CHAP. XXIII.

THE PRINCE AND HIS SISTER DIVIDE BETWEEN

THEM THE WORK OF OBSERVATION.

RASSELAS returned home full of reflections, doubtful how to direct his future fteps. Of the way to happiness he found the learned and fimple equally ignorant; but, as he was yet young, he flattered himself that he had time remaining for more experiments, and further enquiries. He communicated to Imlac his obfervations and his doubts, but was answered by him with new doubts, and remarks that gave him no comfort. He therefore difcourfed more frequently and freely with his fifter, who had yet the fame hope with himself, and always affifted him to give fome reafon why, though he had been hitherto fruftrated, he might fucceed at laft.

"We have hitherto, faid fhe, known but little of the world: we have never yet been either great or mean. In our own country, though we had royalty, we had no power, and in this we have not yet feen the private receffes of domeftick peace. Imlac favours not our fearch, left we fhould in time find him miftaken. We will divide the tafk between us: you fhall try what is to be found in the splendour of courts, and I will range the fhades of humbler life. Perhaps command and authority may be the fupreme bleffings, as they afford moft opportunities of doing good: or, perhaps, what this world can give may be found in the modeft habitations of middle fortune; too low for great designs, and too high for penury and diftrefs."

CHAP. XXIV.

THE PRINCE EXAMINES THE HAPPINESS OF HIGH STATIONS.

RASSELAS applauded the defign, and appeared next day with a splendid retinue at the court of the Baffa. He was foon diftinguished for his magnificence, and admitted, as a prince whofe curiofity had brought him from diftant countries, to an intimacy with the great officers, and frequent converfation with the Baffa himself.

He was at firft inclined to believe, that the man must be pleased with his own condition, whom all approached with reverence, and heard with obedience, and who had the power to extend his edicts to a whole kingdom. "There can be no plea fure, faid he, equal to that of feeling at once the joy of thousands all made happy by wife admi- . niftration. Yet, fince, by the law of fubordination, this fublime delight can be in one nation but the lot of one, it is furely reafonable to think, that there is fome fatisfaction more popular and acceffible, and that millions can hardly be subjected to the will of a fingle man, only to fill his particular breast with incommunicable content."

These thoughts were often in his mind, and he found no folution of the difficulty. But as presents and civilities gained him more familiarity, he found that almost every man who ftood high in employment hated all the reft, and was hated by them, and that their lives were a continual succession of plots and detections, ftratagems and efcapes, faction and

treachery. Many of those who surrounded the Baffa, were sent only to watch and report his conduct; every tongue was muttering cenfure, and every eye was fearching for a fault.

At laft the letters of revocation arrived, the Baffa was carried in chains to Conftantinople, and his name was mentioned no more.

"What are we now to think of the prerogatives of power, faid Raffelas to his fifter; is it without any efficacy to good? or, is the fubordinate degree only dangerous, and the fupreme fafe and glorious? Is the Sultan the only happy man in his dominions? or, is the Sultan himself fubject to the torments of fufpicion, and the dread of enemies?"

In a fhort time the fecond Baffa was depofed. The Sultan, that had advanced him, was murdered by the Janifaries, and his fucceffor had other views and different favourites.

CHAP. XXV.

THE PRINCESS PERSUES HER ENQUIRY WITH MORE DILIGENCE THAN SUCCESS.

T

HE princefs, in the mean time, infinuated herself into many families; for there are few doors, through which liberality, joined with good humour, cannot find its way. The daughters of many houses were airy and cheerful, but Nekayah had been too long accustomed to the converfation of Imlac and her brother to be much pleased with childish levity and prattle which had no meaning. She found their thoughts narrow, their wishes low, and their merriment often artificial. Their pleasures, poor as

they were, could not be preferved pure, but were embittered by petty competitions and worthless emulation. They were always jealous of the beauty of each other; of a quality to which folicitude can add nothing, and from which detraction can take nothing away. Many were in love with triflers like themselves, and many fancied that they were in love when in truth they were only idle. Their affection was fixed on fenfe or virtue, and therefore feldom ended but in vexation. Their grief, however, like their joy, was tranfient; every thing floated in their mind unconnected with the paft or future, fo that one defire eafily gave way to another, as a fecond stone caft into the water effaces and confounds the circles of the first.

With these girls fhe played as with inoffenfive animals, and found them proud of her countenance, and weary of her company.

But her purpose was to examine more deeply, and her affability easily perfuaded the hearts that were fwelling with forrow to discharge their fecrets in her ear and those whom hope flattered, or prosperity delighted, often courted her to partake their pleasures.

The princefs and her brother commonly met in the evening in a private fummer-houfe on the bank of the Nile, and related to each other the occurrences of the day. As they were fitting together, the princess caft her eyes upon the river that flowed before her. "Anfwer, faid fhe, great father of waters, thou that rolleft thy floods through eighty nations, to the invocations of the daughter of thy native king. Tell me if thou watereft, through all

thy course, a fingle habitation from which thou doft not hear the murmurs of complaint?"

"You are then, faid Raffelas, not more fuccessful in private houses than I have been in courts." "I have, fince the last partition of our provinces, faid the princess, enabled myself to enter familiarly into many families, where there was the fairest fhew of profperity and peace, and know not one houfe that is not haunted by fome fury that destroys their quiet.

"I did not feek eafe among the poor, because I concluded that there it could not be found. But I faw many poor, whom I had fuppofed to live in affluence. Poverty has, in large cities, very different appearances it is often concealed in fplendour, and often in extravagance. It is the care of a very great part of mankind to conceal their indigence from the reft: they fupport themselves by temporary expedients, and every day is loft in contriving for the morrow.

"This, however, was an evil, which, though frequent, I faw with lefs pain, because I could relieve it. Yet fome have refufed my bounties; more offended with my quicknefs to detect their wants, than pleased with my readiness to fuccour them: and others, whofe exigencies compelled them to admit my kindness, have never been able to forgive their benefactrefs. Many, however, have been fincerely grateful, without the oftentation of gratitude, or the hope of other favours."