for me to become acquainted with the mafter of a ship, and procure a paffage to fome other country. I had no motives of choice to regulate my voyage; it was fufficient for me that, wherever I wandered, I should fee a country which I had not feen before. I therefore entered a fhip bound for Surat, having left a letter for my father declaring my in

tention.

CHAP.

CHA P. IX.

THE HISTORY OF IMLAC CONTINUED

"W

HEN I first entered upon the

world of waters, and loft fight of land, I looked round about me with pleafing terrour, and thinking my fout enlarged by the boundless profpect, ima gined that I could gaze round for ever without fatiety; but, in a short time, I grew weary of looking on barren unifor mity, where I could only fee again what I had already feen. I then descended into the fhip, and doubted for a whilewhether all my future pleasures would not end like this, in disgust and disappointment. Yet, furely, faid I, the ocean and the land are very different; the only variety of water is reft and motion

D. 5

motion, but the earth has mountains and vallies, deferts and cities: it is inhabited by men of different customs and contrary opinions; and I may hope to find variety in life, though I should. mifs it in nature.

"With this thought I quieted my mind and amufed myfelf during the voyage,. fometimes by learning from the failors the art of navigation, which I have never practifed, and fometimes by forming: fchemes for my conduct in different fituations, in not one of which I have been ever placed.

"I was almost weary of my naval amusements when we landed fafely at Surat. I fecured my money, and pur-chafing fome commodities for fhow, joined myself to a caravan that was paffing into the inland country. My

companions, for fome reafon or other, conjecturing that I was rich, and, by my inquiries and adniiration, finding that I was ignorant, confidered me as a novice whom they had a right to cheat, and who was to learn at the ufual expence the art of fraud. They expofed me to the theft of fervants, and the exaction of officers, and faw me plundered upon falfe pretences, without any advantage to themfelves, but that of rejoicing in the fuperiority of their own knowledge."

"Stop a moment, faid the prince. Ist there fuch depravity in man, as that he fhould injure another without benefit to himself? I can easily conceive that all are pleafed with fuperiority; but your ignorance was merely accidental, which being neither your crime nor your folly, D. 6 could

could afford them no reafon to applaud themselves; and the knowledge which they had, and which you wanted, they might as effectually have fhewn by warning, as betraying you."

"Pride, faid Imlac, is feldom delicate, it will please itfelf with very mean advantages; and envy feels not its own. happiness, but when it may be compared with the mifery of others. They were my enemies, because they grieved to think me rich; and my oppreffors, because they delighted to find me weak."

"Proceed, faid the prince: I doubt not of the facts which you relate, but imagine that you impute them to miftaken motives."

"In this company, faid Imlac, I arrived at Agra, the capital of Indostan, the city in which the great Mogul com

monly