THE HISTORY O F RASS ELAS, PRINCE OF ABISSINIA. CHA P. I. DESCRIPTION OF A PALACE IN A VALLEY. E who liften with credulity to the YE whispers of fancy, and perfue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, and that the deficiencies of the present day will be fupplied by the morrow; attend to the history of Raffelas prince of Abissinia. Raffelas was the fourth son of the mighty emperour, in whofe dominions the Father of Waters begins his course; whofe bounty pours down the streams of plenty, and scatters over half the world the harvests of Egypt. According to the custom which has defcended from age to age among the monarchs of the torrid zone, Raffelas was confined in a private palace, with the other fons and daughters of Abissinian royalty, till the order of fucceffion fhould call him to the throne. The place, which the wisdom or policy of antiquity had deftined for the refidence of the Abiffinian princes, was a spacious valley in the kingdom of Amhara, furrounded on every fide by mountains, of which the fummits overhang the middle part. The only paffage, by which which it could be entered, was a cavern that paffed under a rock, of which it has long been disputed whether it was the work of nature or of human induftry. The outlet of the cavern was concealed by a thick wood, and the mouth which opened into the valley was closed with gates of iron, forged by the artificers of ancient days, fo maffy that no man could without the help of engines open or fhut them. From the mountains on every fide, rivulets defcended that filled all the valley with verdure and fertility, and formed a lake in the middle inhabited by fish of every species, and frequented by every fowl whom nature has taught to dip the wing in water. This lake discharged its fuperfluities by a ftream which entered a dark cleft of the mountain on the northern fide, and fell with dreadful noise from precipice to precipice till it was heard no more. The fides of the mountains were covered with trees, the banks of the brooks were diverfified with flowers; every blast shook fpices from the rocks, and every month dropped fruits upon the ground. All animals that bite the grafs, or broufe the fhrub, whether wild or tame, wandered in this extenfive circuit, fecured from beasts of prey by the mountains which confined them. On one part were flocks and herds feeding in the pastures, on another all the beasts of chafe frifking in the lawns, the fprightly kid was bounding on the rocks, the fubtle monkey frolicking in the trees, and the folemn elephant repofing in the fhade. All the diver diverfities of the world were brought together, the bleffings of nature were collected, and its evils extracted and excluded. The valley, wide and fruitful, fupė plied its inhabitants with the neceffaries of life, and all delights and superfluities were added at the annual vifit which the emperour paid his children, when the iron gate was opened to the found of mufick; and during eight days every one that refided in the valley was required to propose whatever might contribute to make feclufion pleasant, to fill up the vacancies of attention, and leffen the tedioufnefs of time. Every defire was immediately granted. All the artificers of pleasure were called to gladden the festivity; the musicians exerted the power of harmony, and the B 3 dancers |