his curiofity till the evening.

CHAP. VIII.

THE HISTORY OF IMLAC,

THE HE clofe of the day is, in the regions of the torrid zone, the only feafon of diverfion and entertainment, and it was therefore midnight before the mufick ceafed, and the princeffes retired. Raffelas then called for his companion, and required him to begin the ftory of his life,

"Sir, faid Imlac, my history will not be long: the life that is devoted to knowledge paffes filently away, and is very little diversified by events. To talk in publick, to think in folitude, to read and to hear, to enquire, and anfwer enquiries, is the bufinefs of a scholar. He wanders about the world without pomp or terrour, and is neither known nor valued but by men like himself.

"I was born in the kingdom of Goiama, at no great distance from the fountain of the Nile. My father was a wealthy merchant, who traded between the inland countries of Africk and the ports of the Red Sea. He was honeft, frugal, and diligent, but of mean fentiments, and narrow comprehenfion: he defired only to be rich, and to conceal his riches, left he fhould be fpoiled by the governours of the province."

"Surely, faid the prince, my father must be negligent of his charge, if any man in his dominions dares take that which belongs to another. Does he not know that kings are accountable for injuftice permitted as well as done? If I were emperour, not the meaneft of my fubjects fhould be oppreffed with impunity. My blood boils when I am told that a merchant durft not enjoy his honest gains for fear of lofing them by the rapacity of power. Name the governour who robbed the people, that I may declare his crimes to the emperour.'

Sir, faid Imlac, your ardour is the natural effect of virtue animated by youth: the time will come when you will acquit your father, and perhaps hear with lefs impatience of the governour. Oppreffion

Oppreffion is, in the Abiffinian dominions, neither frequent nor tolerated; but no form of government has been yet difcovered, by which cruelty can be wholly prevented. Subordination fuppofes power on one part, and fubjection on the other; and if power be in the hands of men, it will fometimes be abufed. The vigilance of the fupreme magiftrate may do much, but much will ftill remain undone. He can never know all the crimes that are committed, and can feldom punish all that he knows."

This, faid the prince, I do not understand, but I had rather hear thee than difpute. Continue thy narration.”

My father, proceeded Imlac, originally intended that I fhould have no other education, than fuch as might qualify me for commerce; and difcovering in me great ftrength of memory, and quickness of apprehenfion, often declared his hope that I should be fome time the richest man in Abiffinia."

"Why, faid the prince, did thy father defire the increase of his wealth, when it was already greater than he durft difcover or enjoy? I am unwilling to doubt thy veracity, yet inconfiftencies cannot both be true."

"Inconfiftencies, anfwered Imlac, cannot both be right, but, imputed to man, they may both be true.. Yet diversity is not inconfiftency. My father might expect a time of greater fecurity. However, fome defire is neceffary to keep life in motion, and he, whose real wants are fupplied, must admit those of fancy."

"This, faid the prince, I can in fome meafure conceive. I repent that I interrupted thee."

"With this hope, proceeded Imlac, he fent me to fchool; but when I had once found the delight of knowledge, and felt the pleasure of intelligence and the pride of invention, I began filently to defpife riches, and determined to disappoint the purpose of my father, whofe groffnefs of conception raised my pity. I was twenty years old before his tenderness would expofe me to the fatigue of travel, in which time I had been inftructed, by fucceffive mafters, in all the literature of my native country. As every hour taught me fomething new, I lived in a continual courfe of gratifications; but, as I advanced towards manhood, I loft much of the reverence with which I had been used to look on my inftructors; becaufe, when the leffon was ended, I did not find them wifer or better than common

men.

"At length my father refolved to initiate me. in commerce, and opening one of his fubterranean treafuries, counted out ten thoufand pieces of gold. This, young man, faid he, is the ftock with which you must negociate. I began with lefs than the fifth part, and you fee how diligence and parfimony have. increased it. This is your own to waste or to improve. If you fquander it by negligence or caprice, you must wait for my death before you will be rich: if, in four years, you double your stock, we will thenceforward let fubordination ceafe, and live together as friends and partners; for he fhall always be equal with me, who is equally skilled in the art of growing rich.

« We

"We laid our money upon camels, concealed in bales of cheap goods, and travelled to the shore of the Red Sea. When I caft my eye on the expanse of waters, my heart bounded like that of a prifoner escaped. I felt an unextinguishable curiofity kindle in my mind, and refolved to fnatch this opportunity of feeing the manners of other nations, and of learning sciences unknown in Abiffinia.

"I remembered that my father had obliged me to the improvement of my ftock, not by a promise which I ought not to violate, but by a penalty which I was at liberty to incur; and therefore determined to gratify my predominant defire, and by drinking at the fountains of knowledge, to quench the thirst of curiosity.

"As I was fuppofed to trade without connexion with my father, it was eafy for me to become acquainted with the mafter of a fhip, and procure a paffage to fome other country. I had no motives of choice to regulate my voyage; it was fufficient for me that, wherever I wandered, I fhould fee a country which I had not feen before. I therefore entered a fhip bound for Surat, having left a letter for father declaring my intention.

my

CHA P. IX.

THE HISTORY OF IMLAC CONTINUED.

WHEN I first entered upon the world of waters, and loft fight of land, I looked round about me with pleafing terrour, and thinking my foul enlarged by the boundless profpect, imagined

that