Barbarians, whose unskilfulness in arts made it easier for them to fupply their

wants by rapine than by industry, and who from time to time poured in upon. the habitations of peaceful commerce, as vultures descend upon domestick fowl. Their celerity and fierceness made the wall neceffary, and their ignorance made it efficacious.

"But for the Pyramids no reafon has ever been given adequate to the coft and labour of the work. The narrownefs of the chambers proves that it could afford no retreat from enemies, and treasures might have been repofited at far lefs expence with equal fecurity. It seems to have been erected only in compliance with that hunger of imagination which preys inceffantly upon life, and must be always appeafed by some employ

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employment. Thofe who have already all that they can enjoy, muft enlarge their defires. He that has built for use, till ufe is fupplied, muft begin to build for vanity, and extend his plan to the utmost power of human performance, that he may not be foon reduced to form another wish.

"I confider this mighty ftructure as a monument of the infufficiency of human enjoyments. A king, whofe power is unlimited, and whofe treasures furmount all real and imaginary wants, is compelled to folace, by the erection of a Pyramid, the fatiety of dominion and tafteleffness of pleafures, and to amuse the tediousnefs of declining life, by feeing thoufands labouring without end, and one stone, for no purpose, laid upon another. Whoever thou art, that, not

content

content with a moderate condition, imaginest happiness in royal magnificence, and dreameft that command or riches can feed the appetite of novelty with perpetual gratifications, furvey the Pyramids, and confefs thy folly!"

CHA P. XXXIII.

THE PRINCESS MEETS WITH AN UNEX

PECTED MISFORTUNE.

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HEY rofe up, and returned through the cavity at which they had entered, and the princess prepared for her favourite a long narrative of dark labyrinths, and coftly rooms, and of the different impreffions which the varieties of the way had made upon her. But when they came to their train, they found every one filent and dejected: the men difcovered fhame and fear in their countenances, and the women were weeping in the tents.

What had happened they did not try to conjecture, but immediately inquired. "You had scarcely entered into

the

the Pyramid," faid one of the attendants, "when a troop of Arabs rushed upon us : we were too few to refift them, and too flow to escape. They were about to fearch the tents, fet us on our camels, and drive us along before them, when the approach of fome Turkish horsemen put them to flight; but they seized the lady Pekuah with her two maids, and carried them away: the Turks are now purfuing them by our inftigation, but I fear they will not be able to overtake them."

The princess was overpowered with furprise and grief. Raffelas, in the first heat of his resentment, ordered his fervants to follow him, and prepared to perfue the robbers with his fabre in his hand. cc Sir," faid Imlac, "what can you hope from violence or valour? the