The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-31

today, yet in some undefnable way he remains a dominating figure, almost as if he were of the present.
 His continued and undiminishing fame is due almost entirely to his character It was his talk, more than his writings, that made him of immense importance to English literature. He taught the minds about him to think. He brushed from the brains of his great contemporaries the cobwebs of cant affectation, also sentiment and Heretricious art
 "Rasselas," like most of his written words, is couched in stilted language; but 1t Is beautiful, chaste and poetic English despite this. There are deep philosophy and wonderful Knowledge of human nature in every part Of 1t. It gives a view of life that Is profound, though gloomy.
 n AsSELAS, Prince of Abyssinia,
 T was the fourth son of the 4 \ mighty Emperor of that great country in whose dominions the Nile, father of waters, begins his course. pouring downward the streams of plen- ty and scattering the harvest of Egypt over half the world.
 According to an age-long custom, Rasselas, like all other sons and daugh- ters of Abyssinian royalty. was con- fined from youth in a private palace to wait till succession should call him to the throne.
 This palace stood in a gloriously beautiful valley and was surrounded by mountains of such steepness and height that they forbade flight or &C., cess. The only entrance was through a passage between the hills. defended by gates of iron so massive that no living man could open them without the aid of engines
 Those in the outer world did not tm- agine that any of the fortunate ones in the beautiful valley could wish to leave it. From time to time great poets or learned men, brillian tartists dancers and singers, were sent into the valley to amuse or teach the princely family there. The vision of comfort and delight which was opened to them al- ways impressed them so powerfully that they had no dearer wish than that 1t might be perpetual and as the iron gates closed on these visitors for ever, none returned to tell the outside world if longer experience changed their views
 The princes and princesses of Abys- sinia dwened there with the knowledge of only pleasure and repose. Around them were all the blessings of nature and of art, with their evil extracted. They wandered in gardens of frag- rance. They knew not the meaning of danger. The sages taught them that they were happy and that the world without was sad The poets and sing CTS sang to them praises of their happy valley.
 Few of the princes ever wished to en- large their bounds, but were convinced that they had all that the world could be- stow and pitied those who dwelled out side. But when Rasselas, the fourth prince, reached the age of 26 he became dissatisfied without knowing why.
 The oldest sage in the valley, who had been his instructor fro myouth, saw his been his instructor from youth, who had the first who has become dissatisfied with the happy valley" said the sage Look around and tell me which of your wants is unfulhlled. If you want nothing. how can you be unhappy"
 That is the cause of my complaint said the Prince. T want nothing and know not what I want. Give me some thing to desire"
 Sir" said the sage, If you had seen the miseries of the world beyond this val fo present state"
 Now" cried the Prince, starting up, now you have given me something to de- sire I long to see the miseries of the world. since the sight of them is neces- sary to happiness"
 Rasselas now began to picture to him. self this world which he never had seen. His chief amusement was to imagine him. self in many conditions. entangled in dif- faculties or engaged in wild adventures, and always he dreamed that each ad- venture would terminate in his relief of distress, defeat of oppressors and dif- fusion of happiness.
 He resolved to flee from the happy val- ley, and while he waited for an opportuni- ty he set about learning the ways of men. Among the wise folk who had been sent into the happy valley was one Imlac. who had been in all the places of the earth and had seen men in wealth and in wretchedness, in glory and in shame.
 He told kasselas of India and Arabia and Persia, and finally of Europe. They cure wounds and diseases with which we languish and perish," said Imlac. They have engines for performing labor that we must do slowly by hand There Is such communication between distant places that one friend can hardly be said to be absent from another"
 "They are surely happy" said the Prince.
 .They are less unhappy than others" said Imlac, ''but they are not happy Hu- man life everywhere is a state in which much must be endured.
 The Prince was unwilling to believe that happiness was distributed to mortals so parsimoniously. Imlac told him how he had grown in wisdom without gaining happiness, and how at last he had re- turned to his native land still seeking it. CT desired to teach my countrymen what had learned" said he ''The nobles ad rnitted me to their tables. heard my story and dismissed me. l opened school, and was forbidden to teach I wooed a wom- an, and she rejected me because my father had been tradesnan. I resigned myself with joy to perpetual confinement in this happy valley