the faithful fecrecy of my dear Pekuah, will always be more miffed, as I fhall live longer to fee vice and folly."

"The state of a mind oppreffed with a fudden calamity, faid Imlac, is like that of the fabulous inhabitants of the new created earth, who, when the first night came upon them, fuppofed that day would never return. When the clouds of forrow gather over us, we fee nothing beyond them, nor can imagine how they will be difpelled: yet a new day fucceeded to the night, and forrow is never long without a dawn of eafe. But they who reftrain themselves from receiving comfort, do as the favages would have done, had they put out their eyes when it was dark. Our minds, like our bodies, are in continual flux; fomething is hourly loft, and fomething acquired. To lofe much at once is inconvenient to either, but while the vital powers remain uninjured, nature will find the means of reparation. Diftance has the fame effect on the mind as on the eye, and while we glide along the ftream of time, whatever we leave behind us is always leffening, and that which we approach increasing in magnitude. Do not fuffer life to ftagnate; it will grow muddy for want of motion: commit yourfelf again to the current of the world; Pekuah will va nish by degrees; you will meet in your way fome other favourite, or learn to diffuse yourself in general converfation."

"At least, faid the prince, do not despair before all remedies have been tried: the enquiry after the unfortunate lady is ftill continued, and fhall be carried on with yet greater diligence, on condition.

that you will promife to wait a year for the event, without any unalterable refolution."

Nekayah thought this a reafonable demand, and made the promise to her brother, who had been advifed by Imlac to require it. Imlac had, indeed, no great hope of regaining Pekuah, but he fuppofed, that if he could fecure the interval of a year, the princefs would be then in no danger of a cloifter.

CHAP. XXXV.

PEKUAH IS STILL REMEMBERED.

THE PROGRESS OF

SORROW.

NEKAN

EKAYAH, feeing that nothing was omitted for the recovery of her favourite, and having, by her promite, fet her intention of retirement at a diftance, began imperceptibly to return to common cares and common pleafures. She rejoiced without her own confent at the fufpenfion of her forrows, and fometimes caught herfelf with indignation in the act of turning away her mind from the remembrance of her, whom yet fhe refolved never to forget.

She then appointed a certain hour of the day for meditation on the merits and fondness of Pekuah, and for fome weeks retired conftantly at the time. fixed, and returned with her eyes fwollen and her countenance clouded. By degrees fhe grew lefs fcrupulous, and fuffered any important and preffing avocation to delay the tribute of daily tears. She then yielded to lefs occafions; fometimes forgot what fhe was indeed afraid to remember, and, at

laft,

laft, wholly releafed herself from the duty of periodical affliction.

Her real love of Pekuah was yet not diminished. A thousand occurrences brought her back to memory, and a thousand wants, which nothing but the confidence of friendship can supply, made her frequently regretted. She, therefore, folicited Imlac never to defift from enquiry, and to leave no art of intelligence untried, that, at least, she might have the comfort of knowing that she did not suffer by negligence or fluggishness. "Yet what, said she, is to be expected from our perfuit of happiness, when we find the state of life to be fuch, that happiness itself is the cause of mifery? Why should we endeavour to attain that, of which the poffeffion cannot be fecured? I fhall henceforward fear to yield my heart to excellence, however bright, or to fondness, however tender, left I should lofe again what I have loft in Pekuah."

CHAP.

XXXVI.

THE PRINCESS HEARS NEWS OF PEKUAH.

IN feven months, one of the messengers, who had

been fent away upon the day when the promise was drawn from the princefs, returned, after many unfuccefsful rambles, from the borders of Nubia, with an account that Pekuah was in the hands of an Arab chief, who poffeffed a castle or fortrefs on the extremity of Egypt. The Arab, whofe revenue was plunder, was willing to reftore her, with her two attendants, for two hundred ounces of gold,

The price was no fubject of debate. The princefs was in extafies when the heard that her favourite was alive, and might fo cheaply be ranfomed. She could not think of delaying for a moment Pekuah's happinefs or her own, but entreated her brother to fend back the meffenger with the fum required. Imlac being confulted, was not very confident of the veracity of the relator, and was ftill more doubtful of the Arab's faith, who might, if he were too liberally trufted, detain at once the money and the captives. He thought it dangerous to put themfelves in the power of the Arab, by going into his diftri&t, and could not expect that the Rover would fo much expofe himielf as to come into the lower country, where he might be feized by the forces of

the Baffa.

It is difficult to negociate where neither will truft. But Imlac, after fome deliberation, directed the metenger to propole that Fekuah fhould be conducted by tea horfemen to the monaftery of St. Antony, which is fituated in the deferts of Upper-Egypt, where fhe fhould be met by the fame number, and her ranion fhould be paid.

That no time might be loft, as they expected that the propofal would not be refufed, they immediately began their journey to the monaftery; and, when they arrived, Imlac went forward with the former meffenger to the Arab's fortrefs. Raffelas was defirous to go with them; but neither his fifter nor Imlac would confent. The Arab, according to the custom of his nation, obferved the laws of hofpitality with great exactnefs to those who put themfelves into his power, and, in a few days, brought

brought Pekuah with her maids, by easy journies, to the place appointed, where receiving the ftipulated price, he restored her with great 'refpect to liberty and her friends, and undertook to conduct them back towards Cairo beyond all danger of robbery or violence.

The princess and her favourite embraced each other with transport too violent to be expreffed, and went out together to pour the tears of tenderness in secret, and exchange profeffions of kindness and gratitude. After a few hours they returned into the refectory of the convent, where, in the prefence of the prior and his brethren, the prince required of Pekuah the hiftory of her adventures.

CHAP.

XXXVII.

THE ADVENTURES OF THE LADY PEKUAH.

AT what time, and in what manner, I was forced away, faid Pekuah, your fervants have told you. The fuddenness of the event struck me with surprise, and I was at firft rather ftupified than agitated with any paffion of either fear or forrow. My confufion was increased by the speed and tumult of our flight, while we were followed by the Turks, who, as it feemed, foon defpaired to overtake us, or were afraid of thofe whom they made a fhew of menacing.

"When the Arabs faw themfelves out of danger they flackened their courfe, and as I was lefs haraffed by external violence, I began to feel more uneafiness in my mind. After fome time we stopped H 4

near