ments 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.

CHAP. XXV.

THE PRINCESS PERSUES HER INQUIRY WITH MORE DILIGENCE THAN

SUCCESS.

HE princefs, in the mean time,

Tinfinuated Herfelf into many fa

milies; 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 wifhes low, and their merriment often artificial. Their pleasures, poor as they were, could not H 2

be

be preserved 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 sense 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 past or future, so that one defire eafily gave way to another, as a fecond ftone caft into the water effaces and confounds the circles of the first.

With these girls fhe played as with inoffensive animals, and found them proud

proud of her countenance, and weary her company.

of

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

"An

The princess and her brother commonly met in the evening in a private fummer-house on the bank of the Nile, and related to each other the occurrences of the day. As they were fitting together, the princefs caft her eyes upon the river that flowed before her. fwer, 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 single

H 3

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

"You are then, faid Raffelas, not more successful in private houfes than I have been in courts." "I have, fince the last partition of our provinces, faid the princefs, enabled myself to enter familiarly into many families, where there was the fairest fhew of profperity and peace, and know not one house 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 fupposed 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