Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

an inteftine conflict. I took leave of my com. panions in the houfe, who difimiffed me with cold indifference."

Nekayah having heard her favourite's relation, rofe and embraced her, and Rafelas gave her an hundred ounces of gold, which fhe prefented to the Arab for the fifty that were promifed.

T

CHAP. XXXIX.

THE HISTORY OF A MAN OF LEARNING.

HEY returned to Cairo, and were so well pleased at finding themfelves together, that none of them went much abroad. The prince began to love learning, and one day declared to Imlac, that he intended to devote himself to fcience, and pass the rest of his days in literary folitude.

"Before you make your final choice, anfwered Imlac, you ought to examine its hazards, and converfe with fome of thofe who are grown old in the company of themfelves. I have juft left the obfervatory of one of the moft learned aftronomers in the world, who has spent forty years in unwearied attention to the motions and appearances of the celeftial bodies, and has drawn out his foul in endlefs calculations. He admits a few friends once a month to hear his deductions and enjoy his difcoveries. I was introduced as a man of knowledge worthy of his notice. Men of various ideas, and fluent converfation, are commonly welcome to those whofe thoughts have been long fixed upon a fingle point, and who find the images of other things stealing away. I delighted him with my remarks; he fmiled

2

fmiled at the narrative of my travels, and was glad to forget the conftellations, and descend for a moment into the lower world.

"On the next day of vacation I renewed my vifit, and was fo fortunate as to pleafe him again. He relaxed from that time the feverity of his rule, and permitted me to enter at my own choice. I found him always bufy, and always glad to be relieved. As each knew much which the other was defirous of learning, we exchanged our notions with great delight. I perceived that I had every day more of his confidence, and always found new cause of admiration in the profundity of his mind. His comprehenfion is vaft, his memory capacious and retentive, his difcourfe is methodical, and his expreffion clear.

"His integrity and benevolence are equal to his learning. His deepeft refearches and moft favourite ftudies are willingly interrupted for any opportunity of doing good by his counfel or his riches. To his closest retreat, at his most busy moments, all are admitted that want his affiftance: "For though I exclude idleness and pleasure, I will never, fays he, bar my doors against charity. To man is permitted the contemplation of the fkies, but the practice of virtue is commanded."

"Surely, faid the princefs, this man is happy."

"I vifited him, faid Imlac, with more and more frequency, and was every time more enamoured of his converfation: he was fublime without haughtinefs, courteous without formality, and communicative without oftentation. I was at first, great princefs, of your opinion, thought him the happiest

of mankind, and often congratulated him on the bleffing that he enjoyed. He feemed to hear nothing with indifference but the praifes of his condition, to which he always returned a general anfwer, and diverted the converfation to fome other topick.

"Amidst this willingness to be pleafed, and labour to pleafe, I had quickly reafon to imagine that fome painful fentiment preffed upon his mind. He often looked up earnestly towards the fun, and let his voice fall in the midst of his difcourfe. He would fometimes when we were alone, gaze upon me in filence with the air of a man who longed to speak what he was yet refolved to fupprefs. He would often fend for me with vehement injunctions of hafte, though, when I came to him, he had nothing extraordinary to fay. And fometimes, when I was leaving him, would call me back, paufe a few moments, and then difmifs me.

СНАР. XL.

THE ASTRONOMER DISCOVERS THE CAUSE OF HIS UNEASINESS.

"AT lat the time came when the fecret burst his referve. We were fitting together last night in the turret of his houfe, watching the emerfion of a fatellite of Jupiter. A fudden tempest clouded the fky, and difappointed our obfervation. We fat a while filent in the dark, and then he addreffed him. felf to me in thefe words: " Imlac, I have long confidered thy friendfhip as the greatest bleffing of my life. Integrity without knowledge is weak and

useless,

ufelefs, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful. I have found in thee all the qualities requifite for truft, benevolence, experience, and fortitude. I have long difcharged an office which I must foon quit at the call of nature, and shall rejoice in the hour of imbecility and pain to devolve it upon thee.”

"I thought myfelf honoured by this teftimony, and protested, that whatever could conduce to his happiness would add likewife to mine."

"Hear Imlac, what thou wilt not without difficulty credit. I have poffeffed for five years the regulation of weather, and the diftribution of the feafons: the fun has liftened to my dictates, and paffed from tropick to tropick by my direction; the clouds, at my call, have poured their waters, and the Nile has overflowed at my command; I have reftrained the rage of the dog-star, and mitigated the fervours of the crab. The winds alone, of all the elemental powers, have hitherto refufed my authority, and multitudes have perished by equinoctial tempefts, which I found myfelf unable to prohibit or restrain. I have administered this great office with exact juftice, and made to the different nations of the earth an impartial dividend of rain and funfhine. What must have been the mifery of half the globe, if I had limited the clouds to particular regions, or confined the fun to either fide of the equator?"

13

[ocr errors]

CHAP.

XLI.

THE OPINION OF THE ASTRONOMER IS EXPLAINED

AND JUSTIFIED.

SUPPOSE he difcovered in me, through the obfcurity of the room, fome tokens of amazement and doubt, for, after a fhort paufe, he proceeded thus:"

"Not to be eafily credited will neither furprife nor offend me; for I am, probably, the firft of human beings to whom this truft has been imparted. Nor do I know whether to deem this diftinction a reward or punishment; fince I have poffeffed it I have been far lefs happy than before, and nothing but the consciousness of good intention could have enabled me to fupport the wearinefs of unremitted vigilance."

"How long, Sir, faid I, has this great office been in your hands ?”

"About ten years ago, faid he, my daily obfervations of the changes of the fky led me to confider, whether, if I had the power of the seasons, I could confer greater plenty upon the inhabitants of the earth. This conten plation faftened on my mind, and I fat days and nights in imaginary dominion, pouring upon this country and that the fhowers of fertility, and feconding every fall of rain with a due proportion of funfhine. I had yet only the will to do good, and did not imagine that I should ever have the power.

"One day, as I was looking on the fields withering with heat, I felt in my mind a fudden wifh that

I could

« AnteriorContinuar »