Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-03-05
THE HISTORY OF RASSELAS,
PRINCE OF ABYSSlNIA.
CHAPTER XI.


Enough thou hast convinced me, that
no human being can ever be poet.
Proceed with thy narration.
"To be poet" said Imlac, sis indeed
very difficult" $50 difficult" returned
the prince, "that | will at present hear no
more of his labors. Tell me whittier YOU
went when you had seen Persia
"From Persia" said thepoet. II travel
led through Syria, and for three years re-
sided in Palestine, where | conversed
with great numbers of the northern and
western nations of Europe: the nations
which are now in possession of all power
and all knowledge whose armies are IT.
resistible. and whose fleets command the
remotest parts of the globe. When |
compared these men with the natives of
our kingdom, and those that surround US.
they appeared almost another order of
beings In their countries it is difficult
to wish for anything that may not be OBJ
tanned thousand arts, of which we never
heard, are continually laboring for their
convenience and pleasure and whatever
their own climate has denied them is sup
; piled by their commerce.
: "By what means,' said the prince.
"are the Europeans thus powerful: or
why, since they can 50 easily visit Asia
or Africa for trade or conquest. cannot
the Asiatics and Africans invade their
coasts. plant colonies in their ports. and
give laws to their natural princes: The
Q same wind that carries them back would
, bring us thither.''
q ''They are more powerful. sir. than we. "
: answered Imlac, "because they are wis
er: knowledge will always predominant
= over ignorance, as men governs the
e other animals. But why their knowledge
| is more than ours, know not what rea-
e son can be given, but the unsearchable
u will of the Supreme Being
e "When." said the prince with sigh,
= ''shall be able to visit Palestine. and
4 mingle with this mighty confluence of
r nations? Till that happy moment shall
t arrive, let me fill up the time with such
representations as thou canSt give me.
n am not ignorant of the motive that AS
h sembles such numbers in that place, and
e cannot but consider it as the centre of
l. wisdom and piety, to which the best and
II wisest of every land must be continually
V resorting."
Il There are some nations" said lmlac
''that send few vistants to Palestine: foI
d many numerous and learned SectS il
= Europe concur to censure pilgrimage n
Ie superstition, or dcride it a. ridiculous"
a "You know" said the prince. show
1t little my life has made me acquainted
lc with diversity of opinions: it will be toe
d long to hear the arguments on both sides
ID you, that have considered them. tell IN,
z the result.
n "Pilgrmage," said Imlac. like many
v other acts of piety, may be reasonable
l. or superstitious. according to the princi
p piles upon which it is performed. Ions
lie journeys in search of truth are not com
ID handed. Truth. such as is necessary Il
as the regulation of life, is always founC
where it is honestly sought. Change o
II place is no natural cause of the increaS,
h of piety, for it inevitably produces dissi
te patton of mind. Yet, since men 30 every
IS day to view the fields where great action
t have been performed, and return will
IF stronger impressions of the event, curios
ity of the same kind may naturally dis
rs pose US to view that country whence on
= religion had its beginning; and believ,
lie no man surveys those awful scenes with
I'd out some confirmation of holy resolu
III tons. That the Supreme Being may b.
ID more easily propitiated in one place THAI
I'd in another is the dream of idle supersti
to ton: but that some places may Operate
Id upon our minds in an uncommon man
hit ner is an opinion which hourly expert
IN ence will justify. He who supposes tina
It. his vices may be more successfully com
or bated in Palestine will, perhaps, find him
he self mistaken; yet he may go thithe
without folly: he who thinks they will b
IT. more freely pardoned dishonors at one
nd his reason and religion"
10 These" said the prince, ''are Euro
fin pean distinctions. | will consider ther
ed another time. What have you fonnd t
MT be the effect of knowledge? Are thos
A. nations happier than we?''
There is so much infelcity." said III
hv poet, ''in the world, that scarce any ma
has leisure from his own distresses To e.
innate the comparative happiness
: " others. knowledge is certainly one {
the means of pleasure, as is confessed b
ar- the natural desire which every mind fee
of increasing its ideas. Ignorance
VS. mere privation by which nothing can
,er produced: it is a vacuity in which II
on soul sits motionless and torpid for wal
de of attraction; and without knowing VIII!
I we always rejoice when we learn, an
NV grieve when we forget ! am therefor
Fl inclined to conclude, that if nothin
he counteracts the natural consequence {
of learning, we grow more happy as OF