by petty competitions and worthlefs 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, fo that one defire easily gave way to another, as a fecond stone caft into the water effaces and confounds the circles of the first.

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

12

proud

proud of her countenance, and weary of her company.

But her purpose was to examine more deeply, and her affability easily perfuaded

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.

The princess and her brother commonly met in the evening in a private fummer-houfe 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. "Anfwer," 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

E

if thou watereft, through all thy course, a fingle habitation from which thou doft not hear the murmurs of complaint?"

"You are then," faid Raffelas, "not more fuccefsful in private houses than I have been in courts." "I have, fince

the last partition of our provinces," faid the princess," enabled myself to enter familiarly into many families, where there was the fairest fhew of prosperity and peace, and know not one house that is not haunted by fome fury that destroys their quiet.

"I did not feek ease among the poor, because I concluded that there it could not be found. But I faw many poor, whom I had supposed to live in affluence. Poverty has, in large cities, very different appearances: it is often concealed in fplendour, and often in extravagance.

travagance. It is the care of a very great part of mankind to conceal their indigence from the reft: they support themselves by temporary expedients, and every day is loft in contriving for the

morrow.

"This, however, was an evil, which, though frequent, I faw with lefs pain, because I could relieve it. Yet fome have refused my bounties; more offended with my quickness to detect their wants, than pleased with my readiness to fuccour them and others, whofe exigencies compelled them to admit my kindness, have never been able to forgive their benefactrefs. Many, however, have been fincerely grateful, without the oftentation of gratitude, or the hope of other favours."

CHAP. XXVI.

THE PRINCESS CONTINUES HER REMARKS

NEKA

UPON PRIVATE LIFE.

EKAYAH, perceiving her brother's attention fixed, proceeded in her

narrative.

"In families, where there is or is not poverty, there is commonly difcord: if a kingdom be, as Imlac tells us, a great family, a family likewife is a little kingdom, torn with factions, and exposed to revolutions. An unpractifed obferver expects the love of parents and children to be conftant and equal; but this kindness seldom continues beyond the years of infancy in a fhort time the children become rivals to their parents. Benefits are allayed by reproaches, and gratitude debased by envy.

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