CHAP. XXIII./

THE PRINCE AND HIS SISTER DIVIDE BETWEEN THEM THE WORK OF OBSERVATION.

RASSELAS returned home full of re

flections,

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 inquiries. 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 himfelf, and always affifted him to give fome reason why, though he had been

hitherto

hitherto fruftrated, he might fucceed at laft.

"We have hitherto, faid she known but little of the world: we ha

ve 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 task between us: you fhall try what is to be found in the fplendour 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 defigns, 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 fplendid retinue at the court of the Baffa. He was foon diftinguished for his magnificence, and admitted, as a prince whose 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 pleasure, faid he, equal to that of feeling at once the joy of thousands all made happy by

wife adminiftration. Yet, fince, by the law of fubordination, this fublime delight can be in one nation but the lot of one, it is furely reasonable to think that there is fome fatisfaction more popular and acceffible, and that millions can hardly be fubjected to the will of a fingle man, only to fill his particular breaft with incommunicable content."

"

Thefe thoughts were often in his mind, and he found no folution of the difficulty. But as prefents and civilities gained him more familiarity, he found that almoft every man who flood high in employment hated all the reft, and was hated by them, and that their lives were a continual fucceffion of plots and detections, ftratagems and efcapes, faction and treachery. Many of thofe, who furrounded the Baffa, were fent only to watch and report his conduct; every tongue was muttering cenfure, I 2 and

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 subject 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 Janisaries, and his fucceffor had other views and different favourites.

CHAP.