rasselas, prince of abyssinia-第5章

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　when　　I　am　told　that　a　merchant　durst　not　enjoy　his　honest　gains　for　fear　　of　losing　them　by　the　rapacity　of　power。　　Name　the　governor　who　　robbed　the　people　that　I　may　declare　his　crimes　to　the　Emperor！〃
〃Sir；〃　said　Imlac；　〃your　ardour　is　the　natural　effect　of　virtue　　animated　by　youth。　　The　time　will　come　when　you　will　acquit　your　　father；　and　perhaps　hear　with　less　impatience　of　the　governor。　　　Oppression　is；　in　the　Abyssinian　dominions；　neither　frequent　nor　　tolerated；　but　no　form　of　government　has　been　yet　discovered　by　　which　cruelty　can　be　wholly　prevented。　　Subordination　supposes　　power　on　one　part　and　subjection　on　the　other；　and　if　power　be　in　　the　hands　of　men　it　will　sometimes　be　abused。　　The　vigilance　of　the　　supreme　magistrate　may　do　much；　but　much　will　still　remain　undone。　　　He　can　never　know　all　the　crimes　that　are　committed；　and　can　seldom　　punish　all　that　he　knows。〃
〃This；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃I　do　not　understand；　but　I　had　rather　　hear　thee　than　dispute。　　Continue　thy　narration。〃
〃My　father；〃　proceeded　Imlac；　〃originally　intended　that　I　should　　have　no　other　education　than　such　as　might　qualify　me　for　commerce；　　and　discovering　in　me　great　strength　of　memory　and　quickness　of　　apprehension；　often　declared　his　hope　that　I　should　be　some　time　　the　richest　man　in　Abyssinia。〃
〃Why；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃did　thy　father　desire　the　increase　of　his　　wealth　when　it　was　already　greater　than　he　durst　discover　or　enjoy？　　　I　am　unwilling　to　doubt　thy　veracity；　yet　inconsistencies　cannot　　both　be　true。〃
〃Inconsistencies；〃　answered　Imlac；　〃cannot　both　be　right；　but；　　imputed　to　man；　they　may　both　be　true。　　Yet　diversity　is　not　　inconsistency。　　My　father　might　expect　a　time　of　greater　security。　　　However；　some　desire　is　necessary　to　keep　life　in　motion；　and　he　　whose　real　wants　are　supplied　must　admit　those　of　fancy。〃
〃This；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃I　can　in　some　measure　conceive。　　I　repent　　that　I　interrupted　thee。〃
〃With　this　hope；〃　proceeded　Imlac；　〃he　sent　me　to　school。　　But　when　　I　had　once　found　the　delight　of　knowledge；　and　felt　the　pleasure　of　　intelligence　and　the　pride　of　invention；　I　began　silently　to　　despise　riches；　and　determined　to　disappoint　the　purposes　of　my　　father；　whose　grossness　of　conception　raised　my　pity。　　I　was　twenty　　years　old　before　his　tenderness　would　expose　me　to　the　fatigue　of　　travel；　in　which　time　I　had　been　instructed；　by　successive　masters；　　in　all　the　literature　of　my　native　country。　　As　every　hour　taught　　me　something　new；　I　lived　in　a　continual　course　of　gratification；　　but　as　I　advanced　towards　manhood；　I　lost　much　of　the　reverence　　with　which　I　had　been　used　to　look　on　my　instructors；　because　when　　the　lessons　were　ended　I　did　not　find　them　wiser　or　better　than　　common　men。
〃At　length　my　father　resolved　to　initiate　me　in　commerce；　and；　　opening　one　of　his　subterranean　treasuries；　counted　out　ten　　thousand　pieces　of　gold。　　'This；　young　man；'　said　he；　'is　the　stock　　with　which　you　must　negotiate。　　I　began　with　less　than　a　fifth　　part；　and　you　see　how　diligence　and　parsimony　have　increased　it。　　　This　is　your　own；　to　waste　or　improve。　　If　you　squander　it　by　　negligence　or　caprice；　you　must　wait　for　my　death　before　you　will　　be　rich；　if　in　four　years　you　double　your　stock；　we　will　　thenceforward　let　subordination　cease；　and　live　together　as　friends　　and　partners；　for　he　shall　be　always　equal　with　me　who　is　equally　　skilled　in　the　art　of　growing　rich。'
〃We　laid　out　our　money　upon　camels；　concealed　in　bales　of　cheap　　goods；　and　travelled　to　the　shore　of　the　Red　Sea。　　When　I　cast　my　　eye　on　the　expanse　of　waters；　my　heart　bounded　like　that　of　a　　prisoner　escaped。　　I　felt　an　inextinguishable　curiosity　kindle　in　　my　mind；　and　resolved　to　snatch　this　opportunity　of　seeing　the　　manners　of　other　nations；　and　of　learning　sciences　unknown　in　　Abyssinia。
〃I　remembered　that　my　father　had　obliged　me　to　the　improvement　of　　my　stock；　not　by　a　promise；　which　I　ought　not　to　violate；　but　by　a　　penalty；　which　I　was　at　liberty　to　incur；　and　therefore　determined　　to　gratify　my　predominant　desire；　and；　by　drinking　at　the　fountain　　of　knowledge；　to　quench　the　thirst　of　curiosity。
〃As　I　was　supposed　to　trade　without　connection　with　my　father；　it　　was　easy　for　me　to　become　acquainted　with　the　master　of　a　ship；　and　　procure　a　passage　to　some　other　country。　　I　had　no　motives　of　　choice　to　regulate　my　voyage。　　It　was　sufficient　for　me　that；　　wherever　I　wandered；　I　should　see　a　country　which　I　had　not　seen　　before。　　I　therefore　entered　a　ship　bound　for　Surat；　having　left　a　　letter　for　my　father　declaring　my　intention。〃

CHAPTER　IX　…　THE　HISTORY　OF　IMLAC　（CONTINUED）。

〃WHEN　I　first　entered　upon　the　world　of　waters；　and　lost　sight　of　　land；　I　looked　round　about　me　in　pleasing　terror；　and　thinking　my　　soul　enlarged　by　the　boundless　prospect；　imagined　that　I　could　gaze　　around　me　for　ever　without　satiety；　but　in　a　short　time　I　grew　　weary　of　looking　on　barren　uniformity；　where　I　could　only　see　again　　what　I　had　already　seen。　　I　then　descended　into　the　ship；　and　　doubted　for　awhile　whether　all　my　future　pleasures　would　not　end；　　like　this；　in　disgust　and　disappointment。　　'Yet　surely；'　said　I；　　'the　ocean　and　the　land　are　very　different。　　The　only　variety　of　　water　is　rest　and　motion。　　But　the　earth　has　mountains　and　valleys；　　deserts　and　cities；　it　is　inhabited　by　men　of　different　customs　and　　contrary　opinions；　and　I　may　hope　to　find　variety　in　life；　though　I　　should　miss　it　in　nature。'
〃With　this　thought　I　quieted　my　mind；　and　amused　myself　during　the　　voyage；　sometimes　by　learning　from　the　sailors　the　art　of　　navigation；　which　I　have　never　practised；　and　sometimes　by　forming　　schemes　for　my　conduct　in　different　situations；　in　not　one　of　which　　I　have　been　ever　placed。
〃I　was　almost　weary　of　my　naval　amusements　when　we　safely　landed　at　　Surat。　　I　secured　my　money　and；　purchasing　some　commodities　for　　show；　joined　myself　to　a　caravan　that　was　passing　into　the　inland　　country。　　My　companions；　for　some　reason　or　other；　conjecturing　　that　I　was　rich；　and；　by　my　inquiries　and　admiration；　finding　that　　I　was　ignorant；　considered　me　as　a　novice　whom　they　had　a　right　to　　cheat；　and　who　was　to　learn；　at　the　usual　expense；　the　art　of　　fraud。　　They　exposed　me　to　the　theft　of　servants　and　the　exaction　　of　officers；　and　saw　me　plundered　upon　false　pretences；　without　any　　advantage　to　themselves　but　that　of　rejoicing　in　the　superiority　of　　their　own　knowledge。〃
〃Stop　a　moment；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃is　there　such　depravity　in　man　　as　that　he　should　injure　another　without　benefit　to　himself？　　I　can　　easily　conceive　that　all　are　pleased　with　superiority；　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　shown　by　warning　as　betraying　you。〃
〃Pride；〃　said　Imlac；　〃is　seldom　delicate；　it　will　please　itself　　with　very　mean　advantages；　and　envy　feels　not　its　own　happiness　but　　when　it　may　be　compared　with　the　misery　of　others。　　They　were　my　　enemies　because　they　grieved　to　think　me　rich；　and　my　oppressors　　because　they　delighted　to　find　me　weak。〃
〃Proceed；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃I　doubt　not　of　the　facts　which　you　　relate；　but　imagine　that　you　impute　them　to　mistaken　motives。〃
〃In　this　company；〃　said　Imlac；　〃I　arrived　at　Agra；　the　capital　of　　Hindostan；　the　city　in　which　the　Great　Mogul　commonly　resides。　　I　　applied　myself　to　the　language　of　the　country；　and　in　a　few　months　　was　able　to　converse　with　the　learned　men；　some　of　whom　I　found　　morose　and　reserved；　and　others　easy　and　communicative；　some　were　　unwilling　to　teach　another　what　they　had　with　difficulty　learned　　themselves；　and　some　showed　that　the　end　of　their　studies　was　to　　gain　the　dignity　of　instructing。
〃To　the　tutor　of　the　young　princes　I　recommended　myself　so　much　　that　I　was　presented　to　the　Emperor　as　a　man　of　uncommon　knowledge。　　　The　Emperor　asked　me　many　questions　concerning　my　country　and　my　　travels；　and　though　I　cannot　now　recollect　anything　that　he　uttered　　above　the　power　of　a　common　man；　he　dismissed　me　astonished　at　his　　wisdom　and　enamoured　of　his　goodness。
〃My　credit　was　now　so　high　that　t