fecured my money, and purchasing some commodities for fhow, joined myself to a caravan that was paffing into the inland country. My companions, for fome reason or other, conjecturing that I was rich, and, by my inquiries and admiration, finding that I was ignorant, confidered me as a novice whom they had a right to cheat, and who was to learn at the ufual expence the art of fraud. They exposed me to the theft of fervants, and the exaction of officers, and faw me plundered upon falfe pretences, without any advantage to themfelves, but that of rejoicing in the fuperiority of their own knowledge."

"Stop a moment, faid the prince. Is there fuch depravity in man, as that he fhould injure another without benefit to himself?

himself? I can easily conceive that all are pleased with fuperiority; but your ignorance was merely accidental, which, being neither your crime nor your folly, could afford them no reason to applaud themselves; and the knowledge which

they had, and which you wanted, they might as effectually have fhewn by warning, as betraying you."

"Pride, faid Imlac, is feldom delicate, it will please itself with very mean advantages; and envy feels not its own happiness, but when it may be compared with the mifery of others. They were my enemies because they grieved to think me rich, and my oppreffors because they delighted to find me weak."

"Pro

“Proceed, said the prince: I doubt not of the facts which you relate, but imagine that you impute them to miftaken motives."

"In this company, faid Imlac, I arrived at Agra, the capital of Indoftan, the city in which the great Mogul commonly refides. I applied myself to the language of the country, and in a few months was able to converse with the learned men; fome of whom I found morose and reserved, and others eafy and communicative; fome were unwilling to teach another what they had with difficulty learned themselves; and fome fhewed that the end of their ftudies was to gain the dignity of inftructing.

"To

"To the tutor of the young princes I recommended myself so much, that I was presented to the emperour as a man of uncommon knowledge. The emperour asked me many questions concerning my country and my travels; and though I cannot now recollect any thing that he uttered above the power of a common man, he difmiffed me astonished at his wifdom, and enamoured of his goodness.

My credit was now fo high, that the merchants, with whom I had travelled, applied to me for recommendations to the ladies of the court. I was furprifed at their confidence of folicitation, and gently reproached them with their practices on the road. They heard me

with

with cold indifference, and fhewed no tokens of fhame or forrow.

"They then urged their requeft with the offer of a bribe; but what I would not do for kindness I would not do for money; and refufed them, not because they had injured me, but because I would not enable them to injure others; for I knew they would have made use of my credit to cheat thofe who fhould buy their

Having refided at Agra till there was no more to be learned, I travelled into Perfia, where I faw many remains of ancient magnificence, and obferved many new accommodations of life. The Perfians are a nation eminently focial, and their affemblies afforded me daily

oppor