Conftantinople, and his name was men

tioned no more.

"What are we now to think of the prerogatives of power, faid Raffelas to his fifter; is it without any efficacy to good? or, is the fubordinate degree only dangerous, and the fupreme safe and glorious? Is the Sultan the only happy man in his dominions? or, is the Sultan himself subject to the torments of fufpicion, and the dread of enemies ?”

In a fhort time the fecond Baffa was depofed. The Sultan, that had advanced him, was murdered by the Janifaries, and his fucceffor had other views and different favourites.

CHAP.

CHA P. XXV.

The princess perfues her enquiry with more diligence than fuccefs.

TH

HE princess, in the mean time, infinuated herself into many families; for there are few doors, through which liberality, joined with good humour, cannot find its way. The daughters of many houses were airy and chearful, but Nekayah had been too long accustomed to the converfation of Imlac and her brother to be much pleased with childish levity and prattle which had no meaning. She found their thoughts narrow, their wishes low, and their merri

ment

ment often artificial. Their pleasures,

poor as they were, could not be prebut were embittered by pet

ferved

pure,

ty 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 trifiers like themselves, and many fancied that they were in love when in truth they were only idle. Their affection was feldom fixed on fenfe 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 eafily gave way to another, as a fecond stone caft into the water effaces and confounds the circles of the first.

With

With these girls fhe played as with inoffenfive animals, and found them 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 fummerhoufe on the bank of the Nile, and related to each other the occurrences of the day. As they were fitting together, the princess caft her eyes upon the river that flowed before her. "Answer, faid she,

great

great father of waters, thou that rollest thy floods through eighty nations, to the invocations of the daughter of thy native king, Tell me 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 fuccessful 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 fhow of profperity and peace, and know not one house that is not haunted by fome fury that destroys its quiet.

" I

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