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fpacious valley in the kingdom of Amhara, furrounded on every fide by mountains, of which the fummits overhang the middle part. The only paffage, by which it could be entered, was a cavern that paffed under a rock, of which it has long been difputed whether it was the work of nature or of human industry. The outlet of the cavern was concealed by a thick wood, and the mouth which opened into the valley was closed with gates of iron, forged by the artificers of ancient days, fo maffy that no man could without the help of engines open or fhut them.

From the mountains on every fide, rivulets defcended that filled all the valley with verdure and fertility, and formed a lake in the middle inhabited by fish of every species, and frequented by every B 2 fowl

fowl whom nature has taught to dip the wing in water. This lake difcharged its fuperfluities by a ftream which entered a dark cleft of the mountain on the northern fide, and fell with dreadful noife from precipice to precipice till it was heard no

more.

The fides of the mountains were covered with trees, the banks of the brooks were diversified with flowers; every blast fhook fpices from the rocks, and every, month dropped fruits upon the ground. All animals that bite the grafs, or brouse the fhrub, whether wild or tame, wandered in this extenfive circuit, fecured from beafts of prey by the mountains which confined them. On one part were flocks and herds feeding in the paftures, on another all the beafts of chafe

frifk

frifking in the lawns; the fprightly kid was bounding on the rocks, the fubtle monkey frolicking in the trees, and the folemn elephant repofing in the fhade. All the diverfities of the world were brought together, the bleffings of nature were collected, and its evils extracted and excluded.

The valley, wide and fruitful, fupplied its inhabitants with the neceffaries of life, and all delights and fuperfluities were added at the annual vifit which the emperour paid his children, when the iron gate was opened to the found of musick, and during eight days every one that refided in the valley was required to propose whatever might contribute to make feclufion pleasant, to fill up the vacancies of attention, and leffen the tediouf

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nefs of time.

Every defire was im

mediately granted. All the artificers of pleasure were called to gladden the festivity; the musicians exerted the power of harmony, and the dancers fhewed their activity before the princes, in hope that they should pass their lives in this blissful captivity, to which these only were admitted whofe performance was thought able to add novelty to luxury. Such was the appearance of fecurity and delight which this retirement afforded, that they to whom it was new always defired that it might be perpetual; and as thofe, on whom the iron gate had once closed, were never fuffered to return, the effect of longer experience could not be known. Thus every year produced new schemes of delight, and new competitors for imprisonment.

The

The palace ftood on an eminence raised about thirty paces above the furface of the lake. It was divided into many fquares or courts, built with greater or lefs magnificence according to the rank of those for whom they were defigned. The roofs were turned into arches of maffy stone joined by a cement that grew harder by time, and the building stood from century to century, deriding the folftitial rains and equinoctial hurricanes, without need of reparation.

This houfe, which was fo large as to be fully known to none but fome ancient officers who fucceffively inherited the fecrets of the place, was built as if fufpicion herself had dictated the plan. To every room there was an open and fecret paffage, every fquare had a communica

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