be the moft dreadful of all evils not to count their paft years but by follies, and to be reminded of their former luxuriance of health only by the maladies which riot has produced."

They stared a while in filence one upon another, and, at last, drove him away by a general chorus of continued laughter.

The consciousness that his fentiments were just, and his intentions kind, was fcarcely fufficient to fupport him against the horrour of derifion. But he recovered his tranquility, and perfued his search.

СНАР.

СНАР.

CHA P. XVIII.

The prince finds a wife and happy

man.

A

She was one day walking in the ftreet, he faw a fpacious building which all were, by the open doors, invited to enter: he followed the ftream of people, and found it a hall or fchool of declamation, in which profeffors read lectures to their auditory. He fixed his eye upon a fage raised above the rest, who difcourfed with great energy on the government of the paffions. His look was venerable, his action graceful, his pronunciation clear, and his diction elegant. He fhewed, with great ftrength of fentiment, I 4

and

and variety of illustration, that human

nature is degraded and debafed, when the lower faculties predominate over the higher; that when fancy, the parent of paffion, ufurps the dominion of the mind, nothing enfues but the natural effect of unlawful government, perturbation and confufion; that she betrays the fortreffes of the intellect to rebels, and excites her children to fedition against reason their lawful fovereign. He compared reason to the fun, of which the light is conftant, uniform, and lafting; and fancy to a meteor, of bright but tranfitory. luftre, irregular in its motion, and delufive in its direction.

He then communicated the various precepts given from time to time for the conqueft of paffion, and difplayed the

hap.

happiness of those who had obtained the important victory, after which man is no longer the slave of fear, nor the fool of hope; is no more emaciated by envy, inflamed by anger, emasculated by tenderness, or depreffed by grief; but walks on calmly through the tumults or the privacies of life, as the fun perfues alike his courfe through the calm or the stormy sky.

He enumerated many examples of heroes immovable by pain or pleasure, who looked with indifference on thofe modes or accidents to which the vulgar give the names of good and evil. He exhorted his hearers to lay afide their prejudices, and arm themselves against the fhafts of malice or misfortune, by invulnerable patience; concluding, that

this

this ftate only was happiness, and that this happiness was in every one's power.

Raffelas liftened to him with the veneration due to the inftructions of a fuperi· our being, and, waiting for him at the door, humbly implored the liberty of visiting fo great a mafter of true wifdom. The lecturer hefitated a moment, when Raffelas put a purse of gold into his hand, which he received with a mixture of joy and wonder.

"I have found, faid the prince, at his return to Imlac, a man who can teach all that is neceffary to be known, who, from the unfhaken throne of rational fortitude, looks down on the fcenes of life changing beneath him. He fpeaks, and attention watches his lips. He reasons,

and