"Why, faid Raffelas, fhould you envy others fo great an advantage? All skill ought to be exerted for univerfal good; every man has owed much to others, and ought to repay the kindness that he has received."

"If men were all virtuous, returned the artist, I fhould with great alacrity teach them all to fly. But what would be the fecurity of the good, if the bad could at pleasure invade them from the fky? Against an army failing through the clouds, neither walls, nor mountains, nor feas, could afford any fecurity. A flight of northern favages might hover in the wind, and light at once with irrefiftible violence upon the capital of a fruitful region that was rolling under them. Even this valley, the retreat of princes, the abode of happiness, might be violated by the fudden defcent of fome of the naked nations that fwarm on the coaft of the fouthern fea."

The prince promifed fecrecy, and waited for the performance, not wholly hopeless of fuccefs. He visited the work from time to time, obferved its progrefs, and remarked many ingenious contrivances to facilitate motion, and unite levity with ftrength. The artist was every day more certain that he fhould leave vultures and eagles behind him, and the contagion of his confidence feized upon the prince.

In a year the wings were finished, and, on a morning appointed, the maker appeared furnished for flight on a little promontory: he waved his pinions a while to gather air, then leaped from his stand, and in an instant dropped into the lake. His wings, which were of no ufe in the air, fuftained him

in the water, and the prince drew him to land, half dead with terror and vexation.

CHAP. VII.

THE PRINCE FINDS A MAN OF LEARNING.

THE

HE prince was not much afflicted by this difafter, having fuffered himself to hope for a happier event, only because he had no other means of efcape in view. He ftill perfifted in his defign to leave the happy valley by the firft opportunity.

His imagination was now at a ftand; he had no profpect of entering into the world; and, notwithftanding all his endeavours to fupport himfelf, difcontent by degrees preyed upon him, and he began again to lofe his thoughts in fadnefs, when the rainy feafon, which in thefe countries is periodical, made it inconvenient to wander in the woods.

The rain continued longer and with more violence than had been ever known: the clouds broke on the furrounding mountains, and the torrents ftreamed into the plain on every fide, till the cavern was too narrow to difcharge the water. The lake overflowed its banks, and all the level of the valley was covered with the inundation. The emience, on which the palace was built, and fome other pots of rifing ground, were all that the eye could now difcover. The herds and flocks left the paftures, and both the wild beafts and the tame retreated to the mountains.

This inundation confined all the princes to do meftick amusements, and the attention of Raffelas

was

was particularly feized by a poem, which Imlac rebearfed, upon the various conditions of humanity, He commanded the poet to attend him in his apartment, and recite his verses 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 so skilfully 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.

THE

CHAP. VIII.

THE HISTORY OF IMLAC.

HE close 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 musick ceased, 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 diverfified 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 fcholar. 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 diftance 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 compre henfion he defired only to be rich, and to conceal his riches, left he should 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 meanest of my fubjects fhould be oppreffed with impunity. My blood boils when I am told that a merchant durft not enjoy his honeft gains for fear of lofing them by the rapacity of Name the governour who robbed the people, that I may declare his crimes to the cmIerour."

"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 discovered, by which cruelty can be wholly prevented. Subordination supposes power on one part, and fubjection on the other; and if power be in the hands of men, it will fometimes be abused. 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 fhould 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 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, whofe real wants are fupplied, must admit those of fancy."