CHA P. VII.

The prince finds a man of learning.

T

HE prince was not much afflicted by this difafter, having fuffered himself to hope for a happier event, only because he had no other means of escape in view. He still perfifted in his defign to leave the happy valley by the first opportunity.

His imagination was now at a ftand; he had no profpect of entering into the world; and, notwithstanding all his endeavours to fupport himself, discontent by degrees preyed upon him, and he began again to lose his thoughts in sadness, when

when the rainy feafon, which in these countries is periodical, made it inconvenient to wander in the woods.

The rain continued longer and with more violence than had been ever known: the clouds broke on the furrounding mountains, and the torrents ftreamed into the plain on every fide, till the cavern was too narrow to discharge the water. The lake overflowed its banks, and all the level of the valley was covered with the inundation. The eminence, on which the palace was built, and some other spots of rifing ground, were all that the eye could now difcover. The herds and flocks left the paftures, and both the wild beasts and the tame retreated to the mountains.

This

This inundation confined all the princes to domestick amusements, and the attention of Raffelas was particularly feized by a poem, which Imlac rehearfed upon the various conditions of humanity. He commanded the poet to attend him in his apartment, and recite his verfes a fecond time; then entering into familiar talk, he thought himself happy in having found a man who knew the world fo well, and could fo fkilfully paint the fcenes of life. He afked a thousand questions about things, to which, though common to all other mortals, his confinement from childhood had kept him a ftranger. The poet pitied his ignorance, and loved his curiofity, and entertained him from day to day with novelty and inftruction, fo that the prince regretted the neceflity of fleep,

and

and longed till the morning fhould renew his pleasure.

As they were fitting together, the prince commanded Imlac to relate his history, and to tell by what accident he was forced, or by what motive induced, to close his life in the happy valley. As he was going to begin his narrative, Raffelas was called to a concert, and obliged to restrain his curiofity till the evening.

CHA P. VIII.

The history of Imlac.

HE clofe of the day is, in the reof the torrid zone, the only

Tgions

season of diverfion and entertainment,

and it was therefore mid-night before the mufick ceased, and the princeffes retired. Raffelas then called for his companion and required him to begin the story of his life.

"Sir, faid Imlac, my history will not be long the life that is devoted to knowledge paffes filently away, and is very little diverfified by events. To talk in publick, to think in folitude, to read and to hear, to inquire, and answer inquiries, is the bufinefs of a scholar. He wanders about the world without pomp or terrour, and is neither known nor valued but by men like himself.

"I was born in the kingdom of Goiama, at no great diftance from the fountain of the Nile. My father was a weal

thy