DESCRIPTION OF A PALACE IN A VALLEY

Ye who listen with credulity to Ihe whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness ihe phantoms of hope ; who expecl Ihat âge wiil perform the promises of youth, and thatthe deQciencies of the présent dey will be supplied by the morrow; attend lo the history of Rasselas, prince ofAbyssinia.

Rasselas was the fourlh son of the mighty emperor, in whose dominions the father of waters begins his course ; whose bounty pours down streams of plenty, and scatters over half the world the harvests of Egypt.

According to the custom which has descended from âge to âge, among the monarchs of the torrid zone, Rasselas was confined in a private palace, with the other sons and daughters of Abyssinian royalty, tiil the order of succession shouid call him to the Ihrone.

The place, which the wisdom or policy of antiquity had destined for the résidence of ihe Abyssinian princes, was a spacious valIey in the kingdom of Amhara. surrounded, on every side, by mountains, of which the summit overhung the middle part. The only passage, by which it could be entered, was a cavern, Ihat passed iinder a rock, of which it has long been disputed, whelher it was the work of nature, orof human industry. The outlet of the cavern was concealed by a thick wood, and the mouth which opened into the valley, was closed with gâtes of iron, forged by the artificers of ancient days, so massy, that no man could, wilhout the help of engines, open or shut Ihem.

From the mountains on every side, rivulets descended, Ihatfilled ail the valley with verdure end fertility, and formed a lake in the

middie, inhabited by fîsh of every species, and frequented by every fowl whom nature has laught lo dip Ihe wing in water. This lake discharged ils superfluilies by a slream which entered a dark cleft of lie mountain, on ihe iiorlhern side, and fell, with dreadfal noise, from précipice to précipice, tiil it was heard no more.

The sides of the mounlains were covered wilh trees ; Ihe banks of t!ie brooks were diversified wilh flowers ; every blasl shook spices from Ihe rocks,, and every monlh dropped fruits upon Ihe ground. Ail animais ihat bile the grass, or browse Ihe shrub, whether wild or t.'ime, wandered in this extensive circuit, secured from beasts of prey, by the mounlains which confined Ihem, On one part were flocks and herds feeding in the pastures ; on anolher, ail Ihe beasts of chase frlsking in the lawns; the sprighlly kid was bounding on the rocks, l!»e subtle monkey frolicking in the trees, and the solemn éléphant reposing in the shade. Ail the diversities of the world were brought together; the blessings of nature were collected, and ils evils extracled and excluded.

The valley, wide and fruitful, supplied ils fnhabitants wilh Ihe necessaries of life; and ail delighls and superfluilies were added, at the annual visit which the emperor paid bis children, when the iron gâte was opened lo the sound of music ; and during eight days, every one that resided in the valley was required lo propose whatever might conlribute lo make seclusion pleasant, to fill up Ihe vacancies of attention, and lessen the tediousness of lime. Every désire was immedialely granled. Ail the artificers of pleasure were cailed lo gladden the feslivily ; the musicians exerled the power of harmony, and the dancers exerled their activiiy before the princes, in hope thaï ihey should pass their lives in this blissful captivity, to which ihose only were admitled whose performance was thought able to add novelty to luxury. Such was Ihe appearance of security and delight which this retirement afforded, that they, to whom il was new, ahvays desired that it miglil be perpétua!; and as those on whom the ron gale had once closed, were never siiffered to relurn, Ihe effect of onger expérience could nol be known. Thus, every year produced new schemes of delight, and new compelitors for imprisonment.

The palace stood on an eminence, raised aboiil ihirty paces, abové

ihe surface of Ihe lake. It was divided into many squares or courts, builtwilh grealeror less magnificence according to Ihe rank of ihose for whom Ihey were designed. Tlie roofs were lurned into arches of massy stone, joined by a cernent ihat grew harder by lime, and the building slood, from century to century, deriding the soistitial rains and equinoclial hurricanes wilhout need of réparation.

This house, which was so large, as to be fully known to none but sonie ancient offîcers who successively inherited the secrets of the place, was buill, as if suspicion herself had dictated the plan. To every room there was an open and a secret passage ; every square had a communication with the rest, eilher from the upper stories by private galleries, or by subterranean passages from the lower apartments. Many of the columns had unsuspected cavilies, in which a long race of monarchs had deposited their treasures. They ihen closed up Ihe opening wilh marble, which was nevcr to be removed but in ihe utmost exigencies of the kingdom ; and recorded their accumulations, in a book which was ilself concealed in a lower not enlered but by the emperor, allended by the prince who slood nexl in succession.

(Johnson.)