THE HISTORY OF RAS SELAS, PRINCE OF ABISSINIA. CHAP. 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 deficien VOL. I. B cies cies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow; attend to the history of Raffelas prince of Abiffinia. Raffelas was the fourth fon of the mighty emperour, in whofe dominions the Father of waters begins his course; whose bounty pours down the ftreams of plenty, and scatters over half the world the harvests of Egypt. According to the cuftom 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 Abiffinian royalty, till the order of fucceffion should 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 fpa |