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

there

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 fluggishnefs. "Yet what, faid fhe, is to be expected from our perfuit of happiness, when we find the state of life to be such, that happiness itself is the caufe of mifery? Why fhould we endeavour to attain that, of which the poffeffion cannot be secured? I fhall henceforward fear to yield my heart to excellence, however bright, or to fondness, however tender, left I fhould lofe again what I have loft in Pekuah."

CHAP. XXXVI.

The princess hears news of Pekuah.

IN

feven months, one of the meffenwho had been fent away upon gers, the day when the promise was drawn from the princess, returned, after many unsuccessful 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, whose revenue was plunder, was willing to reftore her, with her two attendants, for two hundred ounces of gold.

The

The price was no fubject of debate. The princess was in extafies when she heard that her favourite was alive, and might fo cheaply be ranfomed. She could not think of delaying for a moment Pekuah's happiness 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 trusted, detain at once the money and the captives. He thought it dangerous to put themselves in the power of the Arab, by going into his district, and could not expect that the Rover would fo much expofe himself as to come into the lower country, where he might be feized by the forces of the Baffa.

It is difficult to negotiate where neither will truft. But Imlac, after fome deliberation, directed the meffenger to propose that Pekuah fhould be conducted by ten horsemen to the monaftry of St. Anthony, which is fituated in the deserts of Upper-Egypt, where fhe fhould be met by the fame number, and her ranfome should be paid.

That no time might be loft, as they expected that the propofal would not be refused, they immediately began their journey to the monaftry; and, when they arrived, Imlac went forward with the former meffenger to the Arab's fortress. Raffelas was defirous to go with them, but neither his fifter nor Imlac would confent. The Arab, according to the cuftom of his nation,

obferved the laws

of