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I am refolved to judge with mine own eyes of the various conditions of men, and then to make deliberately my choice of life."

"Im am afraid, faid Imlac, you are hindered by ftronger reftraints than my perfuafions; yet, if your determination is fixed, I dot not counsel you to defpair. Few things are impoffible to diligence and skill,"

CHAP.

CHA P. XIIL

RASSELAS DISCOVERS THE

MEANS OF ESCAPE.

THE prince now difmiffed his favou

rite to reft, but the narrative of wonders and novelties filled his mind with perturbation. He revolved all that he had heard, and prepared inumerable queftions for the morning.

Much of his uneafinefs was now removed. He had a friend to whom he could impart his thoughts, and whofe experience could affift him in his defigns. His heart was no longer condemned to fwell with filent vexation. He thought that even the happy valley might be endured with fuch a companion, and that if they could range the world together, he should have nothing further to defire,

In

In a few days the water was dif charged, and the ground dried. The prince and Imlac then walked out together to converfe without the notice of the reft. The prince, whofe thoughts were always on the wing, as he passed by the gate, faid, with a countenance. of forrow, "Why art thou fo ftrong, so and why is man fo weak!".

"Man is not weak, anfwered his companion; knowledge is more than equivalent to force. The mafter of meSchanicks laughs at ftrength. I can burft the gate, but cannot do it fecretly. Some other expedient must be tried."

As they were walking on the fide of the mountain, they obferved that the conies, which the rain had driven from their burrows, had taken fhelter among the bushes, and formed holes behind them, tending upwards in an oblique line. "It has been the opinion of antiquity, faid Imlac, that human reason borrowed many arts from the instinct of animals; let us, therefore, not think

our.

ourfelves degraded by learning from the coney. We may escape by piercing the mountain in the fame direc tion. We will begin where the fummit hangs over the middle part, and labour upward till we fhall issue out beyond the prominence."

The eyes of the prince, when he heard this propofal, fparkled with joy. The execution was eafy, and the fuccefs certain.

No time was now loft. They haftened early in the morning to chuse a place proper for their mine. They clambered with great fatigue among crags and brambles, and returned without having difcovered any part that favoured their defign. The fecond and the third day were spent in the fame manner and with the famd fruftration. But, on the fourth, they found a small cavern, concealed by a thicket, where they refolved to make their experiment.

Imlac procured inftruments proper to hew stone and remove earth,

F

and

they

1

they fell to their work on the next day with more eagerness than vigour. They were presently exhaufted by their efforts, and fat down to pant upon the grafs. The prince, for a moment, appeared to be difcouraged. "Sir, faid his companion, 'practice will enable us to continue our labour for a longer time; mark, however, how far we have advanced, and you will find that our toil will fome time have an end. Great works are performed, not by ftrength, but perfeverance: yonder palace was raised by fingle ftones, yet you fee its height and fpaciousness. He that shall walk with vigour three hours a day will pass in seven years a space equal to the circonference of the globe. "

They returned to their work day after day, and, in a fhort time, found a fiffure in the rock, which enabled them to pass far with very little obftruction. This Raffelas confidered as a good omen. "Do not difturb your

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