hours, regretted his regret, and from that time. bent his whole mind upon the means of efcaping from the valley of happiness.

CHAP. V.

THE PRINCE MEDITATES HIS ESCAPE.

HE now found that it would be very difficult to effect that which it was very easy to fuppofe effected. When he looked round about him, he faw himself confined by the bars of nature which had never yet been broken, and by the gate, through which none that once had paffed it were ever able to return. He was now impatient as an eagle in a grate. He paffed week after week in clambering the mountains, to fee if there was any aperture which the bushes might conceal, but found all the fummits inacceffible by their prominence. The iron gate he defpaired to open; for it was not only fecured with all the power of art, but was always watched by fucceffive fentinels, and was by its pofition expofed to the perpetual obfervation of all the inhabitants.

He then examined the cavern through which the waters of the lake were difcharged; and, looking down at a time when the fun fhone ftrongly upon its mouth, he difcovered it to be full of broken rocks, which, though they permitted the stream to flow through many narrow paffages, would ftop any body of folid bulk. He returned difcouraged and dejected; but, having now known the bleffing of hope, refolved never to despair.

In these fruitlefs fearches he spent ten months. The time, however, paffed cheerfully away: in the morning he rofe with new hope, in the evening applauded his own diligence, and in the night slept found after his fatigue. He met a thousand amusements which beguiled his labour, and diverfified his thoughts. He difcerned the various inftincts of animals, and properties of plants, and found the place replete with wonders, of which he purposed to folace himself with the contemplation, if he should never be able to accomplish his flight; rejoicing that his endeavours, though yet unfuccessful, had fupplied him with a fource of inexhaustible enquiry.

But his original curiofity was not yet abated; he refolved to obtain fome knowledge of the ways of men. His with ftill continued, but his hope grew lefs. He ceafed to furvey any longer the walls of his prifon, and fpared to fearch by new toils for interstices which he knew could not be found, yet determined to keep his defign always in view, and lay hold on any expedient that time fhould offer.

CHAP. VI.

A DISSERTATION ON THE ART OF FLYING.

MONG the artifts that had been allured into A

the happy valley, to labour for the accommodation and pleasure of its inhabitants, was a man eminent for his knowledge of the mechanick powers, who had contrived many engines both of use and recreation. By a wheel, which the ftream turned, he forced the water into a tower, whence

it

it was diftributed to all the apartments of the palace. He erected a pavilion in the garden, around which he kept the air always cool by artificial fhowers. One of the groves, appropriated to the ladies, was ventilated by fans, to which the rivulet that run through it gave a constant motion; and inftruments of foft mufick were placed at proper diftances, of which fome played by the impulfe of the wind, and fome by the power of the ftream.

This artift was fometimes vifited by Raffelas, who was pleafed with every kind of knowledge, imagining that the time would come when all his acquifitions fhould be of ufe to him in the open world. He came one day to amufe himself in his ufual manner, and found the mafter bufy in building a failing chariot: he faw that the defign was practicable upon a level furface, and with expreffions of great efteem folicited its completion. The workman was pleased to find himself fo much regarded by the prince, and refolved to gain yet higher honours. "Sir, faid he, you have feen but a fmall part of what the mechanick fciences can perform. I have been long of opinion, that inftead of the tardy conveyance of fhips and chariots, man might ufe the fwifter migration of wings; that the fields of air are open to knowledge, and that only ignorance and idleness need crawl upon the ground."

This hint rekindled the prince's defire of paffing the mountains; having feen what the mechanist had already performed, he was willing to fancy that he could do more; yet refolved to enquire further, before he fuffered hope to afilict him by difappointment. "I am afraid, faid he to the artist, that

your

your imagination prevails over your skill, and that you now tell me rather what you wifh, than what you know. Every animal has his element affigned him; the birds have the air, and man and beafts the earth." "So, replied the mechanift, fishes have the water, in which yet beafts can fwim by nature, and men by art. He that can fwim needs not defpair to fly to fwim is to fly in a groffer fluid, and to fly is to fwim in a fubtler. We are only to proportion our power of refiftance to the different density of matter through which we are to pafs. You will be neceffarily upborn by the air, if you can renew any impulfe upon it, fafter than the air can recede from the preffure."

"But the exercife of fwimming, faid the prince, is very laborious; the ftrongest limbs are foon wearied; I am afraid the act of flying will be yet more violent, and wings will be of no great ufe, unless we can fly further than we can swim."

"The labour of rifing from the ground, faid the artist, will be great, as we fee it in the heavier domeftick fowls, but as we mount higher, the earth's attraction, and the body's gravity, will be gradually diminished, till we fhall arrive at a region where the man will float in the air without any tendency to fall: no care will then be neceffary but to move forwards, which the gentleft impulfe will effect. You, Sir, whofe curiofity is fo extenfive, will easily conceive with what pleasure a philofopher, furnished with wings, and hovering in the fky, would fee the earth, and all its inhabitants, rolling beneath him, and prefenting to him fucceffively, by its diurnal motion, all the countries within the VOL. XI. C fame

fame parallel. How muft it amuse the pendent fpectator to fee the moving fcene of land and ocean, cities and deferts! To furvey with equal fecurity the marts of trade, and the fields of battle; mountains infested by barbarians, and fruitful regions gladdened by plenty, and lulled by peace! How eafily fhall we then trace the Nile through all his paffage; pafs over to diftant regions, and examine the face of nature from one extremity of the earth to the other!"

"All this, faid the prince, is much to be defired; but I am afraid that no man will be able to breathe in these regions of fpeculation and tranquillity. I have been told, that refpiration is difficult upon lofty mountains, yet from thefe precipices, though fo high as to produce great tenuity of air, it is very eafy to fall: therefore I fufpect, that from any height, where life can be fupported, there may be danger of too quick defcent."

Nothing, replied the artift, will ever be attempted, if all poffible objections must be first overcome. If you will favour my project, I will try the first fight at my own hazard. I have confidered the structure of all volant animals, and find the folding continuity of the bat's wings moil eafily accommodated to the human form. Upon this model I shall begin my task to-morrow, and in a year expect to tower into the air beyond the malice and purfuit of man. But I will work only on this condition, that the art fhall not be divulged, and that you fhall not require me to make wings for any but ourfelves."

“Why,