Letters of a Peruvian princess ; with the sequel

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LETTERS

OF A

PERUVIAN PRINCESS

WITH

THE SEQUEL.

Trau/latta frcoi :".* Frea;h of

MADAME DE GRAFIGXY.

'JWO VOLUMES IN ONE.
VOL. I.

Ccafic'':^" a3Dirion.

} VB';i,M. HiJ) UJT

prjntert fnr C. COoXK, No. i-, Pite.-n.^£.--P.cw

And lu;.-! by ail rhe Bo kfeUers ^r.

Grtr.:-Brira;n ?.«a

Ireland.

LIFE pF
MADAME De GRAFIGNY.

MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY OF FLOREXCE.

M^ADAME De Grangny was born in Lorrain, December 12,
iGgf^, and died at Paiis, in the fixty-fourth year of her age. —
Her'tatlier, who by delcent was of the houfe of Iffemburg in
Germany, in his younger days, ferved i* :he French army. He
was aid de camp to Marfhal BouHers at the fiege of Namur. Lewis
XIV. in recompence for his Lrvices, made him a gentleman of
franco, as he was before of Germany ; and confirmed all his ti-
tles. He afterwards attached himfalf to the court of Lorrain.

His daughter was married to Francis Huguet of Grafigny, ex-
empt of the bod y guards, and chamberlain to the Duke or Lon-ain .
Much did fiie fufter from the treatment of her hufband : and after
many years of heroic patience, was juridically feparated from him.
She had fome children by him, who all died young, before their
father.

Madam Grafigny was of a grave difpofition j her converfation
did not difplay thofe talents which fhe had received from nature.
A folid judgment, a heart tender and benevolent, ard a behaviour
affable, uniform, and ingenuous, hadgained her many friends, a
long time before ihe had any profpeft of having literary admirers.

Mademoifelle de Gulfe coming to Paris to celebrate her nup-
tials with the Duke de Richelieu, brought with her Madam de
Grafigny ; and, but for this incident, perhaps {he would never
have iesn that city j at leaft, her fituation in life by no means
gave her reafon to think of it : neither had ihe,. nor any of lier
friends, at that time, the leaft profpecl of the reputation which
attended her in that capital. Several per fons of wit, who were
united into a fociety, of which fliealfo became a member, inlliled
on her giving th-m fom^ething for their Recneil, which vras printed
in duodecimo, in the year 1745. The piece which flie gave is
the moft confidsrable in that colle£lion. It is called Ncwvelle Ef-
pa^noie j le mauvah exernple f rod-ait aiitant re 'virtus que de inces*
The title itfelf, we fee, is a maxim, and the novel is full of them.
This little piece was not reliihed by fome of the affociates. Ma-
dam de Grafigny, piqued at the pleafantries oftlicfe gentlemen
on her Spaniih novel, without faying any thing to the fociety,
compofed the Letters of a p ruvic:;:, which had the greate^ fuc-
cefs. A fliort time after v e gave the French theatre, Can:, a
piece of five afts, in profe, v.- h'xh was received with an apphufe
that has continued to the preient day. This play is one of tlis
b eft we have of the fentimental kind. La

* A Spamfn novel: bad example; produce as many virtue: as \-ijts.
A 2

IV ^ tlTE GF MAftAME BE GRAFICNY.

La F;//V d" yli-ifvJey another comedy in profe, had not, on re-
prcrentation, the fame fuccefs with C:mc. It was publifiied after
the death of Madam Grafigny : it is faid that the author coneded
the I aft proof on the very day of her death. It is alfo confidently
reported, tiiat the ill fuccefs of this piece on theftage, contributed
not ^ little to the diforder of which fhe died. Madam de Grafigny
hid that laudable regard for her reputation which is the parent oV
many taltnrs : a cenforious epigram had given her great chagrin j
and which fhe freely atlcnowledgcd.

Bcfides thefe two printed dramas, Madam de Grafigny wrote a
little fairy tale of one aft, called A'z'.r, \\hich was performed at
her own apartments ; and which fhe was perfu:.ded not to give to
the comedians. She alfo compofed three or four pieces of one aft
that were rcprcfented at Vienna, by the children of the Emperor.
Thefe are of the fimple and moral kind, on accountof theauguft
charafters who were to be inftrufted by them.

Their imperial majeilies, the emperor and emprcfs, queen of
Hungary and Bohemia, honoured our author with a particular ef-
teem'j and made her frequent prefents ; as did alfo eiieir royal
highnelTes Prince Charles, and the princefs Charlotte of Lorrain,
with whom ihe had moreover the dirtinguiilied honour of a lirerarj
correfpondence.

Madam de Grafigny left her books to the late M. Guymont de
Is Touche, author of the modem tragC'^y of Iphigenia en Tau-
ridc, aid of the Epiille to Friend/hip. He enjoyed this donation
but little more than a year, for he died in the month of February
176c. She left all her papers to the care of a man of letters, who
had been her friend for thirty years j with the liberty of difpofing
oi them in fuch manner as he thought proper.

We mav judge of the genius of Madam de Grafigny by her
WTJtings ; and of her morals by her friends, for fhe had none but
thof? of the greateft merit : and their efteem is her bcft eulogy.
The ."h'.ingMilhed marks of her charafter were afenfibility, anda
g?odr..-i- of heart, fcarccly to be parallelled. Her whole life was
one aft of beneficence. We know but few particular circum-
i1:mces relating to it \ for fhe never fpoke of herfelf, and her ac-
tions wer^ covered with the veil of fi-nplicity and mcdefFy. We
know m general, indeed, that her life was a continued leries of
misfortunes 5 and. douhtlefs, ir was from th:fe that fhe drew, in
PKt, that amiable and fublirr.e philofophy of the heart, which
clnriftcrifts her woiks, vind will make them dear to pclierit)-.

ADVERTISE-

ADVERTISEMENT.

If truth, when k ftrays from probability, uru;'.ny lofbs its
crcdiL in the eye of reafon, it is for a fhort time only j bur, let it
co:itrad;(5i prejudice ever fo litde, aad it will feldum find favour
before that tribunal.

What then ought not the editor of this work to fear, in prc-
fenting to the public the letters of a young Peruvian, whofe ftyle
and thoughts fo little agree with the mean idea which an unjuft
prejudice has coufed us to form of that nation ?

Enriclied by the precious fpoils of Peru, we ought, at leaft, to
regard the inhabitants of that part of the world as a magnificent
people 3 and the fentiment of refpedl is not very rem-ote tirom the
idea of magnificence. But fo prejudiced are we always in our own
lavGur, that we rate the m.erit of other nations not only in propor-
tion astheir manners imitate ours, but in proportion as their ton-
gues approach nearer to our idiom. H'^iu can any ore beaPerJiar^*

We defpUe the Indians, and hsrdly grant a thinking foul tp
thcfe unhappy people : yet their hiftory abounds with monuments
of the fagacity of their minds, and the folidity of their phiiolb-
phy. The apoiogift of humanity, and of beautiful nature,-]- has
traced the outlines of the Indian manners in a dramatic poem, the
fubjefl of which divides the glory with the execution.

With fo m.uch light jiven us into the charadlers of thefe peo-
ple, there fnould feem no room to fear that original letters, Vvhich
only exhibit what we already know of the lively and natural \\-\t
of ihe Indians, are in danger of palTmg for a ficlion. Put hath
prejudice any eyes ? There is no fecurity againft its judgment,
and we ihould have been careful not to fubmit this work to It, if
i::s empire had been without bounds. .It feem.s needlefs to give
jiotice, that the firft letters of Zilia were tranfiated by hericlf:
every one muft eafily judge, that, being com.pofed in a langur.g'e,
and traced In a manner equally unknown to us, this coilrclioa
could never have reached us, if the fame hand had not wricten
them over in our tongue.

We owe this tranllation to Zilia's leifure in her retreat : her
complaifance in com^riunicatiiig to them the Chevalier Deterville,
and chc peimifiion he at laft obtained to keep them, were the
means that conveyed them into our hands.

it will «afiiy be fcen, by the peculiarity of ftyle, that we havs
b-en fcrupuloufly careful not to take away any thing of the genu-
ine fpirit that reigns in this work. We have been content with
fupprelTing (efpecially in the firft letters) a great number of Ori-
ental '■

* The tranfiatr.r apprehends this fenrence to be a fatirical repetition after ibme
ncr French author. There 'Asre a few frroke ma.-l.ea in the fame mariner in
n= or two of the letters, which h dirt her take notice of, as he fuppofed they
T.^uld be uninteUi£ibls to the Enjiiih reader.

t M. <e VoIrai;e. A 3

>"! APOLOGV.

cntal* terms and comparifons, which efcnped Zilla, though flie
knew the French tongue pertcdly well when fhe tranflated them :
we iiave only left (o many ofthem as may fhew the neceflif y of re-
trenching the reil:. We thought it polnble alfo to give a more in-
telligible cum to certain metaphvhcal flrokes, which might have
apptared obicnre ; but this we have done without changing the
thought i-lclt. This is the only part that the editor has had ia
this lingular work.

APOLOGY.

1 O what the editor hath already faid, the tranfiator begs leave
to add, that, as he went through his talk with peculiar pleafure,
he hopes he has donejuftice to a work which appears to him to
hive great beauty in the original. The Peruvian character, as
far as wc know it from hiftory, joined to that of good fcnfe, in-
dexible virtue, tender fentiments, and unchangeable afteftions,
cannot be more ftrongly and naturally painted than in the letters of
Zilia 5 nor do we often fee the progiefs of the human mind fo
correclly and expreflively drawn as in thefe letters.

To this edition are now firft added the letters of Aza ; the ad-
vert! fcm?nt prefixed to them b)' the French editor fhews by what
means they were obtained. We fhall only add here, that by thefe
letrers the hiftory of Aza and Zilia is rendered complete. We
pvefume, moreover, that in the force and turns of palfion, in de-
licacy of fentimei:t, in variety of incidents, in pertinent rejec-
tions, and in dignity, propriety, and elegance of exprtflion, thoy
•, ill not be found inferior to the mof. admired aniong the letters

■. Z;]i3.

♦ The Fi cnnh eriitor here ure<: Oriental, for loft:y and fveWng, ihouBh tr.«
Ptru/iiins, with reipeit to us, ire certainly ^a Occidental people.

AN HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION

TO THE

PERUVIAN LETTERS.

-I HERE is no people the knowledge of whole origin and anti-
quities is more confined tlian tlint of tiie Peruvians. Their annals
Icarcely contain the hiAoi y or four centuries.

Mancocapac, according to the tradition of thefe people, was their
legiflator and their firft Inca. The fun, whom they call their fa-
ther, and regard as a god, touched, they fay, with that barbarity
in which they had for a long time lived, fent them from heaven
two of his children, a fon and a daughter, who were to give them
laws, and to induce them, by cultivating the earth and raifing of
citits, to become rational beings. It was therefore to Ma-r.cocafac
and to his wife Ccya Mama Oelio H-uaco, that the Peruvians owed
thofe principles, thofe manners and arts, by which thvy were
naade a happy people : before avarice, iffuing from a world of
whofe exigence they had no idea, brought tyrants to their land,
wholi barbarity was a difgiace to human nature, and the peculiar
infamy .of the age in whicn they lived.

The par'icular fituation of the Peruvians at the time the Spa-
niards made their d.fcent, was the moft favourable to the latter
that can be conceived. There had been, for fome time palt, a
report of an oracle whic h had declared, "That aiter a certain
number of kings reig is, there fhould arrive in that country a won-
derful fort of men, fuch as had never yet been leen, who fhould
ufurp their government, and deftroy their religion."

Tdough aftronomy was ojie of the chief fcieixces among the
Peruvians, they were yet as much frighted by prodigies as other
nations. Three circle's that were feen round the moon j but ef-
pecially certain comets which then appeared ; an eagle purfued
by other birds ; the fea that overflowed its bounds j ail made the
predidlions of the oracle to appear as infallible as they were fatal.
Tke eldeft fo:i of the fsventh Incas, whofe name*, in the Peru-
vian language, declared the fatality of his freech, had formerly
feen a figure quite different from that of the Peruvians. A robe
covered the fpcctre quite to the feet ; he had a long beard, and
v/ii fe ired on an unknown animal, v.hich he governed. Ail this
aftonilhed the young prince, to whom the phantom declared that
hewas defcended nom the fun, was the brother of Mancocapac,
and thrit he v/as called Virachocha.

This ridiculous rtory had been unluckily preferved among the
Peruvians, and when they fiw tne Spaniards with long beards,
their limbs covered, and mounted on animals they had never be-
fore feen, they took them to be the children of Viricccha, who
eillcd himfelf the offspring of the fun ; and from thence it came
thit the ufurpcr alfumed, by the amballddors he f.nt among them,

the

* YAilUARHUOCAC, wbivk .'jtiraltj' lignii'ics, BLOODY TEARS..

VJii AN INTRODUCTORY DISSERTATION

the tide of the defcendant from the god they adored. All things
bowed before the conquerors. Mankind are every where the fame.
The Spaniards were al.noft generally acknowledged as a kind of
gods, whofe wrath was not to be appeafed by the moft profufc
ofrerings, nor the moft abjecl humiliation.

The Peruvians perceiving that the horfes of the Spaniards
champed their bits, imagined that thofe tradable monfters, who
partook of their refpedl, and perhaps their worfhip, were nourifhed
by that metal. They therefore daily brought a vaft quantity of
gold and filver and laid it before them, by way of offering. We
mention this circumftance merely to ihew the credulity of the
Peruvians, and the facility wich which the Spaniards were enabled
to fubdue them.

Whatever homage the Peruvians might render the tyrants,
they had difplayed too much or their riches ever to have any fort
of indulgence from them. A whole people, fubmiflive and fup-
plicating mercy, were putto the fword. By the violation of every
luv of humanity, the Spaniards became abfolute mailers of all
the treafures of one of the richeft dominions of the earth. *' Def-
'•' picable vidlories 1" exclaimed Montagne, on recollecting the
vile objeil ofthefe conquefts. *' Never did ambition, (adds he.)
never did public animorities urge mankind to perfecute each other
with fuch horrible hoftilities, or fuch deplorable calamities."

Thus did the Peruvians become the woeful vidims of an ava-
ricious people, who at firft gave no figns but thofe of peace and
e\-en friendfhip. An ignorance of our vices, and the hmplicity
of their own manners, threw them into the arms of a bafe enemy.
In vain had immenfe trafts of land and water feparated the cities
of the fun from our world, for they became our prey, and even
the mofV precious part oi our dominions What a fight to the Spa-
niards were the gardens of the temple of the fun! where the trees,
fruits and flov.'erswereoffolid gold, and worked with an art unknown
to Europeans. The walls of the temple itfelf lined wi^h the fame
metal : an infi lite number of ftatues covered with precious ftones,
and an immenfe quantity of other treafures. till then unknown,
dazzled the conquerors of that unhappy people, and made them
forget, in the midll of their cruelties j that the Peruvians were
me.i. An analyfis of the manners of thefe unfortunate people,
equally concife with that we have here given of their calamities,
ihall finifh that introduttion which was thougiit neceflary to the
fubfequent letters.

'i he Peruvians were in general of an ingenuous and humane
difpofition ; the attachment which they had to their religion, made
them rigid obfervers of the huvs, Jor they regarded them as the
v/ork of Mancocapac, the fon of that luminary which they adored.
Tho>'.gh the fun was the only god to whom they eredlcd temples,
yet they acknowledged, as iuperlor to him, a God the Creator,
v.i'liom they called Pach.\camuc j and this was with them the.fu-

premr

TO THE PERUVIAN LETTERS. Ijt

i^feme appellation, was rarely pronounced, and always accompa-
nied wilh figns of che moft av.tul admiration. They had moreover
a great veneration for the moon, which they regard .-d as the wife
and fifter of t>.e fun. They confidered her alfo as the mother of
all things J but they believed, as do all the Indians, that fhe
would caufe thediffolution of the world, by falling upon the earth,
and thereby deftroying i'. The thunder, which they called
Yalpor, and the lightning, pa^fed among them as m.iniil:ers of
juftice to the fun ; and thi^ idea conTibuted not a little to infpire
them with thatawful refpedl:hey h "i for the firft Spaniards, whofe
fire arms they took, to be th; inllruments of thunder.

The opinio:! of the immortality of the foul was eftabliflied among
the Peruvians. They fuppofed. as do the greateft part of the In-
dians, that the foul went iiite fome unknown region, where it
was rewarded or punifhed according to its merit.

Gold, and all that was the moft precious among them, compof-
ed th? offerings which they made to the faru The Raytri was the
principal feaft of that god- to whonn they prefented a cup of »?tf)f ,
a kind offtrong liquor, v.^hichthey were'fkilful in extradiing from
one of their plants, and of wliich they drank even to intoxicatjoil
after their facrifices. To the Tempk of the Sun there were an
hundred doors. The reigning Inca, whom they called Capa Inca,
had the fole right of opening thefe dcors: and alfo to him alone
belonged the right of penetrating into the interior parts of the tem-
ple. Tlie virgins, who v/ere devoted to the Sun, v/ere there edu ^
cated, al moft from their birth ; andtheythere preferved a perpetuai
virginity, under the conduft of their mamas, or governors; un-
lefs when the law had ord'.ined any of them to efpoufe the Inca,
who was always to marry his fifter, or when he had no fifter, the
firft princefs of the blood, who was a virgin of the Sun. One of
the principaloccupationsof thefe virgins was toprepare the diadems
for the Incas, of which a fort of fringe compofed the only orna-
ment. This temple was decorated v.ith the ditl'erent idols of na-
tions who had fubmitted to the Incas, after they had b^en made to
embrace the worftiip of the fun. The richnefs" of the metals, and
of the precious ftones v.-ith which it was embelliftied, gave it a
magnificence and fnlendour worthy of that divinity to whom it was
confecrated. The obedience and reverence of the Peruvians for
their king, was founded on the belief that the fun was the father
of their monarchs •, but their fidelity and aff;dion for them was
the fruit of the virtue and equitablegovemm.ent ofthelrxas them-
felves. The youths of the country were educated with all that
care which the happy fimplicity of their morals infpired. Subor-
dination was there fubmitted to with alacrity, becaufe they v.'ere
early accuftomed to it, and tyranny and pride had there no place.
Modefty and mutual aftcftion'were the .firftprinciples of their edu-
cation. Careful to correct each error in its infancy, they whohad
the charge of their youth, either fupprefled a rifing paflion, or

X AN INTJtODVCTORY DISSERTATION.

turnej it to the advantage ot fociety. There are loir£ virtues
which necefiarily include many others. To give an idea of thofe
of the Peruvians, it is fumcient'to fay, that before the defcent of
the Spaniards, it pafies for an indifputable faft, that no Peruvian
was ever known to utter a falfity.

The Amutas, or philofophers of that nation, taught their
youths the difcoveri?s they had made in the fciences. I'he Peru-
vians were yet in the infancy of that fort of knowledge : they were
however in the full vigpur of happ'mefs. This people had I'efs in-
formation, lefs knowledge, fewer arts than we have, and yet they
had fufficient to provide them with every necefTary of life. The
qu.ipas or quipos* ferving them inftead of our writing. Strings
of cotton or of guts, v/lth which other firings of different colours
werz united, reminded them, by means of knots placed at certain
diftances, of things they defired to remember. By the help of
thefe they preferved their annals, their codes, their rituals, &c.
They had alfo public officers whom they called ^iuipccamam, to
the care of whom their qiiipos were committed. The finances,
the difburfements, the tributes, all matters, all combinations,
were as eafily regulated by quipos, as they could have been by
writing. The fage legiflatorof Peru, Mancocapac, had inftitutcd
the culture of the earth as a facred right; they enjoyed their lands
in common, and thedayscf their labour were the days of feftivity.
Canals oi'a prodigious extent, diftributed every where refrefhmenC
ar.d fercility j and what is fcarce credible, without any inftrumcnt
of iron or fteel , but by the mere force of labour, thefe people
were able to overthrow rocks, and cut through the higheft moun-
tains, in order to carry their ftupendous aqueducts, or their public
roads, through every part of their dominions. The Peruvians
knciw as much of geometry as was necelTary to meafure and divide
their lands. Phyfic was there unknown as a fcience, tiiough
they had fome medical fecrets which were pradifed on particular
cccafions. Garcilaflo reports, that they had a fort of mufic, and
even lome kinds of poetry. Their poets, wnom they called //t?-
fave:, compofed a fpecies of tragedy and comedy, which the fons
of the caciquesy, or thecuraccasJI veprefented, during their fefti-
val times before the inc '.sand the court. Morality, and the know-
ledge of the laws neceiTary to the welfare of fociety, were therefore
the only fciences in which the Peruvians appear to have been well
Skilled. " It muft be allowed (fays an hiftorianj) that they have
made fuch great ad vancesin the fcience of policy , and have eftablirti-
cd fo folid I'.n economy, that there will be found but few nations
wlio can booft of havbig excelled them in thefe matters."

* The quipos of Peru werealfc in ufe with many other nations cf South America,
f The cacijues wer; a fort of governors of provinces.
II Sovereigns of a fmall territory. Tliefe never appeared before the incas 4nd
the queens, wirhout offering them atribute of the curiofiiies which the province
where tficy commanded produced.

4^ Puffcadorff. Introdufticn to hiftcry. LETTER*

COOKfc.8 POCXKT ZD.'l.O^ Oi Si-I^^'CT I^'ON—.LS

LETTERS

OF A

PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

LETTER I.

Tb AzA : account of her being taken out of the temple of tke
Sun by tke Spaniards.

AZA ' my dear Aza ! the cries of thy tender Zilia,
like a morning vapour, exhale and are dlFipated
before they arrive in thy prelence : in vain I call thee to
my luccour ; in vain I expect thy love to com.e, and
break the chains of my flavery 5 alas 1 perhaps the mif-
fortunes I am yet ignorant of are the moll terrible ! per-
haps thy woes furpafs even mine ! The city of the Sun,
delivered to tlie fury of a barbarous nation, fliculd make
my eyes overflowvvdth tears; but my giief, n-iy fears,
my delpair, are for thee alone.

Dear foul of mv life, what wert thou doing in that
frightful tumult ? Was thy courage fatal or ufelels to thee ?
Cruel alternative 1 diilraciing anxiety ! O my dear Aza,
mayeft thou yet live in fafety, and may I fmk, if it be
needful, under the ills that opprefs me. Since the ter-
rible moment (which fliould have been matched cut of
the chain of time, and replunged into the eternal ideas)
fmce the moment of lioiTor wherein thefe impious favages
bore m.e av.-ay from the worfliip of the fun, from myielf,
from my love ; retained in clofe captivity, deprived of
all communication, ignorant of the language of thefe
fierce men ; I expei'ience only the effects of misfortune,
without being able to difcover tlie caufe of it. Plunged
in an abyfs of obfcurity, my days refemble the moft
dreadful nights. Far* from being affected with my com-
plaints, my ravifhers are not touched even with my tears j
equally deaf to my language and to the cries of my def-
pair. What people aie there fo favage as to be umnov.ed
at the figns of anguifn ? What di'eary defart couid pro.-
'iuce human beings infenfible to the voice of groaning
Nature ? O the barbai^ians, favage matters of the tliun-

der,

71 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

-dcf,* and of the power to extenninate ; cruelty Is the fole
guide of" their actions. Aza, how wilt thou elcape their
fury? Where art thou ? In what fituation ? If my life is
dear to thee, Inform me of thy deftiny.

Alas ! how is mine changed. Whence can it be,
that days, in themfclvesfo like one another, fliould, with
rcfpeft tome, havefuch fatal differences ? Tune rolls on,
daiknels fucceeds light, nothing in nature appears out of
order; but I, of late iupremely happy, lo I am fallen
into the horror of delpair ! nor wai, there an intei-val to
prepare m.e for this fearful change. Thou knovveft, O
delight of my heart, that on that terrible day, that day
for ever dreadful, the triumph of cur union was to have
fl:one lorth. Scarce did it begin to appear, vvh<?n hripa-
tient to execute a projeft which my tendernefs had inlpired
me with In the night, I ran tomy Qi£ipos,-f- and, taking
advantage of the lilence which then reigned in the tem-
ple, halkned to knot them, in hopes that by their affiit-
ance I irJght render immortal the hillcry of our love and
pur felicity. As I proceeded in my work, the under-
taking appeared to mic lefs difScult : the clue of innume-
rable thieads by degrees grew imder niy lingers a faithful
painting of our a61ions and our fentiraentsj as it was
heretofore the interpreter of our thoiights during the Ion*
inteivals of our ablencc from each other. Wholly taken
up with my employment, I forgot how time palled, wheii
a ccnfuled noife awakened my ipirits, and put my lieart
in a flutter. I thought the happy moment was arrived,
and that the hundred gatest were opening to give a free
palTag«! to ihe fun of my days: precipitately I hid my
Quipos under t]ie lappet of my robe, and nn to meet thee.
But liovv horrible was the ipeflacle that appealed before

my

* Alluding to rhe cannon.
_ t A great number O: firings of different colours, which the In-
• ilans ule for want of wriiirg, in aacounting the pay of their
their troops and the number of their people. Som£ aurhors pve-
tcr.d that they make ufecf them alio totianfmit to pofterjty t\\»
memorable adions of iheir incas.

X In the tem.ple of the fun were an hundred gates, uhiN-k the
hica pulv hid power to have opened.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. J 5,

my eyes ! The frightful idea of it will never be effaced
cut of my memor)'.

The pavement of the temple ftained with bbod j the
image ot tliefun trodden under loot 5 our atFrighted vir-
gins flying before a troop or furious foldiers, who raaf-
lacred all that cppoled their paiTage j our Mamas* ex-
piring under their wounds, their garments ftill burning
with the fire of the thunder ; tiie groans of uii'may, the
cries of rage, fpreading dread and horror on every fide,
brought me at lalt to a fenfe of my mil'er}'-. JBeing re-
txuned to myfelf, I found that by a natural, and almoft
involuntary motion, I was got behind the altar, which I
embraced. There I faw the barbarians pafs by : I did
not dare to give free pafiage to my panting breath, for
fear it fliould cell me my iiie, I remarked, however,
that the effc61s of their cruelty abated at the light of the
prtcicus ornaments that overfpread the temple ; that they
feized thofe whofe luftre ftruck them m-cft fenfibly; and
that they even plucked off the plates of geld that lined
tlie walls. I judged that theft v/as the motive of their
barbarity, and that, to avoid death, m.y only way was
to conceal m.yfelf from their fight. I dcligned to have
got out of the temple, to have been conducted to thy pa-
lace, to have demanded fuccour of the Capa Tnca,j and
an afyluni for my cempanicns and me : but nofccner did
1 attempt to llir, than I was arretted. Oh niydeai-Azai
tlien did I tremble ! thefe impious men dared to lay tlieir
hands upcn the daughier of the fun.

Torn from the facitd abode, dragged ignomlnicufly
cut of the temple, I law for the firiitime tliethrtHicld of
tlie celeftial ^ate, which I ought not to have palled but
w^-th the enfsgns of royaicy.]; Inftead of the fiowcrs
xvhich ihould have been dreived under my fttt, I faw the
ways covered witli bicod and carnage : inftead of theho-
acurs of the throne, which I was to have paitaken of

* A kind of governante over the virgins of tlie Sun.
-f- The general name of the reigning incas-
j The virgins coriecrated to the Sup enreied the terrple almoil'
2S iaon zt bore, and never Ci-.meout till the dr.y of their rnarriag!-.

B wiih

14- THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

v.ith thee, I Hndinyicifaflaveiuiderthe laws of tyranny,
i'..ui: up in an obfcure priion, the place that I occupy in
the unirerfe is bcuudsd by the extent of my being. A
niat, bathed with tears, receives my body fatigued by
-he torments of my foul : But dear fupport of my lite,
*. ow light will all thefe evils be to me, if I can but Jearn
th.at thou yet breatheft.

In the midft of this honible defolation, I Icr.ovv not by
what happy chance I have prefer\'ed my Quipos. I have
them in polleffion, my dear Aza ; they are the treafure
of m.y heait, as they ferve to interpret both thy love and
mine; the fame knots which fiiall infonn thee of ray ex-
igence, changing their foiTn under thy hands, will in-
ftrucl me alfo in mydeltiny, Alas ! by what vvay fiiall
I convey them to thee ? By what addrefs can they be re-
ftored to me again ? I am ignorant at prefent : but the
fdrae undei-ftanding which taught \is their ufe, will fug-
geli to us the means to deceive our tyrants. Whoever
the faithful Chaqui* may be that fliall bring thee this pre-
cious depofit, I fhail envy his happinefs. He will lee
thee, my dear Aza, and Iv.'ould give all the days allotted
rr.e by the fun to enjoy thv prefence one moment.

LETTER II.
To Aza : Ivjicry cf bcr fi-'ji f.gkt oj\ ajui engagement to
hi?::.

MAY the tree of virtue, my dear Aza, for ever fpread
its Ihadow over the pious citizen who received
Uiidcr my window the myfterious tiifue of my thoughts,
a ,d delivered it into tliy hands. May Paca Camacf pro-
long his years, as tiie recom.pcnfe ot his addrefs in con-
veying to me divuie pleamies with thy anfv/er. Tiie
tj eafures of love aie open to'^hne j 1 draw from thence a
delicious joy that inebriates my foul. Wiiiie I unravel
the fecrets of thy heart, my own bathes irfeil in a fca cf
perfumes. Thou livelt, and the chains that were to
unite us are not broken. So much felicity was the ob-
ject of my dcihes, but not of my hopes.

Whihl I abandoned all thought of myfelf, my feais
* Msfn-nger. lor

•f The Creator Goj, more powerful ihan the Sun.

THE PERUVIAN PRIN'CESS. 15

for thee deprived iv.(^ of all pleafure. Thou reftoreft to
n;e all that I had loft. I taiiedeep draughts of the fweet
fatisfailion of pleafing thee, of be'n.g praifed by thee, of
being approved by him I iov.-'. But, dear Aza, while
I (wim inthefe delights, I do not forget that I owe to thee
what I am. As the rofe draws his brilliant colours from
the rays of the fun, fo the charms which pleafe thee in
my fpirit and ientiments are the benefits of thy luminous
genius 5 nothing is mine, but my tendernefs. If thou
hadil been an ordinary man, I- had remained in that ig-
norance to which my fex is condemned; but thou, not
the fiave of cuftom, haft broken the barrier, in order to
elevate me to thyfelf. Thou didfc not fulfera being like
thy own to be confined to the humble advantage of only-
giving life to thy poll: erity : it was thy pleafure that our
Amutas* fliould adorn my underftanding with their fub-
inne intelligences. But O light of my life, could I have
refoived to abandon my tranquil ignorance, and engage
in the painful occupation of frudy, had it not been for the
defire of pleafing thee ? Without a defire to merit thy ef-
tecm, thy confidence, thy reipeft , by virtues that fortify
love, and which love renders voluptuous, I had been only
the obje6L of thy eyes ; abfence would already have ef-
faced thee out of my memory.

But, alas ! if thou loved me ftlll, why am I in flavery ?
Cafting a look upon the walls of my priibn, my joy dif-
appears, honor feizes me, and my fears are renewed.
They have not robbed thee of liberty, yet thou comeftnot
to my fuccour : Thou haft been informed of my fitua-
tion, and it is not changed. No, my dear Aza, among
thcfe fayage people, whom thou calleft Spaniards, thou
nrt not fo free as thou imagineft thyfelf. I behold as
many figns of ilavery in the honours which they render
thee, as in my own captivity. Thy goodnefs feduces thee ;
thou thinkeft the prcmifes, which thofe barbarians make
thee by their interpreters, fincere, becaufc thy ov.-n words
are inviolable ; but I, who underftand not their language,
whom they think not worthy to bedecieved, behold their
B z adi^ns

'* Indian philofophers.

l5 THE PERUVIAN PRITnCESJ.

n.ctions~ Thy luhjefts rake them fcr gods, and join the>
part}'. O my deai" Aza, wretched the people who arc
iletemiined by fear ! Extricate thylelf from thy error, and
fuipe6l the falle goodneis of thele rorei^ners. AbnndoA
thy empire, fmce the Incha Viracocha* has predi6l«l it«
dellruftion. Redeem thy life and thy liberty at the price
©f thy power, thy grandeur, and thy treafures : thegitts
of nature alone will then remain to thee, and our days
ihall pafs in fafety. Rich in the poll'efiion of our hearts,
great by our virtues, powerful by our moderation, we
fliall in a cottage enjoy the heaven, the eaith, and our
mutual tendernefs. Thou wilt be more a king in reign-
ing over my foul, than in doubting of the afteilion of a
people without number : my fubmilTion to thy will llraJl
cauie thee to enjoy, without tyranny, the undilputed right
of- commanding. While I obey thee, I will make thy
empire relbund with my joyous fongs ; thy diademf ftiall
be always the work of my hands, and thou (lialt lofeno-
tliing of royalty but the cares and fatigues.

How oittn, dear foul of my life, hail thou complained
of the duties cf thy rank ? How have the ceremonies,
which accompanied thy vifits, made thee envy the lot of
thy fubjefts? Thy wiih was to live for me only. Art
thou now afraid to lofe fo many conltraints ? Snail I be
no more that Zilia, v.- horn tliou preferredlt to thy em-
pire ? I cannot entertain the thought : my heart is not
changed, and why fliould there be a change in thine ?

I love j the fame Aza who reigned in my heart the
f.vOi moment I law him., is for ever before me : continu-
ally do my thoughts recal that happy day, when thy fa-
ther, my fovereign lord, gave thee for the flift time a
fliare of that power, rcfervedfor him only, of entering the
inner pairt of the templcj. Fancy lliil figures to me the

agreeaWe
* Viracocha w.'s looked upon as a God, and the Indians firmly
belleye that at his dcatli he predidfed that the Spaniards fhouli
ilethrone one of his uefcendants,

■f The diadem of the Incas was a kind of fringe wrought hj
the virgins of the Sun.

% The reigning IncA alone has a right to enter into the temple
of the Sun.

T.'IS PERUVIAN PTvINCES?, 17

agreeable ipc-^lacle of oiir virgins, wiio, being there af-
Iti-nbled, received a nev^ lullre iVora the^admirable ordtr
that reigns among them : ib m a gardtn we lee the ar-
mngement cf the iinell flowers add a brilliancy to their
beauty. Thou appearedii in the midll of us like a rifing
lun, whole tender light prepares the lerenity of a fine
day: the fire of thy eyes ovcripread our cheeks with the
bluflies of modcfty, and our Iooks were held captive in
fweet ccnfufion : thy eyes, at the lame time, lliot forth
a brilliant joy j for never before had they niet *iO many
beauties together. The Capa-Inca was the only man
v/e had till then ieen. Aftonilhment and iilence reigned
on every fide. I know not whatwere the thougiits^of my
companions : but the fentiiiients that attacked my own
heart, who can exprefs r For the full time I had tlie uni-
ted fenfe of ti'oublc, inquietude, and pleafure. Ccnfuf-
ed vv'ith the agitations of my foul, I was going to hide my-
ielt from thy light : but thou turnedft thy Iteps towai-ds
me, and I was retained by refpc6t. Omy dear Aza, the
remem.brance of this iirit moment of my happinei's will
be always dear to me. The found of thy voice, like the
melodious chanting of our hymins, conveyed into m.y
veins that foft tremor, and holy refpect, which is infpu-ed
by the prelence of the divinity.

Trembling, difmayed, my timidit)^ had taken from
R^.c even the ufe cf my fpeech ; but, em.boldened at laft by
the foftneis of thy words, Idaiea to lift up my looks to-
T/ards thee and meet thine. No, death itfelf fhaii never
ctFace from my miemiory the tender movements of our
fouls at this meeting, and how in an inftant they were
blended together. If we could doubt of cur original,
my dear Aza, tiiis glance of light would have deftroyed
our uncertainty. What other principle, but that of fire
could have tranfmittetl betwixt usthis lively intelligence
of hearts, which was communicated, fpread, and felt
v/ilh an inexplicable rapidity ? I v/as too ignorant of
ihe effects of love, not to be deceived by it. With an
iiinagination full cf the ilibiime theolog)' cf our Ciicipa-
B t, tas

T? THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

tas*, I took the fire which animated mefor a divine agi-
tation J I thought the Sun had manitefted to me his will
by thee his organ, that hechole me for his leleiled ipouiel
1 lighed in rapture : — but after thy departure, examin-
ing my heart, I found there nothing but thy hnage.

What a change, my dear Aza, did thy pretence make
In me! All obje^\s appeared to me new, and itfeemedas
if I now faw my fellow virgins the firil time. How did
their beauty brighten! I could not bear their prefencc,
but, retiring ailde, gave way to the anxiety of my foul,
■VA'hen one of them came to waken me out of my reverie,
by giving me frefh matter to heighten it: flie informed
me, that, being thy iiearell: relation I was dettined to be
thy wife, as foon as my age would permit that union, I
was ignorant of the laws of thy empire ;f but, after I had
feen thee, my heart was too much enlightened not to Ivdvz
the idea of happinefs in an union with thee, far, how-
<-ver, from knowing the whole extent of this union, an J
accullomed to tlie i'acred name of Spoufe ot the Sun, mr
hopes were bounded to the feeing of thee daily, the a-
clorning of thee, and offering my vows to thee, as to thai
uivinity. Thou, my amiable Aza, thou thyfdf filled^
up the meafure of my delight, by mfoiming me that tUc
auguft rank of thy v.fife would aJfociate mc to thy heai-t,
to thy throne, to thy glory, to thy virtues i that I
lliould incelTantly enjoy thole lb precious convcrlations,
thol'c converfations lo flioit in proportion to cur ^ic-
ilres, which would adorn rnv mind with the perfcclious
of thy foul, and add to my felicity the delicious ho}.^ c*
being hereafter a happineis to thee. O my deai- A/a,
how flattering to my heait wai that impatience of thine,
lb often exprclled on account or my vouth, which retard-
ed our union ! How long did the ccurfecf two yeajs ap-
pear to thee, and yet how ihort was their duration ! A!a>?
the fortunate moment was arrived • VVhat fatality reiv-

derc<l

* PvieftsoftheSun.

■f The laws of th- Indians obliged the Incn? to marry their
fibers ; and when they hud none, ro take the firft prince! i ortfic
bicod of the Inc3s that was a vjic:inut the isun.

THE rERUVIA.V PRINCESS. I^

♦Icred it woeful ? What God was it who punifhed Inno •
cence and virtue in this manner ? or, what infemal pcwtr
ieparated us fromourfelves ? Horror leizes me, — my heart
is rent, — my tears bedew mv work. Aza! mydear Aza!

LETTER III.

To Aza : her being put on jhip -hoards ficknefs^ and cap-^

ture by tke French.

IT is thou, dear light of my foul, it is thou who calleft
me back to life. Would I preferve it, if I was not
i'ure that death, by a fmgle llroke, would mow down thy
days and mine ? I touched the moment in which the fpark
of divine fire, wherc.vith the fun animates our being, was
going to expire. Laborious naturcwas already preparing
to give another form to that portion of matter which be-
longed to her in me : I was dying : thou waft lofmg for-
ever half of thyielf, when my love reftored my life, which
I now facrifice to thee. But how can I inform thee of
the furprifmg things that have happened to me? How
fhall I call back ideas that wei-e confufed even when I
received them, and which the time that is fmce paffcd ren-
ders ll-ill lefs intelligible ?

Scarcely, my ilear Aza, had I entmftcd our faithful
Chaqui with the lafttilTue of my t^houghts, when I heard
tt. great motion in our habitation : about midnight two of
itiy ravifliers came to hurry me out of my gloomy retreat,
with as much violence as they had employed intiiatching
nie from the temple ot the Sun. Though the night was very
tl;u-k, they made me travel lb fai-, that, finking under the
fatigiie, they were obliged to carry me intoahoufe, which
I could perceive, notwithllandmg the obfcurity, it was
exceeding ciithcult to get into. I was thruil into a place
more ftrait and inconvenient than my prifon had been.
Ah, my dear Aza ! could I periiiade thee of what I do
not comprehend myfelf, if thou wert not alTured that ^
lie never luUied the lips of a child of the Sun ?*

This houfc, which I judged to be very great by the
q'.iantity of people it contained, was not fixed \o the
ground, but being as it were fufpended, kept in a con-

. tinuaily
* It pauws icr certain that no Peruvian cvirr lied.

ao THE PER-UVIAN PRINCESS,

tinual balancing motion. O light oi' my mind, Tical-
vlracccha fhould have filled nny Icul like thine with his
divine fcience, to have enabled me to comprehend this
prodigy. All that I know of it is, that this dwelling
was not built by a being friendly to mankind: for feme
moments after I had entered it, the continual motion of
it, joined to a noxious fmell, made me fo violently ill, that
I am furprifed I did not die of the malady. This was
the beginning only of my pains.

A pretty long time paded, and I had no confiderable
fuifering, when one morning I was frighted out of fleep
by a noife more hideous than that of Yalpa. Our habi-
tation i-eceived fuch fnocks as the earth will experience,
when the ir.ocn by her fall fhali reduce the univerle t o duft*.
The cries of human voices, joined to this wild uproar,
rendered it ftill more frightful. My fenfes feized with a
Tecret hon-or, conveyed to m.y foul nothing but the idea
of defrmclion, not of myftlf only, but of all nature. J
thought the peril univerfal j I trembled for thv life : my
dread grew at iaft to the utmoif excefs, when I law a com-
pany of men in fury, with bloody countenances and
cloaths, rufli tumultucufly into my chamber. I could not
fupport the terrible fpeclacle; m.y llrength and undcrftand-
ing left me : ilill am I ignorant cf the confequence of this
terrible event. But when I recovered, I found myi'di
in a pretty handfome bed, furrounded by feveral favagesy
who were not, however, any of the cruel Spaniards.

Canit thou Imag ne to thylelf my furprife, when I found
myfelf in a new dv/eiling, among new men, without be-
ing able to comprehend hov/ this change could be brought
about ? 1 flmt my eyes, the better to recoiled myl'L-it,
and be alTured whetiier I was alive, or wheiher juy foul
had not quitted my body to pals into uiiknoum regionsf .
I confeis to thee, dear idol of my heart, that, fatigued

wit] I
* The Indians believe that the end of the world wUi be brought
about by the fail of the moon upon the e.'.ith.

•f The Indians believe that the foul, after death, goes into uir-
knovvn places, to be there recompenibd or puniihed according to
ki delcrts.

T\1E PERUVIAN fRIVCES". ?»

vrith an odious life, diflieartened at liitFeilng toiments of
evtry kind, prcile J down under the weight of my horrible
dcitinvj I regarded with indifference the end of niy being,
•v'iiich I felt approaching : I conftantly refufed all theful-
tenance that was offered me, and in a few days was on
the verge of the fatal term, which I bel>eld without regret.
The decay of my llrength annihilated mv fen ^;ments :
already my enfeebled imagination received no images but
liice thofe of a llight def:gn traced by a trembling hand j
already the objects which had mofi: affected me, excited
in nie only that vague fenfation which we feel when we
indulge to an indeterminate reverie : almoft I was no more.
This itate, my dear Aza, is^ not fo uneafy as it is thought.
At a diftance it frightens as, becaulewe think of It with
all our powers : when it is arrived, enfeebled by the gra-
dations of pain which condu6l us to it> the decifive mo-
ment appears- only as the moment of repofe. A natural
propenfity which carries us towards futurity, even that
futurity vAnch will never exift for us, reanimated my
ipirir, and tranfported it into thy palace. I thought
I arrived there at the inftant when tliou hadlf received
the news of my death. I repreiented to myfelf thy pale
disfigured image, fuch as lily appears when fcorched by
the burning heat of nocn. Is the moft tender love then
fometimes barbarous ? I rejoiced at thy grief, and ex-
cited it by forrowful adieus. I found a Iweetnefs, per-
haps a pleaiure, in diffufmr the poifon of regret over thy
days J and the lame love which rendered me ci uel, tore my
heart by tlie horror of thy pains. At laff, awakened as
from a profciin I lleep, penetrated v/ith thy agony, trem-
bling for thy life, I called for help, aud again beheld
the light.

Sliall I fee thee again, thou, the dear arbiter of my
fcxiltence = Alaa ! who can affure me of it. I know not
where I am: perhaps it is far liiftant from thee ! But
Should we be feparated by the immenfe I'paces inliabited
by the children of the Sun, the light cloud of my thoughts
ib'ail hover mccliantly about the\;. LETTER

%% THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

LETTER IV.

To AzA : account of her treaUnent during her f.cknefs,

WHATEVER the love of life be, my dear Aza,
pains diminifh, defpair extinguiflies it. The
contempt in which nature feems to hold cur being, by
abandoning it to defpair, fliocks us at firft : afterward.s,
the impofTibility of working our deliverance proves fuch
an humblijng circumftance, that it leads us to a difguft
of ourfelves. I live no longer in, nor for, rcyfelf: every
inftant in v/hich I breathe, is a facrifice which I make to
thy love, and from day to day it becomes more paini'ul.
If time bring fome folace to the ills that conllimeme, far
from clearing up my prefent condition, it feems to render
it more obfcure. All that furrounds me is unknown,
all is new, all engages my curiofity, and nothing can
fatisfy it. In vain I employ my attention and etforts
to underftand or be underlloc-d 5 both are equally im-
pofTible to me. Wearied with fo many fniitlefs pains,
I thought to dry up the fource of them, by depriv-
ing my eyes of the imprefiions they receive trom ob-
je6ts. I perfifted for fome time in keeping them fliut :
but the voluntary darknefs, to which I condemned my-
felf, ferved only to relieve my modefty : offended conti-
nually at the prelenceof thefe m.en, whofe officious kind-
neffes are fo m.any torments, my foul was not the \ers
agitated : flnitup inmyfelf, my inquietudes were not t he
lefs fliarp, and the defire to expreis thtm was the more
violent. On the other hand, the impofilbility of making
myfelf underftood, fpread an anguiJh over my organs ,
which is not lefs infupportable than the pains which a m.ore
apparent reality would caufe. How cruel is this litua-
ticn! Alas ! I thought I had begun to underftand fcn;e
words of the lavage Spaniards j I found feme agreement
with our auguft language ; I Mattered myl'elf that in a
fliort time I fhould ccme to explain mylelf with them.
Far from finding the famie advantage :;mong my new ty-
rants, they exprds themftlves wilh fo much i-apidity that
I cannot even diftinguifli the inflexions of their voice. Al
circumitances make me jv.dge that they are net of ihe

fame

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 23

',r.-Jie nation ; and by the difference of their manners and
apparent character, one eailly divines that Pachacamac
lus diib-ibutcd to them in great diiproportion the elements
cl;' which he i'ormed human kind. The grave and fierce
air of the firll ihevvs that they are compoled of the fame
matter as the hardeft metals. Thefe ieem to have flipped
cur of the hands of the creator the moment he had col-
lc6f ec together only air and fire for their formation. The
fcornfui eyes, the gloomy and tranquil mein of the former,
diewed fufficiently tliat they were cruel in cold blood ;
which theinhumanity of theiractions has too well proved.
The fmiling countenance of the latter, the fweetnefs of
their lock;, a certain hafte in all their actions, which
ftems to be a haiie of good-v/ill, prevents me in their
favour, but I remark contradi61:ions in their conduct
which fufpends my judgment. Two of thefe favages
fcldora quit the fides of my bed : one, which I g^aefs to
be the Cacique* by his air of grandeur, feems to fliew
ine in his way, a great deal of reipeft : the ether gives
me part of the aflilLance which my malady requires ; but
his goodnefs is fevere, his fuccours arc ci-utl, and his fa-
miliarity imperious.

The mom.ent when, recovered from my fit, I found
myi'elf in their power, this latter (for I have obferved
h-.m well) more bold than the rell, would take me by the
hand, which I drew away with inexprelTible confufion.
Ke^ iecmed to be furprifed at my refiftance, and without
any regard to my niodelty, took hold of it again imme-
diately. Feeble, dying, and fpeaking only fuch words -
as were not underitcod, cculd I hinder Ifim ? Ke held it,
my dear Aza, as long as he thought proper j and fines
that time, I am obliged to give it him myfelffeveral times
every day, in order to avoid fuchdifputes as always turn
to my difadvantage. This kind of cerem.onyf I'eems to
me a fupcrftition of thefe people : they im.agine they find
fomtth.ing there which indicates the nature of a diltemper j
but it muit doubtiefs be their own. nation that feel the

effeds
* Cacique is a kind of governor of a province,
f The Indians have no knowledge of phy fie.

^4 THE PERUVIAN PRIKCESS.

effects of It J for I perceive none j I fufter contlmnlly by
an inward fire that coniumes me, and have -caice llrcngth
enough Icfc to knot my Qi^iipos. In this occuprition I
employ as much time as myweakaefsv^ill permit me: the
knots, which ifrike my fenfes, feem to give more reality
to my thoughts ; the kind of refemblancc which I imagir^;
they have with words, caufts an iLlulion which deceives
my pain; 1 think I Ipeak to thee, tell thee of my love,
aflTure thee of my vows and' my tendcmei's : the fweeterjor
is my fupport, and my life. If the exccfs of my burthen
obliges me to interrupt my work, I groan at thy abfencc.
Given up thus intirejy to my tendeniefs, there is rtot one
of my moments which belongs not to tJice.

Alas ! what othe«- ule can I make of them ? O my
dear Aza ! if thou wert not the mafter of my foul ; if the
chclnsof love did not bind me inJeparably to theej plunged
in an ibyis of obl'curity, could I turn wty thoughts awiy
from the light of my life ? Thou art t lie inn of my days j
thou enlightencit them ; thou prclongeit them, and they
are thine. Thou chtrifhcll me, and I fuifer myfeif to
live. What wilt thou do for me ? Thou lovcft mc, and
I have my reward.

LETTER V.

To Aza : //:e dcfcribts the i}tbai'icur cf the Frefich captclu

and ku crezv.

WHAT have I fuffered, my dear Aza, fmce I con-
lecrated to thee my laft knots ! The lofs of my
Quipos was yei wanting to complete my pains : i>ut when
my officious perfecutors perceived that work to augment
niy dilbrder, they depiivcd m.e of theufe of them.

At lalt they have reltorcd uomethe trcafureofmy ten-
dtrnels j but with many teais did I purchale it. Only
this exprclncn 'of my fcntimcnts had I remaining, the
mere Ibrrowful conioiation or painting my grief to thee :
and could J lofe it, and not deipair? My ihangedelfiny
has iiiatched from me even the relief wli.ch the uidiappy
iiivl in fpcakingof their pains. One is apt to think there
L> pity when one is licard, and from the participation of
ibnow ari.cs iome ccmfort ; I ciiinot jv.ake my kif under-

ftOLd

THE PERUVIAN TRINCESS. 15

ilood, and am luiTotinded with gaiety. I cannot cvei^
irnjoy that new kind of entertainment to which the inabi-
lity of communicating my thoughts reduces me. Envi-
roned with importunate perions, whofe attentive looks
difturb the compofed folicitude of my foul, I forget the
faired prefent which nature has made us, the power to
render our ideas impenetrable without the concurrence of
our will. I am fometimes afraid that thefe curious iava-
ges difcover the difadvantageous refieft Ions with which I
am infpired by the oddnefs of their conduct.

One moment deftroys the opinion whi^h another had
given me of their charafter : for if I am I'wayed by the fre-
quent oppofition of their wills to mine, I cannot doubt
hut they believe me their flave, and that their power is
t)rannical. Not to reckon up an infinite number ot other
contradictions, they refiife me, my dear Aza, even the
neceflar)' ahments lorthefuftenanceof life, and the liberty
of chufing what place I would lie in : they keep me, by
a kind ot violence, in the bed, which is become infup-
portable to me. On the other fide, if I reflect on the
extreme concern they have fhewn for the prefervation of
my days, and the reipeft with which the fcrvices they ren-
der me are accompanied, I am tempted to believe that
they take me for a fpecies fuperior to human kind. Not
one of them appeaxs before me without bending hislDody,
more or lefs, as we ufed to do in v/orfliipping the Suh.
The Cacique feems to attempt to imitate the ceremoniiil
of the Incas on the days of Raymi*: he kneels down very
nigh my bed-fide, and continues a conlidcrable time in
that painful poflure : fometimes he keeps fiient, and, with
his eyes caft down, fceras to think profoundly : I fee in
his countenance that refpeclful confufion which the great
namcf inipires us with v^'hen fpcken aloud. If he finds
an opportunity of taKing held of my hand, he puts his
mouth to it With the fame veneration that we have for the

* The Raymi was theprincip;il teaft of the Sun, when the Incas.
anJ prielc adored him on their knees.

f 1 he great name was Pachacamas, which they fpcke but fel-
jjoi, and always wilh ^re.it%ns of adoiation. ' ii.G\xd

i6 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

facred diadem*. Sometimes he utters a great number
of words, which are not at all liice the ordinary language
of his nation: the found of them is more foft, moredif-
tinct, and more harmonious. He joins to this that air
of concern which is the forerunner of teai^s, thoie fighs
which expreis the neceiiities of the foul, the mod plain-
tive action, and ail that ufually accompanies the deilreof
obtaining favours ! Alas ! my dear Aza, if he knew;
me well, if he was not in ibme error with regard to my
being, what prayer could he have to addrefs to me ? "

Muft they not be an idolatrous nation ? I have not-
yet feen any adoration paid by them to the Sun: perhaps
they make women the obje£l of theh- worfliip. Before
the great Manco-capacf brought down to earth the will
of the Sun, our anceilors deified whatever ftrack them
with dread or pleafure ; perhaps thele favages feel thefe
two fentiments with regard to women. But if they adore
me, would they add to my misfortunes tlie hideous con-
ftraint in which they keep me? No; they would endeavour
to pleafe me ; they would obey the tokens of my will :
I fliould be free, and releafed from this odious habitation :
I Ihould go in fearch of the mailer of my foul, one of
whofe looks would efface the memory of all thtfe mis-
fortunes.

LETTER VI.
To Aza : /J;e dif^orja-j --where /he is 5 her defpair on the
occajion.

WHAT an horrible furprife, my dear Aza! how art
our woes augmented ! how deplorabie is our con-
dition ! our evils are without remedy : I have only to tell
thee of them, and to die. At laft they have permitted
me to get up, and with hafte I availed myfelf, of the li-
berty. I drew myfelf to a linall window, which I opened
witli all the precipitation that my curionty infpired. —
W'.hat did I fee? Dear love of my life, I lliall not find
cxor.^fTions to paint the excefs of my aftonifhment, and

the
* They kifled the diadem of Mancocapac in the fame m^mer a5
•he Roman CathoUcs kifs the relics of their faints.
t The firft Lcgillator of the Indians. &<: ik( kljiuy of the Ircas,

THE ?ERUAIAN PRINCELS. 27

the incurable delpp-lr that feized me, when T difcovered
round me ncthhigbut that terrible element, the very light
of which makes me tremble. My firft glance did but too
Weil inform me what occafioned the troublefome motion
of our dwelling. I am. in one of thofe floating houfes
which the Spaniards made uieof to arrive at ourunliappy
countries, and of which a very imperfeft defcrlption had
been given me. Conceive my dear Aza, what dilmal
ideas entered my foul with this fatal knowledge. I z.m
certain that tb.ey are carrying me from thee : I breathe
no more the fame air, nor do I inhabit the fame elem.er.t.
Thou wilt ever be ignoraat where I am, whether I love
thee, whtther I exilt j even the diffolution of my being-
will not appear an event coniiderable enough to be con-
veyed to thee. Dear arbiter of my days, of what value
will my life be to thee hereafter r Pemnlt m,e to render to
the ^divinity an infupportabie benefit, which I can no
m.ore enjoy: I fliall not fee thee again, and I v.-ill live no
longc^r. In lofmg what I love, the univerfe is am-.ihi-
iated to me : it is now nothing but a vaA defart, which
I fill with the cries of my love. Hear them, dear objeft
of my tendciTiefs j be touched with them, and fuffer me
to die !

What error feduces me ? my dear Aza, it is not thou
that makeftme live: it is timid Nature, which ihudder-
ing with honxr, lends this voice, more powerful than
its own, to retard an end which to her is always formi-
dable : — but it is over j — tiie moil ready means fliall de-
liver me from her regrets. — Let the fea for ever fvvallow
up in its waves my unhappy tendernefs, my life, and my

defpair Receive, moft unfortunate Aza, receive the

lafv fentiments of my heart, which never admitted but
thy im.age, was willing to live but for thee, and dies full
of thy love. I love thee, I think it, I feel it Hill, and
I tell it thee for the laic time. —

LETTER VII.
To Aza : f^c repents of her defperate furpofe ,

AZA, thou half not loft all : I breathe, and thou
reigneft iUii in one heart. The vigilance of thofe
C a who

r% THE 1>ERUV1AN PRINCESS,

who watch me defeated my fatal defign, and I haveonlf
the fhame left of having attempted its execution. It would
be too long to inform thee of the circumltances of an en-
terpiize that failed as foon as it was proje6led. Should
i have dared ever to lift up my eyes to thee. If thou had
been a wltnefs of my paffion ? My reafon, fubjet^ed to
delpair, was no longer a faccour to me : my life feenied
to me worth nothing : I had forgot thy love.

How cruel is a cool temper after fury ! how different
are the points of fight on the fame objeft ! In the horror
of defpair ferocity is taken for courage, and the fear of
fuffering for firmnefs of mind. Let a look, a furprife
call us back to ourfelves, and we find that weaknefs only
was the principle of our heroifm ; that repentance is the
fruit of it, and contenipt the recompenfe. The know-
ledge of my fault is the moft fevere punifhment of it. —
Abandoned to the bitterncfs of repentance, buried under
the veil of fhame, I hold myfelf at a diltance, and fear
" that my body occupies too much fpace : I would hide it
from the light : my tears flow in abundance ; my grief
is calm, not a figh expires, though I am quite given up
to it. Can I do too much to expiate my crime ? it was
agalnft thee. In vain, for two days together, thefe be-
neficent favages have endeavoured to make me a partaker
of the joy that tranfports them. I am in continual doubt
what can be the caufe of this joy } but, even if I knew
it better, I ihould not think myfelf worthy to fliare in
their iellivals. Their dances, their jovial exclamations,
a red liquor like mays,* of which they drink abundantly,
their eagerneis to view the fun whenever they can perceive
4iim, would fully convince me that their rejoicings vvere
in honour of that divine luminary, if the conduft of the
Cacique was conformable to that of the reft.

But, far from taking part in the public joy, fince the
fault 1 committed, he interefts himfeif only in my foiTow.

His

* Mays is a plant whereof the Indians make a very ftrong and
falutary drink, " hich they offer to the Sun on feftival days, and
jet drunk vrich after the lacrifice is over. Sa Hijiory eftbc Ir.cai.

%.

01. 11.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 29

His zeal is more relpeftful, his cares are more afliduous,
and his attention is moreexa6l and curious. He under-
ftoodthat the continual preience of- the lavages of his train
about me, was an addition to'my affliftionj he has deli-
vered me from their troublefome officioufnels, and I haA"C
now fcarcely any hut his to fupport.

Would ft thou believe it, mydcarAza, there are fcm.c
moments in v.hich I feel a kind of fweetnefs inthele mute
dialogues 5 the lire of his eyes recals to my mind the
image of that which I have feen in thine : the fimilitudc
is iuch that it feduces my heart. Alas that this iilulion
is tranfient, and that the regrets which follow it are du-
rable ! they will end only with my life, fince I live for
thee alone,

LETTER VIII.
To AzA : Jhe is Jhevjn the land.

WHEN a fingle objefl unites all our thoughts, my
dear Aza, we^ intereft ourfelves no farther in
events than as we find them aiTirailated to cur own cafe.
If thou waft not the only mover of my foul, could I have
pafted, as I have juft done, from the horror of defpair to
the moft flattering hope ? The Cacique had before ieveral
timts in vain attempted to entice me to that window,
which I now cannot lock at without fr.uddering. A»
laft, prevailed on by freili foli- itations, I fuffered myfei
to be conduced to it. Oh, my dear Aza, how well wai
I recon-.penfcd for my complaifance ! By an incompre-
henfible miracle, in making me look through a kind o.
hollow cane, he fhewed me the earth at a diftance 5 whereas/
without the help of this wonderful n machine, my eyes coulo
not have reached it. At the lUme time, he made me un-
derftand by ligns, (which begin to grew tamiliar to me)
that vvt were going to that land, and th.at the fight of i^
v,as the only caufe of thofe rejoicings which I took for 2,
facrifice to the fun. I was immediately knfible of ail the
bt-nefit of thisdifcovery : Hope, like a ray of light, glanced
directly to the bottom of my heart.

They are certainly carrying m.e to this land wlilch they
have fliewn me, ana which ib evidently a part of thy etri
C 3 pi'c,

^O THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

pile, fiike the llin there ftieds his beneficent rays.* I
am no longer in the fetters of the cruel Spaniards : Who
then fhall hinder my returning under thy laws ? Yes, my
dear Aza, I go to be reunited to what I love : my love,
my realbn, my defires, all affure me of it. I fly into
thy anns ; a torrent of joy oveiflows my foul ; the paft
is vanifhed j my misfortunes are ended, they are forgot-
ten: Futurity alone employs me, and is my fole good.

Aza, my dear hope, I have not loft thee ; I fliall lee
thy countenance, thy robes, thy fliadow, I fliall love
thee, and tell thee of it v/ith my own mouth : Can any
torments efface iuch a felicity?

LETTER IX,

To A 7. A: Jhe learns fame French names ^ and repeats other

'^i.vordSf --vithoiU knox'jwg their nieanmg.

HOW long are the days, rny dear Aza, Vv^hen one com-
putes their paflage ! Time, like fpace, is known
only by its limits. Our hopes feem to me the hopes of
time; if they quit us, or are not dillin6fly marked, we
perceive no more of their duration than ot the air which
fills the vaft expani'e. Ever fince the fatal inft ant of our
reparation, my heart and ibul, worn with misfortune,
continued funk in that total abfence, that oblivion which
is the horror of nature, the image of nothing : The days
palled away without my regarding them, for not a hope
fixed my attention to their length. But hope now marks
every inftant of them ; their duration feems to me infinite ;
and what furpriles me moft of all is, that, in recovering
the tranquillity of my fpirit, I recover at the fame time
a facility of thinking. Since ]ny imagination has been
opened to joy, a crowd of thoughts preient themfelvesj
.and employ it even to fatigue : Proje6ls of pleafure and
happinefs fucceed one another alternately ; new ideas find
an eafy reception, and Ibme are even imprinted without
my iearch, and before I perceive it. Within thsfe two
days I underlland (eveial words of the Cacique's language,
which I was not before acquainted with. JBut they are

onlv
*■ The Indians know not our hennifphere, and believe that tlae
Sua ealiL'h^.^^s onlv the l.md.ct'his children.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 31

only teiTns aj)plicable to objefts, not expreflive of my
thoughts, nor iulHcient to make me undcrftand thole of
others : They give me fome lights, however, wiiich were
n^ceffiry for my fatisfaftion. I know that the name ot
the Cacique is Deterville ; that of our floating houfe, a
ihip ; and that of the country we are going to, France,

The latter at firft frightened me, as I did not remem-
ber to have heard any province of thy kingdom called fo :
But refleiSfing on the iitfinite number of countries under
thy dominion, the names of which I have forgot, my
fear quickly vanifiied. Could it long fubfilf with that fo-
lid confidence which the fight of the lun gives me incef-
fantly ? No, my dear Aza, that divine luminary enligh-.
tens only his children. To doubt this would he criminal
in me : I am returning into thy emph'e j I am on the
point of feeing thee j I run to my felicity.

Amidflthetraniportsofmy joy, gratitude prepares me
a delicious plealiare. Thou wilt load with honour and
riches the beneficent Cacique, who fliall reftore iis one to
the other : He iliall bear into his own country the remem-
brance of Zilla ; the reco.npence of his virtue ihali render
him ftil' more virtuous, and his happinefs lliall be thy
glory. Nothing can compare, my dear Aza, tothekind-
flefs he Ihews me. Far from treating me as his Ihve, he
feems to be mine. He is now altogether as complaifanr.
to me; as he v/as contradictory diuang my ficknefs. My
perfcn, my inquietudes, myamufements, feemtomakeup
his whole employment, and to engage all his care. I ad-
mit his offices with lefs confufion, fmce cuftom and re-
fleflion have informed me that I was in an error with re-
gard to the idolatry I lufptcfed him. gaiihy of. Not th^iC
lie does not continue to repeat much the lame demonilia-
tions v^'hich I took for worHiip ; but the tone, the air,
and manner he makes ufe of, perfuade me that it is only
a diverfion in his country mjinner.

He begins by making me pronounce diiiinclly fome
words in his languas^e, and he knows well that the gods
do notfpeak. As loon as 1 have repeated after him, ou},
k '-VOHS aimef * Yes I lov.^ you,' ov zW^j je promcts d\'trii

32. THE PERUVIAN PRIMCESS.

a voiis, * I promife to be j'ours,' joy expand? over hi»
countenance, hekifiesiny hands with tranlport, and with
an air of gaiety quite contraiy to that gravity which ac-
companies divine adoration. Ealy as I am on the liead
of religion, I am not quite lb with regard to the country
from whence he comes. His language and his apparel
are fo difFirent from ours, that they fome limes iliock my
confidence : uneafy refleftions fometimes cloud over my
dear hope ; I pais fuccefavely from fear to jo}', and from
joy to inquietude. Fatigued with the confufion of my
thoughts, fick of "the uncertainties that torment me, I
had reiblved to think no more on tlie fubjefl : But what
can abate the anxiety of a loul deprived cf all communi-
cation, that acls only on itfelf, and is excited to refleft
by fuch bnportant interefts ? I cannot exprefs my impa-
tience, my dear- Aza ; I fearch for information with an
eagerncfs that devours me, and yet continually find my-
felf in tlie moft profound obfcurity. I know that the
privation of a fenle may in fome refpefts deceive j and yet
I fee with furprife, that the ufe of all mine drag m.e on
from error to error. Would the intelligence of tongues
be a key to the foul ? O my dear Aza, how m.any grie-
vous truths do I fee through my misfortunes ! But far
from, me be thefe troublefome thoughts : We touch the
lar.d ; the light of my days /hall in a moment dllnpate
the darknefs which furrounds me.

LETTER X.

To Aza : her arrlvalin France.

I Am. at laft arrived at this land, the obje6t of my de-
fires : but my dear Aza, I do not yet fee any thing,
that confers the happinefs I had promiled myfelf .- every
obje£t ftrikes, furpriies, aftcniflies, and leaves on me only
a vague imprefnon, andftupid perplexity, which I do not
attempt to throw cff. My errors .delhoy my judg-
ment i I remain uncerlain, and aimoii- dor.bt ci wliat •
behold. Scarce were we gotoufof the floating- houfe,
but we entered a townbuiit on th^ fea-Aiore. The peo-
ple, who followed us in cr>Avds, :;ppeai-ed to be of the

fame

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 35

lania nation as the Cacique : and the houles d'.d not at
all relemble thole of the cities of the Sun : but if thefe
furpafs in beauty, by the richnefs of their ornaments,
thofe are to be prefeired, on account of the prodigies
with which they are filled. Upon entering the room
adigned me by Deterville, my heart leaped : I faw front-
ing the door, a young perlbn drcfied like a virgin of the
Sun, and ran to her with open arms. How gieat was
my iiirpriie to find nothing but an impenetrable refill-
unce where I faw a human figure move in a very extend-
ed fpace ! Alfonillnnent held me imniovcable, with my
eyes fixed upon this objeft, when Deterville made me
obferve his own figure on the fide of that which engag-
ed all my attention : I touched him, I fpoice to him,
and I faw him at the fame time very near and very far
from me. Thefe prodigies confound reafon, and blind
the judgment. What ought we to think of the inhabi-
tants of this country ? fiiould we fear, or fhould we love
them ? I will not take upon me to come to any deter-
mination upon fo nice a fubje6f . The Cacique made
me underftand, that the figure which I faw was my own !
But what information does that give me ? Docs it make
the wonder lefs great ? Am I the lefs mortified to find
nothing but error and ignorance in my mind ? With
grief I fee it, my dear Aza ; the lead knowing in this
country are wifer than all our Amutas. The

The Cacique has given me a young and very fprightly
China*, and it affords me great pleafure to fee a wo-
man again, and to be fcrved by her. Many others of
my fex wait upon me j but I had rather they would let
it alone, for their prefence awakens my fears. One
may fee by their manner of looking on me, that they
have never been at Cuzco |-. However, as my fpirit
floats continually in a iea of uncertainties, I can judge
of nothing. My heart, alone unlhaken, defires, ex-
pe6fs, waits for one happinefs only, without which all
the reft is pain and vexation. LETTER

* A maid-fervant or chambermaid. ■\- The capital of Pei st.

54- THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

LETTER XI.

To AzA : fe--veral remarks 07i K,<:hat fkefees.

THOUGH 1 have taken all the pains in my power
to gain fome light with refpecl to my prefent fi-
tuatlon, I am no better infcrmed at this indant than I
was- three clays ago. All that I have been able to ob-
ferve is, that the other favages of this comitry appear
as good nnd as humane as the Cacique. They ling and
dance, as if they had lands to cultivate every day*. —
If I was to form a judgment from the oppofition of their
cufloms to thoie of our nation, I fhould not have the
leaft hope: but I remember that thy auguft father fub-
jecled to his obedience provinces very remote, the peo-
ple of vv'hich had nothing in common with us. Why
may not this be one of thofe provinces ? The fun feenis
pleafed to enlighten it, and his beams are more bright
and pure *-han I ever law themf. This infpires me with
confidence, and I am uneai'y only to think how long it
muft be before I can be fully informed of what regards
our interefts : for, my dear Aza, I am very certain that
the kiiowledge of the language of the country will be
fuffijient to teach me the truth, and allay my inquie-
tudes. I let flip no opportuniry of learning it, and
avail myfelf of all the mcmcrits wlierein Deterville leaves
me at liberty, to take the inftru6li( ns of my China. —
Little fervicc indeed they do me j for, as I cannot make
her underftand my thoughts, we can hold no converfa-
tlon, and I le?.rn only the names of luch obje6f s as ihiktr
both our figlits. The figns of the Cacique are fome-
tlmesmore ufeful to me : cuftom has m.ade it a kind of
larjguage betwixt us, which ferves us at leaft to exprefs
our wills. He conducted me yefterday into a houfe,
v»'iiere, v^ithcut this knowledge, I ftiould have behaved
very ill. We entered into a larger and better furni/lied
ap^rtm^ent than that which I inhabit, and a great many
people were there afl'embled. The general aftonilhm.ent

Hiewn

* The lands in Peru are cultivated in common, and the diiys'
they are about this work, are always days of rejoicing.

f The fun neva Ihines clear in Peru.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 35

/hewn at my appearance difpleaied me, and the excd-
iire laughter which Ibme young women endeavoured to
ftiSe, but which buili cut again, when they call their
eyts on me, gave me fuch uneafineis ot mind, that I
Inouid have taken it for fiiarae, if I could have fours-l
myfelf coriibicus of any fault: but, finding nothing
within me but a repugnirxe to fey in fuch company, i
was going to returii back, when I > was detained by 3
fign of Detenille. I round that I il-ouid commit a
fault hy going out, and I took great care not to de-
ferve the blame that was thrown on me v.dthout cauie.
As I fixed my attention, during my ftay, upon tho-i
women, I thought I dilcovered that the iingularity or
my drefs cccalioned the furprife of fome, and the laugh-
ter of others. I pitied their weakneis, and endeavour-
ed to peifuade them by my countenance, that ray Icul
did not fo much differ from theirs, as my habit dilFered
from their ornaments.

A young man, whom I Should have taken for a Cu-
raca *, if he had net been drelled in black, came and
took me by the hand with an aSable air, and led me to
a woman, whom, by her haughty mien, I took for the
Pallas f of the ccuntry . He ipoke feveral words to her,
which I remember by having heard DetervUleproncunce
the fame a thoufand times. " What a beauty! — What
** fine eyes!" «« Aye,""' anfwered another man, " the
*' has the graces and the fliape of a nj-mph." Except
the women, who faid nothing, they ail tepeated almolt
the fame words : I do not yet knew their ugnificatlon;
but fiu-ely they exprefs agreeable ideas, for Lie coimte-
nance is always i miliiig when they are pronounced . The
Cacique feems to be erctremely well latisfied with what
the;,- lay. He keeps ciofe to ir.e, or, if he fteps a litt'is
from me to ipeak to any one, his eyes are ccnitantly
upca me, and he ibews me by iigns -^yhat I am to do.
1 or my part, 1 obferve him very attentively, as I would

not

* The Caracas were pet^ fovereigns of a coontry, vb© bad
the privilege of wearing the fame diefs 2s the tic?-*.

\ A gen.rai name of the Indian priace&s.

• lb THE PERUVIAN' PRINCESS,

not offend againft the cuftoms of a people who knc\Y of
little ot cms. I believe, my dear Aza, I can fcaicely
make thee comprehend how extraordinaiy the manners of
thei'e lavages appear to me. They have fo impatient a
vivacity, that words do not I'ufnce them for expreflion j
but they I'peak as much by the motion of the body as by
the found of the voice. What I fee of tiieir continual
agitation, has fully convinced me how little importance
there was in that behaviour of the Cacique whlcn cauied
me fo much uneafmefs, and upon which I made fo many
falfe conicfturcs. Yefterday he killed the hands of the
Pallas, and of all the other women : nay, what I never
faw before, he even kilfed their cheeks. The men came
to embrace him ! fonie took him by the hand j others
pulled him by the cloaths ; all with a fprightlinefs of
which we have no idea. To judge of their minds by
the vivacity of their geftures, I am fure that our mea-
fured exprcflions, the fublime ccmparifons which fo na-
turally convey our tender fentiments and aifeflionate
thoughts, would to them appear infipid. They would
take our lericrus ar.d modelt air tor llupidity, and the
gravity of our gait for mere ftiifnels. Would 'll thou
believe it, my dear Aza ? if thou v^-ert here, I could be
plcaled to live amcngll them. A certain air of affabi-
lity, Ipread over all they do, renders them amiable ; and,
if my foul was luore happy, I fliould find a plealure in
the d verlity of objects that fuccefTively pafTed before my
eyes : but the little reference they have to thee, effaces
the agreeablenefs of their novelty : thou alone art my
good, and mv pleafure.

LETTER XII.

'To Aza : her French drefs^ end accoimt of captain De-

ter'ville's beka^iour to ker.

I HAVE been long, my dear Aza, without being able
to bellow a mcm.ent en my favourite occupation :
yet I liave a great many extraordinary things to com-
municate to thee, and avail myfelf of this firll fnort leilure
to begin *hy infcnrat en. The next day after I had
yuitea the Pallas, Dctciviilc caufed a vciy tine hablr, o^-

thc

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 37

the fafhion of the coimriy, tc be brought ine. Atrer
mv little China hat! put it on according to her fancy ,
(he leci me to that inc^enious machine which doublea ob-
jefls. Though I ftiould be now habituated to ito cf-
fciU, I couid not help being lurprifed at iecing iny fi-
gure fland as if I was over- againft nnTclf. My new ac-
coutrements did not dilpieale me. Perhaps I fh^uid
have more regretted thoie vi. hich I left off, if they had
not made ever)' body troublcfume by their llaring at me.
The Cacique canle into my chamber, julf as the girl
was adding fome trinkets to my drefs. He llopped at
the doer, and looked at me for fome time without I'pcak-
ing. So profound was his reverence, th t he ftept alidc
to let the China go cut, and inadvertently put himfclf
in her place. His eyes were fixed upon me, and he ex-
amined all my perfon vv^Ith fnch a fenous attention js a
little diicompoled me, tiiough T knew not the le .. '1 of
what he did. Hov^'ever, to fiiew him my ackr.o'>'- .dg-
meiit for his new benefaftlons, I offered him my aand,
and, not being able to exprels my Imiirncnts, 1 tiiought
I covild not fay any thing more agreeable ••, h > ! than
fome of tliofe words which he amulcd himfei: w *'. : .ach-
ing me to repeat: I endeavoured even to give i . .11 the
fame tone as he did in pronunciation. Wha«: e^feclthcy
inftantaneoufly had on him I know not : he his eyes
fparkled, his cheeks reddened, he ;>pproachea:v.e tremb-
ling, and feemtd to have a defire to fnatch niv- into his
arms: then lloppmg fuddcnly he preiT-d my nand, and
pronounced in a paiuonate tone, '' No— refptcl — her
" virtue" 5 and many other words which 1 underdood
no better than thei*;. Thtn throwing himfelf upon his
ieat, on the other fide of the room, he leaned his h-r..d
upon Ills hand, and fat moping with all the fymptoms
ot affliilive pain.

I was alarmed at his condition, not doubting but I had
occafionedhim fome uneafinefs : I drew near him to tefti-
fy my repentance j but he gently pufliedme away with-
out looking at me, and 1 did not dare fay any Lhinginore.
I was in the greateil confulion when the itrvants came
D in

^S THE PERUVIAN PRINfEJS.

in to bring us vl6luals : he thea i-ofe, and we eat toge-
ther in GUI uiual manner, his pain fetming to have no
ether cciucquence but a little Ibnosv : yet he was not iefs
kind ajid good to me, which leemed to me inconceivable.
I did not dare to lift up my eyts upon him, or make ufe
ctthe ngns which commonly i'erved us in (lead of conver-
faticn : but our meal was at a ♦•'.me [o different from the
ufual hour of repaft, that I could not help ihewing fome
tokens of lurprife. Ail that I could underftand of his
anfwer was that we were fooii to change our dwelling.
In eifecl, the Cacique, after going in and out leveral
times, came and took me by the hand. I let him lead
me, ftiil mufing with myfelf on vvr.it had pafTcd, and cun-
iideiing whether the change of our place was not a con-
lequence of it. Scarce was I got without the outward
door of the houfe, before he helped me up a pretty high
liep, and I advanced into a chamber fo low that one
could not ftand upright in it: but there was room enough
for the Cacique, the China and m.yfelf all to fit at eafe.
This little apratment is agreeably decorated, has a win-
dow on each fide that enlightens it fufficientlyj but it is
riCt fpacious enough to v.'zlk in. While I was confidcr-
vAg it with furprifc; and endeavouring to divine what
<:Guld be Detervilie'sreafcnJor fliutting us up fo clofe (O
my dear Aza! how famdiar prodigies are in this coun-
tiy) I felt this machine, or caWm, I know not what to
call it, move and change its place. This motion made
me think of the floating houfe. The Cacique faw me
frightened, and, as he is attentive to my leait uneafineis,
pacified me by making me look out cfoneof the windows.
I Hiw, not v/ithout extreme furprife, that tiiis m^ichine,
iufpended pretty near the earth, moved by a fecret pov/er
which I did not comprehend. Dcterville then fiiewed me
that ibverai Hamas*, of a fpecies unknown to-us, wcut
before us, ami drew us after tliem. O light of my days !
thefe people mulf have a genius more than human, that
enables them to invent things ibm'eful and finguiar; but
there muit be aho-in this nation fome great detects that

uicucruie
* A gcacrsl n^mz fox beafli.

. THE PEHUVIAN PRINCESS. 59

rnoderate its power, othei-wife it mud needs be miftrefs
of the whole world. For four da\'s we were fhut up in
this wonderful machine, leaving it only at night to take
cur rc't in the hii\ houfe we came to j and then I always
quitted it with regret. I ccnrefs, my dear Aza, tiiar,
notwithftanding iny tender inquietudes, I have tailed
pleafui^s, during this journey, that were before unknown
to me. Shut up in the temple from my mod tender in-
fancy, I was un;cquainted w^ith the beauties of the uni-
vcrie, and every thing that I fee ravifties and enchants
me. The imnienfe fields, which are incefran«-ly changed
and renewed, hurry on the attentive mind v.ith more ra-
pidity than we pals ov^er them.

The eyes, without being fatigued, rove at once over an
infinite variety of admirable objects, and at the fam&
time are at relt. One feems to find no other bounds to
tiie fjghtthan thofe of the world itfelf j which error flat-
ters us, gives us a fati^faftory idea, of our own grandeur,
and feems to bring us nearer to the creator oi' thefe won-
ders. At the end of a fine day, the heavens preient us
a fpedr.cle not lefs admirable than that ot the earth.
Tranfparent clouds aflemblcd round theiun,tinci:ured Vvlth
the m.oft lively colours, fnew us mour.tainsof fhade and
light in every part, and the majeftic diforder attrafts our
admiration till we forget ourielves. The Cacique has
had the complaifance to let me every day ftep cut of the
rolling cabbin, in order to contemplate at leifure the
wonders which he law me admire. How delicious are
the woods, my dear Aza! If tlie beauties of heaven and
earth tranfport us far from ourfelves by an involuntaiy
rapture, thole of the forcfts bring us back again by an
inward incomprehenfible bias, the fccret of which is in
nature only. When we enter thefe delightful places, an
unlverfai charm overflows all the ftnfes, and confounds
their ufe. We think we fee the cool'ng breeze before we
feel it. The different fhades in the colour of leaves,
foften the light that penetrates them, and feem to Ibilce
the lentiment as foon as the light. An agreeable, but
indeterminate odour, leaves it ditncult for ui to difcern
D A whether

40 TH£ PERUVIAN rRlNCh'Si*.

wii-ther It affects the tafte or the ihieil. Even the air,
without being perceived, conveys to our bodies a pure
pler.lure, which kerns to give us another lenle, though
it does not mark, out the organ of it.

O, 5Tiy dear Aza ! how would thy prelence embellifli
thole pure dehghts ! liow have I dclired to fhare them
with thee ! Wert thou the witnels ot'iny tender thoughts,
I (hould make tjiee find, in the lentiments of my heart,
chariiis more powerful than all thole ot the beauties of
the univerfe.

LETTER XIII,
"To AzA : Jhe comes to Paris ; Deter--cHle^ s and ker recep-
tion liy his relations.
AT laft, my dear Aza, I am got into a city called
Paris : Our journey is at an e)id : but, according to
all appearances, ic are not my troubles. More attentive
than ever, fince m arrival here, to all that paiTes, my
(Jilcoveiies produce only torment, and prer:age notning
but misfoj tunes. I find thv idea in the lealt curious of my
defiles, but cannotmeet with itin anyof thofeobjecf that
I fee. As well as I can judge by the tim.ewefpcnt in paff-
ing through the city, and by the great number of ijiha-
h:tants with who:n the lireets are filled, it contains m.ore
people than could be got togethei' in two or three of our
countries. I rcficil: on the wonders that have been told
me of Qmto, and endeavour to find here ibme llrokes of
the pidurc w:. ch I conceive of that gieat city : But alas !
what a ditFcrerce! This place contains bridges, rivers,
trees, fields : it feems to be an univerfe, rather than a
p irticular leat of habitation . I fijould endeavour in vain
to '^ive thee a juft idea of tne height of tliehoufcs. They
arc lb prodigioufiy elevated, that it is more eafy to bc-
!iv.ve natuie produced them as they are, than to compre-
hend how men could build them.

Here it is that the family of the Cacique refides. Tlieir
houle is almoin as mr^gnificent as that of the Sun : the
furniture and fome parts of the walls are of gold, and the
reft is adorned with a various mixture of the hnefl colours,
which prettily enough reprelent the beauties of nature.

At

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 41

At my arrival. Dctervillc made me underftand that he
was conduclir.g me to his mother's apartment. Wc
found her recUned upon a bed of almoft the fame fomi
with that or the Incas, and of the fam.e metal*. After
having held out her hand to 'he Cacique, who killed it
bov/ing almoft to the ground, flie embraced him j but
with a kindnefs fo cold, a joy foconlf rained, that, if pre-
vious inforniation had not been given me, I (hould no*
have knov/n the fentiments of nature in ti:e careiles of
this mother. After a moments converfation, the C^^
cique mide me draw near. She caft on me a difdainful
Isok, and, without anfv^erlng what her fon faid to her,
continued gravely to turn round her finger a thread, which
hung to a fmall piece of gold.

Deter\'ille left us to go and meet a ftately bulky m.an,
who had advanced feme iteps tov.ards him. He embra-
ced both him and a women who was employed in the
fame manner as the Pallas. As foon as the Cacique had
appeared in the cham.ber, a young maiden, of about my
age, ran to us, and followed him. with a timid eagemcfs
that feemed remarkable. Joy fhone upon her ccun*e-
nance, yet did not banifh the marks of a ibrrow that feem-
ed to affeil her. Detei vale embraced her lift, but with
a tendemefs fo natural, that ray heart was m.oved at it.
Alas ! my dear Aza, what would our tianfports be, [£
after fo many misfoitunes, fate fnould reunite u^ ? Dur-
ing this time I kept near the Pallas, whom. I durlt not:
cjuit, nor look up atf , out of refpe6t. Some fevere g. nces,
v/hich (he threw from time to tim^e upo ' me, completed
my confufion, and put m.e under a conftr.iiat that aftcct-
ed my \'try thoughts. At hit, the young damiel, as if
flie had guefied at my diforder, as foon as ihe had quitted.
Deteiville, came and took m»e by the liar.d, and led n:«
to a window where we both fat down. Though I dii
not underftand any thing ftie faid to me, her eyes full of
goodnefs ("poke to me the unlverfal language of bensfi-.

* The bed;, chilrs, and tables of ::he Incas were of malTy lOii.
f Young damieis, though otzhi blood td^J^ ihow 2 profound
rtfpeft to nairried women. cent

D 3

41 THE FEP.'JVIAN PRINCESS,

cent hearts : they inlplied me with a confidence and friend*^
fhip whicn I would willingly have exprcflcd to her: but
not being able to utter the ientiments of my mind, I pro-
nounced rdl that I knew of' her language.

She fmiled more than once, looking on Detervlllc
with the moil tender fweetnefs. I was pleafmg mvkif
with this converiation, when the Pallas Ipoke Ibnaewo'ds
aloud, looking fterniy on my new friend ; whofe coun-
tenance immediately falling, flie thruft away my hand
which (he before held in hers, and took no farther notice
cf me. Some time after that, an old woman, of gloomy
appearance, entered the room, went up towards the
Palhs, then came and took me by the ann, led me to
a chamber at the top of the houfe, and left m.e there
alone. Though this moment could not be cfleemed the
moft unfortunate of my life, yet, my dear Aza, I could
not pais it without much concern. I expei5led, at the
end of my journey, feme relief to my fatigues, aiid that
in the Cacique's family I fhould at U'aft meet with the
famekindnel's as from him. The cold reception of the
Pallas, the fudden change of behaviour in the damfcl,
the rudenefs ©f this woman in forcing me from a place
wliere I had i-ather have flaid, the inattention of Detcr-
ville, who did not oppoie the violence ihewn mej in a
\Koid, sll circumftances that might aus^ment the pains
of anunhnppv mind, prefenttd thtmfelves at once wiih
th.eir moll rueful afpcPis ! I thought myfelf abaudoncil
by all the world, and was nitterly deplor;i;g my dilhial
(Icftiny, v/hen f bthtrld my China coming in. Hcrpre-
fence, in my fitu:'.tion, iecmcd to me an elu-ntial good ;
I ran to her, embraced her wi-h tears, and was more
nicked when I aw I'.er touched with my afBiilion.
A'.Hien n mind is reduced to p'ty itfclf, the compallion
ci anothei' is verv valuabl.'. The marks of this young-
woman's a-Fcclirn I'oftcnai my ai^.guifn : I related to her
my griefs, ."s If I'lie c; uld imderlfand me : I afktd her
a thor.iand quelilons, : ; if it had been in her power to
ar'.wcr thtm. Her tt- rr> (poke to my heart, and mine
co.;t.inued to fiow, biii v/ifi) l:i's bittcruefs than before

I thcu2.lit

THE PERVVIAN PRINCESS. 4-5

? thought, at leaft, that I fhoiild lee Deterville at the
hour of reiVtihment: bvit they brought me up viftuals,
and I law him not. Since I have loft thee, dear idol
of my heart, this Cacique Is the only human creature
tint has Ihcwn me an uninterrupted courle of goodnefs :
to that the cidlom of feeing him becam'e a kind of ne-
celfity. His abfence redoubled my forrow. After ex-
peftmg him long in vain, I laid me down ; but lleep
Irad not yet fcaled my eyes before I faw him enter my
chamber, followed by the your.g woman whole brilk
ditdaln had lb fenfibly afflicted me.

She threw herfclf upon my bed, and by a thoufand
carelles I'eemed defirous to repair the ill-treatir.ent Ihe
had given me. The Cacique fat down by mybcd-fide,
and feeiued to r-eceive as much pleafure in feeing me
again, as I enjoyed in perceiving I was not abandoned.
They talked together with their eyes fixeil on me, and
heaped on me the mod tender marks of affeftion. In-
fcrnnbly their converfaticn became more ferious. Though
I did not underftand their difcourle, it was tafy for me
to judge that it was founded on confidence and friend-
Diip. I took care not to interrupt them : but, as foon
as they returned to my bedllde, I endeavoured to obtain
from tiie Cacique fome light with regard to thole par-
ticulars which had appealed to me the moll extraordi-
nary fince my arrival. AH that I could underftand from
his aniwer was, that the n.ime of the young woman be-
fore me wasCeiina, that flie was his fifterj that the
great man, whom I had leen in the chamber of the Pal-
las, was his elder brother, and the other young woman,
th.at brother's wife. Cclina became more dear to me,
w'len I undtrftood Ihe was the Cacique's lifter, and the
company of both v.'as fo agreeable, that I did not per-
ceive it was day-light before they left me. After their
ilep:<rture, I Ipent the reft of the time deftined to repole,
in thus converfing with thee. This is my happinels,
my oniyjoy j ' it is to thee alone, dear foul of my thoughts,
tli^t I unbolbm my heart } thou ftialt evei be the ible
depofiton- of my fccrets, mv palfions, ani mytentiment-^.

iFTTfK

^4 THE PERUVIAN^ PRINCESSi

LETTER XIV.

To Az A : J}:e is affront id In puhlic company.
TF I did not continue, my dear Aza, to take tiommy
X. deep the time that I give to thee, I fhould no more
enjoy tho'e delicious moments in which I exili tor thee
only. They have made me refume my virgin habits,
and oblige me to remain all day in a room lull of peo-
ple, who are changed ami renewed every moment with-
out i'eeming to di^ninifli. This involuntary dilFipation,
in Ipite of me, otren cauCes a fulpenfion of my tender
thoughts : but if, for ibme moments, I lole that lively
attention which unites our hearts, I find thee again in
the advantageous companions I make of thee with what-
ever furrounds me. In the different countries that I
have pafied through, I hive not feen any favages lb
haugluily familiar as ihele. The women, in pai'ticu-
lar, ieem to have a kind of difdainful civility that dil-
gufts human nature, and would perhaps inipire me with
as much contempt for them, as they fiiew for others, if
I knew tliem better. One of them caul'ed an affront to
be given me yefterday, which Hill afflifts me. Jull
Vvhen the aflembly was moft numerous, after fhe had
been Ipeaking to I'everal perfons without perceiving me ;
whether by chance, or that fomebody made her take
notice of me ; as foon as fhe caft her eyes on me, ilie
burft out a laughing, quitted her place precipitately,
came to me, made me riie, and, after having turned
me backwards and forwards, as often as her vivacity
prompted, after having handled all the parts of my dreis
with a molt fciupulous attention, (lie beckoned to a
young man to draw near, and began agam with lum
the examination of my figure.

Though I fnewed a diilike to the liberty which both
of tliem took, as the richnefs of the wom.an's dreis made
me take her for a Pallas, and the magnificence of the
young man, who was all over plated with gold, mxade
iiim look like an Anqui *, I dared not oppole their

* A prince of the blood. There mull: be leave from an Inca
ior a Peruvi.in to wear gold upon his appirel, and the Inca give;
thii nermiiuon only to the princes of the blood royal. wili :

THE PERUVIAN PRINCrSS. 45

wiil : but this rn(h lavage, emboldened by the familia-
rity ot" the Pallas, and perhaps by my iubmilHon, hav-
ing had the iinpiu'.cnce to put his hand upon my neck,
I puihed it away with a lurpiire and indignation that
iliewcd him I underftood good manners better than him-
Icli". Upon my crying out, Detervilie cameup, and af-
ter he had Ipoke a few words to the young favage, the
latter, clapping one hand upon his flioulder, fet up fuch
a laugh as quire diitorted his figure. The Cacique dii-
engaged himielf, and, blufhing, ipoke to him in lu cold
a tone, that the young man's gaiety vaniflied : he leem-
ed to have no more to lay, and retired without coming
near us again. O my dear Aza, what a relpe6l do the
jTianncrs of this countiy make me have for tiioie of the
children of the Sun ! How does the temerity of the young
Anqiii bring back to my mind thy tender refpeii, thy lage.
refer ve, and the charms of decency that reigned in our
converfations ! I perceived it the firft moment I faw
thee, dear delight of my Icul, and I iliall think of it all
the days of my life. Thou alone unitcft in thyfelf all
the pfrfeCtior.s which nature has flied upon mankind ;
as my heart has coUeiled within it all the fentiments of
tendenicfs and admiration that will attach me to thee till
death.

LETTER XV.

To Aza ; ckaraclers of Deter^viUe^ and bis Jijier Celina ^

and ffiotbtr ) prefents made her.

THE more I fee the C.icique and his lifter, my dear
Aza, the more difficulty I have to perfuade my-
felf they are of this nation : they alone know what
virtue is, and refpefl it. The fimple manners, the na-
tive goodneis, and the modeft g-aiety of Celina, would
make one think Ihe had been bred up among our virgins.
The honeft Iweetnels, the ferious tendernels of her bro-
ther, v/ould eafiiy perfuade me that he was born of the
blood of the Incas. They both treat me with as much
humanity as we fliould fnew them, if like misfortunes
iiad brought them among us.

I do not doubt but the Cacique is a good tributary.
^ ^ He

4^ THE PERUVIAN PRlfJCESS.

He never enters my apartment: but he makes me a prefeht
of fomeof the wonderful thmgs with which this country
abounds.* Sometimes they are pieces of that machine
which doubles objefls, enclofed in little frames of curious
martei-. At otlur times he brings me little ftones of fur-
prizing Juftre, with which it is the cuftom here to adorn
almoft all the parts of the body : They hang them to their
ear?^ put them on the ftomach, the neck, the knees, and
even the fhoes ; all v.hich has a verv agreeable crfPeiSl.

But what I am moil amufed with arc certain fmali ui^eri-
fils of a veiy hard metal, and moft firigiilar ufe. Some
are employed in the works which Celina teaches me to
make -. others, of a cutting form, ferve to divide all forts
of fluffs, of which we make as many bits as we pleafe
without trouble, and in a ver^- ingenious diverting man-
ner, I have an infinite number of other rarities (lill more
extraordinary': which not being in ufe with us, I can-
not find words in our tongue to give thee an idea of them.
I keep ail :hefe gifts carefully for thee, mydear Aza :
belides the plcafure thy I'urp; iie will give me when thoii
feeft them, they undoubtediv belong to thee. If the
Cacique was not fubjecl: to thy obedience, would he pay
me a tribute which he knows to be due only to thy fu-
preme rank? Tiie refpcft he has always fhewn me, made
me think from the firft, that my birth was knov.n to him j
and the prefents he now honours me with convince me
that he knows I am to be thy fpoule, lince he treats me
already as a Mama OelJ't.f

Tins convi6tion revives me, and calms a part of my
inquietudes. I conceive that ncthimg is wanting, but
the r.cv/er of exprefling myfelf, for me to be infoimed
what are the Caciques reafons for keeping me, and to
determine him to deliver me into thy power : but, till
that can be, I have a great many pains to fuifer. The

humour
* The Caciques and Curacas were obliged to fivnini the drefs
and provifionofthe i.ica and the queen. Ihey never came into
the pretence of either without: offering them ibine tribute of the
curiofKies of the province they commaJided.

•f This is the name the cjustDs take when they afcendthe thione.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 4.7

luimour of Madame (lb they call Dcterville's mother) is
r.ot ntar fo amiable as that of her children. Far from
tiearing me wich To much goodneis, fhe fhcws me on all
occjlions a coldnels and dildain that mortifies me, though
I ca:i neieher remedy nor dilcover the cauie of it j and yet
by an oppohtion of fentiments that I undcrftand ftill IciSj
ftie requires to have me continually with her.

This gives me iuiupportable torture; for conftralnt
reigns wherever {\\c is, and it is only by itealth that Ce-
lina and her brother give me figns of their friendihip.—
Triey do not ^hemfelves dare to fpeak ireely before her j
for which leafon they fpend part of their nights in my
chamber, which is the only time we enjoy in peace the
pleafure of feting or.e another. Though I cannot partake
of their converiation, their preience is always agreeable
to me. It is not for want ot care in either of them that
I am not happy. Alas 1 mydear Aza, they are ignorant
that I cannot bear to be remote from tnee, and that I do
not think myfeif to live, except when the remembidnce of
thee, and my tendernefs employ me entirely.

LETTER 'xvi.

To Aza : laments that her ^ipos are almofi ujedy and

begins to learn to read; Jets a French tragedy.

I HAVE fo few Quipos left, my dear Aza, that I fcarce
dare ufe them. VVhen I would go to knotting them
the diead of feeing an end of them If ops me j as ir I could
iiiultiply by fpavmg them. I am going to lofe the plea-
fure of my foul, the i'upport of my life ; nothing can re-
lieve the weight of thy abfence, which muft now weigh
niedown. I tailed a delicate pleafure in preierving the re-
membrance of the molt fccret motions of my heart to offer
thee its homage. My deiign was to prel"en-e the nremory
ol the principal cufronis of this iuiguiar nation, toamuJe
thy leil'ure with in m.ore happy times. Alas! I have
little hopes now left of executing my project. If I find
at prelent lb muchdimculty in patting n-.y ideas into or-
der, how fliall I hereafter rccal them without foreign
afliitance ? "■ Tis tine they off^r me one ; but the execu-
tion of it is lb diiiicuk, that 1 think it impoffible.

The

48 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

The C:iciquehas brought meone of this country fava-
ges, who comes daily to give inc Itllons in his tongue,
?.ndto flievvmc the method of giving a fort of exilienceto
our thoughts. This is done by drawing fmall figures,
which they call letLers, with a feather upon a thin mat-
ter called paper. Thefe figures have names, and tiiofe
names put together repreient the found of words. But
thefe names and lounds lirem to me fo little diftincl from
one another, that, if I do in time fucceed in learning
them, I am lure it will not be without a great deal of pains.
This poor favage takes an incredible deal of trouble to teach
me, and I give mylelf more to learn : yet I make fo little
progrefs, that I would renounce the enterprize, if I knew
any other way to inform mylelf of thy fate and mine.

There is nu other, my dear Aza, therefore my whole
•delight is now in this new and fmgular lludy. I would
. live alone : all that I fee difpleales me, and the neceflity
impoled on me of being always in Madame's apartment
gives me great torment. At firft, by exciting the curi- '
ofity of others, I amufed my own : but, where the e^'es
only are to be ufed, they are foon to be fatisfied. All
the women are alike, have Itill the fame manners, and I
think they always fpeak the fame words. The appear-
ances are moie varied ainong tl^e jr.en : fome of them look
as if they thought: but, in general, I fuipe6l this nation
not to be what it appears ; for attc6lation leems to be its
ruling charafter. If the demonftrations of zeal and ear-
njlhiefs, with which the molt trilling duties of fociety
are here graced, were natural, thefe people, my dear Aza,
muft certainly have in their hearts more goodnefs and
humanity than ours : and who can think this poflible ?

If they had as much lerenity in the foul as upon tiie
countenance, if the propenfity to joy, which I remark in
all their a6lions, was Imcere, would they chule lOr their
amufement fuch fpe6\acles as they have carried me to
fee?

They condu(Sted me into a place where were reprefented,
akioll as in thy palace, the alliens of men who are no

more.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 49

more* But as we revive only the memory of the moft
wife and virtuous, I believe only madmen and villains
are rcprelenteti here. Thole v/ho perlbnated them rnved
and Itormcd as it they were wild 5 and I fawonect'them
carry his iury lb high as to kili himlelt. The fine women,
whom /eemingly they perfecuted, wept inccfiantly, and
fhewed iiich tokens of delpair, that the words they made
life of were not neceflaiy to Drew the excels of their an-
guilh. Could one think, my dear Aza, that a whole
people, whofe outlideis i'o humane, fliouid be pleafed at
the reprefentation of thofe misfortunes or crimes, which
either ovei-vvhelmed or degraded creatures like themfelves ?
But perhaps they have occafion here for the horror of
vice tocondutTt them to virtue. This thought llartsupon
nie unfought; and if it were true, how fliouid I pity
liich a nation? Ours, more favoured by nature, cheriilics
goodnefs for its ov.ai chaims : we vrant only models of
virtue to make us virtuous ; as nothing is requifite but
to love thee in order to become amiable.

LETTER XVII.
To Aza : a» opera defcribed, '-'-dk refieaions on fpeech
and r/iujic, Gfr.

I KNOW not what farther to think of the genius of
this nation, my dear Aza. It iTins through the ex-
tremes with fuch rapidity, that it requires more ability
than I poflefs to fit in judgment upon its character. —
They have fhewn me a fpedacle entirely oppofite to the
fomier. That, cruel and frightful, made reaibn re-
volt, and humbled humanity : this, amufmg and agreea-
ble, imitates nature, and does honour to good-lVnfe. —
It was compoled of a great many more m.en and women
than the former : they reprefented alio fome actions of
human lite j but whether they exprtffcd pain or plea-
lure, joy or forrow, the whole was done by fongs and
dances. The intelligence of founds, my dear Ar.a,
muil be univerfal : for I found it no more ditlicult to be

* T he Incas caufcd a kind of comedies to be reprefented, the
fubjecls of which were taken from the brighteft adtions of their
predeceflbre. E aftl-£lcd

ZO THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

sffccled with the diiterent palFions th.it were reprefented,
than it" they had been exprefled in our language. T.ins
ieenis to nie very natural. Human Ipeecn is doubtlels
ot" man's invention, becaule it differs according to the
difference of nations. Nature, more powcrtul, ajid
more attentive to the neceflities and pleafurcs ci" iicr crea-
tures, lias given them general means of exprefli ng^ them,
which are well imitated by the fongs I i;ieard. If it 'oe
true that faarp Ibunds exprefs better the need of help, in
violent fear, or acute pain, than words underltood in
one part of the world, and v/hich have no hgnificatioa
in another ; it is not lei's certain that, the tender fighs
ftrike our hearts with a more efficacious conipaifion than
words, the odd arrangement of which fonietuues pro.Ju-
ces juft a contrary efFeft. Do not lively and light ibuixls
inevitably excite in cur foul that gay plealure, v/hich
the recital of a dlvertuig ifory, or a joke properly in-
troduced, can but imperfeftly raife. Are there expref-
(lons in any language that can communicate genuine
pleafure with lb much fuccefs as the natural iports of ani-
mals ? Dancing feems an humble imitation ot them, and
infpires much the fame fentiyient. In fiiort, my dear
Aza, every thing in this laif fliow was conformsble to
nature and humanity. Can any benefit be conferred on
man, equal to that of infpiring him with joy ? I felt it
mylelf, and was tranlported by it in Ipite of me, when
I was interrupted by an accident that happened to Ce-
iina. As we came out, we (tepped a little afide from
tlie crowd, and leaned on one another for fear of falling,
Deterville was fome paces before us leading his filler-in-
Jaw J when a young favaige, of an amiable figure, came
up to Celina, whifpered a few words to her very low,
gave her a bit of paper, which fhe fcarce had Ilrength to
take, and retired.

Celina, who was fo frightened at his approach,
nsto make mc partake of her trembling, turned her head
languiHiingly towaids him when he quitted us. She
Itemed fo weak, that, fearing flie was attacked by fome
i\)dden ilhicfs, I way gouig to call Deteiviile to her af,

fillaiice^.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 5I

f *hnce : but ihe ftoppeil ire, and, by putting her fin*
gtr vii her itioudi, required nie to be lilent, I chofe ra-
ther to be uneai'v, than to dilbbey hei*. The ikme even-
ing, whtn the brother and h:ter canie into my chamber,
Ceiina fliewed the Cacique the paper ihe had receivetii
By the little I could gueis at in their converiation, I
Ihould have thought fh^ loved the young man who gave
it her, irit had been ptjffible tor one to be irightent.l at
the preiVnce of what one loves. J have made other re-
marks, my dear Aza, which I would have imparted to
thee ; but alas ! my Quipos are all uled ; the lait threads
are in my hands, and I am knotting the lall knots- The
knots, which teemed to me a chain ©f communication
betwixt my heart and thine, are now only the Ibrrowful
objects of my regret. lilufion quits me j frighrfui truth
takes her place : my wandering thoughts, be .vddered in
the immenfe void of ablence, will hereafter be annihi-
lated v/lih the i'ame rapidity as time. Dear Aza, they
leem to leparate us once again, and fnatch me afreih
from thy love. I lofethee! I quit thee! I (hall fee thee
no morel Aza, dear hope of my heart, how diftant m-
deed are wc now to be removed from each other I
LETTER XVIII.
To Aza : jte begins to ^^-ite ker ohjer--vations»

HOW much oi my time has been effaced, my deai'
Aza ! the Sun has run half his ccurfe fmce I iait
enjoyed the artificial happinefs of believing I conv^ened
with thee. How tedious has this double abfence appear-
ed 1 What ccxjrage did I want to fupport it 1 I lived in
futui ity only, ana the prefent time did not feem worthy
to be compute:!. All ray thoughts were nothing but
deiires, my retlcciicns but fo many projects, ar.d my
fcntiments but a kries of hopes. Scaixe have I leamed
to fonn theie hgxires, ai~l yet I will try to make them
the inter-pretersof my pailion. I feel myfelr reanimated
by this amiable e!>ipio\'ment : reitored to nn-i'elr, I be-
gin to live again. Aza, how dear art tl^.ou! what de-
light do I take in telling thee fo, in painting thefe fen-
timents, and giving them all poflible means of exiitence I
E 2 I would

52 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

I would trace them upon the hardcli: metal, upon the
walls of my chamber, upon my garments, upon all that
iurrounds me, and exprels them in all languages . How
fatal, alas, has the knowledge of" the language I now
ule been to me 1 How dtceitt'ul was the hope that pre-
vailed on me to learn it ! Scarce had I got acquainted
withitljuta new univerle opened to my eye j objefts
took another form, and every liglit I gained dilcovercd
to me a new misfortune. My mind, my heart, my
eyes, the Sun himfelf has deceived me. He enlightens
the whole world, of which thy empire, and the various
kingdoms that own thy fupremacyj ai'e a portion only.
Do not think, my dear Aza, that they have impoled
upon me in thcfe incredible facts, v/hich they have but
too well proved. Far from being among people fub-
je61ed to thy obedience, lam not only under foreign do-
minion, but i'o prodigioully remote from thy empire,
that our nation had (till been unknown here, if the
avarice of the Spaniards had not made them furmount
the moll hideous dangers to come at us. Will not love
do as much as a thirit of riches has done ? If thou loveft
me, if thou delirelt me, if thou only thinkeft yet of the
unhappy Zilia, I have every thing to expe6l from thy
tendernefs and generofity. Let them teach me the roads
that lead to thee, and the perils to be lurmounted, or
the fatigues to be borne, ftiall be Co many pleafures to
my paffionate heait.

LETTER XIX.

To Aza: /he nvrites more of ker difco-jeries ; Jhe and

Ccliiiajhut up in a. nunnery,

I AM as yet lb very imperfeft in tiie art of writing,
that it takes me up abundance of time to form only
a few lines. Often it happens, my dear Aza, that,
after having written much, I c.anot my felf divine what
I have endeavoured to exprefs. This perplexity con-
founds my ideas, and makes me forget what I had with
pain 1 evolved in my memory. I begin again, do no
better, and yet I proceed. Tlie talk would be more
ealy to me, if I had nothing to give theebut exprcflioiis

of

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 53

of my tenderntri's : the vivacity otmy JenLiments wouJ(i
rhen funnount :^11 difficulties. But I would alio render
tliee an accoiuit of all that has pafled during the long in*
terval of tiiy filence. I would not have thee ignorant of
any of my aclions j and yet of fo little importance, Jo
little uniform have they a long time been, that it would
be impclTiWe for me to diftinguifli one from another. —
The principal event of my life has been Deterville's de-
parture. As long ago as tb.ey call here fix months, he
has been gone to war for the interell of his Ibvereign.
When he fet out, I did not then know his language:
but, by the lively grief he difcovered at parting from his
filter and me, I under ftcod that we were going to lofe
liim for a long time. I ihed many tears ; a thoufand
fears filled my heart, left the kindnefs of Celina fhould
wear off. In Ifira I loil the moll folid hope of leeing
thee again. To whom could I have had recourfe, if
any new misforcunes had happened to me r Nobody un-
derftccd my language. It was not long before I felt
the effects of his abfcnce. Madame, his mother, whofe
contempt I had but toojulfly gueficd at (and who had
n«t kept me fo much in her chamber, but to indulge the
vanity il-.t conceived on account of my birth, and the
power fhe had over m^e) caufed me to be flmt up with
Celina in a houfe or virgins, where we now are. The
life that wc lead here is fo very uniform, tl'iat it can
pioduce but inconliderable events.

This retreat would not diipleafe me if it had not de-
prived me (juit as I began to be initiated) of the in-
muclions I wanted to carry on my defign of coming to
thee. The virgins that live here are fo profoundly ig-
n.crant, that they cannot fatisfy my molt trifling inqui-
ries. The worliiip which they lender to the divinity
of the counriv requires that they fliould renounce all his
benefits, all intelligence of the mind, all the I'entiments
of the heart, and I think even leafon itfelf, if one m.ay
judge from their difcourfe. Though fhut up like ours,
thefe vi-cgins have cue advantage that is not to he found
in th^ tiin-^l'^ of the Sun. 'The J^'alls are open here in
E :; . feveral

54 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

feveial places, and lecured only by ciuis bars of iron, lu
dole that they cannot be got between. By thelc places,
wiiich are called Parlours, they have the liberty ot'con-
vcrling with neribns who arc without. It is through one
of thele convenient places that I continue to have my
writing lefTons. I fpealc to nobody but the malter who
gives them to me ; and his Ignorance, in every thing
but his art, is not like to refcue me out of mine. Ce-
lina leems no better informed than the reft : in the an-
I'wers ftie gives to my queftions, I obferve a certain
perplexity, which can proceed from nothing but either
awkward difiimulation, or profound ignorance. Which
Toever it be, her converfation is always confined to the
affairs of her ovm heart, and thole of her family.

The young Frenchman who ipoke to her as we cams
out from the fmging entertainment, is her lover, as I
gueifed before. But Madame Deterville, who will not
let them come together, forbids her leeing him j and,
the more etFeiTtually to hinder her, will not permit her
to Ipeak to any perfon whatibever without. Not that
the choice Is unworthy of her, but this vain and unna-
tural mother, taking advantage of a barbaious cuftoni
eftabjiihcd among the great in tliis country, obliges Ce-
iina to pftjt on the virgin's habit, in order to make her
eldert Ion the richer. From the fame motive Cue has
obliged Deterville to enter into a particular order, from
which he cannot be difengaged after he has pronounced
Certain words called Vows. Celina, with ail herpower^
oppoles the facrifice thev would make of her: her cou-
rage is fupported by her lover's letters, v/hich I receive
from my writing maitcr, and deliver to her. Yet her
vexation fo alters lier chaia6ter, that, far from fiieu-ing
me the fame kindncfs Ihe did before I Ipuke her tongue,
(ht fpreads llich a fournefs over all our convcrlation, as
renders my forrows the more acute. Her tioubles, of
Av'iich I am the j->erpetual confidante, I hear without
dilgult : I bewail them witliout art, and comfort her
with *r;endfliip : but if my tenlernefs, awakened by
th.- picluri of herS; drives me to leek cai'e to n\v or-

preiTed

THE PERUVIAN PRINCFSS. 55

p;'efl"ed heart by only pronouncing ihy name, inipati-
er.ce and cnnttnnpt are iirmediateiy painted in her coun-
tenance j ft^.e diipuies thy undcrllanding, thy virtues,
and even thy love. My very China (I have no otJier
E Line for her, this having fo plealed that it has been
continued) my China, who leemed to love me, who
obeyed me in all things, takes the liberty to exhort me
to think no more ct thee, or leaves me, if I bid her be
filent. Celina then comes in, and I mull hide my re-
kntment. This tyrannical co;illraint heightens all my
misfortunes. I have nothing left but the painful fatis-
fa6l;ion of covering this paper witli expreilions of my
t.ndenicfs, it being the only decile wltnefs of the fcn-
timents of my heart. Alas ! perhaps the pains I take
are ulelefs ; perhaps thou wilt never know that I lived
for thee alone. This horrible thought enfeebits my cou-
rage, yet does not interrupt my delign of continuing to
write to thee. I preferve my illufion, that I may pre-
feiTe m.y life for thee. I banifh the cruel reaion that
would inform me. If I did not hope to fee thee again,
I am fure, mv dear Aza, I Ihculd perifh i for life with-
out thee is a torment to me.

LETTER XX.
To At. A : remarks en the French cuficrns.

HITHERTO, mv dear Aza, intent only about the
afth6iions of mv heart. I have faid nothing to thee
concerning thofe of my underllanding : yet thefe are not
tlie lefs cruel, became I have omitted them. I experi-
ence one of a kind imknown among us, and which no-
thing but the equivocal genius cf this nation could in-
vent. Tlie government of this empire, quite oppofire to
That of thine, miiil needs be defective. Whereas the
Capa Ir.ca is obliged to provide fortiie fubfitlenccof his
people, in Europe t'r.e fovereigns fubfilt only on the la-
bours of their fubjefts: whence it is that molt of the
Climes and misfortunes proceed here from imlatisfied nc-
ccifities. The m.isfortunes of the ncblcb in general, ariie
from, the difficulties they are ur.dcr to reconcile tiieir ap-
paient msgnificencs vsith tlicir real milcry. The com-
mon

56 THE PERUriAN PRINCESS,

mon people fupport their condition by what is called com-
merce or ir.duiby, the leaft evil ar.iing iVoiii which is in-
fincerify^ Part or the people, in order to live, are obliged
To depend on the humanity of others; and that is lb
bounded, that fcarce have thofe wretches Sufficient to keep
tbtm alive.

Without gold, it is impoHible to acquire any part of
that land which nature h?.s given in common to all men.
VV^ithout poflliTing what they call wealth, it is impoffi-
We to have gold; and, by a t'alfe conlequence, repugnant
to realbn and natural light, thisleniekls people, thinking
it a fhame to receive from any other than the fovereign
the means of life, and the lupport of dignity, give that
lovereign an opportunity of fnoweniig down his iiberaii-
ties on io fmall a number of his fubjeils, in compariibn
with thoie that are miil-rable, that there would be as
much foily in pretending to any ihare in them, as there
would be ignominy in obtaining deliverance by death
from the impoiribihty of living without fliame. Tlie
knowledge of th-fe woful truths excited in my heart at
fidt only pity for the miierablc wretches, and indignation
againft the laws. Eat alas ! 'now many cruel reflections
does the contemptuous manner, in which I hear them
fpeak of thofe that are not rich, caufeme to make on my-
fcJ.f ! ] have-neither gold, nor I'.-.nd, nor addrefs, and yet
I necclTarily make a part of the citizens of this place.

0 heaven ! in what ciafs muit I rank myfelf ? Though

1 am a Ifranger to all Icntiment of tliame, which does not
aiife fVom a fault committed; though I perceive. hew
foclifli it is to blufla forc?.u!es indepc-ndent of my power
and my will ; I cannot helpiiifferlrg from the idea which
others have of m.e. This pain would be infypportable
to me, if I did not hope that thy gcntrofity will one day
put me in a condirion to recompenie thofe, who, in ipite
of me, humble me by benefits witli which I once thought
mylelf honoured. Not that Celina omits any thing in
htr power to calm my inquietudes in this rel'peft : but
what I Jee, what I iearn of th:;i country, gives me a ge-
KeraJ diHi Jtcce of rhcir v/cids. Their virtues, my duir

Aza.

THE PERUVIAK PRINCESS. 57

Aza, have no more reality than their ri:hes. The move-
ables, which I thought were of gold, hiveonlv a thin I'u-
perficies of that metal, their trae fiibftance being wood.
In like manner what they call polltenels hns all the out-
ward forms of virtue, and lightly veils over their fiuilts:
but, v.'th a little attention, the aitifice of this is difcovered,
as well as their falfe riches.

I owe part cf this knowledge to a fort of writing they"
call books. Though I found it very difficult to compre-
liend what they contain, they have been of great ufe to me :
I extract notions from them ; Celina explains to me what
/he knows, and I form fuch ideas as I think aie juft.
Some of thefe books teach me wliat men have done, and
others what they have thought. I cannot explain to thee,
my dear Aza, the exquifite pleafure I fhould take in read-
ing them, if I did but underftand them better j nor the
extreme defire I have to know fome of thofe divine men
who compofe them. As they are to the foul what the
fun is to the earth, I fliould with them find all the lights,
all the helps I want : but I fee no hope of ever having
that fatxsfaclion. Though Celina reads pretty often, (he
is not knowing enough to latisfy me. As if fhe had
never refle6led that bocks were made by men, fhe is ig-
norant of their very names, and feem not to have rcfleft-
ed tliat fuch men ever lived. I will convey to thee, my
dear Aza, all that I can colle£l froin their wonderful
works ; I will explain them in our language, and fhall
tafte fupremie felicity in giving anew pleafure to himi I
love. Alas ! fiiall I ever be able to perfoi'm mvpromiie.
LETTER XXI,

To Aza : he-r f.rft con~jerfaiion ivHh a religions man.

I SHALL not for the funire want matter to entertain
thee my dear Aza: they have let me fpeak to a Cu-
cipata, whom thav call a religious man, who knows
every tlnng, and has promifed to leave me ignorant
of nothing. As polite as a ereat lord, as learned as
an Amutas, he knows as well the cuftoms of the world
as the tenets ol his religion. His converfation, more
uferul tiian a bock, l»3 given me a f3tisfa6lion which I

h.vA

S^ Tl4E PrRUVlAN tRINCilSS.

had not taftcd hues my inisibrtunes ieparated mr fiom
thee. He came to teach me the religion of France, and
exhort me to embrace it : which I would willingly have
done, it I had been well afluied that he gave me a pi6lure
of it. According to what he faid to me of the virtues
ic prefcribes, they are drawn from the law of nature, and
not lefs pure in fadft than ours : but I have not penetra-
tion enough to perceive here that agreem.ent, which the
manners and cuftomS of a nation rtiould have with their
religion : on the contrary, I find fuch a want of conr.exion
betwixt thefe, that my reafon abfolutely rtfufes to
believe my inltruclor.

Witii regard to the oiigln and principles of this reli-
gion, they (lid not appear to me either more incredible,
or more inccnipatable with gcotl fenfe, than the hiftory
of Mancocapac and the lake Tificaca*-. I fhoiild therefore
have been readv to embrace it, if the Cucipata hati not
indignantly defpifed the woiHup which we render to the
Sun. Partiality of any kind deftroys confidence. I
might have applied to his arguments what he oppofed to
mine: but if the laws of humanity forbid to ftrlke ano-
ther, becaufe it is doing him an injury, there is more rea-
fon why one (hould not hurt the icul of another by a con-
tempt of his opinions. I contented myfelf with cxpliin-
hig to him n^.y I'tntim.ents, but did not attempt to con-
tradi6f his. JBcf.des, amore deai ^vrrer!" -^-vlVcd me to
change the fubje^l of our conva-fation. i interrupted
him as focn as pcfTible, to afk how far the city of Paris
was frozn that of Cuzcn ; and whetl.cr it was pcihble
to get from one to the other. Tlie Ccipata latisfied
mt kindly j and though the dillancc he tcldm-e there was
betv/ixt the two cities was encueh to make me delpair:
though he made me look on the ditr.culty of performing
this voyage as almcft infurmounrablc j it was lufficient
for me to know that the thing was pclTible, in order
to confirm my courage, and give nie ci. nfidcnce to ccm-
municate my dtfign to the good rather. Kc kerned afto-
.j^ifticd, and efidcavoured to divert mie from my projefl

, vi'ith

* See the hiitorv of the Ir.cas,

THE PERUVIAN PRINCE*!?. ^rf

vlth fnch tender worcls, rhat I was aftecled myfelf at
hearing the dangeii I wn^ to be expoied to : but my re-
I'okition however was unlhaken, and I prayed the Cuci-
pata, in the warmed manner, to teach me the means of
rtlmning into my country. Me wouid not enter into
particulars, and oniy told niethat DeterVille, by his liigh
birth and peri'onal merit, being in great credit, might do
what he would fcr ine j and that havn g an uncle all p-«'.v-
criul at tlie court ol Sp;--ir:, he could »nore eaiily than any
man procure rr.- news from our unhappy country.

The bettiei v. lietermine me to wait for his return
(whicli iie ..iiuird n •: to be ne.r at hand) he added, that,
after the obligations I had to this generous friend, I
could r,ot honourably difpofe of myielt without his con-
fcnt. I ?!grced with him, and heard with plealure the
encomiur.iS he made of thofe rare qualities, which diilin-
guiilKd Deter\-ille from thofe of his rank. The weight
or acknowledgment is very light, my dear Aza, when one
receives favours only from the hands of virtue. The
learned man informed me alio how chanct; had conduiicd
the Spaniards to thy unfortunate empire, and that the
thirlf of gold was the ibk caule of their cruelty. He
then explained to me in what manner the rights of war
had-cauled me to fall into the hands of Dcteiville, by a
fight in which he was viftorious, after having taken fe-
veral fliips from the Spaniards, and among them that in
which I was embarked. In fine, my dear Aza, if he
has confirmed my misfortunes, he has at le-sft drawn me
out of that cruel darknefs, in which I lived with regard
to-all thofe extraordinary events. This is no fmali lo-
Idcs to my pains, and for tiie reft I wait the return of
Deterville- He is humble, noble, virtuous, and I may
depend upon his genercfity. It he reftores me to thee,
vi'hat a benefit i what ioy ! what happineis 1 —
LETTER XXII.
To Aza : the p-'ujf s fdcond --uijit Jifgufls htr frrnplicitj .

ITK USTED, my de?.rAza,upon maK.hig me a iriend ot
the learned Cucipata : but a iecond vifit he has mads
nie, has dcihoytd liie good opWiion i lOinicd of him ni

the

6o THE PEHUVIAN' PRINCESS,

the firft: in fliort, we have ahxady diifered. If at firfl:
he appeared to me gentle and lincere, this time 1 found
notmng hut rudenels and fahhood in all he laid to me.
My mind being ealy with regard to the objeil of my ten-
dernels, I defired to fatisfy my curiofity concerning tlie
wonderful men who make books: I began by inquiring
what rank th^y held in the world, what veneration was
paid to them j in fhart, what were the honours and
triumphs decreed to ihcm for io many benefits bellowed
on fociety.

I know net what pleaiantry theCucipata found in my
queftions, but he fmiled at each of them, and aniwcrcd
me only by fuch broken fentences, that it v/as not dilHcult
for mc tofeehe deceived me. In facf, ought I to believe
that perfons, who know and paint fo well the fubtie de-
licacies of virtue, fiiould not have more, nay, Ihould
fometimes have Icfs of it in their hearts than ot!ier men ?
Can I believe that intereft is the guide of a labour more
than human j and that fo many pains are rewarded only
by railleries, or at belt by a little money ? Can I perfuace
myieif that, in fo hauglity a nation, men who are u^dil"-
putably above others by the Hglit of their underftandmg,
are reduced to tlie woetlil ntcclfity of felling their thoughts,
as people fell for bread the meanelt piodutSlions ot the
earth ? Fallhood, n:;y dear Aza, does not lefs dilpleale
me wiien under the tranlpajcat nuiik of pleaiantry, than
when under the thick veil of iLducfion : that of the fa-
ther provoked me, and I did not deign to give him an
aniwer. Not being able to fatisfy mylelf in this relpect,
I turned the converiatlcn again to the project oi my
voyage j but, inltead of dilTuading me from it with the
lame gcntlcnel's as before, he oppoled Inch Itrong ami
Convincing rcafons againlt me, that I had nothing but
my palHon for thee to combat them with, and I made no
fcruple of confejfmg as much.

At tirlf he ailumed a gay air; and, feeming to doubt
the truih of ir.y words, anfwered only by jukes, which,
irifipid as they were, did not fail of oitcnding me. I la-
boured to convii;cc him oi rny truths but, in proportion

as

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 6l

as the expreflions of my heart proved its lentiments, his
count enince and words grew levere. He daretl to tell
me that my love For thee was incompatible with viituej
that I mull renounce one or the other j in ihoit, that I
could not love thee withcxit a crime.

At thele ienllleis word» the moll violent wrath took
poflefiion of my foul : 1 forgot the moderation I had
prei'cribed myielf: I loaded him With reprojches : I told
him what I thought of the fallity of his words : I pro-
tefted to him a thoufand times that I would love thee
alwaysj and, without waiting tor his exculcs, quitted huu,
and ran and ihut niyfelf up in my chamber, whuher I
was fure he could not follow me. OmydearAza! how
whimfical is the reafon of this country ! Always incon-
tradiflion with itfelf, I cannot underiland how I am to
obey fome of its precepts without thwarting many otners.
It agrees in general that to do good is the firlt viitue:
it approves aclcnowiedgment, arni yet preferves ingrati-
tude. It would be 1 -.udabie in me ir I could le-eitablslli
thee upon the throne ot thy tathers : but I am ciiminal
in prdeiving for thee ibmethiiig more precious than the
empires of tlie world.

They would commend me if I could recompenfe thy
benefits by the treafures ot Peru. Stripped oi ail, de-
pendent 'or all, I pGileisonly my lovej that they would
have me tear from thee, and become ungraiciul, becaule
I have virtue. Ah niydear Aza! I ihould deceive them,
if I proniifed a moment to ceafc loving thee. Faithful
to their laws, I fhail bt fo to my love alfo j I fhail live
for thee aione.

LETTER XXIil.
7b Aza : Deteri;ilk returns from a longahfcnce^ and ex~

plains to ker kis lo-'oe in Frensk, -ojbico Jue noiv f^taks .

IBrXiEVE, myde.r Aza, that nothi'-.g out rhejoy
of iecing thee can furpais that which I relt upon the
return of Dettrvdie : bui, as if I w2s never more to tafte
pieaiares unmixed^ it \v?vb very ioon followed by a lorrow
wiiich ftiii enduies. Leiina wac vcilcrdiy morning in
my ciiambcr, Vi-hen foinebc-ly came and whiipered her
F^ out.

5l THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

out, and flie had not been long gone, before I was bid
to come to the parlour. I ran thither j and how was I
iurpriil-d to find lier brother there with her ! I did not
dillemble the plealure I received at Teeing him to whom
I ewe lb much elleem and friendfhip. As lentim^-ntsof
this kind border on virtue, I cxpreiled them with as much
truth as I telt them.

I faw my deliveier, the only fuppoi t of ray h»pe : I
began to Ipeak without conftraint of thee, of my love, of
my defigiiS, and my joys fwelledup to iranfpcrcs. As
I did not fpeak. French when DctervilJe went away, how
many things had I to tell hun ! how many (juellions to
afk him, and how many thinks to give him ! Defirous
to tell him all at once, I Ipoke bad French, andyetcon-
tined to talk on. During this time I perceived thatDe-
terville changed his countenance : the gloom which I
remaikcd on his i-ice when I entered, difappeared ; joy
took its place; and I, pleafed that I could give hhn de-
light endeavoured to luiighten it ft. 11 more. Alas ! ought
I to have feared giving too mixh plealure to a triend to
whom I owe all, and from whom I expeil all ? Yet my
fincerity threw him into an error which at prefent colls
me a great many teaz-s.

Celina went out at the fame time, tliat I came in :
perhaps her preience might have hindered lb cruel an ex-
planation. DeterviUe, attentive to my words, feemed
to take pleafiu-e in hearing them without aiming to in-
terrupt me. I know not what trouble feized me, when
I would have demanded of him inftrucStionsrelativc to my
journey, and explained to him the motive ot it ; but I
wanted expreiTiuns and fearched them in vain. He availed
himfclf 01 a moment of fdence, and bowing one knee to
the ground before the grate, vv'hich he held with both his
liands, he laid to me in a paifionate tone ; * To what

* fentiments, divine Zilia, mull I afcribe the plealure

* which 1 fee i'o artlellly expreiled in your fair eyes, as

* well as in your difcourfe ? Am I the happieit oi men.,

* .at the very inliant wiun my lifter defcribed me as the
' grcatclt objcvt of cutiipallion ?' * 1 kr.ow not,' an-

I'wtrtd

THK PERUVIAN' PRINCESS. 6^

fwered I, * what uneaiineiS Cehna can have given yovi j

* but I am very lure you fhsil never receive any trom

* me.' * She iias told me,' replied he, ' tliat I ought

* nor to hope for your love.''

« Mine'.' cried I, interrupting him, * could ihe lay

* that you have not .'-ny love ? Ah ! Deierville, how

* could vcvir lllter bl'.ckm me with liich a crime ? I

* abhor ingratitude, aiiQ fliouid ■■a':e myielt if I thought
' I could ever ceafe loving you.' While I fpolce thefe
few wor J5, he .'remed by the eagemeis of his locks, as if
he would have read my veiy foul.

' You love me then, Ziiia,' faid he, ' and you tell it

< me yourklf. I would have given my life to have heard

* io chaniii-'ic^, a confefTion : but alas ! now I hear it, I

* cannot believe. Ziiia, mv dear Zilia, is it true that

* yo'i love me r Do you not deceive yourfelf ? Youf

* toiic , my heart, every thing feduces me. Perhaps I am

* cr.iy to be plunged again into the defpaii- from which

* I have juft efcaped.'

< You altoniili me,' replied I. * Whence arifes ycui'

< d.tiidence ? Since I have known you, it I could not

* make myfcif undt-rftood by words, ought TiOX. all my

* actions to have proved that I loved yeu?' ♦ No,' relumed
lie, ' I cannot yet flatter myfelf of this : you are not yet

* miilrels enough of French to deftroy my juil fears. I

* know you do not ecdeavour to deceive me : but tell

* me what fenie ycu affix to thefe adorable words, I love
*■ jctt. Let my lot be decided ; let me die at your feet,

* either with grief or pleafure.' * Thelcv/ords,' I laid
to him, a little intiinidated by the vivacity with which
he concluded his fpeecli, * thefe words, 1 think, ought

* to let you know that you are dear to me ; that I interelt

* myfcii in your fortune 5 that friendfnip an^l gratitude

* attach me to you : tlicfe fentiments pieaie my heart,

* and ought to fatisfy yours.'

* Ah Ziiia!' anfwered he, ' how your exprefiions

* grow more feeble, ar.d your tone more cold ! Did Cc-

* lina then tell me truth r Is it not for Aza that you feel

* ail that you fay?' * No,' faid I j * the fentiments I

F z * hivc

64- THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

* have for Aza are quite ditferent from thole I have for

* you : they aie u'hat you call Jove in another fenfe. —

< What pain can this orjve you ?' added I, leeing him
grow pale, leave the grate, and look. forrowFully up to
heaven : * I have this tender love for Aza, becaufe he

* has the fame for me, and we were to be united. There

* is nothing in this that at all concerns you.' * There

* fliould be the lame ties,' faid he, * betwixt you and

* me IS you own betwixt him and you, fmce I have a

* thoura.:d times more love than he ever felt.''

* How can that be?' faid I, interrupting him. * You are

* not of my nation. Far from li av ing ciiofen me for your

* wife, it was chance only that brougiu us together, and

* we could never till tliis day frcciy communicate our ideas

* to each other. Wiiat reafon could you have to entertain

* for me fuch I'entiments as you mention r'

' Was any other reafon wanting,' he replied, * than

* your charms, and your charafter, to attach me to y ou
' till death? Tenderly educated, indolent, an enemy to

* artifice, the pains it mull have coft me to engage the

* hearts of women, and the dead of not finding there

* that franknefs I defued, gave me only a vague and

* tranfientrtlifh for the lex. I lived without paifion till
' the moment I faw you, when your beauty llruck. me :

* but its imprtlTion, perhaps, had been as light as that

* of many others, if the fweetncfs and fimplicity of your

* chai-a6ler had not m ide you appear to me the very ob-

* jeft vi'hich my imagination hadfooften formed. You

< know Zilia, whether I have fhewnrefpeil: to this obje6l

* of my adoration. What has it coft me to refill: theie-

* ducing occalions which the familiarity of a long voyage

* offered me ? How many times mult your innocence
' have furrendereil to my tranlports, if I had liftened to

* them ? But, far from offending you, I carri>;d my

* diicrerion even to lll^nce: L even required my filler not

* to fay a word to you of iny love, willmgto owe nothing
' but to yourfelf alone. Ah Zilia, if ib tender a rel peel

* does not move you, I will fly : but I perceive that my

* death will be the price of the lacrihce.' * Your

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS* 6-

< Yovu- deiith,' cried I, aftefted at the finccre grief
which I law prels him down, ' fatal lucrifice indeed ! I

* know not whether the apprehenfion of ray own would

* be more fright ;ul to me.'

< Well then Zilia,' faid he, * if my life is dear to you,

* order me to live.' * Wnat muif 1 do,' faid I. * Love
'■ me," anfwercd he, * ns you love Aza,' ' I love him

* always the fame,' replied I, * and fliall love him till

* death.' I added, ' Whether'your laws permit you to

* love two objecfs in the lame manner, I ksownot j but

* our cultom- and my heart forbid it. Be content with

* the fcntiments I promile you j I can have no ether.-—

* Truth is dear vo me, aud 1 tell it you without diiguife.''

* How you afiairinate in coki blood!' cried he. * Ah

* Zilia ! how do I love you, fince I adore even ybur cruel

* franknels. Well,' continued he (after fome moments
filence) ' my love fhail lurpafs your cruelty. Your hap-
' pineis is dearer to me than my own. Speak to meun-

* refervedly v/irhaii this torturing fincerity ; what hopes
' iiave you with regard to the Igve you itiil cherifn for

* Aza.' * Alas !' faid I, ' my hopes are in you only.'
1 riien told him I had leanied that a communication vs-itJi
the Indies was not a thing impoffible: that I riatrered
myfelf he would procure me the means of returning thi-
ther ; or at lealt, that he would have the goodnefs
to get my knots conveyed to thee, which would \w-
form thee of my condition, and procure me an anlwerto
them, that I might know thy daf iny alio, and conduce
my icif accordingly.

* I am going,' laid he, with an affe<5led coklnefs, * to

* take the neceliary meaiures for difcovering the fate of

* your lover : you Ihall be farisried on that head : but in
' vain do you Hatter yourfelf with the hopes of feeing tlie

* happy Aza again, who is feparated from you by invin-

* cible obitacles.'

Theie words, my dear Aza, were a mortal woruid to
mey heart : my tears flowed in abxmdance, and long hin-
dered me irom anfweriag Detervillc, wno kept on hisllde
-. mc-laBcholv fiierice. ' If it be lb,' faid I at lull, ' that
F % < I fhaii

66 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

* I (lull fee him no more, yet will I not live for him the

* icfs. If your iViendlhip he generous enough to procure

* us Ibnie conefpondence, that iatista-5iion fhalliuffice to
' render my life lel.s imupportable ; and I flial! die con-

* tent, pr<w)vided you pi-omlle to ini'onn him that I lo\ed

* him dying/

* Oh I this is too much,' cried he, rifing up brifkly.

* Yes, it it is polTible, I will be the only one unhappy.

* You fliall know this heiut which you dildain : you Ihall

* lee of what efforts a love like mine is capable, and I

* will force you at lea!t to lament me.' As he fpoke thefe
words he fprung away, and left me in a condition which
I do not vet v>\'\\ comprehend. I continued itanding, my
eyes fixed on the door by which Dirterville went out,
plunged in a confufion of thoughts, which I ilrove invain
to reduce to order. I ihould have continued there longer
if Celina had not come into the parlour.

She afked me, iharply, wny her brother was gone fo
foon, and I did not conceal from her what had palled be-
twixt us. At fuit file itemed to grieve for what ihc called
her brother's misibrtune : then turning her forrow into
rage, fiie loaded me with the hardeft reproaches, to which
I dared not anfwer a fmgle word. What could I have
laid to her ? My trouble did not leave me the liberty of
thinking. I went cut, and flie did not follow me. Re-
tiring into my chamber, I flayed there a whole day v/ith-
out daring to appear, wirhout fpeaklng to any perfon,
and in iucli a diibrder ci mind that did not permit me to
write to thee. Celina's wrath, her brother's defpair,
and his laft words, to which I dared not give a favour-
able lenfe, alternately tormented my foul, and gave me
the moll cruel uneafmefs. At lall I thought, that the
only way to foften my inquietudes, was to paint them
to thee, and to fearch in thy love for thole counfels which
I have fomuch need of. This error I'upported me wh'le
I was writing : but how fhort a time did it lait ? My
letter is written, and the chara6lers are drawn for myielf
only. Thou art ignorant of what I ililfer, thou doft net
even know whether I exift, whether I continu, to love

rliee.

THE PERUVIAN' PRI>rCESS. 67

thee. Aza, my dear Aza, thou wilt never know thele
things.

LETTER XXIV.

Tb Aza Jhe falls Ji:k -^ account of Madame Deterville^s

death.

I MAY 'uftly call that time an abfence, my dear Aza,
wliich is elapfed fince the laft time I wrote ro thee. —
Some days after the converration I had with Dcterviije,
I fell into a ficknefs which they call a fever. If, as I
believe, it was caufed by the painful fenfations which
then acritated me, I doubt not but it has been lengthened
by the forrowful reflections that have fince employed me,
ana by my regret for having loll the friendfliip of Cclina*

Though ihe feemcd to be concerned for my maiady,
and took of me all the care that was in her power, it was
with lb cold an air, and fo little fympathy in the affliction
cf my foul, that I cannot doubt but her lentiments to-
wards me are altered. The extreme friend Hi :p fhe has
for her brother fets her againil me, and (he conti;nulIy
reproaches me for having rendered him uninppy, " The
Oiame of appearing: ungrateful intimidates me : the alfe^t-
ed kindneiles of Cclina torture me : ixit is conftriinedby
my perplexity, and the foft and agreeable are bini-liecl
from our canverfation. In fplght offo much contrariety
and pain from the brother and filler, I am not unaffecled
with the events which have changed their deftir.y.

Madame Detervllle is dead. This unmturai mother
has not belied her character; fhe has left her v/hole for-
tune to her eideif fon. There are hopes that the lav^yers
may hinder the effccls of this injjftice. Deterville, dif-
interefted with regard to himfclr, takes inlinite pains to
redeem Celina from opprefTion. Her m.isfcrtune feems to
redouble his friend fhip for her: befules that he comes to
fee her everv day, he writes to her night ami momino- :
his letters are full of teiuler complaints again'd me, and
fuch lively Iblicitudefor my health, that, though Celina
affects, in reading them to me, to inform me only of the
progrefs of their affairs, I can enfily difcover the motive
of this pretence. I dc not dov. o!; Uut Detervilk writes

them

68 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

them on purpofe that they may be read to me ; and yet
I am periliaded he would not tio it if he knew the heavy
reproaches that always follow thcie ie6lures. They make
their iinpreffion upon my heart, and forrow conl'umes me.
Hitherto, in the midlf of itorms, I have enjoyed the
weak fatista^lion of living in peace with myfelf. Not a
Ipot fullied the purity of my Ibul, nor a remorie troubled
it. But now I cannot think, without a fort of contempt
for myfelf, that I fhould make two perfons unhappy to
whom I owe my life. How do I interrupt the repofe
which but fcrme they would enjoy ! and yet, though I
^ do them alltfe harm in vr.y power, I am not, nor will I
ceale to be in this refpcil criminal. My tendernefs for
thee triuniphs over my rtmorle. Aza, how do I love
thee I

lp:tter XXV.

To A? A : Detcr^'ille difco^jers lo her that Ai.k is in Spain j
and expojlulates for himfelfin <vam.

HOW hurtful, my dear Aza," may prudence fome-
times be! I have a long time refuted the power-
ful inflanccs which Deterville hud cauied to be made to
me, that I woiiid grant liim a moment's converfation.
Alas! I Ihunned my own hoppinefs. At length, lei's
thiough eomplaifance than becaufe I was weary of
Celina's importunity, I fullered mvlelf to be led to the
parlour. At light of the frightful change in Deterville,
which makes him fci:rce to be known, I itoodconfounJ-
ftl, repented already the (fep I had taken, and wailed
tiernblmg, for the reproaches wlfich I thought he had a
right to lay on me. How I could tlivine that he was
going to fill my foul with pleaiure? * Pardon me, Zi-

* lia,' laid he, * the violence I put on you. I fliould

* not have obdiged you to fee me, if I had not brought

* you as mucii joy as you infli(!;l: torment on me. Is a mo-
' ment's light ol you too much to require, in rccom-

* pence for the cruel Ihcrilice I am going to make you ?'
Then, without giving me tkne to aniwer, ' here,' fays
he, * is a letter from that lelation you was fpcaking of.
' This will ii-^j-onn you cf Asa's fituation, and, in ia

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 69

* doing, prove, better than all my oatKs, how great is

* the excels oi'iny love. ' He then read the L-tter through.
Oh! my dear Aza, could I hear it, and nut die fur joy ?
It informed me that thy days are prelerved, that thou arc
free, that thou livcil out of danger at tue court of Spain.
What an unhoped-for happlnei's ! This admirable let-
ter was writ by a man who knows thee, who fees thee,
who converfes with thee. Perhaps thy looks were fixed
a moment upon this precious paper. I could not take
mine from o.^ it. It was with pain I fupprciled the
joyous exclamations that were ready to efcape, and tears
of love overflowed my countenance.

li I had followed the motions of my heart, a hundred
times fliould I have interrupted Deterville, to tell him
all that my gratitude infpired : but I did not forget that
my felicity would augment his pain, and fo concealed
my transports, that only my tears were vifible. * You

* fee, Zilia,' laid he, after he had done reading, ' that

* I have kept my word : you are infonned of Aza's f:-

* tuation : What is there more to be done ? Give your

* orders without relerve ; there is nothing that you have

* not right to exa6l of my love, provided it contributes

* to your felicity.' Though I might have expefted this
excels of goodnds, it neverthelels furpriled and af-
fccled rae. I was fome moments perplexed for an an-
fwer, fearing to aggravate the grief of fo generous a
man. I fought for terms that might exprels the ti'uth
of my heart, without offending the ienfibility of his:
I could not find them, aiid yet was obliged to fpeak.

* My happinels/ fiid I, * will never be without mixture,

* fince I cannot reconcile the duties of love with thofe

* of friendrtilp. I would regain the friendfhip both of

* you and Celina j would never leave you j would for

* ever admire your virtues, and through m.y whole life

* pay the tribute of gratitude which I owe for your

* goodnefs. I know that, in removing to a di!ta!ics

* from two perfons lb dear, I (hall carry with me eter-

* naj regret. But "

* How, Zilia,' crletlhe, * would yau leave us then ?

« Alas I

7© THE PFRUVIAN PRINCESS.

* Alas ! I was not prepared for this fatal refolutlon, and
« want courage to fupport it. I had ftreng th enough f o
« fee you here ui the arms of my rival : the efforts of

* my reafcn, and the delicacy of mv love, had confirm-

* ed me to bear that mortal blow which I had contrived

* formyfelf; but I cannot be feparaied from you, J
« cannot renounce the fight of you . No, you fliall not

* depart,' continued he withwai-mth, * do not think of
« it : you abufe my tendernefs, and tear, without pit}^,

* a heart dilfiafled with love. Zilia ! cruel Zilia ! fee

* my delpair : it is your work. Alas! what return

* do you make for the mod pure love !' * It is you,'
anfwercd I, (fiightened at his relblution) * it is you

* that ought to be blamed. You blaft mv veiy foul by

* forcing it to be ungrateiul ; you lav waile my heart

* by a fruitle's fenfibiiity ! In the name of friendfhip,
' do not tarnifli a generofity without example, by a d'sC-

* pair v>-h:ch would caufe the bitternefs of my life, and
not render you happy. Do not condemn in me the

* fair.e fentlment which you cannot fmTncunt, and force

* me to complain of you unwillingly. Let me cherifli

* your nam.e, bear it to the utmoit limils of the world,

* and make it revered by people who are the adorers of

* virtue.' I know not how I prcnounced thefe word':;
but Deierviile, fixing his eyes upon me, aiid yet not
perceiving to lock, but fnut up, es it were, in himfelf,
continued a long time in profound meditation. I did
not dare to interrupt him, and we kept equal fiience till
he re'.umcd his fpeech, and with a fort of tranquillity,
jaid to me — * Yes, Ziiia, I know I feel my own in-

* juif ice : but can one coolly renounce the fight of lb many

* channs? You wil' have it Ic, and you fhall be obey-

* ed. O heaven ! v/hat a facrifice ! My iorrow^uldays

* fhall roll on, and end without feeing you. At leaft if

* death Let us talk no more of it,' added he, in-
terrupting himfelf : * m.y weaknefs betrayed me: give

* me two days to confimi mvielf, and I will wait upon
' you again,' that we may together take the meafureg

* neeef^iary

THE PERUVIAN' PRINCESS. yX

* LecefTai'y for your jo'unsy. Ad;eu, Zilia. ]^vl:y the

* happy Aza talk ail felicity.' At faying thcle words
he went out.

I confcfs to thee, my dear Aza, though Deterville is
fo dear to me, though I was deeply atfccled with hi»
grief, I had too much impatience to enjoy my felicity
in peace not to be well plealed with his retirement.—
How delightful is it, after fo much pain, to give one's
fclf up to joy ! I paffed the reft of the day in the moft
tender raptures. I did not write to thee; a letter would
have been too little for my heart, it would have I'ecalkd
thy abfence to my mind. I faw thee, I fpoke to thee,
dear Aza ! What had been wanting to my liappinefs, it
thou hadft joined to that precious letter fjme tokens of
thy tendernefs ? Why didll thou not do it ? They
fpoke to thee concerning me j thou kncrweft my fitua-
tion, and I heard not a word of thy love. But can I
doubt of thy heart ? mine is anlwerable for it. Tho\i
loveft me j thy joy is equal to mine : thou burned with
the fame tire, and the fame Impatience devours thee. —
Let fear be far from my ibul, and joy reign there with-
out mixture. Yet — thou haft embraced the religion of
that favage people. What is that religion ? Does it re-
quire the fame facrlficcs of atfcolion as that of France ?
No : thou wouldft not then have fubmitted to it. How-
ever that be, my heart is under thy laws : fubmitted to
thy underftanJing, I will blindly adopt whatever raiy
render us infepar^ble. How can I fear r Soonre-unitsd
to my bhfs, to my being, to my all, I (hall hereafter
think for thee only, 3.nd live for nothing but to bve thee.

'letter XXVI.

To Aza : Jhs declares her refoiution of ^juaiting for k'lm

in France,

IT is here, my dear Aza, that I fhall fee thee again :
my felicity increafcs every day by its particular cir-
cumftinces. The interviev/ alhgned me by Deterville is
juft over, and v/hatever pleafure j promifed m\lclf in fur-
mounting thedlfHcultics of a long journey, of preventing
thee, of meeting thy footltcps, I facrihci it without re**

72 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

grct to the happinefs of ieeing the fooner. Deten'ille
has proved to nic, with Tuch itrong evidence, that thou
inayeft be here hi lefs time than I can travel into Spain,
that, though he gencroufly left me the choice, I did not
helltate to wait for thee here j time being too precious to
be waited without nectfllty. Perhaps I (liould have ex-
amined this advantage with more care, it, before 1 had
chofen, I had not gained iuch lights with relpe^t to ray
jouiney as determined me in lecret what party to take,
and tliat fecrct I can trull only to thee.

I remember that, in the long rout which brought me
to Paris, Detervilie gave pieces of fjlver, and ibmetimes
of gold, at all the places where we Hopped. I defired
to know if this was required of him, or if he did it of
mere generolity : and was infonned, that, in France, tra-
vellers pay not only for their food, but even for their re-
pofe*. Alas ! I have not the L-atl portion of that which
would be neceflary to fatisfy the cravings of this greedy
pc;ople : all mufl come frcm Detervilie. Thou knowcit
what I owe him, and how thameiul would it be to con-
tract freih obligatiuns! I (hould accept his favour with
a repugnance, which notiiing but abroiuteneccllity could
vanquiih. Can I voluntarily make mylelf a greater debtor
to him who has already done and fuifered fo muck
for me? I could not relolve en it, my dear Aza, and
this reafon alone would have determined mc to remain
here. The pleafureof Jeeing thee fooner only confirmed
my lormcr refolution. Detervilie has written in my pre-
frhcc to I he Spanilh mlnifter : he prcfies him to let thee
come, and pcjints out to him the means of getting thee
conducted hither, with . generolity that warms at once
my gratitude and admira ion.

How pleafant were the moments that pafTed wlille De-
tervilie was writing ! how delightful to plan out thcdif-
pofitlcns !or thy journey, to fctiie the preparations for my
h-'.pp:nefs, of which 1 can no longer coubt ! If at fi^ft it
colt me dear to renounce the delign of preventing thy

journey
* The Inc.is eflab1iihc-^> large houf:s upon the road, where ail
travciicra v>cre enterlaiixJ without txpence.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 75

journey, I confcls my dear Aza, I havetcundin fo doing
the Iburce of a thouland pleafures, wiiich I had not be-
fore perceived. Many circumllances, whicli at firil ap-
peared not conliderabie enough either to hai^en or rctuid
mv journey, beccnie to me interefting and agreeable. I
followed blindly the bias or my heart j and torgot.thar I
was coming in learch ot thee among thofe cruel Spaniards,
the very idea of wliom ftrikes me with horror. The
certainty of not feeing them any more gives me infinite
iatisfaction. Though the voice of love at firft iuppref-
fed that of fricndfhip, I now tafte without remorle the
fweetnefs of uniting them. D^terville has alfurcd me,
that it v/ill be impoihble for us ever to vilit the city of
the fun : and, after our own country, can there be a more
agreeable place of refidencc than this of France? It v/ili
pleafe thee, my dear Aza, though fmcericy is banifiied
from it. Here are fo many agreeable thir.gs, that they
make one forget the dangers of the fociety.

After what I have laid to thee of gold, it is unnecef-
fary to caution thee to take fomc of it vith thee : thou
wilt have no other merit. A iliiail pait of thy treaiiires
would amaze and conround the pride of the magnificent
indigents of this kingdom : thy virtues and thy lent i-
ments will be cheriihcd by me only. Dctervdle has pro-
mifed to tranimit to thee my knots, and my letters, and
allured me that thou wilt find interpreters to explain the
latter. They are come to demand !ny packet, and I
mult have done. Farewel, dear hopu ex ray liie : I will
continue to write to thee, and, i I cannot fend ray let-
ters, will keep them for thee. How Ihculd I fupportthe
length of thy journey, if I were to deprive mytcif of the
only means I have of converfmg with my joy, my tranf-
ports, my felicity ?

LETTER XXVn.

To Aza : Celina's tender fufs ; DUcrvule fends her a! I the

JpcUs of the iemple of the Sun.

SINCE I know my letters to be upon the road, ray
dear Aza, I enjcy a tr-anquillity to whicn I was be
lore a ftianger. I tnmk for cverot the pleafure thou wi
G ha

7/r THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

have in receiving them j I fee and receive their ti-anfports ;
my foul admits only agreeable ideas, and, to complete
my joy, peace is again c'labiiiiied in our little lociety.

The judges have rrfiored toCeiinathc efft^.sof wliich
her mother had depiived her: flie iees her lover every
day, and her marriage is retarded f nly by the neccHary
preparations that arc making ior it. Tb as happy to her
wlflies, Ihe thinks no mcie of quarreling wi^h me 5 and I
have as much obligation to her, as it the kinduv-fTes fhe
begins again to fnew me were c /ing to her friendfhip.
Whatever the motive be,- we are always in debt to thofe
who help us to the enjoyment of agreeable lentiments.
This morning fhe made me r'v.Uy lenfibie of it by an a6\.
of complaliance, which at once traniported me from tire-
fome anxiety to the moft calm tranquillity. They had
brought heraprodig'ous quantity of itutFs, garments, and
toys of all kinds. She ran and fetched me into the chamber,
and, after having coniuUed me upon the different beauties
of fo many ornaments, fhe pui together a heap of thofe
which had mcft attra61ed my attention, and haltily com-
manded our Cliinas to can-)' them into my apartment,
though I oppoltd it with all my power. My reiufal at
f.y{x diverted her only ; but perceiving that the more I
declined the prefent, the rr ore flie perfdled in making it,
I could no longer diffemble my refentment. ' Why,' fa id
I to her (with my eyes full of tears) ' why will you hum-

* ble me more than I am? I owe to you my life, and ail
' that I have: but fo much bounty is not necellary to keep

* my misfortunes in remembrance. I know tliat, accord -

* i -ig to your laws, when benefits are of no advantage to

* thofe who receive them, the Jhame is afFaced. It is not
' without repugnarice,'addec! I in a more moderate tone,
' that I conform to fentiments which have fo little of na-

* ture in thcni. Ourcuitomsare more luunane : he that
' receives is honoured as much as he that gives. You

* hi ve taugiit me to think otherwlfe j and is not this, there-

* fore, to offer me an outrage ?

This amiable friend, melted by my tears more than
iiiiialed by my reproaches, anfwaedia a iwqH kind and

ocntlc

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 75

jventie tone: ' Beth my brother and I, my dear Zili3,
^ would be fa^tVom offending your delicacy. It would

* ill b&:cme us, as you Iha^i kiX)\v preienily, to atftft

* raa£;nificerxe in our behaviour to you. I only dell ed

* that ycu .v^uld partake with nie tht- prelects of a gene-
« rousb. other; and I knew thu 'vas the molt certain me-

* thod of llie\ving him my gratitude. Cultom, in my

< fi:ua*iou, authoriics me to offer you thefe thmgs : but,

* lince you are offended,, I will ily no more to you upon

* the iubjeft."' * You pvomife me then?' faid I. < Yes,'
ani'wered Ihe witli a i'mile ; * but give me ieate to write

< a word or two to Deterville.'

I let her do as fhe defired, and freedom was reftored
betwixt us. We began to examine her drefs mere par-
ticularly, till llie was called int^"* ::he parlour. She would
have had me go with her, but, r.iy dear Aza, can I have
any amufcment comparable to th^t of writing to thee ?
Far from -eeking any other, I am apprehenlive before-
hand ot the diverllons interu-led for me. Cellna is going
to be man ied, and iht talks ot taking me with her : Ihe
wouM have me quit this religious houle, and live in hers.

But, if I may be believed ----

-_ -. Aza, my dear

Az5, by what an agreeable furprife was m.y letter inter-
rupted ! I believed I had for ever lo;l this precious mo-
nument of our ancient fpiendour ; I had even left off
thinking of it : but now I ain iuiTounded with the mag-
nificence of Peru ; I fee it, I feel it, and fcarce can I
believe my eyes or my hands.

Whllft I was writing to thee, Crlina came into my
chamber, followed by four men crcuchLng underthe weight
of heavy chefts, which they had on their backs; theyfet
them down and retired, and I imagined they had brought
fome new preients from Detervilie. i already murmured
to myfelf, when Celina, giving me fome keys, faid,
* Open Zilla, open without being angrs', it comes frona
« Aza.'

Truth, which I fix infeparably to the idea of thee,
did not leave me in the kaft doubt. I opened haftily,
G z ani

76 THE PERUVIAN- PRIIsCESS.

and my furpriie confimied my eiTor, when I faw that all
which I beheld were the ornaments of the temple of the
Sun. A confuhon of thoughts, mixed up of foiTOw and
joy, of pleafure and regret, filled all my heart* I threw
mylelf proltrate before thefe facred remains of our wor^
/liip and our altars, covered them with refpeflhil kilTes,
watered them with my tears, and could not be difengaged
from them : I even forgot that Celina was prelent, till
Ihe roufed me from my trance by giving m.e a letter,
whicli file defued me to read.

Still given up to my error, I thouglit it came from
thee, and my tranfports redoubled : but, though I made
it out with pain, I foon perceived that it was Deterville's
writing. It will be eafier for me to copy it, my dear
Aza, tlian to explain to thee the fenfe of it. '

dlterville's letter.

* Thefe treafures are yours, fair Zilia, fince I fo\ind
*■ them in the fiiip that carried you. Seme dilputesthat

* arofe among the crew, hindered me from uifpofing of

* them fretly till now. I would have prelented them to

* you myfelF, but the uneafinefs you difcovered ro my

* lifter this morning would not permit me to follow my

* inclination. I could not too foon diifipate your fears,

* and I will all my life long prefer your latisfasftion to
' mine.'

1 confefs with a blufh, my dear Aza, that I v/as at
that inftant lefs fenfible of Deterville's generofity, than
of my own pleafure that I was able to give him proofs
of mine. Immediately I fet apart a vale, which chance
rather than avarice, had caufed to fall into the hands of
the Spaniards. It was the fame (my heart knew it)
which thy lips touched on that day when it was thy plea-
fure to tafte fome Aca* prepared by my hand. Richer
ill this treafure than in all the reft that was reftored to me,
I caUed the men who brought the chelis, and would
have iiad them take tlie whole^back again as a prefcnt to
DeteiTille, but Celina oppoied my defign.

* How unjuft you are, Zilia !' faid flie. * What,

* would
* A drink of the Indians.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 77

' wouM you, who are offended at the offer of a trifle,

* dclircniy brother to accept ot immcnle riches ? Obferve

* equity in your own actions, i\ you would inipire others

* with It.' Thefe words Itruckme, and I perceived there
was more of pride and vengeance than ot generolity in
my a6lion. How near do the vices and virtues approach
each other I I confelTed my fault, and aikcd Cclina's par-
don : but what afHifted me the molt was, the conftraint
flie Jaid me under, not to endeavour to repair what I had
done. * Do not punifh me,' faid I, with a timid air, * as

* mi:ch ?s I deferve : diltlain not to accept of a few fpeci-

* mens of the workm.anfliip of our unfortunate countries :

* you have no need of them, and my requeft ought not

* to give you offence.'

While I i'poke, I obferved that Cellna looked atten-
tively at fome golden fhrubs, with birds and infe^Sls on
them of excellent workmanfliip : I inftantly made her a
prefent of them, together with a fmall fiiver bafket,
which I tilled with f^.owers and flieilsinolt ctirioufly imi-
tated. She accepted it with a goodnefs that tranlborted
me. I afterwards chofe outfeveritl idols of the nations *
conquered by thy anceiiors, and a fmall ftatue f repre-
fenthig a virgin of the Sun :' to thefe I added a tiger, a
lion, and other courageous animals, and beibught hei'to
lend them to Detcrviilc. ' Write to him ttien,' faid flie
with afmile: * without a letter from you, the prefent will
* not be well received.'

I was too well fatisfied to refufe any thing; and wrote
all that my gratitude dictated : and when Celina was
gone out, I diitributed irnall prefents to her China and
mine, and put others afide for my writlng-maller. Then
it v.-as that 1 en;oyed the delicious pleafure of being able
to give. I did not do this without choice, my dear Aza,

* The Inca-: caufed the idols of the people they fubdued to be
depofited in the temple of the Sun, af;er die/ had conformtd ta
the worfhlp of than lumi^.ary. They had idols alfo themfelves,
the Incd Huayna having confulted that of Rimace. See the hil-
tory of the Incas.

-f The Incas adorned their houfes wi:h ftatue* of gold of ail
magnitudes, even to gigantic lizes,

Gi All

7S THE PERUVIAN FKINCESS.

AU that came trcm thee, whatever thou wilt particularly
remember, has not gone out ot my hands.

The golden chair *, which was kept in the temple for
the vir.ting days of the Capa-Inca, thy auguft father,
placed in a corner of my apartment, in form of a throne,
reprefents to m.e thy grandeur, and the majefty of thy
rank. The great figure of the Sun, which 1 myfclf faw
torn from the temple by the perfidious Spaniards, luf-
pended over it, excites my venei-ation. I fall down before
it, and adore it in mind, wliile my heart belongs all to
thee.

The two palm-trees, Avhich thou gaveft to the Sun as
an offering, and a pledge of the faith thou hadft fworn
to me, placed en the two fides of the throne, continually
revive in my mind thy tender and afteCiionate oaihs. —
Flcwcrs, birdsf, difpofed with fymnietry in all the cor-
ners of my apartment, form in miniature the image of
thofe magnificent gardens, where I have lo often enter-
tained mylelf with thy idea. My fatisfied eyes can fix
in no part without calling to mind thy love, my joy, my
bli!s, in a word, all that v. ill ever conflitute the lifc^of
mv life.

LETTER XXViri.
To x-\zA : Jhe is in the co-untrj, at Ceima's -jsedfwp.

IT was in vain, my dear Aza, that I endeavoured by
prsvers, complaints, and remonftrances, to avoid quit-
ting m.y retreat: 1 have been obliged to give way toCelina's
im.poitunities. and wc have been nov.' three days in the
country, wh.ere her marriage was celebrated at our firfl
arrival. What pain, what regret, what grief did I not
feel at abandoning the dear and precious ornaments of my
folitude ! Alas ! fcarce had I had time to enjoy th^m,
; nd I fee nothing here to make amends for what I have
Lft ! The joys and pkalures with which txcrs one here

feems

* The Incis never fat but upon feats of mafTy goiii.

•f The girdens of the temple, and thofe or the royal palace?,
were l:llcd\vi;h various kinds of imiratiorss in gold m\6. filver.
The Pf ruvians rradc Lm.jgc-s oven ot the- pUnt Ma^s, with which
tLev \voi:ld fell '.vhole Ucitis

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 79

Teems intoxicated, are lb tar from diverting and amufmg
uie, tiiat they make me remember with greater regret the
peaceable days I I'pent in writing to, or at leaft in
thinking of, thee.

The diverfions of this country appear to me as aftc£led
and unnatural as the manners : they confift of a violent
gaiety, exprtlTed by loud laughter, in which the foul
leems to takeno part ; of infipid games, in which money-
makes all the plealure ; or elle in converfations fo frivo-
cus, in which the fame things are continually repeated,
that they refemblc rather the chattering of birds than the
difcourfe of thinking beings. The young men, who are
here in great number, were at firft very bufy in following
and feeming to oblige me : but whether the coldnefs of
my converfation has difgufted them, or that my little
relifn for their entertainments has made them weary of
raking pains to recomiUiend their fenices, two days only
were fufficient to make them, forget me, and deliver me
from their importunate notice.

The propenfity of the French is fo natural to extremes,
that Dctei-ville, though exempt from a great part of the
faults ot his nation, does yet participate of this. Not con-
tent with keeping the promile he has made, of not fpeak-
ing his fen'iments any more to me, he with remarkable
caution avoids ftaving where I am prelent ; fo that though
we are obliged to fee one another continually, I have not
yet found an opportunity of talking with him.

By the forrow that oppreflirs him amidlf the public joy,
I can eaiily perceive that in this fhynefs he commits a vi-
olence on hinifeif. Perhaps I ought to be obliged to him
for it, but I have fomany queltlons to afk him about thy
departure from Spain, thy arrival here, and other fuch
interefting fubjects, that I cannot pardon while I am
forced to approve his conduct. I defue violently to oblige
him to fpeak to me ; but the dread of reviving his com-
plaints and regrets prevents my doing it.

Celina, intireiy taken up with her new fpoufe, affords
me no relief, and the reft of the company are not agreea-
bie to VA?. Thus, alone in the raidft of a tumultuous

uflcmbiv.

So THE PERUVIAN PRIMCES5.

aflembly, I have no ainuiement but my thoughts whicli
are aJ! addrelTcd to thee. My dear Aza, thou flialt ever
be the lole confidant of my heart, my piealures, my fe-
Jiclt)'.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

LETTERS

OF A

PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

VOLUME II.

LETTER XXIX.

To Az A : /he has another inter-ziie-vj ^juith Deter^vilkj and
fuffeBs Aza's injidelity.

I WAS much to blame, my dear Aza, In defiring To
earnellly a converfation \vi:h DetervilJe. He hath
faid but too much to me : though I difallovv the trouble
that he has excited in my ibul, it is not yet effaced. I
know not what fort of im.patience was added yefterday
to my ufual melancholy : the world, and the noife of it,
became to me more troublefome than ordinary. Ex-
cept the tender fatisfa6tion of Celina and her husband,
every thing that I faw infpired me with an indignation
bordering on contempt. AHiamed to find fuch xmjuft
fentlments in my heart, I endeavoured to hide the per-
plexity they caufed me in the molt retired part of the
garden. Scarce had I fat me down at the foot of a tree,
before the tears involuntarily flowed down my cheeks.
With my face hidbetwixtmy hands, I was burled in fo
profound a reverie, that Dcterville was on his knees by
the fide of me before I perceived him.

* Be not offended, Zilia,' faid he: * it Is chance
< that has brought me to your feet, I was not looking

* after you. Wear)- of the tumult, I was coming to

* enjoy my forrow in peace. I perceived you, and

* ftruggled with myfelf to keep at a diftance from you :

* but I am too unhappy to continue fo without feeking
' relief. In pity to myfelf I drew near ; I faw your
' tears flow, and was no longer mafter of my powers.

* But, if you command me to fly from you, I will obey.
' Can you do it, Zilia? Am 1 odious to you?' — ' No,'
replied I ; < on the contrary, fit down, I am glad to

* have

ti THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

* have an opportunity of ipeaking to you fince the laft
' benefits 3-ou conferred on me/ * Let us not talk of
' them,' interrupted he brilkly. * But hear me/ re-
plied I : * to be entirely genercus, you inuft Ihten to

* acknowledgment. I have not fpoken to you fmccvcu

* reftored to me tlie precious ornaments of the temple

* in which I was educated. Perhaps in my letter I
' b^dly expreflcd the fentimtnts that fuch an excefs of

* goodnefs infpired me with : but I meant ' * Alas !'

intcnup*^eci he again, < what comfort Hoes arknowiedg-

* ment bring to a heart that I? ^vretched ? Thanks are

* the companions of indifference, and too often allied

* with hatred.' « What is that vou fay ?' cried I. — ■

* Whv do you thus ^^Tong mt in your thoughts? Ah !

* Deterville, what a right fliould i have to reproach vou,

* if you were not fo .nuch to be pitied ! Fai- from hat-

* ing vou, e^'er fince the firll moment I faw you, I
' have depended on you with lefs repugn?nce than on

* the Spaniards. Your geniiencft) and kindnefs have

* made me all along defire to gain ycur friendfhip, in

* proportion as I faw f irther into your charafter. I
' am confirmed in the opinion that youdeferve all mine ;

* and, without fpeaking of the extreme obligations I

* have to you(fincc my acknowledgment difpieafes) how
' could I help entertaining the fentimer.ts v.hich are fo
' juftly your due ? Your virtues alone I found worthy

* of tlie fimplicity of ours : a fon of the Sun would be

* honoured by your fentiments : your rea'bn is like that

* of nature : How many motives then had I to efteem

* you r Even the noblcnefs of your figure, and every

* thing about you, pleafes me : for friv^ndihip has eyes
' as well as love Heretofore, after a fhort ablence,

* you never came to me again, but I felt a foit of fere-

* nity expand in my heart. Why have you changed

* thofe innocent pleafures into pains and anxieties ?

' Ycur reafon now appears but in ftartsonly, and t

* am continually afraid of thofe failles. 'The fentiments

* you entertain me with lay a reftiaint on the expreflion

* of

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. Sj

f of mine, and deprive me cf the pleaiure ©f defciibing
^ to you, without dilguiie, the charms I could tafte ini

< your friendship, it you did rot yourl'elt diiturb the
^ ivveetnels of it. You even take from me the dehcate
f pleaiiiie of looking on my benefactor : your eyes per-

* plex mine, and I no more obfei-v^e in them that agreea-

* ble tranquillity, v/hlch has fometmies palled to my

* very foul. Your ccnltant and fettled m.elanciioiy re-

* proaches me eternally uith being the chief cauje of it.

* Ah, Deterville! how un'uft are you, if yen think you
f fufFer alone.' * My dear Zilia!" cried he, (kiffing my
hand with ardour) * what un addition does your kind-

< neis and franlmefs of fpeech make to my regret !

* What a treafure would the pofltfTion of luch a heart

* as yours be! But with what aggravated defp^ir do

* you make me fcnfible of the lofs of it I Mighty Zilia 1 '
continued he, < how great ib your po ver ? Was it not

* enough to convert me from the moft careltfs indiffe-

* rence to love, from indolence to fury, but you muft

< vanquifh me too ? Can I bear it ?' * Yes,' faid I,

* this effort is v.'orthy of your nobie heart ; an a^lioii
^ fojuliand generous elevates you above mortals.' —

* But can Ifjniveit r' re fumed he, forrov/fully . * Do

< not hope, however, that I fliall fcrve for the victim of

* your love: I will continue ftill to adore your idea,

< which fhall be the bitter nourifliment of my foul. I

* will love you, and fee you no more. Oh 1 — But at

* kali do not forget '

The riiing fobs choaked his fpeech, and he halfily
endeavoured to hide the teais which overflowed his '
face. Affecl'.d equally v/ith his generofity and his
grief, I flicd fome myie'.f, and prciled one of his hands
in mine. * No,' faid I, * you inali not leave me. Let

* me llilJ keep my friyid, qind be fatished with thole fen-

* timents which I (hail Jiave ior you all my life long.

* I love you almoft as much as I love Aza, but I can-

* not love you in the lame manner as him.'

* Cruel Zilia r cried he, with tranfport, ' will you
^ ^I.va)s accompany your gooclntls with inch piercing:

' Urokcs?

S4- THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

< ftiokes ? Muft a mortal poilbn continually deltroy the

* charm that you convey with your words ? How ienie-

* Ids am I to be bewitched by their Iweetnei's ! to what

* a fhameful humility do I degrade myielr ! But it is

< done, I recover ir.ylelf !' added he, in a firm tone.

* Farewel ! You (lull loon iee Aza ; may he not make
' you feel torn^ents like tiioi'e which prey on me j may

* he be llich as your dehre makes him, and worthy of

* your heart ! '

You cannot conceive, my dear Aza, what an alann
the air he pronounced ihefe words in, gave to my foul.
I could not guard againll the fulpicions that came crowd-
ing into my mmd. I did not doubt but Deterville was
better informed than he cared to appear, and had con-
cealed from me fome letters that he had received from
Spain : in fliort (ihall I dare pronounce it i") I fufpe6ted
that thou weit unfaithful. I entreated him, in the
itrongeft manner, to tell me the truth : but all that 1
could get out of him amounted only to loofc conjeftiu-es,
which had an equal tendency to confirm and to dcilroy
my fears.

However, refle6tions npon the Inconftancy of men,
the dangers of abfence, and the facility with which thou
hadll changed thy religion, remain deeply graven \i\yon
my mind. Now did my love, for thefirlt time, become
to me a painful fentiment ; now was I for the firlt time,
afraid of lofmg thy heart. Aza, if it were true, if thou
didft not love me, would that my death had feparated us,
rather than thy inconftancy ! No; it was his own def-.
■pair that fuggefted to Detervdie thefe frightful ideas. —
Ought not his trouble and diftraction to convince me of
it? fhould not his felf-intereft, which makes him fpeak,
be called in queftion by me r It was lb, my dear Aza,
and my refentment turned all againft him. I treated
him roughly, and he quitted me in a defperate fur^-. —
Alas! was I lels defperate than he? What tonnentsdid
I not fuffer, before I found again the repofe ot my
heart ? Is it yet well confirmed ? Aza ! I love thee lb
teriderly, canll thou forget mc ? LETTER

THE PERUVIAN PrilXCESS. 85

LETTER XXX.

To AzA ; ifv.poJidncejor nis coming j defcnptlon of French

<vtjiis.

THE joiirr.ev, my dear Aza, feems to me very lorg.
How ardently do 1 deiire thy arrival ! T ime has
dillrpdted my inquietudtr^j and I now eiteem them only
Hs a dream, ot wAichthc light oi the day iias effaced the
hnprcirion. I accmed myitlr ot a crime in havmg lul-
ptcied tnec, and my repentance redoubles my tendcrnels :
ic has ahiioic rooted out my compamon for the pains or
Deterviiie. 1 cannot pardon him tor the ill opinion he
iecms to have ot thee, and I have Jefs regret than ever
in being as it were Icpai-ated from him.

We nave been at Paris a fortnight, and I live with
CcUna in her hufband's houfe, which is fo diftant horn
tnat cf iier brother, that 1 am not obliged to fte him
erery hour. He oiten comes hither to eut : but Ceiina
and 1 live togetlier in fuch a huriy, thac he has not leifure
to fpeak. with me in private.

Since our return, we employ part of the day in the
trrti"orri:i work or dieffing curftives, anvl tne icli in what
they caii here paying or vifits. Thele tv/o occupations
j'.Tin to me quite as unprofitable as they aie raiiguing,
it the latter did not procure ir.e the means ot iniorming
mylclf more parciculariy of the culloms ot the country.

At my arrival m France, not underitanding the lan-
guage, i couidjuogeot things only by their ouifide. As
1 had little inlhxiciion in the religious houi't, I tound the
country luiTied to no better account, where I faw only a
particular iociety, with vv-h.-ch i was too much tired to
examine it. It is here only, that, by convening vi-ith
■ lit they call the great world, I fee the whole nation.
l"he vifits and devoirs that we pay. confiil in going to
2s peat a number of houfes as poliible, thereto give and
receive a reciprocal tribute or praiie upon the bcaiuy of
tuv J; ccs and ihapes, the excellence of cur talle, and the
judicious clioice of cv.r drefits

k was not long^before I difcovered the reafcn that
:. -de us take fo iriuci pahis to acquire this homage, C
H ' tin.1

S6 THE PERliVlAN PRINCESS,

find it Is, becaiii'c there is anectflity of receiving in perfon
this momentaiy incenfe : tor no Iboner does any one dif-
appe^r, but -flie takes another ioim. The charms that
vv-ere found in her that goes outlerve only to make a con-
temptuous ccmparilcn, in order to eftabiilh the perfections
of her who conies in.

Cenfure is the reigning tafte of the French, as inco-
herence is the charatter of their nation. In their books,
you find the general criiicifm of human manners, and in
their converiktion that of every particular peribn, provid-
ed he be abfent. What they call the mode, has not al-
tered the ancient ufage of faying freely all the ill they can
of ethers, and fometimcs even more than they tnink.
People cf the beft behaviour {ciiow the cullom, and are
dillmguilhed only by a certain fannal apology they make
for their fi-aiiknefs and love of truth : which once over,
they reveal the faults, the ridicules, and even the vices,
of others without f cruple, not iparmg even their btft
friends.

As the iincerity which the French ufe to one another
is without exception, lb their reciprocal contidence is
without bounds. One need have neither eloquence to be
heard, nor probity to obtain belief. Eveiy thing is faid
* every thing is rece.ved, with the liime levity. Yet I
vv.'uld not have you think, my dear Aza, that the French
:.re in general bom witn bad inclinaticns : I ihould be
•n-.cre unjuil than they if I left you in fuch an error.

Naturally fufceptible of virtuous fentiments, 1 never
favv oneof them that was not melted at the hiltory, which
they oblige me often to give them, of the re6l:itude cf
our hearts, the candour of our fentiments, and the fm;-
phcity of cur manners. If they lived amongil us, they
would becoa-.e virtuous : but example and cullom are the
tyrants by which they are fwayed.

A man of good iL-nfe fpcaks ill of the abfent, becaufe
he v/ouid not bit difuifed bv thofe who are prelent : ano-
ther would be hoUvit, humane, and without pride, it he
<iid not jear being ridiculous \ and a th rd becomes rit i-
vulous throTifih lutl) qualities, as wcuid make him anio-

THE PiRUMAN PRIXCtS?. S7

del of periefllon if he dared to exert them, and afTurae his
JuIl merit.

In a word, my dearAza, their vices are artificial as vrcll
as tlieir v'.rtuea, and the nivoloufhefs of their character
pennirs them to be bat imperfectly what they are. Like
the plav things they give their children, the'e whimfical
people fhew onlya i'aintrel'emblance of the thinking beings
they lliould appear. You have weight, ibftneis, colour,
and upon tlie whole a fair outfide, without any real va-
lue, ilccordingly they are efteemed by other nations
onlv as tlie pretty toys and trifles offociety. Good ienfe
finlles at their genteel airs, and coldly ranks them in
their proper place., Happy the nation which lias nature
ojily fcr its guide, truth for its mover, and virtue for its
principle !

LETTER XXXr,
To AzA: injujlice of the Yrefich to 'wormii.

IT is not fui-prifjng, my dear Aza, that incoherence is
a confequence of the ixcv chara^ier of the French ;
but I cannot be enough furpriied that they, with as much
or mere penetration than any other nation, feem not to
perceive the fliccking contradiClions which foreigners re-
mark in them at the firfi: fight.

Among the great number of ihofe which ftrike me every
day, I do not fee any one that more difhonours their un-
derftanding, than their manner of thinking with regai'd
to women. They refpeCl them, ray dear Aza, and at
the fame time deipife them wirh equal excefs.

Ti^e firit law of their politenefs, or virtue (I do not
know that they have any othe.v) regards the women. A
man of the h'gheft rank owes the utmoft complaifance to
a v/;ni3n of themolf vileccnditior, and would blufh for
fhame, and think himfelf ridiculous in the higheft degree,
if he offered lier any perfonal infult. And yet a m.an of
the leaft confideration and credit may deceive and betray
a woman of merit, and blacken her reputation without
fear of either blame or pun fhment.

If I wa'^ not afiured that thou wilt foon be a judge of
thefe things thyfelf, fcarce fnoidd I dare paint to thee
H a fuch

88 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

iuch contrafts as the fimplicity of our minds cannot with-
out pain conceive. Docile to the notions of nature, our
genius proceeds no farther : we have found that the
ftrength and courage of one fex indicates that it ought to
be the fupport and defence of the other, and our laws are
conformable to this difcovery.* Here, far from com-
pafllonating the weakncl's of women, thofe of the com-
mon people, tied down to labour, have no relief either
from the laws or their hufbands. Thofe of more elevated
rank, the prey either of the feduftion or malice of men,
have no recompence for the perfidies impofed on them,
txcept a fliew of merely imaginary out fide refpeft, which
is continually followed by the moft ftmglng fat ire.

I perfeclly well perceived, when I firft converl'ed in the
world here, that the habitual ceniure of the nation 'alls
principally upon the women, and that the men do not
defj)ife one another without fom.e caution or referve. I
looked for the caufe of this in their good qualities, wheu
an accident revealed it to me among their defedls.

In all the houfes we have entered for two days pad, we
have been told of the death of a youne man killed by one
of his friends, and the barbarous aclion is approved of
for no other reafon, but becaufe the dead had fpoken to
the difadvantage of the livinjj. This new extravagance
feemed of io ferious a character, as to deferve my cx-
a6lelt inquiry. Upon information, my dear Aza, I
learned that a man is obliged to expofe his life to take
away that of another, if he hears that this other has been
talking againit him ; or to banifh himfelf from fociety,
if he refufes to take fo cruel a vengeance. I wanted to
be told no more, in order to form a clear idea of what I
fought. It is certain that the men, naturally cowards,
without fiiame, and without remorl'e, are afraid only of
corporal punifnmcnts. And if the women were authori-
fcd to punifii the outrages offered them in the fame man-
ner, as the men are obliged to revenge the fliglKeft in-
i'ult offered to one another, fuch perfons as we iee now

v^ell
* The Peruvian laws difpenfe the women from all hard bodily
labour.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. ^9

well received in foclety, would not be fo any longer*
The flanderer inuft retire into a defert, and there hide his
malice and his fhaine. But cowards have iiothing to
fear, and Irave too well founded this abufe to fee it ever
abolished.

Impudence and efFronver\' are the fird fentiments that
the men are infpired with : timidity, gentlenefs, and pa-
tience, are the fole virtues that are cultivated in the v/o-
men : How then are thefe to avoid being the viftlms of
impunity ? O my dear Aza, let not the brilliant vices
of a nation, othcrwife charming, give us a difguft of the
natural fimplicity of our own manners ! Let us not for-
get ; thou, the obligation thou art under to be my exam-
ple, my guide and my fupport in the path of virtue ; I,
the duty that lies on m,e to pre/erve thy efteem and thy
love, by imitating my model, even by furpafTingitif pof-
fible, and meriting a refpecl founded on virtue, and not
on a frivolous cuitcm.

LETTER XXXII.

73 Aza : ^/he is conducted by furprife to ker country -houfe^

'vjhat pajfes there.

OUR viiits and fatigues, my dear A2a, could not
end m.ore agreeably. "What a delicious day did I
fpend yeiterday ! How pleafant are already the new obli-
garions, which Detennlle and his filler confer on me! and
how dear will they be when I can partake them with
thee ! After two days rell, we fet cut yelf erday morning
from Paris, Celina,. her brother, her hufband, and I,
to go, as flie told m.e, and pay a vidt to the beft of her
friends. The journey was hot long, and we arrived
early in the day at a countrj'-houfe, the fituation
and avenues of which appeared to me admirable : but
V. h."t alloniJhed me at going in was, to find all the doors
open, and not to meet a fmgle |>eribn.

Tnis houfe, too pretty to be abandoned, too fmallto
hide the people which ihould inhabit it, feemed to i»s/a
kind of enchantmCiit. I was diverted with the thought,
and afked Celina if we were in the dwelling of one pf
triofe I'airies, of \vhom Ihe has mademereadthehiftcriesa
H x where

90 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

wnere themiftreis of the maniion and her domeftics were
all invlfible.

* You fhall fee the miftrefs/ anfwered fliej * but, as

* impurrant affairs have called her away for tlie whole
^ day, fhe has charged me to pievail on you to do the

* honours of her houfe during her abience/ She added,
laughing, * Let us fee how you will get off.' I came
readily into the joke, and put on a ferious air, to copy
the compliments which I had heard made on like occa-
fions. They told me I acquitted mylclf pretty well.

After amufmg ourfelves for fome time in this manner,
Celina faid, * This polltenels would be iullicient to give-

* us a good reception at Pa'-ls j but, jnadam, fcmething
' more mull be done in the country. W\]\ you not have
' the good ne is to alk us to dinner?' ' Upon this head,'
{aid I, ' I am not knowing enough to give you latis-

* faftion, and I begin to icarthat your triend has relied

* too much on my caie.' * I know a remedy for that,'
anfwered Celina; * if you will only take the pains to

* write your name, you lliall iee that it is notibdifncuif

* as you think to treat your friends well.' * You give
' meconiiort,' faid I j ' let me write immediately.'

I had no Iboner pronounced thefe words, but I faw a
man come in dielfed in black, with a ftandifn in bis
hand, and paper already writ upon. They placed it be-
fore me, and 1 wrote my name where I was directed. At
that inftant another well looking man appeared, who in-
vited us, in the ui'ual manner, to attend him into the
dining room. We theie foundatable coveied with equal
propriety and magnihcence: Icaice were vce ieaLcil wiieii
delightful mufic was licard in the next room : noth.ngia
/hort, was wan*-ing that could render a repan agrceablr.
Detervlile himlclf feenicd to have forgot hib n^eianchoiy,
in order to makeus merry : he exprcfied his palTion tojr.c
in a thoufand manncis, but always in a picafant toi.^,
without complaints or reproaches.

The day was lerene, and, with common confent, \vc
agreed to walk w;\i;n we roie from table. We found the
;^jrde)is njucn nioj'e exteniive tlijii riic houie fecmed fu

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. gi

prc7Tiife: art and lymincti-y made themielves admired,
by uniting to render the charms of liniple nature n.ore
ti'anlponing. The end or our walk, was a wood, which
terminates this fine garilen: there iitting all four on a
tkiightful turf, we beg;m already to indulge that reverie
which natural beauties niituraily inrpire,whcn,tlu-ough the
trees, we law coming on onellde a cojnpany of peafants,
properly drclli;d in their iTianner, preceded by fome in-
ftnunents or mufic, and, on the other fide, a company
C't young lailcs, dreiTcd m white, their heads adoiTicd with
dowers of the field, who fung in a rullic, but melodious
iPianner, fongs, in which, to my furprile, I heard my
own name often repeated.

My aitonifliment was much gi'eater, when the two
companies being come up to us, the molt diilinguirtied
man quitted his, kneeled down on one knee, andprefented
to me, in a large baibn, fcveral keys, with a compliment
which my perplexity, did not futter me to undeiftand :
I only comprehended in it, that being the chief of the
villr.gcrs in that country, he came to do me homiage in
quality of their foverelgn, and prefcnt me with the keys
ot the houfe of which I was ahb the mllrrefs.

As foon as he had ended his harangue, herofetomake
room for tlie prtttiek of the young daniiels : ihe prefented
me with abxmdieofnowers adorned with ribbands, which
ijie accompanied alfo with a fliort difcourfe in mypraife,
delivered wih a good grace. I was too much corifuied,
my dear Aza, toanlwer eulogies which 1 lb little dcl'erv-
ed j'ctherwife, every thing that palTed had an uir fo re-
icnibiing that of tiiath, that many times I could not help
believing what nevcrthelcfs I. thought incredible. This
thought produced a variety of others, and my mind was
fo engaged, that it was impofiible tor me to fpeak a v.'ord.
It my conruficn was diverting K) the company, it was
not io to m.yiclf.

Dctervilic was the firft who took pity of me: he made
a fig-n to his fifter, who, after having given lome pieces
oi gold to tile lads and lailes, and toid theni that thofe
vwic the taiiivil of my kindnefs towards them, arofe,

and

9i THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

and propofed to take a turn into the wood. I followed
her with pleafure, intending to have reproached her hear-
tily tor the dilovder ftie h:.cl put me into : but I h?.d not
time ; for fcarce had we taken half a dozen Heps before
ihe Hopped, and, looking on me with a fmillng counte-
nance, ' Tell me, Ziiia,' faid fhe, ' are you n:t very

* angiy with us ? and will ycu not be more fo if I ad'ure

* you, that this land and this houfe do in very truth be-

* long to you ?'

« To nie?' cried I. * Ah Celina, whether it be an

* atfront or a jcft, you carry it too far/ * Hear me,"
faid (he, more ferioufly : ' if my brother has difpofed of

* fome parts cF your treaiure to purchafe it, and, iniread
' of the difagreeable tormalities that would have been

* othciwife nectflary, reicrved to you only the furprils

* when the thing was done, ought you to hate us moi-

* tally for fo doing? Cannot ycu pardon us for having

* procured you, at all events, fuch a dwelling as you

* have feemed to like, and for having fecui-ed to you an

* independent life ? You, this morning, fgned the au-

* thentic deed that puts ycu in poIftfTion of both. Mir-
' mur at us new as much as you pleafe,' added fhe, fmii-
ing again, ' if nothing of all this be agreeable to you/

* Oh ray anfiable friend!' cried I, throv.ing myfelf
at her feet, ' I have' too lively a ienle of your genercup

* cares to exprefs my acknowledgment."' Thcf'e fe\r
words were all I was able to utter, my fecrct v.idi hav ■
ing before been to have fuch an independency. Meltin c
in rapturous tranlports, wliilcl reflected on theplcafuir.
I ihculd have in confecraring to thee this charming abode,
the multitude of my fentlments If fled the exprellions c i"
them. I embraced Ceiina, who repaid my careflirs wiiji
the fame tendernefsj and, after having given me time'o
recover mylelf, we returned to her brother and her luii-
band.

Trouble fclzed me again when I came near DetcrvU'e.
and caufed a frefli perplexity in m.y exprefJloni. 1 gavs
him my hand, which he killed without fpeaking a wo;d,
anJ turned afitie to hide the tears he cou.d not reftrain ..

\vi.i:i)

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. c^J

which I took for figns of his fatisfaftion on feeing me
fo contented . 1 was fo moved myfclf as to fhcd lome
likcwife. CeUna's huiband, lefs concerned than we at
will!: had paffcd, foon turned the converfation again into
a picafant vein : he complimented me on my new digni-
ties, and prevailed on me to return to the houie, in order,
as he faid, to examine the defefts of it, and Ihew Deter-
ville that his talle was not ib good as he flattered himielf.
Shall I coutefs to thee, my dear Aza, that every thing
on our way feemed now to put on a new form j that the
flowers appeared more beautiful, the trees more verdant,
and the lymmetry ot the garden more complete.

I tound more conveniency in the houfe, more richnefs
in the furniture, and the iinallell trifle became now a
Kiatter of concern to me.

I ran through the apartments infucha rapture of joy,
that I did not examine any thing minutely : the only
place I flopped in v/as a room moderately large, fur-
rounded With cafes curioully wrought, and, covered with
goid, in which there were a great number of books of
all colours, of all foniis, and admirably neat. I was
lb enchanted, that I thought I could not have left them
till I had read tl:em all ; but Celina pulled me away,
putting me in mind of a golden key which Deter\'ille had
given me. We endeavoured to make ufe of it j but our
endeavours would have been in vain, if hehadnotfliewn
us tiie door it was to open ; which was fo artihcially con-
cealed in the wainfcot, that it had been impofTible to
diicoverit v/ithout knowing the fecrct.

I opened it haitily, and itjod immoveable at the fight
of the magniiictnce it had encloied.

It was a cloi'et all brilliant with glafs and painting :
the ground of the wainfcoi was green, adorned with
figures extremely well dehgned, and imiraang part of the
Iports and ceremonies of the city of the Sun, in luch man-
ner as I had reiaced them to Deterville.

Virgins were there feen repreferited in a thcufand places,
in the fame drels that I wore when I came into France i
and I was even told that they were like me. The

r>4 THE PEP.UVIAl^ PRINCESS.

The ornsments of the temple, which I had left in thr
reli^^ious houle, fuppcrted by gilt pyramids, adorned all
the coiners of this magnificent cabinet. The figure of
the Sun, fufpended in the raidftof aceiling painted with
the molt beautiful colours of the heavens, completed, by
its luftre, the embellifhment of this charming folltudej
and ccmmcdious moveables, fuited to the paintings ren-
dered the whole delicious.

In examining more nearly what I was ravlfhedto find
again, I perceived that the golden chair was v/anting :
though I avoided fpeaking of it, DetervilJie giiefled my
thoughts, and feized that moment to cxprefs himiclf. —

* You fearch in vain,' laid he, * fair Zilia : the chair

* of the Incas, by a magical power, is transformed into
« a houfe, a garden, andaneftate: if I have not em-
« ployed my own fcience in this metamorphofis, it was

* not without regret j ,but it was neceffary to fhew refpeci:

* to your delicacy. See here,' added he, opening a little
buffet that v/as dexterouflv funk into the wall, * .thefe

* are the remains of the magical operation.'' At the
fametimehef;iewedme afcrongbox tuil of pieces of gold,
dil of the French coin. * You know,' continued he,

* that this is not one of the leall neceffary things among

* us, and I thought it my duty to preferve you a fmafi

* proviiion of it.'

I began to exprefs my grateful thanks, and the admi-
ration I was in of lb many preventing cares, when Ce-
lina iriteriT.pted rae, and pulled me into a room by the
fide of this maiTelious clofct. * I would,' laid f]ie,

* fliew you the power of my art alfo.' Large drawers
were then opened, full of rich filks, linens, ornaments,
in a word, of Vv-hatever is worn in the drefs of women,
all in fuch abundance, that I cculd not help laughing,
and allying Celina how many years fhe delired me to live,
to make ufe of fo many fine things ? * As long as I

* and my brother live,' anfweieci (lie. * And for my

* part,' replied I, < I defire you may both live as long

* as I love you, then I am lure you will not die before

* me.' As

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 95

As I ended theie words, we rc;turncd into the temple
-. tlie Sun, which is the name they ^ave to t'a^t won-
derful clolet : and, having at laft irecdoin of utrerance,
I exprelled the fentiments of ray heart ju ft as Ii'ekthejn.
What goodneis ! what a train of virtues in thefe pro-
ceedings of the brother and liller !

We fpent the reft of the day in the delights of confi-
dence and friendfhip. I endeavoured to regale them at
fupper Itill more gaily than I had done at dinner. I
gave ordeis freely to the i'ervants, wdiich I knew to be
mine; jefted upon my authority and cpuleriCe, and did
all in mv power to render their own benefits agreeable to
my benefactors.

I fancied, however, that I perceived, in proportion
as time wore away, that Dcterville icil again into his
melancholy, and even that Celina let drop fome tears
between whiles ; but they both fo readily rcfumed a ferene
air, that I again thought myfelf deceived.

I endeavoured to prevail on them to ftay fome days,
and enjoy with me the good fortune they had prccuied.
This I could not obtain : we came back the fame night,
prominng ourfelves to return ipeedily to my enchan:ed
pal ice.

O my dear Aza, how great v^ill be rny felicity vi-hen
I can inhabit it with tnec !

LETTER XXXni.
To Aza : intcrrupisd by bis arrrjah
** i ^KE forrow of Deterviiie and his nfter, my dear
X Aza, has contmued to augment f.ncc our return
irom my enchanted palace. Thev are both fo dear to
ine, that I could not forbear being earnetl: with them to
dhcover to me the motive of it : but, feeing them ob-
ftinately nlent upon the fubject, I did not dou'ot but
fome new misforrune had retarded thy journey ; and, in
H fn^rt time, my uneafmefs, of whicii I did not dlfiem-
ble the caufe, overcame the refciufion of my amiable
fii-njs. Dcterville confeiled that he had detei-mined to
c nceal from me tlie day of thy arrival, in order to fur-
priiirme, but that my Inc^uietyd; made him rellnqii!ii>

his

96 THE PERUVIAN TRINCESS.

his defign: in taft, Ihe Ihewed me a -letter from the
guide which he caufed to be appointed thee, and by the
calculation ol: the time, and the place where it was wrote,
he made me underltand that thou mayelt be here to-mor-
row, to-day, or even this very monivint j in fhort, that
I have no more time to meaiure, till the inltant arrives
which will crown all my vows.

^ Having gone thus tar, Deterville did not hefitate tel-
ling me all the relt of his diipolitions ; he ihewed me the
apartment which he dellined for thee ; tor tiiou Wiit
lodge here, till, united together, decency permii-s us to
inhabit niy delicious caitle. I will not ioie fight ot
thee any more J nothing ihnil leparate us: Dcten'ilie
has provided every thing, and convinced me more than
everot the excels of his generofity. After he had given
me thefe inicnnations, I was no longer to fcek for the
caufe of that forrow which devours him. It is thy near
arrival: I p:ty him, I compalhonate his grief, and
wifh him an happincis, independent of my lentiinents,
which may be a worthy recompence of his virtue. I
dllfemble even a partot the traniports of my joy, that I
may not irritate his pain. This is all I can do : but my
own felicity engages me too much for me to keep it en-
tirely hidden: thcrcfoie, though I believe thee very
near me, though my heart leaps at the lealt nuiie,
though I interrupt my letter aimoll at every word to
run to the window, yet I continue writing to thee j find-
ing this relief to the tranfports of my heart neceliary.
Thou art near me, 'tis true : but is thy ablence lefs
real than if we were (fill leparated by the leas ! I do not
fee thee : tiiou canil not hear me : why then ihould I
ccafe to converfe wi<-h thee by the only means in my
power ? But a moment more, and I Ihall fee thee : but
this moment does not yet exift. Can I better employ fo
much of thy abfcr.ce, as I am yet to bear, than by
painting to thee the vivacity o-^ my tendcriicfs ? Aias !
thou hult hitherto f.en it breathing in fighs only 1 Let
tliat tune be fai- tiom me! with what tram port will it

be

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 97

be efFaced from my memory ! Aza, dear Aza 1 kow
I'wect is that name to me ! Very loon I fhall no longer
call thee in vain : thou wilt hear me, and fiy to my voice.
The moll tender exprcffions of my heart lliall be the re-

wai'd of thy haile. 1 am interrupted : it is not by

ttiee, and yet I mull quit this ccn venation with thee.
LETTER XXXIV.
To the Chenjolier Dhterville, at Malta : fie reproach-
es him for his judden departure ^ and relates the coldnefs of
Aza.

WERE you able, Sir, to forefee, without reluft-
ance, the mortal chagrin you were going to join
to the happinefs you had prepared for me ? How could
you ha'/e the cruelty to c:iuie your departure to be pre-
ceded by fuch agreeable circumltances, by iuch weighty
motives of gratitude, unlefs it were to render me more
fenfible of your defpair and your ab fence ? 1 hough but
two days ago wrapt up in the fweets of fr.endihip, I
now feel theaioft bitter anxiety. Celina, all alBicled as
Ihe is, has but too well executed your orders 5 Ihe pre-
fented to me Aza with one hand, and your cruel letter
v.'ith the other. At the completion of niy vows grief
darted through my foul : while I foimd the object of
my tender love, I did not forget that I loll that of ail
my other fentiments. Ah Detei-ville ! how inhuman
this once is your love. But do not hope to execute your
unjurt refolution to the utmoll. The fea /hall not make
a total feparation betwixt perfons fo dear to each other :
my name ftiail reach you : you ihall receive mv letters,
you iliall hear my prayers : blood and triendlhip lliall
relume their rights over your heart, and you Ihall reitore
yourleif to a family, to which I am rel'ponlible for your
lofs. What! in rccompence of fo many benefits, ihall
I poilbn all your days, and thole of your filler? Shall 1
break fo tender an union ? Shall I fix defpair in your
hearts, while I ftill enjoy your bounties ? No, think
not ot it. I look on mylelt with hoirorinahoufewhich
i fill v/ith mourning : 1 acknowledge your cares in the
good Ucatment I receive from Celina, at tiie very time
I when

9? THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

when I could pardon her tor hatuig me. But whatever
thoie cares are, I renounce them all, and remove for
ever from a phce which I cannot bear, unlefsycu return.
Detei-vilJe, how very blind you are ! What error is it
that hurries you away in a defign fo contraiy to your
views'. You would render me happy, and you only
inake me culpable : you would dry up my tears, and
you caufe them to flow : by your abfence you deftroy all
ihe fruit of your felf-denial.

Alas ! you would have found but too much delight
in that intei^view which you dreaded as fo very foniii-
dable ! This Aza, the objeft of fo much love, is no
mere the fame Aza, that I have painted to you in fuch
tender colours. The coldnefs of his approach, the
praiies of the Spaniards, vv-ith which he a hundred times
inteiTupted the foft overflowings of my foul, the olfen-
five curiolity which fnatched him from my traufpurts to
vifit the rarities of Paris 3 all make me in dread of ills
at which my heart fnudders. Oh Detei-viile! perhaps
you may not be long the m-oft unhappy. If ccmpafnon
of yourielf can w^ork nothing on you, let the duties of
friendiiiip call you back : friendihip is the only aiylum
of unfortunate love. If the ills that I dread fhould
overwhelrn me, what will you not hive to reproach your-
felf with ? If you abandon me, where fhall I find a
heart fenfible of my pains ? h.hall generofity, hithtito
tlie moll potent of>your pafiions, give v\'ay at lall to dif-
contentcd love : No j I cannot believe it : fuch a weak-^
Tiefs would be unworthy of you : you are incapable of
delivering yourfelf up to it : but come and convince me,
if you love your own gl^rv, and mv repofe.

LETTER XXXV.
To the Che-jaVier Dlterville, at Malta : farther ac-
count o/"Aza"s injidelityi and her (tjjh pajjlon.
IF you were not the molt noble of creatures. Sir, I
ihouid be the moll abjc6t. If you had not the moll
humane of fouls, the nioli companionate ot hearts, would
it have been to you that I fliouid have chofen to confcfs
iny illume and my delpair ? But alas ! what remains for

mc

tHE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. ^^

hie to fear r wiiy fliould I paufe ? Every thing to me is
lort. It is not the lofs of my liberty, of my rank, of
my country, that I now deplore : they arc not the in-
quietudes of an innocent tendeiT.efs that now draw tears
from m.e: it is the violation of good faith j it is love
dcipiled that rends my foul. Aza is unfaithful ! — Aza
unfaithful ! What power have thofe fatal words over
my foul ! — My blood is frozen- a torrent of tears— —

I learned from the Spaniards to know misfortunes :
but the laft is the mcll fenfibk of all their ftrokes. It
is they that have robbed me of Aza's heart} it is their
cruel religion that renders me odious in his eyes. That
religion approves, it ordains infidelity, perfidy, ingra-
titude : but it forbids the love of one's near relations.
If I were a ftranger, unknown, Aza might love me:
but, being united to him by the ties of blood, he muft
abandon me, he muft t3ke away my life v/ithout fhame,
without regi-et, without remorie. Alas ! contradictory
as this religion is, if nothing had been necefTaiy but to
embr.ice it, in order to recover the good it had deprived
me of, I could have fubmitted my mind to its illufions,
without corrupting my heart by its principles. In the
bitternefs of my foul I demanded to be inltrutSfed in it.
My tears were not regarded. I cannot be admitted into
a Ibciety fo pure, without abandoning the motive which

determines me to defu-e it without renouncing my

love ; that is to lay, without changing my exiilence.

This extreme feverity, Imuftconfels, {truck me with
awe at the fame time that my heart revolted gg-unft it :
I cannot refufe a fort of veneration to laws that kill me:
but is it in my pov/er to adopt them? Are* if I fhould
adopt them, what advantage would refuk from it? Aza

loves me not : Oh ! wretch that I am 1 The cruel

Aza has preierved nothing of the csndcur of our man-
ners, except that refpeft for truth of which he makes ib
cruel an ulage. Seduced by the channs of ayoung Spa-
niard, ready to be united with her, heconfentedtocome
into France only to difengage himielf from the faith he
had fworn to me, and to leave me without any doubt of
I z lus

lOO THE PERUVIAN PRIN'CESS.

his real fentiments ; only to reitoie to me a liberty which
I deteft, or, rather, to take away my life. Yes, it is
in vain that he reltores me to myfelr, my heart is with
him, and will be lb till death. My life belongs to him:
let him take it from me : — but, let him lov^e me. —

You knew my misfortune : why then did you only
half inform me of it ? Why did you give me room for
fufpicions only, which made me unjuTr to you? Alas 1
why do I impute this to you as a crime ? I (lioukl not
have believed you : blind and prepollefled, I fnouid have
fled to meet my fatal deftiny, have conveyed her vi6lim
to my rival, and have now been — O ye Gods, lave me
from this horrible image! Deterville, too generous
friend ! am I worthy to be heard ! am I worthy of your
pity? Forget my injuftice: lament a wretch whole ef-
teem for you is ftill fuperior to her weaknefs for an in-
grate.

LETTER XXXVL

To the Che-u alter Deterville, at Malta: exciifesher-

ftlffor not n.vnting : farther complaints to him.

BY your complaining of me, Sir, I know you are
ignorant of the ftate from which I am juft drawn
by the cniel cares of Celina. How could I write to
you ? I thought no more. If any icntiment had re-
mained in me, doubtlefs it would have been that of
confidence in you. But environed by the ihadows of
death, the blood frozen in my veins, I \wxs a long time
ignorant of iTjy own exillence. I torgot even my mil-
fortunes. Why, O ye Gods, in caUing me back to
life, have you alio recalled to me that fatal remem-
brance ?

He is gone! I lha!l fee him no more ! He flies me!
He does not love me ! He has told me fo I Every thing
with regard to me is at an end. He takes another wife,
and honour condemns him to abandon me. It is well,
cruel Aza ! Since the fantaltic humour of Europe has
channs for thee, why doll thou not alio imitate the art
that accompanies it ?

Happy French-women, you too are betrayed j but

you

THE PERUVIAN PRIICCESS. lot

you long eii'oy that eiTor, which would new be my
only good. I am killed by the mor:al blow, while it
is only preparing for you. Fatal fincciity of my na-
tion, dolt thou ceafe then to be a viitue? Courage,
firmnefs, aie you then crimes when occafion fo re-
quires ?

Thou haft feen me at thy feet, barbarous Aza ! thou

haft fccn thoie feet bathed ^vith my tears and thou

art fled Horrible moment? why does not this re-
membrance deprive me of life ?

If my body had not funk under the weight of my
giicf, Aza fiiould not have triumphed over my weaknefs

he fhould not have gone alcne. I would have

followed thee, ingiate, I would have feen thee, I would
have died at leaft before thy eyes.

Deterville, what fatal weaknefs has removed you to
fuch a diftance from me? You would have fuccoured
me: what the diforder of my defpair could not have
done, your rcafon, capable to peri'uade, would have
obtained: perhaps Aza might ftili have been here. But,

Oh Gods ! alreaiiy arrived in Spain at the height of

his blifs ! Ufelefs regiets, fruitlefs defpair, bcund-

leis gi'ief overwhelm me i

Seek not, Sir, tofurmcunt the obftacles which retain
you at Malta, in order to return hither. What would
you do here ? Fly a v/retch who is no longer fenuble ai
your kindnefs, who is a torment to herfclf, and wiliies
only to die.

LETTER XXXVII.
% the cbe-jalicr De t l R\-i l l e : yZ^ gr(n':s fome^j^hat pa-
cified.
TAKE courage again, too generous friend : I would
not write to ycu till m.y days were ill f?.fet\'. and
till, lefs agitated myfelf, I could calm your inquietudes.
I live : fate will have it fo, and I fubmit to the laws of
deltmy. The cares of your amiable fiftcr reftored my
heahh, aid feme returns of reaibn have fupported it.
The certainty that m.y mlsfbitune is without remedy,
has done the reft. I know that Aza is anived in Spain,
I 3 and

lOl THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

and that his crime is complete : my 2;riet is not extinct,
but the caui'e of it is no longer worthy or' my regret. It"
any regret now remains in my heart, it is due only for
the pahis I have cauied you — tor my enor — for the wan-
derings of my reaibn.

Alas ! in proportion as this reafon enlightens me, I
diicover its impotence. What power has it in a defolate
foul ? The excefs of grief throws us back to the weak-
neis of childhood. As in that firll age, fo in this, pre-
fent objects only have power over iss j the fight feems to
be the only fenle that has an intimate communication witli
the foul : of this I have had woeful experience.

As I recovered from the long and fenfelefs letharg)'^,
into which I was plunged by the departure of Aza, the
firft defire that nature infpired me with, was to retire
into that folitude which I owe to your providential good-
nefs. It was not without difficulty that I obtained
leave of Cclina to be conduced thither. There I found
helps agalnlldefpair, which neither the world, nor friend-
fhip itlelf, could ever afford me. In your filler's houle,
even her conveifation could never prevail over the obie6\s
vvhicli inceffantly renewed in my mind tlie perfidy of Aza.

The door by which Celina brought him into my cham-
ber, on the day of your departure and his anlval ; the feat
on which he iat j the place in which he denounced my
.mlfcryj and reftorcd me my letters ; even the j'emem-
brance ot his fiiadow on the wainfcot, where I had ob-
fcrvcd the proportions of it, all gave every day frefh
wounds to my heart.

Htie I fee nothing but what recals the agreeable ideas
I received at the firft fight of the place : I find nothing
but the image of your friend/lilp, and that of your amia-
ble fifter. If the remembrar.ee of Aza preients itfelf to
my mind, it is under the fameafpcft which I then beheld
him. I think my Icif waiting for his arrival. I give way
to this illufion as long as it is agreeable to me : if it quits
me, I have recourle to books, and read greedily at tiie
fiiil. Infenfibly new ideas veil over the horrid truth that
cnvii-or.s ine, ?,vx\ a: the end, give fomc rcLxation to my

fo."iOW.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 103

foiTOw. Shall I coniels, that the Tweets of iiberiyroine-
tiines prefent themlclves to my imagination, and that I
iiiten to them? Aniuled by agreeable objecls, their pro-
priety h?.s charms which force rne to relilh them. I con-
fide in my own tafte, and rely but little on my reafon. I
give way to my weaknefles, and combat thole of my heait
only by indulging to thole of my mind. The maladies
of the foul will not bear violent iemedies.

Perhaps the faltidious decency of your nation does net
permit to one of my age that ind'ependency and Ibiitude in
which I live : whenever Celina comes to fee me, fiit at
lead endeavours to perfuade me fo j but fhe has not yet
given me fufficient reafons to convince me that I a:n
to blame. TiTie decency is in my heart. It is not to
the image of virtue that I pay homage, but to virtue it-
felf. Yet I will always take her for the judge and guide
of my aelions. To her will I confecraiie my life, an;i to
friendfliip my heart. Alas ! when will it have the un-
divided and uninterrupted pofTeffion and fway?
LETTER XXXVIII.

To the chevalier Deterville, at Paris: declares
her rtfobition to it-ue frecy and comforts and exk':,ns De-
ier'vtUe,

IT was almoft at the lame time, Sir, that I read the
news ot your departure h'om Malta, and that of your
arrival at Paris. Whatever the pieafure will be that I
fhall taife at feeing you again, it cannot overcome my
concern, occafioned by the billet you vvioteto me at your
an'ival. How, Deterville, after having taken upon you
to dilVemble your fentiments in all your letters, after
having given me loom to hope that I fhould no longer
have a paffion that afflivTts mc to combat, do you deiiver
yourfelt up more than ever to its violence ? To what
puipofe do you affe6lade!crence tov^ards mc, which you
contradict at the fame indant ? You alk leave to iee me,
you ailure nx of a blind fubmiulon toniy v/illj and yet
you endt^a^ibur to convince me of fentiments the moit op-
pofite to -iid'c|i afubmiiTion. This gives me difpkafure,
and, iadureVou, I fr.ali never approve of fuchccndufc.

But

T04 THE PERUVIAN* PRINCESS.

Butfirxe afalfehope Icduces yov, fince you give a wrong
turn to my confidence, and the liate of my foul, it is
pioper I fhould tell you what aie my refoiutioQs, which
are not to be fli?.ken, like yours.

You flatter yourfelt in vain that you fliall caufe my
heart to put on new chains. The treachery of another
dees not dilengcge me ficrn my oaths. Would to hea-
ven it could make me forget the ingrate, but, if I could
fcigethin-, yet, true to myfelf, I would not be perjured.
The cruel Aza abandons that whicii cnce was dear to
h m: his rights over me ai'e not thelefs facred: I mtj-be
healed of my pafiion, but never ca.n have any except for
him. All the fentiments that friendfiiip infpiies are
yours, and I fliall be faithful to them. You fliall enjoy
my confidence and fincerity in the fame degree, and both
fliail be without bounds. All fhe lively and delicate fen-
timents, which love has difcovered in my heart, fliall
turn to t>,e advantage of friendfliip. I will let you fee,
with equal cpennei's of foul, my regret that I was not
born in France, and my invincible inclination towards
Aza; how grateful it Would have been to m.e that I had
owed to you the advantage of thinking, and my eternal
acknowledgment to hirn v^ho procured me that bltflTrng.
We will read in each others fouls : confidence, as v.ell
rs love, can give rapidity to time : there are a thoufand
ways to make hiendfiiip inftn.i61ing, and banifli from it
all fatiety. You jliali teach m.e fome knowledge of your
arts and J'ciences, and, in lb doing, tafle the pleafure of
fupenority : I wHl make reprifai on you, by dii'covering
virtues in yovr heart which you did not know to be theie.
You fliall adorn my mirid with what may render it amu-
firg, and enjoy the fruit of vour own work : I will en-
cieavom- to make tiie native charms of fimple friendfliip
agreeable to you, and fliall find myfelf hsppy in fuccecd-

ing-

Celina, by dividmg her love betwixt us, fliall th.rcw
tiiat gaiety into our converfations which they might othcr-
v.-ife w:;nt. V7hat more fliall wc have to dciire ?

Your feras that foiitude may be hurtful to my health

arc

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 105

are groundlefs. Believe me, Dcterv'ille, iblitude is ne-
ver dangerous but thi-ough idlcneis. But I, continually
employed, can itrike out to mylclf new plcallires from
every thing that inaclion would elie render inllpid.

Without fcaiching deep into the fecrets of nature, is
not the limple examination of its wonders iufEcicnt to
vary and renew incefiantly occupations that are always
agr-eeable ? Does life itielf iuffice to acquire a llfght,
but interefting knowledge of the univene, of what lur-
rounds me, and of my ownexiltence ?

The pleafureof being ; that forgotten, unkno\^Ti plea-
fure to lb many mortals j this thought fo fwect, this hap-
pinefs fo pure, lam — I li^ve — I exijl, is alune enough
to convey blifs, if we remember it, it we enjoy it, if we
know the value of it.

Come, Dcterville, come, and learn of me to hulbaml
the rcfources of our fouls, and trie benefits of nature. Re-
nounce thofe tumultuous fentimerts, the imperceptible
deftroyers of our being. Come, and learn to know in-
nocent and durable pleafures : come, and enjoy them
with me. You (hall find in my heart, in my friendflrip,
in my fentiments, all that is wanting to indemnify you
for the lofs of love.

LETTER XXXIX.
Deter-oille to Zilia in anpvjer to the tkirty-eigkt letter.

OH Zilia! on what conditions ami perm.tttd to lee
you again ? Have you thought well on that which
you require of me ? I was able it is true, to keep filence
in your pretence j but that hluation was at the fame time
the joy and I he misfortune of my life. I could take
pains for Aza's return ; I paid a deference to your paf-
lion for him, cruel as it was to me. Even when I fuf-
pected his change, without giving myfelf up to the flat-
tering hopes which I might from thence have conceived,
I wrought fo far upon my uiind as to be rifi]i6fed, be-
caufe it would make you unliappy. But Aza came, and
had a frefli view of your charms. He found you faith-
ful, tender, wholly occupied with his idea, and your
defire to crown his flame, Hov/ triumphant was it for

him.

10*5 THE PERUVIAN PRiNCESs,

hnn to fee thofe unfortunate knots, the precious nioniN
ments of your tendernefs ! What other heart.but his
would not have relumed his ancient chains? Or rather,
what other heart but his liad been cap:ible ever to break,
them ?

Not being able to forefee his ingratitude, nothing re-
mained for mc but to die. I formed a defign of leaving
yG\i forever, and flying from my country and my family j
i could not, however, refufe myfelf the doleful conlbla-
tion of imparting to you this refolution. Celina, fenfi-
bly touched with m.y unhappy lei, took upon her to de-
liver to you my letter. The time flie chofe for this,
Zelia, as yourfelf have wrote me word, was the inlfant
in which the faithlefs Aza appeared in your light. Doubt-
lefs the tender ccm.palTion of Celina for an unfortunate
brother, made her talk a fecret pleafure in embittering
the moments which v/ere to have been fo very fweet : llie
was not deceived ; you werefeniible to my defpair, and
even deigned to fignify as much to me by foothing ex-
prelTions, proper to fatisfy a heart which had no higher
ambition than to engage your pity.

I was fccn Informed of Aza's crime, and then, Icon-
fefs it, my heart firfl gave way to hope, the iiluficn pre-
vailed on me ib far, that I even flattered myfelf with the
glory of giving you comfort. That was the firfi: mo-
ment of my life wherein I prefaged to myfelf a happy fu-
turity. To thefe fentiments, at once fo foft and ib new
tome, fucceeded the mcft afflicting circumliance. Your
lifev^as in danger, and my foul was tern in pieces by the
fear of lofing you. I laboured ardently to furmount the
obftacles which oppofed my return. At lail I overcame
them ; and flev^ towards you. My relpecl impofed on
me the necefiity of waitinr 'or your orders to appear m
your prefence. I petitior;-' for leave in fuch expicifions
as arena'urai to a heart in the condition of m.inc. But,
is it pofTible toexpref* what I felt upon reading your an-
Jwer? No, it is not poflible. How many difRrent no-
tions agitated my foul! how many Icnleleis projects !
That of removing from you, Zilia, I had the courage to

form j

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. IO7

form ; but, toe feeble to pr.- it in execution, I gave way
to niydeftiny by reir.:.iniiig near you. My relpeit, my
admiration, and my iervlces, ihail be all that I will per-
mit the ardour of my love to expicfa. Shall I be forbid-
den, divine Zllia, to hope in filcnce, that you will one
day be touched with a paiTion, which fhall always be as
great inrelbe6las in vivacity ?

LETTER XL.
ZiLLiA to Celina; co?icerning Aza mid Detct'-jilk.

My dear Celina, hov/ unhappy am I ? You leave me,
alas ! to myltrU', and I have not a more cruel ene-
my. Incefuntly haunted by tlie molt grievous refle61ions,
upon misfortunes that I could not forelee, and dcflitute
of experience, I can by no means enjoy the re pole which
this charming fciitude feems to offer me. It feivesoniy
to bring back the remembrance of the cruel Aza, with all
his charms. In vain I call reafcn to my fuccour j in vain
think of my iniiilted love, rewarded with ingratitude.
I fee plainly that it is from tim.e only I muil expect the
calm I defire. Why was it not the pleafure of love that
fuch tendei and delicate ientiments fhould be referved for
Detervilie, who would have better known theii- value ?
But could I forefee events, of which I had not the leaft
idea ? Aza the firft time prefented himfeif to my eyes
v/ith all poflible advantages : birth, merit, a charming-
figure, and the warmeft love, authorized by duty : what
more was v/anting to engage a young heart, naturally
fenfible and tender ? This heart was accordingly given
up without relen/e ; I breathed only for him ; my beauty
v/as pleafing, and I dehrcdnew charms, only that I might
hi more vv'urthy of him, and, if poiTible rentier him mori
amorous. Our felicity was perfc6t, till the fatal revolu-
tion which feparated us one from th° other.

Long abiencc, dependence on ot'^ers, and the lofs of
his riches, have boubtlei's detenriined him to forget me,
in order to enjoy the leal advantages that are offered him
and which lie cannot now hope to obtain by an \mion
with me. JBelides, how Ihould he contiuu* faithful to

me

108 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

me, when lie has not been {o to his religion ? One error
iiatvuTilly draws on another.

Bui I perceive, with regret, that I entertain you only
on the Iubjef\ of this ungratetul man. How weak am
1, my dear Celina! What need have I of your council
to fortify my reafon agajnlf an involuntary love !— It
fliall be fo. — I will make new efforts to furmount it.

Is Deterville at Paris ? Has he accepted the tender
friendfhip which I offered him ? You two are all that
remains dear to me. Come, and iweeten my Iblitude !
Walking, reading, and refleclion fhall divide our time :
and I begin to think I ought to ftudy your religion.
Aza, whofe knowledge is fubiime, who, as a fon of the
celeftial luminary, ought to have more lively and pene-
trating wit than I, has acknowledged dcteds in curs,
which I cannot fee. I may deceive myfelf in my opini-
on of its perfe6^ion. When I left Peru, I was perfuaded
that was the only country favoured by the fun j that our
horizon alone was enlightened by it, and that all other
people were involved in darknefs. I foon difcovered my
error in this refpe6f . It feems probable therefore, that
the inlfruftions which may be given me by Deterville,
whofe chara6fer is formed of reclitude, candour, Uiodera-
'tion aiid generofity, may make feme farther impreilion
upon me.

I will add this obligation to all thofe which I already
have to himj on this condition only, that he fhall em-
ploy nothing hut reafon and Iblid proofs to perliiade me,
I am willing to be inftrufted, but not conftraiiied. This
fcrious ftudy fhall be intermixed with innocent amufe-
mcJit?, v.hich you, Celina, fhall partake with us. But
be fiire to make Deterville fcnfible, that he will crown
my gratitude, if he baniflies love entirely from our con-
vcdation. Such an union will be charming, if I hear
not a word of this enemy of my repole. Eiteem and con-
fidence fhall reign betwixt us, and what would he de-
fire more?

Ccir.e both of Vou, and breathe this amiable liberty,
whicli is tailed in the country with perfons that ai'e dear

to

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 109"^

*o US. You will I'uppoit my weaknels with gocKinefs :
vou will fortit'y my realbn, and time ftiall do the relt.
LETTER XLI.

Celina /c Zilia : in anftver to the preceding j expojlu-
late s for ker brother.

I SHOULD not have left you to yourfdf,' my dear
Zilia, it I had not imagined you more confiiTned with
regard to a mlstortune without remedy ; I ftiould even
have thought it an inllilt to you, to believe that the in-
conllant Aza ftill occupies your heart alone. In truth
he does not deierve it. Could he be acquainted v/ith
your worth, and yet IhakeofFhls chains?

It is plain, that love llill pleads warmly for him in
rour heart : But does that jultity him ? You are ingeni-
ous in I'eaiching out whatever may make him appear leU
culpable \ that is an etfeil of the goodnefs of your
heart 'and the tendernefs you ftill bear to that un-
grateful man. But, my dear Zilia, do not deceive
youiielf: He never, in his love to you, felt any of
tii^i'e little tribiilartions, which warm and heighten that
paHion; jealouiy, caprice, coldnefs, never entered into
your engagements. Sui'e of your heart, he found no-
thing but tendeniefs, and equality of humour ; a pallion,
per!Taps too vvaim on your fide, and in which there was
it leait no trial. Hence aroi'e your misfortune \ he ceafed
to love you, becaufe he had been too happy. It is not
eafy to decide, my dear Zilia, which it was that pre-
vailed with him j whether religion, or the beauty of the
fair Spaniard. If it was the firtt motive only, he is ex-
eulable ; but the two objects united together, make me
very much fufpe^l: him. You are to blame, my dear
friend, to think lb incdfantly on this perfidious man ?
It is entertaining an idea fatal to your repofe. Let us
net talk any more, I befeech you, of one fo faithlefs \ let
us forger, it it be poflible, his very name. I will come
and lee you \ I will do my utmoft to dire6t you. How
palTionately do I wiih niyl'elf able to contribute to the
return of your trauquilUty, and the alfurancc of your
felicity I K I re«

TIO THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

I reproach inyfelf much tcr hriving left you alone,
abandoned to your refif6tions j but I thought your heart
cured. I doubt net but agreeable company will Iweetcn
your Iblitudc, and I will bring with me two of my
friends, with whom I am fure you will be fatisned.

My brother is returned, and I have fhewn him your
letter. He is grieved to the heart to lee you ftill fo full
of the perjured Aza. You owe to his delicacy, and that
conduit, of which he alone is cap^ible, the violence he
puts on himielf in keeping at a diftance from you. But
entirely taken up with a paiTion equally tender and re-
fpeflful, he does not find himfelf capable to fupprefs all
the te-ftimonies of it. He is afraid of offending you, be-
caufe he is afraid that, in Iplte of hirafelf, lome expref-
fions may elcape him in your prefence, which you have
forbid with the utmcil rigour. He laments without
ceafing, that fentiments fo confcant, fo tender, fo delicate,
to which he thinks he has a juft title, fhould be the re-
comipence of one that is peiiured.

You offer him your ixicridlhip, and prefs him to ccme
and fee you : Is not this a real cruelty ? What ! Ihall he
every moment behold an enchanting object, for whom
alone he fighs, v.-ho, by her beauty, her fwcetnefs, and a
thoufand other chaims, m.ult enflave him more and more
daily j and yet will you have the feverity to forbid him
to Ijjeak of that paffion, which interelts him more than
any th:ng befides?

He accepts, however, with grateful acknowledgements,
the tender friendfliip which you offer him, Imce more he
cannot obtain. He is extremely fenfible, that this friend-
ihip would have a thoufand charms for a lefs amorous
licart ; but for himfelf, his paflion is too ilrong to be con-
fined to that hm})le fcnriment. Being unable to rtcal
Iiis own rcafon, I lee how difficult it will be for him to
fatisfy yours. Is it not, my dearZiha, almoft the want
cfreaibn, ftill obilinately to love a peribn, who neither
can, nor ought to make a fuitable return for the fame ?

If you defire to be enlightened with regard to your re-
ligion, be not afraid tliat Dctervilie will initiiiil you with

tyrojiny :

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. Ill

i anny : He will give you fach helps and luch counfels, as
Tuail be in your chcice either to iollow or rejeft. You
know his integ;i::y and moderation : I am lure he will
ail under rheir circftion, though at the fame time it will
give nim the purelt joy if he can lucceed. But, my dear
ZiKa, in order to this great workj it is neceffaiy to be
divciled of all prejudice.

We proinife ourielves much enjoyment of your con-
Veria'don, and will endeavour to make ours as agreeable
as wc are capable. This will be eafy for us to do, as
our hearts are free from love, and filled only with tran-
quil friendiliip. Deterville himfelf, whom we have at
lalt engaged to be of the party, has promifed me fincere-
ly, that he will not appear amorous, but obferve all the
rules of diicreticn youprefcribe to him ; but he befeeches
you, in retum, never to fpeak to him of the faithlefsand
happy Aza. He has a right, methinks, to require this
complaij'ance or you. I know not whether it v/iil be
very difficult to you ; bu.: it is r.eceflar)- there fhould be
an unilbn betwixt your two hearts, in order to form a
perfed concert am.ongft us.

LETTER XLII.
Deterville to Celisa : ftates kis o-jjn cafe.

AT my return from Malta to Pai-is, my dear fifter,
I received with a tranfport of joy, mixed with
fear, the fair Zi'.ia's letter, which was delivered to me
by your order. In fact, this letter confirms, at the very
beginning of it, her defign to forget Aza : but, O pain-
ful and cruel t.dlngs ! it proclaims to me afreili her re-
folution never to replace him by another. Sne even for-
bids me to have the leaft idea of that nature. What a
mortal blov/, my dear Cclma, v.'as this ! Have you a
thorough fenfe of it ? Whilll Zilia could depend on the
fidelity of one fo beloved, I hau no room either to hope
or to complain : 1 could not be ignorant, being myielf
a melancliOiy proof of it, that a heart truly fmitten can-
not entertain more than one love. That of Zilia belong-
ed of right to the faitnful Aza : but when this fame
Axa became faithlefs and perjured, had ijot my iicpes a
K a right

512 THE PERUVIAN PRIKCESS.

right to revive ! Yet in that very inllant how cruelly
were they deceived ! Dear (ifter, how hard is my fate !
What is thecompoHticn of thefe Peruvian fouls ? How!
Is not Ziiia fufceptihle of that lively pl-cafure, which all
wcnien, may 1 not lay, which all heaits enjoy in ven-
geance ? Why does (lie not efface from her heart the
very image of this ingrate, if it were for no other rcafon
than to ft^ew her horror of ingratitude ! Happy, if a-
midft thediverfity of her fentimtnts, a fpnrk of lov^for
me could enter. I a^n fenfihle that my delicacy would
fufftr by thofe means; but no matter, if fhe does but
love me. I fhall owe my happinefs to fpite : but per-
haps I may owe it to gratitude likewife. Shall I not be
a thoufand times happy ? I cannot help for a moment
enjoying the idea.

It is true, that this beauty, ^^hcm I adore, offers me
the moft conf^:int frrendfhip, and exprelTes it even with
pafTicn : fhe particularifes all the channs of it with Co
much grace and delicacy, that if any other than Zilia
had offered me fuch a friendfhip, I fhould have been en-
chanted with it. But can the mofl tender friend/hip on
her part repay the moll pafTiona^e love on mine ? Feeble
image of a pafTicn, how will it anfwer to the vivacity
«f that which I feel! How great will be my misfortune,
if, while Zilia renders for the moft tender love the fim-
ple fentlment of tranquil friendfhip, her heart, forget-
ting at lail the faithlefs Aza, fliould melt in favoui- of
fcme other than me! I rtuidder with dread and horror
at the thought. Alas! fuch a new engagement would
tci-ment me for ever. To be always near the obie6f , in
which alone my felicity confifts, and always far from
felicity itfelf, is a fituation, that inftead of curing the
tvils I fuffer, would I'crve only to augment them.

Pity »ne, my dear Celina, deplore fmcerely thy bro-
ther's condition, if thou haft any idea of what Io\e is
without hope. LETTER

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. II3

LETTER XL I II.
Cllina^o Deter viLLE: grj£! him ^dz'ice, atid ex-
patiates on the cafe o/Zilia.
I DO indeed commiierate a diftrafted heart, which
finds no leUef either in itfelf or ehewherc. Such is
your fituation, my d.ar D-tcrville ; you love Zllia, the
molt amiable, the m.oll virtuous virgin that ever was,
and you love her almoft without meailire. The purity
of her ibul, the natural delicacy of her converfation, her
beauty for ever new to your eyes, her candour, even her
very tendernefs for Aza, contrary as it is to your hopes,
all contribute to nourilh in you a palliun, which talle
and elteem augment daily 5 a pallion fo much the more
lively, as it is the firil you have ever experienced. I
would endeavour to cure you of it, if it were ot fuch a
nature as you could ever repent it j but I am not igno-
rant, that being mafter of this fair Indian, by the lav/s
of war, you have refptcled her beauty, her fentiments,
and her misfortunes : I know it was not your fault,
that the only good, w^hich could render her happy, was
not leftored to her, and that even at the expence of your
wealth. I admired you as a prodigy, when I faw you
call out of the heart of Spain the happy Azs, in order
to return to him, with liis oti'.er treafares, the only jewel
which you could not be happy without. This was the
very height cf generofity.

In the mean time, by an unexampled turn of fortune,
\'vhen the infidelity of Aza rendered yourbenciitsuleleis,
and you had more right than ever to hope, the unrore-
fecn conftancv ot Zaia for an ungrateful man, adds the
lall and fevereft Itroke to your misfortunes.

But, my dear brother, while I indulge your gi'ief,
and lament thefataiity of your ftars, liriTcr me to intorm
you, that 5^ou make your cafe wone than it really is.^
The anxiety of your heart, doubtlefs, prevents your fee-
ing the icall glimpfe of hope : but perhaps the inuiife-
rence, in whicn you formerly lived, keeps you ignorant-
of the refources which r.re ftil. left you by rortune. As
a woman, I fliouid be tempcea itiil to l^ave you partly ia
K 3 ignorance I

1T4- THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

ignoance j but as a fifter, 1 cannot take fuch an imkind
relblution. Hear me thtn, my dear Deterville. Aza
was riatmally the only objeft that Zilla could be attached
to. A prince, tender, voung ami charming, and Zilia
in all the torce and Iweetnefs ot her firil hres, united by
taltc and by duty, and by the virtue which enobled both.
A hideous mifhap, a ciiiel revolution I'epaiatcs them,
and enlivens the image ot that ttlicitv of which they lee
themtelves tatallv deprived. Rcpreient to yourlelf how
much torce even deipair mull add to a paffion before Iq
warm and lb legitimate. It was a heart new in love,
full ot'fire, given up for the firll time, and which did not
know a more lenfible pleaiure, than that of adhering to
the object it had cholcu : in Hiort, it was a heart, amo-
rous to excels, inflamed by difficulty, and which, at the
very brink, of felicity, fawitfclf in that inftant Ihatched
from the expected enjoyment. iVIy dear brother, put
yourlelf for a moment in the place of Zilia : is it poffihlc
that any other lover could make her fo loon foigct a
bridegroom that was lo doar to her, an f relfore hcrtran-
quilliry r Refleft on the noblenefs of her foul, and you
will conceive that a heart fo generous, may be capable
of carrying her attachment beyond the bour.ds of ordi-
rary fcnfibility, and of continuing to love an objrcl
wh^:h it is fure never to poifefs. This is fuch a mufi-
cal Ifring, as founds a long tin^e after it has been once
brifkly touched.

But do you not fee, my dear Detei-ville, that this
fcntiment is too contrary to nature to be durable? I>o
you do\ibt whether Ziiia, whtn iTie comes to refiecf
nioie quietly, will perceive the injuiflce of Aza, the
weight of his inditference, and the inutility of loving
without return ? Maintained hitjicrto in her tendernefs,
bv a klnu of ibrcery, the illufion fne puts on herfelf will
fo«.n d.jlipate, the image of Aza will in a flKnttime bc-
c inie burtiienibme, and then her heart, void ot intercll
and eir.ployment, will with difficulty fupport itfeif in
Aith a .'tac of inaction. A tirefome ftate of iangour is
Rn iuaippoi :uvlc b-Jithtn lor an acUve foul. Zdia will

vvilh

THE PERUVIAN PRINCES?. I15

with for fome pretence to get rid or it, and what pn*-
tence will be more happy tor you both, than thai ot
gratitude ? Zilia proteiies her acicnowlcdgmcnts to you,
and is tiilly ieniible how much Ihe owes to your generous
proceedings.

I come now to the friendihip which fhe offers you. —
By your refuluig this friendihip, it fliould feem to be
offenfive, or at lealf unpleaiant to you. You look upon
it as a fentiment too weak, to anfwer to the vivacity of
your love. It i'eeras like a payment in counterfeit coin ;
and you rejeil it becaufe it is not abfolute and complete
love : but, pray dear brother, is it the name only that
you would obtain ? For my part I cannot help tiiinking
lb : for tlie friendHiip of Ziha ought to infpiie you with
lefs repugnance. Let me tell you, even this ought to
charm you. Why do you oblige me here to difclofe the
great fecrets of the fair fex ? Know, that this fentiment of
tricndlhip, fo fweet among men, fo rare among women,
is always the moit lively betv/ixt perfons of different
iexes. Men love one another with cordiality, womea
love each other with diffidence j but two perfons of tiie
two fexes add to the tafte of friendihip, a I'park of that
fire which nature never fails to infpire. A Iprout of
paflion will attend the very Inrth of this friendihip, fo
pure in appearance j as fuch fort of friends are fully
enough fenfible. Let them both keep mutuHliy upori
their guard, it matters not : all their- precautions v/iil
make no change in the imperceptible progrefs of nature,
and they will loon be iurpnied, that they are fallen in
love with each other without perceiving it.

The fricndftrip offered you then, my tlear Deter\'I!le,
Is, in my opiriion, the firit act of that interelting phy,
of wliich you lb much defire to fee the unraveilmg j it I*
the firll difcovery of the heart, and fmce tiiat is favoura-
ble to you, have y<^u any room to complain ?

It is true, that the name of f. icnddiip fpreads a veil,
which hides a part from your fight : but it is a veil
wrought by the hands of love, made only to deceive jea-
lous eyes, but which hides notliing from eyes that can

peaeUate,

Il5 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

penetrate, nor long conceals the truth from him wlio id
the obje<Sl ot it. Do you not now contels, my dear bro-
ther, tha£ I had room to be Ibrprifed, when I heaid
you complain (b bitterly of the only part that Zilia ought
to have taken ? Reflcfl upon it we!], and you will be of
my kn:^iment. C:in there be a more happy method, a
method better adapted to the delicacy ot you both ?

Would you not always have the better opinion of a
lady, who chufes to be the more refei-ved, to make your
happinefs the more complete? Who, by giving your
paliion a reafonabie character, intends to refine and
increale your pleafure ?

Indeed, my brother, you are obliged to Zilia, who
in the way of tViendfliip is preparing for you pleaiiires
more ecltatic than you propofcd for yourfelf : flie neither
dared, nor ought to make you a return of pafTion in the
manner that you defired. You mult confult the fair fex
for lencimenis of this nature : and be not aftiamed that
the women are here beforehand with you j fince without
them, the men would perhaps be ignorant in the finefies
of the art of love. Women are allowed, as a natural
eonfequence of the temper of their hearts, to have more
I'upplencis of genius than men. I do not fuppofe any ar-
tifice to enter into this art of love, of which I amfpeaking j
thefe twochara6fers, as much as they refembleone ano-
ther,ought to be diitinguiflicd. All the women of wit love
with art, but not all witii artifice. As to your dear
Zilia, her heart is honell, noble, and elevated j but
/lie is ingenious in the moft fine and fubtie manner of
any woman I know. Tliat heart of hers, which is at
prcient wholly taken up with tne moil tender and vir-
tuous pafTi.jn, but a pafiion cruelly deceived, you will
at laii: nna to be referved for you. Allow only a rea-
fonabie term to Zilia forgritf, and, without complain-
ing, leave time to deftroy in her taat idea of glory
which fiatters her hitherto.

I'hat fingular honour of remaining faithful to her firft
ties, even when they are broken without poflibility of
a re- union, is a featiment which certainly fhe has not

learned

THE PERUVIAN PRIN"CE5S. 11^

l<"ame'i among us : rtie will therei'ore at laft give v/av to
our example. Being then free, fearing liberty through
a habitude of not enjoying it, and fenlible at the fame
time of your generous cares ; the friendship, which flie
now regards only as a fweet lympathy, will want but
one advance farther to become love : and that miracle
will be accomplilhed without her perceiving it.

My dear Dk^tei-ville, what a charming profpe^ft lies
hei-e before you I I think, you muil fee enough of it to
engage ^ou, without the leaif difficulty, to accept the
party which Zilia propofes to you with fo good a grace.
From your folicltudes, dihnterelfed in appearance, and
niore ftill from the nature of a female heart, expect the
felicity of which you began to defpair.
LETTER XLJV.
Zilia to Deterville : complains ^/Xelis'a's letter,

AFTER the lofs of Aza, 1 cou;d never have thought.
Sir, that new troubles would have reached mr
heart. But now, by fatal experierice, I perceive the
contrary, from a difcovcry I mace accidentally, and
which plunges me again ir.to the molt cniel perplexit)-.
Your tiller came to fee qie yellerday. After her depar-
ture I found a paper in my chamber. I opened it : but
how great was my furprife to know her hand, in a letter
addrell^d to yoi-ij in v/hich, after blaming you for not
accepting my offers, flie undertakes to periuade you by
motives very different from mine! Who could have
thought that the ever- tender, the ever- generous Celina,
my only confolation in the blttemefs of my foul, would
have proved perfidious ? After I have given myfelf up
entirely to the fweetneis of her friendlliip, and had not
the leaft refcn^e in my Sincere love to her, I ieain that
iiie does not love me without diftruft. If your lifter,
at the beginning of this fatal letter, loads me with
praifcs, doubtlels they do not flow io mu'^h from her
own feutiments, as from htr fear of difpleahng you : for
on what does fhe pretend to found your hope, if not
ripon the want of Iblidity in thete virtues v/hich flie at-
Jvibutes to me ? In revealing ta you the ftcrcts ot hti-

lex.

tlS THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

Tex, her art, or rather artifice, does not turn to the sA-
vantage of her heart. Mift^ken notion! does jfiie thuik
the virgins devoted to the Sun, ar.d cducatet: in his tem-
ple, are to be judged of by the gf-neral diltinftion /lie
gives of the character of women ? Is then; but one model,
one rule to form a judgmeni: by ? The creator, who di-
verfifies his v.'orks in a thouf?!Kl rn.;nners, who imparts
to every covmrry Ibme particular nioperty, who givers to
us all ph.yhcgnomies lb various and ditrerenti has he
decreed that the charaflers of the muivi Ihculd be every-
where alike, and that all reaionable beii.gs fliuukl tliink
in the fame manner ? For my part, I cannot eafiiy be
perlu^ded of this. Befides, what reaibn has Hie to give
to the men fuch happy pierogatives ? Does fhe believe
they have a more ample portion of tlie breath of the di-
vinity ? We have, in Peru, ibch an opimon oi the di-
vine Amutas, who.e luhiime knowledge and habitudes,
confecrated to virtue, elevate the.p, above ordinary men 5
but for other men, it they have palTions which aie com-
mon to them, we ackno'vledseiU them virtues alfo which
conduit and re6fi'fy tnofepaflions, and v/e judge cfth.em
from their aftions, and not from any preiuppoled weak-
nefTes.

How could fhe undertake to perfuade you, that there
was 10 little finnneis m mv fentiments ? Certainly fhe
has not learned this from what has paHed. My heart,
formed to hanknels from my infancy, never (trove to
perfuade the unfaithful Aza of the fmcerity of my fires,
any other way than by the vivacity with which they were
exprcfied.

I am ignorant, and would ever be ignorantof that art,
ivhicn degiadcs women much more than it fets off their
charms : it onlv pi ov^es their weaknels, their vanity, and
their diffidence of the obje6l they would enflave. Nature
knows not this art, noi- ever Ihives to adorn the graces,
and add charms to virtue.

Vainly doth Celma pretend to diltingulfh art from ar-
tifice : I am not impoied upon by that idea. Does flie
feck for difguifc when it is iier intereft to hide nothing ?

Could

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. iz<j

Could one dare to comcis, without a blulh, that one had
taken great pains to lead another in:o error ?

I hope all froui the generoiity ot your heait. Worthy
as you are to h i\e been bora among us, I am iure no
injurious lufpicion has yet entered your foul 3 and I
fliould be vciy ibiTy to have you lee this wicked letter,
left \i fhould induce you to iuipcct. But fhould I, De-
ten'ille, be worthy your goodneis, it the too credulous
Celina thought juitly ?

As you are too virtuous to think I aim at glory in
performing my duty, do not expect that either time, or
the weakneis of my fex will make any change in me ?
United vvith Aza, in ties which death only fhould have
dilTolved, no object can difengage me from him. Yet
comCj Sir, enjoy the tranquil fruits which gratitude of-
fers you 5 come, and at once enlighten and adorn my un-
derftajxling.

Difengaged from tumultuous paiEons, you will find
that rrienuihip alone is worthy to fill our hearts, and
alone able to make our dellinv perfectly happy.

LETTER XLV.

D^TERVJLLE to ZiLiA : te acctfts her fimple fnend-

Jlip.

I WAS fet out, adorable Zilia, in the firm refolution
to forget you, as the only relief to my pains i ccu«d
think of. A long abfence, I prefumed, might work
this miracle. But alas ! the anger inlpired by a tender
fcntinient is fcon if ified by its own principle. 1 am here
returned, more amorous and as iil-treated as ever, in
fpite of the glimmerings of hope which the infidelity of
Aza had kindled in my mind. My fituation gives me
more right tiian ever to complain : but how-cruel fcever
your manner of thinking be to me, it ifiil deprives m.e
or liberty. You bind me to ycu in fo engaging a man-
ner, by the tender fiiendihip you offer m.e, that though
the bounds you prefcribe to it appear to me a I'pecies of
ingratitude, I perceive that my complaints, Ihould I
HOW make them, would becom.e unjuil.

' ■'idle I fubmit tc die rigour of your laws, my heart

dares

120 THE PERUVIAN PRIMCESS.

dares ftill to pielerve the hope of molitying that rigour.
Pardon my diforcler and my ilncerity : 1 exprefs the llni-
ple notions ot my heart ; I am pleated with thefe illufi-
ons, and lorry when my realbn returns to convince me
of my ralhuel's : then 1 blufli tor a moment ; but ibou
the ideas of a happy futurity triumph. Such is my
weaknefsl a mortirving rcfle6Hon for me, but a reflec-
tion that raiffslb much the more the glory of the daugh-
ter of the fun.

In your preience, fair Zilla, one of your looks will
recal the refpe<5l that is due to you : my ardour to pleafe
vou will raife me above lenfe, and you (hall be the rule
of niy manners. Bound and united togetlier only by the
lentiments of the Ibul, and fimilitude of genius, welhall
have nothing to fear from thole dllgufts, which the anx>
ietv of the pallions drag along with them. Our quiet
and unwear)' days, like a perpetual Ipring, when all
leems to rtart fre/h out of the h.ands of nature, fliallflow
in perfe(5l felicity j we Ihall enjoy mutually the benefits
of this nature, aud crown with it our Innccence. Ifwc
at any time fpeak of Aza, it fliall be only to recal and
complain of his Ingratitude. Perhaps deitiny alone was
culpable of his change. But however that may be, he
was no longer worthy of the virgin of the fun, after he
had bri^athed the native air of the cniel enemies ot Pervi,

Xet me beg you to bear no ill-will to my filler j her
tenderneiis for me, and her lenfe of my lituation, have made
her imagine all the realbns that you have leen, in order
to comtort me, and give a new birth to my hope : this
motive ouglit to be her excufe. Prom.ife me to pardon
her, divine Ziila: there fiiould be nothing to imbitter
the iweets of that chain.ing ibciety, which we pi^opole
to form in your company.

In this hope I let out to come and thiow my felt at
your feet : I will look upon this new habitation as the
temple of the llm : I will there refpeclfully adore the lu-
minary that enlightens it, and theubie(5l of all my cares
fliall be, to render you inecllajitl y tl>e molt pure and moft
lubiniHive homage, " THE

THE SEQUEL

OF THE

PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

CONTAINING THE

LETTERS OF A Z A,
ADVERTISEiMENT.

THE reading of the Peruvian Letters made me recoiled that \
had fcenin Spain, fome years fince, a colleftion of letters by a
Peruvian, whole hiilory has fmce appeared to me ftrcngly to re-
femble that of Zi'ia. 1 procured that manufcripr, and 1 found
that they were the very letters of Aza, tranflared into Spaniih.
We are, doubtlcls, obliged to Kanhuiicap, the friend of Aza,
to whom the principal part of thefe letters are addreflcd, for their
tranflacion hrtixnthe Peruvian. I found a concern for Aza excit-
ed ia ir.e by reading thefe letters, that engaged mc to undertake
their tranflation. i perceived with joy, thofe odious ideas efFiC-
ed from my mind, which Zilia had given me, of a prince more
unfortunate than inconftant. I imagine that others will experi-
ence the fame pleafure : for to fee virtue juftificd is at all timos
plejfiiie.

There are many who will, perhaps, think it a crime in Az>,
to have defcribed, under the name of Spanifh minncrs, thofe fail-
ings, and even vices, that are peculiar to the French nation.
How fpecious foever this charge may appear, it will be eafily li-
ijuidated, if we properly coniider, with M. Fontenelle, that a
natix'e of England and France, are countrymen at Peking. I
^are not fiavtcr mvlllf with having painted in their proper co-
lours, thofe noble :magts, thofe grand and beautiful ideas, that
are to be found in the Spaniih original : I mit^ht inp-jte it to the
drlFerence of the two languages, and to the common lot of tran-
flations 5 the reader, perhaps, will impute it to me j and we
may both of us be right in our fentiments.

LETTER I.

To Zilia : Aza mforms Zilia of the hope he enter-
tains offoo'ii hchcUing htr again j and rf the efforts that
ke 7nade ta ofpofe the brutal 'violence of the Spaniarils.

MAY thy tcafs be dlfHpated like the dew before the
lifing fun ! May thy tetters, changed into flow-
ers, j'all at thy feet! and by the vivacity of their colours
exprefs \ht aidcucy of n^y Icvc, niore glowing than tliat
h divine

IIZ THE PERUVIAN PRfNCESS.

divine lumlnaiy which gave it birth. Zilia, iVifmiU thy
Ifears — Aza iVill lives ; that is, for ever loves thee.

Our miieries have an end. The happy moment ap-
proaches that lliall unite us for ever. O divine felicity I
Why do we yet pant for thy enjoyment ?

The predi<ftions of Viracocha are ftill unaccomplifhed-.
I am now on the aug-ull throne of Manco-Capa, and
Zilia is not by my fide. 1 reign, and thou art loaded
with tetters 1 Be comtorted, thou tender obje6l of my ar-
dent affc-iSticns. The fun has too fully proved cur love }
he now prepares to crown it with tclicity. Thefe knots,
the weak interpreters of our fentinients ; thefe knots,
whole ufe I blcis, but whofe fate 1 envy, fliali behold
thee free. From out thy trighttul prifon thcu Hialt fly
to my amis. As the dove, efcaped from the talons of
the vulture, fiies to participate of htipplnels with her
faithful companion, lb Ihak thou repoie in my heart,
yet trembling with agitation, thy paft afflictions j thy
tendcrnefs and my felicity. What joy, what tranlpcrt !
To drown thy miieries in blifs ! Thou flialt fee at thy feet
thofe brutal masters of the thunder : and eventhofe hands
which liave loaded thee with fetters, fliiU aid in feating

tiiee on tne tlu'one.

But why {hould the remembrance of my misfortunes
pollute lb pure a happinefs ? Why muft I remind thee
©f miferies that are no more ? Do we not depreciate the
favours of the gods, when we negleft to enjoy them in
their full extent ? Not to forget our misfortunes is in a
manner to merit them. Yet you dehre, my dear Zilia,
that I fhould add to my affliiSlions the difgrace of having
defei-ved them. I love thee — I can tell it thee — I foon
again fliall behold thee : what new eclairciflement can
1 give thee of my tate ? Can I delcribe what is pad,
when I am not able to exprefs the fentiments that at this

moment agitate my foul ! But what do I fay ?

Zilia, ycu will have it fo.

Remember then, if you can do it and yet live, that
oay, that horrid day, whqfe Aurora wa^ rcfplendent
with joy. The

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. ll^

The fun, in the fulnefs of' his gloiy, Ipread over my
vliage the Came rays with which he illuminated thine,
Tranfporis of joy, and flames of love, enrapt my heart.
My Ibul was loll in that divinity from whom it derives
its being. My eyes fparkled with the fires they re-
ceived from thine, and ipoke a thoufand defires. Re-
itrained by the decorum of ceremonies, I W^nt to the
temple : my heart flew thither. There I beheld thee j
more lair than the morning ftar, more blooming than
the new blown rofe; accuiing the Cucipatas of delay 3
and to me tenderly lamenting the obli-acle by which we
were yet leparated. When in a momtnt, O dreadful
remembrance I the lightnings flafti^d,. the thunder roar-
ed. At the tremendous alarm all around me, I fell to
the earth. Proftrate I adored the fovereign Yalpor. I

implored for thee. The peals were redoubled they

relented they ceafed. I rofe, trembling for thy

fafety. What horror i what a dreadful profpect ! fur-
rounded bv a cloud of fuiphur, by flames and by blood ;
in a frightful confufion, my eyes faw nothing but death j
my ears heard nothing but fcreams J my heart fought no-
thir.g but thee ; and every objecl told it thou wert loft. I
Itill hear the thunder that ftruck thee : I fee thee pale,
disfigured j thy bofom fmeared with blood and duit : a
cruel fire devours thee.

The clouds difappear : the obfcurity is difptrfed. —
Can yon believe it, Zilia ? It was not the gi'eat Yalpor.
The Gods are not ib ci-uel. Thofc barbariaiiS, the
ufurpers of their power, had uied it to our deftiu^tion.
No fooner did I. difcover the detelfed crew, than I ip:.'ang
amidif them. Love, and the gods whole powers fhey
had profaned, lent me their aid. Thv prefcnce aug-
mented it. I bore down all before me. Yet a moment
snd I had fecured thee: but they bore you through the
facred portal, and you vaniflied from my fgil^ Grief
leized my foul : deipair drew tears from my eyes. Dif-
tr261ed with rage, I darted on them. They furround-
ed me. By the fury of the aflault, my veiy amis were
liefcroyed, Exhaufted by the violence of my efforts, aad
L 2 overpowered

l2q. tHE rERUVtAN PRINCElSS.

bveipovvered by nunibcrs, I rcll upon the profaned bo-
dies oFniy anceiiors*. There my blood and my tears
were ignomlniouily rtied amidft thy expiring compani-
ons ; even on thok garlands which thy hands had woven,
and with which thou thouldil have crov^'ned my head.
A mortal culdneis leized my lenles. My fight grew
dim, it vanifhcd. I ceafeti to live, but could not ceaie
to love thee.

Doubtlefs It was love, ajid the hopes of avenging thy
injuries, my dear Zilia, that rellored me to life. I
foui^ myfelf in mv palace, I'urrounded by my attend-
ants. Furv wa>j fvicceetled bydel'poodency : I fent forth
the mod bitter lamentations. Then kized my arms,
and urged my guards to vengeance. ' Perifh !" I cried,

* perifh! rhoic impious wretches, who have violated our

* moll facred alVlums ! Arm ! attack. I deftroy the inhu-

* raanmonftersi' Nothing could calm ray transports ; tili
Capa-Inca, mv father, intormed of my fury, alfured
me that I flTOuid again behold thee ; that you were in
iafety j and that we fhould yet enjoy each other. Wh^t
ijew tranlpoit, what ecftafies then poflefl'ed my foul. O
my dear Zilia, can the heart that has once knovw'n fuch
plealiire ever exift without it ?

A bafe avidity, for a defpicable metal, was the f^le
motive that brought thefe .barbarians to our coalb. My
father knew their defigns, and has prevented their d«;-
mands. No fooner Hiall they liave leilcred thee to my
vows, than they will depart, loaded with prefents. —
This people, whom gold has armed againft us, and has
made our friends, are now divelfed of their ferocity, and
give us incelTant marks of their gratitude and refpei5l.
They bow down before me, as our Cucipatas do befoi-e
the fun. Is it poflible that a wretched mafs of matter
can thus change the heart of man 5 and of barbarians,
as they were, make them the inftruments of my felicity.
Is it in the power of a metal, and of monfters, to retard,
and at lall to complete cur happinefs. Adorable

* The Peruvians place the embalmed bodies of their kiniji in
tkeir temples.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. I25

Adorable Zilia I Light of my foul ! What agitations
has thy de cription of our direiul feparrition given me ?
I have been prefent with thee in every danger. My fury
was renewed : but the affurances of thy love, like a po-
tent balm, has appeafed that wound whicii you gave ray-
heart. No, Zilia, life has no ioy to be compared with
thy love : all my powers are loft in that palTion : my
impatience increafes evei-y moment: it devours mej I
burn ; I die.

Zilia! give me back, my life, O that Lhuama*
would lend you his wings — that the iwifttft lightning
could bear you to my anus — while my heart, yet more
fwiftly, flies to meet thee.

LETTER II.
To Zilia : Aza's defpair in being decei-jedby thepro-
mfes of the Spaniards ^ he flatters himfelf H^j'ttb a'venging
the caufe of Zi L I A.

DOES this earth yet exift, O Zilia ? f Do we ftiU
behold the light of the fun, while falfhood and
treafon are in his empire. Even the virtues themfelves
are baniihed from my diftracled heart. Dclpair and fury
kave taken their place.

Thofe brutal Spaniards, who had the audacity to load
thee with fetters, but were too bafe, too inhuman to
free thee from them, have dared to deceive me. In vio-
lation ut their promiles, you are not vet rcftored tome.

Yalpcr, why doft thou withhold thy hand ? Dart
againft thefe perfidious wretches, deftruftive thunders,
like thofe they have purloined from thee. May ibme
Eoxious fiame, after a thoufand torments, reduce them
to riOies. Cruel monilers ! whofe crime the blood of
thy lateft poiterity can alone expiate. J Perfidious na-
tion, who2e cities fliould be laid wafte, the land fowed
with ftones, and deluged with blood. What iwrrors do
yo'.u join to an infamous perjury !

* The great eagle of Perj. -f This letter was not fent to her,

X The Peruvians extend the pur.iAinent Of crimes to the de-
ce : Jants of the tranfgreflbr : and where any great offence is corn -
mitt!.:d, the city is treated as here dtfcribe^J.

L 3 Alrea.:-.-

116 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

Already has the lacred rays ot the lun twice eiUight-
tned his children, and my beloved Zilia is not yet re-
tlored to my impatient wiflies. Thole eyes, in which I
ought to place my felicity, are at this moment drowned
in floods ot' grief" It is, perhaps, through the moft bit-
ter tears thole lires are darted, which ought to inflanie
my heart. Thole arms in which the gods fliould have
crowned the mort ardent love, are, perhaps, as this mo-
ment loaded withbafe fetters. ' O baneful grief! Odif^
trafting thought 1

Tremble, vile mortals 4 The fun has lent me his a-
venging powers. My injured love (liall render thera itiQ
more deltruiSflve.

It is by thee I Iwear, thou animating fire, from wliom
we have received our being, :Mid by whotii we exill.* —
It is by thy pure Hames, with whole divine ardour I
am now poireiVed 5 O lun ! may I never more behold thy
genial rays : plunged in horrid niglit, may the pleafii^
Aurora never again proclaim thy return j if A7ado -asU:
deltioy that atrocious race who have dared to polhite
thele lacred regions with faiihood^ Thou, my beioveeX
Zilia, the unhappy objt(9t: of all my traniports, dry up
thy tears. Thou fhait icon behold thy lover overthrew'
his enemies, break, thy fetters, and caft them on his
toes. Every moment augments my fury and their prt-
nlihment. A cruel joy is already in polleinon ot" ms
heart. At this moment I leeni to hatbe in the blood ce:
thole perfidious monifers. Ivly i^age is equal to arur
I0V&.

I go to furpafs them in barbailty: that fn^U "be -my
guide 5 I haite to the purlult. Zilia, my deareft Zilia,
be allured or vi6lory, for it is thy wrongs 1 go to .a-
venge.

LETTF.R III.
ToKanhuisCap. From Madrid. AT.\dejiribes U hh

friend the d'ljiraded Jituation of kis keart.
*\T /'HAT divinity, ferilible of my wrongs, gencffou^s
V V rriend, has preierved thee to be the comforter of

* The Peruvians Iv.j~pufe the foul to be an f mana'"icn fioin the
fun, inv

The PERUVIAN PRINCESS. T27

my diftrefs ? Is it true then, that in the inidft of the
moll honid affli6lions, we can tarte I'ome plealure ? and
tlkat how unfortunate Ibever in ourfclvcs we can contri-
bute to the happinefs of others ? Thy hands are loaded
with fetters, and yet thev afford me comfort : thy mind
is lolf in grief, but Itill you dimlnifli my infelicity.

A ftranger, and a captive, inthefe barbarous regions,
you make me ftill enjoy my country, though fo far dif-
t3nt from it. Dead to the red of mankind, I woidd
live alone for you. It is only to you that my dillraft-
ed mind is able to exprels itlclf, and that my feeble
hands can ibmetimes form thofc knots which unite us in
defiance of our cruel enemies.

You will forgive m.e, if the moft tender and ardent
love does more frequentlv prefent itfelf, than friendship
and revenge. The pleafures ot the one are a conibla-
tion, the violence ot the other has its charms : but ail
things yield to love. It is not, that lubdued by the
ftrokes of fortune, my afflictions have diminifhed my
courage. A king, 1 think as a king : though a Have,
I iUtfcr no fentiments of flavecy to approach me. I thirft
for vengeance, though without hope. Fain would I
change both thy lot and my own. Alas ! I can only de-
plore them.

From our native land we were tranfported to a new
world i and in fpite of my prayers, we were Icparated.
Our friendfliip became an objecl of fear to our conque-
rors : accuifomed to crimes, could they do otherwile
than dread our virtues ? Was it thus, Kanhuifcap, that
the day (liould have ended, on which thy courage and
mine, and what is more, my love, ought to have ren-
dered me, by vi6lory, worthy of the power that had
SLiTned me ; of that bright if ar which gave me birth ; and
worthy of thy applaufe: when the Sun, the foe to per-
jury, fhould'havc avenged his children 5 fliould have
fealfed them with the imoaking fieHi of thole deteftabie
inonliers, and have drenched them with their blood r

Is it thus that I muft revenge the wrongs of Zilia ?
vhile flie, ccniumed by the moil arJiut lovs;, iliil burns

in

TlS THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

"a thofe fetters which I cannot break. Zilia! wliom the
'nfamous ravifhers .... O ye Gods, hide from me
thole dreadful images .... What do I fay, Kanhu-
ilcap, the Gods themfelves cannot baniili them from my
mind. I can no longer behold my Zilia j a cruel ele-
ment divides us. Perhaps her griefs — our enemies — the
waves .... a mortal ftroke now pierces my heart.
My friend I fnik under the weight of my diftrefs. My
Quipos fall from my hands. Zilia .... my beloved
Zilia!

LETTER IV.

To the fame: Alarms of Aza for the fate cf Zilia ; vf

<Txhom he has had frightful prefages.

FAITHFUL Anqui, thy Quipos have for a moment
fufpended my alarms, but they cannot difperfe them.
To that healing balm which thy friendftiip fpreads over
my woes, conftan'"ly fucceeds a dreadful rem.embrancci.
At every inftant I fee my Zilia in fettersj the fun dilgraced;
his temples profaned : I behold my father bending under
the weight of chains, as well as years : I fee my coun-
try defolated. I exift by mil'eries alone j and every cir-
cumftance ferves to increafe them. The fliades of the
night prefent me with nought but frightful images. la
vain do I feek tranquillity in the arms of fleep ; there ![
find nothing but toiTnents. This very night Ztlla agaia
prefented herfelf before me. The horrors of death were
painted on her countenance. My name feemed to el<:aj)e
from her dying lips : I faw it traced on the quipos th;it
fell from her hands. Unknown barbarians, their arms
ftained with blood. In the midft of flames and tumulr,
took her from one cf thofe enormous machines in which
we were tranfported. They £^cmed to prefen*" her in tri-
umph to their hideous chief: when, in an inftant, the
fea mounting to the clouds, offered nothing to my fight
but waves of blood, floating carc-fes, large logs or'woctl
partly confumcd, fires, and devouring flames. In vain
would I difTipate thefe meb.ncholy ideas ; they contirai-
aliy return, and fix themfelves in my mind. Nothing al-
ieviates my diilicfs : every th'ng a'.'.j^ments it, I hate

even

THE PERUVIAN PRfKCES^. 72rt

even the air I breathe. I reproacli the waves with not
havino: Iwallowed me up. I complain to the Godi that
they lH!l lutTer me to exi(L If their boimty, lefs cruel*
pennitted me to forlake this ligiit j if I could difpofeof
this fparic of divinity which they ha.ve communicated to
me J if it were not a horrible crime for a mortal to de-
Itroy t!ie work of the divinity ; could my wealcnefs bs
condemned, Kanhuifcap? Ought my ipir.t to wander in
the air ? My mifeiies would have an end. But what do
I fav? Each day increafes them. Participate with me,
O Kanhuifcap! my piercing griefs : learn, it it be pof-
ilbie, fome news of Ziliaj while my diftrafled heart de-
mands her of the Gods — of all nature— of mvfelf.

LETTER V.

lo the fame: Aza concei^jes hope of recei-vhig from Kan'-

H u I s c \vfo?ne account of Zilia.

MAY thoie divine ravs which give us life, comfort
thee with their moft benignant warmth. Kan-
huifcap, thou haft kindled in my heart the moft flattering
hopes. The progi'els you have made in the Spanifhian-
gurtge has already enabled you to learn, that the hrft
vefirrls which are expected to arrive on the coaft where
you dwell, v/ill come from the empire of the Sun. By
t.hem you will know the fate of her for whom alone I
exiit. Judge therefore with what impatience I attend
your informations. I already launch forth into the re-
erions of hnppinefs. The fituat'on of Ziiia is laid open
to my fight. Already do I fee her reftorcd to the temple
of the Sn., ; void of all grief but that o.' my diftance from
her. There fhe decks the altars of the God, and adorns
them as much bv her charms as by tlie works of her
hands. As fome beauteous flower after a ftorm, but ftilt
agitated by the winds, receives thef • "h rays of the fun,
while the water that covers it ferves (^nly to augment its
lultre ; fo does Zilia feem more blooming, and more dear
to my heart. Now flie appears to m.e like the fun after
a long obfcurity, whofe bright beams dazzle the fight,
ami declare the return of a pleafmg feafon. Then I leem
^o be at her feet. There I expcri>;nce concern, emotion,

pkaiure.

130 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

plealure, refpefl, tendcrneis, and ail thofe lentlments with
which I was affcded, when in reality I enjoyed her
pi-efence. Even thole, Kanhuifcap, with which her heart
was agitated, I then prove. How ftrong are the chains
©fillufion! but yet how delightful ! My real evils are
deftroyed by imaginary pleasures. I behold Zilia happy j
and my felicity is complete.

O my dear Kanhuifcap, do not fruftrate a hope In
which my happinefs confills, and v/hich may be deftroyed
by impatience alone. Do not let the leait retardment,
my generous friend, delay my happinefs. May thy
Quipos, knotted by the hands of gladnefs, be borne to
me upon the wings of the wind : and in return for thy
friendfhip, may the molt exquifite perfum.es becontinu-
?dly diffuied over thy head.

LETTER VI.

To the fame: the inquietudes of Az a are cahned by the

?ie--vjs 'ivhich his frriefid gi-ves him of Zilia.

OF wh?t delicious waters hall thou made ufe, my
dear friend, to quench that cniel fire which devoured
my heart ? To inquietudes that diftra^led me unceaf-
ingly, and to griefs by which I was totally overwhelmed,
you have made to fucceed tranquillity and joy. I Ibun
ftiall again behold my Zilia. O happinefs almoft unhoped
for ! But yet flie is withheld from me. O cruel pro-
craftination ! In vain does my heart go forth to meet
her. In vain does my whole Ibul attem.pt to mix with
hers ; there is ftiil enough left to tell me that I am far
from her.

Soon Ihall I again behold her ; and that delightful
thought, far from calming, increafes my inquietude. —
Separated from m.y lile itlelf, judge what torments I en-
dure. Attach moment I die j and recover but to defire
in vain. L-Ke the liunter who in running to quench,
augm.ents the thirlt that devours him, fo does my hope
render more fierce the flame that confumes me. The
nearer I approach to an union with Zilia, the more I tear
to ioie her. How often, my faithful friend, has one
moment already feparated us : and tnat cruel moment, at
theheight of my felicity, I ftiil fear. Aw

THE PERUVIAN PRIN'CESS. I3I

An element, cruel a^ inccnftant, is the depofitoi y of
Tiiv happinels. Sav yu not,, that Zliia abandons tlie
empire ot the fun, to ccnie to thelc horrid ciiniates. A
lons^ tiine wandering on the fea before ilie can reach theie
conlis, what dangers has (he not to experience ? And how
much more have I not to fear for her ? But whither
do;s my pailion carry me ! I ara talking of mill-ry, when
all things promife happinefs ; joys of which the tliought
alone! .... Ah I Kanhuifcap, what tranfports, what
feelings hitherto unknown ! Every fenie feparately en-
joys the fame plealure — Zilia is before my eyes. I
hear the tender accents of her voice. I embrace her;
I die.

LETTER VII.

To the fame: Aza <^j:ith Alonzo, ^':ko mfiru6ls hhn in

the manners of the Spaniards.

AS fnbie6l to vicilutude, as accident can prevent my
felicity, Kinhuifcap, fo the term to which you
refer its co.npletion rauil neceflarily diminiih it.

Before the iiin can make me happy, hem.ufta hundred
times enlighten the world ! Before that immenfity of t:me,
Zilia cannot be reltored to me !

In vain does friendfnip c-^-jeavour to foften the rigours
of mv lot: it can by no means diveft me ct anxiety.

Aicnzo, whom the unjuit Capa Incaof the Spaniards
has appointed to fet, with my father, oil the throne of
the fun : Alonzo, to wh.om the Spaniards have given me
in charge, in vsin attempts to free me irora my diltrefs.
The friendflup which he fnews me 5 the cuftcms of his
:ountr)'men which he points cut to me : the air.ufem.ents
^at he endeavours to procure mc j the reflections to
-vhich I abandon m.ylcli", are net able tomiikeme fcrgct
n y misfortunes.

That piercing grief into which the feparaticn frcm
Zilia had thrown me, has hici^erto prevented me Ircm
giving any attention to the objects that lurround rae. I
law, I breathed nothing but '-niftry. I feem.ed to find
pieafure, fo to fay, in my misi* r:unfs : icarce ccuiil I
be faid to live, how tiitn could I icirn rtfiedions,? But

no

IJZ THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

no iboner had I given lo joy tliofe moments that love af-
fjgned'it, than I began to optn ir.y eyes. Whatobjedis
then ihuck. my light! I cannot tlelcnbe to you how
much the)- yet iui-prife me. I found myielt" aione, in
tlie midft of a world that I never thought had exilkd. j
there faw beings whom I rekmble. ^Ve each appeare<t
to be leized with an equal furprile: my eager Idoks weie
Jolt in theirs. A numberlefs people are continually agi-
tated in the fame circle, and in which they feem to he
confined. Others that are feldomfeen, and whoarcdif-
tinguifhcd from the fonn;r by their idlenefs alone. Tu-
mults, cries, quarrels, combats, a fiightful uproar and
one continued confufron. This at firlt, was all that J
could difccin.

At the beginning m.y mind cuil^racing too many ob-
jects, could not diltinguifh any one of them. It was not
icng before I was lenlible ot this, I therefore determined
to prefcribe bounds to my obfervations,and to begijiwitlx
reflecting on thofe objefts that were nearcfl to me : the
houle ot Alon^o thciefore is become the centre of my
thoughts. The Spaniards, I there fee, feem to befubiecis
fufEcicnt to employ me tor a long time j and by their
dilpolitions I ftiall be enabled to judge of tlx)fe of their
icliow countiymen. Alonzo, who has dwelt a confide'-
able tirr.e in our country, and conlirquently is convcriaut

in our language and culloms, aids me i)i the d Icoveries

I woukhnake. This fmcere friend, iminfcfted with the
prejudices of his countrymen, freqxiently points out to
me the ridiculous part of their condu6f . * Esrhcld that

grave mun,' faid he to me, the other day, * who by his

< haughty mein, his curled rauilachoes, his highcrowned

< cap and numerous train, you would take tor another

* Huayna Capac* j but he is a Cucipatas, who has iworn

< toourPachacamac to be humble, meek, and poor. He
' that you faw drink thofe large draughts or liquors,

* that have left him fcarce any remains of realbn, id a

* judge j who within an hour, is to decide on the lives

* oi iortunes of a nusnber of citizens. That man you

< ice
* The name of the great co.ngueror of Peru.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 133

* fee who is more amorous ot himfelf, than of the iady

* to whom he lecms to pay ib much regard : he who can

* icaice luppoi t the heat ot" the weather, and of that
' perfumed habit which he wears : who talks with lb.

* mv.ch emotion on the leail trifle' whofe debaucheries

* have lunk his eyes, paled his vilage, and even delhoyed

* his voice } that is a general, who is to lead thirty

* thoufand men to battle.'

It is thus, Kanhuiicap, by the aid of Alonzo, that I
dlflipate, for fome moments, the anxieties that coniume
me. But, alas 1 they loon return : for the amuiements
of the mind mull for ever give place to the atfecf ions of
the heart.

LETTER VIII.

To the fame: At.. \ paints to kis friend tke ckaracler of

Alonzo.

THE obferv-ations which Aloi>zo has enabled me to
make of the chara6lers of his countr>'men, have not
prevented me trcm lomctimes reflefting on his own.
Though I am an admirer of the virtucb cf this fnicere
friend, I do not forbear to rernark his detects. Wile,
generous, and brave, he is notwithltanding weak, z.rA,
iubject to thole very follies he conde:r.r,:i. * Behold tliat
' relpeftable and dreadful wai'rior,' he laid, ' that Ihm de-

* tendtr of our countiv, that man who by a fingie glance

* of his eye cr^n make thou lands obey him : yet he is a
< llive in his own houle, and iubiectto every little capr.ce

* of his wife.' So does Alonzo appear to me when his;
daughter Zulniira enters. From the imperious air the
cor.ihtntly atLcis when her father tenderly embraces her,
J am convinced that Alonzo is, with regard to his daugh-
ter, what the warrior is to his wife ; and ao not imagine
that he is the only Spaniard who does not fpare in others
the faults of which he is himlelf giiiltv- 1 was walking
the otiier day in a jmblic garden, wiiere I diifinguilhcd
among the crowd, a little -monllei-, about the lize cf a
Vicuna*, his legs were contorted like the Amarucf j nn^
his head lb funk between his Ihculders, that fcarce could

* A kind of Indian coar. -}- The audcv of the Indixns.

"NI he

134 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

he move it. I could not relbain from commiferating
the lot of this unfortunate creature, when I was furpril-
ed by loud peals of laughter. I turned toward the part
from whence they canie. But what was my furprife •
when I found that they were caufed by a man, aimoil
as derormed as the other, and who was pointing out to
the company, the dillortions of his brother. Is it pof-
lible we can be fo blind to cur own faults, when we are
fo fcnfible of them in others ? Does the excefs of virtue
tlien become a vice ?

Alonzo, though fubjeft to his daughter, would be in-
excuiable not to love her. The vivacity of her wit, the
beauty and tiie graces which the creator has given her :
her ftately port, and the tender language of her eyes, in
fpite of the fire witli which they fparklej convince me
tnat fire has a heart fenfible, but vainj that (lie is tender,
but impetuous, even in the moil trifling purlliits. What
a diiference, my dear friend, between her and Zilia!
Zilia, who alm.oll: infenlible.to her beatity, would hide it
from every one but her conqueror : (lie who is conduced
by candour and modsAy, and whole heart, the pureft and
i:n.'"!t tcr.4cr love alone poifelTes ; in whom the movem.ents
ot pride have no prace, who deipifes all the turns of art ,
file who knows of no means to pleafe but by lovej flie
vvlio Ah ! how fierce the flame that now con-
fumes my heart ? Zilia ? my beloved Zilia ! Shall I never
again behold thee ? What can yet retard our felicity ?
Are the gods themfelves jealous of the happinels of a
mortal ? 6 my dear friend, if it be to them alone that be-
long the joys of love, why are we made feniible to the
power of beauty? Or why, when mafttrs of our hearts,
do they fi.fivr us to afpire after a liappinefs, which they
aie unwilling we ihail poflcfs ?

LETTER IX.

To the fame : the manners and cujjoms of the Spaniards
are totally different in their ovja country from ~j:hat ihey
are in Mexico.

~WJ^ FHOUT the aHlilance of the Spanirti language,
* f ^.\\z rcfi-ciioas which Alonzo communicates to

me

THE PERUVIAN" PRINCESS. 155

me could not extend beyond certain bounds, and thole
which I made myfelf could be but luperficial. Defirous
cf diverting my impatience, I have lought a mafter wiio
could inftruft me in this language. The intormations
he has given me, have already enabled me to profit by
converfation, and examine more nearly, the genius and
tafte of a people who feem to have been created ibiely tor
the deilrui^lion of mankind ^ ot Whom, hovi^ever, they ap-
pear to think themfelves the ornament. At fiill I ama-
ginedthat tliei'c ambitious barbarians, who employ them-
felves in contriving miferies for nations of whom they arc
ignorant ; drank nothing but blood : beheld the fun
through a thick fmoak only, and were folely employed
in forging inftruments of death: for you know (as well
as myielf) that the thunder with which they fmote us,
was fonned by them. I expected to have foimd in their
cities nothing but makers of thunder : foldiers exercifmg
in the ccurfe, or combat : princes ftained with the blood
they had flied, and braving, in order to enable them to
filed more, the heats of the day, the rigours of winter,
fatigue, and death itfclf.

You will eafily conceive my furprlfe, v/hen Inftead of
that theatre of blood which t had formed in my imagi-
nation, I here found the throne of mercy. This people^
who, I believe, are cruel towards us only, appear to be
governed by benevolence. The inhabitants leem to be
united by a clofe friendlhip. They never meet without
giving marks of efteem, am.ity, and even refpecf . Thefe
fentiments fparkle in their eyes, and govern their bodies^
They bow down before each other. In a word, by their
continual embraces, they appear to be ra'her one family,
happily united, than a colle6fion of people. Thofe war-
riors, who to us appeared fo formidable, are here no other
than old men, who are ftill more amiable than the red ?
or youths, gay, gentle and officious to pleafe. That ur-
banity which governs them, that eafe with v/hich they
perfoiTn all actions, thofe pleafures which are their only
iludico, and thofe fentiments of humanity which they
* Mi diicoverj^

i'jS THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

dilcover, induces me to think that they have two foul?,
one for fociety, the other for war.

In hR, what a difference ! You have foen them, my
friend, bring within our walls dcfolation, horror, and
death. The groans of our women expiring by their
wounds ; tlie venerable age of our fathers, t!ie piercing
cries fent forth by the tender organs of our children,
the majelly ofour temples, the facreii awe that funounds
them 5 all things ferved to augment their barbarity.

And now I behold them adoring thofe virtues they
then deifroyed •. giving honour to age: Itretching forth
a benignant hand to infancvj and venerating the temples
they profaned j can thefe therefore be the faine men ?

LETTER X*
To the farm : K'Lx"^ reflections on the di'verfity cf tajle
among the Spaniards.

THE more I reflect on the variety of difpofitions a-
mo]i.g the Spaniards, the lefs able am I to deter-
mine the principle from whence they proceed. This na-
tion feems to have but one that is general, and it is that
which leads to idlenels. There is here, however, a dl-
vinitv that nearly refembles it, and this is called Tafte.
A large felecl number of adorers facrifice all things to
tiiis ; even their tranquillity. There is, however, a par-
ty (and that party is the moft fjncere) who acknowledge
that they know not who this divinity is. The others,
more preluming, give definitions of it, which are as un-
intelligible to tliemfelves as to the reft of mankind. Ac-
cording to manv, it is a divinity that is not the lefs real
for bein^ invifible. Every one ought to feel its infplra-
tions. We are to agree with the fculpture, that it is con-
cealed \mder a figure of a hideous fiiapc, which appears
to flutter with the two wings of a hat, and which an in-
fant holds elegantly en&haij-ied with a garland offlowers.
One of thoie fort^^f men, whom they call here petit mai-
trts, will oblige you to believethat this divinity is to be
found in his waillcoat, and not in that of his companion,
and the proof he brings (wliich you cannot refute) is that
the button holes of his wailtcoat art either greater or lels
than thofe ot the other. Som';;

\

THE PERtrVlAK PRINCESS. 137

Some daj'S fince I faw an edifice of which I had heard
very unintelligible accounts. When I approached it,
1 found at the gate two troops of Spaniards, who feemed
to be at open war with each other. I alked of one who
accompanied me, what was the caule of their contention.

* It is,' he replied, ' a matter of great confequence. They

* are about to determine the reputation of this teir.ple, and

* the ranks it ihall hold with pofterity. Thefe people you

* here fee are connoifleurs. The one fide afTerts, that it is

* a mere heap of ftones, remarkable for noihing but its

* enormity. The other maintains that it is by no ineans

* enormous, but is conftru6led intruetafte.'

Leaving thefe connoifleurs, I entered the temple. I
had gone but a few paces, when I faw painted againft
the wall, the figure oi a venerable old man, the ferenity
and dignity of whole features infpired reCpeil. He ap-
peared to be borne upon the winds, and was furroundtd
by winged infants whofe eyes were directed to the earth.

* Whom does that pi6ture repreicntr' I faid. * It is,'
replied an old Cucipatas, after feveral inclinations of his
body, ' the reprefentation of the Lord of the univerie,

* who by the breath of his noftriis, produced all things

* out of nothing. But have you examined,' he cricrd
with precipitation, * thofe precious ftones which cover

* this altar?' He had fcarce finifned thofe words, when
the beauty of one of thoie diamonds had ftruck me. It
reprefented a man whole head vv'as incircledwith laurels.
I immediately afxed who the man was, that had merited
a place by the fide of the Creator. * It is,' replied the
Cucipatas with a fmile, * the head of the moft cruel and

* molt defpicable prince that ever exilted .' That aniwer
threw me into a feries of reflections which the vaist of
expreffions prevents me from cummunicating. Wiien I
had recovered from my firftaftonifliment, with relpc<5tful
fleps I was quitting the temple, vv'hen another object
ftruck me. In anobfcure place I dilcovered, amidft the
tlufl, the head of an old man who had neither tiiemajefly
nor the benignity of the other. But vvhat was my afto-
niilimentj when they would have perfuaded mc that it

M ,5 was

15? THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

was the portrait of the fam€ divinity, the Creator of all
things. The little refpeil which the CucipatAS appeared
to have for this head prevented me from believing it, and
I came away, offended with the impofit ion. Forinfafl,
T/hat appearance is there, Kanhuifcap, that the fame
men, in the fame place, fhould adore a God, and tread
him under their feet.

This is not the only contradi6lIon that is to he foimd
among the Spaniards. Nothing is more common than
thoie inconfiftences which time produces in this country.
Why do they deffroy that palace, whofe folidity pro-
miles at Icalf another century of duration ? * Becaule,'
they reply, < it is not in tafte. When firfl: ereoled, it

* was confidered as a chef-dceii^vre^ and was built at a

* great cxpence. But in thei'e days it appears ridiculous.'
Though this nation is fonnich a Have to tiiis pretended

tafte, yet it is not necellary that every particular perfon
have it. There are here people of talf e, wiio I'ell it dearly
to thofe who by caprice imagine them to be in poflcririon
of it. Alonzo made me remark, tlie other day, one of
thofe men who have the reputation of drefiing themfelves
vith a certain elegance, in which, according to him, they
place great merit. As a contrail to that man, he fhewed
me at the fame time another who was regarded as having
iio tafte. I am unable to decide between them, ileing
the public, before whom they appear, agrees in laugiiing
at both of them. From whence the only real diiference
t'hat I can dil'cover between him who has tafte, and them
who hav'e none, is, that they both depart trom ilature,
Imt by different ways ; and that the God they call talfe,
fixe > his abode fometimes at the end of one of thele paths,
and fometim.es at that of the other. Unhappy therefore
is tile man who takes the wrong path ; he is dilgraced and
deipiled ; till the God, changing his abode at the moment
he ieaft thinks of it, puts it in his power, to treat others
with equal feverity.

Hov/ever, Kanhuifcap, if you will believe the Spani-
ards, nothing is m.ore invariable than tafte, and the reaion
cr its liaving lb oft^ii changed, ia becaufe iheii- anceftors

v.- ere

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 139

were ignorant of that in which it truly confifts. But
much I fear that the fame reproach will be made by their
atert pofterity.

LETTER XI.
To the fa?n€ : Aza continues his rejiecl'ions on the 'vices
of the Spaniards.

CAN I exprefs my furpriie, Kanhuifcap, when I
find that in this country, which I imagined to
have been inhabited by virtue itfelf, that it is only by
force that men are here virtuous. It is the fear'ot"
puniHiment and of death, that alone infpire men here
with thofe fentinients that I thought nature had engraved
in their hearts. There are, in this country, whole o-
iutnes, which are filled with the prohibitions of vice.
There is no crime fo horrid but v/hat has here its pro-
per punilhment afligned it ; nay, that has not an exam-
ple. In fact, it was not lb much a wik precaution, as
the models of vices, that have diftated the decrees by
which they are prohibited. To judge bv thei'e laws,
what crimes are there that the Spaniards have not com-
mitted ? They have a God, and have blalphemed him ;
a king and have rebelled againll him j a faith which
they have violated. They love and refpecl, yet murder
each other. They are friends, yet betray; they are
united by religion, yet detelt their brethren. Where
tjien, I am continually afKing mvfelf, is that unioa
which I at firlt remarked among tiiis people ? That pleaf-
ing chain by which friendiliip leemedto have united their
hearts? Caa I imagine that it was "formed of nothing
but fear or intercil ? But what I lijid molt aftojiifliing,
is the continuance of theie laws. What ? can a people
wno have violated the moil facred laws of nature, and
have itifled her voice, futfcr themfelves to be governed
by the feeble voice of their anceltors 1 Can this people,
like their Hamas, open the mouth to a bit, w-hich is ct-
fered tnem by a man whofe equal they have already de-
ifroyed ' Ah 1 Kanhuifcap, how unhappy is th9rprir,ce
who reigns over iuc;\ a pecplj 1 Hov.' many ihares hai
iji to iivoid * If he vrould prelerve his autl.ority, he mutt

b«

T40 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.^

be virtuous ; yet he has conftantly vice before his evesTf
Perjury Ib.rrounds him } Pride goes before him; Per-
fidy, with downcalc looks, follows his footfteps ; and
never can he behold Truth, but by the falfe glare of the
torch of Envy.

Such is the truepi<5lurc of that tlirong which furrounds
the piince, and which they call the court. The nearer
we approach the throne, the further we recede from vir-
tue. We there fee a vile flatterer by the fide of the de-
fender of his country ; a buffoon linked with the moll
conlinnmate minifter; Pcrjurv, efcaped from its jufi:
punifliment, there ufurps the rank of Probity . Yet from
the midft of this crowd of crimin Is it is, that the king
pronounces julf ice. There it fhould leem as if the laws
are only taught by thole who are the violators. The
judgmtnt that condenms one criminal, is frequently fign-
ed hy another. For hew rigorous foever thsfe laws may
be, they are not made for every one. In the clofet of
the judge, a fine woman in tears falling at his feet ; or a
nvn who brings with him a confiderable quantity of pieces
ot gold} eafily exculpates the mcft atrocious criminal,
while the innocent expire in tortures. O Kanhuifcap !
how happy are the children of the Sun, who are guided
by rectitude alone ! Ignorant of vice, they fear no punifli-
ment J and as Virtue is their judge, Nature is their law.
LETTER XII.
To tBe fame:, coniinuatio/i cf the fame fuhjed.

IT rarely happens, that the firlt point of view from
which we b^iiold any objeft, is that from which it
appears in the truelt light. What difference, Kmhu-
ifcap, between this people, and thofe t thought Ifirltfaw.
All their virtue is nothing but a flender veil, through
which we diftinguidi the features of thofe who would
icrcen themlclves from our view. Under the dazzling
eclat of the moft virtuous alliens, you may conftantly
difccrn the feeds of feme vice. Like the rays of the Iuit,
which, while they f.-emto give a li-.ftre to the colour of
tiiCrofc, difcoverthe thonvs^that are hid beneath it. An
i).'i'ij|>portaDlc pride is the fource of that amiable union

with

THE PERUVIAN PRIN'CESS. 14.X

v.-lth which I was at firft ib highly charmed. The len-
der embrace, theafrefted refptci, proceed from th" lame
fource. The lead infl'^6tion ot the body is here regarded
as an ackjiowledgment that is due to rank or ftiendfliip.
The moll deteilable clvaiafters in the nation, and they
who have the greateft averllon, DUitually render each
other this falle homage. A great man pafes r.y you,
and uncovers his head ; that is an honour : h- Irniles
upon you j that is a favour. But it is not remembered,
that the purchafe of this honourable falu*:e, and of this
flattering fmile, is attended, with a thoufand fubmilHons
and mortifications. To fpeak more iuftly, in oider to
obtain thefe honours, it is neced'ary to becon>e a {lave.

Pride has ftilj another veil, and that is gravity : that
varnifli which gives an air of reafon to the molt fenfe-
lefs actions. He who, tlibough pofleffed of great wit and
fenfe, is regarded as a fool, would have been held in the
highefirelleera, thoiigh totally dfellitute of boththofeac-
complifhments, if he had but concealed his love of plea-
fure. To be wife is nothing j the only thing neceffary is
to appear fo.

' That man, whofefagacityand accompliftimentscor-

* refpond with the benignity of his countenance,' faid
Alonxo the other day j * that man of an almoft univerfal

* genius, has been excluded from the moft important em-

* ployir^nts, for having once laughed inconfiderately I*
You will not, therefore, be furprifed, Kanhuifcap, that
they here pcrfomi actions in themfelves the moll fottilh,
with the utraoft tblemnity. This affected gravity, how-
ever, makes no great Impreflion on me. 1 perceive the
pride of him by whom it is ufed, and the more he ef-
teems himfeif, the more I defpile him. Are merit and
mirth by nature antipathies ? No ; for reafon never fuf-
fers by thofe pleafiires which the mind alone enjoys,

LETTER Xni.
To the fame. hJ-.^dejaihei his embarrajfment andim-
perfect ideas concerningthi dodrines of the Chrijnan religion.

I CANNOT avoid again repeating to you, Kanhuif-
cap, that there feeins to me to be fonvrthing unde-

fineablc

14* THE PERL^VIAN PRINCESS,

fineable in the charaeler of the Spaniards. Every daj
prcduces fome trefli contradiction . What do you think,
for example, of the following ? This people have a di-
vinity vvliom they adore* : but far from making him any
offerings, it is their God who nourifhes them. You
fe* in their temples no Curaccasf , as iymbcls of their
v^'antp. In a word, there arc certain times of the day,
when ycu would take thefe temples for deferttd palaces.
Certain ancient women, however, remain there al-
iroft thewhtle day. The air of devotion which they af-
fe6f, and the tears which they fhed, ?.ttra6lect at nrft my
regard ; and the difdam with which they were treated,
excited my compaffion ; till I was undeceived by Alonzo.
' Thofe women,' laid he, * who have acquired youref-
' teem, are but little known to you. One of thofe you

• fee is paid by proftitutes, to procure them traffic for

* their charms. That other faciifices her fortune and
' her repofe to the deftmction of her family.'

Ur;nat\iral mothers trulf their children to thofe they
would not tiulf a trifling jewel, in o,-der to come here
and adore a God, who, according to their own confef-
flon, has given them no flronger commandment than
that of properly ed\!cating thofe children. Others, hav-
ing forlaken the pkafures of the world becauie they c?.n
ro longer enjoy them, here make a virtue of depreciating
vices which they have obfen'ed in other finners.

How difficult are thefe barbarous nations, Kanhuif-
cap, to reconcile with themfelves. Their religion is not
more difficult to reconcile with that of nature. They
acknowledge with us a God, the creator, who differs,
it is true, frcrri ours, as he is entiiely a pure fubffancej
or to fpeak more properly, an affemblage of all perfections .
No limats can be pielcribed to his power j his being can

luffer

* We muft remember here, that it is a Peruvian who fpeaks^
and one who has but a very impertcd: notion of our rejiglon,

■f Thefe Curaccas v/ere ftatues of different metals, and in dif-
fcvent habi's, which they placed in their temples 5 and were a
{or t cf ex voto, ta exprels the feveral wants of thofe thatoffevad
them.

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.' 143

iviffcr no variation. Wilclom, jultice, and mercy, om-
nipotence and immutability, ccmpolehiscficnce. This
God has ever cxilted, and for ever will exift. Such is
the definition which one cf the Cucipatas of this em-
pire have given me : for they are ignorant of nothing
that has happened fmce, nor even before the creation of
the world. It was this God who placed mankind upon
the earth, as in a garden of pleafure : but they were
foon plunged into an abyis of pains and miferiesj after
which they were deftroyed. One man, however, was
exempted from this general deftruft ion, and re-peopled
the earth ; with men llill more wicked than the fonner.
Gou, notwithlianding, tar from punifhing them, chofe
from among them a certain number, to whcmhedidated
his laws, and promilcd to lend his Son. But this un-
grateful people, forgetting ihe goodnefs of God, facri-
liced his Son, the moil dear pledge of his paternal ten-
dernefs- Rendered by this crime the objeft of God's
hatred, that nation was vifited by his vengeance. Wan.
dering inccffantly from country to country, the whole
univeiie was a witnels of their chaftilement. It was on
ether men, until that time lels worthy of the divine favour,
that the Son, fo long promifcd , bellowed his munificence.
It was for them that he inftituted new laws, which dif-
fered but in a fev/ things from thofe that were before.

Such, my fag^aci^-us triend, was the conduit of their
God towards mankind. Now, how will you reconcile
this with his cffence* ? He is almighty and immutable.
He created thefe people to make them happy 3 and yet
they were not i-endercd by any means free from the infirmi-
ties of human nature. He would have them happy, yet
their laws forbid them thai pleafure which he made for
them, as thtji^or pleafure. He is jull, and does not pun-
iih in the children thofe crimes which he has fo leverely
punifhed in the fathers. He is merciful, andhis clemen-
cy is not focner exhaulted than his leverity. Periuaded
as they are of the goodnefs, wifdom, and power of God,

you
* We fhall ftill remember, that k is an unlearned P«n»vi2n.
:.o fccaka.

144 1HE PERVVIAN PRINCESS,

you will perhaps iinagine, Karhuiicap, that the Spani-
ards are faithful to his laws, and follow them with pre-
cifiion: but if ycm think lb, vour error is great. Aban-
doned IncefTantly, and without rei'erve, to vices prohibi-
ted by his laws, they prove, that either the julticeof God
is not fufficiently levere j that he does not punifh thole
aftions which he forbids: or that his laws are too rigid,
as they prohibit thofe a6tions which his goodnels pre-
vents him from punilhlns;.

LETTER XIV.
To the fame: ZiLiA is continually pnfent to the mind
of AzA, in the miJji of all his refiehions. An account of
the intrigues and hjpccrify of the Spanijh -a:omen.

PERHAPS you may iiave thought, my faithful friend,
that foftencd by time, the impatience which devour-
ed my heart began to be exhauftcd. I pardon thy errorj
for I mylelf have been the caufe of it. The rcfleiSf ions
you have ken me give myfelf up to, for fome time paft,
could not proceed, as you thought, but from a heart
that was at eale. No longer perfiit in an error that is
injurious to me. Impatience frequently borrows from
a fccming tranquillity the moft cniel arms. This I have
but too much txperienced. My mind contemplated with
a wandering eye, the different ob;e6^ts that preiented them -
ielves : my heart was not the lefb devoured by impatience.
Conllantly prefenttomy fight, Zilia perpetuated my anx-
iety, even in thofe moments when my philofophy feemed
to you to llcure my tranquillity. Ao application to the
fciences may divert, but it can never make us forget our
palTions : and even if it had that power, what could it
tife^l on an inclination that is founded on reason. My
love, you know, is not one of thofe tranfient vapours,
which raifed by caprice, are ibon dillipated. Realbn, that
taught me to kriOw my heart, told me that it was matie
tor love. It was by the light of his torch I firlt per-
ceived I loved. Could I refrain from following his Ifeps ?
He fliowcd me beauty in the eyes of Zilia : he made me
'eel its power, herclianns, and my felicitv : and lar ficui
c]^.poling ir.y happindV, rv'av-n taught me that it fre-

ijuju iv

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. T4.5

cntly alojie confided in the art or raifing and prelerv-
ino; plealures. You will judge then, Kanhuiicap, if
philoibphy has been able to diminlfh my love. The re-
ilcftions I have made on the Sponifh women cannot but
increafe it. That great defparity of virtue, of beauty
and fentiment, which I have remarked between them and.
Zilia, makes me more fenlibleot my raifery in being fe- /
parated from her. That pure candour, that amiable free-
dom, thofe fort tranfports in which her foul delights, are
here mere veils to cover licenticufnefs and perfidy. To
conceal the moft ardent pafTion, in order to difplay one
that they do not feel, far from being punifhed as a vice,
is here regaided as an accompliflim^nt. To attempt to
pleafe any particular perfon is a crime ; not to pleaie ail
is a dil'grace. Such are the principles of Virtue that
they here engrave on the hearts of their women. When
any one of them has thehappinefs, if it be a happinefs,
to be efteemed beautiful, fhe mult prepare to receive tlie
homage of a crowd of adorers, whofe woi-fhip fne is to
I'r .vard, by at leaft one glance of the eye eacii day. When
a woman of this fort is what they call a coquette, the
firft ftep flie takes is to find out among the crowd, him
who is the molt opulent. This difcovery being made,
all her actions, ail her arts tend to captivate him: fhe
fucceeds, and marries him : then fhe confults her heart.
Her beauty now is employed to another purpofe ; flie
^oesdaily to the temples, and to the public places : there,
through a veil that prevents her bluflies, fhe regards,
with a fteady eye, the faithful troop that pa£es before
her. Alvajez and Pedro foon divide her heart. She
balances between them, and decides for the former j but
£(-ncealing her choice from both, L-aves them to hgh.
Without difconraging Pedro, five makes Alvaiez happy :
grows tired of him, and returns to Pedro, v/hcsm ilie
fcon abandons for another. This is not the moft dilH-
cuit of her enterprizes. She is to perfuade all the world
tliat flie loves her hufband, and to convince him of his
happinefs, in having a wife who fcrupuloufly perfoms
her duty. The public has alio a duty to pciibnn, vvhich it
N ' does

14$ THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

does with great punclualuy j and th:it is to reiiiindthe huf-,
band that ae lb married to a fine woman. Thcie contagious
examples appear to haveex:cndcdeven to Zulmira, v/hofe
heart they have iniected . I think I diicover, that though
yet a cliiid, <he is pofTeiled wiih Lhe dangerous pafhun
ot dcfiring to pleafe. E-ery trifling action, her moil
indifferent legaids, haveconitantly icmething thatfcems
to come trom the heart. Her flattering dliconrfes, iicr
exprcflive locks, tlie aifcclmg tone or her voice, which
is frequently loft in tender hglis, all declare it. Tims
it is, Kanuuiicap, that by dilfeient arts. Virtue here
has trequently the outward appearance of Vice, while
Vice is concealed under the malk or Virtue.
LETrER XV.
To the fame: Aza, better injhu^ed in the nature of
the Jiars, and oj tbunderj is di'vcjied of tbe ancient pre-
jiuiiLtJ cfhis nation.

O THAT truth at which I am flill aftonhhed ! O
amazing depth of knowledge ! Kanhuiiiraj), the
fun, that ma Iter- piece of nature, the earth, the prolific
fea, are not Gods. A Creator different from ouis h^s
produced them; and by afinglelookhecandeflroythem.
From the iXiidft of a vail chaus, enveloped by lifelels
matter, from the bofomcf confuficn, he called forth the
reipicndciit (tars, and the people who adore them. To
every part of matter he gave a produ6live virtue. The
fun, at hiii voice, poured forth its light; the Moon re-
ceived its rays, and tranfmitted them to us. Theeirtii
produced, and nouriflied by Ils juices, thofe trees, tliole
animals which we adore. The fea, v/hom a God alone
could rule, affords us ilillenance by the fifnes it cov;tains :
iijKl man, creaicd nuilter of the univtrfe, reigns overall
other creatures. It was the ignorance of thole myitcries,
my dear friend, that has c.uiied all our misfortunes,
Had we been inllrucled, like t'iie Spaniards, in the fe-
cjvts of nature, v/e 'houid have known, that the thun-
der they darted on us was nothing but a mafs of ^-natter
y/hich IS to be found in our own ccuntiy : that "Valpor,
him!eif, that terrible God, is no more than a vapoui"

wh-ch

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. I47

^hich the earth produces, and whole courfe is directed
by chance : that thole furious Hamas, which fly before
lis, we might make iiiblervient to our uiV: had we
known theie things, could we have cahnly reflei^ed en
the dignity of oiu: anc^ltors, and fuffcred ourielves to
ierv'e as a triumph to thsic barbarians ! In eitccl, Kan-
huifcap, it Items as if na.ture itood full expofed bctoi e
their eyes. Her moll lecret actions are known tothera.
They difcover .vhat is doing in the highell heavens, and
in the moll profound abyfs. It feems, moreover, as if
it were no longer in the power of nature to change what
thev have once foreieen.

LETTER XVI,
To the fame : account of the kypo critic and p.perfutions
practices in religion among the iipamards. ^judia'ji.sre-
fieCiions of At, a on the Auto da Fi.

COULD I have imagined, Kanhuifcap, that this
people, who feem to enjoy the light of realbn in
itb liighcfl perle6ficn, fiiculd be flaves to the opinions of
their anceltois ? How f.die foever it may be, a notion
once received jmuft here be conftantly followed : it can-
not be controverted without a rifk of being taxed, at
lead, with fmgularity. The judgment of nature, her
voice fo diilincl, wliich v/e inceiiantly hear, is drown-
ed ; her blazing torch is exiinguiflied by prejudice: a
tyrant, who, though hated, is nevertheiels powerful ;
a cheat, who, though well krown, is, not'.vlthilandirig,
dangerous. This tyrant, however, might ealily be
oveicome, if he were not alliea with one lliil more po-
tent than himfelf j that is, fuperftiticn. It is by th:s
falfe light that nioft men arc here guided, ana wh.ch
makes them miltakc fabuLus accounts for real matters
of jracl. A rrian who frequents the temples feverai times
a day, who appears witii an hypocritical and diitorted
countenance, wiiac vice foever he may be a flave to, or
whatever crimes he may commit, wiii be generally cf-
teemed 5 while the moft virtuous, if he throw off tl.e
yoke of prejudice, w.U be treated with contempt. The
min void ot prejudice, is here laid to be void^of pkty.

N2 it

142 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

It is not fufficient to be what is called wife ; to this muil
be added the title ot devout, or elfe you miul: expeft that
of profligate. The difpenfers of the public eileem, liioie
men who are fo defpicabie in themfelves, vvill never ad-
mit of an intermediate clafs. To be neither devout nor
libertine, is to them a paradox. Such a man appears to
their deluded fight like an amphibious monfler. The
Spaniards have two divinities, one who prefides over
virtue, and the other over vice. If v/ithout affeftatlon
you content yourfelf with facrificing to the former only,
you will foon be taxed with being a worfliipper of the
latter. The empire of virtue is by no means abfolute j
its fubje.^ls have much to fear from the divinity of vice.
They are conftantly obliged to appear in public with
arms proper to encounter him, and with which, how-
ever, they are not always able to defend themfelves.
They leized, the other dviy, a man who had committed
many crimes, and they publicly declared that the devil
muft have led them to that excefs of abomination. He
had, however, about his neck a fort of cord that had
been confecrated by the Cucipatas of the God of Virtue.
In one hand he held another cord, on which were ftrung
a number of beads, that had the power of driving away
the author of his crimes ; and in the other the dagger with
which he had committed them. I was yefterdaycaiiied
to a fpacious place, whtre a prodigious number of people
exprelTcd the higheft joy, on beholding feveral Ci their
fellow-mortals burned to death. The ftrange liablis in
which they were dreffed, andthatairoffaiis^acSlion which
appeared in the facrificers, as if at a triumph, made me
take them for vi6f ims that thofe favages were offering to
their Gods. Bur what was my aftonidmient, when I
learned that tne God of thefe barbarians beholds the
/bedding of blood, not only of men, butof bealfs, with
abhorrence! With what horror was I feized, when Ire-
flefled that it was to the God of mercy thefe licentious
priefts made thofe detefted oficrings. Can thefe Cuci-
patas mean to appeaii; their divinity by fuch facrifices ?
Mull not tilt expiation be even more offcnfive to him than

thQ

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. I4.9

the crimes otthe ojfenders ? Ah, Kanhuifcap, how de-
plorable an error.

LETTER XVII.

Tfj the fame ; Aza conmunicates to kis friend hisi.ieas ye-

lati-oe to the pkUofopVic knO'-JJu'dge be had acquired,

THE deiire of inromiation you apptar to have, my
faithful friend, at once pleafes and perplexes me.
You afk for eclarciffement 5 proofs of thole diicoveriej>,
I have imparted to you. Your doubts are excuieable j
but I cannot anfwer your demands. I could have dor.e
it a fliort time fmce. I conceive matters more eafiiy
than J can defcribe them : and my mind, more docile
than my hand, found evidence where it now finds only
uncertainty. Two days fince I was convinced thot the
earth was round j at prefent I am penuaded that it is
Hat. Of tliofe two ideas my mind can form but one tliat
is indubitable j which is, tha,t it cannot be at the lame
time both round and fiat. It is frequently thus that er-
ror leads to evidence. The fun turns round the earth,
one of thofe men they call phiiofophers faid to me a few
days fince, I believed it, ior he convinced me that it
was true. Anothercame and told me the contrary. I
fent for the formei ajid determmed to be the judge be-
tween them. By what I could learn from their diiV.utes,
it is pofiiblc that either the one, or the other planet, may
make the revolution* : and that the unccitcr of one of
the difpvxtaiUs was an Alguafil.

You here fee all that I have learned frommy acqr.ain-
tancc with this rank of men, whofe fcieiice at firit aito-
nifjied me. The particular regard with which they are
treated, is one of thole tnings that lurprife me. Is it
pofnble that a people fo enlightened, c^n !;oid a fet of
men in fiich higii elteem, forhavmg no other merit than
that of thinking ? Ci-rtainly they muft lo-Dk upon reafon
a5 fomcthing very wonderful. A man has a lingiuar
way oftiiinkingj fpcaks little j laughs never j icafojjs.

* Our author was either ignorant of this rr.atrer, or reprefert?
i*: badly ; for tha: the earch moves round the fun is as derrionftra-
ble to any man of common I'enfe, hov/ unieai-ned foev.r ycu may
fappafs hJiTi iQ hZf a» that sirh cr of thsm cnovs at all.

N 3 al?raysj

7 50 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

always } Is proud, though poor; unable to purchafe fine
deaths, he difthiguilhes lumfelf by his rags. That
man is a philolbpher, and has a right to be iniblent. —
Another, who is young, would turn philofophy into, a
court hdy. He drelTes her in gorgeous apparel, and
tricks her up with paint ami powder : flie is a laughing
coquet, and peri'umes announce her approach. They
who have been ufcd to judge by appearances no longer
know her. The philolbpher appears to them to be a
fjol. To fulpeft him ol thought would be to luppofe
that philofophy was not conftantly one and the lame
thing. * Zais had the vapours,' laid Alonzo ; * ftie
« mult afilgn a pretext for it. Philofophy appeared a

* plaiifible one to Zais. She omitted nothing that might

* riiake her pal's for a philolbpher. She loon began to
' think herl'elf qualified. Caprice, mifanthropy, and
' pride, juftified-her right to that title. Nothing now

* vv'as wanting, but to find a lover who was as fingular
« as herltlt. She has fucceeded.'

Zais and her lover compofe an academy. Their caflle
is an oblervatcry. Though already far advanced in life
Zais, when hi her garden, is Flora; in her balcony fiie
is Urania. Of her lover, awkward as well as wliimfi-
cal, (he has made a Celadon. What is there wanting
to lb ridiculous a I'cene ? Speftators. Philofophy, Kan-
huifoap, is here lefs the art of thinking, than a lingular
way of thinking. Ail the world are pnilolbphers. To
appear to be fo, however, is not, as you fee, a very
eaiy matter.

LETTER XVni.

To the fame : fame chJIg7/is of the Spaniards ivith regard

if) their -jjomen. Amcurs of their nuns.

OF all that Itrikes nsy wcnderhig fight, Kanhuifoap,
nothing furprifes me more, than the behaviour of
flie Spaniards towards their wives. The great care
tley take to conceal them under an immcnfe heap of
cloaths, almoll inclines me to think that they are rather
r.vijlicrs thiin hufoajids. By what other motive can they
be ir.flutnced, but by a fear ieail the lawful owners Tnoulti

rt claim

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 251

reclaim what they have ftolen from them ? For wiiat
fhame can men find in poiTeirmg the gittsoi love ? Thefe
barbarians aie ignorant of the pleafiire of being ktn in
the company of thofe they love : of ihewing to the whole
univerfe the delicacy of tlieir choice, orthe value of their
cunquelt: to burn in public thofe fires which were kind-
led in private 5 and to communicate to a thoufand hearts,
that homage due to beauty which one alone can never
fuiHciently'pay. Zilia! O my deareft Zilia ! Ye Gods,
unjull and cruel! Why do you yet deprive m.e of her
fight ? My looks, united with her's by ttndernels and
delight, fliould teach thefc unfeeling mortals, that there
are no ornaments more precious than the chains of love.
I believe however that jealcufy is the motive that induces
the Spaniards fo to conceal their wives ; or rather that
it is the perfidy of the women, that forces their huf-
bands to this tyranny. The conjugal oath is that which
is the moll readily fwora ; can we tnen be furprifed that
it is fo little regarded ? There ai-e every day to be leen.
here, two rich heirs, who unite without atfeclion, live
together without love, and ieparate v/ithout regret.—
Tiiough thisitate may appear to you to be attended vv^ith
little anxiety, it is, however, ia itfclf unfortunate. To
be loved by a wife is not a happinefs, but it is an un-
Irippinefs to be hated by her.

Viiginity, which is enjoined by their religion, is not

r'ore icaipuloufly regarded than conjugal fidelity, or at

moit it is only fo in appearance. There are- here, as in

the city of the fun, virgins who devote themfeives to the

Deity. They converfe with the men, however, in a

familiar manner. A grate only feparates them. Now

the ufe of this feparation I am not able to comprehend.

For ir they have ilrength enough to preferve their virtue

in the midft of the continual intercourfe they have with

the men, o-^ wiiat uie is the grate : and if love takes pol-

fcfilon of their hearts, what a weak obltacle is fuch an

xciting Reparation, which gives the eyes leave to acf,

id the heart to fpeak ! A fort of Cxicipatas are afildu-

.'.b ill ilicir attendance on thofe virgins, wliomthey call

nuns 3

X5i THE PERUVIAK PRINCESS,

nuns ; and under the pretence of inlpiring them with a
pure woifhip, they excite and encourage in them, thofe
lentiments of love, to which they become a prey. Art,
which appears to be banilhed from their hearts, is not,
however, from their looks and their geftures. A cer-
tain manner which is to be alTumed with the veil, an
Iiumble mien, and a lludied attitude, are fufficient to
employ, during the fourth part of a year, the time, the
pains, and even the vigils of a nun. The eves oi thefe
religious ai'e alio more fkilful than thole of others. —
They are pi6tures in which we fee painted all the fenti-
nients of the heart. Tendernefs, innocence, languor,
rage, grief, defpalr and plcafurCjare all there exprefled :
and if the curtain be dropped over the painting for a
moment, it is only to give time to fubftitute another
pifture in its place. What difference between the lall
look of a religious, and that which fucceeds it ! All
this artifice is, however, nothing more than the work
of one man. A Cucipatas has the direfticn of a man-
iion filled with nuns ; who are all defiious of pleafing
him. They become coquettes ; and their dire6\or, how
dull foever he may naturally be, is forced to afiiime an
air of coquetry; gratitude obliges him to it. Suie to
pleafe, he contrives ficfh means to make himlelf belov-
ed: he fucceeds, and becomes, in a manner, to be a-
dored. You will judge by the following inifances. I
am informed that one of thefe virgins has adorned the
head of the image of the god of the Spaniards with the
hair of a m.onk. They have alfo fhewn me part of a let-
ter wrote by a nun to father T . . . . of which tlie fol-
lowing is nearly the contents.

' O Jefus ! my father, how imjuif you are ! God is
' my witnefs that father Ange does not occupy my

* thoughts one moment, and far from being elevated by

* his fermon, tvcn to an ecftaly (as vcu reproach me) I

* was during his wdiole difcou'rfe employed with think-

* ing of nothing but you. Yes, father, one fingle word

* from you makes more imprefTion on m.y heart, on that

* heart which you lb little kntw, than all that father

Ange

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 15^

« Ange could fay for whole years together ; even though
' it were hi the little parlour of our Abbefs, and that

* he thought he was talking with her ... . If my eyes
' i'eemed to fparkle, it was becaufe I was with \ou

* when he preached. O that you could penetrate to my

* heart, that you might better underftand what I write

* to you. You came Into the parlour likewife, and

* never enquired after me. Have you forgot me then r
' Do you no longer remember that .... You never

* once regarded )ne yefterday during your whole vifit.

* Will heaven fo far increafe my affliction as to deprive

* me of theconfolations I receive from you ? For mercy's

* fake, dear father, do not abandon me in that diilrefs

* you have now plunged me. I del'erve your pity : and

* if V' u have not compaffion on me, you will loon hezr

* no more of the unfortunate Therefa. You will re-

* ceive from the keeper of our turning-box an almond

* cake of my making. I have enclofed, in this letter,
« a billet that lifter A wrote to father don X

* I found means to intercept it ; and I think it will af-

* ford you fome entertainment. Oh ! that .... The
' bell rings. Adieu.' After tliis, Kanhuifcap, you
cannot rcirain from allowing that the Spaniards are
as ridiculous in their amours, as they are remorfelefs in
their cruelties. It is only in the houfe of Alcnzo, I
believe, that juftice and reafon prevail. lam not able
to detemaine, however, what I Ihould think of the be-

■ haviour of Zulmira : it is too tender to be the effeif of
art alone, and too ftudied to proceed from the heart.
LETTER XIX.
To lkefa?ne: refieclions ofAzA on the futility of met a-
fkifical kno-txledge,

TO think is a profeiTion : to know onefelf is an ac-
complifliment. It is not given to eveiy man, Kan-
hui.cap, to read his own heart. There is a certain rank
of philoibphers here, who alone have that right, or ra-
ther that of confounding this knowledge. Far irom en-
deavouring to correft the pafiions, their only concern is
to know from whc nee they proceed: and this fclence,

which

T54 THE PERUVIAN PRl NCESS.

which ought to make the bad man blufli, ferves only to
make them lee that they liave one qualification the more j
which is, the unfVuitlul talent of knowing their own
imperfeftions. The metaphylkians, tor that is the
name of thele philoibphers, diftinguifii in man three prin-
ciples ; the Ibul, the mind, and the heart : and all their
Icience oniy tends to know trom which of thele, liich or
luch an aftion proceeds. This dilcovery once made,
their arrogance liecomes inconceivable. Virtue is not,
io to ijpeak, any longer made for them : they think it
iufEcient to know what it is that produces it ; and fre-
quently relemble thole wlio are difgulted with a liquor
that is excellent in itfelt, when they know that it comes
from a country that is but little efteemed.

From the fame caufe it is, that the metaphyfician, in-
toxicated with a fcience that he thinks wonderful, omits
no oppvsrtunity of displaying his knowledge. If he writes
to hivS miftrels, his letter is nothing more than a precife
analyfis of the minuteft faculties of his foul. His mif-
trels thinks herielt obliged to reply in the fame ffyle j
and they confound each other with chimerical dillinctions
and exprelTions, which cuftom has authorized, though
it has not rendered intelligible. Your own reflexions
on the manners of the Spaniards, will ealily lead you to
thole which I have here made. Would that my heart
were free, my generous friend ! I could then paint with
more force thele thoughts, which have here no other or-
der than that which my prefcnt agitation will allow.—
The time approaches when my miferies vv'illhavean end.
Zilia will at length appear to my impatient fight. The
thought of that pleafure dilbi del s my realbn. I fly to
meet her. I behold her participate of my anxieties and
my pleafures: the tender tears flow from our eyes.
Again united after our misfortunes .... How is my
foul afHicled, Kanhuifcap! in what a horrid ftate will
fhe find me! the wretched flavc of a barbarian, whole
fetters perhaps flie bears, at the court of a haughty con-
queror. Can fne remember her lover ? Can flie flunk
that he ftill lives ? She is in bondage : can llie ima-
gine

THE PERUVIAN PRINCE<;S. 1?^

gine that obftacles lufficiently ftiong, have been able
.... Kanhuiicap, what ought I to expe6l ? What lot
is rc.civ^d lor me? When I was worthy of her, cruel
Gods, you ihatched her from my arms. Shall I only
find hei- again to be a trefti witnels of my ignominy ?
And thou, barbarous element, which art to reftore me
the obje6l of my love, canft thou reftore me to my glory.

LETTER XX.

To the fame : the defpatr q/" Aza, ~jjho imagines ZiLIA ta

kosje been fujalloixed up by thefea.

WHAT cruel power has matched me from the dark-
neis of the grave ? What ungenerous pity has.
made me again behold the deteftcd light ? Kanhuiicap,
my misfortunes increafe with my days, and my ftrength
augments with the excefs ofmy mifery .... Zilia is no
more! . . . . O horrid delpair'. O cniel remembrance I
Ziiia is no morel and I Itiil breath ! and theie hands,
which grief fhould buid, can (lill form thoie knots which
milery attends, which tears be dew, and which are cor-
^eyed to thee by defpair. In vain has the fun perfpnii-
ed a third part of his courfe, fiiice you pierced my heart
with that mcft latai ftroke. In vain has defpondency,
a total dejection, poil'efled my foul even to this day. My
grief, ineifecfual.ly reilrained, has become only the more
violent. I have left my Zilia. An immenie fpace of
time feemed to feparate us; and at this moment I loie
her tor ever. The dreadful tboke that fnatched her from
me ; the perfidious clement that furrounds her, prefent
tiiemfelves to my dlitraoted fight. I fee my Zilia borne
on the hideous waves .... the fun retires with horror
behind the thickeil clouds; the fea opens to hide its
crime from that God : but it cannot conceal her from
me. Through the waters I behold the body of Zilia :
licr eyes . . . her boibm ... a livid palcnefs . . . O my
tVieiid . . . inexorable deaih . . . death tnat flies from me
... Ye Gods, more ciT.el in your indulgence than in
your puinilbnieius ! Why do ye ifi'l iuiTcr me to live ?
Will you never unite thofe whom you cannot feparate ?
Ill yaui, Kanhuifcap, do I call on death; he flics from

mc ;

1^6 the; PERUVIAjr PRINCESS.

me : the barbarian is deaf to my voice, and keeps his
darts for thofe that would avoid theni. Zilia, my be-
loved Zllia, hear niv cries ; behold my flowing tears ;
thou haft none } I only live to fhed them : O that I
could dro.vn myfelf in the torrent that flows from my
ey?s . . . why can I not ? . . . Ah ! you have none j
loul of my foul 1 You . . . my hands will no longer lend
me their aid ... I fmk under my afl^iftion . . . horrid
defpair . . . tears . . . love ... a ftrange coldnei's . . .
Zilia . . . Kanhuifcap . . . Zilia ! . . .

LETTER XXI.
To the fame ; Aza recoTjers frotn a dangerous illnefs by

the cares o^'Alonzo ^«i/ Zulmira,
T^.TTlAT will be your aftonifliment, Kanhuifcap,
V V when theie knots which niy hands are fcarce able
to form, fliali tell you that I ftill live. My grief, my
defpair, the time that has paiTed lince you have heard
from me, all muft have convinced you that I no longer
exiited. Difmifs thofe anxieties which are due to friend-
fliip, efteem and misfortune } and let not my weaknefs
make you deplore my prefent exiftence : the lofs of Ziiia
ought to have finifhed niy being. The Gods who fliould
have pardoned me the crime of feeking my death, have
taken from me the power of committing it. Subdued by
grief, fcaice did I perceive the approach of death., who
came at laft to put a period to my miferies. A dange-
rous difeafe laid hold of me, and would have led me to
the tomb, if the unfortunate interpofitionsof Alonzohad
not protrafied my duration. I breathe : but it is only to
be a prey to the ir.oft cruel anxieties. In that horrid
Hate I now am ; all things difguit me. The friendfliip
of Alonzo, the grief -of Zulmira, their attention, their
tears, all afliict me. Alone in the midll of mankind, I
only difcern thofe that fmround me, to fly from them.
May a friend lcl5 unfortunate, Kanhuifcap, be therecom-
pence of thy virtue! I am too c'illraclcd a lovcrto be a
rational friend : for how can I tafte the fwects oi- triend-
(liip, when I am cp'Uefled by love wich the m.ofl cruel
torments ? LETTER

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. T ;?

LETTER XXII.

To ike fame: Alonzo fi////ZuLMiRA endea^vour to dif-
f.pate the grief of At. \.

FRIENDSHIP, at length, has lellored me to thee^^
Iv. : ihuiicap 5 to myielF. Too much concerned at
my aftiiclicfts, Alonzc would dililpafe, or at -eaft fhai^
with me. With this defign he cariied me to a country
feat he has a few miles from Madrid. There i found
the fatisfaftion of meeting with nothing that did not an-
fwer to the dcje«3-ion of my mind. A v/ood, in the
nei2rb.l)Ourhcod of Alonzo's villa, has been a long tin.e
the i^ci't: nepufitory of my woes. There I faw no cb-
j-rrflb but what were proper to nouriili my defpondency.
Frightful rocks: enormous mountains, dei'poiled of their -
verdure ; thick Itrcams flow pacing over their muddy-
beds ; dark pines, whofe mournful blanches -etm to touch
til e clouds } icorcbed grafs, and withered flowers j ad-
ders and croaking ravens^ were the only witnefies of my
tears. Alonzo ibcn took me, reg^rdlefs of my entrea-
ties, from thde gloomy icenes. It was then that I found
how much our miifo-; tunes are alleviated by paiticlpa-
ticn ; and how much I owed to the tender cares of Zul-
miia and Alonzo. Where ftiall I find colours ftrung
enough, IvaiVnuifeap, to paint the grief that my unhap-
p nel's occaiioned ti!:;m ? Zuimiia, the tender Zulmira,
graced them with htr tears ; her efiiicncn was bnt littJe
lt-> than my own. Pale and deje£ted, whenever her eyes
met mine they flo^ved with grief j while Alonzo tenderly
deplored my unhappy fate.

LETTER XXIII.
Tb the fame : Zulmira is inb-je -jjitb Aza j the inci-
dents that attend it.
ZULMIRA- whole cares all centred in the unhap- i-
nefs or x%za j Zidmira; who participated my giie.sj
and trembled jcr n-y lit^e j is now nerielt on the brink of
the grave: every moment ai:~ments her dangers, and
threatens her dilioluticn. Yielding at laft to the tender in-
■ V -aties or her father, who la;/ gioanlng at her feet, with-
ng her r.ny relief j and perhaps f^iU
O more

158 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

inore influenced by the emotions of her heart, Zulinua
ijpoke. It is I, it is Aza, whoin misrbrtune will never
forfake ; it is that wretch, whole diltiadled heart knows
nothing but defpairj and the mats of wliole blootl is
changed by love into a baneful poilbn, who is the cauie
of this misfortune. It is I that have taken Zuhnira
from her father, from my friend. She loves me j fhe
dies. Alonzo follows her. Zilia is no more ! < I

* have felt for thy griefs j come and partake of mine, '
(faid the diftrafted lather to me.) * Come and give me

* back my life, and my child. Wretched man, whole

* mileries I lament at the very moment I entreat yuu to

* alleviate my own. Be fenfible to friendlhip j for it is

* yet in your power. The moft amiable of all virtues

* cannot injure your love. Come, follow me !' At thelb
words, which were accompanied by deep-fetchM %hs,
he led mc to theappartment of his daughter. With hor-
ror and dejeflion, I trembling entered. The palenefs
of death was fpiead over her countenance : but her dark-
ened eyes were re-animated at the fight ot me: my pre-
lence leemed to p-ivenew life to the unfortunate Zulmira.

* I die,' ihe faid to me with faultering accents. * I

* never fliall fee you more: that is all my grief. At leaft,
' Aza, while I yet live, fufFer me to lay .... I Icve

* you. lean ... . Yes, remember that Zuhnira car-

* ries with her to the grave that love which Ihe could not

* conceal : that which her looks, her actions have ioof-

* ten declared j and which your inditference has at iall

* .... but I cannot reproach you: your fenfibility
' would have proved your hiconilancy. Devoted toano-

* ther, death alone can feparate you : it never can divelt
' me of the love I bear you. I prefer it to the cure of a

* milery thati cheiifh: 'of a mifery . . . Aza . . .*
Shx: iire'tched her hand towards me : her fpirits left her j
Ihe fell 5 her eyes clofed : but while I reproached myfelf
vvith her death, and added my anxieties to thofe or her
deipairing father ; the cares of others had brought her
back to life. Pier eyes opened agam, and though ftiil
daikeneJ with dcfpondency, Ihe fixed them on me, and

exprcilcd

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 159

exprefTcd the nioft tender love. * Aza ! Aza!' flie laid
again, * do not hate me.' I tell at her feet, overcome by
her diftrets. A fudden joy flione in her countenance ;
but nnable to bear the various emotions her mind fuftam-
ed, file agjain fainted under them. They forced me a-
way, to iave her from a repetition of fuch dangerous agi-
tations. What can you think, Kanhuifcap, of thefe new
misfoitunes to which I am a prey: of that mifery which
I caule to thofe to whom I owe tlie greateft obligations ?
This new grief is come to add itfelf to thofe wiiich attend-
ed me in the gloomy delert, whne love, delpair, and
death were my conftant companions.
LETTER XXIV.
'Tothe fa?ne: Zulmira is rejhred to her health,

MY friend, the lot ot Alonzo is changed. The grief
by which he was oppreflTedhas given place to joy.
Zulmira, ready to defcend to the grave, is reftored to
life. It is no longer that Zulmira whom langour had
reduced to the brink of diffolution : her eyes, reanimated,
riowdifplay that beauty and thofe graces, with which her
youth is adorned. Though I admire her reviving charms.
Can you believe it ? Far from talking to me of her love,
iliefeemsjon the contrar)',to be confounded by the confufion
that has efcaped her. Her looks are caft down whenever her
eyes meet mine. My pains were fuipended ; but alas! how
fliort the fufpenfe. Zilia, my deareft Zilia, can I be di-
verted from my grief? Forgive thofe moments that I
have flolen from thee ; all that yet remain fhall be confe-
ci-ated to my misfortunes- Do not imagine Kanuiicap,
that the fear which Alonzo has ftiewn me for Zulmira,
can fliake my conlfancy. In vain does he reprefent tome
the empire of Aza over the heart of his daughter : the jo?
that our union would give him ; and the death that muft
follow cur leparation, I rem.ain fdtnt before that unhap-
py father. Aly heart, faithful to my palfion, is firm,
determined for Zilia. No 5 in vain does Alonzo, ready
to depart for tliat unfortunate country, which fhall never
more behold my Zdia, offer me that power which his un-
juft king has given him over my ptfoplc. It would be
O 2. to

l60 TH3 PERUVIAN ?Pv.INCESS.

l-o acknowledge a tyrant, to avail mylelf of his power.
^^y hands may be loaded with, irons, but tiiey fliall never
enchain my heart. Forever will I entertain for the bar-
barous chief of the Spaniards, that hatred which I owe
to the firft among a people who liave been the caufe of all
my miferies, and thofeof my unhappy country.

LETTFR XXV,

To the farm: At. a co,itn~jes the defign ofefpoufmg Zul-

MJRA. He gi-ves the reafons that m duces him to it.

MY eyes are opened, Kanuifcap : the flames of love
yield, without being extinguifned, to the torch of
reafon. O immortal flames that devour my bolbm ! Zdia !
tliou of whole image nothing can deprive me; thouwnom
a fatal delHny has ihatched from me for e-'crj be r^ot of-
fended, if the dehre of feekins vengeanc r ' ;r you, excites
me to betray you. No longer tell me, Kanhuifcap, of
what I owe to mj people and my father- I no longer
talk of the tyranny of the Spaniards. Can I forget my
misfortunes and their crimes ? They have coll me too
dear. That cruel remembrance roufes ray furv. It is
lione: I confent ! I go to unite myl'elf with Zulmira.
Alonzo, I have given thee that promife. Can it be a
crinie to leave Zulmira in poUcifion of an error that is
pleafmg to her? She thinks that llie triumphs over my
lieart. Ah! far from undeceiving her,' let her enjoy her
imaginary happinefs : let her . ... It is by this
jrje?aiS only that I can avenge my opprefled people
and srvfelf. No fooner fliall our union be accom.plifh-
ed, th.an I fliall depart ior the land of the Sun j
that defolated country whole mileries you defcribe to
me. It is tliere that I fliall purfue that vengeance
whofe violent tranfports I now fupprefs. It is on
a perfidious people that I will hurl my fury. Re-
duced to the bafe condition of a wretched flave ; and for
the firfl: time forced to difl'emble, I go to punlfli the
Spaniards for my deception, and for their otFences : while
f he famdy of Alonzo ihail enjoy all that the grateful heart
C2ii bertow, and ail tholi hcmages which are due to virtue.

LETTEK

THE PFRUVIAX PRIN'CtSS. r6l

LETTER XXVI.
To the fame: Zulmira is rejhred to her health.

IF you were one oi' thoic men who are condu(5led by
prejudice, I ihould imaginewhatwouldbe youriur-
prile, when you was told bv an Inca, that he no longer
adored the fun. I fliould hear you complain to that itar
of the light which he ftill afforded me; and to thyfelf
for the trouble you took in communicating your lenti-
ments. You would be aftonillied, that, perjured to my
God, friendlhip, that virtue of which the vicious have
no conception, could ftill dwell in my breait. But, for-
tiiied againll thofe prejudices which were taught you as
virtues, you require of a Peruvian nothing but the love
of his country, of virtue, and of freedom. I expect
from you more juft reproaches. You will, perhaps,
be furprifed, and with reafon, to fee me abandon a
v^^oriliip that appeared to me irrational, and at the fame
time appear zealous for a religion of which I have pointed
out to you the contradlclions. I have already made that
objection to myfelf : but it prefently vanifhed, when I
was informed that the law which I have had the audacity
to cenfure, was diftated by that God who was the author
of our being ! In fact, of what confequence is the par-
ticular foiTn of any worfnip, provided it be enjoined by
him to whom it is rendered. On this principle it is,
that I do not blufh to conform to thole ceremonies which
I have formerly condemned. How great, howawiulare
the works of the Supreme Being ! Could you read,
Kanhuilcap, thofe divine books that have been commu-
nicated to me, whatwlfdcm, what power, what imm.en-
ijty, would you there dlfccver ' "V ou v/ould there readily
difcern the hand of the Divinity. Thofe unfurmountable
ccntradiftions which I at nrft found in the difpeniaticns
of that power, are here evidently juftlfied. It is not the
fame, however, with regard to the conducl of thefe
men toward their God.

Do not imagine, credulous as we com.monly are, I
v/rote you this upon the report of a pritil only. I have
luo much experienced the falfhood of our Cucipatas, to
O 3 credit

?6a THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

credit the fables of thofe who refcmble them. The high
rank which they hold among all nations, induces them to
praclife deceit : for their grandeur is irequently tounded
on nothing but the errors of ambitious people : it would
be top dear a purchafe for them, if the empire of the
wt>rld was to be obtained by Virtue only : they are much
better pleafed to obtain it by impoftuie.

LETTER XXVI L

To the fame : the difirafiionof Aza, ^J^ko is on ike point of

marrying Zulmira.

IT is done, Kanhuifcap : Zulmira now attends me.
I go to the altar. You fee me already there ; but
do you fee the remorfe that attends me ! Do you behold
the altars tremble at the fight of a perurer ? The fhade
of Zilia, bloody and indignant, enlightens thefe nuptials
with a mourniul torch ; and with a reproixhing tone fhe
fays, ' Is this the faith that you have fworn to me ? Per-

* fidious! Is this the love that fliould reanimate my

* alhes ? You love me, you fay, and yet you give your

* hand to Zulmira. You love me, traitor, and yet you

* give to anotiier that blefiing which I could never en;cy !

* Did I yet live ' What tortures, Kanhuiicap,

rend my bread ? I hear the injured Zulmira demand a
heart to v/hich fne has a Liv/ful right. I btrhoid my fa-
ther and my people bending under a cruel yoke, and callii-g
on me to be their deliverer. I tlien remember my pic-
mlfe I go to fulnl it.

LETTER XXVIII.

Tothefafne: Aza infornud of the o:rri--jaI of Zi'LiPi. t-i

France, lea-jes Alonzo and Zulmira to go to her.

ZILIA Itiil lives ! V/here can I find a meflenger
Iwitt enough to communicate to you. the excefs cf
my joy? Kanhuifcap, you v/ho have feit m.y grieij,
participate of the traniports of my foul. O that the
flames which now glow in my breaft, could fly and im-
part to thine the overflowings of my. felicity. Theiea j
our enemies J death} no, nothing has taken from me the
objtiSI: of my love. She lives ! fne loves me I think th.n
Vv'hat are my tranl'ports ! Bicugl-t into a neighbouring

Itate,

THE PERUVIAN PRIXCESS, 163

liate, into France, Zilia has experienced no misfortune
but that oF our itparation, and of the uncertainty of my
ftate. How do the Gods piote6l the virtuous ! A ge-
nerous Frenchman has delivej ed her from the barbariLy of
the Spaniards. All things were ready to unite me with
Zuhnira ; I was going, O ye Gods ! . . . when I heard
that Zilia ftiii hvcd, and that flie would fliortly be with
me. No obftacle can keep her from me. I fhall again
behold her. Froivi her iips Ihall I hear thofe tender fen-
timents, which her hands have tiaced 5 and at her feet I

ihail O Heavens, I tremble at the thought of

that which is the caufe of all my joy. My happinefs
confounds me. Zilia is coming into the midil: of her

enemies'. New dangers! SheHiall not come. I

will ii\y to prevent her. What can hinder me ? Tlie
Gods hr-ve difengaged m.e from Alcnzo and Zulmira. —
Zilia ftill lives. I receive her from the hands of virtue.
In vain did gratitude, efteem, and fiiendfliip, efpoufe
the caufe of Detervilie her deliverer j fhe oppofed to them
our love, and obliged them to yield to our fiam.es. Glo-
rious combat ! How do I admire that effort ! Deterville
ftifies his love : he forgets the rights which he had over
her : and behold his genercfity j he unites us for everi
Ziila! Zilia ! I go to drink deep of felicity. I fly to
meet her, to behold her, and to die with pleafure at her
feet.

LETTER XXIX.

To the fame ; Aza is jealous 0/ Deterville, and from

IV hat moti--ve.

YOU mufl accufe Zilia only, dear friend, for m.y fl-
lence. I have ittn her j and I have feen nothing
but her. Do not expe6l that I fiiould exprefs to you thoie
tranfports, thofe ravifliing delights in which I vs^as ab-
forbed the firlt momicnt fhe appeared to my fight. To
conceive them it were neceffnry to love Zilia as I love
her. Muft tornents yet unknown invade a felicity lb
puje r Between the bofom of pleafure and the den of
grict is there then no interval ? After fuch voluptiious
d-r^hts, a tUcui»r.d tortures tear my heart. My ten-

demefs

t64 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

dernefs is odious to me j and at the moment that I would
not love, I am poflcfled with all its i\iry. I have borne
the grief that the loi's of Zilia occafione'd ; I cannot bear

that which I now feel. She loves me 110 more

O diftra^ling thought ! When I behold her, love pours
into my ioul, with one hand pleafure, and with the other
torture. In the firft tranfpoits of a happinefs fo pure,
that I cannot exprefs to you the uveetnefs that attended
it, Zilia ftole from my aims to read a letter, which was
given her by the young perfon who had condu6led me
hither. Difordered, afilidfed, melted, thole tears which
file had juit given to jcy, no longer flowed but for grief.
She bathed that letter with her tears. Her grief made
me anxious for her welfare. The ingrate tailed pleaiures-
The grief of which I had partaken was the triumph of
my rival. Deterville, that deliverer, whofe praife thtf
letters of Zilia had fo frequently repeated, had wrote thatv
It was dictated by die mod lively paffion. By retiring
from Zilia, after having given her up to his rival, he had
completed his own generofity and her affliction. She ex-
plained to me with vivacity, expreflions that were more
than acknowledgments. She forced me to admire thole
virtues, which at that cruel mcir.ent gave m.e mortal
wounds. My grief then fought aid fromx a determined
indifference. I foon abicnted myj'elf from Zilia. I'illed
with delpair, from which nothing can delivernie, every
refieftion that I ir.;ike is a new miierv. It takes from
me my hope, my comfort. I have loii the heart of Zi-
lia. That heart I cannot hear the thoug-ht. My

rival will be happy! Ah! it is te,a much to think
that he deferves that happinefs.

Fiightiul jealoufy ? Thy cruel ferpents have ftolen
upon my he -rt. A thoufand fears : Black iufpicions ....
Zilia, her virtues, her tendeinds, her beauty : My in-
juftice peihaps j all agitate, ail torment m.e. I am loif.
It is in \ ain that my grief c(;nceals itlelfunder an apparent
t)anquilllty. Fain would I Ipeak, complain, accuie, and
yet I am filent. Wnat can I fay to Zilia ? Can I re-
pruach her v/ith having ii.ipiicd D^terviile with a love

that

THE PERUVIA^i PRINCESS, 165

that proceeds from virtue ? She does not enjoy his ten-
dcnieis. But why heap on him thole prailes ? Why in-
ccHantly repeating his eulogy ? . . . . Love, thou fource
ot my plealures, oushteft thou to be ^hat of my miferies,

LETTER XXX.

To the fame : Azx' sjealoiiiy increafes : hehelie'ves XvLi.K

to be unfaithful.

WHERE am I, Kanhuiicap ? Eywta; torments;
am I loliowed ? My brain burns wirh the moft
ci-uel fuiy. Zjlia. perfidious Ziiia, pale and dejefted,
laments the ab'er.ct; cf my rival. Dcterville by flying has
gained t!:e victon.'. Heavens ! On whom fliaii my rage
fall 1 He is beloved, Kanhuiicap, all things tell it rae.
The inhuman does not attempt to conceal her infidelity.
Precious remains of innocence ; though (he knows her
crime, the decefts hypocrify. I read her pcruiy in her
eyes. Her lips even dare to avow it, by repeatuig incel-
fantly the name that I abhor. Whither fhali I iiy ? When
prefent with Ziiia I iiiffer frightful torments, and abient
from her I die.

Wnen, Ittixiced by the fweetnefs of her looks, fhe fpreads
for an inftant tranquillity over my mind, I think. Ihe loves
me. That thought thi-ows me into a rapture that dtrprive s
me of reaibn . I recover my felf, and would ipeak. I begin j
break ofFj am filent. The ientiments that by turns pof-
Ids my heart, trouble and confound me. I am nnable
to exprel's m.yrelf. A fatal remembrance j Deterville ;
a figh from Ziiia, re-animates thofe tranfports which in
vain I would calm. Even the fnades of night cannot
fcr^en me from their violence. If for a moment 1 give my-
fclf up to fieep, the unfaithi^ul Ziiia fnatches me from it.
I fee Deterville at her feet 5 fiie hears him with pleafure.
Frighted fleep flies far from me. Tht day offers me frefh.
griefs. For ever devoted to the iwry of iealouiy, his
fires have even dried up my tears. Ziiia ! Ziiia ! How
gieat the evils that fpring from lb much love ? I adore
thee i I offend thee ;* O Heavens 1 I luie thee !

LETTER

l66 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

LETTER XXXI.

To the fame: h.'zx reproaches iimfelf rxith the effcBs of
hisjecdoufy.

ZILTA, love, Dftenille, fatal jealcufy! What di-
ftracHon ! A cloud InJes from me the names I trace.
Kanhuiicap, I no longer know myfelf : In the fury of'
the bbckelt jealoufy, I have armed mvfelf with darts,
with which I have pierced the heart of'Zilia. She had
wrote to Detei-ville j the letter was ftill in her hand. A
faral moment dilbrdered my reafon. I formed the moft

ralh projeft My promife, the religion I have

embraced, all things prompted me. The moll: trifling
pretences -appeared to me to be as laws of eqviity, for
■deferting her. I have pronounced the inhuman lentence.
Cruel adieus .... What a moment .... Could I tlo
it? Yes, Kanhuifcap, I fled from Ziha. Ziliaatmy
feet, with groans, to which mine were juft ready to re-
ply Deterville ! W'iuit a remeinbi-ance ! Yoi-

lelTed with fuiy I flew from her arms. Buffoon, vainly
peififting, I would 1 etum to tjiem : all things oppofe: I
darenotrciift. Gods! Wliat have T done? Kowlhame-
iul is the diftreis ! How iioiTible the repentance !

LETTER XXXII.

To the fame : Aza falls again into fufpcions cf ZiLiA,

ZuLMiRA meditates afignoL <vengeance.

CEASE to wonder at my long filence : Could the
cruel ftate of m.y heart permit me to infonn yott
fconer of my ftate ! Do not think, that diftrafted by
rcmorfe, I ftill reproach myfelf with unjuft lulpicions.
It is Ziila, it is her cruel heart, and not mire, that they
ought to devour. Yes, Kanhuiicap, herfighs, hertears,
and groans, were nothing but etfe<?:s of fname: traces
that virtue, when flying from, us, ftiille:;ves in our hearts-
It is to efface them that fne cruelly refuies to fee ine
again. Her obftln.xy has forced me to a diftance frora
her. Retired to the extremity of the fame city, unknown
to any one, totally devoted to grief and misfortunes, I
iitbour to forget the ingrate I adore. Ufelels cares ! La\'e
in our deipite flcals into our hearts, and in oui- defpitc

thejc

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. iGj

there he n'ueliy dwells. In vain would I drive him
thence. Jealouiy tiiere fuppoi ts him : and when I would
banilh jealouiy, iove keeps him there. Tne wretched
fpoic ol iheie two palTions, my foul is divided between
teudernels und rage. Sometimes I reproach my l'ui])i-
cions, and ibm^times my iove. Can I be charmed with,
an ungrateful woman ? Can I forget her whom I adore ?
But whatever may be my love for ner, nothing can ex-
cufe her. Would ihe had hated me i \7e can pardon
hatred but never perfidy.

The i'olitudeandfriendfliip of Alonzo have difcovered
that retreat, where grief, and all the deftruclive evils to
which human nature is fubjeft, has driven me. Zulmira
loads me wiin reproaches. I have jult received her let-
ter. In her eyes I appear as an ungrateful wretch, v/hom
neither prcmiies nor tears can recal. I have only freed
her from the arms of death to deliver her to more cruel
torments. She will come, ine fays, and iignalife in
France her fury and my perfidy : avenge her father and
her love. Every word of her letter is a dart that pierces
my bofom. I know too well the powers of defpair not
to fear the effe6ls. Ziiia is the unfortunate obje6l of her
rage. Bathed in her blood it is, that Zulmira will ap-
pear before me. Avenging gods 1 is it thus that you
leave to crimes the care of their punidiments ? Hold,
Zulmira, on me pour all your fury. Let the apoftate en-
joy a life of which remorie will be the c ha ft i lenient. Thus
will you indeed iignalize your vengeance. But O hea-
vci:;s ! Zilia hi the aims of a rival. I groan, wretch that
I am, and tremble for her, while the ingrate is betraying
me. Opprefied by the weight of evils, my body links
under its weaknefs j whde the perfidious, triumphing
even over her remorfe, recals my rival. Wretch that

I ami I breathe I ftill ex ill ! But what n.;-

fery to exilt when we only live to i'uiter. LET LER

l6% THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

LETTER XXXIII.

To the fame: mnoceiice of Zihi\. Generofity cf 7,ul-

MiRA. Defpair of Aza.

WHAT have I laid ? ' What horror furrounds me ?
Learn my Ihame, Kanhuilcap, and ii: it can he,
my remorie, before you know my crime. Odious to
myfelf, I will now expofe it to your fight. Ceaie to la-
ment my misfortunes ; and make them complete by your
hatred. Zilia is void of all guilt. To reiie61: on it is
even an iniury to her. You know my^ufpicions ^ their
injuftice will tell you my miiery, which can never have
an end : fomething unlocked for will lor ever aiife. Af-
ter the perhdy or Zilia, could you have thought that
heaven would have given m.e over to new torments : Could
you have thought that her innocence, which ought to
make me happy, would have been to me the lource of
the moil bitter toiments ? To what errors have I been a
prey ? What clouds have obfciued my reafon ? Zilia
could deceive me ! I could think it I She will fee me no
mere. My remembrance is odious to her. Slie loved
me too much, not to hate me. Abandoned to my hor-
rid mifery, friendfliip, confidence, nothing can alleviate
niy miferies. They will poifcn thy heart with their ve-
nom, and mine will yet find no relief. In vain does
Zulmira, diveiled of her fury, tell me that fne has offered
it as a facrifice to my repole and felicity. Retired to a
hcufe of virgins, fhe has confecrated to her God, and
to my happinefs, her life, and the flower of her days.
Zulmua, generous Zulmira, canft thou renounce thy
vengeance ? Ah ! if thy heart were cruel, what pka-
fure would it find in my horrid mlleries ! It is then only
to myfelf, to the bafenels of my fentiments, that I owe
the misfortunes which I endure. Nothing was wanting
to make me completely miferable, but to be myfelf the
caufe of it: and beheld I am. Zilia ioved me; I law
it J my happineis was fure. Her tendernefs ! her fenti-
ments ! my felicity! ought they to have been facriflced
to a bale fufpicion ? O frightful defpair ! I fled from
Zilia, It was I • • • Gentrous friend, can you con-
ceive

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS, 76^9

ccive the ftate in which I now am ? Can I conceive it my-
felf? Remorfe, love, delpair, contend tor my heart, that
they may devour it.

LETTER XXXIV.
To ZiLiA : AzA forces himfelf to a fubmijfioni and ac-
kno-jcledges his injufiice to Zilia.

THE dread of difpleaiing you ftiJl keeps in my trem-
bling hands the knots which I form. Thele
knots which were once confolation and joy to you,
Ziha, are now twined by griet and defpair. Do not
iniagine that I would conceal my crime from your eyes.
Diltra^led with anxiety for having belitved you un-
faithful, how fhcuid I preiume to juftify it ? But am I
not liifficiently punilhed ? What remorle! .... The
rcmorle of a lover who adores you. Ah! you would
hate me ! Have I not rather m.erited vour contempt
than your hatred? Reflect for a moment on all my
misfortunes. Barbarians fnatched thee from my love,
at the moment it ftiould have been crowned with
fucceis. Armed for thy defence, I fell, and was loaded
with their baip fetters. Carried to their country, the
waves on which we floated, fupported for a time, it is
ti-ue, all my hopes. I lived only by them. My heart
went with you. Thy ravifliers being fwallovved up by
the fea, plunged me hito the moft ciiiel error. That
which I thought had deilroyed thee, could not deftroy
my love. Grief augn>cnted my paflion. I would have
died to follow thee. I only lived to avenge thee. All
things I efi'aj-ed. Even my very oaths I would have fa-
criflccd, and have \initcd myfelf, in defiance of a thou-
fand remcries, with a Spanilh woman, and have pur-
chafed at that price, my liberty and my vengeance.
When on a fudden, O unhoped for felicity ! I learned
that you lived, and tnat you Itili loved me. O too piea-
iing remembrance ! I flew to thee j to happinefs the m.oft
pure, the moft ecflatic .... Ah! vam hope: ci-uel
rcverfe ! Scarce had I enjoyed the firft tranfports with
which thy fight infplred me, than a fatal poifon, with
which thy heait is too puic to know the pangs j jealoufy
jp feizcd

170 THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS,

feized my foul : his moft rancorous I'erpents have de-
voured my heart j that heart which was only formed
for the love of thee. The moft amiable of virtues, gra-
titude, was the objeiSl of my fufpicions. That which
you owed to Deterville, I thought he had obtamed : that
your virtue had been confounded with your duty. I
thought ... It was thefe fatal ideas that troubled our
fir It traniports. You was unable, even in the bofoni
oi love, to forget friendfliip. I forgot virtue. The
eulogies of Deterville ; his letter ; the fcntiments it ex-
prelled : the concern it gave you : the grief you fliewed
for the lots of your deliverer 5 all thefe I attributed to
the lentiments that I felt, and that I ftlll feel, to love.

I concealed in my bofom the fires that confumed it.
What was the confequence ? From fufpicion I foon
pafledto a certainty of your perfidy. I meditated even
a punifliment for it. I would not employ reproaches : I
did not think, vou worthy ot them. I will not endeavour
to conceal my crimes from you : truth is even as dear to
me as my love.

I would return to Spain to perforai a promlfe to which
my former oath had engaged me. Repentance ibon fol-
lowed that rage which had declared to you my crime, j
vainly endeavoured to undeceive you, with regard to a
refolution that love had deftroyed almoftas foon as it was
formed. Thy determination not to lire me re-lumined
my fury. Again given up to jesloufy ; I fled from you ;
but far from going to Madrid to conlvn-nmate a crime that
my foul detelled ; though you was induced to believe it :
finking under the weight of my misfortvmes, I foughfin
folitude, in an ellrangement with m ankind, that peace
which tranquillity of mind alone can afford. Overcome
by my diltrefs, the powers of life for look me. A long
time abfent from thee, fliall I, in fpite of myfelf, avow
it to thee, Ziiia ? All my faculties weve exerted in re-
viling thee. I thought I faw you, pleaied with my

flight, recal my rival, I thought I faw Alas !

you know my offence; but you do not knowmy punifii-
ment : it e/ea furpafles my c/ime. Ah Zilla, if the ex-

Ci;i5

THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS. 171

cefs of love could efFcil it : no, I can no more be guilty.
Do not imagine *:hat I intend to move thy pityj that
were too little foi my tendcrnefs. Zilia, give me back
your love, or give me nothing. Liften to the love that
ought Itill to Ipeak in thy heart : fuffrr me in thy pre-
lence again to re-lumine that fire which thy jiift refent-
menthas extinguifned. Some fpark may yet be found
in the aflies of that love vi-hich you once nouri/hed for
Aza. Ziiia, Zilia, thou dirc6lor of my fate j I have
confeffed to thee my crime. If thy pardon doth not ef-
face it, it muft dill be punifhed. My death ihallbe the
chaftifemtnt. Too happy, inexorable ! if at lead I caa
expire at thy feet !

LETTER XXXV.

To KanhuiscaP: T.i'LiA gi-jss up her hzart to Aza.

T^heir approaching return to their nati-ve country,

WOULD that by (Iriking thy mind with furprife, I
could communicate to thy heart that joy With
which mine now pants. O happlnefs ! O tranfport !
Kanhuifcap, Zilia has giv^m me up her heart. She
loves me. Roving in the ravifliments of my love, I died
n.t iier feet the nioft tender tears. Her looks, her fighs,
her tranfports, ai'e the only interpreters of our love and
our felicity. Imagine, if you can, cur joys: that mo-
ment conftantly prefents to my fight j that m.oment . . ,
No, fuch love, anguiih, and deliglit, are not to be ex-
prdll'd by vvordi. Her eyes, her animattd countenance,
told me her love, her anger, my fhame . . . Site turned
pale. Faint, and fpeechlefs, llie funk into my anns.
But as the flames excited by the vvinJs, io my heart, a-
gitaced by fear, burnt with greater violence. My head
reclining on herbolbm, I breathed that fire cflovew.iich
animated her life, and united it with mine. She died
and inilantly revived .... Zdia, my belc/ed Zilia!
Into what intoxicatng pleafures haft thoii plunged ti:2
hippy Aza ! No, Kanhuifcap, you can v.^'-^ conceive
our happinefs : come and bear witnef?; to it. Nothing
faou'd be wanting to my felicity. Tne Frenchman who
dfllvers you this letter wUI bripgyou bithciv you wii|

t-i THE PERUVIAN PRINCESS.

then behold my Zilia. My felicity will every moment
increaie. The ftoiy of our prefcnt happinefs, as well as
t lat of our palt misfortunes (far be they removed from
us) has reached evfen to the throne. The generous mo-
narcii of the Frencli nation, has ordered certain fliips that
are going to encounter with the Spaniards in our feas, to
carry us to Guitto. We foon again ihall fee our native
land } that muuniful country fo dear to our defues :
thofe abodes, O Zilia! where fprang our firft delights,
thviighs and mine. May they be witneiles ! may they
celebrate ! may they augment ! if it be poflibk; cur
prefent felicity . . . But I goto Zilia. My dear friend,
love cannot make me forget friend/hip, but fricndihip
keeps me too long from love. Thoie delightful tianf-
ports that ravifh my Ibul, it is in thy enjoyments that I
have again found life ... I am loft in the excels of hap-
pmels; in ecltatic bllfs! Zilia is again my own ^ fhe
v/dks my coming j I fly to her arms i

TKE END.

BELISAPvIUS.

A TALE.

M.MARMOXTEL

MEMBER OF THE FRENCH ACADExMY.

*«qc Dilrcr, fi quaxido impetjim capit (Deus) fpettandi magnos viras
coliuitaiites cum aiiqua caiamitate.

SENECA tie Frovid.

Cnolie'? ^Dition.

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EMBELLTSHED WTTH =UPERB ENGRAVINGS

printed for C. COOKE, No. 17, Paternofter-Row
Anci Iblri by all the BookleUers in
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THE

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

1 AM certain, and ought not to dinTernble, that the world may
look upon the foundation ot this lictle performance, rather as a
popular opinion than an hiftorical truth. But this opinion ha^
been {o prevalent, and the idea of the blind and begging ifelifarius
is become fo familiar, that he is fcarcely ever viewed but in tne
lijht I have pkced him.

Jn every thing dl\ except a few particulars, 1 have faithfully
fjllowed hiftory, and Procopiua has been my guid.-. But I have
not piid the lean: regard to tna: fcandalous libel which is afcribed
to him under the tide oi Anecdotes or Secret Hipory. That inai-
gelted mafs of grofs abul'e and palpable faifehoo'^i is to me iuliicient
evidence that this is not the work of Procopius, but the product
offome paltry declairaer, equally wicked and vreak.

No one cr'the writers in the age of Procopius who followed him,
for the fpace of five hundred y^ars, make mention of thefe anec-
dotes. Agathias, contemporary with our author, in enumerating
hi J works, favs not a v/ord of this. They choofe to conceal it,
they may tell me ; yet a: leail three hundred years afcer it ought
to have been publi(h-d : the learned Photius ihoald have kno\va
it : but it is certain he never did. Suidas, a writer of the eleventh
century, is the firft who gives this contemptible fatire to Proco-
pius, and the moft part of the learned, wichout further inquiry,
have repeated wha: Suidas hath faid. Some, however, have
doubted that this was the work of our author, otheis have flatly
denied it : and of this nui-nber is Eichelius in the preface and re-
marks on his edition of tnac book. He fets out with fhevi^ing,
that it is neither true nor probable that Procopius could be the
suthofj and adds, thaj fappofing he were, fuch abufive, fhame-
ful, and ridiculous declamation was utterly unworthy of credit.
It is indeed ailoniihing, tha": the illuftrious author of the Spirit of
Laws fhould pay fuch refpecl co a iibel manifeitly forged. I v.-ell
know the weight of fuch an authority 5 but even that muft y ieii
to the force of truth, is it indeed credible that a ftatefman, a man
much refpe<fted by the age in which he lived, merv.ly for the
pleafure of traducing them who loaded him with favours, fhoulJ
choofe fo far to difgrace himfelfas to oblige pofterity to conlider
him either as a malicious libeller, or guilty of the mcft fervjls
fiattery ? Js it credible that a writer, in otherrefpefts lo judicious,
could have been fo totsUy loft to fenfe andfhame, as to defire pofterity
to take, on his bare afiertion, Juftinian, the wlie and virtuous old
man, for abefotted fellov/, for a crazy, cio\\niiih idiot? even that
very Juftinian who, from the moft obfcure and m.eaneft ftation in
the army, by his valour and extraordinary talents, raifed himfeif
to the highefl ofhce and honour, and, at laft, by the joint faf-
A z fra£S3

IT' THE AtTTMOR'.S PREFACE,

fragesofthefenate, the people, and the army, was elected em-
peror. _ Who can believe that a man, who had written the hiftory
of his time with fomuch candour, dignity and knowledge, could
thus lay of juftinLan, " that he was ftupid and fluggifh as an ais,
«« which lufrers itlilf to be led by the halter, and at the fame time
<' pricks up irs ears ; that he was not a man, but a fury ; that his
<' m')ther boafted of having conamerce with a demon before fhe
*« conceived him ; and that he had done fo much mifchicf to the
*' empire, that no age could produce fo many nor fo great calami-
<•' ties?" isit to be believed that, after havingreprefented'Belifarius
as an accomplifiied hero, graced with triumphs and loaded with
glory, he durft prefume to paint him weak and wicked, defpifed
by the whole world, and treated as a madiTian j and all this at the
■Very time cf his greateTt glory, when by chafing the Kuns from
Thrace, he was acknowledged the faviour of the empire ?

Thofe wlio imagine they can trace in the original Greek, the
ftyle of Procopius, do they at the fame time dilccve.r his fagaciry
and goodfenle? Sappofehim mad, wicked, and ungiateful to
his benefaftors, yet could he think childilh dcclamaujns alone
fufficient borh to recal his former panegyrics, and cverthrow the
fafts on which they were built ? That the hiftorian Procopius
fliouU ferioufly engage to prove in form, that Juftinian and his
minifters were not men, but demons in human flir.pe ? Ofiuch
inceniiftent f jUy I flaould hardly believe him capable, though all
his contemporary writers had attefted it: muchgreaterreafonhave
I r;ow to doubt, v/hen the fadt depends foiely upon the dubious
tt-ftimony of a fmgle man ; of a man who lived five hundred years
afcer him.

The work falfely afcribed to Procopius I have not at all
minded : it is only his authentic hiftory I have corfulted, and
from thence taken the character of my hero, his modefty, his
gocdnefs, his affability, his benevolence, h's exceflive artleilhefs ;
but, above all, that unparalleled humanity, the foundation of all
his other virtues, and which made him the objeft of the people's
adoration. <' The citizens of Byzantium,'' fays he, "took the
«' greatcll pleafure in looking upon Belifarius as he walked daily
'' forth to the forum. A comely and graceful peifon, a noble
«' and majeftic ftature adorned this hero. So humble, fo affable,
*' fo eafy of accefs, that in thefe things he refem.bled one of the
«< loweft rank. In munificence towards his foldiers he exceeded
*« all. Towardsthelabourersand peafants his care and indulg'jnce
«' was fuch, that when Belifarius led, they followed and felt
<« no pain. The corn whilft in thp fields he carefully protedled
*' from the injuries of the cavalry ; and not a foldier duril couck
<« the other fruits without the confent of the owners."

^i^S^rM:&§-

"X ^^-^

BELISARIUS.

CHAP. I.

IN the age of Juftlnlan, the empire, weakened by long
and violent liruggles, haftened to its ruin. Everf
part of the adminiftration was neglected : laws were dif-
regarded, the finances iquandered, and inilitrary dilcipline
was totally deipifed. The emptror, weary of war, pur-
chafed with his gold ailiamciui peace from his enem.ies j
whillt his few remaining troops ioirered in inaction, uie-
lefs, yet expenfive to the Itate ; and their comm.anders,
wholly devoted to pleafure, renewed their warlike ideas,
and at the fame time difpeilcd the languors of idlenefs in
the exercife of the chafe.

One night, after this diverfion, when a few of thefe
young captains were fupping together at a callle in
Thrace, a blind old man, led by a child, ftocd at the
door, entreating their hofpitality. Youth is eafiiy moved
to compaflion j they cauied him to enter. It was now au-
tumn ; and the cold, which was already fet in, had fcized
the old man J tluy therefore ordered him to (it by the fire.

Supper was not yet ended ; the chiefs were in iull fpinrs ;
and their converfation turned on the evils of the itate.
This was indeed a large field for cenfure ; and here dil-
appointed vanity gave itfelf loofe reins. Each exaggerated
his pad a6lions ; and boailed of what he might Itiil liave
done, had not his fervices been deipifed and his talents
dilVegarded. Every evil that befel the empire, in their
dlimation, was owing to the neglect of placip.or fuch men
as themfelves at the head of aif:iiis. Thus did they go-
vern the world over their cups, and each glais brought
an increafe of infallibiiiiy to their fchemes.

The old man, a.ting at the corner of the fire, liftened

and fmlled with pity. One of them perceived it, and thus

louke : — « And have you, good man, the preiumption to

treat what we are laying as ridiculous:'' iNot as ridiculous,'

A 3 replied.

6 BELISARIUS.

replied the old man, * but as a little trifling:, as is natural
to your age.' Thereply confounded them. * You imagine
you have reafcn to complain,' continued he, * and I alio
think it is wrong to neglefl you ; but this is the lead of
cur evils. Lament, indeed, that the empire has loft its
power and its glory; that a prince, woin out vvich cares
and old age, is obliged to fee with another's eyes, and
to employ unfaithful hands in his fervice. But, in this
general calamity, is it worthwhile to think of one's felt ?'
' In your time,' replied one at the table,' was itthecultom
for people not to be concerned for themfelves ? Well, what
oi that ; times change, for now it is the chief care.' — 'Sf>
much the worfe,' faid the old man ; * and if this then be
y . urcafe, to neglecf you is to do you juftice.' — < I s it to in-
lult people,' faid the youth, * that you afk their hofpitality ?'
* I do not infult you,' replied the old man ; ' I fpeak as a
fi lend, ajid 1 pay for my fanctuary by telling you the
truth.'

The young Tiberius, afterwards the virtuous emperor,
then in the company, was ftruck with the venerable af-
ptSi and gray hairs of this blind nian. * Yen fpeak to us,'
faid he, * with wifdom ; but with a little too much fcverity :
you require us to devote ourfelves to our country ; this,
to be lisre, is an exalted virtue ; but, at the fame time, it
isrioduty.' — < It isauuty you owe your country,' replied
the old man with firmnefs ; ' or rather it is theloundatioii
of your duties and of every militaiy virtue. Whoever de-
votes hijnlelf to the fervice of his country, fhould fuppofe
her inrdvent ; for what he hazards for her is intlUmable.
But he muft, at the f-;me time, expeft to fiiid her ungrate-
ful J for whoever looks for a reward for a free and gene-
rous facrince of himielf is fcolilhly inconfiftent. There is
iio.'hirg but the love of glory, and an enthufialirj for vir-
tue, that is worthy of animating you. And what mat-
ters it, then, how your ferv.ces are received ? Your re-
ccrnpeni'e is independent on the caprice of a ininrfter, or
the ililceriiment of the ibvereign. The common Ibldier,
indeed, may be induced by the hopes of booty j he may
liazard his iiie for a plttt-.nce to maintain it. Tins I

readily

BELISARIUS. 7

readily comprehend ; but you, iir, born to affluence, with
whom to live is to enjoy, when you relinqufih the ibrter
fcenes of litb to undergo fatigue and labour, oppofing
yourklf voluntarily to various perils, can you derogate
lb tar from the generous a6l, as to defire v.'ages tor it ?
It is depreciated by payment ; who attends to the advan-
tage of lalary, is a mercenary Have ; nor is the cafe altered
by the quantity of reward ; the man v.'ho apprifes his ta-
lents, and converts them to profit, is to the full as venal
as the foul that fells itielf for a piece of money. What I
have faid of pecuniary recompenle, I affirm alfo of the
alluremen::s of ambition : honours, titles, rank., and the
favoui's of the fovereign, what are thev but wages ? He
who deflres them 'has his hire. Wemuiteither give orleli
ourfeives : there is no otlier alternative. The former is tlie
a(5l of freedom, the latter of flavery : you, gentlemen, will
incline to thit which agrees bcft: with the propenuties of
your heart. ■" — ' At this rate, honeft friend,' faid the com-
pany, * you pi ;ce fovereigns in a very eafy condition.'—
* Were my difcourfe addrelTed to fovereigns,' returned the
blind ftranger, < I ftiouldtell them, that as it is your duty
to cbl'erve a difinterel^ed conduct, fo it is theirs to he
juil and upright.' — ' What, then, is i: jult, do you think,
to give merit its due recompenfe ?' — ' Moit certainly it is j
but he to whom fervice is rendered, is to difpenfe the re-
ward 5 and if he omit to do it, it is his misfortune. But
to go a little further: which of us. in weighing our o-.vn
merits, can be fine of holding the balance with an even
hand? To illuftrate this; in your condition, forinftance,
in order that every body fhould be dealt v/ith to his fatis-
faition, it would be neceii'ary that each ftiould command
in chief, and then what becomes of fubordina' ion? This,
you fee, is imprasSlicable. Let me, then, ailume it as a
truth, that government .may incidentally want penetration,
and even equity } but ftiil it will be more difceraing and
wife in its appointments, than if it were implicitly to take
the recommendation each of you would give in favour of
himielf.' — ' And vs'ho are you that talk to us in this ftrain ?'
lays the young mafter of the feaft, with an elevation cf
vgice. — ' Bclliarius," replied the old man. Th«

?• 5;elisarius.

The furprife occafioned by this dilcovery need not be
expreffed : the alionifliment and confufion that feized their
young niincis at the name of Belilarius, at the name of
lijm who had To olten conquered in three parts of the
globe, will fuggelt themfcives to every imagination.
Tlie whole company remained motionlefs, and a deep fi-
leiice marked the reipeft with which tiiey wireimpreflTed,
Reverential awepOifefied them ; and, forgetting that Beli-
farius was blind, not one of them dared to lift up his
eyes. Tiberius at length broke fiicnce : * Thou venerable
man,'raidhe,'how nnjull and cruel has fortune been to thee,
to thee, whom the whole emu re, for thirty years together,
felt the author of its glorv and its flouriflung condition j
till, at lengdi, wicked malice framed a charge of treafon •
and revolt ! Thou art that hero, whom the pcrfecuting
rage ot envious men loaded with irons, and barbaroufly
deprived of the organs of fight ! And yet, thus bafely
tJ-eated, you can ftill perievere to inculcate the principles
of public Ipirit and difinterelted love of country V — ' And
from whom,' fays Belifarius, ' would you expeft to hear
the lelTons of virtue ? Are the flavesof court favours to hi
yourmorrdiltsr' — 'Oh! Iham.eindclibler fays Tiberius, in-
terrupting him ; ' unparalleled ingratitude ! Pofterity will
fcarce believe the monlircusllory V — ' It muft not be dif-
lembed,' replied Belifarius, ' that my enemies did take me
unprovided, and i'urprile me a little : I never expefted to
be injured to that cxcefs of outrage. I had, however, been
familiar with the ideaol dying in the -ervice of the empire j
and whether dead or blind, the difference is inconliderable.
Devoted to my country, I did not except my eyes. AH
that I hold dearer than my eyes or my life ftill remains
to me 5 thehonourof my character is inviolate, and, above
all, the virtues of my heart are Hill mine,unconqueied by
my enemies. The actions of my life may indeed be ef-
faced fiom the memory of a court ; but the memory of
mankind will be more retentive j and if it fliould net, I
have the confcious remembrance, and that is fufficient.'
The company, now ihuck with adnuration, foiiclted

BeiiUrius to make one at the table. ' Excule me, gentle^

men,'

BELlSARlUf. *

men,' fays he, ' at my age the belt place is the fare fide,*
Every civility was tenatred to him, and he was much im-
portuned to accept the belt bed in the cailie : he contented
himlelf wiih a little itraw. ' I have often flcpt harder,' lays
he : 'but this child, who guides me, I recommend to your
good offices J for he is more delicate than I am.'

The next morning, as foon as there was light enough,
for his guitie, B>;iiiarius departed, before his iioiis, fati-
gued with the (port of .the preceding day, were yet a-
wake. Being inicrmed when they rcfe that the hero had
left the place, they propofed to go in queit of him, in or-
der to p-.ovide him with a carriage, and whatever con-
veniences he might want. ' No,' fays Tiberius, * Lhat will
be labour in vain j Belifarius has nc: conceived eHieem
enough fer us, to mak.e him willing to receive an obli-
gation.'

The young Tiberius had fenfibilltyand refiecrion; oi>
his mind an exalted virtue in the very extren^e or misfor-
tune made the decpcft imprefT.on. ' Never,' lays he to one
of his friends who came to him from the emperor, ' never
fliall I forget laft nigiit's folemn icene 1 never fliall the
words of the venerable man be eraled from m.y memory.
Humiliating as he was, yet hisleffonhas taught me what
a talk remains upon my hands, if I afpire to the dignity
of my nature, if I mean to be a man.' An acconnt of
this incident reached the ear of Jullin;an, v.-no dehred au
interview v/ith Tibeiius.

Tiberius related the whole with accuracy to the era-
peror; ' and then,' continued he, * it is impoiilblc, fir, that
lb elevated a mind could defcend to the bafenefs oi the
confplracy laid to his charge : I v/ould engage my life
that he is innocent, if a life like mine were worthy of be-
ing furety for fo illultricus a character.' — * I v/ili fee him,
and confer with him: in the condition of blindnefs, to.
which he is reduced, this will not be impracticable. Since
his releafe from priibn, he cannot have removed himfeif
to any confideraoie diliance : purfue his Heps, and intfce
him, if poHible, to your country-feat; thitlur I will come
in private.' This command of the emperor, Tiberius re-

ceive4

fO BELISARIUS.

ceived with tranfport, and the next day purfued the road
Bciiiaiius had taken.

B

CHAP. II.

ELISARIUS, in the mean time, begging alms as he
went, journeyed on towards an old ruinous caltle.

to his young guide not to mention his name u}.on the
road ; but the dignified air of his countenance, and his
Nyhole perion, was luiHcient to inttrcft ewry beholder.
Arriving that night at a village, his condu6lor Itopped
at the door of an houfe which had a limplc but neat ap-
pearance.

The landlord was entering with a fpade in his hand :
the mien and features of B>;li;"ariusattra6ted his attention,
and made him curious to know fo refpedlable a vagrant. —

* A pocr invalid,' fays Bclifarius, ' an old decript fol-
dicr!' — « A foidier!' exclaims the villager, ' and that ho-
nour is your recompeni'e '/ — ' There is no help for it,' re-
plied Belifailus j < thegieateft misfortune {jf a ibvercign is
liis inability to pay the price of all the blood fpilt in his
lervice.' The heart of the villager was touciied by this an-
Iwer, and B^la'arius v/as invited to partake of his nof-
pitality.

* I here intioduce,' fays the mafter of the houfe to his
wife, ' a galhnt brave veteran, who bear^ the firventies
of his fate with fortitude of mind f then turning to Bcli-
larius, * My honeii: gueif, be not artiamed of your con-
dition in a tamily which has been inured to misfortunes ;
fit you down, we are going to fuppcr ; whde we wait to
have it hid upon the table, tell mc, pray what wars have
you ferved in ?' < In the wars of Italy,' lays Belifarius,

* againit the Goths, that in Afia againlf the Perfians,
and in Africa agaiult the Vandals and the Moors.'

At thefe words the villager could not fupprefs a deep
/igh. — ' At this rate then,' continued he, ' you made
every campaign with Belifarius V — * Yts, every campaign;
we were never afunder.' — ' Indeed! that excellent man!
the equal compofure of his mind ! that conitant upright-

nef$ I

BEL15ARIUS. Il

r.'cfs ! that greatnefs of foul ! Is he (1:11 living, pj-ay .- for
in this Iblitude it is about five and twenty years fince I
have heanl wiiat is doing; in the world.' — « Yes, Beli-
farius is Itill alive/ — ' May heaven guard and prolong
his days P — * Ir he heard your wifhes for him, your good-
nefs would affeft him tendtrly/ — ' Very likej and how
do they fay he fares at court ? In great power to before I
adored by every body !' — ' Alas ! envy is ever an attendant
en prolperity' — * Very true j but the emperor Tnculd be
upon his guard againll the enemies of fo great a man,
the tutelary genius, the proteftor of the empire!' — * He
is far gone in years now.' — ' But what then r he will be as
great in council, as he was formerly in the field. Hiswif-
dom, if he Is attended to, may, perhaps, be of mere ex-
tenfive ufe than even his valour.' — * And how,' faysBeli-
farius, inwardly foftened, ' how was heknovvn to you ?' —
* Let us fit down to table,' anfwered the villager : ' your
queftion would lead into a long detail.'

Bciifarius now felt fome fecrct hints that his landlord
mud be fome officer v/ho had formerly fcrved under him,
and had reafon to be contented with his general. During
flipper, the latter was inquifitive concerning the events
of war in Italy and the Ealt, but was totally filent in re-
gard to Africa. Belifarius gratified his curicfity in a
plain and fimple ftyle. — ' Let us drink,' fays the holt,
at the conclufion of the repaft, ' let us drink to the health
of ycur general, and may heaven requite him with its
bounty for all the evilh.e heaped on me 1' — ' He !' replied
Belifarius, ' did he injure you?' — ' Pie difcharged his duty,
and I make no complaint. I have learned in the Ichool of
"adverfity to compalfionate the diitrefies cf mankind, and
you Ih.all know, my hone it friend, how that leiTon was
taught me. As you have ferved in Africa, you have ksn
the king of the Vandals, the unfortunate Gilimer, ed by
Belifarius in triumph to Conlbntinopie, with his wire
and children involved in his captivity. That very Gili-
mer has opened to you his hofpitable doer ! you have
fupped with him !' — ' Thcu Gilin-er !' exclaimed Beli-
farius j * and has not the emperor afllgned you a bettei-

lot?—

IS rtLISARIUS.

iot ? — He had promlfai' — ' Yes, he promlfed, and, fo
CO him jultice, he kept his word. Dignities were ot'-
fered to me, and even the ranlc of a Patrician j but I de-
clined the offer. To him who has been a king, and has
lo[t his crown, t!\e only relbiirce is obicuiity and repoie.'
— * Thou Giiimer r — * Yes, I am he ! that vanqiiidied
prince, wlio you may remtmber, was befieged upon the
mountain.oi Papua. Theje i futfered unheard of hard/hips,
t!ie inclemency ot the winter feaibn, the ntccflities oi'
famine, the nnferable alpcct of a whole people driven to
♦he laft defpair, and ready to devour their very vvi\es
and c'lildrcn j tlve unremitting vigilance of that brave of-
ficer Piiaras, who -even amidit the operations of the ficge
he canied on, never ceaftd bv his remonftrances to awa.
ken my feelings both tor myfelf and the miferies of iriy
people : all thefc circnmitances, together with the entire
contiderxe 1 hvA in the uprightnefs of your general, pre-
vailed upon me at length to lay down my arms. With
what an air of fober dignity did Bilifarius receive me!
Every proper rttention v.'as paid to me by his direflion.
With v/hac addrefs, with what relpeff, did he ftrive to
foften my afflic- ion 1 The fpace of near fix luftres has
elapftd fmce I have dwelt in this folitary retreat, and not
a day has paUed without hcaringmymoft fervent prayers
for Belifarius.'

*I perceive,' fald Belii'arius, * in this account cfj^our-
felf, tne mild efFefts of that philofopliy, whicii even on
the m.ountain, where you endured fo much, could make
you chant your calamities in fong ; which gave you, vi-hen
you appeared before Belifarius, that ferenity of counte-
nance j and on his day of triumph animated that look of
magnanimity, which alfonifiied the emperor Juftinian.
* My good gucft,'' replied Gilimer, * theftrcngthand weak-
reis of cur mind depend entirely upon the light in which
things appear to us. True conibncy and fortitude firil
iprung up in my heart, when I began to cor.fider the
world as the iport of fortune. Till then I had lived the
moit voluptuous of kings, dilTolved in luxury, and ever
entranced in the lap of pleafurs ; cii a fudden I pslfed

tioin

BELI5ARIUS. 13

from my f»alace, th?.t icene ot" revelry and delight, to the
cavejn ot the Moors, where, pillowtti uponftraw, I lived
en bnrley coariely pounded 2ml half roaitcd under the
cinders. Nay, to Ivjch hardihip was I reduced, that a
loaFof bread, ient to ir.e Ijy the huiTianity of an enemy,
was an ineftimabie prefent. From this fituation I fell in-
to captivity, was loaded with irons, and walked in the
conqueror's triumph. In extremities like the/e, you will
agree with me, that the heart muft break with grief, or
rife fuperior to the caprice of fcrrime.'

* You fiV.d in that compofiue of your foul,' fays Belr-
farius, ' many refourcesagairlt calamity ; and I promii'eto
fuper;idd a new motive of ccnfolation before Vv-epart.'

Their converfaticn ended here, and each retired to
reft.

Gilimer, at the dawn of day, inftead of betaking him-
felf to the cultivation of his garden, made it his firlt care
to inquire how his aged gueft had pafi'ed the night. He
found hin-i already up, with his iVick in his hand, ready
to fet cut en his jouniey. ^ How !' faid he, ' not give us
a few drtys before you leave usT — * That,' replied Beli-
farius, ' is not in m,y power: I have a wife and daughter
ii.ccnfciable during my abfence. Farewel ! and hear with-
out emotion what rem.ains to be told you. Blind and fu-
perannuated as I am, Btlifarius will never forget the re-
ception you have given him.' — ' How '.Btlifarius!' — ' It
is Bciifarius who novv' embraces you !' — ' Righteous hea-
ven'.' exclaim.s Gili:r:er,half wild v/ith aftcnilhment; ' Beli-
iarius blind, and abandoned in his old age!"'—* Evenfo,'
replied Belilariusj « and to fhew you the extreme of cruelty,
before they turned hun adrift to beg his v/ay through the
world, his enemies put out his eyes.'- — ' Am.azement !'
lays Giiiirer, in a tone of grief and horror; * can it be
poilible? Who were the u-onilers ?'' — ' Envious men/ re-
plied Btliisriusj * they impeached m.e of defigns upon the
ocwn, vvbtn n>y thoualus were fixed upon my grave.
Ti.ev hr-d cifc<'it enough to ruin m.e, and I was laid in
ircns. The people at length cJamcured loudly fornry en-
kicurutj ii was in va;n 10 rtfiit the popular outcry j
B but

14 BELISAPvIUS.

but in reftoring me to liberty, they deprived me of my
fight. Juftinian too ordained it ; there tne wound ftruclc
deeper! You can witnefs with what zeal, with what af-
le6l:ion, I ferved bini. Even now I love him, and gricve
that he is I'urrounded by wicked men, who cloud and
blacken the evening of his days. When I heard that he
himiell: pronounced the definitive fentence, I own my
conltancy taikd me ; the very executioners relented into
pity, and fell proftrate at my feet. Now all is ever; and
thanks be to heaven, Ihavebiit little time to crawl about,
hiind and wretched.' — ' Pais that time with me,' fays
Gilimer: * here, under my roof, dole an illuftrious life.'
— -' That,' returned Belil'arius, * v^ould have Ibmething
footliing in it ; but J muft give myfelf tomy family, and
I now go to expire in their arms. Farewel!'

Gilinier embraced him, bathed him with his teai's, and
could hardly quit his hold. At length he let him go with
a parting pang, aiKi draining his eyes after him. — * O
prol'perity !' fays he, * thou cheat, profperity ! who can
confide in thee ? The warlike hero, the great, tlie good
Belilarius ! Now, indeed, he may think himfelf happy
who digs his garden.' — With thele v/ords the king ottnc
Vandals refumed his fpade.

CHAP. III.

BELTSARIUS was now near the afylum of his fa-
mily, who expected him witli impatience, whc:n a
new Incident made him fear that he flioulJ never reach
it. The inhabitants upon ihe borders of the empire
were perpetually making incurfions into Thr<Ke. A
party of the Bulgarians had invaded the confines, iuii"
as a rumour was Ipread abroad that Btlilar.us, deprived
of his eye-fight, was difcharged from prifcn, and wds
begging his v/ay to his exiled family. The idea of at-*
taciung to himlelf fo conlideiable a man loon (iiuck the
})rince of Bu'gaiia, who little doubted but th.at Bcliiari-
us would embrace the melt rapid m^ans of ivvenge.
The road he had taken v;as known, and oi dtrs weie ac-
cordingly ifiued for a diligent purfuit. Towards the

dole

BELISARIUS. 1-

clore of day BelirarUis was overtaken : force was not to
be refilled 5 he was obliged to mount a fuperb horfe
brought for the purpofe. Two Bulgarians conduced
him, and the heio's guide was obliged to mount behind
cneof thetn. ' You may ti-uft to us/ faid the Bulgarians;
* the prince our maftcr honours your virtues and ccmpaf-
iionates your misrortunes.' Beliiarius interrogating what
their prince wanted with him. — ' He means,' replied the
barbarians, * to late your vengeance with the blood of
your enemies.' — ' Ah T fays the old general, * let him leav-e
me unrevenged ; his pity is fupcrfiuous and cruel. I
only alk to die in the arms of my family, and you tear
me from them. Whither would you lead me? I am
haralfed with fatigue, and reft is neceffary to me.' — ' Reft
you fliail h^ve,' anfwered the Bulgarians, ' and to your
entire fatistacuion, if the malter of the neighbouring
caftie Ihculd chance not to be up.;n his guard, or in cafe
he does not piove armed with too itrong a force.'

This caltle was in the occupation ot an old courtier,
whoie name v/as Btflus. He had commanded at Rome
duiing a liege, and, after being gu iky of the molt hor-
rible cxa6lions, retired to this place with ten thoufand ta-
lents*. Bciifarius had infihed th.it he fhould be profe-
cutcd with the utmoft fevcriiy of the law j but thole at
court who do not wifh to have matters too clofely in-
fpefted, being all of his party, ihe inquiry was prevent-
ed, and Bcllus retired to enjoy his crimes and his money
in rural tranquillity.

Two Bulgarians, who had been difpatched to recon-
noitre the place, reported to the chief, that in the caltle
all was pieafure and rejoicing; that the misfortune of
Bellfarius was the general talk: ; and that Beflus cele-
brated it by a day of feftivity, as a punifiiment infli^led
by heaven. * The abjecl wretch !' faid the Bulgarians, * he
ftiall not long have it in his power to triumph in lbs
downfal of a great man like you.'

They arrived foon at the caftie : Beftus was at table
furrounded by his fycophants, one of whom fung a fong
B z Qt

* About 250,0001. ftcrling.

i6 iJELlSARiUS.

Oi' adulation; and in his ftanzas fet forth the care of heaven
in the jultification of his patron, by punifliing the ac-
cufer with tlie lofs of his fight. What more manifelt in-
dication could there be ! Could innocence enjoy a more
IplendiJ triumph ! BefTas applauded the flattering
lU'ain, gracioully obferving, that heaven is always jitlt,
and that fooner or later the wicked are brought to con-
dign punifnment. BtlTus was right in his obfervation j
for now t!ie Bulgarians, iword in hand, had taken pof-
fcffion of the court-yard, and leaving Belifarius to thecnre
of a few foldiers, made their way with hideous upro3i'
to the banqueting-room. Beffus turned pale at the iight j
confufion and terror fell upon him j his guefts w-rre
thrown into the utmCif confternation : without attempt-
ing a defence, they fell upon their knees and begged
their lives. They were all inilantly feized, and dragged
forth to the place where Belifarius was guarded. Bsi"
fus, by the light of the toiciies, perceived on horfeback
a blind old man ; he iminedlateiy knew him, and be-
leeched his mercy. The old general, foftened wit'i teU'
dernefs, conjured the Bulgarians to fpare him and his.

* No,' faid the chief. ' no mercy here for bad men !' This
was the fignal for Slaughter, and Belfus with all his com-
rades was put to death upon the fpot. Tiien ordering
all the domellics before him, the commander of the gang,
who faw they expeded the fame fate, bid them be with-
out fear, and attend hiin and his party at table ; * for
now,' fays he, * we are your mafters.' He proceeded to
regale himfelf with his followers, and Belifarius was
placed in the leat of Beffus.

The vicimtudes of fortune nov/ engrofTed the thoughts
of Belifariujj, and this lalt incident forely grieved him,

* My friends,' fdi he to the Bulgarians, ' you diilrcfa
jne much by flicdding the blood of my countrymen.
BelTus, it is true, was gudty of avarice and inhuniajnty :
I have fcen him the author of a famine at Rome, and in
the midjt of the public mifery felling out biead at a moll
exorbitant price, v/ithout any feeling for tlie poor, who
were unable to buy the necefikries ot life. The juftice

ef

BELISARIUS. 27

of heaven has overtaken him at iali, and my only regret
is that he merited his fate : but yet this havoc, done in
my name, is a ftain to my lionour. Either difpatch me,
or promife that no outrage of this fort fliall happen again
while I am amongft you.' The Bulgarians engaged to
re(h-ain themfelvts for the future to ielf-dsfcnce ; but
Beffus' caftle was plundered, and the next day tne inva-
ders, loaded with booty, fet forv/ard with Belifarius,

As foon as they arrived at tiieir prince's camp, the
commander in chic',.tmnracing Belifarius, exclaimed,
in a tranfport ot joy, * Come, thou venerable man, and
try whether we or your own countrymen are the Baiba-
rians ! Abandoned by the ftate you ferved, you fliall
£nd among us both friends and revengers of your
wrongs.' With this he led him by the hand to his tent,
there bade him repofe himfelf, and gave orders that
every thing Ihould favour his ilumber. At night, after
a fumptuous repaft, at which the name of Belilaiius was
celebrated by all the Barbarian chiefs, the king withdi'ew
with him to a private conference. He began by obferv-
ing, that it was needlefs to remonitrate the cruelty of
the treatment he had met with. * The crime,' conti-
nued he, ' is horrible j the vengeance due to it fhould
be the fame. Your tyrant, with all his accotnplices,
mull be buried under the ruins of the Imperial throne
and palace : his city ihall be wrapt in flames, and its
fragments heaped upon the emperor's head. Be thou
ilhiitrious old m.an, be thou the guide of my armies j
inftru^l me how to conquer, and to expiate your injuries.
Thev have not robbed you of the mind's eye 5 the light
pf wifdcm is frill yours. Teach m.e how to rufh upon
them by furprife j to alTauIt them vvithin their ram.parts.
Let us extermina*:e their empire, and not leave a trace
of it on this iide of the feas. If the kcond rank in our
new dominion will not fuiiice you, divide with me the
imperial dignity; I agree to it. Let the tyrant of By-
Eantium, l^efore he dies beneath repeated blows,^ behold
ycu once more m.ake ycur triumphant fc)itry into his city,'
— ' And svculd you have me, then,' faid Belifarius after
;g 3 a paufi

iS BELISARIUS.

a paufe, ' would 3'ou have me jultify him for depriving
me of my fight ? It is a lon^ tinie^ fir, fince I declined
the ofttrr of crowns. Carthage and Italy iiwited n.y
acceptance. I was then young, and in the lealbn of
ambition j perfecution even then began to fhew itl^li,
but I remained inviolably faithful to my prince and my
country. The duty which then bound me continues un-
extinguiHied j and nothing can induce me to renounce it.
When I promifed allegiance to the emperor, I hoped ta
find him ju(t ; and, if he proved otherwife, I made no
refervation of a tacit right to clel'end, much lefs to re-
venge mylelf. Of treafon and revolt I am incapable 5
and, let me afk, hov/ would it ferve you to brand mg
with pcriury ? What valuable fervice can you expect
from a blind eld man, who has loit the force and vigour
of his mind ? The euterprife you propoie is much above
my ability, perhaps above your own. In the prefent re,
laxed Ifate of government, the emperor feems an t'^ily
conquift ; but he is only grown indolent} and perhaps,
to roufe him from his l.ingour and reanimate Ifis fpirir,
it were defireable for hi ^i that an enteiprile like yours
fiiouIJ be commenced- That city, which you think ib
afiailriole, is inhibited by a people tra ned to v^ar : and
then, what a fet of m.cn to lead them on I If the fuper-
annuatcd Belifarlus may well nigh he numbered with the
dead, yet Narfe^ lives, and even Narles h:is for competi-
tors xMundus, Hermes, Salomon, and many oth.rs of 3
warlike genius. If you will credit me, time alone,
with its imperceptible hand, muft iap the foundations
and work the downfal of that great empire. You n-.ny,
indeed, commit a ravage, but that is but the v^rar of
robbers ; your ambition will ai'pire to an enterprife more
worthy of you. Juftinian defires only to form alliances
and confederacies in fricndfiiip; let me add, there is not
a king who would not be honoured by an alliance w ih

himj and, fir, it depends upon yourlelf to' ' N ),'

inrerrup::ed tlie Bulgarian, * I r.::ver will be the fne:)d
of J-,i!finian } I will iioid no aiiance with the man wiia
owto his all to vou. and iq return has blinded vou fpr it.

BELISARIUS. 19

Will you reign In concert v/ith me, the dire6lor of my
councils, and the genius of my armies ? That is the
queltion between us.' — ' My life,' replied Belifarius, • is
in ycur hands ; but nothing can exempt me from the al-
legiance I owe to mv lawful fovereign j even now, de-
prelic-d as 1 am, had I the means of icrving him, though
it were againft yourfelf, he might ftili be as fure of me
as in my day of profperity.' — ' An extraordinary Ibrt of
virtue this !' fays the Bulgarian. — ' Woe to the people,'
replied Belifarius, ' to whom it appears extraordinary!
D.:.n't you perceive that it is the foundation of good or-
der in fociety ? That no member of any community
•whatever fhould arrogate to himfelf a right to be his own
judge and his own avenger, is an obvious, a felt-evident
truth. That right ot nature is transferred to the ma-
giftraces; and were it otherwife, there would be as
many rebels as dili:ontented fplrits. Would you, who
now court me to punilh my mafter for injullice, would
you give the fame privilege to ycur own foldiers ?' —
' Would I give it!' lays the Bulgarian j * they have
it without my giving it j but fear reitrains it within due
bounds.' — ' And with us, fir, virtue is the reltraint,'
lays Belifarius j ' that is an advantage refulting from
the manners ; from manners formed by civiiiz?.tion, the
parent oflociaj happinefs : and fecial happinefs,let me tell
vou, will never be rightly undei llood, where the inftitutions
of true policy have not been received. I will go deeper into
tnis fubje^l, with tlie freedom of a man who has nothingleft
to tear or hope. What fort of uibjefts do you govern, iir?
A race inured to v/arfare ; that is their belt refource,
and that every warfare to which they are trained, ba-
niilies every idea of a right ufe of peace j inclines them to
negledt the valuable riches of labour and indulfry ; to
trample on the laws ot natural juilice, and feek a preca-
rious good in ruin and deftrucliqn. If you will place
beiore your eyes the confequences that mull: attend your
boiindlcis am.bition, yuu will perceive how neceliariiy it
refulrs, that, to lay waile the territories of tlie empire,
you muft leave your own without labourers, barren anl

uncultivated ;

ao EELI5ARIUS.

\incultlvated ; that in order to lublift- one part of the hu-
man Ipecics, you muft maflacre another ; and that your
own luhjefts muft fatten with their blood the very land
which they cover with deiblation.' — < And will not,'
faid the king, * the influence of v.'ar be the lame upon
the fubje61s of the empue ?■■ — ' By no means,' replied Be-
lifarius j * and moreover the objeel cf our arms is very
different. The end aimed at by our wais is public tran-
quillity, that we may enjoy the fruits of peace as the
purchafe of our viftories.' — ' Gcnerofity,' fays the Bul-
garian, < is eafily extended when we have the iuperior
lorce. Let us break off the conference. You are Itill \U
luftrious in mifery, and I honour your unfliaken fide-
lity J it deferves a better recompenle. Repofe yourfelf
for this night in my own tent : you fhall be lodged near
our perfon. To-monow it fhall depend upon yourfelf
to ^ireft your guides which way you will be conducted.'
p~^ To the place where they feized mc,' laid Belilarius ;
and then retired to the comforts of a pure and tranquil
fleep.

The next day the king oF Bulgaria took leave of th«
good old gener:.l, and fain would have loaded him with
prefents. — < They nre,' laid Belifarius, ' the fpoik of
my country, and you would bluili for me, if I t'utfered
myfelt to be lb enriched.' — Some necelfary food for him-
felf and his guide was all he could be induced to acceptj
and the fame party that laid violent hands upon him,
cfcorted him to the place from whence he had been car*
ried to tiie Barbarian camp.

CHAP. IV.

THE hero was now at the diilance of twelve miles
from the retreat of his family ; but being exliaufted
by a fatiguing journey, he inquired of his guide whe-
ther there was not a yilhge in light, where he might
reft his wearied limbs, — * There is one,' faid his young
conductor, * but it is a conlidersble way off. Let thei4
guards convey you to it.' — < No,' replied Belifarius,
* I fliould expofe the place to the pillage of thele rovers,'
H^ uow t©ok leave of his convoy, Aii'i'iving

BELISARIU?. 2i

Arriving at the village, the cry that flruck his eajt*
vias, There he is \ that's he, it is the 'very man.'' — < What
may this mean ?' — * It is a whole iamily,' laid the guide>

* making towards you with great eagernefs.' By this
time an old man caiT.c torward r'rcm the crowd, — * Wor-
thy gentleman/ laid he, ' may we crave to know who
you are ?' — * Ycu plainly lee/ replied Belifarius, ' that
I am a peer indigent wretch, and not a gentleman.-—

* An indigent wrerch!' exclaimed the peal'antj * that
is what occafions our ciiriolity j for we iiave a report
here, that, wretched as you Teem, you are Bellianus.'—

* Lower ycur voice, my honeft triend,' replied trie ge-
neral; ' and it' my misiortunes touch you, aftord me a
(helter under your roof.' — Thsfe words were fcarcely ut-
tered, when lie felt the villager embracing his knees j
he railed the hondl countryman, and viient with him into
an humble cot.

' Fall down, my children,' faid the villager to his fon
and two daughters, * fall down at ttie feet of this illuf-
trious hero : it was he protected us from the ravage of
the Huns ; but for him our little habitation had been
reduced to allies ; but for him, my children, your father
would have been butchered before your eyes, your lit-
tle babes would have been torn from you, and hurried
into captivity ; but foi'him, you never would have raif-
ed your heads again: you are indebted to him for life,
and all that can he dearer than life. Venerate him the
more for his piefent condition, refpe^l his misfortunes,
and weep over your unhappy country.'

Belifarius, dlffolving inwardly with tendernefs at the
grateful fentiments of this little family, and overpowered
by their blefTings on his head, could only anfwer
them with the dumb eloquence of his embraces. — ' Con-
defcend, illuftrious hero,' laid the two women, ' to I'e-
ceive to your arms thefe two iitrli innocents, who have
found in you a lecond father. We fhail never ceafe to
awaken in their memories a due fenfe of the honour they
v/ill now receive by fainting their great deliverer, and
being carefTed in his embraces.' — Each mother prefented

her

2X BEL1SARIU3.

her own child, and pliced him on the general's knees.
The little infants liniled with young altoniihrnent, and
raifing their arms, IceiTied to offer up their thanks.-— ^
« And can you now/ laid Bcrlilarius, * think me an ob-
je6l of compaflion ? Does there at this raoinent breathe
a man more fincerely happy than myfslf ? But teli me,
how has it happened that \-ou had any knowledge of
me?' — < A young nobleman,' replied the villager,
* pafled through this place yelterday, and inquired it
we had not feen a blind old man go by ; you aniwer ths
dtlcriptlon he gave us. We aflTurcd him we had iecn no
fuch perfon : he then charged us to keep a good look-out,
and let you know, that a friend expects you at the place
where you are going. He faid you were in want of every
thing, and requeited us to pay you every attention in
our power : he even promifed to requite us for it. Alas!
we told him that we were all varioufly employed ; fomtj
in the labours of the fidd, others in domeitic cares, and
had but little ieifure to gape after travellers as they pais
by. — " Then quit your employments," laid the young
lord, " and omit every thing rather than the a6l of be-
nevolence the good old man is entitled to : he is your
prcte6lor, your deliverer ! it is Bciifarius whom I recom-
mend to your diligence ;" and then he opened to us the
whole ftory of your lufferings. At the found of a name
lb beloved and honoured, imagine to youriclf the agita-
tion of our hearts. My Ion watched all night long for
his general, for he had the honour of fighting under
your banners, when you expelled the invaders of Thrace ;
and my daughters at the dawn of day were at the threfl;-
old of the doer, and there continued llraining their eyes
with eager expectation. At length we have found you :
command as you pleafe, every thing we have is yours j
the noblem.^n who defires to fee you has more in his power
to give ; but give what he may, he wiil not do it with a
better heart than we ofrer our little all.'

While thus the father difcourle.l, the fon, in a fixed
attitude before the hero, viewed him with a penfive air,
his hands clafped in each other j confternation, pity, and

refpe^,

EELISARIU5. 1*

I'efpe^t, riling by turns, and dirt'ufing themfelvrs over his
countenance.

* My good friend,' fnys Belifai ius to the old villager,
* I thrnk yr>u for thtfe marks of yourgoodnefs. I have
w'lerewitiiai to lupport me on my vvay to my laft retreat :
but prav intonn me, is your happinefs equal to your be-
nevolence? Your Ion, you fay, carried arms under my
conduct. I fee! myfeif interefted about him ; is he pru-
dent, careful, and induftrious ? Does he prove a good
hufljand and a good father ?' — * He is,' replied the old
man, ' all my joy and comfort : he quitted the army up-
on the death of his elder brother} but he quitted it
ieamed with honourable fears j he relieves me from la-
bour, the prop of my old age! He has for his wife the
riaughter of my friend, and heaven has fmiled upon their
onion. He is of a fanguine lively tern. per : fhe is of a
mild and amiable difpofition. My daughter, who Hands
tlieie, is alfo happily icttled. I gave her in marriage to
a young man of good morals, and they live in mutual
atreclion ; every thinsc goes on to my heart's content,
and they have raikd grand -children to me, in whom I
iancy I am renewing mv youth. In the hopes that they
tvill cherifli my meinorv, and blefs me when I am gone,
I draw towards mv grave v/ith lefs regret.' — * Alas !
my good friend,' laid Belifarius, ' you excite my envy!
I had two fens, my be:f , my darling hope ! I law them
both expire at my fide : an only daughter is all that is
left me in my age, and fhe, alas 1 has too much fenfibi-
iiry for my cor.dition and her own. But thanks be to
heaven, m.y two boys died fighting for their country !' —
At ihefs words, the young man, who had been earneft-
ly liltening to all that pafied, felt his heart touched to
the quick.

Tne fupper, confiillng of plain country fare, was ferved
«p ; but Brlifarius, by his lively reprefentations of the
h :ppir.efs that dwells with obfcurity, gave it the value of
t-.e )V.M fumptuous repaft. < Calm and retired tran-
f|ui]iify,' fays he, * is the happieft ftate of man ^ and yet
fo little are the folid bleffings of life undcrilood, it is a
ftate which is never envied T The

24- BELISARIU3.

The young man of the home continued fijent during
the whole time of Itipper, with his eyes fixed on Beli-
farius ; he was loft in contemplation : his inward work-
ings grew (ironger as he gazed : his countenance every
moment fettled into a deepi^r gloom, looked more inttnfe
with reflexion, and fiercer with thi various meanings
that lucceeded each other. * Here is my fon/ laid the
good old landlord, * recalling to his imagination all your
battles ; he perules you with an ardent eye.' — ' He finds
it difHcult,' replied Belifarius, ' to recollei5l his gene-
ral."—* The enemies of my general/ laid the young man,

* have defaced him er.ough to make it difhcult to know
him ; but he is too near the hearts of his loldiers to be
ever unknown to them.'

When Bel ifaiius took leave of this worthy fam'.ly —

* I fhould be glad,' fays the young man, < if my gene-
ral will permit me to attend him a iittle part of his way.'
Being together on the road, ' I could vvifli,' laid he
again, * that you would order your guide to walk on
before us ; for I have Ibmerhing lor your private ear. —
The condition, hr, to which they have reduced you, fills
me with indignation. They have lett you a terrible ex-
ample of ingratiuide, and the bafelt perfidy: it makts
me even look with horror on my country : and as I
formerly dared boldly in herfcrvice, lo I now blufh ftr
e\ery drop of blood I ipilt in her caufe. The place of
my nativity is grown deteftable -to me, and I look with
pity on the children whcm I have brought into this bad
world.' — ' Hold! hold, young man!' fays Beliiarius ;

* wiiere is the country in wr.ich honelt men do not fall
the victims of malignity and fiaud?' — ' But tiiis,' re-
turned the young foklier, ' this is witiiout a preceden'.
There is a peculiarity in your fate that exceeds all im; -
guKiticn. Who v^^as the author of it ? I have a wire a; d
ciiildrcn J them I will recommend to their grandfathir
and the Supreme Being, and nothing Ihall retard ii.etrcm
letting out direcf iy to tear out the vidian's heart wio
haibiroufly' — ' Alas I thou generous youth,' fait! Bif-
^iirius, chilping him in his arms < this exce!-) cf pitykir-

d..s

EELISARIL'S, «5

<^lcs to enthufiafm. Can I conlent tb.at a brave young man
(lu!! be the perpetrator of an inudious deed ? that a lokiier
fhall become an aflaiTin ? that a vutuous fon, a tender
huiband, and an auectionate father, fhall be the llave of
guilt and infamy i It were to make me deierve all that
malice has inflicted on me. Refleil a little j you have
relinqullhed the juit defence oF your country to iblace
your aged father, and rear up your tender infantsj and
will you now for a Superannuated wietch like me, with an
extravagant zeal, dekrt that very father and your help-
lefs babes ? Teil me, fhouid you drench your hands in
the blood of my enemies, v/ill that recai my youthful
vigour ? will that reftore my loft organs to me ? Wlien
you have m.ade yourieif criminal, fnail I be tiie lefs rai-
lerabic V — * No,' replied the young mi3n, * but the
bloody cataftrophe of a villain will ihike every guilty
mind with horror: to make him a terrible example to the
world, I will feize the monfter at the foot of the throne,
or even of the altar, and, glutting my poniard in his
heart, will thunder in his ear, '• Bdifarius jlnkes ike blovj.'"'
— ' And by what right,'' lays Belifarius, in a deciiive
tone, « do yen mean to execute my revenge ? Have I trans-
ferred a nght to you, which I do not poiTcis myfeif ? or
do you mean to aliume that right in defiance of every
law ?' — ' Let law be truly adminiffered,' fiiid the young
man, * and the fubjetl will depend upon the jufticc of his
country i but fmce it is perverted, imce it gives no protec-
tion to innccence and virtue, but connives at vice, and
acts in colkihon v^ith the guilty, it is time to abjure civil
focie*y, andielori to the prunitive laws of natural juitice.'
— ' Tvly worchv good friend,' replied Belilarius, '■ that is
thereafoning of rufhans, of every lawlcfs banditti ! To fee
the laws warped to evil purpoles is indeed grievous to a
julf and honcft mind j but the cafe would be ftiU m.ore
grievous, if they were to luffcropen violation. Enfeebled
laws are moft certainly an evil, but a tranktory evil j their
total overthrow would be a ialf mg calamity. You would
ftiike guiIt with horror, ami yet you are going to en-
courage it by your c.\3in])ie. My calamities, thcu worthy
C youth.

.fi6 BELISARIUS.

ycKith, have hifplrcd you with noble fentlments; vvoulct
you debafe thoi'e ientiments by an atrocious deed? Shall
the tender lenratioiis of the heart be turned to horror ?
I conjure you, in the name ofthat virtue which you love,
dishonour it not by fatal rafimefs. Let it never be laid
that virtue has guided the hand of an aiiaflin.'

* If their cruelty/ laid the young loldier, * had fpent
its rage on me, I could perhaps arm myfelf w.th forti-
tude to bear the worll ; but when am.-.n renowned, when
Belifarius — No, I will never forgive it/ — ' But I for-
give it,' replied Belifarius j * nothing but my intereft
in this buliiitfs can provoke your fury ; and if I renounce
rny own refentments, will you go turther than I am will-
ing to do ? Let me tell you, that if I were inclined to ex-
piate my wrongs by the blood of my enemies, whole na-
tions are ready to arm themfelves in my caufe j but I am
refigned to my fate : imitate my example j allow me to
be a judge of what is right and honourable ; and, if you
find within your breafta ip-.rit to encounter death, referve"
that fpirit for the glorious occalion of ferving your coun-
try and your prince.'

The ardor of the young foldier fubfided at thefe words
into wonder and admiration. — ' Forgive me, general,'
fiid he, ' forgive the vehemence which I now blulh to
own : the outrage of your fortune drove me to excels j
while you condenm my zeal, excufe it alio.' — * I do
more,' faid Belifarius, < I elleem it ; it is the emotion,
the tranfport of a generous mind, but let me now direft
it. Your family will have need of you, live for them j
and let your children imbibe from, you an averfion to the
enemies of Belifarius.' — ' Name them,' faid the young
foldier with impatience, * and I promife you my children
fliall grow up from the cradle in mortal hatred of them.'
— * My enemies,' replied Belifarius, * are the Scythians,
the Huhs, the Bulgarians, the Sclavonians, the Periians,
a;id all the enemies of my country.' — ' Thou miracle of
virtue !' laid the young villager, proftrating himlelt at the
feet of the hero, Belilarius eiubraced him, and, taking
•his leave, * There are,' faid he, ' in this mixed ftate in-
evitable

BELISARIU5. 27

evitable evils ; all that a juft man can do Is not to delerve
the portion that may be his lot. It, herearter, the abule
of power, the perverfion of laws, and the profperity of
bad men, fhould move yv^ur indignation, think of Beli-
farius. Farewei !'

CHAP. V.

THE philofophic foul of Belirariusvcas now upon the
point ot encountering a trial ftill more fevere than
any he had yet met with ; but it will in this place be
proper to relate vvhat happened when the hero was fint
fcized, and hurried away to prifon.

On the night when he was loaded with fetters, and
like a Itate-cnminal thrown into jail, amazement, grief,
and confternation, filled his palace. The alami which
feized his wife Antonina, and Eudoxa his only daugh-
ter, gave a piclure of dcfpair and agony in their moft
ftriking colours. At length Antonina recovering from
her fright, and calling to mhid the favours which the
«mpre{s had lavifhed on her, began to flatter herfelt that
her apprehenfions were groundlcfs j fhe condemned, with
felf- reproach, the weaknd's flie had betrayed. Admitted
to an intimacy and dcarnel's with Theodora, the com-
panion and fliarer of all her focial pleasures, fhe depended
upon fuppoit from that quarter, or at Icaft flie believed
that Theodora was her friend. In this perfuafion fhe
attended the levee of the emprefs, and failing on her
knees in the face of the whole court — * Madam,' faid fhe,

* if to have defended and faved the emp.re on various oc-
cafions has been the dlttinguifhed lot of Belifarius, that
the guilt now imputed to him may be examined in opea
daylight, and that his accusers may confront him at the
tribunal of the emperor, is now the reccmipenfe he afks
for all his generous labours: a free trial, and the op-
portunity of contounding his enemies, is the only favour
he can with honour accept.' Theodora made her a ugn
to rife, and with a look of frigid indiffere'-ce anfwered,

* It Belifarius is innocent, he has nothing to fear; if
the charge be true, he is no Itranger to the clemency of

C 2 his

28 EELISARIVS,

bis mafter, and he knows the foft acceffes to his heart.
You may v/ithdraw, madam, in full confidence that I
rtgaid you j I (liall not eafiiy forget that I have dilHn-
guilhed you by my favours.' This cold reception, and
the abrupt manner of the conclufion, quite overpowered
Antonina j (lie retired pale and trembling, and of all the
beholders, not one dared to lift an eye towards her.—
Barfames, whom (he met, would have paiTed by unno-
ticed, if (he had not addrefitd herfelt to him : Barfames
was the miniiier of the treafury, and the favourite of
Theodora. She intreated him to infonri her what was
the crime laid to the charge of Bciiiarius. * I inform
you, madam P (ays Barfames j ' I am totally in the dark j
a ftranger to this aifair ; 1 have nothing in my power ;
I know nothing, nor do I interl^re in any thing but the
duty of my department : if every body followed the lame
rule, the peace of the world would be lefs difturbed.'

* Ah r fays Antonina, ' the plot, I fee, is deeply laid,
and Beliiarius is undone.' A little further on fne met a man
who owed his all to her, and who, en the preceding day, v.-as
entirely devoted to her ftrvice. She made an attempt to
expoftulate and canvafs the aff.nr with him ; but with-
out deigning to hear her—' I know your misfortunes,'
faid he, ' and I am forely mortified ; but I muft beg
your pardon, I have a bufmefs to foiicit, and there is
not a moment to be loft : I raulf leave you, madam j
but be afl'ured, that nobody is more zealoufly attached
to you.' Antonina went in que(t of her daughter, and
in an hour's time (he received dircclions to depart the
city. The old cattle already mentioned was alTigned the
place of her exile.

The very fight of this caftle, folitary and In ruin, fill-
ed the heart of Antonina with coniternation ; here (lie
confidered herfelf as buried, and a fit of illnefs feized her
foon after her arrival. The tender Eudoxa, diftra6ltd
by the idea of a father impeached, loaded with irons,
and given up a prey to his enemies j di(h-a6led further at
the fight of a mother ready to break her heart with an-
guifi) j underwent the ievcreft agonies of mind. Allhcr

days.

EELI3ARIUS. 2^

ibys, her beft, her ycuthrul days, were confumed in
offices of tenderncls to her afflicted mother j each night
fne was bathed in tears, and in that lufpenfe of pain,
when weary nature finks down to relt, hei fiumbers were
ever troubled with the moll horrid dreams. The image
of her tather plunged into a dungeon's gloom, and bend-
ing under the weight or galling chains, was ever prefcnt
to her: and her apprehenfions for her mother increaled
the terrors of the vilionaiy fcene.

Antonina had been converlant in courts, and the tho-
rough knowledge fhe had of them, forever painted to her
fancy the rage of pedecution let loole again It her huf-
band. « What a triumph,' faid flie, * for thofe ma-
lignant fpirits, who for a feries of years have thought
themlelves depreffed by the virtues of a great and virtu-
ous man ! how will they now exult in his downfal 1 I
fee before me the ghalfly fmiie of malice, the myiterious
air ot calumny, that affeifs to conceal what it knows,
and would appear tender to the man whom it is ready to
ftab. Dettfted flatterers ! ye fawning fycophants ! I ihc
ye all, and hear ycur crutl infults on our mistortunes.
Oh, my daughter! in your diitrefs you may at leaft en-
joy the conlolaticn that you have nothing to reproach
yourfelf ; as to me, I have more reaicn to blufn for my
former felicities than my prefent calamities. The fagc
advice, and all the piaidtnt icirons, your father ufed to
give me were little heeded by me } they vvere too impor-
tunate : in vain he counfelled me to Hiun the baits of
plealure and of courts, to think that my trueft dignity
conhfted in iimpiicity of manners, that the iineercft hap-
pmels was to be found in domeftic enjoyment, and that
it would be the triumph of my lex to bid adieu to vani-i
ties that would vanifn like a dream, or end in ihame.— ■
His remonllrances appeared to me to be the ovei-flowings
of ipleen, and I complained of his fuilen humour to nis
very enemies. What giddy inattention was mine ! and
ROW what a fad reverfe ! The buriting of the llcrm awak-
ened me to refledlion, and I never law the abyfs till I
was tumbling into it. If you knew, my child, the cold
C 3 averted

30 EELISARIUS.

averted air with which the empiel's dlfmKted me ! even
file to whom my foul was enllaved ! whofe every whim
was the rule of my actions, the inclination of my heart !
Oh ! that court, which on the eve of our misfortunes
fmiled with a general complacence on me ! the falli;, in-
fidious train ! not one of them, when they favv me leav-
ing it like an outcail, with eyes dejefted and fwoln with
tears, not one of them would acknowledge me I In
courts, my child, misfortune has the qualities of a plague,
and makes you fliunned by all.'"

Such were the reflei5lions of this unfortunate woman,
whole eyes were now opened to the fallacies of courts,
though the aifedions of her heart were not yet alienated
from them. She delpifed her former vanities, and yet
loved them ft ill.

An entire year paiTed away without any tidings of
B^lifarius j a confpiracy had been detefled, the hero was
charged with being the author of it, and the voice of his
enemies, which was called the public voice, pronounced
him guilty of the treafon. Tlie principal confp'.rators had
fuffcrcd death In determined illKnce, without the fmallcd
intimation of their leader 5 upon this was founded pre-
fumptive proof againft Belilkrms, and, for want of po-
fitive evidence, he was left to langulfli in a dungeon, in
hopes that his death would fuperiede the neceHity of clear
conviftion. In the mean time, the old difbAnded fol-
diery, who now were mingled with the people, clamour-
ed for the enlargement of their general, and were ready
to vouch for h"s innocence : a popular miurreil ion fol-
lowed, univerfdly menacing to force the prKbn doors,
unlefs he was im.mediately let at liberty. This tumult
enraged the emperor. Theodora perceiving it, manag-
ed artiully to feize the moment of ill-humour and paflion,
kno^-tng that then only he was capable of injultice. —
* Well,' laid /lie, < let him be given up to the populace
after he is rendered unable to command them.' The hor-
rible advice prevailed : it was the deciiive judgment
againft Belifarius.

When the people faw him come forth without an eye

in

EELISARIUS. -I

in his head, a general bur.t ot rage and lamentation hd-
cd the city. Bclilarius appeafed the tumult. * My friends
and countrymen,' laid he, ' your emperor has been im-
po fed upon} every man is liable to error; it is our bu-
linefs to regret Jullinian's error, and to ("erve him Itill ;
my innocence is now the only good they have left me j
let me poffefs it dill. The revult which you threaten
cannot reftore what I have loft, but it may deprive me
of the only confolation that remains in my breriii.' The
fwelling fpirits of the populace fubfided at thefe words
into a perteft calm ; they offered him all they were
worth. Belifarius thanked them — ' All I will a(k,'
fays he, * is one of your boys to guide my fteps to the
alylum where my family expefts me.

The adventure with the Bulgarians canied Belifarius
out of his way, while Tiberius prefixed for.vard to the
retreat of his exiled family. The rattling of a carriage
in the court-yard of the caftle gave a Ibdden emotion of
hope and joy to Antcnlna and her daughter Eudoxa : the
latter ran forth in the ftrongeft agitations of mind ; bur,
alas ! inllead of her father, difappointed to fee a youth-
ful llranger, Ihe returned difconfolate to her mother, and
with a figh pronouiiced — ' it is not he ! '

Anfclma, a faithful old fervant in the family, ap-
pearing in the court yard — ' Pray, honeft friend,' faid
Tiberius, * is not this the letrcat of Belifarius r' — ' His
wife and daughter cxped him here,' faid the faithful
Anfelmo, ' but their hopes have hitherto proved abortive j
would to heaven I could fuffer for him, fo he were at li-
berty!'— < He is at liberty,' replied Tiberius j ' he is
on his journey hither J you will feehimfoon; he ought
to have been arrived before now.' — * Oh! walk. in, walk;
in, and communicate the news to his family; I will
fhew you the way.' — ' Madam,' exclaimed Anfelmo,
running eagerly towards Antonina, ' I have news for
you, madam ; rejoice and be of good heart, my maftec
lives ; he is free, they have rellored him to you ; a g;;-
nerous young man brings the happy tidings : bethought
to have found hiiw here.' At thefe words, Antonina

funimcned

3* EELISARIUS.

ilimmonecl up all her fpirits — ' Where is tlie generous
ftranger, the virtuous youth who interefts himfelf in our
affliflions? Shew him inj let rr.e fee him.' Antonina
uttered thefe words with a quick vehemence of joy.— •
* Our miferies are ended now,' exclai.med Eudoxa, throw-
ing herfelf upon her mother's bed, and folding her in
her arms ; ' my father lives, he is at liberty, and we
fhall fee him once more : let us, my deareft mother, for-
get our woes } heaven has not deferted us j we Ihaii all
meet again.'

* And do you then recal me back to life,' faid An-
tonina to Tiberius ? * has my huiband triumphed over
his enemies at laft ?' Tiberius, inwardly alfli6\ed that
he had only a mockery of joy to offer them, calmly an-
anfwered, * That Belifarius was indeed alive ; that he
had feen him, had converfed with him, and that, ima-
gining he had before now reached his home, he came to
tender him the little offices of friendlhip and good neigh-
bourhood.'

Eudoxa, whofe eyes were rivetted to Tiberius, plainly
faw the fymptoms of infelt grief through the Itruggles of
the youth to fupprefs them. * You bring with you,*
faid flie, ' the words or joy and comfort to the affli6led,
and yet, amidft the gladfome tidings, I mark an air of
dejection that fpeaks fome concealed affli6lion ! Does our
mifeiy deprefs you then ? Give me back my father j let
him return, and bring health with him to my unhappy
mother, then you Hiall fee whether riches are necellary
to make us happy.'

In tender and pathetic fcenes like thefe, the force of
Eature is fo infmuating, that Eudoxa had no need of
other charms than the lentiments flie uttered to melt and
engage the heart of Tiberius. To the grace of herper-
fon he was inattentive j he only faw an affeftionate and
virtuous daughter, whom a becoming firmnefs of mind,
pious lefignation, and duty to a father, rendered I'upe-
rior to calamity. * Imagine not,' faid he, * that the
fentiments of humanity which I have ventured to ex-
pi els, have any tin^^ure of pride or inlulting pity.—

Whatever

BELISARIUS. 33

Whatever be the condition to which Belirarlus and lus
family are r<;duced, their mist'ortunes wili ever be illui-
trious, and the obje5t of envy liilK' — ' Why do yoa
talk of misfortune P' replied the mother j * if they have
reftored my hu(band to his liberty, they arc convinced cf
his innocence J he mult therefore be eftablifned in his for-
mer pofkiTions.'

* M?.dam,' faid Tiberius, * it would be to keep you
in cruel fufpenfe, merely to wound you deeper at lait, if
I were to cherifh any loothing hopes in refpeil to his
condition. To his popularity alone he is indebted to
his freedom j the court has yielded to the dread of an
infurreftion : but in complying with the demands of the
people, they have fent him forth as wretched as they
could make him.'

' No matter,' fays Eudoxa, with her amiable fenfi-
bllity of heart ; * if they do but leave us a little land to
cultivate, we fhall not be lei's happy than the honeft
country-folks whom I fee abroad in the fields." — ' Gra-
cious heaven !' exchumed Tiberius, * the daughter of
Belifarius humbled to this low utuatlon V — ' This low
fituation!' replied Eudoxa ; * it was not unworthy of
the heroes of Rome, wlien Rome was free and virtuous.
Belifarius will not blufli to be another Regulus ; my
mother and I have learned in exile domeltic cares and
the arts of ceconomy : my honoured father fhaii wear a
coat fpun by his own daughter's hand.'

Tears guAied down the check of Tiberius, as he
marked thj pure heartfelt joy tliat warmed and animated
the wlioie frame of the lovely Eudoxa. * Alasl'iaidhs
within himfelr, * what a piteous llroke will prefently
awaken her from this iilufionl' With eyes bent down-
ward to the ground, he Itood before her, immovable, in
forrow and filence.

CHAP. VI.

BELISARIUS was now entering the court vr'id of
the caftle. Honelf Anfelmo faw him j advancing
nearer, he recolkiled his malUr, and, traufported with

S4 EELISARIUS,

joy, pieffed eagerly forward to fhew him in : but fooa
perceiving that he was blind — < Oh heaven,' faid An-
lelmo, ' Oh, my malier ! have I lived to this ?' Thefe
words, broken and intemiixed with frequent fobbings,
gave Belifarius to underftand that it was his old faithful
fervant Anfelmo. The poor fellow proftrated himfelf
at the hero's feet, and embraced his knees. Belifarius
raifed him from the ground , and, having affuaged his
grief by exhortations, bid him lead the way to his wife
and daughter.

At the fight Eudoxa gare a great fcream and fwooned
away. Antonina, who was ill of a flow confuniing fever,
was feized with the molt frantic violence : with all the
force of fudden fury fl^e ftarted from her bed, and, break-
ing from the hold of Tiberius and the woman that nurf-
ed her, made an effort to dafh herfelf againfl the floor.
Eudoxa returning to her Itnfes, and animated by the
fhrieks of htr mother, flew to her affiilance, ind catching
Jier in her arms, implored her to forbear out of compaf-
fion to her daughter. * Oh, let me, let me die,' re-
plied the diftrafted mother ; * if I mull: live, I will live
to revenge his wrongs, and to tear piece- meal the hearts
of his barbarous enemies. The monfters of iniquity ! is
that his recompenfe ? But for him they would all long
ago have been buried in the ruins of their palaces : he
has prolonged their tyranny, that is his crime 1 for that
he fuffers ; for that he has made atonement to the peo-
p'e. Barbarity unheard of ! detefted treachery ! the
pillar of the ifate ! their deliverer! Execrable court !
a fct of blood- hounds met in council ! Juft heaven, are
thefe your ways ? Behold, innocence is oppreHed, and
you look tamely on ! Behold, the fa6lors of deftru6lion
iriumph in their guilt !'

Amidfl this agony of grief, fhe fcattered her hair about
the room in fragments, and with her own hands defaced
her features: now with open arms fhe rullied, upon her
lord, and clafping him to her heart, poured forth her
tears, as if fhe would drown him with her forrows;
then, abruptly turning to her daughter — ' Die, thoii

wretch !'

m'

r%.

BELI3AR1U3. 35

wretch!' fhe faid, ' elcape from a bad world! here is
nought but miiery for virtue, and triumph for vice and
infamy.'

To this violtrxe a mortal languor flicceeded. The
ftorm of pafhon gave a fit of momentary ftrenglh, the
more effectual to deftroy. In a few hours after ftie
breathed her laft.

And now, Tiberius, what a fcene had you before
your eves? A blind old man, his wife lying dead, a
daughter in the lail extremity of anguilh ; tears, fnrieks,
and lamentations all around ! This was the fituation,
the fad cataftrophe in which fortune exhibited a family,
which for thirty years had flour; (lied in every fplendour
and dignity of life. The words ot a renowned philofo-
pher here occurred to T:berius : * Behold,' fays he, * a
fpeciacle which heaven furveys v/ith pleafure j a great
man wrcftling with adverfity, and by his courage invin-
cible to the laftr

Belifarius did not endeavour to control either his own
grief or that of his daughter ; he permitted a free vent
to both; but as focn as he had paid to nature the tnbute
of a feeling heart, he realTumed his ftrength, and emerg-
ed from his :;ffli6lions with true fortitude of mind.

Tliough the anguilh of Eudoxa was not abated, yet,
left llie fliould renew her father's troubles, (he endea-
voured to fupprefs her forrows ; but ftill the old general,
as he embraced her, found him.felf moiftened with her
tears. * You affli^f yourfeIf,my child, you alHiil your-
felf on account of accidents which, inftead of deprcshng
us, ought to invigorate our fouls, and raife us above
misfortune and difgrace. Your mother, after having
atoned for the errors of her former lire, is fafe in eternal
peace. She now looks down v^ith pity upon us, and
com.mlferates the lot that detains us in this bad world.
That cold, inanimaied corpfe, which lies there devoid
of motion, is an emblem of the tranquillity her foul en-
joys. Thus then you behold how vain and tranfitcry
are all the calamities of life j a breath of wir.d comes,
and ail is vaiiiftied. The empire «nd the fpiendour of

it

^6 BELISARIl/S.

its court have faded away irom the eyes of your mother j
and now, in the bofoni of her God, ihc beholds this
world 35 a little fpeck in the immenlltv of fpace. Thefe
are reflt6lior.s founded on wifdom 5 theie are reflexions
that adminifccr to the virtuous mind all its confolation,
its beft fupport in the hour of adverfity.' — * Oh ! give
me that fupport, afnft ray feeble fex encompalfed thus
with wretchednefs and mifcry. I could have borne up
againil any misfortune that could befal me j but to be-
hold a moil'.cr broken-hearted, a tender parent, whom
my heart adored, expiring within my arms! and thus
to fee you too, thou belt of fathers, in this deplorable
cono'iiion, to which your enemies have reduced ycu I" —
* Alas! my daughter,' replied Eciiiarius, * in deipoil-
jr.g me of my eyes, they :id no m,ore than the infirnuties
of age or death would ftiortly have done j and as to what
refpecls my fortune, you little knew the u(e of affluence,
if you do not know how to disregard it/ — * Oh 1 wit-
r.els for me, heaven,' faid Eudoxa, ' it is not the loi's
of fortune that can give me a moment's pain.' — * Then
jet nothing cKfrefs your fpint,' replied the venerable fa-
ther ; and with his hand he wiped the falling tear from
her cheek.

Beliiarius being infonr.ed that a young ftranger de-
fu-ed to fpcak with him, gave him admittance, and afk-
ed the intention of his vifit. • It is not now a time,'
anfwered Tiberius, < to offer confolation to ycu : thou
illulfrious unfortunate, I refpecl your ibrrcws j I take
a fhare in your afRiclions, and it is my earneit prayer to
heaven that I may hereafter be enabled to aii'uage them j
till then, all I can do is to mix niy tears vviih yours.'

It was rO\v time to perform the funeral obtequies : Be-
Jilarius, fupported and guided by histlanghter, attended
the remains o- his wife to their laft dcpofitoiy. His
grief upon the occafion was that of a philofophei- j it v. as
dtep hut liient } inwardly isk, but outwardly compoicd :
his face was clouded with m-cK-mcholy, but a grave and
featimental melancholy. With a m.ien ere6t, and a
Heady countenance, he did not fo much feem to brave

his

BELISARIUS. 57

his fornmc, as to refign himlclf to its ftroke with a dig-
tiity ot ibriow.

Tiberius afllfted at the mournful ceremcny; he beheld
the fond regret of Eudoxa, and he returned deeply af-
ftfted by the lalt duties which flie payed to the mcinoiy
of her mother.

Belifarius addrefTed h'mfelfto him in thefe words: —
< I perceive, generous youth, that it is to your humanity
I am indebted for recommendations on my road hither j
inftru6\ me who you are, and to what motive I am to
attribute your good offices.' — * My name is Tiberius,'
replied the youth ; * I carried arms under Narfus in
Italy, and I have fmce fer\'cd in the wars of Colchis. —
I was one of the hunting party to whoin you applied for
fhelter, and whole indifcretion you lb propei ly cliecked ;
I have ever fi; ce feverely cenfured myfelf for not mak-
ing my apology, and requciling a further favour of you.
I am placed in a ftate ot affluence : that m.ay be a mis-
fortune J but if you will concur with me, good may be
deduced from evil. Near this phce I have a country-
feat, and it is the heiglit of my ambition to conftcrate it
to the ufe of an exiled hero. It will bepreluming upon a
ilender title, to tell you of the refpecl and veneration I
entertain for your character : he who loves his country,
inuft, by a natural confequence, feel the difgrace of Beli-
farius, and wiOi to foittii his calamities j but perhaps I
can urge a claim thai will touch you nearer, and in ibme
degree folicit for me. You will not wholly del'pife the
ambition of a young man, who pants to be admitted to
the intimacy of an illulhious hero, that in his converfe
he may drink, as it were, at the fountain-head of wif-
dom, of honour, and ot Virtue.'

' You pay a couipliment to my old age,' replied Be-
lifarius ; * but, however, the intereil you fecm to take
in my misfortunes befpeaks a well-turned Ipirit and an
elegance of mind. At prelent you muit excufe me j re-
tirement and felf converie are what I muft now have re-
courie to : the agitation of my fplrits muft be compofed
by hicnt meditation. Hereafter I lliall fo far accept your
iif propoial.

^3 BELISARIUS.

propofal, as to wifh to live in good neighbourhood with
you, and to maintain a friendly intercourfe. I have a
regard for youth 5 in that happy feaibn of life, the foul,
as yet unhackneyed in the ways of men, is lufceptible
of every fine impreflion ; the fublime and the beautiful
of virtue inflame it with a laudable enthufiafm ; and
worldly palTicns have not yet entangled it in their fnares.
Your vifits will ever be acceptable; call upon me often j
I fhall be glad toconverfe with you.'

* If I am vv'orthy of that honourable commerce,' re-
plied Tiberius,' ' why may I not poflefs you wholly ?
My anctlfors will applaud the ufe I make of the piitri-
mony they tranfmitted to me, when it is rendered lacred
by the retreat of Belifarius. Honour, rei'pe<5f, and re-
verence, will then be yours, and my whole houfehold
train will learn to emulate my example in treating you
with every rank of veneration.'

* I read, yourg man, the characters of virtue in all
your words,' returned Belifarius ; * but let us do no-
thing rafhly. Give me to underftand, for it is now ten
years fince I have been fequeftered from the world, what
is your father's ftation ? and what are his defigns in re-
gard to your future fettlement in lifeT — * We are de-
fcended,' replied Tiberius, * from one of thofe families
which Conftantine tranfplanted from Rome, and honour-
ed v.'ith his highell favours. He was efteemed and che-
rifhed by his iovereign. In the reign of the emperor
Juftin, my father acquired no fmall fliare of military
glory. In the luccecdmg reign undue preferences were
given to others j at lealf he thought fo, and retired in dif-
conteiit. Of that dllcontent he has fince repented, and
now for his Ion he forms fchemes of ambition, which he
n;:gle61ed for himfelf/ — ' You have opened enough to
me,' faid Belifarius, * and I will not be an obftacle to
your advancement. You have convinced me that the
difpofitions of your heart are good : tlie pleafure arifuig
from a generous way of thinking feems at once to be
your motive and your recompenfc j and indeed that plea-
lure is the fwettell the mind can feel, £uL I forelee a

danger

I

BELISARIUS. 39

danger of which you are not aware : by vlfiting me, you
will Involve yourl'elf in the ruin of a man profcribed. —
For let me tell you, my worthy young friend, that a
court, whether right or wrong in its meaiures, never
properly reviews its own deeds j it never reforms its con-
duR. Does it punifh a real criminal: he will foon be
forgotten. But has it injured the man of blamelefs inte-
gi-ity : he will be perl'ecuted with unrelenting hatred j
for the very mention of his name is a fatire on the times,
and his exiftence is to the confclenc^ of his enemies an
unceafing remembrance of guilt.'

* I take upon me all the rill:,' fays Tiberius, < I will
be refponlible for my conduct. The em^ieror may have
erred, but he Is ever open to convidlon.'

* If you mean that he will be open to convi^lion in
regard to me,' fays Bellfarius, * you mult not lofe a
thought that way. The mealure of my woes is full j
the mifchief is done ; and may the emperor, for the
fpace of his future days, forget it all.'

* Since you have gone lb far,' replied Tiberius, « let
me infilt upon a further a6t of generofity, to crown the
whole. Preferve Juftlnian from the eternal reproach of
letting you languilh away the remainder of your days in
mifery. The humiliating condition in which I find you,
is (hocking to humanity, a diflionour to the crown,' the
horror of every honeit mind, and the utter difcourage-
ment of all virtue like your own.'

* The virtue,' replied Bellfarius, * that will be dlf-
couraged by misfortunes, is not like ray own. But to
deal frankly, I think it poflible, as you feem to do, that
my wretched condition may awaken the mingled paf-
fions of pity and indignation. A poor blind old man
can give no umbrage, and may excite compaflion. For
that reafon, I am determined to live in oblcurity. If I
made myfelt known to your friends, it was in an un-
guarded moment, when I was provoked by the intem-
psrance of the company beyond the bounds of patience.
It fhall be the laft indilcretion of my life, and this afy-
lum fhall be my grave. Fai-ewel! The emperor may

D z perhaps

40 BELISARIUS.

perhaps be ignorant that the Bulgarians have entered
Thrace j be lure to inform hi'.n ot it.'

Tibeiius withdrew, net a little difconcerted at the
event ofhis negcciarion. The fum of all that pafled he
reported to Juitinian. A body of troops was immedi-
atdy put in motion ; and in a few days the public tran-
quillity was confirmed by the expulfion of the Bulga-
rians. ' Now then,' faid the emperor to Tiberius, 'we
are at lelfiue to vlfit the unfortunate general. I will
pafs myfelf tor your father, and be upon your guard that
nothing fall from you to undeceive him,' Juftinian had
a ledge about half way to the aiylum of Bellfarius. —
Thither he betook himfelf, detached from his train of
courtiers, and the next day proceeded on his vifit to the
unfortunate hero.

CHAP. VII.

* A ND Is this the hero's, refidence ? Is this the habU
JTjL tation of him who fo often brought me vi6loiy

and triumph !' Thefe were the words of Juftinian, as he
pafled under an old portico mouldering into ruin. As foon
as they entered, Belifarius role to receive them. At the
fight of the veneiabl*; man, the emperor felt a pang of
reamrle and (hame for the condition to which he had re-
duced him. An exclamation of grief broke fiom him,
and leaning on Tiberius, he covered his eyes with his
hands, as'if unworthy to behold the light which the
hero faw no more. — ' What mean thofe tones of grief ?'
fays Belifarius. * I have brought my father to fee you,'
replied Tiberius, * and he is fenfibly touched by your
misfortunes.'—' Where is he,' faid the general, Ibetch-
ing forth iiis hands. * Let hira come to my embrace j
for he has a virtuous fon.' — Juitinian was obliged tu
comply with the requeft, and as foon as he felt the old
jTian prefling to his bofom, his emotions were fo ftrong
and tender, that he was unable to fupprefs his tears and
groans. * Rtftrain this violence of pity,' faid Belifarius j

* perhaps I am not fo wretclied as you imagine. Let us
diicoufle a little about what concerns ycurfelf and this

youn^

BELISARIUS. 41

young man, w!io will be a conitort to you in your old
age.' — * Yes,' replied the emperor, in fhort and inter-
rupted accents, * yes — ifyouvvillcondefcend — to let him
attend your le6lures upon human lite.' — ' Alas ! what can
I offer,' faid Belifarius, * that a wife and good father has
not already anticipated ?' — ' You may inftru6l him,' laid
the emperor, ' in what I perhaps know little of, the ways
of courts, where he mud pals his days. For a long
time I have had fo little commerce with men, that the
world is as new to me as it is to him. But you, who
have feen things in all their various afpe6ls, may render
him ineftimable fervice; and therefore I intreat you to
unbofom yourfclf to him.' — ' If he wants to give liabi-
lity to fortune,' faid B>.^iifarius, * I am unfit to read a
leflbn on that head, as you perceive. Would he learn
to be an honeft man at the hazard of all that is dear to
him? There I can be offome ufe. He is born with
bright advantages, and that is a prim.ary requifite.' — ■

* Very true,' laid Juftinian, ' he is delcended from a
race of noble anceftors.' ' That was not my meaning j
but, however, that is an advantage, if not perverted to
a wrong ufe. Have you ever, young man,' continued
Belifarius, * reflefted upon the true idea of nobility ?
It is a letter of credit given you by your country upon
the fecurity of your anceftors, in the confidence that, at
a proper period of life, you will acquit yourfc'f ■•.vith ho-
nour to thofe who ftand engaged for you.' — * But that
credit,' fays the emperor, ' is often rafiiiy given.' —

* No matter,' refumed Belifarius ; « it is notwithftand-
ing an inftitution ofufeful policy. I imagine to myfclf,
when a child of noble defcent comes into the world, nak-
ed, v^'eak, indigent, and helplefs, like the offspring of
a common peafant, I then imagine to myfelr his country
g-reeting him in this manner : *' Welcome, my child !
welcome to my arms ! You will hereafter be devoted to
my fervice, intrepid, gallant, generous, and heroic as
your famed forefathers. They have tranfmitted to you
their own brilliant example ; I confer upon you their ti-
tles and their honours, ftrong reafons both to roufe you

D 3 to

4.S ^ BELlSARirS.

to an emulation of their virtues." * This is the fokron
fceue I figure to mylelf : can you luggcll any thing to
your fancy mort: awful and lublime ?' — ' But this is ra-
ther carrying it too far/ faid Jullinian.— ' Not a jot/
replied Belifarius ; ' in the education of young minds,
we muft propofe nobly to them. Let me add, there is
frugality in dealing out pomp and honours with a liberal
hand. Fov fuppofe, upon a fair eftimate, that thefe in-
centives produce only two or three great men in a cen-
tury : and what then ? The ftate has nothing to com-
plain of i nay, it has ample compeniation. You, young
man, mult be one of thole who are to make this com-
penfation to your country.' Here addreffing himfelf to
the emperor, ' You loave allowed me,' fays he, * to
fpeak in the llile of a father to him.' — « Do it, I con-
jure you,' replied Juftinlan. — ' Well then, my fon, you
muft begin with a perfuafion that nobility is a flame
which blazes intenfcly as long it can communicate itfelf,
but dies away as foon as it wants the proper materials to
keep it alive and to lupport it. Be mindful, therefore,
young man, of your bath, for it impofes duties on you j
be mindful of your anceltors, for the example they have
left you calls for your utmolt arduur •- remember, that
the glory from them devolved upon you, is not an inhe-
ritance upon which you are lazily to fubfillj and, above
all things, eradicate from your heart that fupercilious
pride which looks big with the conicioufnefs of a family
name, and beholds with the timorous eye of fcorn and jea-
louly every preference obtained by honeft merit. Am-
bition has in its nature a fpurious fort of novelty, and
therefcire, by a kind of congenial influence, readily in-
finuares itfelf into the minds of perfons well defcended j
but this pafllon, when carried to excefs, is tinged with
meanneis, like any other motive of the heart. Itfweils
with its ov^n importance, becaufe it aflt;fls an air fupe-
jjor to all the duties cf an honeft man. Would you
mark its operations, and know its chara6ler dllt i D^y ?
Obierve the bird of prey, how it hovers over th rield
■<4u a m.oiuir.g, and amidft a thoufand animals marks out

EELISARIUS. 45

its defllned prey ; even in the lame manner ambition
weakens to its early Ichemcs, and plans the future de-
ftru^^ion of Ibme I'plendid virtue. Alas ! my friend, an
attachment to felf, which is indeed a natural propenlity
of the heart, becomes enormous in a public ciiara6fer,
whenever it fixes into a ruling palTion. I have known
men in my time, who would not hefitate to rilk the
lafetyofa whole army, or the well-being of the ftate,
in order to gratify the fclfilh views of inordinate ambi^
tion. Stung with envy at the fuccels of otiiers, whom
they have not merit to emulate, they are for ever alarm-
ed with the apprehtnfion of loling the honour of Ibme
brilliant action ; and were they not retrained by fear,
they would make every enterprize mifcany in which
they have not tlie command j e\en the public good is a
calamity to them, unleis afcribed to their own abilities.
This fet of men, whether in the cabinet or the field, is
the molt pernicious race. The man of true honour feels
within himlelf the beft intimations of his duty, and he
]ooks for no external motive. His God and his confci-
ence are the witnefl'es of his actions, and to them only
he makes his appe?.l. A generous opennefs of heart, a
calm deliberate courage, and a prompt zeal for the pub-
lic lervice, are at once conlfituents of true greatnefs, and
the beft evidences of it. Pride, vanity, and envy, are
the marks of a little and a narrow fpirit. It is not
enough that you make no preterfion to the praiie which
you have not m'eritedj you mull even pofiel's the noble
i'elf-denial that can renounce the fame you have fairly
earned. It uiuft ever be lemembered, that the fovereiga
is liable to err, for he is no more than man : and the
mind ought to be fore-armed with the confideration, that
your country, and the age you live in, may form wrong
judgments of you ; nay, that thofe judgments may not
be revcrled by the equity of after times. In that caie,
you mull coniult your own heart, and in the manly felt-
conference inquire, *' Were I reduced to the low con-
dition of Belifarius, v\ ould my innocence i'upport me ?
'V'^'ould the conicioufjtefi cf having; difcbarged miy duty

make

+4 BELISARIUS.

make even affllflion fmile ?" If you feel within your*
felt any indecifion relpeiSllng this matter, live your days
in obfcurity : you have not the materials of a public
chara(5tcr.'

* Alas!' faid Juftinlan, with a deep figh, * what
you expecl is above the powers of man 5 and you are
yourlclf a terrible example.' — ' My example may at firll
appear terrible,' replied Bel.farius ; ' biit upon a clofer
view, that impreiTion will wear away. Let us fuppofe,
for inllance, that the chance of war, a fit of illnefs, or
a decay of nature, hid deprived me of my fight ; it would
then have been among the common accidents of life,
with notiiing remarkable or pathetic annexed to it. Are
not the vices of human nature among the incidents of
life ? Are they not, in the ordinary courfe of things, as
much as the plague that laid wafte the empire ? Does it
fignify by what inftrument we fall ? The wrath of a fo-
vercign, the arrow of an enemy, or a grain of land, they
Can all difpatch us, and no matter which. When we
enter upon the ftr'ge of life, we mull be prepared for the
changes of the fcene. You, hr, who have fent forth
your Ibn to a courie of military toil in the fervice of his
country ; have you no preientiment, no forecall to fug-
geft to you the variety of perils he has to cope with ?
Add to that account themichinations of envy, thefnares
of treachery, the malice of dilfimulation, and dandeftine
ftabs of calumny J and if your fon lives to my age with-
out being ruined by them, you will allow that he had
peculiar good fortune. Every thing in this life has its
counterbalance. You fee me now fuperannuated, blind,
and indigent ; the tenant of an old caftle in ruins : but
look back to a fpace of thirty years, adorned with hap-
pincfs, and bright with viflory and triumphs 5 review
that period, and you will willi your fon the lot of Bell-
farius. Come, my worthy neighbour, we muft fum-
mon up a little refolution ; you feel the folicitude of a
father j but your Ibn, I ftill flatter myfelf, does me the
honour to envy me, even now.' — ' Moft alTuredly I do,'
exclaimed Tiberius, — * But he feels a virtuous envy,'

faid

BELISARIUS. 45
fald the emperor, interrupting him j * and the objev^l of
it is not the levies of your vicloiics, but that unf]i;ik.ea
coui-2ge which llands at bay witii fortune to the lalt/—
* Courage is indilpenfible/ replied Beiilarius j * but not
merely that courage which can look, death in the face :
that is the bravery of the common ibldier. The courage
of a general is an elevation of mind I'uperior to all hu-
man contingencies. Who, think, you, in my eftima-
tion, is the man of true courage ? He who, at the ut-
moft hazard, nay, at the expence of his glory, continwes
obftinate in the difcharge of his duty. Such was Fa-
bins, that Roman, worthy, wife, temperate and firm j
who could hear the cenfures of mankind for his delay,
yet hold the even tenor of his condu:^ free from the irre-
solution of the vain inconfiftent Pompcy, who ehofe to
hazard the fate of Rome and the uiiiverle, rather thun
groan under the intolerable pieafantry of a joke. I will
juft mention a pallage in my own life. In one of m.y
firfl: campaigns againif the Perfians, the radi advice of
certain turbulent I'pirits in my camp prevailed upon me
to give battle, much againft my own inclination. I lolt
the day. For that mifcondufl I fliall ever ftand fe]f-
condemned. Who lets the caprice of opinion be the rule
of his actions, will waver in uncertainty, without pre-
cifion or dependence on himfelf. Let me afk, what
would be the confequence if, before we decide with our-
felves to be jutl and upright, we fliould lelblve to wait
for a difpadionate age of the world, and an infallible
prince ? We muft end therefore in this concluiion : keep
right onward with firmnels and intrepidity. Perhaps,
when you reach the goal, ingratitude and calumny will
be there united j but glory will ahb be there ; and if
not, virtue may difpenle with it : (lie will never fail you.
Even in the vileft ftatc of m-ifery and oppreflion, flie will
be a faithful follower j and, oh! my good friend, if
you but knew how much a fingle fmile of virtue out-
weighs all the fickle careiTes of fortune '

' Your every word penetrates my Ibul,' faid Juftinian,
ill a, tender tone of voice, and much embarraffed. * Hosfl?

incftimably

4-5 ■ EELISARIUS.

inelVimably happy is my Ion to imbibe thefe fentlments
at this period ot life ! It is in this fchoolthat Ibvereigns
ought to ftudy !' — ' Let us fay nothing of fovereigns,*
replied Belifarius ; * they are more to be pitied than we
are.' — ' Yes/ faid Juftinian, ' fituated as they ai-e, with
not a friend, at leift without any of ability and courage
enough to guide their fteps, their cafe is lamentable in-
deed. My fon is deftined by his birth to live in courts :
it may, one day, be his lot, in the councils of his prince,
or perhaps in a more intimate connexion, to avail himfelf
of thefe your leftures for the benefit of mankind. Do not
difdain to open and enlarge his underftanding j proceed
to fill his young conceptions with fublime ideas of the
true art of governing ; inliruil him, as you think the
friend of a Ibvereign ought to be. Juftir.ianis now near
his grave ; but his more happy fuccelfor may have the
pupil of Belifarius for his friend.' — ' Alas!" faid the
hero, ' would it were in my power once more, before I
die, to be of fervice to my country! But the obfei-va-
tions my experience has made will be thought the reve-
ries of a vifionary old man. And indeed in theory fyf-
tems are eafily fettled ; difficulties rife and difappear.—
The projeft or is mafter of his combinations, and he ar-
ranges them at his eafe. He adapts every thing with
faciliry to all emergencies and the wiflies of mankind :
he fancies himfelf free from the influence of pafiion, an
unerring philofopher, exempt from frailties, always en-
lightened, moderate, and wife. A fvveet illufion this,
and not likely to laft long, but that the theorift fcon ex-
tricates himleU out of embarralTments, and has the reins
of government in his own hands.' — « But this illufion
has its ufe,' faid the young man ; ' for even the chime-
rical idea of the bcft poiTible fyltem may be the model
of a good, though impcnccl, in'litution.' — ' I wifh it
may,' replied Beiilarius ; * but I am not fanguine
enough to hope it. The very worft arrangements of
civil policy, and the' molt de restive forms of government,
have their admirers and their zealots.' — ' I will venture
to promife on my part,' laid Jultinian, ' that your fpe-

culations

BELISARIUS. 47

dilations will not be thrown away, if you will deign to
communicate them to my Ion."' — ' With all my heart,'
replied the hero j ' you deferve that I fliould be open
and ingenuous with you. One condition I have to exact,
and that is entire lecrelV, during the prelent reign, in
regard to our confidential talk.' — ' And why that cau-
tion ?' faid Jultinian. * Becaufe I am not willing,' re-
plied Belilarius, * to grieve an aged emperor's breaft,
and cloud the funiet of his days with a prolpecl of evils
which he has not power to difpel.'' — Such was the firft
interview betv.'een them.

On his way back, * what an indelible difgrace,' faid
Juftinian, * not to have known and dillinguiflied fuch
a man ! It is thus, my beft Tiberius, it is in this man-
ner we are deceived, and rendered tyrants againft the in-
clination of our hearts.'

The emperor was haunted all night by the image of
Belifarius. The next day he faw him before his eyes
in every apartment of the palace. In the evening, about
the fame hour, he fct out to enjoy the melancholy plea-?
fure of a fecond meeting.

CHAP. VIII.

BELISARIUS was walking a little way on the road
with his guide. At fight of him, Jultinian alighted
from his carriage, and familiarly began — ' You find us
deep in meditation, reprefenting to ourfelves the injuftice
of the fentence which wicked men extorted from an aged
emperor. My fon and I were engaged in a ferious train
of reflexions upon the wretched Itate of fovereigns, and
the dangers that furround them. I could not help think-
ing it a wonderful event in the hil^ory of human aftairs,
that a whole people, confifting of free-born men and equal
all by nature, fhould with one joint-affcnt refign their
rights into the hr.nds of a fingle perfon, a weak individual,
a feeble mortal like themlejves, fubjetfl to tlic lame infir-
mities, open to impolition, liable to lelf-dclufion, and
prone to enors, which in a moment may prove dtftruclive
to millions !' — ' And do yoii im.agine,' fays Belifarius,
* that in a f«nate, or an aiieiDbiy of the people, there is

more

4-i EELISARIUS.

more fafcty, greater wiP'om, or a Headier admlnillratioil
of judice ? "Was it vintler a mon^irchy that Camillus, The-
mittocles, and Aiittiiies, were prolbribed ? To multiply
the members ci government, is to multiply iis vices, for
every individual mingles his own. Themoftfimplt form
of government is the raoft eligible : and whether fiates
were foundeii upon conqueit or original compad, whether
mankind agreed to transfer theii- natural rights to the
civil magiltrate, or were by iupeiior force fubdued into
political ibciety ; in either cale it was realcnabie, that the
moft renowned for wifdom or for valour ftiould attra6l
the popular regard, and gain the general fuffrage in his
favour. I am not therefore liirprifed that t!ie magistrate
or the hero fliould be fekcfed tor the government of the
whole 5 but that a fmgle perlbn could be found willing to
accept ib painful a pre-eminence, is matter of altonifli-
nient.' — * 1 his part of the argument,' faid Tiberius, * is
not fufficiently clear to my apprehcniion.' — * To iorm a
diftincc idea,' replied Belifarius, ' it will lielp you much,
if you will figme to your fancy the firlt formarion of a
if are, and place vourfelf alternately in the different charac-
ters of the people and the fovereign.'

* Where is the riik, the people may be fuppofed to fay,
what hazard do we run in giving fupremacy to a king ?
With the good of the whole we blend his happlnels j we
make them but one thing ; the force of the community
becomes the ftrength of the crown j upon the general
weal his glory is grafted ; and the regal charaifer is at
once derived from the people, and fupported by them.
The general love of his fubjecls will be his true lelf-iove,
and his belf intereft will be found in juliice, moderation,
and beneficence. This mult ]i:.ve been tlie political creed
of mankind.' — ' But they did not take into their account,"
faid Juitinian, * the paflions and the complication of mo-
tives that encompals a piince.' — ' Very true,' replied
Btli'hrius ; * they only tliought of an infcparable u.iion
of inteiefts, between the fovereign and his people; that
there ever could be a feparation of thofc inteiefts, and that
the two paits oi' the body-politic fliould live in a Itate of

mutual

fcELISARlUS. 45

mutual hoftility, did not enter into their idea. iTuupation
appeared to them a kind ot fuicide, that could only pro-
ceed iVcm a total privation of reafon : an.d fhould tliv?
prince be Teized with lb extravagant a henzy, they relied
upon the wildom of the leglflature to control the palTions
of a man grown an enemy to hinil^lt. Tliey forfaw m-
decd that many might nnd their interefl in mifchief and
evil deeds ; but thiy perfuaded themlelves, that fuch a
confedeiacy in vice would be a I'maii minority, againll
^^'hich a great fuperiority of gocd and honeft men, with
the prince at tlieir head, would always preponderate.
And indeed, till fatal experience opened the eyes of men,
who could forefee that kings vvculd ever fink to fuch a
degree of infatuation, as to divorce themfelves from their
people, and combine with the avowed enemies of all the
rights of man ? A conduct like this is fuch an outrage to
nature and to leafon, that it _was nectlTary it fhould ac-
tually happen, before the poinbility of it could be believed.
It was not in the limplici'.yof ancient manners to expe6l
lo (hocking a revolution.

* To confider, on the other hand, the feelings of fove-
J-elgns in that early period of mankind, he on whom the
fupreme authority devolved, muft be deemed the party
that had molt leafon to be alarmed. For, if the father
of a family, who has a charge of five or fix children to
educate, and to tflablifh in tiie world, feels an inceflant
anxiety that plants thorns upon his pillow, what muft
be the cife with the chief of a family which is counted by
millions ?

* He muft have reafoned with hlmfelf in this manner :
** The compaft which I make with my people, binds me to
live for their good orly: therepofe of my life muft be de-
voted to their happinefs. I engage myfclf by a folemri
cath to regard the gc-cd of the community in every legif-
lative acl,"and to fubmit my own will to thefpirit of the
liws. In prrpcrtion to the power committed to me, my
natural liberty is abridged. The inore my liibjecls con-
Jidc in me, the ftronger are the obligations I am under,
for th^- fraikies ofiry nature, iny errors, and my fwif-

50 EELISARIUS.

fions, I render myfelf accountable j I give my people a
kind of jurifdi6\ion over mc ; and, in fhort, by conienting
to reign, I abdicate myiclf." * The private man is, as it
were, annihilated, to make room for royalty to engrols
the foul. Can there he a more generous facrifice? an en-
gagement of fo folemn a nature? And yet tiiefe were the
fentiments of Antoninus, and Marcus Aurcllus — " Iha-je
iiot-ki'/ig properly my cu.v;,'" faid one of them j " My ^oiry
palace is not tniney^ was the declaration of the other. The
tew of their llamp thought the fame.

' In the appendages of fovereignty, vulgar error makes
only fome external circumftances of parade, which lerve
to awaken envy, fuch as palaces, the fplendour of a court,
the homage that is p.iid, together with the pomp and
m?.gnificence which policy attached to the regal ftate, in
order to give it fancfion and authority. And yet, amidft
all this brilliancy, the fovereign is no more than mere
man, overwhelmed with fplendid cares, diftra61ed with
anxieties 5 a felf-confuming votarill for the public good,
and a victim to his duty, if he be zealous to perform it j
an objecl of fcorn if he neglecl it, and of deteftation
fliould he betray it. Under perpetual reftraint, and flu6f u-s-
ating for ever betwixt good and evil, he finds himfelf
environed with enemies to his quiet, with paintul vigils,
devouring cares, a tedious apathy, that make him weary
of himfelf, and ends in a diltafte to every thing. Behold
there the portrait of a king ! It is true, invention has
exhaufted iticlf to make his enjoyments counterbalance
his cares j but his cires are numberlefs, and his pleafurei
are confined within the i'canty circle of his wants. The
highc-it luxury is not ingenious enough to gi'.e him one
new organ of ienfation ; and while pleafures Ibliclt him on
every fide, nature, quite haraficd down, forbids enjoyn)ent,
and the palled appetite refufes all. Thus every thing
a)>out him is fupeiflui^y 5 his extenfive palace is but :»
void immenfe, of which he occupies a little corner j under
crimlbn curtains and gilded ceilings he feeks in vain thnt
Avcct repofe which dwells in the pcTiianfs cottnge j i.nd

lit

SeLisarius. 5f

at his table, the plealure ot the monarch ends when ap-
pctite craves no more.'

* I perceive/ faid Tiberius, < that every thing can^
not be enjoyed, where every thing abounds; but is the
pleafure of choofing nothing in the account ?'

* Alas, young man '.'exclaimed Bciiiarius, ' my worthy
young man ! yon are not acq\iainted with that incurable
dileafe, laticty. It is the moft fatal langourof the mind.
Are you acquainted with ihe caufe of it ? The power
of enjoying with facility makes us lifelels, and di!"gufted
at every thing. Either our defires have not time to revive,
or they revive only to loath the affluence that invites too
foon. Art has wearied itfelf in ftudying delicacies to pro-
voke and quicken the languid appetite j but the powers
of- perception arv; decayed, the inlets of pleafure are ob-
ftrufted, the incentives to a6licn are extinguifhed in the
foul, and delight itlelt has loft both its allurements and
its gratifications. Woe to the man who can command
every thing with a vvifli 1 for as, on the one hand, the
predominant idea of a total privation laps all the vigour
cf the mind, by fixing a train of corroding reflections;
iOi on the other, a conftant habit of enjoyment gives in-
fipidity to vi'hat were othervvife exquifite, and thus life
ioles its relifii.'

* You will grant me, however,' interpofed Tiberius,
* that there are refined and fenfible delights, in their na-
ture proper for the gratification of a monarch, which are
always fure to give rational enjovment without the danger
ofdifguillng by repetition.' — * As for inftance?' fays
Belifarius. — 'The love of glory, for inftance,' replied
the young man. — ' But what iort of glory ?' — ' Why of all
the various clafies of glory, renown in arms muft hold
the foremoft place.' — ' Ver^^well j that is your pofition :
and do you think the pleafure that fprings from conqucft
has a fincere and lafting charm in it ? Alas ! when millions
are ftretched in mangle i heaps upon the field of battle,
can the mind in thatfituation tafte of joy ? I can make al-
lowance for thofe who have met danger in all its fhapes ;
they may be permitted to congratulate .themfeives, that

E z they

5* BELISARIUS.

they have efcaped with their Hvcs j but In the cafe of a
king bcni with lenfibility of heait, the day that Ipllis a
dekige of human blood, and bids the tears of a natural
affc61ion flow in rivers round the land, that cannot be a
day of true enjoynicnt. I have more than once traverfed
over a field cf battle; I v/ould have been glad to hive
fcen a Xero in my place; tlie tears of hum:'.ni:y miUlf have
turft from him. I know there are princes who take the
pleafure of a campaign, as they do that cf hunting, and
who fend forth their people to the fray, as they let flip
their dogs ; but the rage of conquefl: is like the unrelent-
ing temper of avarice, which torments itfelf, and is to
the lart infatiable. A province has been invaded ; it has
been fubdued ; it lies contiguous to another not yet at-
tempted : defue begins to kindle; invafion happens after
invafionj am.biticn irritates itfeif to new prcjc^fs, till at
length comes a reverie of fortune, which exceeds, in the
mjitificarion it brings,, all the pride and joy of former
vi6fories. But to give things every flattering appearance,
let us liippofe a train of uninterrupted luccefs : yrt, eve»
in tliat cale, the conqueror pufiies forward, like another
Alexander, to the limits of the VN-crld, and then, li!:ehim,
re-meallirts back his ccurfe, fatigued with, triumphs, a
buithen to himfclf and mankind, at a lo("s what to do-
witli the immenfe trafts which he has depopulated, and
meianclioly with the icfieftion that an acre of his con-
quelfs would fuffice to m.aintain hira, and a little pit-hole
to hide his remains from the world. In my youth I favsr
the fepulchre of Cynis ; a (lone bore this inicription :
^^ I am CjruSfke -j/ho fuhJueJike Ptrfian empire. Frier. Jy
nchoe^jer thoic arty or -^vhire-ver thy no.tt-ve couyitry^ envy
7ne not ike fcanty fpace that co-vers ?ny daj-cold ajlti* ."*
Alas! laid I, turning afide from the mournful epitsph,
is it worth while to be a conqueror!'"

Tiberius interrupted him with aflonifhment ; ' Can

thei'e be the fcntiments of Belifarius ?' — ' Yes, young

man, thus thinks Bclilarius : he is able to decide upon

Jhis fubjec^. .Of all the plagues which the pride of maa

't Vide Plutarch's life or" Alexandvr.

BELISARIUS. 53

has engendered, the rage of conquefl: is the moft dcfti uc-
tive.' — ' I mult give up the point,' fays Tiberius, ' but
Itill there is a prerogative oi enjoyir.ent, a giatiHcation
worthy of kings, r.nd that is the luprcme delight of ier-
ving mankind, a pleaiure Ipringing from the happinefs
of millions.' — ' Ay ! ' replied Beliiarius, * if a king couJd
be fure of making a nation happy, his acccflicn were an
objeft of envy ; alcending his throne he would riJe to the
great pre-eminence of difpenlixTg public good, and guid-
ing the reins of government for the welfare of marikind.
This would be a lacred privilege '. that a generous mind
fliould facrifice the repofe of lite to this gieat anibition
would not be a matter of allonifhiment. But ad(h-efs
yourfelf to the auguft old man who now reigns over you,
and dcfire to be informed by him, whether to difcharge
the duties of his ftation is an eafy tafk ?' — ' That a prince
has done his utmoft,' replied JulHnian, * to promote the
welfare of his fubje6fs, to make their burthen light, and
to deferve the love of his people, a nation may fometimes
be willing to believe.'

* Th&y may believe it,' faid Bclifarius, ' and fome
princes, even during their lives, have obtained that glo-
rious fufFrage. It has been the recompenfe of their upright
government ; their fweeteft retribution. But without fome
lingular event to give fmcerity to public tellimoniajs, un-
lefs fome great and trying conjuncture happen, when the
itntimerts of the people may be fuppofed to burlt forth
in the hcneft efFuiion of their hearts, what prince can flat-
ter himielf that the addreflcs he receives are nut fu-
bornedr How can l:e perluade himfclf that he hears the
real lenfe of the nation ? His courtiers vouch for itj but
who is refponfible for them ? While the fong of revelry
echoes through the palace^ how fhall he be afTured that:
in the remoter parts of his dominions the dome of the
viceroy is net tilled with the complaints of injured men,
and the cottage of the labourer with groans of mifery ?
The public feilivals are nothing but i'cenes aRed before
him, and the applaufc he meets is too often preconcerted.
He Ices ths vilelb of mortals canonized for deities ; and
E 3 though

54 fJELISARIUS.

though the vain tyrant, whoie days are fpent in on* con-,
tinned round of voluptuoulhels, may imbibe the inccme
which adulation offers, yet the man of virtue, w(^.o made
his reign a painful tndeavour to do all 'he good that de-
pended on him, clolcs an honourable life in anguilh, and
deJcends to the tcmb of his anceftors withcut ever being
liire that he had one Hncere friend. V/hen I iefle<5f that
Jullinian is in this fituation, and that he is likely to
carry with him to his grave a perfuafion ihat Beliiarius
was a traitor, and never loved liim, I own mylelf fordy
grieved : it is altab to my veiy heart.'

* No!' exclaimed the emperor with impetuofity, (and
then recollecting himlelf fuddenly) ' No,' faid he, in a
more deliberate accent, * a pruice is not alvi'ays unhappy
to I'uch a degree, as not to know that in the courfe of h.s
reign he has been truly lovcd.'

* Be it lb,' replied Beliiarius ; * he knows that he is
lovedj and yet even tiiis fvveet reflexion is daihed with
bjtternels. Certain it is, the good of his people muft 1 c
dear to him, in proportion as he thinks himl'eJf liLaj- la
them ; and in conlequeixe, whatever good he does, or
whatever evil he wards off from them, the account ap-
pears to him in the general maisof good and evil, lb ina-
dequate to his wiHies, and at length, in the evening of a
long and llorniy life, he ferioufly puts the queltion, '' Jl hat
goOi.i bwoe I doneV ■ Struggling with adverfities, and
yet unible to fubdue them, what mull be his regret when
he fits down conlcious of his feeble efforts, and lees him-
fcif a flave to the emergencies of the day, obliged to
govern by expedients only ? Alarcus Aurelius is the
pjince upon record who bell dei'erved to fee the world
happy under his adminillration, and yet wh.at a reignwr-s
his f A fcene of wild commotion, in which all the accu-
mulated ills of life feemcd to crowd themldves togethej.
One would have thought it an infurie6lion of all naturia
a general confpira cy to baffle eveiy effort of w;fdom ar;d
■of virtue. It is a nielanchcly talk, that lie who raiiird a
teinple to Beneficence^ was doonicd to lee the black-It
f^r:gdofdiUrels and mifcry. B'-it not to go fo ix;r back u«r

EELISARIUS. 55

examples ; was ever a reign more diftlnguKhed for ac-
tivity, tor vigour, and apparent luccel's, than this of Juf-
tinian ? A feries of war and victory in thicc quarters of
the world for tiiirty years together j the lofies of a cen-
tury repaired in one reign ; the people of the North and
of the Welt exterminated beyond the Danube and th$
Alps ; tranquillity elLablifned through ail the provinces of
Atiaj icings overthrown, and led in triumph j the defo-
lation of a plague, the wafte of invaiions j and the ruin of
earthquakes ettaced ahnolt from the memory of man by
the reitoring hand of unwearied virtue ; places of defence
and temples without number, the former built from the
ground, and the latter decorated with every fplendid orna-
ment ! Thefe v.-ere the works of Jultlnian's reign j im-
perial works I how glorious ! how magnificent ! And yet
what a falling off! Behold him now in the decline of old
age j what has he done ? That victorious arm was never
able to fix the empire upon a durable foundation ; at this
very inllant it totters to its ruin ; that is at laft the clofc
of all his labours,the fruit of fo many triumphs. — Let this,
Tiberius, be a lelTon to you ; let it inftrucf you to view
with pity the fplendid mifery of kings, to rejudge their
aclions with lenity, and, in particular, to conceive no dif-
afFeclion to a venerable fovereign , on account of the ills
which he has let fall, or the good which he has omitted
to do.'

« You alarm me,' faid Tiberius, < with thefe reflec-
tions ; my firft advice to any friend of mine upon a throne
ihail be to abdicate it.' — * To abdicate it '' replied Beli-
farius j * that ycu will r.ot do j courage will never be the
ndvifer of deiertion. Were you ever induced by peril
and fatigue to abandon the fword ? there is no difference
in this view of things, between a fword and a fceptre.
It is incumbent upon every man to crowd into his life
all the duties he can. Endeavour not to conceal from
your friend that he ir.uft inevita\)ly be a vi6tim to thofe
jibout him 3 but make him fenlible, at the fame time, that
there is a plea.ursjas well as pain in being thus facnficcd,
a;jd that, ip oiJer to iufur;? his true rscompenfe, h' mull

xiifiAme

56 BELISARIU3.

iniinme his imagination with the enthunafm of public
virtue, and mult thence deduce the Iweet reward of all
his generous labours. '-^r-' And where is this re>'. ard to
be met with ?' interpofed Tiberius. -r-* It confifts,' re=
turned Belilarius, * in cur own inward conlcicurnefs ; it is
purely kntimental, and Iprir.gs cut of the rtfleftion that
we find within our breafts, the R(5^ive principles of hu^
rnanity, focial atte<51ion, generous i'ynipathy, thofe ami-
able qualities wliich conftitute the dignity of our nature^
and merit the approbation of earth and heaver. Can you
imagine that a king has luch contra8ed views as to rifg
in a m.orning to balance the account of what he may
merit in the courfe of the day ? His language to himfelf,
I take it, muH be, awake ! arife 1 and with you let ji;(lics
and benevolence open their eyes on the world. Piveft
yourfelfoF little felf Hi padions, of your fchcmes of pri^
vate gratification, and reiign even the repofe of your life.
You do not live for youri'elf alone ; the Ibul of a whole
people ftirs within you ; your will is the will of millions,
and properly promulgated, receives the fan<5>ion of law.
Let the law tl-ien be the rule of jour goven.mcnt, and
reir.eiTiber that on the h^ppinefs of numbers your own
intereft is grafted. You are moved, Tiberius I your hand
trembles in mine ! let me bid you relt afinred, that thf
vtiy tears of virtue have inexprelTible delight. Virtue, it
is triie, cannot ascertain a conrtant good unmixed with
evil; but is there fucha thing in human life? And if there
is, for whom is it referved ? For theinaftive, the wicked,
and unworthy? The mil(:hief which a patriot prince can-
not remove, draws tears from his humanity, but they
are not the bitter tears of envy, reiriorfe, and turpitude.
They are the pleafmg ibrrows of Titus, who weeps chat
he has loft a day : they are pure as the fource from which
they fpring. Ycu n^.ay therefore aver to your friend,
and pray aver it with energy, as if feme god werebrcath-*
jng thiough you, that am;ed with virtue he will never
know the pang of envying the fortunes of the vile anci
wicked. But this conftancy of mind, this true fupport of
virtue, is not the Jbontaneous growth of the humai^

bicall'j

EELISARJU5. 57

breaft ; the fpirlt of a young piince mufl: be attempered to
it i and how he is to be initiated, we will make the lub-
je(5l of to-morrow's interview/

* He moulds me to his wiIl,MaId Tiberius to Juftinian;

• his power over my foul is irrefiftible j he finks, intlames,
and elevates at his own diibretion.'' — * He tears my
Very heart,' replied the emperor 5 then fetched a deep
ligh, and remained a confiJerable time in penfive filtnce.
TodilJDel the gloom the court tried all its gaieties, but
e\'ery endeavour was fruitlefs importunity. On the mor-
row, having fignified his inclination to take a ioiitary
walk, he ftruck into a neighbouring wood j Tiberius
was there in waiting, and together they went to their ap-
pointment. The young man did not fail to revive the to-
pic v.'hich had been promifed, and Belifarius proceeded ifi
the following manner.

CHAP. IX.

* TT has been made a quert ion, whether It be poffible to
A love virtue for its own fake only ? So gtnerous a

principle, it rauft be acknowledged, is the (ublime in-
llinct of certain chofen fpirits. I call it an inftinft ; for
whenever it is the work of refieflion, it degenerates into
intereft 5 nor can this propofition be underilood to dero-
gate from human nature. I will fliew you, that virtue,
like friendfhip, refines itfelf by degrees from the drois of
intereft, and takes a more exalted nature ; the operations
of one will illuftrate the other.

It is to views of convenience, of pleafure, and utility,
that frientifhip owes its origin. The eife6^ in the procefs
is detached from the caufe ; the motives fuofKle, and the
fentiment produced keeps poflcinon of the heart j a fecret
charm infinuates itfelf, and by the force of habit mingles
with our very love of exiftence. In this ftate ofthc^mmd,
imeai'y fenfations may take place inftead of promifed joys ;
but ftill, the heart which has tafted of friendfliip will,
rather than renounce it, forego ail the foothing comforts
it expecled to enjoy. Friendfhip is a fympathy which
commences in gaiety and exultation, and gathers Ibength

5$ BELISARIUS.

in the hour of affll6llon. The lame may be affirmed of
virtue. To engage ycur affe6\ions, it mult firft attract by
an appearance ct tlie agreeable or the ufeful ; fcr before
we are enamoured of her, we love ourfelves ; and till we
know of the real fweecs of virtue, we look for gratifica-
tions very different from what flie affords. When Re-
gulus, in the fpring of life, beheld her for the firft time,
flie ftruck him with the pomp of triumph and iplendour
of glory. Whether he abandoned her afterwards, when
Ihc had nothing to give but fetters, the torture, and th^
funeral pile, need not now be mentioned.

* You muft therefore begin by founding the temper of
the prince, and difcovej ing the objects that chiefly Ihike
his fancy. To be free, powerful, rich, obeyed by his fub-
jecls, erteemed through life, and happy in theprolpe6l of
future fame, will perhaps be the prevailing defires. In-
form him, therefore, that from virtue alone he Ciin obtain
v/hat he pants for, and you will not miflead him.

* There is a lecret in the art of governing, too often con-
cealing from the pride ct kings, in which every well dif.
pofed prince ought to be early inftrufted, and that is
contained in this fober truth : there is no abfolute power
except that of the laws, and he who aims at defpotifm
enflaves himfelf. For what is law but the will of the;
whole community, exprefied by one man, in the fame
manner as his power is the whole force of the ftate coU
le6\ed in himi'elf ? But when the will of man is erected in
oppofition to the whole, the force ot the body-politic will
then be fet againfi: the prince, who relorts to the practice
of dividing, weakening, and fubverting the ftrength of
the kingdom ; or, perhaps, at length he is in open arms
agalnlt it. Inftead of being the father of his people, he is
now their tyrant : he governs by intrigue, and ftrives by
little arts of policy to delude, furprife, alarm, and teirify
his fubjefts into a tame fubmiflion ; or elfe he reforts to
his agents of defti-u6lion, vi'ho fell the blood of thei^
countrymen, and march fword in hand through the realm,
covering all with defolation, till murder has taken oft'
every honeft man who dared to refill the yoke and vindi-»

cate

EELISARIL'S. 59

catc tlie rights of nature. Hence the rage of civil com-
niotions, in which a brother lavs to his brother, die, or
yield to the tyrant, who has paid me for cutting your
throat. Proud of an uiurpation maintained by force of
:;.rms, or founded on fupcrftition, the tyrant congratu-
lates himfelf: but let his heart tremble within him, if he
evcr ceafe to pamper the pride, or control the licentiouf-
nefs, of his dctefted party. While they ferve him, they
chain him to themielves by his fears ^ and for the obedi-
er.ce tliey pay their captive king, they demand in return
impunity tor their crimes. Being thus grown the oppref-
for of one part of his fubjects, he is a flave to the other j
as mean and abjeft to the bad, as fierce and domineering
to tne good. Conlf rained to manage with his accomplices,
he is obliged to Itudy hov/ to gratify tiiem, that the pal-
fions which liifed on his fide may not revolt from him j
for he knows their fierce and dangerous quality, fmce
they have already marked their way wi:h ruin, and broke
afundcr all the ties of nature and humanity. The tiger,
trained to the chafe, and educated by man to the fkill of
devouring, will fly at his mailer, if a fliare of the pity
be with-b.eld from him. The tyrant's compa6l with his
factors of mifchief is precifely the fame.

* Thefupreme power, therefore, as it approaches toty-
rinny, becomes feeble in proportion, and depends for fup-
port upon the men who have leagued themlelves againlt
iht conltitution. It mull be ever attentive to the tools
of a party, lert they Ihouid make a dei'eflion to the In-
terelh of their country. Every mark of compliance,
refpeft, and the molt fervile toleration, m.uft be paid to
them, to the utter fubverfion of juftice, and the neglect
of all found policy. The prince mult defcend to the
meanelf deferences, the molt flagrant partiality, the
humblcft difTimAilation, and even lb low 'as to wear the
fmilcs of content, with relentment at his heart.

* The prince that would govern according to the
true fpirit of civil policy, muit m.ake the laws the
fole rule of his conduct : for his authority is inferiur
to the laws, founded upon the will and the whole

fores

8«5 EELISARIUS.

Force of the community. He wiJ], in that cafe, know
lio enemies but the bale and wicked, the common ene-
mies of Ibciety, Whoever intcrerts himfelf in the fup-
port of order and the public tranquiiUty, is an rLlTertor of
the fovereign authority %vhich protects him. Every ci-
tizen, in the declared foe of his prince, beholds his own
peribnal enemy. Party-divilion is banillitd from the
Itate, and the Sovereign, in league with his people, isien-
dered rich and powerful by the wealth and power of his
people. Under no neceflity to intrigue witii parties, he
reigns in freedom) perhaps in ju(Hce, with his crown
fiiTTi and unfhaken on his head. His admir.ift ration,
fixed upon the bafis of law and public fecurity at
home, becomes refpeftable to foreign powers j and, as
he is never inftigated by caprice and pride to wage a war
of ambition, his armies, maintained and regulated under
proper diicipline, are ready to take the field with vigour
and with I'pirit, when the public caufe demands the ex*
ertion of the ftate againft the tuthor of civil diicord, or
the foreign uiurper^ Oh, my friend 1 let juihce be the
bafis of the liipren.e authority, and the love of a grateful
people will not fail to be its moll invigorating principle,
and its belt fupport. Tl:e Have will fight reluctantly for
his prifon and his chains j but the citizen, who is lecure
in his civil rights, who loves iiis prince, and is reciprocal-
ly beloved, will haiard himiclf in tlie defence of the au-
thority to which he is indebted for his own protection.
Amidft the hard/hips of the campaign, and the perils of
battle, he feels hiir.feif infiamed with the idea that he is
Ibuggling fur his fires and his altars, for ail that can be
dear to l:im.'

* Ah! thefckfTons,' faid Tiberius, ' fink deep into
my heai t : they are delivered with words that barn j
tkly kindle a flame in the foul. When Ihali I be able
to infpire the brealt of kings with fentimentslike thcfe !*

* It is now clear,' replied Beliiarius. * that the true
fplendour and authority of lovereigns are founded onjuf-
tice } that virtue and bcnificence Itrengthen the founda-
tion] anJ ihe moft abfclutc piincc is he who v:i^v,s in

.1 " tlic

r.ELISARlUS. 6t

the hearts of his people/ — ' From what you have faid,*
interpofed Tiberius, * it is now plain that true policy and
reafon are convertible terms j and that the art of govern-
ii)^ confifts in following the fuggtilions of wifdom and
bt virtue.' — ' Vou are perfefllv right,' replied Bciifari-
Us j * nothing can be more fimple, more eafy in the prac-
tice, and iuic of its effciSt. The emperor Juftin, origi-
nally an honell peaiant of Illyria, wno came to a throne
from the plough, found the way to endear his adminif-
tration to mankind. Was it owing to his llcill in po-
litics ? Far from it j it was owing to the re6li'-ude of
his mind, and the amiable difpcfitions of his heart.
Were it my lot to govern, I fhculd ende:ivour to occu-
py that great example. Far be from the brealt of a
prince that fly, flow policy, that looks with an oblique
eye upon every thing. It looks about iiideed with a
kind of indirefl prudence, and recoils in time from rocks
and precipices ; but it is inquietude at bell. Row unlike
the icienity enjoyed by him who loles all thoughts of
Jelt in the love of millions, and is therefore lefs expoied
than the Uioff wary, circumfpe6l, and fuipicicus tyrant !
But the misfortune is, the prince is too often alarmed
by artful and defigning men: he is taught to confider
iiis people as an tnemy to be dreaded ; and tliat dre::d,
as loon as impreffed, leads i-talitv to the ideal danger j
for it gives birth to mjltrull, and niiftruft is the mother
oi' hatred and of malice.

* You have obfcrved that a prince, a man almoft folita-
ry ana without ccnnexicns, has his cares and wants con-
tracled into very fcantv limits j th;vt at his ea!e he com-
mands all the real good in lifej that he is narrowly cir-
cumiciibed j and all beyond a fmall circle is vanity, il-
Jufion, and deceit . While nature prefcribes to him to be
iTiocitrate in his defircs, all things about him irritate his
pafTions, and ftimulate intemperance. Alas ! v.ere it
his aim to live in harmony with liis people, he would
liave no partv but his fubjeols, no intcrclts but that of
tii^ itate. How differently are things circumfianc-d at
prekiitl All confidence is extingulfhed j the nectlntv of
F bcir-

62 EELISARIUS.

being ever guarded againft a turbulent and fedltious po»
pulace is inculcated ; and a (landing army is maintained
to terrify thole who fliould be cherifhed by their love-
reign. By thefe means the prince lives at variance with
his fubjefts j his party is formed, and ambition, with a
train of inordinate defires, ftalks at the head of it. This
hydra of faftion is ever infatiable, and yet unconftitu-
tional means muft be tried to latisfy its rapacity. Here
then is the firft fpring of that monllrous dillin6llon,
which we have known in the empire, between the pro-
vinces of the people and the provinces of the emperor,
between the interefts of the fubjeft and thofe of the prince.
The idea of property fhould never enter the thoughts of
the fovereign. When once his imagination is (truck
with it, it follows that the fccurity of the crown and his
life feems to depend upon that property, and by a natu-
ral progrefs avarice tak^s poflefiion of him. He thinks
himfelf enriched by the inipoveri(hment of his people j
and whatever ^-apacity has feized is fet down as clearer
gain. In proportion as the luhje6l is plundered, he ap-
pears to the jealous prince reduced to a deep lubjeflion.
Hence ("cheines of rapine on the one hand, dil'content and
repining murmuis on the otiier j and hence the dark feeds
of civil war, which, like fniothered flames, lie brooding
in the very heart of the (late, and at kngth break out
in a fudden ei-uption all over the land. Of his private
coffers the fovereign now thinks he has the full advan^-
tage : he congratulates himfelf on the prudence which
fettled his uiealures fo long btfore hand : but, fliort-
fighted man! he little perceives that, by being jud, he
would have been above fuch little timid precautions ; and
that all the mean, and of courfe cruel, pafTicns, which
lift tor hiie in his caufe, would be vile andufclefs, if vir-
tue were the fpring of his a6lions. This, my friend
Tiberius, this is the doftrine which the future Ibvereign
ought to hear froju you. Let him once be perfuaded
that the Itate and the Icvereign are but one tlung: let
him underltanti that this political union conftitutes h.is
true Itrcngth, the bafis of his dignity, his honom-, and

his

BEIISARIUS. 6f

kis peace ; and ideas of property will then be reJ€6\ed as
fordid and unworthy*. His folid advantage will be
placed in the good he procures for his people; and thus
his pafTions will transform themlelves to the virtues of a
patriot king, jult and equitable for his own inttrelt, mo-
derate upon principles of ambition, and benevolent
through every lelfillincfs. It is by confidering things
in this way, my worthy friend, that truth appears the
parent of virtue. But truth, I grant you, appears an
hi If with an awkward mien at court. He who gains her
hrft audience Irom a king, muft have been endowed with
no fmall degree cf courage. When flattery has taught
the pernicious maxims, tliat princes reign tor themlelves
alone j that royal independer.ee confifts in the gratifica-
tions of dcfirei and that even caprice is a Itate-law; tlie
faithful and honeft councellor who undertakes to refute
this notable fyftem will not be graciouilv received ; but
let him be once heard, and he will ga^tf the royal ear ;
cne tiTjth eftabliflied, the reft may be poured upon him
with rapidity, for they are fure of their efFe6l ; and the
prince, inftead ot dreading, will anticipate the conclu-
fion.

TiTith will now derive charms from virtue, and vir*
tue in its turn will lend eir.bcllinaTients to truth. It is
indilpenfibly neceflary that the latter fliould enlighten the
mind j for the inclination of our nature to a good, whofe
value is not explained, is merely a blind, a vague, and
uncertain inltinft. But a defire to lei-ve mankind is vir-
tue, founded on the knowledge of remote and extenli\e
confequences. To know the interefts cf humanity is the
true Itudy of a prince. Whatever is juit, whatever is
ufeful, that is tioith, and the truth a king fhould invefti-
gate ; it is the great band of lociety j in aii bufinefs, in
every tranfailion of lire, it upholds the chain of moral
duties J on mutual wants and mutual aids giafts human
happinefs,and makes the author of public good a partaker

♦ The emperor Trajan was ufed to compare the treafure of a
prince to a Iwelled and diftempered fpleen, which enfeebles and
confumes the reft of the body. of

F s

64 BELISARIUS.

ker of the bleflTings he heftows. This is the fit employ-
ment of a prince j to this he fliouid dedicate his days i
to know himfelf, and the nature of man ; to develope
the fecret movements of the heart, the operations of ha-
bit, tlie fpecific qualities of chara6fcr, the influence of
opinion, the powers and the weaknelTes of our frame ; to
ftudy intenfcly, and not with frivolous curiofity, but a
fixed and (teady determination of the will, with a perfe-
verance alarming to flatterers, the temper, the manners,
and the relburces of his people, together with the con-
duff ot his minillers ^ and in this noble enquiry <to let in
light to the judgment on every fide, with a deteftation
of the chndefline informer, and a generous encourage^-
ment of thole who have tlie fpirit to call aloud for a re-
drcfs of grievances committed in his name. Thefe are
tiie thmgs which conlfitute the love of truth; and thus,
faid he, afldrefl^mg himfelf to Tiberius, thus eveiy
prince will lov„ it, svhc is, as he ought to be, perfuaded,
that to be great, he mult be juft and upright. In con-
veying fhefe fentiments to him, you will inftru6l him
how to l)e free and independent in the midlf of a court j
for it is there he muft be jealous of his liberty. To
make him fenfibie of this, will be 'he arduous part of
your undertaking : this is the point which you muft la-
bour with allidui'y ar.d finnnefs.' — * It fliaii be done,'
faid Tiberius, ' when I am armed with your inftruc-
tions."* — Here the converfation broke off, and they took
leave of each other.

* It has happened by fome ftrange fatality,' faid the
emperor, ' that in all ages and countries the friends of
mankind have been hated by thole who are bound to be
the fathers of the people. The popularity of Belifarius
was his only crime : it was that alone provoked his ene-
mies, and perhaps alarmed my jealonfy. Alas ! they
piade me fear him j it had been better if I had endea-
VOMr^d to imitate him.' CHAf,

IPELISARIUS, 65

CHAP. X.

ABOUT the fame hour of the following day, Belifi-
rius, expecting his vifitorSjfeatedhimfcU again under
the old oak, upon the road, where he had received thein
the night before. He faid, in a low fcliloquy, * to have
found two virtuous men, who beguile me from myfelf,
and enter thus into a difcuifion of the great objects of
humanity, is a circumftance that alleviates my misfor-
tunes. How foothing to contemplate the focial inter^fts
ofoian! My afflictions are foftened by it ! The very
idea of being but remotely conducive to the welfare of
nations has raifed me above mvfelf, and now I fee how
the ditfufion of benevolence to a whole people aflimilates
man to his Divine Creator.'

Juftinian and Tiberius overheard thefe iaft words as
they approached. * You are warm in the praiie of be-
neficence,' faid the emperor J ' and indeed beneficence,
of all the virtues, affords the molt endearing and
the fweeteft fenfations. Happy the man whofe lot it is
to enjoy fo noble a pleafure r — < And yet this fupreme
delight muft be talted with moderation,' replied the hero,
< for even gccdnefs itfclf, if not condu61ed by wifdom
and jullice, degenerates into an open vice. Attend,
young man,' faid he, to Tiberius, * and maik what I
have to offer on this head.

' Of fovereign authority the higheft aff is the diftribu-
tion of favours and marks oi grace : this partakes of the
nature of beneficence, and is therefore a pleafing exertion
of power ; but in the exercife of it, it is requinte that
the prince fliouid be guarded againit feduclion. The
whole ol his intelligence muft arii'e from thofe who ap-
proach his perfon ; and of that number there is not one
who does not for ever inculcate, that the feat of majefty
is in the court j that ail regal fpkndour is derived from
the brilliant appearance that enlivens the palace j and
that the moft valuable prerogative of the crown diipiays
itfelf by a profufion of favours, which are ft vied the mu-
nificence of the fovereign. Gracious iieaven ! the muni-
ficence ! it is the fubftance of the people he beftows ; the
F 3 fpoils

66 BELISARIUS.

fpoils of the poor and indigent ! Thus the prince is de.
ceived by words : adulation and treachery bciiege his
thrcne ; aflidiiity for ever pays its court j and the habit
of refufing nothing gains upon the credulous fovereign,
who little thinks of the tears extorted from the poor by
the extravagance of the court: exultation fills the palace,
and eveiy room echoes with prail'es of the royal muni-
ficence. That munificence sflumes the mien of virtue,
and wealth is fquandered without confidering from whence
it came, Alas ! would kings refleft how their fplcn-
dour grows out of themifery of others ; and for the fake
of an ungrateful crew, what a number groan in wretch-
ednefs ! But, Tiberius, the prince wlio has one true
friend, will be fure to know this ; and he will know be-
fides, that true beneficence confilts more in oeconomy
than lavifh diftribution ; that every partial grant is in-
jultice to merit, and from that injuftice fpring all the
word evils that can dilhadf a ftate.'

< You bciiold the mui:ificence of fovereigns,' faid Ti-
berius, * with an eye of feverity/ — * I conuder it in its
true light,' replied the hero, ' as a mere perfonal at-
tachment, which, in the choice of men for public offi-
ces, counterad s the natural courfe of juft ice, of nature,
and of reafon. For juftice appropriates honours to vir-
tue, and rewards to merit : for the arduous bufinefs of
high empioy.nents nature brings forth great abilities and
conlummace talents j and furely reafon direff s that qf
men the bell pofTjble ufe fhould be made ? but partiality
confers the recompenfe due to virtue upon elegant and
polifhed vice j and thus complaifance is preferred to ho-
Dtii zeal, adulation to tiuth, and meannefs to elevatio))
ofilul. The iuperficial gift of pleafing, as if it were
I'uperior to every other gift of nature, afpires to all the
favours of the crown, and generally engrolTes them. —
Fro.M rlefe premifes it may be inferred, that partiality
in ;iie diftribution of favours is the lure mark of a bad
reign; and the prince who religns into the hands of a fa-
vourite the honour of his crown and the welfare of his
people, brhigs matters to ihi^ dilemma^ he cither fets

a fmal!

BELISAP.IUS. 67

Vi. fmall value upon what he confides to his favourite, or
he alcribes to his own choice the power of triinsfornJng
the fouls of men, as if he were able to mould a ftatefman
or an hero out oi" a fuperannuated Have or a youthful
profligHiu'

* That,' faid Tiberius, « would be an attempt of the
mc(ft abfurd futiilt)' j but employments abouvid In all
ftates, which may be competently filled by m.en of very
ordinary talents.'

* Not a fingle employment,' replied Belifarius,' which
does not demand, if not an able, at leatt an hcneit man j
but royal favour is little Iblicitous about the one or the
other ; on the contrary, both are negle6led ; or, ftill worfe,
they are fure to meet all the little indignities of a Icorn-
ful repulfe. Hence every talent dies in its bloom, ami
every virtue withers in the bud. Of talents and of vir-
tues emulation is the vivifying foul j but partiality is im-
mediate death. The ftate in wluch this vice prevails,
may be compai-ed to thofe warte and defoiatc tia6ls,
which certain ufeful plants fpontaneoufly flioot up, but
are robbed of their nutriment by the briars and brambles
that infe61: the land : and yet this image of phyfical eyil
does not fully exprefs the political miichlef j for under a
reign of favouritlfm, the briars and the brambles are
cherifhed, and every falutary plant is eradicated and
trampled under foot.'

' You feem to afl'ume,' faid Tiberius, * that the royal
favour invariably wants itsduedircernmentof fpirits, and
is never able to make a right choice of men.'

* Rarely, if ever,' replied Belifarlus, « inibmuch that if
the feivants of the public weie choien by lot, it would
be a more infallible mode of ele(5lion. Partiality grants
its favours to thofe only who intrigue for them : but
merit difdains the little arts of intrigue j and that manly
pride is decyphered by court interpreters into neglefl of
the fovereign, who therefore repays it with calmdifdain,
while thealfiduity of low ambition reaps every advantage.
To a prince thus prejudiced., whatacccfs can there be for
t^t fage or the heio ? Can they degrr.de their.felves to the

pliancy

6S BELiSARlUS.

pliancy of flaves ? Can dignity of mind fubmlt to be a
cringing candidate for court favour? If nobility of birth
gives a title to approach the perfon of the fovereign,
what part is to be a6led in a circle of favourites, by truth,
integrity, and honour ? Are they likely to excel in the
dexterities of flattery and diflimuiaticn ? Will they con-
defcend to pry into the paflions of their mailer, and ex-
plore the fecret propenfities of his heart ? The charafters
of the fycophant, the difl'erabler, and thefahe friend, will
be better played by others, who know how to touch the
ftring that founds gratefully to the royal ear, and to fly
ever that which will off"end. Virtue would appear awk-
ward in the attempt. The favourite will acquit hinifelf
with grace in a!l thefe particulars, but fl:ill it will ever
be a million to one that he is unworthy of the diftin<^ion
he enjo)s.'

' The favourite of a difceming, iuft, equitable prince,*
interpofed the emperor, * will, moft probably, be a man
of integrity.''

* In the court of a dlfcemlngj juft, and equitable
prince,' replied Belifarius, * there will be no fuch perfon
as a favourite ; fuch a prince will be worthy of friends,
and he will have them : but favour will do nothing for
them. A faithful fervant would blufli to be fo enriched.
If ever there was a faithful fervant, the emperor Trajan
had fuch an one to boaft of in his minifter Longinus.
That true and worthy friend of his mailer was taken
prilbner by the Dacians ; the king of that people lignified
to the emperor, that unlefs he acceded to the conditions
of peace propofed to him, the captive minifter fliould be
put to death. And what was Trajan's anfwer ? He left
it to the honour of Longinus to decide, as Regulus h?4
formerly done in his own cafe. Behold there the model of
public characters ! Thofe are the men I have iii view I
How glorious to be the friend of fuch a prince! Longinus
law the bright cccafion, and with afublime of virtue dif-
patchtd himlelf, lelf pity fliould take pofleflion of die
emperor, and incline him to an a6l of partiality or per-
ibnal i-egaid/ * I arc

BELISARIUS, 69

< I am overpowered by ti;e weight of your realoningb, '
faid Tiberius : ' yes, I now perceive, tiiat the public
weal, when rightly underltood, gives no latitude to the
affeiiions of the Ibverelgn : but are there not iscldents,
unconne(!rted with the inttrcfts ot" the people, in which he
may realbnably give a icope to his priva»^e affecllons ?'

* I anlwer in the negative,' replied Bclilaiius: • the
prince has no politive unconnected intereft j every thing
IS relative to the whole. The linallell matters are of im-
portance, and even the very civilities of a king muft be
addrdled with caution. Royal favour, it has been laid,
is but a partial evil, and difplays itielf only in little
things i but a deviation horn tlie i\r\6t rule of right, even
in trdles, will foon become habitual, and tVoin imHJi ir-
regularities to great excels the progrcU is rapid. The
circle of the fovereign's favour enlarges it:elf, and to
bafk in the furifhine of his fmiles grov/s a genex-al defire j
each courtier drives to wriggle himfeif into favour: and
the fence thus thrown dowr., how fivill a pn.fce refi;t the
ardour of importunity, and the frequency of folication?
The fence that fhould guard him, mv oelt Tiberius, is a
determination of the will to be always juft and good.
When a principle of uprightnefs is known to guide the
choice of men, it muft thsn De merit, and merii: alone,
that can hope for preferment. Talents, exalted qualities,
and emineiit fervices, form the only admiffible claim; the
candidate for honours muft render himielf w^rihy of
them. Intrigue is difcountenanced, and einulatlon is ani-
mated. Ambition is obliged to proceed by mainy vv.ivs,
and ftarting at the thought of being detected, abavdons
her little fchemes of perfiiy ar.d cunning. Kow diitcrent
is the cafe, when the prince is under the influence of p-r-
fonal atfcftion ? To gain the afcendant over thnt affec-
tion, becomes the bufmefs of all. He who poifelles the
arts of infjnuation, and knows hcvto cabal with thefer-
vants of upper ilrvants, purfues I'.is arudgery through all
its ftages, and creeps up to preferment, meanly nfmg to
fplendid infamy. In the mean time, the man of v.rtuous
pride retires, and with the confentof all he is refigned to

oblivion.

70 BELISASIUS^

oblivion. If it fhould happen that for fome important
fervice he is called from obfcuiity, to mike one in the
glittering crowd ; or if it fliould be necclVary to employ
him on fome occafion worthy of his abilities ; (landing
unconnefled with fa6lion, he finds all p?j:ties combined
againft him, till at length it is vifible, that he muft either
debafe himfelf, by counteru;inding the dark deeds of his
enemies, or elfe furrender to them at difcretion. The
court where intrigue prevails, is a wild uproar of paf-
fions, in which the ifili voice of truth can never be heaid.
The public good is an unregarded thing, and penbnal
affedion is the fountain ot all praife and cenfure ; par-
tiality paffcs its decifions upon all occurrences ; and the
prince, encompafled round with fallchoods, diitra5ied
with doubt, lufpicion, and muftruft, fcarcely ever puts
an end to the waverings of his mind, but to terminate in,
error.

* Why does not he depend upon the evidence of
hSis r faid Tiberius j * facls are obftinate witnefies^
and the teftimony they give is bold and loud.'

* Fa^s,' replied Bclifarius, « are not fo obftinate as
you imagine: they take anew complexion from the con-
trariety of reporters. Every enterprife is judged by its
event; and yet events too frequently give the palm to
rafhnefs, and defeat the beil concerted fchemes of genius
and ability. Men are often more fortunate than wife,
and there are occafions when the proportion is re-
verfed. In either cafe, the characters of men may fuf-
fer much from prejudice, and that more particularly in.
a court, where the colours of good and evil are all de-
rived from the prevailing opinions ot party and taflion.'

* Juftinian, in his old age, is a melancholy example,*
fald the emperor ; ' he has been cruelly deceived !'

* Alas! replied Belifarius, * who has more reafon
than myfelf to knew what has been pra6tift J upon the
credulity of Juftinian ? Who is better acquainted with
the fnares that fa6\ion laid for him ? It was faction
fent Narfes into Italy, to interrupt the profperity of Be-
lilarius. The emperor Uttle imagined that a minifter of

the

BELISARIUS. 71

the finances would be a dangerous rival of the general :
but Narfes had his taftion at court, and he Toon found
one in the camp : a fpirit of difl'cntion prevailed, and
Milan, the bulwark, of Italy, was loft. Narfcs was re-
called, but too late j the tide of fuccefs was now ebbing
away : Milan had been lacked, her inhabitants put to
the Iword, and all Liguria diihiembcred from the empire.
That Narfes was pardoned by the emperor I muft heartily
rejoice ; for the life of fo gr^at a mnn we have an obli-
gation, at leaft, to the decline of all military difcipline.
In the virtuous days of the republic, for the comphcated
crimes of dlfobedlence, and the feduftion of part of my
army, Narfes would have atoned with his head. I was
recalled in my turn. To fucceed me in the command of
the anny, eleven chiefs, all jealous of each other, were
appointed by a new fangled party. Dilcord prevailed in
their councils, and they were defeated. By this means
we loft all Italy. The commmd wss transrerred to me,
but I was a general without an army. I was obliged to
traverfe over Thrace and Illyria in qucit of ibldiers. A
fcanty p.umber, not exceeding four thousand, was col-
Icded together. With this ralh-levied body, wiu) had
neither c loathes, hories, ariiis, nor provifions, I marched
into Italy. In this condition, what was to be done?
With the utmoft difficulty I prevented Rome from fall-
ing into the hands of the enemy. The cabal at court re-
joiced at this diiaftrous profpeft of affairs : *' Tnings are
going as we could wifh," laid they ; *' lie is in the laft ex-
tremity, mereiv ftanding at a bay little, to b^ preieniiy
overwhelmed in ruin." ' AmiJlt the defolaticn of their
country, I was the only objeil of their attciiLion : to fee
my ruin accomplifhed thty wo-^iiid have compounded to
fee the itate ihook to its foundations. I demanded a iup-
ply of men, and I was recalled. N.irfes, with apoweriul
army, was appointed to fucceed nie j and, beyond ail c^uef-
tion, Naries had abilities to juftify the choice. Tliat he
was named to the command was perhaps a public bene-
fit; but before I was wounded, tlie commonwealth re-
ceived a ftab : the ruin of Belifarius was purchafcd at the

exp:'nce

7Z LELISARIUS.

expence of the ftate. There lies the mifclilefcf party. To
rail'e or overtvirn a rmgle man, an entire aiiiiy, peihaps
an empire, mull he iacrificed.'

' Alas !' exclaimed Juttininn, * T now perceive the
treacherous arts by which yourglory was oblcured. What
an indelible rtain to the emperor, thus to have believed
the liiggeftions of your enemies !'

* My good neighbour/ replied Belifarius, < you are
little aware of the rcfir;ement which court pulicy has ac-
quired in the arts ot deftru6lion; you do not know the
genius of intrigue, hew active it is, how peri'cvering,
how afiii'uous and implacable. Relpei^liul ar.d obfequiovi
to the llntiments of the fovercign, it manages vi-ith .cau-
tion, and works its effect by degrees, like the drop of
water that only crzes at firft through its fence, faps on
by iuiperceptihle ftrckes, and then in one rufliing torrent
bears tlcwnall. Cabal and party have this further ad-
vantage en their fide, that the man of honour is without
mi(b-.iit, ami of cour'e without precaution: he has no-
thing to oppole to the malice of his enemies, but his up-
right conduct, which is ever diftoloured by envy, and
liis honelt i'ame, of whicn the report that rings through-
cut the lealm expires ajid dies away at the gates ot the
palace. Envy alone is privileged v.'ithin the verge of the
coinr, and the chaia^Sler ag:;inft which her fliatts are
aimed is iure to fall a victim. In the courfe ot human
contingencies it cannot otherwife happen, but that every
commanctr nuiit experience th.e vicillitudcs oi fcitune,
and foM\ his train ot victory ibmetimes interrupted; of
every cafualty envy takes advantage, and makes even
accidents a ground of impeachment. Has the commander
done all that was polfible ? Ke ought to have done betreij
any body but himlelf would have a(Sted upon a different
plan; he did not make a right u!"e of his cppcrtunities.
The charge agrinft him is aggravated, and the good he
has dene dwiudles into nothing. The refult is, that the
man wl.o c:^n be ufeful to his country is tliemoftdaiiger-
cu.s perion in it. To the mis-ortune of the public h s
dov<nfai is tifc^ledj and to their orcater mlsfcrtnr.e, icme

worthltis

BELISARIUS. 73

worthlefs wretch Is lure to rile upon his ruins. Another
concomitant evil is, the impredion made upon the minds
of men by the melancholy prol'peft or virtue in dilbefs,
and of" vice exulting in prolperity. Public Ipirit grows
languid at the refledion, that all the fine incentives of
honour are extinguifhed ; guilt is cDiboldened, the evil
conl'cience forgets to bluHi, and excelfes of every kind
riot with impunity. Such arc the evils that attend a
reign ot favouritifan. Judge yourl'elf how fuch a difpoli-
tion may precipitate the ruin of the ftate.

* Without doubt/ faid Juftlnian, ' it is the mofl danger-
ous infirmity that ever bialled the mind of a prince j but
in an old man, who for thirty years has Itruggled to no
purpofe in the ftorms of fortune, and at la^, in fpitc of
all his efforts, fees the tempell ready to burft in ruin on
his head ; in one thus worn out with age and troubles,
may it not be deemed an excufable weaknefs, if he en-
deavours to fweeten his cares, or at leaft to alleviate them,
by indulging the private affeftions ? It will anfwer no
purpofe to be too fanguine in our hopes j let us not de-
ceive ourielves with flattering ideas of the public con-
dition : ev^en now the empire, by its own weiglit, is tot-
tering to its fall. By a lengrh of duration all its vigour
is exhaufted, and it muft (hare at lall the common fate
which brought the empires of Belus and Cyrus to their
defiblution. Like them it has flourifhed in I'plendour,
and like tlvem it muft moulder into ruin.'

* I am no fataliit,' replied Belilarlus, ' in regard to re-
volutions of government : that would b* to give a fanc-
tion to our preient degeneracy of fphit, and make defpaii-
fyftematical. That all fublunary tbmgs, and kingdoms
amongi't them, perlQi and die away, I am not now to
Jearn ; but that nature has traced the bounck of exiftence'
to all its productions, i'eem.s a portion rather problema-
tical. Tne body natural indeed has its period when the
animal functions decay, ajid calmly we welcome death ;
but there never does occur a moment in which it is al-
lowed us to deipair of the commonwealth. The body-
politic, it rauft not be diffcmbled, is fubje^ to convul-

G fions

74 BELISARIUS.

fions that (hake its frame, to Ao .v diibrders that confumc
its vigour, and to ipaihis that elevate for a while, to
plunge It -nro deeper deje61ion afterwards. Activity, it
is true, ftrair.s all its efforts ; repofe is apt to relax ;
and civil contention breaks the conltitutional ftrength ,
but not one of thcfe accidents is mortal in its nature.
Nations have been faved from the very brink of deltruc-
tion } they have emerged from the very depth of miicry ;
and, after Itruggling through thefevercftcniis, have been
reanirr^ated to a vigour unknown before. The dcclcniion
of ftates is not thrcfore maiked out j the line is not drawn,
like tne limits of human life. Old age is unknown to the
bodv-poiitic 5 it is the chimera of miitalcen theorifts. The
fame ardour of hope that infpircs the heart of valour, may
extend its influence, and give animation for any length of
tinje. The conltiiutlon of the empire is now enfeebled,
or rathei it has funk into a languid ftate : but for every
poi;bn there is on antidote in nature, and it behoves us
to dilccrn it.' — Let us inveifigate it together,' faid the
emperor j * there will be fomethmg foothlng in the re-
fearch : but before we tmnk ot the remedy, let us trace
the diforder to li^s firlt principles.'' — * I am willing to en-
ter into the difcuHion,' replied Belifarius, * and it viili
fur„iih us ample .r.attcr for our future meetings.'

CHAP. X.

THE next day Juftinian was impatient to fee Belifa-
rius. He longed to have the veil torn off which hid
the lurking mifcuiers of the ea.pire, and he prefTed with
eagernefs to the interview. Beiii'arius dated his reflections
from the asra or Conftantine. * How much is it to be la-
mented,' faid the hero, * that fo enlarged a genius, with
all that firamefs, that fpirit of enterprife, iliould egre-
giouily milfake the fitncfs of the means to produce the
end defired, and exert for the extinction of the empire
more vigour and aiStivity than would have beei uectf-
fary to retrieve its ancient honours ! His new fyflem of
goverriinent was a maHer-lfroke of human wit: the Prae-
torian bands abolilhed } the children of the poor and help-

Icfs

BELISARIUS. 7?

\ch adopted by the ftate* ; the authority of the pa&^
dillributed into more hands, and weakened of courie j
the lands upon the frontiers afligned to the veteran ibl-
dier, who formtd an Agrarian army for the defence of
the empire : this was indeed a wile inftirution, a large
and ccmpreiienfive policy. Why did not he adhere entirely
to a plan fo jult and fimpie ? He did not iee, or he was
imwiliing to fee that, to tranfpiant the ieat of empire, it
muft be torn up by the very roots. In vain did he pro-
pofe to himfelf that the city he was founding fliould be a
lecond Rome j in vain was the latter defpoiled of its rich-
eft ornaments for the decoration of the former: it was a
mere theatiicai ihvfiing of fcenery, the gaudy fpeftacle
r)t a pantomime.*

* You aftonifn me," faid Tiberius, interrupting him ; * I
was ufed to think the capital of the world more ?.dvan-
tageoufty fituated up.n the Bofphorus, in the middle of
the two leas, and between Europe and'Afia, than in the
heart of Italy, upon the banks ot a river which fcarce
delerves the name navigable.'

* Conftantine thought as you do,' replied Belilarlu?,
* and he was iriftaken. The Itate which is obliged to
carry war into foreign territories, mull be governed by a
found in.ternai policy, compa6l within itfclt, and eafy to
be defended. Such was the advantage of Italy. The
hand of nature feemed to have made it a relidence for the
mafters ot the world. The mountains anu the fea which
indole it formed a itrong barrier againlt invafion : guard
but the Alps, and Pvome was gu;:rded too. It that i-nce
proved tco weak to repel the enemy, the Appennires af-
forded a fafe retreat, and fei'ved as a ram. part lo hall Italy,
It was there that Caniillus gave the Gauls a fignal over-
throw ; and in that fpot Narles obtained his briilant vic-
tory over Totila.

* When the parent \vas unable to maintain his child, the fiute
took the charge upon itfelf, aiid the infant was educated at the ex-
pence of the public -. and this law Conftantine directed to be ergra-
ved on marble, that he might perpetuate it through all fuccelTive
ages. G z At

J6 BHLISARIU3.

At prcfent the empire has no fixed immovable centre :
but lies open and expofed to all the afl'aults of fortune.
Afk the Scythian, the Sarniatian, and the Sclavonian,
whether the Heber, the Danube, and the Tanais, are bar-
Tiers to ob(tru6l tlie march ? On that fide Bazantium is
Aur only fence } that its walls are not in due repair is not
the circumltance that grieves nie moft.

* V.'^iitn Rome was the feat of empire, the eftablillied
policy of government was able to carry the vigour of its
laws from the centre to the extremity of the ftate : all
Italy was under its immediate influence, within the reach
of the adminiitration ; the law gave the tone to the nian-
ners, and the manners in their turn made grave and faith-
ful minilkrs of jullice. We have indeed now the fame
inltitutions ; but as all is tranfplanted from the place of its
growth, the confequence is, that every thing droops, as
if regretting its native foil. The empire is not collected
in itleH' as it was before : it is enlarged, and thereby weak-
ened. The national charafler has loll: its fplrit : even
the endearing name of country is gone forth amongft
us. Italy was renowned for men who imbibed with
their firft breath the love of their country, and grew
to manhood amidft the exercifes of the Carnfus Martius.
At prefent, where is the cradle, and where the Ichool
of warriors ? The Dalmatians, the Illyrians, and the
Thracians, who are now mingled with us, are in fa6f a$
foreign as the Numidians and the Moors. No common
intereft to unite them into one common caul'e, no kin-
dred fpirit to afluateand infpire them. " Remember tkatyou
are Romansy^ laid a con\mander to his foldiers in the days
of the old republic 5 and that fliort harangue was of ef-
ficacy to brace their nerves for labour, and to render them
invincible in battle. What animating topic have we to in-
fill upon ? Shall we fay, Remember thatyou are Armenians,
'Numidians, or Dalmuttians? Wc are no longer one body-
politic, and there lies the caufe of our debility. The pro-
je<5tots of our new fettlement were not aware that to
form that coalition, that unity of interefts, which we call
our country, requiies the progreffive toil of ages., the llovr

and

EELI5ARIUS. 77

tmd imperceptible working of fentiment, habit, and
(opinion. Our new city was embellidied bv Conrtantine
with ftarues cfRumar. heroes ; but, alas ! the policy was
jneffeftual, tor the men whole images we only Taw, lived
and breathed the flame of liberty in the capital ! The
genius that inl'pired them did not embark on board our
Jhips : we imported inanimate m.arble only. Pauius
EiTiilius, the Scipios, and the Catos, are filent here and
mute j they are foreigners at Byzantium j but at Rome
they harangued the people, and the people undcrftood and
felt them.'

* I do not perceive, ^ faid Juflinian, • but the empire,
Hncethe feat of government v^^as removed, has enjoyed a
truer ftate of peace and fecurity than it knt .v a: Rome
fcr a feries of years; The people there had fallen into de-
generacy, and the fenate funk deeper in fliame and fer-
vitude.'

* When the adminiftration is confided to in^.proper
hands,' repled Bcliiarius, ' the itrength and dignity of
every ftate will be impaired, and a train of calamities
muft enfue. At Rome, however, nothing but one good
reign was wanting to recal the conititution to its firlt
principles. Take a view of Adrian's adminiftration : the
ftate ieemed under him to rile out of its ruins. Behold
Marcus Aurelius upon the throne ; to what an height of
glory and magnificence was the condition of the empire
raifed by the conduct of that excellent prince! Roman
virtue has been often eclipfed, but not extinguiined:
whenever a prince appeared of a genius to rekindle the
ipirit of his country, the latent fire was always readv to
mount into a blaze. But, alas ! every principle of virtue
is now deftroytdj the feed muft be lbv»-n again j and that
muft be the arduous talk of a long reign, founded in
juftice, moderation, and wifdom. Nothing but a prodigy
of this fort can redeem us in this juncture. Our very vic-
tories may be the ruin of the ftate. We have an hundred
enemies to cope wiui, and thofe enemies b.ave but one.
An idea is conceived that they may be all fubducd^ and
yet one is nofooner cruftied, but he rifes again j a freili

G 3 foe

7S RELISARIUS.

foe is ever ready to find us employment, and by a rapt-
dity of i'uccefiion they give breathing-time to each otber.
By this diveilion of our arms a conftant alarm is kept
up, and the ilate, thus diftracted, grows feeble every dayo
The march ofarmies to various and dift antplaces confumes
our ftrength j the vigour of our meal'ures ftrains every
nerve, to relax us more in tiie end ; and every vicf ory is
a v^'ound which has no time to dole. Thus, after an ex-
ertion of all the powers of the empire to maintain its
own importance, a fingle day fhall ftiake it to its foun-
dation, and render the labour of twenty years abortive in
a fingle hour. Recolleft how often, \mder the prefent
reign, our ftandard has been hurried about the world,
from the Tiber to the Euphrates, and from the Eu-
phrates to the Danube ! And now what is the confequence ?
what is rhe fruit of fo many vi6\ories, under Mundus,
Germanicus, Solomon, Narfes, and myfelf, if I may be
added to the number ? A peace is all we have obtained at
laft.'

* And if our victories exhauft us,' faid the emperor,
' it is right to bring things to that concluficn.'

* To "buy a peace,' replied Beliiarius, * is not the
way to prevent the calamities of war. The favage of ihc
north has nothing in view but booty j and it he is furc
of gaining ir, his motives to frequent excurfions grow the
ftionger. The Perfian need only fprcad an alarm every
year through our faireft provinces in Afia, and he goes
back loaded with our money. A new way of exterminat-
ing the plunderer, by holding forth the booty that invites
him ! The price of peace becomes the principle of war j
and our emperors, by exhaufting their fubje6fs, have pam-
pered and inflamed the avarice of their enemies.'

* You affc6l me deeply,* faid Juftinlan } ' what bulwark
would you oppofe to th^ invahons of the enemy ? — * A
good army,' replied Bellfarius, * and above all, a people
tree and happy. When the barbarians rufl) into our pro-
vinces, they are attracted by the love of plunder j and
though they leave dclblation and hatred behind them, yet
tliejr purpoie is aolwered if they leave impreflions of ter-
ror

BELISAR1U3, 79

ror alio. The cafe is different with an empire that would
maintain its poircHions in lecurity. It" it does not endear
its goveinmtnr to iiianklnd, it may as well abdicate ; for
it is a lelf-evident propofition, that all authority founded
on fear will grow weak, at every remove from the capital,
till at lalt, fading by degrees, it is loll in diliance. To
rule by the m.edium of fear from Taurus to the Alps, and
from Caucafus to the foot of i\tlas, as an imporHbility in
politics. If the fubjc6l groans under the weight ot his
grievances, and power fupports itfelf by the fweat of the
brow, of what moment is it to him, whether Romans or
Perfians are his opprefTors ? The authority that burdens
us will never be well defended ; and the nation that has
not fpirit torenft opprefTion, v/ill crouch with tame acqui-
efcence under the firlt deliverer that appears. Would vou
give If ability to government ? lav your foundation in the
affe6fions of mankind ; and the aftecfions of mankind are
ever attached to the principles of humanity, of beneh-
cence, integrity, public faith, and zeal for the happinefs
of millions. Thofe are the virtues that command a wiU
img people. The fpirit of the conftitution is then dif -
fufed over the whole dominion, alive and acfive in each
diftant part ; the people are all as one hand and one heart,
and every province is the feat of government.

I fliall have frequent occahon to allude to myfelf,' con-
tinued Belifarius ; ' and my worthy young man,' faid he
to Tiberius, ' by appealing to my experience you have
made all apology for tgotifm unnecefTary. When I had
the condufl of the war in Africa, I confidered thofe re-
gions as part of my native country. The regular and
ftri6l difclpHne which I ellablifhed throughout my army
procured the good will of mankind, and attra6led plenty
from every quarter. In a little time I had the latisfac-
tion of feeing my camp reforted to as a faniSf uary by every
various people, who crowded to my (landard and lilted
under me. The day which faw me enter Carthage at
the head of avi5lorlousanriy, did not heir a fnigle groan ^
neither the quiet nor the ufualemploymentsof the citizens
fuff^redonthe occafion -, induftry and sommerce puriiied

tiieir

ti EELISARlilS.

their intercft!?, as if it had been a time of profound peace j
and, in return for this benefit, felr by aJl orders of men^
it was in my power to become the king of a people who
called me their common father. The fame happened to
me in Italv : there the native inhabitants gathered about
me in crowds, refigning themfelves to the em.pire ; and at
Ravenna I received the fupplications of the Goths, im-
ploring their conqueror to be their fovereign. Behold
here the influence, the empire of humanity. Do not fuf-
pe6l that I am here m.y own panegyrift ; all my merit
confiiled in following the leflbns the very barbarians gave
me. Yes, even the barbarians can boalt their Titus and
their Marcus Aurelius, Thodoric and Totila deferved
the love of hunran kind. Ye ci:ies of Italy V exclaimed
Belifariusi ' what a contraft have you feen between us and
the barbarians ! At Naples, in particular, my eyes be-
held men, women, and children, flaughtered in one com-
mon carnage. I flew to their afTiftance : I fnatched thi;
unhappy, the innocent viftims from the fury of an incenf-
ed fbldiery : but I was fmgle in oppoficion to them, and
my entreaties were loft in air ; the men whofe duty it was
to fecond me were intent on plunder* The fame place was
reduced by the generous Totila. Thrice happy prince !
he had the glory of faving it from the ravage of his troops i
His deportment was that of a tender father in the midit
of his taiiiiiy. Humanity cannot difplay a fcene more
truly pathetic than this generous prince exerting his bell:
offices for the proteft ion of a people that furrendered to
his arms. It was the fame at Rome j that very Rcn.e
wjiich law the officers of the empire, in the midft of all
the horrors of a famine, carrying en the deteftable trade
of a monopoly. It was in this manner our enemies con-
ciliated the atiefiions of mankind. Theirjuftice and mo-
deration hurt us m.ore than their valour*

*Hov/, on cur part, did we counteract their virtue? In
no fhape whatever : the injiumanity, the avarice, and ty-
ranriy of our commanders leagued with the enemy, and
ferved their caule. I had no locner refigned the command
in Italy, than the fame Goths, whofe proffered crown I

liaU

EELISARIUS. gf

liad juft refufed, with one general confent, 'A-iili a kind of
tpidemic Ipirit, kindled to indignation by the malverfa-
tion of thole who fucceeded me, relbived at once to lliake
oft' the yoke. Hence the reign of Totila, and all themif-
fortunes of Italy. When I had fubdued the Vandals, it
was my ambition to J'ettle termsof amity between tht em-
pire and the Moors j and I thought I had fuccetdtd to
my fatisfacfion : Imt niyback was J'carcely turned, when
cur honourable plunderers, our chiefs, wiio made war a
gainful trade, our illulfrious fons of riot and rapacity, in-
iVinged eveiy treaty I had made, and let looie the moft
horrible violence to pillage their cities and deiulate their
iields. By del'peration the Moors were foon rouled to
vengeance, and our provinces were deluged with bkod.
From opprefTion fpiung revolt, and all the bands of peace
were rent afunder.

* From the fame caufes in the heart of the empire trie
fame effects have been produced. Imbecility in miniftti i,
avarice in pro-confuls, inhumanity and deipotiiiii in the
governors of cities and of provinces j theie are the enor-
mities which I have feen in every quarter. To thefe it
is owing that every department of government is now be-
come an intolerable charge to the people. In order to
enforce a paflive obedience under the burthen, reccurie is
had to meafures ot the mtll grievous nature : the militia
has been aboliftied, and the fubje6l has been excluded from
the facerdotal order J nay, the right of alienating their
property has been wrefted from them ; and, to crown the
whole with what will fcarcely be believed, they are de-
prived of the miferable liberty of becoming bondmen. —
Can it be expected that, harrailed thus cruelly, the peo-
ple will be reconciled to the yoke that gai'.s them ? Can
there exift in their idea any ties of interelt, or of duty, be-
tv/een them and their opprtffors r The burlf of every
groan that delpair and milery extort is inllantly proclaim-
ed treaibnj and armies are marched to carry fire and
fword through the provinces— a new and cruel way ot re-
ducing mankind to obedience by their total ruin ! Arid
then, of what ufe are fiibjects thus reduced, and broken-
hearted

Si BFLISARltJS,

hearted Under aload ofgrievances ? A wellgoveniedpeol
pie fhoiild be at once both Ipirited and complying : and
both thele qualities would unite, were they not prevented
by the piitle and arrogance of little tyrants, who too Toon
inade the reign of a well difpoied prince ah odious fvilcm
of cruelty and arbitrary power.

It is upon minifters, and all the little fubftitutes of au-
thority, that a Ibvereign mull depend for the love or the
hatred ot mankind. He ought therefore to watch them
with a careful and a jealous eye. They are too often the
moil cruel enemies he has ; for of all the evils that can
attend a prince, the averfion of his people is the word,
and yet that is brought upcnhim by his officers of ftate.
Whatever they dare for the gratification of Ipleen, pridej
avarice, and their mean capricious palTions, it is ail, in
minilierial language, the direflicn of the ibvereign 5 it is
for the fupport of government. Though they are the
planners of every pernicious projedl:, yet, in carrying it
into execution, they are, if you will believe them, but
fervants of the crown ; and thus the prince is made the
involuntary unconicious fcourge of a people he loves. —
My dear Tiberius,' continued the hero, ' if ever your
royal mafter has the happiiiels of embracing you as hrs
friend, let it be your advice never to flacken the reins of
authority, that all who are under it may feel the curb of
juftice. Every a6l of petty tyranny committed in the
name of the prince, is fure to fully the lullreof his crown
with the tears of the affli^led. An evil adminillratlon
is a libel upon the chara6ler of the fovereign. But when
iniquity is controlled, when corruption is checked, ami the
grievances of the fubje6l redrefled by a patriot prince, the
complaints of injured men will indeed be addrefTed to the
throne, but no murmurings againfl it will ever be heard.
The indignation of the fubjc6l will be pointed at its pro-
per objedls ; i;: will purfue the authors of public milchief,
while the good and upright fovereign Hill poffefles theaf-
fe6lions of a grateful people.'

* There is nothing,' interpofed Juftlnian, ' more beau-
tiful in theory, than a prince attending to the movements

BELISARIUS. 35

•f every minute wheel in the great machine of govern-
ment. Bat the obje6ls are too complicated, and he would
be dillra(5ied by the multiplicity of views. To hear the
complaints of the fubje6l, and to examine things to the
bottom, fo as to decide in allcales with jultice and mode-
ration, would indeed be an illuftrious tafk, but it is greatly
above the powers or" any prince whatever.'

* Thofe are the phantoms of difficulty,' replied Beli-
farius, < that are conjured up to deter him trom the tafk-
but thofe phantoms, when examined v/ith a iteadfall eye,
di'fcover themlclvcs to be mere mockery, and they vanifh.
The art of governing, we fliall fee to morrow, is by no
means ib complicated as politic men would make us be-
lieve. Farewel, my friends. You fee how, of my own
accord, I now engage myfelf more deeply in this difcuf-
fion than I at firll intended. To rule ideal kingdoms is
a kind of caltle- building which the imagination of man
is fond of indulging } and there are few, I believe, who in
their vilionary reign, and their dreams of power, do not,
like myfelf, think themfclves capable of regulating the
late of empires.'' — ' Political tiieories,' faid Juitinian,

* are often the delirious chimeras of the vulgar, but they
are at the fame time the noble fpcculations of the fage
and the philofopher.'

The emperor withdrew deeply imprefl'ed with the re-
flections and the reafonings he had heard. That very
night, at fupper, it was obiervcd by the courtiers that the
ft;-te never knew a better or more fiouriniing condition.

* Without doubt,' faid Juitinian, addreffing himlelfto
the flattering train, * the empire mull be in a flourifhing
wav, tor you riot in abundance : it mull be happy alfo,
for you are dilfolved in eafe and luxury. The people, in
your eltimate, pafs tor a mere cypher, and the court with
you is deemed the empire.' At thefe words they all look-
ed down diicountenanced. The remark of the emperor
was thought to proceed from that Ipleen which had of
late overcalf his mind, and which, they all agreed, was
entirely occaiioned by his late conferences with Tiberius,

* Tiberius,' faid they, * is a young zealot, v/hole ima-

?4 BELISAR!T?S.

ginationis overheated with the enthuhafm of vhtue and
popular humanity. A man of that character is alwayt
dangerous at court j he mult be removed from the em-
peror's prefence,'

CHAP. XII.

THE next day, while the new intrigue at court \va»
hatching its defigns, the bjind old hero and his two
gucfts relumed the thread of their difcourfe.

* The fovercign/ faid Belifaiius, ' who means to be
a real, and not a nominal prince, ought to know how to
reduce things to their moll fimple principles. His iirft
care fhouldbe to inform himfelt otthe true intereftsof his
people, and the conduct they expefl lie (hould obferve.*
— ' That alone,' faid Tiberius, * is a large field of con-
templat^ion.'— -' But it is not a perplexed contemplation,'
faid Beli^arius ; ' nothing can be m.ore hmple ; for the
wants of an individual aie the wants of all, and each of
us knows intuitively what is good and fit for the wholt
human fpecies. As,. for inllance,' faid he to the young
man, * if it were your lot to be employed in the labour*
of huibandr)', what would you expe^V from the benevo-
lence of your fovereign?* — ' I fhould expect,' anlwered
Tiberius, * fecurity for the fruits of my indultry, and
an unmoleded right, after the duties of the crown were
paid, to enjoy my gettings with my wite and children.
I fhould defire to be protefled in my property againft
fraud and rapine, and to fee myl'elf and my family fafe
from violence, injuRice, and oppreflion.'' — ' Very well !'
replied Belifariuo i * in that confifts the whole : every ci-
tizen, according to his diftin6tive rank, requires the fame,
and nothing more. Now the prince, on his part,' con-
tinued Belifarius, * what does he demand of his fub-
je6ls r — ' Obedience to his laws, necellary fupplies, and
a proper force to fuppoit his own dignity, and the au-
thority of government/ — * That again is fimple andjull,'
faid Belifarius. * With regard now to the people, in
their relation to one another, v/hat arc their reciprocal
duties r' — ' To live in peace and harmony, to injure no

man.

BELISAR1U5. t^

man, to teave to every one the quiet pofTeflion of his own,
and in all traniaJtioiis to prefervc an honeft intercourie
and good taith.' — ' In that itate of the cafe, my worthy
friend,' faid Belifai-ius, * we have an epitome of human
happinefs ; for that end you fee that law has no need to
be voluminous. Twelve tables, at one time, con^prifed
the laws of Rome j and that time was at leaft as eligible
as the prefent. What we call juft, is the balance of
what is ufeful, and the liqui iation of what is coming to
each individual from the aggregate of public good. Let
equity adjult this account, and the code which directs it
jieed not he long, ^at equity is now embroiled with
complications that have Iwelled to an unweildy fize.
This milchief is owing to the capricious detail of an ar-
bitrary dilpoiition, winch fets up its own caprice in the
place of law, and then makes the law as vague and un-
certain as that very caprice itfelf : it is owing to a poor
pufdlanimity, that with folicitude is ever inventing new
Ihares to entangle civil liberty ; it is owing to the pride
and jealouiy ot- power, which never thinks it can make
its weight fufficiently felt j and, in fliort, it is owing to
a vaindefireof fuperintendlng a multiplicity ofrainutt ob-
jects, which would all work the'.r.felves clear, and be
properly adjufted, without any luchfuperintendance. A
digtft has been made in the prclent reign of edi6ts and
decrees with out number 5 but, after all, it is the fchool
for lawyers, and not for the people; whereas it is the
people who ought to be inftrufled in their duties and
their rights. Every citizen ought, in the firft inltance,
to be his own judge : it is fit, therefore, that every citi-
scn fliould know difxhicily and with precifion what is
preicribed, iorbid, and permitted by tlie law. To this
end tiiere need only be a few good laws, fimple, clear,
frnfibie, and eafy in their application to the actions of
men. Tiiis would facilitate the adminillration of juftice,
and abridge the detail of fubtihies that now entangle it.
For, when the rigiits and the duties annexed to civil con-
duct are univerfally felt and underltood, the fubjefl
exults in his lecurity, aivd acquiefces in fubordination:
H he

80 EELISARIUS.

he perceives the afcertalned degree of political llbertv,
which he gains in return tor the refignation ot" his natu-
ral privileges to the authority of the itate j and, finding
his own private advantage in the public lafety, he learns
to reverence the wifdom of that inltitution which has
united both in fo beautiful a connexion. I would a(k to
what reaibn is it to be aOigned that tlie fubjeft is lb of-
ten refraclory to the authority of government ? It is
becaufe the laws, which limit and abridge the liberty of
the people, are ever expounded with rigour ; while, on.
the other hand, thole which favour natural freedom re-
ceive too often a negligent, «i temporizing conrtru6lIon.
But this abufe would be etfc^lu.iUy remedied by the fair
fimplicity of a popular code, or a fyllem adapted to the
capacity of the whole community ; from whence it would
refult, that the judges, obferving mankind fufHciently
inftru6fed in the rules of right, nay, in a capacity to ap-
peal from them to a known, precife, and determinate
law, would be upon th;ir guaid not to make it comply
with occafions, or to vary the fpirit of it ac:crding to
their own difcretion.'

* Oi laws, which are defigned to intrench upon the
rights of the fubjcit, thofe that taiten upon property are
the worit, and molt liable to abule. They are not in-
deed levelled at the lives and liberties of the people ; but
the hands of the people are never tied up but witn an in-
tention to plunder them. Of the cxcelTis, moreover,
committed by the officers of the revenue, there is fcarce-
ly ever one that does not involve in it the crime of ava-
rice. This then is the fiilt objc6t; to which the fove-
reign's eye flioukl be directed ; it Ihould be his nrll care
to ell::iblini the colle6fion of his taxes upon tne clearell
and uioll intelligible lyltem. Wiule impoils are mul-
tiplied, and the laws that cftablifli the taxation continue
vague, complex, and uncertain, the adminillration of
this whole department will ever be captious, fraudulent,
and opprtllive. Thefe laws, therefore, mull be render-
ed as iimple as poUlble j they mult be penned with accu-
jracy and precifiun j and the tax itltlf, that indil'penfil-ile

dtmaiul

SELISARIUS. %7

demand of government, ihould be fqiial, cafy, and
fouiideil in the firrcib or things : it ftiouid be one general
impoll, though varied in ifs application to lundry wile
anu good purpoies j and, finally, it lliould be uniform
throughout the realm, like the tribute or tythe which
Sicily paid with pL-afure to the Ron.ans, or like that
which was levied in Afsa, in proportion to the annual
incrcafe or lofs, and gained for C?;iar, the author oi it,
the atfcdions of mankind. Were the finances thus re-
gulated, fraud would not be able to intrench itlelt in the
labyrinths ot law, and the * ablurdity of edi6\s : but the
right eftabll/hed upon clear and fimple principles, would
carry the cleaielt evidence of truth along with it, and
that truth woiiid diaw the line to circumfcribe the power
of the otScers. Thus the laws of taxation, by ceafing
to be arbitrary, would ceafe to be deteftable.'

* You are av/are,' faid the emperor, * of the reafon-
ing that encounters thel'e principlts : make taxation fim-
ple, and you reduce it at the fame time.'—' I wilh to do
fc/ replied Beliiarius.-— ' But,' refumed Juftinian,' if the
people are left too much at eafe, by a national confe-
quence they grow lazy, arrogant, rebellious, and untra6f-
able/ — ' Gracious heaven!' exclaimed Belifarius ; ' will
afiining to men the fruits of their labour give them an
avcrfion from their indullry ? Will men become rebels,
becaufe their happineis is fecured and promoted ? But
the fear is, that they will prove arrogant! Alas! I
know that little tyrants would be glad to fee them crouch
like flaves under the malfer's lafh. But I would defire
to know, to whom fliould the lubje6"t bend, while his
condufl is free from reproach or guilt ? There is no
power on earth but that of the laws and of the legal fo-
vereign, to which an honeft member of fociety owes any
deference. I would afk, further, will ufurpation be as

* The emperor laid a duty upon urine, duft, ordure, dead bo-
dies, fmoik, air, &c. There were rights of the turf, the high-
way, fnora^, duties upon carriages, beafts of burthen, &-c. et
quae alia (fays Tacitus) exaftionibus iliicities nomina publicanj
invcnerunc. BulLng. De tribut. ac vedlig. P. R. f«Te

H 3

SS 1?ELISAPvlU5.

(ore of having obedience paid to it, as v/Ul that miW aii-
"hoi ity wiiich creates for itfeif a kind of a patermi em^
pireover the hearts of men, by works of benefictince, and
by generous deeds that call for grcAtitude, affedlion, and
elieeni ? Believe me, I know the chara6ier ot the people ?
they are not what they are reprefented. Are they dil-
piiiteil. Day, difalTe^led ? It is owing to their grievan-
ces. Is their temper foured ? and are they gjown re-
lucfant to command ? It is becauie they find tiiemielvts
tor ever acquiring, and never lure of poilcirmg. In ibbtr
ladnefs this is the truth: but it is dii(:oloured with ait ;
dehgning men dogmatize on the lubjciSl, and they endea-
vour to give their faIieh;.od the air and lauiSlion, of ap-
pearing lyftematical. The principle upon which they
ground thcmlelves is, that the nice of man lives in iub-
lervieucy to a very fmall part of the fpecies, and that the
v»orId was made for the ui'e of thtm.felves and a few lead-
ing men.' — * It is <'m inconceivable pride,' laid Jnltmi-
an, * and yet a pride too ccm.mon to the human mind.*
— * Not fo common as you imagine,' replied Bshfarius}
• we hear it indeed often, but it is from men who are
ailing a part ; it is a lort of paradox in politics that ne«
ver had one fincere believer. I will venture to fay, there
never yet exilted a perlbn of common fenle, howcw^r emi-
nent in his (lation, v;ho, upon a comparative view of
himfclf and the people, who fupport, who nourilh, and
ciefend him, did not fnrink back with humility intohim-
felf 5 for he feels his imbecility, his necefuties, and his
fiate of dependence. His pride is a malk, ameie alTum-
ed chai-a6fer J but the milchief is, he is lb praftifed in
the character, that he has learned to play it well, and to
impofe upon his audience. May heaven prelerve your
royal friend, my worthy Tiberius, from this fatal illu-
sion ! That he may be effedually preferved h\m it, di-
ie6l his attention to the early pciiocls and primitive con-
dition of civil Ibcicty : he will then obferve three clafles
of men, each fubfilting in a ftate of reciprocal aid and
dependence : the hulbandman, in the firit place, employed
in the cultivation of the earth for the fupport of lilej the

artificer

CEtlSAR!U3. ?«^

artificer, feconclly, whole occupation it was to give tc»
the materials of the earth their relative forms and fit-
nefs for ufe j and thirdly, t'ne ftatefman or able politi-
cian, who coniecrated himfelf to the arts of government
for the good order and well being of fociety. In this
federal union not one of the parties is ufelcis or Inactive :
the advantage of mutual fuccour is circulated in full ex-
ertion through all the members, according to the power
of each ; and thus bodily force, hbour, and induilry, in-
telieclual ability, the faculties of the mind, fuptricr ta-
lents, and eminent virtues, all conTpIre and acl in con-
cert for the general good. This order of things, fimple,
natural, and regular as it may appear, is the tiue ana-
lyfis of government : thefe are the original forms into
which political oeconomy muft refolve itfelf : thefe the
iirlf principles to which it is reducible.

You cannot but obferve what an outrage it would be
againlf all good fenfe and order, if any one of thefe clafles
fhould revolt againft the others : you mull fee that they
are all equally dependant, and equally conducive to
each other j and that if a preference can be afcribed to
any one in particular, it muil be to thehufbandman, in-
afmuch as the fupport of life is the firll great principle
and dcfire of nature ; the art, therefore, that nourifhes
man muft be the firft of arts. But as this art accom-
plifhes its end by methods eafy and fure ! as it is expofed
to no danger, and acquires an exertion of the moil com-
mon and ordinary powers, it is right that the more deli-
cate arts, which demand talents, virtues, and the moft
refined acquirements, fliould meet with the higheft en-
couragement. For this reafon, therefoie, the arts that
adminlfter to the firft wants of life will not be held in
the greatelf cftimatlon, and indeed they do not afpire to
it. But inaimuch as it would be impolitic, on the one
hand, to over-rate them, fo it would be unjult on the
other, and repugnant to the interefts of humanity, to de-
grade them into contempt.'

* Let your friend, my good Tiberius, be upon his
guard againll the approaches of th's ilupid difUain : on
H 7 ' the

90 UELISAMUS.

the conti-ary, it will behove him to cherlih, as the niufe
of himlelf and of human kind, this too much dejpiicd,
though excellent and beneficial branch of induliry. It is
juft, in the arrangement of things, that the people fhould
labour for the two other clafles of fcciety, which co-ope-
rate with them for the good of the whole, and contji-
bute largely to the fupport of that power which form.s
the defence of the community. The earth was ordained
to fupply the nurture of man, and to thofe who increalc
its fertility the firft maintenance is due : this is juftice to
the hulbandman : and the Itate, in rating him to the
charges of government, mull be * careful to lay the tax
upon his redundancies only. If the fole recompenfe of
hard and unremitting labour were no moi-e than the mere
privilege cf leading an undefirable and wretched life,
the cultivators of the earth could no longer be deemed a
part of the political affociation, but would remain in a
ftate of flavery ; their condition would be intolerable ;
they would rufli from their rank, turn order into anar-
chy, or elfe put a ftop to the propagation of fo many
mifcrable beings, and lb annihilate tlie rank itfelf.'

* It muft be allowed,' faid JuiHnian, * that they ai'C
too much deurelfed : but happily little is wanting to that
race of m.en, inured as they are to penury and labour !
Beyond the excitement of appetite and the flrlf wants of
nature their ambition never arifes ; let them have bread,
and they have content along with it,'

* To fay the truth, my good nelgiibour,' replied Bell-
farius, * one would imagine that you had lived your
days in courts, for you are mafter of the language. What
you have now advanced rmgs for ever in tlie ear of a
prince, that he may be the more readily induced to pil-
lage his people, and that he may do it without remorfe.
The people, it is true, have not the inordinate wants
v.'hicli luxury has created in the higher ranks of life, and
therefore they are more likely to h^ reafonable in their
complaints and their demands. The more frugal and

* This wjs the tnaxim ef Hcnvy IV. ef Frjiite j awi of tii
^od kius=. r^yj'i-A

*ELISAR1U5. rjt

•r.cdeft their way of lire, the more fober and temperate
their manners, tiie ftronger is the prefiimption that, when
they remonftrate their grievances, thty do it v^ith fiitfi-
cient provocation. In the court diclionary, to want the
EeccfUuies of lite implies the want of ability to maintain
twenty uielers hcrfes, and as many idle drones in livery :
in the honeft meaning of the fimple hufbandman, it is to
want wherewithal to nouri/li a poor old father bending
imder years and infirmities, to rear a little race of in-
fants whole feeble arms are yet unfit for work, and to
comfort a virtuous wife who is either breeding or nurling
a new fubjeft of the ftate ; it is, in plain lural language,
to want thefe things, and to want, befides, the pro-
per feeds to depofit in the ground, a well-ftorcd granary
againft an hard fealbn in a year of fcarcity, and in age
and in ficknefs the comforts and the fuccours which weary
rature has occafion for. Oil ! m.y friends, is it not
nanifelf that the fruits of agriculture are deftined in the
firft place, and of juflicedue, to thofc who labour to make
the earth more produ^f ive r The dcftination is holy, and
iliould be kept more facred and inviolable than all the
treafure in tlie depofitories of Janus.'

* Alas!' faid the emperor, - they are times of public
calamity, when government may exert a difpenfing power,
and ftate-necedity is then the law which im.pcfes new
burthens and taxes on the people.'

* It iliouldbe a cafe of the laft extremity Indeed,'' replied
Bellfarius j « every fuperfluity (liouid be firft brought
into the common ilcck, all refources Ihould be exhaufted,
and no way left of faving the ftate but by the ruin of the
people. That ftate-neceffity I am a ftranger to : the
occafion for that diipenfmg power I have never feen*.
But to reprefent things in their true point of light j do
you knov/ where the mifchif lies that makes the honeft

♦ Marcus Aurcllus, in a prefling exige::ce, rather than over-
load the people vs'ith new taxes, fold the furniture of the imperial
palace. Vafa aurca, uxorium ac fuam Icricnm et auream veftura
multaormciira gemiTiar'.sm J ac ptx duoa conies venditio habits
eft^. AureL Y\<k.. iwlbsndncaa

9* EELISARIUS.

hulbandiTian groan in mllery ? It refts with that fuperiof
clals, as it is called, who pals away the hours in idJe-
nel's and not : by them the whole burthen is thrown up-
on honeft indullry. They reap ahnolt all the advanta-
ges of the civil union, and yet contribute the leaft to its
lupport ; they do nothing for the ftrengtli and dignity of
the government which gives them fo much eafe and en-
joyment ; they repay nothing for the benefits they re-
ceive, and yet in their cafe it feems a privileged, an ho-
nourable infolvency. Let this abui'e be altogether re-
formed : let the neceffary charge of government full in
juli proportions upon every member of tl\e communuy ;
let it he diffuibd through all orders of men, according to
the means and abilities of each, and the burthen will then
be light and equitable.'

< What has not been attempted,' faid the emperor,
* in order to eftabliOi this jult equality lb much dcfired .>
Have not the Decurions, who were bait; enough, in the
aUcflinent of the cities committed to them, to over-rate
forre in order to give undue exceptions to others, beea
adjudged by the law to be burnt alive ?'

* Alas !' replied Belifarius, * I know that little favour
is Ihewn to thole unhappy wretches. For not liifficient'y
grinding the face of the poor they are laid in irons, un-
mercifully fcourged and buffeted, and perfecuted, under
the name of juftice, with eveiy baibarity, till they envy
even the lot of flavcs. But toi' the regents of provinces,
for pro-confuls, and other minilkrs, are there rods and
dungeons ready? and fuppofing there were, of what ufe
are pains and penalties, while the mouth of complaint is
ftopped, and the cries of mil'ery are fuffccated ? Let law*
abate of their feverity, lb they have a free courie, and in-
jured m&n are perm.itted to profecute their legal remedy.*

* The liberty to complain of grievances,' laid Juiti-
nian, * has been the right of the people in all periods.'

* It has fo,' replied Belifarius, * it is a conltitutional
riglit, but the exerciie of it has depended upun the will
and pleafure of fubordinate tyiants. Have not attempts
been made to attach the perfons cf orefident and preied s,

th:.-.

BELISARIU3. 93

that cities and provinces inigiit be at Jiberty to appea) to
the court for a redrel's of injuiies, in which thofe very men
were either prijicipais or aicomplices ? And could any me-
thod be tak.cn more fure of procuring impunity for the
offenders ? The htw directs its minillers to prevent vid-
Jence and exa6rions ; and thofe very minillers are the par-
ties ac:ufed. The law impofes a religious duty upon the
governors of provinces, to prote6l the weak from theoppref-
lions of tlie Itronger ; and thofe ve^y goveraors liave at once
the means of opprefllng, and even the power of doing it,
under the fan6tion of that very law which forbids them.
The law defines the grofs fum of the tax ; but prefidents
and pro-coniuis make the affefllnent upon individuals, and
they never want fophiftry to give a colour to the exac-
tions. The law gives a right of citing the tools and lit-
tle inftruments of the governor before the governor him-
felf; but from his tribunal there lies no appeal to the ib-
vereign, and this, we are told, is grounded upon a maxim
that the prince raifcs none to that high ftation but men
of approved wiitiom and uprightnefSjVv'ho can do no wrongi
But cannot the prince be deceived in his choice ? 1 o
truft the welfare of a whole people to the promifed faith of
one man is a monftrous abfurdit y in goverament. Juilinian
was aware of this, and to reform the abufe re-eilabli(hed
the pi-astorft-.ip, with full powers and inftruftions to in-
quire into the condu6l and depredations of the governors.
£ut, in doing this, he created a new order of tyrants,
whofe refidence in the provinces gave an opportunity to
contiption to fpread as it were by contagion, till they,
who wtre meant to be the guardians ofthe people, became
confederates in profligacy, and increaied the number of
vile ufu'pers. Hence the impunity with which vice lords
it through the empire; hence too,- the (hameful imbeci-
lity of relaxed and ineffectual laws.'

* What would you do In fuch a cafe,' fald the emperor ?
* I would lllten,'' replied Belifarius, * to the outcries of
the injured, and proud oppreiTicn fhduld tremble for its
guilt.

* Thei^e is, among the various inl'titutions eftablifhed

by

54- BELISARIUS;

by the princes of tlie empire, one that I reverence, aa<i
fervently wifli to lee entoiced accordirg to the true prin-
ciples and ipirit of its defign. When in the number of
perlons, to whom the authority of government is dele-
gated, I perceived a fet of officers lent into the provin-
ces* with Ipeci.il powers to hear the complaints of tl^c
people, in order to tranfmit a memorial of grievances to
the emperor, I felt my heart expand with ilie fpirit of
humanity. JMy vows are offered up, my conitant prayers,
that the prince m3y give that important office all its
weight and dignity ; that he may nominate to fo glo-
rious an empioyrntiit his leleft and moft virtuous irieixls,
the m.en ot approved integrity an i honour j tliat amidli
the awful pomp of religious ceremony he n.ay receive, at
the foot of the altar, the lokmn oath, by which the cbo-
ien patriots fliall find themlelves to their prince, their
country, and their God, never to betray the intereffs of
the weak and helplels to the pride and arrogance of do-
mineering fpirits J thst he may each vear depute his ho-
neft band as the guaidians ot our civil rig'ius ; and that
he may, as loon as their high commiflion is executed, re-
cal them to his piefer.ce, Iclt corrupt-on havetim.e totam-
per with their viitue. Wtie thu^gs in this train, what
glorious eifrils might be expei^ed from fuch a vifi!ation?
The confequences are now before my eyes ! Bciioid, on
the arrival of the juft and upright man, how liberty rears
its head in the provinces, and imiles content ! how ty-
ranny and cppitffion look aba fficd and tremble! Behold
the governors, the pro-ccniuls, and their deputies turn
pale and (hrink at the tribunal of their judge, who is
I'uirounded by a gi-ateful afleu.bly of the people, and hail-
ed as their father and their avenger ! It is the complaint
of kings that the truth does not reach thtm ! But oh,
my friends 1 flie endeavouis to make her way to them,
and even breaks thrc\igh their guards, in defiance of Iwords
and peril. Yet how ealy might the acccfs be made! It
wou'd not then be the fediticus outcry of a tumultuous
people, but the calm remonftraiice of the wii'e and good
©ffering up, with refpe6liul dtierence, at the foot ot the
* They were called Curiosj. riuooe,

EEL13ARIUS. 95

throne, the fiipplications of humanity. How rare would
be the fi^-grant outrages committed in th^ very name of
the icveieicn, it thus annually they were to undergo a
Icvere and ihict examination, whi't the J'word of juitice
is ready inthelovcrcign's hand to tall on every guilty head !

* Ot all ranks in lociety, the military clafs is that
where licentiouliners and difcrder are likely to prevail
with impunity. But let diicipline be enforced with due
rigour throughout the army ; let partiality never glide
into the adminvitraticn ot juitice j and a iew examples,
fuch as Juliinian has held toith to the world, will con-
trol t!ie wiideit and molt daring rpirits.""

* To what example do you allude,' laid the em.peror ?
* You ihall hear,' replied Bclilarius : < it is, in my judg-
ment, the brightelt pallage ct his reign. The generals
who commanded at Colcliis h.d imbrued their hands in
royal blood. The king of the Lazi?.ns, even then in al-
liance with the emperor, was inhimianly murdered. With-
out delay Jultinian lent Atiianalius, one of the moll dii-
tinguifhed lenators, with initrucf ions and full power to
hold an inquiry i;:to the condu61: of the delinquents, and
after a full hearing to pronounce judgment, and lee the
lentence of the law executed on tlie guilty. Athanafius,
who v/as rwA- judge in the lalt refort, conduced this im-
portant bufuv-is with all the pomp and tolemnity the oc-
cafion required. On one of the Imaller hillsof Caucafus
he fixed his inounal, and tliere, in the fight of the La-
I'l^sn armv, the uiurderers of the king were beheaded. — •
But conuTiilTions of this nature cailcd for men :upenor to
CL«rruption, ot whch, indeed, the number israiferably
tiiinnedhy the weak and proibate condition of the fenate.'

* Hew !' faid Tiberius, * are you a zealot for that de-
fpotic order, thofe enemies of civil liberty, men of bound-
lefs arrogance in powei-, fubmiinve to ufurpation, and
lefs ready to enllave or be enflaved ?'

< When I bemoan the want of a fenate,' replied Beli-
farius, * I do not regret what it was ; I regret what it
might have been. There is in every government a ten-
dency to arbitrary pov/crj foi it is perhaps natural to

man

96 BELlSARiVS.

jiiian to Tet up his own will as a law to others. By thelp
rigid behaviour, their inflexible pride, and domip.eerin-T
arrogance, the lenate made their adminiitration ouious j
and mankind, haralTed out, began to conceive hopes that
the government of one might prove more mild and equi-
table j they preferred it, therefore, to the tyrarmy of the
few. The fovereign, thus elhbliflied, grew jealoufly
fond of the fole autiiorlty, and upon the ruins of the fe-
nate he has determined to build up his preroeative. As
he had advanced in his encroachment, a panic icized thp
fenate, and the whole order crouched at once with a
meannefs that exceeded even the wifhes of the new maf-
terj even Tiberius blufiied for their fervilitv : but it is
cafy to conceive, that the fenate, when it loli the power
of doing evil, might ftill retain that of rendering fervice
to the public j that it might give to government an air
of conftitutional authority j and being an intermediate
order between the ibvereign and the people, might con-
nect and Ifrengthen the wiiole force of the community. —
And yet it is net in this view that I regard the fenate,
I confider it as a feminary of Itateimen and of heroes,
where at all times might be found a fet of great and emi-
nent chara61ers, uled alike to the iword and to the Icales
of juilice, dilfinguifhed both in council and in the field,
and fully iniiru<i^ed how to give fupport to government,
by falutary laws and military force. It is from that
liuriery of men, all trained to tiuth, to knowledge, and
to virtue, that the fovereign would be always able to fe-
lecl his minifters, his generals, his governors, and his ot-
ficers of every fort. Let there be occafjonnow tor a man
of principle, wifdom, and ability ; where is he to be
found ? How is he to be known? Where has he diftin-
guiflitd himfelf ? Muft the fate of a whole people be rilk-
cd befoie lie cin have a decided charailer ? Can a Regu-
Jus, a Fabius, or a Sclpio, be formed by the new inlli-
tution of an imperial miliiia to do duty about the pa-
lace?* Inftead of a public career of emuhticn, where

* This ncw-fanglcd order conGfted of the civil magiftrate and
the officers otthe revenue. Tlj« f«nats was merged in it by po-
licy of the- emperors. ' the

BELISARIUS. o^r

ihe foldiery Is inured to the exeiclfe of arm?, where ta-
Itnts enter the lills, where virtue is called forth into open
day-light, where the chara6lersot' mendllphy themklves
to the world, and the powers of genius are unfolded, and
abilities prels iorwird in the race of glory j inftead of this
bright Ichool of honour, ail generous contention is i'up-
prefl'ed, and employments of dignity, that fiiould be the
reward of merit only, are now given as a compliment to
the accidental circumltances of birth, or partially dealt
out by the hand ct court favour. From this iburce fpring
all the evils, which, lik.e a torrent, threaten to overwhelm
the ftate."

* What would you advife,' faid the em.ptror ? * Wlicn
men have degenerated into vice and pro/ligacy ; whea
the whole race is degraded, and, after painful enaeavours
to appoint for the bell, nothing great or good can be le-
paratcd from the general mais of the times; judgment
then may be weary of deliberating, and he who finds that
he chooles onlv to err, may reafonably dcfirc to w£.ve the
tatigue of thinking to no purpcfe.'

* That is concluding too haftily,' replied Beliiarius j

* though often baffled in the choice, yet the fovereign
fhould not be difcouraged. Total depravity never hap-
pens J honed men are always to be found ; and if not
iound, they are to be made. Thev will be made, if the
love of virtue, and penetration to diftinguifh it, form ths
character of the prince. Farewel, my friends, the topic
I have juft ftarted fnall be difcufT-d at our next meeting j
and it will be no unpleafing inquiry, if we find, as I think
we fliali, to reform the worit abui'es depends upon the
volition of a nngle man.'

* Beliiarius feems to reft every thing upon the weak
irrelolute will of the prince,' laid Juflmian to Tiberius:

* but can a mere acl of the will beltow difcernment, or
tlcertain a proper choice ? Is he not av/are of the falie
appearances under which men difgulle themlelves ?' — .

* That men will be born fuch as you choofethcy fliould,'
faid Tiberius, * as if nature were fubjecf to political au-
thority, is a propofition that erabarrailes me much. Yet

I JBsIifaiitis

9? EELISARIUS.

iJellfarius has a large and comprehenrivemlnd : his years
and his mistortunes have opened to him many veins of
rt;fle6\Ion j and it will be well worth while to lilten to
him.'

CHAP. XIII.

ON their arrival the following day, they found Beli-
fariiis employed with his man Paulinus in the cul-
tivation of his garden. ' Had you arrived,' faid he, * a
moment /boner, you would have learnt, as I myl'elf have
done, an excellent lefi'on in the art of governing ; for no-
thing bears io ftrong a refemblance to political ceconomy
as the management of plants j and my gardener, who is
here at hand, reaibns upon the matter like another Solon.'

As the emperor and Tiberius weie walking a turn with
the hero, the young man Hated to him the feveral re-
fleclicns they had made, together with the reafons upon
with they founded an opinion that he was vvrong in his
laft propofition.

« It is too true,' replied Belifarius, ' that a prince, fur-
rounded in his palace by a circle of courtiers and of flat-
terers, will have but little knovv-ledgc of mankind j but
what fliall reftrain him from breaking through the fence,
from being communicative and eafy of accefs ? Aflability
in a fovereignis an inquiry into that truth, which will be
dil'guifed by his flaves, but never withheld from him by
the friend of the people, the honeft hufbandman, and the
rough veteran foidier. From them he will hear the voice
of the public i that voice which is the oracle kings ought
to confuh-i the beft, the unerring decider of merit and of
vii'tue! Let that oracle pronounce what men are fit for
fervants of the ftate, and an erroneous clioice will feldom
be made. To fay the wliole in a few words, the fove-
reign's attention ought to be d;r'-6fed only to two objt^fs,
which are, the coumcllors of Hate, and the men who are
to carry the plans of the cabinet into execution : if the
former are (it for their high office, I will be responfible
for the latter. The whole depends upon having near
hii perfon men woithy of their Ihtion. Theudorlc had

but

EELISARIU3. 95

biit one faithful advifer, the virtuous CafTiodcrus, and
the glory of his reign is known to the univerl'e. I will
take upon me to iay, that even at court there are not
wanting intaliible criterions of honour and fidelity. Se-
verity of manners, difinterelted conduct, the honeft firm-
nefs of truth, a generous ardour in the cauie of innocence
unfliaken conifancy in friendfhip, a zeal for virtue that
never veers about with the gales of fortune, and a rever-
ence for the laws ; thefc are the features of c'naracter by
which a piince may know howtodiftinguifhamor.g men,
and to determine his choice. Would you know the to-
kens which (hould make him profcribe men from his pre-
fence ? They are more legible and certain than the for-
mer ; for virtue may be counterfeit, but the character of
vice is feldom afted. As fcon as it appears, you may
believe it genuine. For example, if I were a king, the
man who once fl)ould dare to talk v/ith contempt of my
people, with levity of the duties of my ifation, oi ihould
attempt to varnilh with flattery the abufe of my prero-
gative, that man fhould never rank in the lilf or my
friends. Moreover, to an oblervant eye that m.arks the
ways of the world, there are never wanting certain traces
of character, which, thr:ugh the veil of ciiiiimulation, be-
tray the habitual fentimcnt, and develope the inward
man. I have heard much of the profound impofture of
courtiers : but impolfure is as well known as candour it>
felf ; and fliould the fovereign be impofcd upon, the public
voice will undeceive him. Let him thcretore give liis ef-
teem and confidence to the worthy, and he will be fure to
be properly informed in every deliberation: for tiuthand
virtue will then fit at his council-boird.'

* But do you confider,' faid the em.peror, * what a
number of the good and virtuous he will have occalion
for, that the free courie of jultice and tlie dignity of liis
reign may be fupported in their vigour ? Where is he to
find the men to complete fo honouiable a lift r'

* Human nature,' replied Beliiarius, 'will always iup-
ply him. Let Ibvereigns know how to ufe them, and fhs
will never be defe(Stive.' — ' And to dire(^ that ufe,' faid

I 2, JultiniaDj

. 3 CO BELI5ARIUS.

jultinian, * can there be abetter rule than that of whole-
some and falutary laws :' — ' That will go a great way,*
replied Belifarius j ' but it is not all : the manners aie not
in many inftances, within the control oi'law.'

* And how then," faid Juftinian, * are inveterate habits,
to which riiv.e has given a kind of prefcription, to be ef-
fectually changed ?'

* My gardener will inform you,"" replied Belifarius.

* Here, Paulinus : When a noxious herb Ihoots up among
your plants, what do you do ? — ' I take it up by the
root,' anfwered the honelt gardener :■ — * But wliy, inrtead
of weeding it don't you Jop it ?' — ' Why, it would fprout
again, and there would be no end of the trouble : and be-
fides, good fir, it is at the root it fucks in the juice of the
tarth, and that is our bufinefs to prevent.' — ' You hear
him, my friends,' faid B^ilifarius j * he has given you an
abridgment of the law. The law, it is true, rctrenche?,
as far as it is able, the crimes of foclety ; but the vices
that give birth to thofe crimes are fuffered to remain,
whereas they ought to l)e v/eeded and torn up by the root.
Nor is that an impracticable fcheme : for all vices, at
leall thofc of the court, have one common root, and grow
out of the fame feed.' — * And what is that, pray?' faid
Tiberius. — ' Inordinate defue,' replied Bdifarius :

• and whether that defire be undcrftood to import avarice
that loves to hoard, or rapaclt.y that delights in iquan-
dering, there is nothing fordid and unworthy but what
fprings from that fource. Inhumanity, fraud, treachery-,
ingratitude, envy, malice, and all the vices that make the
gradation to the higheft iniquity, are modes of the fame
depravity of heart, that breaks out in every fpecies of
meannel's and of pride* It goes on in a courfe of depre-
dation upon mankind, and with the fpoils of the weak
pampers itltlf in riot, voluptuous enjoyment, and every
fort of profligacy and corruption. Thus the love ot riches
infc£ls the whole fyilem of the manners. Does it kindle
ambition ? Perfidy and fraud are mingled with what
otherwife might be a nobler pafiion. Is courage eyer
grafted upon coveLoufnef§ ? From the (lock on which it

srows

EELI5ARIUS. lOt

grows, even courage (hall derive the pernicious qualities
that debale it into a vice. The molt brilliant talents are by
avarice tinged with the ftain oi" venality j and the Ibul,
which is enlbved by it, is for ever let up to auction, to
be bought by the highelt bidder.

* From this lource, this i'atal defire of amafTing
wealth, Ipring all the crimes that dilhu b the community.
Of this vice, whole tyranny affli6ls the universe, luxury
is the parent ; for, to make its genealogy clear, luxury
engenders various wants j by thefe avarice is begot; and
avarice, to gratify her purpoies, is obliged to league
with opprefTion. From hence it is clear that, to lay tlie
ax to the root of the milchief, v/e muft begin with lux-
ury : there mufc commence the grand revolution in the
manners.'

* But that,' faid the emperor, « will be to wage war
with an hydra; one head is ftruck oft, and thoufands
grow in its room. To ul'e acomparifon moreanalugous j
luxury is a Proteus, which is never to be chained, but
eludes the touch in diiferent fhapes. I will go furrher,'
faid the emperor.- ' the cauies ar=d tiie effects of luxury,
its connexions and its interelf, form a fyltem fo com-
pounded of good and evil, that, were it pofuble to re-
ftrain or delboy it, I (bould much doubt whether the
former would be endured, or the latter prove in the end
an advantage to the Itate.'

* I gram you,' replied Belifarius, * that luxury in the
flate is like a let of wicked and evil men, who have en-
trenched th.-^mfclves in great connexions ; m.ealures are
kept with them in the beginning, on account of their
party ; but in the end they are ordered into confinement,
as enemies of the ftate. I fhali not, however, go ib far.
Let us fet out with fa6fs whicii I myfelf have fcen. Lux-
ury, it has been faid, is of ufe in capital cities. I do not
believe the pofition ; but, be that as it may, in a camp I
am lure it is pernicious. When Pompey obferved the
foldiers of Cselar living upon roots that grew wildly in
the fields, " They are,' '^idid he, " an herd of brute beajh -.^^
he fliouid have laid, " Thiy are ■nun.'''' The primary

I 3 quality

tM BELISARIUS.

quality of a general is to hazard liis life; the fecond, id
circumrcribe his paflions and h's wants within the bounds
of reafon and of nature j and this lall, to the man ener-
vated by voluptuous indolence, will be a talk of the moil
difficult felf denial. The people that fhall endeavour,
amidft the rough fcencs of war, to enjoy the ibfter de-
licacies of peace, will llrive to reconcile tw-o things
wholly incompatible, and will ^neither be able to bear
profperity nor the rcverfes of fortune. To be victorious
will not anfwer their purpofe ; they mult riot in abun-
dance-, and fliould that h?ppen not to be the coniequence,
even victory will lole its charms. The camp, wliere fru-
gality and fober manners prevail, will be full of fpirit and
manly vigour ; it will be, as I may lay, on the wine; j
while the army, which is ciilTolved in luxury, grows flug-
giHi, dartardly, and ina6live. By temperance all tha ad-
vantages of inward ftrength and outward refource are ma-
naged and lecured J and, on the other hand, they are all
thrown away by prodigality, till at length defolation,
famine, pale difmay, and fhameful flight, conclude the
war with infamy and difgrace. To the people foftencd
by effeminacy, every entcrprife appears above their
ftrength : the principle of valour may remain, but the
power of executing is gone ; and the enemy that knows
how to harals and fatigue, need not endeavour to van-
quifh J the delays of war will have the efficacy of fo many
battles.

* Nor does the whole mifchiefof Iiix-ury confift in waft-
ing the vigour of tlie body j it Ifrikes corruption to the
Vcriy foul. The man of wealth and affluence, who leads
pleafure and luxury in his train, diffiifes a contagion
through the camp; and the foldier of fortune, a/hamed
to be outdone by his equal in the army, becomes his
competitor in profligacy, and for a fliew of vain glory
incurs real diflionour. To riches and fplendour of ap-
pearance, elleem is offered up as a tribute, while poverty
falls into contempt, and Ibber virtue is abaflied by ridi-
cule : then farewel to all ; there can be no deeper perdition.
Tills, my friends, is not a fi6li.ious account of luxury ;
it is the hillory of what I have feen.' * I know

BFLISARIUS. ICJ

• I know full wcil,' laid Tiberius, * that you banifhcd
It from your annies j pray inform me how was that ac-
compiilhed T — ' Without any kind of difficulty,' replied
Belifarius : ' I cafliiered it trom ray own tent, and made it
appear throughout the i-anks in a contemptible light,
Againft the \''enom of pride contempt is a powerful anti-
dote ! I had learned that a young Aliatic had uihered in-
to my camp the foft indulgences of his native ciimej
that he repofed him.feif under a purple pavilion, an d
drank out of golden goblets 5 that his table fraokei with
the rareft difnes, and fparkled \vi:h the moft exq jiilte
wines. I invited him to dine with me, and in the presence
of his com.rades. — *' Youug man,*' faid I, ** you lee
we live here upon homely fare j we are often wode lerved,
aad it is what we have to expeil ; for in the race of glory
it is our lot veiy often to want bread. Your delicacy,
take my word for it, v/ill meet frequent difappointments
in this hardy courfe 4§ life, and therefore I would ad-
vile you to takeycvir leave of the army." He received his
reproach with true fenllbility, made an apology for his
conduft, and difcharged this retinue.' — ' And was that
admonition fufficientr' in terpo fed Tiberius. — *' Without
doubt it was,' replied Belifarius j * for my own example
gave weight to mv precepts j ajid, befides, the charafter
of irrefolution never beicnged to me.' — ' But furely this
feverity of life muic have occauoned great complaints !'
— ' When the law is equal and expedient, it is obeyed
without murmuring.' — ' Very true j but to be humbled
to the level of the poor muil have been an hard(hipupon
the rich man,' — ' That may pcliibly be the cafe j but to
counterbalance that inconvenience, it was agreeable to
the poor m.an to fee the rich undillinguilhed j and the
poor in all quarters of the world are the the greatelt
party.' — ' Yes ; but in courts the rich have the Arongeil
iniluence.' — *They have fo, and they revenged thcmiclvcs
by my ruin : and yet, fai' from repenting. I Should act in
the fame manner again ; for the vigour of the foul, like
th?.t of the body, is the reiult of temperance. Without
reicperince there is nothing generous and dinnteretfed ;

and

104 BELISARIUS.

and without dlfintereliedners, not a fingle virtue. I In-
quired oi a fliepherd one day, why his dogs were fo faith-
tiil? " Becaui'e," fuid he, '' they live on bread. Had
the) been nourifhed with flefii, they would be no better
than wolves." I was much Itruck with this reply. In
general, the fureft way to control the progrefs of vice
is to retrench the wants occafioned by evil habits.'—

* All this is prafticable in an army,' laid the emperor,

* but merely vilionary, nay, impofTible in a ftate. Be-
tween civil inftitutions and military law there is a wide
difference: by the latter liberty is much abridged, and
fettered with Trri^t limitations. No law whatever re-
ftrains a member ot'ibciety from enriching himfelf by fair
and honeli: means j and when wealth is acquired, no law
can diveft him ot the right of difpofing of it, or prevent
a quiet enjoyment of his property. It is the fruit of his
imludry, his labour, and his talents, or it was tranfmit-
ted to him by his ancedors. He is at liberty to diflipatCj
or to gratify his avarice by concealing his treafure.' —

* I fuhfcribe to what you fay,' faid Belifarius. — ' I go
ftill further,' continued the emptror : ' if the riches of the
community are engroHed by a particular clafs of men, it
is fit that thev fliould be dififufed, and that labour and
indullry fliouid derive their lliare from the hand of idle-
nefs-' — ' I concur with you in that alfo,' faid the hero.
— ' I will add.' refumed Juftinian, * that fenfuallty, of-
tentallon, iplendour of appearance, the caprices of lailc,
the coquetry of fafliion, the refinements of eifeminacy, and
the whims of vanity, are all little blemifties in the man-
ners, which the policy of every ftate connives at, and of
wiiich, without a degree of tyranny, no law can take cog-
nizance.'— ' Heaven forbid,' faid Belifarius, * that I
ihould defire to bring down the weight of law upon mat-
ters ofthis fort ! ' — * Now then you fee,' continued the em-
peror, * that lu::ury iiands protefted by all that is held fa-
cred and inviolable amongft men, by liberty, by the rights
of property, and, I may add, public utility.' — ' I agree to
ail,' faid Belifarius, * except that laft point.' — * To clear
that from ol:)je(^ions,' faid the prince, * you will allow

that

BELISARIUS. 1»5

ihat luxury animates the arts, and bids them thriv*
and flourifli ; that it encourages induftry, and excites a
fpirit ot activity and emulation, otfcrir.g to the habit of
indolence and the love ot idknefs new incentives otdciire,
artificial want, and ftudied gratifications.'

' I allow,' laid Belilarius, * that luxury, for thofe
who have been addicted to it, has its allurements, and
that it is profitable to men who Itudy to heighten thofe
allurements and gratify defire : that the law ihould leave
that commerce free and open I likewil'e admit. Is not
this v.-hat you contend for?'

* I contend for fomething further,' replied the emperor :
' I maintain, that the influence of luxury-, by progreiTive
degrees, diffufes itfelf through every clafs of the comm.u-
uity, even down to thofe who work and labour. It is
beneficial to them, for it opens a vent for their commo-
dities, and yields a quick return for their indultry.'

' It is upon this point,' faid Beiifarius, * that ap-
pearances miflead you ; for that which comes to the fhare
of the labouring man from the hand of prodigality, only
reverts back to the original owner : it was firft taken
from him by avarice j and if it return to him, it is be-
caufe luxury cannot prevent it. Recal to mind the idea
which I formerly luggefted, of the primitive itate of fo-
ciety : what is the end it has in view ? Is it not to ren-
der man ufeful to man ? And in that fyftem, is not the
right which one man lias to the labours of another founded
on reciprocal conditions ? If fo, what muft be laid of him
Vv^ho employs thouiands to anfwer the multiplicity of his
wants, without contributing on his part to theferviceof
others ? He is like a fterile and pernicious herb that
grows to feed in a field of wheat. Such is the rich man
who loiters his days in idlenefs and luxury. For him
the bufy part of the fociety are at work ; and with a
sold difregard he receives the prod u6^s of their labour ai
a tribute due to him. To fupply his defire, and admi-
nifter to his pleaiures, leems the employment of all
nature; the elements, the moft exquifite viands, the
arts and tlie choiceft efforts of invention, are all his.

He

I06 BELISARIUS.

He partakes of all, and is ur.conducive himfelf to any
ufetul encij he engroflls troni the public feivice a num-
ber of hands for his own ^urpofcs 5 he does the duty of
none, and d.es at lall witiicut leaving any void, but that
of the good things he has confunied.'"

* I am not clear as to this point,' fald Tiberius j * for
it feems to me that he is not altogether fo great an in-
cumbrance as you imagine. For if he does not throw
the fruits of his own talents into the general fund j if he
does not impart to tlie public his own activity and pow-
ers ; yet he circulates his uioney, and that does full a^
well.'

* Hold, my young friend,' fald Belifarius } » money-
is a mere fymbol of valuation, a general rtandard, denot-
ing the worth of ^e thing we receive, and a pledge for
the return of it. It anfwers the purpofes of mutual com-
merce, and gives facility to the traffic between man and
man : but he who, In the courfeof that traffic, gives only
the lymbol, and never parts with the reality, breaks the
tiue law of coinmutation, in order to pollefs himfelf of
that fur which he never pays in kind. The pawn which
he depofits difpenfes with the contraft, inftead of bind-
ing it c'ofer. Let the magiltrate keep painful vigils for
the public fafety ; let the foldier fight the battles of his
country} and let the hulbandinan and artificers work in-
ceffiintly ; the right of the rich man to their joint fervi-
ces is annually renewed, and his privilege to be infigni-
ficant is ftamped upon his gold.'

* In this manner,' faid Tiberius, ' the world is hired
in thefervice of opulence.' — * It isfo, my young friend/
continued B.lifaiius ; ' and the rich man is at no other
trouble than that of paying in the detail to the whole
community the wages of their fervitude.' — * But ft^ould
there be luch a Uate of fervitude ?' inquired Tiberius. — >
* Why fhould any government endure thefe men of over-
grown opulence r' — ' Bccauie,' replied the hero, * the law
fecures to every individual the poli'cffion of the property
he has acquired, and nothing can be fo juftly acquired as
the fruit or labour, indulhy, and knowledge. With th»

lib ertv

BELISARIUS, 107

liberty of acquiring the right of poflcfRng is naturally
connecled ; and property, as well as liberty. Is a civil
rigiit not to be violated.* In is, without doubt, an evil,
that the opulent fhould have it in their power to throw
the whole 1 >ad of their own exiftence, and that of their
train, upon the community 5 but it would be a more
crying evil were the principles of emulation i'upprelTcd,
and diverted of a fccure title to its polTcflions. Let us
therefore not complain of incurable evils. As long as
there are degrees of aflivity, induftry, and oeconomy,
there will be degrees of happinefs and inequality in the
conditions of mani'iind. Tne more flouriiliing the ftate,
trie more rtrlkirg will that inequality be j and yet to le-
vel thoie conditions, is a power that no legiflature will
ururp.'

* Let us avow then,"' faid the emperor, ' that luxury-
has its uie J for it tenJs, by its wants and its expences,
to command with the public for the very inequality com-
plained of. In other words, luxury exhaufts its own
riches, and bids them fiow among the people.' — * I ac-
knowledge it,' replied Belifarius, ' riches fhould have as
many vents as poffibie through which todiffufe themfelves
abroad. I do not mean to argue, that the man of affluence
fhould be obliged to hoard his riches, cr that any rule of
policy fhould prefcribe the ule to be made of them. The
law, I have already faid, fhould content itfelf with charg-
ing t'.ie public with thenecellities ot government : farther
than this it fliould not go j the left of every ruan's ac-
quiiition rtiould beleft un>;xerci;'cd, in fiich a map.ner,that
the ftate fhould draw its necellary fupplies fiom the i'u-
perfiuity of its fubje^s. Opinion will do the relt."*—
* Opinion !' faid the emperor. — * Yes, opinion,' replied
B-;lifarius: * that, and that only, without conftraint and
violence, will arrange ail things in their proper order ;

A philofopher at Athens I'ound a treafure that had been hid
In his ground. He wrote to the err.peror T' aj m, < I /a'-ve fijjrJ a
trccfure.'' Trajan aniwe-ed, that he had no'hing to do but to enjoy
it. "'/f h too >ru:b for a ^biloyjUcr to uje,'' replied the other. < Then
make a wrong ule ot" it,' (M the jriDce. Akxaader Sevcrus
tfegught the fanje. apd

ICS BELISARIUS.

sr.d it is thence alone that we are to expe8: a revolutioa
in the manners.'

* A revolution of this fi;^rt appears difficult to you ;
but it depends entirely upon tlit will and the example of
the fovertign. Let him be equal and impartial to merit;
let the man of modeft relerve and fimplicity of manners
be fure of the beft reception at court ; let the piince pro-
claim his contempt of oilentatious expence and ema-
culating luxuries j let hhn behold with an eye of difdain
the (laves of luxury ; let him view with regards of cheer-
fulnefs and refpefl the men who labour for the public
good, and the c^urt will Toon take the tone of fimple
manner, ennobled by wii'dcm and frugality. , Ofttritation
will no longer be honourable, it will not even be decent.
A becoming auftcrity of lire will take the place of li-
centiGuinefs ; every thing frivolous will give way to wif-
dom; peifonal merit will be the bell letter of recomm.en-
dation, and pomp and vanity will be Ictt the empty plea-
lures of ielf-appiaufe. Oh, my friends ! how rapid would
be their fall 1 You know how docile and imitative tiiC
metropolis is 5 how eafy to be moulded to the example of
the court ! That which glows into elleem is, Icon in fash-
ion. The good old frugality once reftored, dlfinterefttd-
nefs would fellow, and bring in her train heroic man-
ners. The m.an of ability to be ufeful, perceiving inor-
dinate defjres no longer in vogue, and freed from debaf-
ing wants of luxury, would foon find the fentiments of ^
honour taking root in h:s heart 5 the love of his country,
and an ardour for glory, would warm thebreaft of free-
dom, and emulation would kindle up its generous flame..
Alas! did the fovereign know his afcendant over the
minds of men, with what facility he can mould them to
his will, he would enjoy it as his fweetcft power, his bell
and m It refpe6table pjerogative j and yet it is the only re-
gal attribute of which he is entirely ignorant.

< By what influence,' laid Jultinan, * fliall the fove-
regn be able to control a talte for amufement, the love
ot pleafure, and the lull of money ? Of what conlequence

is it to him, whofe eveiy icniQ is intoxicated with vo-
I luptuo'ufnel's,

EELISARIUS. rC9

iuptuoufnef?, whether the court approves or cenfurei his
conduwl ? V/ill the prince be able to reitrain tl.e man
whofe power of wealth is great, from making his own
ufe of the indurtriotis ? Can he hinder him from beii-;^
encompafkd v/ith delight? from m'iking the arts fub-
fervient to his gratifications r' — * No,"' replied Belifarius :
* but if it be agreeable to the fovcreign, he c-n brand et-
feminacy with fhame, and indolence with contempt : he
can exclude diiripation, vice, and incapacity, however
wealthy, from the nrft offices of the ftate. It will de-
pend upon him to make the true comforts of life, ajvi
every rational enjovTTient, the fure attendants of a gocd and
refpe6table character : he can give them to merit; and he
can moreover take from luxury all its pride and oftenta-
tion, till it feels itielf the object of contem.pt. Tiiis
will almclf complete the work : for when luxury is thus
reduced, honehy v/ill no longer be deprcfied, nor will
virtue futfer indignity. There will be other rewards,
of which riches tan never be the fubl^itute. The efteem
of the publiCi dignities, and honours, v/ill be the price
of merit. Gold will net be able to cover over fliame
and infam.y, and the little fpirit will flutter in vain in
pomp and Iplendid ornament. Believe me, m.y good
friends, take pride ham luxury, and ycudiiaiTii it. All
its refined knfations are aticiied j it fubfifts entirely upon
the opinion mankir.d entertains of its gaiety and hap-
pineis. Subdue that opinion^ and you reduce riches to
their true ftandard. If they aftire to honour and reai
value, they m.uft be ennobled by the ufe made of them.
It is impoflible for luxury to be generous j avarice grows
upon its wants j and that very avarice is compounded of
all the pailionsthat are uiuaily hired for ceremony. But
it the nioft ardent pafuons, fuch as pride, ambition, and
love itftlt, (tor love always is in th^; train of pomp anc*
vain gloi-y) are no longer attached to magnificence and
oftentatiou, ycu m.ay then compute how r'.ie eftim.ate of
luxuiy is diminifned, and avarice lofes of its force.

* The real advantages of wealth, llicii as convenience,
accommcdiition, thedeligh'S of afduence, i^uist indepen-
K d^i-vce,

no BELISARIUS.

tlence, -and thit fuperiority which fortune claims over
thofe who are retained in its feivice: all thefe are more
than lufficient to ftrike a deep impreffion upon little^
minds j infomuch that I am tar from hoping or fearing
the downfal of arts which have luxury for their fup-
port.

* But let dlftlnftions and honours be once disjoined from
wealth, and thence the fouls which nature has endowed
with energy and fplrit, with exalted virtues and gene-
rous paiTions, will look down with difdain upon the pet-
ty enjoyments of vanity, and will feek eliewhere the re-
wards of tame and honour.'

< The glare of affluence/ faid Tiberius, * will never
be eclipfed in an opulent and flourilliing ftateby the fru-
gal fyltem of barren and unprofitable honoiu-s. The
eyes of mankind are dazzled by the luftre of wealth j and
dignities, nay majelty itfelf, are obliged to borrow thence
their moit ftriking decorations.'

< I fliould be glad to know,' replied Belifarius, ' of
two eminent men, which, according to your ideas, gave
the greatell dignity, and even majeity, to the Roman fe-
rate, the rich LucuUus or the indigent Cato ?' — The
quellion quite overpowered Tiberius. — * I allude now,'
continued the hero, ♦ to an a:ra of luxury ; and yet in that
very ptricxi, with what veneration did the Ibund uncor-
rupted pnrt of the common- wealth (I mean the people)
recal in their minds the days of ancient fimplicity, when
Rome was free, virtuous, and poor ; when the land of
her Icanty territory was tilled by the conqueror's hand,
and the plough was crowned with triumphant laurel ?
Let us do jultice to the people, and relf allured,^ that a
wife fovereign, incircled with warriors and with pa-
triots void of arrogance, but full of years and honours,
will exhibit to his people a m. ore refpefl able and honour-
able fcene than a prince diffolved in luxury and fur-
lounded by a train of glittering vafuls. It is a maxim
ever inculcated by perlons in high offices, that to linke
the puhlvc with ideas of dignity, their rank ought never
to be adorned with pomp and magnificence. They are

generally

BFLISARIU3. Ill

generally botli fuperinduced j but they refemtie a coat,
whole amplitude leives to cover the dct'ecls of the body ;
and this turniihes us with an additional reafon why the
whole wardrobe ot outward fhew and I'plendcur, which
thus dilguiies men and confounds the judgment, fhould
be totally thrown afide. When virtue diiplays itlelf ta
the public eye, like a wreftle in the amphitheatre, her
form and vigour will be better diftinguifhed 5 and it vice,
incapacity, and meanneis, ever prefume to enter the lilH,
they will Itand more confefTed to view, and will the fooner
be covered with confufion.

« It is another advantage refulting from fimple manners
in the eminent itations, that the burden of rewarding
merit is made lighter to the public, and the ftate makes
a laving of expences, that would be rendered ruinous by
the inlatiable repacity of ambition. A fenhble diltribu-
tion of honours will difpenle with the necellity of mag-
nificent prefents : and frugality, even in the grants of
honours, will make the prince IHll a better oeconomilf for
the public good. That is the great end we (liouid havi
in view. To reftrain the rich from launching into a pro-
fufion of expence is not the point j prodigality is a fire
that foon confumes the materials it lublilTs upon. The
prime object is to preferve the men, who, unprovided
with every thing but their talents, their knowledge, and
their virtues, may be inclined to confecrate thtmielves
to the fervice of their country, from being tainted by the
i\veets of luxury, and corrupted by the luit of gold. The
brighteft diftin<51ions, luch as are never profaned by for-
did milapplications, (hould be reserved by perfons of
their temper and genius. I can fay of myfelf, that I
ferved my prince with all due zeal, and with confiderable
fucceis ; and my own feelings inform mc how vile ?. thing is
gold when compared with the oaken branch snd the laurel,
thofe Iweet remembrancers of the Ibvereign's affection and
efteem. Moreover that efteem, which is fo grateful to
the honeft heart, efpecially when feconded by the voica
of public approbation, the pruice vs-ill do v^'ell to referve
for adions of real worth and utility,_taking care, with a
K z " calm

211 EELISARIUS,

calm ciigr/ity of refolution, never to proftitute them for
undertakings vain in their nature, frivolous, or dange-
rous. That will be his true frugality. To maintain
this properly, it will indeed demand a firm unlhaken con-
ftancy of mind ; a fpirit of juftice, always on its guard
againft kdudion or furprife; a determination of the will
that never flu5luates, but checks even a rifmg hope that
it w,ll foften into compliance. This great and dignified
character will be acquired, nay, it will be fuppcrtcd, if
a real love of virtue animate the fovereign's breaft. In
tiiat cafe, his opinion will be the opinion of the public,
and his example will decide and fix the national character.'
* Shall I fairly own,' faid Tiberius, * a difficulty that
remains with me ? At the rate you have gone on, the
court, from whence the royal favour, intrigue, and lux-
ury, zve difcarded, will grow rather ferious and gloomy ;

and pofiibly then a young prince' ' Oh ! I underftand

you J that the prince may want amufement is your fear j
but, my dear friend, I have not faid that the talk of go-
verning is a mere patllme. And yet, even amidilthe fo-
licitudes of royalty, there may be many hours of the
(w;reteft enjoyment. The mlnifter, for inftance, may re-
port to him tne progrefs of agriculture in places and pro-
vinces, which before were melancholy fcenes of idlenefs,
poverty, and dilfrcis : may he not then fay to himfelf,
an R&i of my will has now made millions happy ? His
fages of juftice may inform him, that by one of his laws
the inheritance of an orphan has been wrefted from the
griping hand of hard-hearted avarice : may he not lay
with exultation, heaven be praifed ! I have been the pro-
te6f or of the poor. From the war-ofHce he will not re-
ceive coniblation of lb pure and unmixed a nature. But
when he is told with what zeal and generous ardour his
faithful fubjeds flied their blood in the caufe of their fo-
vcreign and their countiy, regret and pity will fo com-
pound themfelves in mixed femations of love, tendernefs,
and gratitude, that the tears of humanity will delight
him. In (hort, the vows and prayers of his own illuf-
triouo rera, and the bleflingsf of future ages, wliich the

confcious

BEL1SARIU5. 115

nbriftloiis Imagination will anticipate, all crowd together
in his brealt, and are the Iblid plealures of a fovucian.
And will notthefe luffice ? Will there be IHU a void Jeit
aching in his bolbm ? Like the kings of Perila, in an-
cient times, he mavvifit the provinces of his empire, diil
tinguilhing with his favours thofe who promote indullry
and agriculture, plentj' and population ; while pride, in-
humanity, and indolence, for working the contrary mii-
chief, will be lure to meet the marks of his difpleafure.
At Byzantium, as well as at Rome, the public granaries
have been vifited by the emperors j would it be a degi ad-
iing condefcenfion it they made a progreis into the coun-
try, to know with certainty that un(kr the lowly roof of
the peaiant bread has not been warning for his helplels
children? Alas! how unindruftcd inuft that prince be,
in regard to his duty and his interelf, who fuffers a va-
cuity in his time ! We muft not imagine tlrat a prince,
in his moments of tranquillity, when he is detached from
tlie caufe and duties of his rank, is to remain arranger
to the iweet fenlations of domeitic happineis and fecial
pleafure. He will have his lelefl friends j and, unbend-
ing himfelf with them, he will talfe the charms of ratio-
nal delight. The man of virtue who wants little, and
is therelore eafily contented, diCplays in his converfation
that lerenity of iober joy, which fprings from peace and
inward harmony : heart- felt eafe, to which pride impor-
tuned by craving wants, and vice for ever fuffering the
corrohons ofremorfe, are utter ftrangers. An honelt
mind, it muff be acknowledged, will find but little leiibre
to relax itlclf from the duties of an important office j but
the moments of vacation will be delightful. Remorfe,
ambition, and fear, are banifhed from the hallowed hour.
The court, where uprightness, truth, and virtue, may
walk fecure, without fearmg envy that lies in ambwlh,
and without apprehending ludden difgrace from the whirn
of the prince, will not, perhaps, be the moft brilliant:
court, but it will be the happieil in the world.' — < It
will not be crowded,' faid the emperor. — * And why not ?'
rcfumed Belifarius.— * The little ambitious fry, that love
K 3 to

114 BELISARIUS.

to iliine in eafe and fplendid vanity, will not flutter m
the circle ; but to recompenle ti^at lofs, nnen ot probity
andof ufeful talents will form a numerous party. I fay
numerous, my friend Tiberius, and I fay it in honour of
human nature. When virtue is in fi'-Hnon, the feeds of
it will be difclofed in every heart. Public eftimation is
a kind of fun in the moral world, that warms, that ani-
mates, and calls forth the latent principles of truth and
honour. When the foul is funk in fioth and languor, it
is not the time to delineate its true chai-adfer. Is it to
be expected that ayoungman, who has heard nothing from
his father but the panegyric of money ; whofe imagination
has be-.-n dazzled with the luftre of gold ; who in cities
and in villages has feen nothing fo abjeft and defplfed as
labour and induftry j who hus been taught by experience
that pride can creep, that ambition will crouch, that law
will bend, the road tc honours be thrown open, and court
favour difpenfe its fmiles at the beck and command of
riches ; that they, and they only, can proteft him from
injuftice, or exercife the feverell tyranny ; that they adorn
and embtllifh vice, ennoble meannefs, and fuperfede ta-
lents, ability, and virtue j is it to be expe6ted, I fay,
that a young man educated in this train of thinking, fliall
be able to draw the line between good and evil, virtue and
lelf-intereft ? Let a different do6frine prevail; let the fo-
vereign, that fountain of manners, fct the fafhion of the
heart; let education and habits of vii'tue teach the value,
the necelTity of felf- approbation ; let them awaken the
Jove of honed: fame, and a defire to win the applaufe of
good men ; let the foul expatiate abroad to gather the
fuifrages of the prefent age, and to foreftal the praife of
future times ; let fair renown be next to virtue the higheft
and greatelt good ; let zeal for the moral charafter make
lionour dearer than life, and fliame more dreadful than
even annihilation ; let thefe principles beonceeftabliflied,
znd it will foon be found how feeble is the influence of
fordid views and mean defires. Oh! my good friends !
where would now be the names of Drclus, Regulus, and
the CaLos had they not been fouls of fire, infpired by ho-
1 nour.

BELISARIUS. 115

nour, and replete with virtue ? To excite an emulation
ot their example, there muft be an inftitution founded in
wil'dom, and real encouragement, to make men run the
bright career of glory. It were vain nnd idle to require
of the fathers of families, that they fliall train up their
children in the paths of virtue, if that very virtue be left
to languiOi under difgrace, and hear the fpurns of trium-
phant vice. To re-eltabli(h order, and give the manners
the ftrength and beauty of fyftem, all that is gccd in life
muft be appropriated to virtue ; evil fhould be the portion
of iniquity, and every advantange affigned to juftice and
to honour. Let government proceed thus fyllematically,
and it will readily ftrike your obiervation how the man-
ners will fecond the laws, and gain ftrength and enforce-
ment from the popular opinion. Hopes and tears, rewards
and puniflimejits, dignities andditgrace, thofe are the en-
gines that policy (hould let in motion on the fide of virtue
and civil liberty j by managing thefe properly, the world
may be governed at difcretion.

* But to keep more clofely to the point : by proud and
oftentatious manners the great are rendered infolent and
avaricious ; from fimple manners fpring the oppofite qua-
lities of moderation, juftice, and humanity:" and thus the
leading interefts of vice being lifted on the fide of virtue,
men will adopt the latter with the fame Ipirit that attach-
ed them to the former.'

* You have given us a pleafing reverie,' fald Juftinlan,
* an agreeable and flattering dream '.' — ' Far from it,' re-
plied Belifarius ; * to think ot making intereft and felf-
love the fpi ings of human actions is by no means a dream.
Call to miind by what methods was formed, in the in-
fancy of the republic, that glorious fenatorial order, in
which fo many ardent virtues, fuch heioic patriotifm,
blazed forth upon the world. To what, think you, was
it owing ? It was becaufe there was nothing at Rome fu-
perior to greatnefs of foul ; it was becaufe public vene-
ration was attached to virtuous manners, and glory was
the hero's fure reward. Such, in all periods of the world,
have been the great fprings and movers of the human
heart, < I am

iiS EELISARIUS.

< I am not now to learn that inveterate habits, andpar^
^icularly tlie habits of defpotic pride, give way unwil-
lingly to the moft powerful n^otives. But let it be ob-
ferved, that for one lonof piofligacy and corruption, who
would held out\vithobftinacy,infpiteoffhame, difgrace,
and infamy, there are a thouland who would yield at once
to the control of reafon, and, having glory for their in-
citement, would walk, contentedly in the paths of honour
and virtue. Let me purfue the confequences of this idea.
I fuppofe the men of virtue are placed at the helm of go-
vernment. I will, in that caie, anfv7er with my life for
the prompt obedience, the fidelity, and the public fpirit
of a people, who are no longer bent under the yoke of op-
preflicn, but, ihllead of being harafled by little tyranrs,
find their lives, thiir property, and their liberty, fecure
under the proteftion of the laws. The ftate then begins
to raife its head ; concord prevails through all claflcs of
the community ; the plan of Conftantine, built on a fandy
bottom, lays a deeper foundation; and from civil union I
fee fpring up emulation, fortitude, zeal for the public good,
and v/ith thefe that weight among the nations which made
Rome the miltrels of the world.'

While Belifarius thus difcourfed, Juftlnlan beheld, in
filent admiration, the enthufiaftic ardour with which the
good old man, forgetting the infirmities of age, his mile-
ries, and his misfortunes, triumphed in the idea of ren-
dering his country flourifhing and happy. — ' It is gene-
rous,' faid the emperor, * to feel fo warm a concern for an
ungrateful people.' — * My friends,' replied the hero, * I
/hould welcome and bids, as the molt glorious ot my life,
the day on which I (hould be thus accolted : " Belifarius,
we are going now to let your blood gufh at every vein,
but the price of it will be the accomplifhment of allyour
wifhes."

His amiable daughter, Eudoxa, now came to inform
him that his fupper was ready. He went in, and fethim-
felf at table : Eudoxa, with a graceful air ofmodeftyand
dignity, ferved up to her father a plate of pulfe, and feat-
ed herieif by him. — * And is that your fupper ?' faid the

emperor.

EELISARIUS. 117

emperor. — * It is,' replica Biiifarius ; * it was the frugal
meal of Fabricius, andFabnciuswas, atlealt, my equal.'
.. * Let us depart/ faid JuiUnian to Tiberius j ' at a fight
like this I find myfelf covered with fiiame and confufion.*
The court, in hopes of diffipating the cloud which they
perceived hung over t!ie emperor's mind, had prep?.red a
fcene of feltivity. He did not condefcend to honour it
with his prefence. At table, the idea that occupied his
thoughts v^as, the iiipper of the old general ; and as he
withdrew — ' Belilariusis happier than I am,' faid he to
himielfj * for he lays h'.m down on his pillow v/ithout
remorfe to break his quiet.'

CHAP. XIV.
LIVE but in his prefence,' fuid the emperor next

I

day to Tiberius, * as they were on their way tc vific
the hero j the compofure and ferenity of his mind tranf-
i'ufe themielves into mine. But as loon as I leave him,
the clouds which in his converfation were diiperfcd, col-
lect themfclves again, and the former gloom returns upon
me. Methought yellerday I perceived, in his delinea-
tion of manners and principles; the ponrait of human hap-
pinefs ; and now it is a cauvafs prefencmg an alfemblage
of bold and random colours, without arrangement or de-
iign. Wnile he fpeaks, every thmg appears eafy, and
now I am involved in a fcene of difficulties. In thefirll
place, overloaded as the empire is wich immoderate ex-
pences, the hero's fcheme for makmg the burden lighter
to the poor ! his plan for new-modeiling upon a better
ellabliihment, an aimy well nigh annihilated by a war of
twenty years ! and then the multiplicity of taxes to be re-
duced to one general impoft, light anl fi.nple !' — ' He
has feen the fubjecf in all its points ot view,' laid Tibe-
rius, * and will, I dare fay, remove your difficulties. Ac-
quaint him with the rcflcdlions that have occurred to you."*
The converfation was accordingly opened with a Itate
of the emperor's reafonings ; and, after hearing them at-
tentively— 'I knew,' faid Belifarius, * that I ihould ftart"
in your mind a number of doubts j but I flatter myl'elf I
.^all be able to remove them all. * The

' The expences of the court, accordmg to my plan, ari?
now reduced. We have banifhed lux\iry and favouri-
tifm. Let us now take a view of the metropolis 5 and
pray tell me the reafon why fuch a fA-arniof inhabitants,
lazy, indolent, and almoll without number, (hould be a
burden to the ftate ? The corn wliich is diftributed among
them would maintain twenty legions.* It was in order
to people the city, and make it emulate Rome, that Con-
iftantine charged himfelf with this ruinous expence. But
by what title can an ufelefs and inactive race pretend a
light to be thus maintained at the public charge ? The
Romans, a people altogether of a military genius, might
well claim to be nouriflied, even in the time of profound
peace, by the fruits of their conquefts ; yet, in the very
height of their fplendour and their glory, a portion of land
to cultivate was all they required ; and that being allot-
ted by the ftate, it is well known with what eagernefs they
ifllied forth to the labours of the field. But with us
what ufeful end is anfwered by that ever-craving multi-
tude that befiege the gates of the palace ? Was it with
fuch men that I expelled the Huns, thofe ravagers of
Thrace ? The city fhould retain only fuch a number of
inhabitants as can find due employment to maintain them-
felves \>y their indultry j the reft (hould be lent forth to
colonife in different parts of the empire. They would in-
treafe population, and fubfift upon the fruits of their la-
bour. AgrJculture is the feminary of foldiers : a good
and ferviceable militia will never be formed out of a lazy
race, who a^e contented to loiter away their days in idle
poverty. Let the laws, above all the taxes, be reduced to
a plan of fimpUcity ; and the militia of the palace will be
undone by infignificance. What an immenfe faving may
be made by that circumftance need not be mentioned. ^

* The nioft alarming expence of government is main-
tenance of the army. But even that expence will be re-

« 40;000 buftiels per day : tlic bufhel, modhn, one foot fquare,
and four inches deep. The Roman foot was ten of our inchesi
The allowance of the foldier was five bulfiels a month, or the
ftxth of a bufhel per day : therefore 40,000 bolhels, at fix men to
a bufhel, would maintain 240,000 men. duced

EELISARIUS. 119

duced to the regular body of the legions ; for the veterans^
ellablifhed in colonies upon the frontiers of the empire,
fubfift by their own induftry, and their immunities and
exemptions from all civil offices itand in the nature of
pay. The colonies, the mafter-ftroke of Conftantine'a
genius and policy, are not as yet annihilated 5 to make them
revive in all the fpiritof their original defign depends up-
on the will of the prince ; for, infaft, the number of gal-
lant foldiers, who are now drooping into poverty and in-
dolence, defire no better reward than to be lent to culti-
vate and defend the lands they have acquii-ed by conqueft.
The fame may be ailerted in regard to the troops which
have been fettled upon the borders of rivers*. Tho!e
places, now improved and cultivated, ^epay with abun=
dance the induftr}' of the labourer,

* Whole fwarms of barbarians have been conftantly
crowding about our frontiers, in hopes of gaining a fet-
tlementf in our provinces ; and occafionally they have
been admitted, without fufficient precaution ;(: j but the
danger confifted in admitting too large a number. Let
foreign lettlers, therefore, not be embodied together, but
difperfed into diltant places, and let the walle and uncul-
tivated lands be allotted to them. Of thefe we have,
alas ! too manylj ; but a vigilant and active govirnment
would foon naturalize the fovereign intruders, and incor-
porate them with the reft of the ftate as ui'eful citizens
and well-affefled foldiers.

* The legions therefore are now the only remaining
burthen to the ftate ; and the tribute which we draw trora
Egypt, from Africa, and Sicily, would well fupport three
times the number the government ever had in its fer-
vice§. It is not refepefting this article that parfimony

is
» They were called nperjes. Alex?jider Severus firft eftablilhei
them.

t Thefe fettlerswere called Ldeti, and their lands L^.'jV farms.
X As the Gcths under the emperor Valent
li The lands of the Fi 3 c u s , or treafary, were immenfe. The
punifhment of moft offences was a Confiscation of property.
§ Sicily paid a tribute to the Romans of i^xoCyOCQ bulhels cf

com-

Ii(5 BELISARIUS.

is required concerning ihcir maintenance*. The ftate may
be at cal'c, but it cannot be too ftrenuous in its endea-
vours to nx them upon a good and regular eftabifhment:
There was a time when admifiion into the legions was
an honour rel'erved for the citizens of Romef , and was
warmly difputed by the young men, who were eager
candidates for it. The time is now no more, but
it fhoiild be renewed ; and then, what may not be achieved
by men who have both honour and bread !'

* Men are no longer the fame,' faid the emperor.—
^ The nature of men is the fame,' replied Belifarius;
* and nothing is changed but opinion, that fovereign mif-
treis of the manners. In fa6l, we only want the foul of
the great man, his genius, and his example, to expand
themfelves abroad, and fix the principles and the man-
ners. From a million of initances that fupport this pro-
pofition, take a hngle fa6l, which is, in my eftim.ation,
worthy of the old republic in its greateft period, and
evinces plainly, that in all ages the virtue of mankind
has difplayed itfelf in proportion to the demand made for
it by thole who were fufficiently {killed in the powers of
human nature.

* Rome was taken by Totila. One of our brave orTicers,
wliofe name was Paul had fallied out of the city at tiie
head of a fmall party and entrenched himfelf on the emi-
nence, where he was lurrounded by the enemy. Famine,
it was not doubted, would foon reduce him to the nccef-
fity of furrendering; and, in fa6f, he was in want of every-
thing. In this exigence, he addrefled himieli to his foi-
diers: — ** My friends," laid he, *' we mult either peri/li,
or furvive In llavery. You, I know, will not hefitate
about the choice j but it is not enough toperifii, we muft

cornj Egypt, 21,600,000; and Africa, 43,2005000 : at the rate
of (Ix men to abufhel there was a daily maintenance for i, 200,000
men.

* The monthly pay of a foldier was 400 afTes, value 25 filv;:r
denarii, equal to one r.timnius cureus: The ajfn was an ounce of
copper, the filverd^nai'ius weighted one, and the aureus 140 grains.

t This honour wasalfo eagerly difputed by the youth of the
provinces, who had the rights of the city. perifli

BELISARIUS. 121

perifh nobly. The coward nny rehgn himfelf to be con-
luined by tamine, he may linger in niiiery, and wait in
a dilpiritcd condition, tor the triendly hand ot death. But
we who have been Ichocled, and educated in the field of
battle, we are not new to Itarn the proper ufe ot our
arms } we know how to caive for ourielves an honour-
able death. Yes, let us die, but not inglorious and un-
revenged j Jet us die covered with the blood ot cur ene-
mies, that our fall, inftead of raifmgthe fmile of deliberate
malice, may give them caufe to mourn over the victory
that ur.dces us. Can. we wl-fl; to loiter a few years moriS-
in lite, when we know that a very few muft bring us to
our graves? The limits of human life cannot be enlarged
by nature, but glory can extend them, and give a fecond
life."

* He finiflied his harangue : the fcldiery declared the-r
refolution to tollow h.m. They began their march j the
intic-pid countenance with which they advanced fcon de-
noted to the enemy a def gn to give battle with all the
courage cf the laif defpair. Without waiting, therefore,
to receive the attack of this illuftrious band, the Goths
thought proper to compound, by an immediate grant of
lift and liberty.'

* I can count, my friends, upon at leaft two miUlons
in the empire capable of the lame magnsnlmity, if
another Paul were at the head of tt:tn\. We can reckon
ado lome chiefs of this illuftrious clafs j ourvi^^ories have
pointed them out. W^hile fuch refources remain, let us
notdcfpair ot the commonwealth. Are you kill to betold
to what a degree of proi'perity, affluence, and population,
the force of the Itate may be increaicd ? Rccal to mind
the condition in ancient times, I will not fay of Gaul,
which we meanly abandoned*, but of Spain, Greece,
Italy, the republic of Carthage, and the various realms of
Afia, from the banks of the Nile to the Euxine fhore.
Rtcolie6t that Romulusf , who in the infancy of the ftate

♦ In order to deliver Rome and Italy from the Goths, the em-
peror ceded to thern the faireft provinces of Gaul.

t TIip legio.iat tliat titns conliikd of 3000 foot and 3CO horfe,
L had

lae EELISARIUS.

had but one legion, was able at his death to bequeath ia^
his lucceflbr t'orty-feven thoufand men under arms. Ry
that circumftance you will be iiiltru6led wliat may be
done by the a6livity, vigilance, andlpiritofafingle man.
The ernpire, it is laid, is undone. How ! are Italy, Sicily,
Spain, Libya, and Egypt, all exhiultcd ? Are Boeotia,
Macedonia, and the plains of Ada, which made the riches
of Darius and Alexander, are they grown barren and un-
productive ? But the nurnbers ot mankind are thinned !
Oh, my friends, let fociai happinel's be re-etl^bliftied in
thole regions, and the progrefs of population will be re-
paid : men will be found in plenty ; and then I ftiould
have courage to propole the vaft plan which 1 have me-
ditated, and which, perhaps, is the only way to render
the empire more powerful and more flourifhing than ever.*
— ' And what can that plan be ?' laid the emperor. — * I
will open it to ycu,' replied Belifarius.

* The operations of war, according to our way of con-
dueling it, exceeded the ftrength of our armies ; we were
quite exhaulfed by laborious marches and fatigue of every
kind. The diverfion of our arms gave the enemy an op-
portunity to alarm us v/ith fudden incurlions, which th«
line of veterans and of Agrarian foldicrs, polfed on our
borders, was not fufficient to withftand ; and, in confe-
qucnce, before the regular legions could come up to their
liipport, devaftation and terror without control fpread a
general ravage^*. In order, therefore, to oppofe to this
torrent a conftant fence^ I would new model the empire
upon a plan of military policy, in fuch fort, that every
frteman fliould be a ib!dier,but for the purpofes only of in-
ternal defence. Upon this fyftem, every prefect would
have under his command a well-arrangedarmy, of which
the cohorts would be formed by the cities, and the le-

♦ In the time of Auguftus, the frontier provinces did r.of exceed
nine. The legions were eftabliilied at fixed and regular pofts. But
the number ot provinces increafingafterwards, the legions became
inadequate to their fervice. Ccnftantine withdrew them to an in-
terior ftation, and the hnes of veterans, to whom lands were al-
lotted on the borders of the enemyjOiads but a feeble fubfritute in
the room of more regular forces. gions

EEtlSARlUS. tlj

^iciis by the provinces, wlrh proper places appointed to?
their rendezvous, that they might l6 acl in concert, as at
the found of a tnimpet to alTcmble immediately, and be
embodied at the fliortelt warning.

* From an army of this kind would refult this further
advantage, that every individual would glow with the
love of his native loil j that foil which he has helped to
people, which his hands have cultivated, and v/hich is en-
deared to hiin by the laboar he has employed to make it
fiouriftiing and huittul. With chafe incentives in their
bcibms, you m.ay imagine to yourfdf how ardent they
would be in the juil defence of their property*.

' In an empire of wide extent there is nothing fo dif-
ficult as to diffufe through the whole an idea of a common
caufe, a principle of civil union, and one general intereft.
Am.ong people ieparared by the fea wefeldom obferve any
coniV.ciable degree of attachm.enc to one another. The
foutn is wholly indifferent about the dangers that alann
the north. The Dalmatian and the liiyrian march under
our banners into Aiia with the coMeli infcnfibility : to
them it is a matter of no concern whether the Tigris flows
bnder our laws or thole of the Perfians. By miiiitary dif-
cipline he is retained in the camp, and from the love of
plunder he denves a degree of fpirit; but cool reflection
iuccecds : by fatigue and labour he is relaxed j and in the
firft moment of diicontent or terror he abandons a caufe
which is not his own. Upon my plan the very reverfe
would be the cafe; the name of country would not be an
cm.pty lourd to the foldier,but the objed of hisartecticn,
ever dear ar.d piefent, and twined about his heart by all
the lendereit ties of nature. To enfiame the foldier with
i'pirit agairft the enemy, the proper harangue may be
thus conceived :■ — " Friends, countrymen, and iellow-ci-
tizcns ! behold the lands wiilchgave you nurture j lo, the
roof under which you drew your firft breath ! tnetomb of
your ar.ceftors, the cradle or your infants, and the bed

* Land-pofTefPions infpire their cultivators witli courage to de-
fend them. The fruit ot the foil is the ftake which the conaueror
|)ropofes lo win. L a oi

124 2!ELISARIUS.

of your wives, whom you are now going to defend!^''—*
' And are not theie powerful and pathetic motives ? They
have made more heroes than even love and ambition. Of
their reliftlefs influence over minds trained up to ideas of
\var, and tlie rigorous duties of military dilcipline, you
may eafi'v form a judgment.

* For my part, I dwell with inexpreflible delight on the
picture, which even now im?^gination fondly draws, of a
laborious, warlike youth, preiring with ardour in all our
towns and viiiiges to the ftandard of their country j a
ipirited and active race, preierved by labour from the
vices of indolence, inured by habit to the rigours of manly
exercife, addi6fe 1 to the ufefui arts of peace, and eager to
take the field upon the firft alarm of danger. In a militia
i'o conlHtuted, the crime of deiertion would be a crime
againli nature; and their courage and fidelity would be
fetured to their country by every facred bond that holds
fociety together. The Itate w.mid not the lefs on this ac-
count be provided widi its regular legions, which would
be a moving bulwark, reac^'^ to be advanced whenever
danger called. By theie means a ipirit of emulation and
a warlike genius would he diffufe^l thrcugliout the em-
pire, and the rewaid of biavery might be a commiflion to
ferve in the regular and more honourable body of the le-
gions, which would oe thus recruited, w.thout thofe rafh
levies of men which partiality, fraud, coUufion, or negli-
gence, inlilt into the army. We Aicu!d have a mulfer of
the people. Hew fuperior would be the force of the em-
pire to any former period of its Ibength, even though we
fhould look back to the days ot its molt I'efulgent glory* !
Would the enemy of the South or the- North dare, in that
cale, to invade us ? Would they aflltult a people, who
with an undilciplined army, unprovided with the proper
inftruments of war, and almolt without bread, have fo
often beat back their irruptions P'

' And who can anfwer,' interrupted Juftinian, * that in
a military (late like this the people will always be under

* Under Auguftus 23 legions ; under Tiberius 25 ; Adrian 30 ;
Galba 372,000 men, half Aomans, and the other half auxiliaries.

the

BEL1SARIU3. 125

trie control of government ? Who will venture to enfure a
due lubordinaticn ?■ — ' It will be eniured/ replied Beli-
larius, * by their o\^ninterefi:, by the benignity ot thelawSj
nnd the moderation, julticc, and lagacity of a wife ad-
miniftration. You will be lb good as to bear in your
nnnds, that I made the happinefs of the people the very
ccrner-ltone of the edifice/ — < It is very true,' faid Juf-
tinian : *but the people are prone to change, fond of in-
novation, inconftant, rtftlefs, and ready to be inflamed by
the firft fa6ticus leader that hopes to find his account in
civil commotions.' — ' You fee the people in one light
only,"" replied Beliiariusj * you judge of them in their
prefent condition, a ftate of luffering like that in whicJl
they were plunged at Rome, when Kcme had fallen into
misfortunes. But of this you maybe fure, that men always
know their own wants, and will underftand their rights :
let the prince fuccour the former, and prctefl the latter,
and you may rtriy upon it that they will acknowledge ali
his patriot cares with gratitude. The fovertign's love
will be repaid by the affections of his people. If he pro-
ved juft, benevolent, and wife, confiding the offices of his
adminiftrat'.on to none but men worthy of feconding the
good intentions of a patriot prince, the people on their
part will be docile and fubmiflive. By what metamor-
j)hofis, I fhould be glad to know, can a few difcontented
ipirits, a paltry handful of feditious malconter.tSj con-
vert a people who have reafon to be fatisfied into a fetof
perjured rebels ? Such a revolt is only to be dreaded by
him who leaves his fubjech to groan under oppreflion j
the charafter of reigning tor the good of his community
will always be a bulwark againll treafcns and compira-
cies. Can it be imagined that, amidil the appiaufes lent
uji to the throne by a grateful people, rebellion will dare to
eieft its ftandard ? Where is it to leek accomplices ? Will
it go into fcenes ot rural tranquillity, where peace, ii-
birty, and plenty, fit fmiling on the land ? Will it ikuik
in towns where indulfry works in cheerhilnefs, and the.
fortunes of eveiy citizen, his life, his property, and his
rights, are under the fafeguard of the laws ? Wiil it ca-
L c bai

IZG BELISARIUS.

bal in families, where Innocmccr, truth, honour, and the
fanftity ot marriage-vows, co-operate with all tiie ten-
dereft ties of nature, arul endear the domelllc icene ? Can
trealbn in fuch pinccs expecl to find aiiociates t It will
not expeft it; lor the empire of jultice is immovable, or
nothing fuhlunary can have a lalting duration. I will al-
low you that, in making the fubjeft powerful, in order to
render him happy and contented, there is a rifk that re-
quires a daring mind, but of that daring mind I fhould
be, though my ruin were the conkqvience : I fliculd fpealc
out and tell my people, I put arms into your hands, to
ferve and aid me if my government be jull, and to afTift
ufurpaticn if I (hould be guilty of it. This you will
deem rafhnefs, but in my idea It is the height of prudence
tiHis to put under due reitraijit both my own paflionsand
thofe of the people, thereby eilablilliing a fure barrier
againif the iii coniequences of either. With my crown I
fnculdj by thefe means, transit to my fucceiior an he-
reditary necefiity to govern according to law ; and that
neceflity, thus rendered defcendible, would be the bright-
eli: monument of glory that ever monarch left behind him.
I am aware, my friends, that genuine virtue does not aft
upon the principle of fear ; but if virtue be entrenched by
it, I fliall think it a confidcrable advantage j for what
virtue is at all times lure of walking upright ? I know it
is a maxim that a prince is above the lavi-s j the very law
Itfeif alfcrts it, and perhaps wifely; but my firit care
fhould be at my accelTion to forget that maxim, nor
would I forgive the fycophant who (hould remind me of
it. My friends, I now mull: take my leave. To change
the face oi things, and new model an empire, is a labo-
rious tafk: let us repofe ourfelves a little. To-morrow £
fliall be glad of your company. There ftill remains be-
hind another grievance which affliiSls my fpirits ; but I
will relerve it for another opportunity. At our next meet-
ing I (hall endeavour to intcreft Tiberius in regard totlic
matter I now only alluded to.'

' His views are, no doubt, great and extenfiv^e,' fald
the emperor, as he was on hi* way back. * But if his

fchemes

BELISARIIJS. 117

fchemss are praftlcable, they mail be undertaken by Ibine
prince in the vi^ )ur of youth, who afcends the throne
with a manly firmnefs of mind, a Ipirit of jultice, of cou-
rage, and of virtue. Added to thefe qualities, he will have
occafion for a long reign, in order to bring about lb won-
derful a revolution.' — < I am not able to decide,' faid
Tiberius 5 * but in his plan I thought I perceived feme
things that require only an ctr ort of the will to compafs
them J and if the reft muft depend upon time, that time,
it is to be hoped, is not lb remote but we may expeft to
fee it drawn upon us Ihortlv.' — ^ My dear Tiberius,' re-
plied the emperor, * you behold difficulties with the eye
o!^ youthful inexperience; your a6livity vaults over them j
but my infirmities fhrink back, difmayed. To execute
great pro-efts, alas! faid he with a deep figh we muft
begin early. It is not the time to begin to live, when
all we need is to learn to die ; and yet I niuft fee the good
old man again. His converiation, it is true, afflicts me,
but I had rather indulge a pleafmg fadnefs in his com-
pany, than lufFer the infulting gaiety of vain unthinking
men, who throng about me in my palace.'

CHAP. XV.

AT the accuftcmed hour, the next day, the empercr
and Tiberius found the hero in his garden, enjoying
the departing rays of the weftern fun. — ' It no longer
lights me,' la:dBeiifarius,withalookexprefiiveof -nward
happinefs, * but it ftill warms and comforts me. In that
ftupendous orb I adore the bounty and magnificence of the
great Creator.' — « To hear this drain of piety from a war-
rior,' faid Juftinian, ' delights and raviilies me 3 it is the
triumph of religion !' — -^ The triu nph of religion,' re-
plied Belifaiius, ' is to adminilter confwlatiori in the hour
of adverlity, and to mingle in the cup of forrow the fweets
of calm delight and heavenly fatisfacUon. That religion
affords this heart-lelt joy who can give better teftimony
than myieif? Overwhelmed with years, deprived ot fight,
and deftitute of friends, abandoned over to myfelf, and no-
thing prefent t« my thoughts but the decline of frail mcr-

te'itv,

1^8 ^ ^ 5FLISARIUS.

taiity, sffllc^Ion, and my approaching grave, I have HOr
thing left but to lend up my meditation to heaven : to de-
prive me of that were, perhaps, to drive me to defpair.— ?
Tiie good man walks with God ; a fecret confcioufnei^
that he is acceptable to his Creator warms his heart j and
from that fource he derives Itrength and rapture even in
the midft ofafflidion. When I was firft furrounded with
misfortunes, del'erted by all, and given up to my enemies^
who were plotting my ruin, I have often faid to myfelf,
" Be of courage, Beiifariusi you are free from feir-re-
proach, and your God beholds you."" My heart, where
all was ^aid waile and defolate with mlfery, revived and
glowed within me at that reflexion; I felt it expand in
my bofom with new life and joy. I hold the fame felf-
coni-erence ftill ; and when my daughter is with me, yield-
ing to the Itroke of affli(fl:ion, and bathing my face with
tears — " Can you be afraid," I alk her, " that he v/hofent
us on this rtage of life will ceafe to prompt, to invigorate,
and hipport us ? Your heart is endowed withfenhbdity,
and t'-uth and purell virtue refide there ; your father has
net more to anfwer for than yourfelf ; and can you ima^
gine that the fountain of all goodnefs will defert thatvirr
tue which he Joves? Oh, my daughter! cornebut the mo-
ment when he, that with his breadi calleth forth my foul
into exiftence, flull command it into his glorious prefence,
and then we flial! fee whether wicked men will follow thi^
ther to dirt urb the ftate of bills. " My poor daughter
Eudoxa liftens with fixed attention to this conibling lan-
guage, and her tears fall as /lie hears it; but they are tears
that flow mingled v.'ith delight ; and thus by degrees I lead
her to confider life as a littievoyage, which weperiormin
a little bark not accommodated to our wifhes, and there-
fore with joy we approach tlie pert where all is peace, de-
light, and rapture.'

* You have framed for yourfelf,' faid the emperor, * a
verv comfortable fcheme of religion '.'--* It is truereligion,""
replied Btlifarlus. — ' Would vou have me contemplate the
God whom I adore in thelghrofa fullen anl offended ty-
fiint, who delights in vengeance only: I know full well

■ tha^^

BELISAIRUS. 129

tint when he is reprerentcd to us by men of dark, of jea-
lous, haughty, and melancholy tempers, the image of a
Deity takes a tin6lure from the imaginations it has paded
through, and a benevolent God is made to appear a fretful,
pafTionate, and irraicible being, like the creatures that talk,
of him. Tney perhaps find their account in making their
ov/n vices the attribute of heaven : but I endeavour to fi-
gure to myfclf the perlections which it is mv duty to imi-
tate. Do you thnic th'.s an enor ? It is at leail an inno-
cent one. From the hands of my Creator I came forth
weak arid feeble j he v^ill be indulgent therefore ; to him
it is apparent that I have neither the madnefs nor the vi'ick-
cdnefs to offend him : that infatuation of mind, that im^
potence of pride, is foreign to my heart. To my God I
am mere dutifully attached, more fen ently devoted, than
ever I v.v:is to the emperor : and of this I am fure, that the
emperor, who is but a vseak erring man, would never have
done me harm, if, like my God, he could have read my
heart.'

< Alas ! that God,' faid Juilinlan, * is, notwithftand-
ing what you have laid, a God of wrath j a terrible GcdP
— "' Yes, to the guilty he is terrible,' replied Bcliiarius;
* but I am felf acquitted in my own conicience j it tells
me I am good and virtuous ; and in the lame manner
that the flagitious foul is incompatible with the cflenceof
the divinity, I have the comfort to think that the foul of
the juft man is analogous to the fountain of all goodnels.'
-^' But which of us is the juft man ?' faid the emperor.
— ' He that endeavours moll to be fo,' replied Belifarius :
' for goodnefs confifts altogether in volition.'
. « That you delight in the contemplation of your God,*
faid Tiberius, * is not furprifing, fince you behold him in
fo amiable a light !' — ' Alas !' replied the c^d man, ' I
know how much I am obliged to ftraln my feeble powers
i n order to conceive fuitably of the Divine Majefty } and,
after all the efforts of a limited capacity to form into one
complex idea all that is fu'jiime aud beautiful, and good,
I am conicious how inadequate the image isatlaft. But
what can a man, who would ekvate his thoughts to a no-

tioa

a 30 EELISARIUSi

tion of his Maker ? If that all-wile and Incomprebenfibb
Being deUghts in any thing, it is in the effiifion of bene-
volence to all his creatures ; this refleilion paints him to me
in themildelt attitudes, and on that idea I therefore dwell,
in order to form the moll endearing conception of liini.*
* But it will not be enough,* laid the emperor, < tode-
fine him a benevolent Being : you mud call himjuft alio.'
— ' They are lynonymous words,' replied Belifarius. ^ Tq
delight in goodnefs, and to have a detellation for evil j tp
reward the former, and to punilh thelattei-, that is the tru^
chara6ter of goodnefs : that is my firil, my unalterable prin-
ciple. Has it never happened to you as it has to me, tq
attend the levee of Titus, of Trajan, and Antoninus ? Thr.E
is one of the reveries in v.'hich my imagination loves to in-
dulge. I fancy myielf in that court, compofed of the true
friends of the crown : I fee thofe illuftrious princes difpenle
the fniiles of complacence all around the honell circle ; I
fee them communicate the beams of glory and of majeily,
mixed and blended withfuch pleafing delicacy and foftnels,
that every heart participates of the joy the lovereign feel^
in diffufinghappincfs to others. If that bean auguit icene,
how much more glorious and refulgent will be the court of
him who is at lall to receive my foul I It will be filled
with the Titufes,the Trajans, and the Antoninufes, thoie
dehghts of mankind. It is in their company, and that
of the virtuous of all ages and of all countries, that th«
poor blind Belifarius will glow with pureft fire before the
throneof a good and equitable God.' — * And the wicked,'
faid Tiberius, • how do you difpofe of them f — ' i hey
will not be there ! I (hall hope,' continued he, * to fee m
that blaze of glory theauguft and wretched old man who
took away my eyes ; for he has done much good from the
inclination of his heart ; and if ever he did wrong, he was
furprifed into it. He will rejoice, I believe, to lee my loft
organs reltored to mel' — And thus the hero fpoke, his
whole countenance was irradiated with joy, while the em^
peror poured floods of tears, reclining upon the breaft of
Tiberius.
At length his tender fenfations giving way torefle6tion,

«P9

ISELISARIUS. Ijt

— ' Do yoi? hope/ laid the emperor, * to find the pagan
heroes in that paradile which has lb enraptured you ?*
Do you think they will be admitted V — < My good neigh-
bbyr/ replied Belifarius, ' you do not mean, I am fure,
to affiled me in my old age ! I am poor and wretched, with-
dutany other comfort than that which Iprings up within
me ficm the Icenes of futurity uhith I have fancied to
myfclf. If it be an error, pray indulge me in it : it cheers
my heart, and God is not clfendedi it enlarges my idea
of his benevolence, and I love him more ardently for it.
I cannot be induced to think, that between my foul arirt
that of Ariftides, of Marcus Aurclius and of Cato, there
is an eternal abyls of fepaiaticn 5 if I thought there were,
I feel that my love for the great author of cur exillence
would be diminillied by it/

* Young man,' laid the emperor to Tiberius, * while
you honour the enthufiaft ic virtue or this hero, you rauil:
riot believe him an orthodox guide. Belifarius never pre-
tended to be deeply verfed in the myfteries of faith.'— t-

* And who can be deeply verfed ?' replied the hero.

* Alas ! who can prefume to thmk his eye has pervaded
the great fchenne of providerxe ! The all-wife Creator
has given us two guides, which ought to operate in con-
cert with each other; and thofc guides are, the light of
taith, and of natural reafon. The truth of which we
are convinced by intuition, faith will never contiadicf.
Revelation is but a fuppiement to the light of nature : it is
the fame Voice that 1 peaks to us frona the throne of heaven,
and from the bottom cf the heart, it is impofllble that
they fhould be at variance; and if, on the one hand, the
truth that ftirs within me announces the juft and good to
be acceptable to his Creator, I (hall never hear, on the
other, that he is obnoxious to the wrath of heaven.' —

* And who can be anfwerahle,' laid the emperor, * that
tliis inward fentiment is the revelation of nature ?'— ' If

♦ It has been decided by the fathers, that God will work a
miracle, rather than ler him periih everlaftingly who hasfaith-
iuily followed the laws of nature. Bur Juftiniaa, it is weii
knoviQy was a bitjotj and of a. per fee u ting fpirit. of

1^1 BELISARIUS.

itbt-not,' replied Belilarius, * ajuft snd benevolent God
fufFcrs me to be milled, and ail is lott. It is the light
of n.:tural leafon that tells me there is an ai! governing
mind, that commands me to worlhip him, and promul-
gates his laws in my very foul. Ar.d wiil the wile Crea-
tor give me by thole means an inwaid conviction, that
may prove at lad the grcileft error r Alas 1 whoever is
my antagonift in thefc points, I beg him* to leave me ilili
my confcience, the light of intuition : it is my guide and
rny bell fupport. Without it I can no longer diftinguifli
right trom wrong, or good from evil: truth and Jalfe-
hood become indilcriminate, and my duty loles its fanc-
tion. I do not even know that there are any dut:es to
bind me : I am then blind indeed 5 and they v/ho took
nie from the light of the fun, were by far lefs birbarous
than the man who would extinguifli in me the internal
light of realbn.'

* Let me alk you,' laid Juftlnlan, * what do you per-
ceive fo clearly by this faint glimmering ray within the
mind r' — ' I perceive,' replied the hero, * that the reli-
gion wlilch intimates to me a juft and benevoleiit God, is
a true religion ; and that whatever is lepugnant to that
fine inward fentiment, is not of that religion. Shall I
avow my principles ? I am attached to that relig-on,
becaufe it renders me better, and gives a dignity to my
nature. It I felt that it made me haughty, fierce, and
hard of heait, I fiiould abjure it at once, and I fhould
fay to my God, *' In the dilemma which obliges me to be
either wicked or an unbeliever,! choole the latter, and ani
f'ureit will leaft offend you."" * Buth..ppily therehgion I
embrace Is congenial to my heart. Love God, and love
his works : can any thing be more fmiple, ju(t, and na-
tural ? To wIjIi good to nim wlio does us evil ; what a
noble morality ! how generous and fuhllme ! In our mis-
fortunes, to conllder ail as a trial of virtue, how fweet
and comfortable tb.e phllolbphy ! Thus far I am con-
tent J and, while I pollefs this moral fyllem, if mylle-
ries are piopoitd to me, I acknowlecige them above my
leaibn, and I fubmit, with a lincere compafllon for thoie

whole

EELISARIUS. 135

whofe judgment wants the lame reflltude and dccility;
at the iaine time I recommend tliem to the lupremc good-
nefs of the Father of ail, and fo the infinite mercy ot that
omnifcient Judge, who iees the paths ot ^ror, and can
forgive it.'

' In this way of proceeding/ fald Juftlnian, * you are
going to deal out iaivs«icn to numbers without uiitinc-
tion !' — « And is it necelTary,'' replied Bclilarius, * that
numbers fhould be in a rtate of reprobation ?' — ' I feel
with you," laid Juftinian, * that it is more comfortable
to love God than to fear him ; hut all nature atttfts liis
vengeance and the rigour of his decrees."-'-' For my pari:,'
laid Bclil'arius, ' I am perfuaded that he only puniflies
when the divine grace cannot be extended ; that he is not
the origin of evil j that he has formed the bcil poilible
A'licm, and has diftuied all the good that fyllem. was ca-
pable of receiving*. That is my theology. Let it be
propoied throughout the world, and itwiiibe found wor-
thy of being embraced with zeal and veneration: the voice
Oi nature will fpeak aloud in favour of it. Should violence
and cruelty arm it with fword and fire ; fhould the rulers
of the eaith, who profels this religion, with bigot rage
bit! the fiends of hell overrun the world, and in the najne
of God excruciate thoie whom they ought to pity and to
love, they will eltabliflione or other of thefe two prcpo-
fitions : either that their religion is barbarous like them-
felves, or they give the lie to the dc6lrine of truth.'

* You have raifed,' laid Juftinian, ' a fericus and im-
portant qucftion 1 To throw fome light upon it, it will
be proper to inquire whether a prince has a right to eftab-
lifh tiiroughouthis dom.inions an uniformitycf faith, and
one general m,cde of worfiiip. If this right be inherent
in the crown, how caa it be exerted againft rebellious and
ftubborn dilTenters but by force and punilhment ?'

* As I am making a profcffion of faith, * laid Belifa-
rius, < I Will frankly own, that whatever concerns the
good order of icciety, and has an influence on the m.an-

_ ♦ The opinion of the Stoic fchool, which was adopted by Leib-
Ditz, and other Optimifl: is here afcribed to Eelil'arius.

M ners.

13+ IBELISARITjS.

ners, is of necelTity fubjeft to the jurifdifiion of the Co-
vereign, not as theiniallible judge of truth and faUehood,
but as a mip;iftrate whofe province it is to compute the
political gooti or evil thatrefults fiom the aftions of men :
and this opinion of mine I found upon this principle,whicli
fliould be a firft principle in eveiy man's creed, namely,
thatGod is the friend of order,anc'' authorizes nothing that
can ditturb it.' — ' Well then,' fald the emperor, * do you
dovibt that there is a cloie and intimate relation between
the eftablifl^od faith and the manners?' — < I acknow-
ledge,' replied Beliftrius, * that there are many truths,
by their nature interwoven with the manners j but take
this with you, that there are intuitive truths planted by
the hand of God in every breaft, which no man in his
fenfes will call in queftion. Whereas the truth of myf-
teries, which are beyond the reach of the human imder-
ifanding, and therefore require a revelation, has no con-
nexion with the morals of mankind. For if we confider
a moment, we fliall perceive that the all-wife Being has
detached his myfteriesfrom the great fyftem of ethics, for
purpofcs the moll important to fociety; namely, that with-
out waiting for a revelation man fliouldbe led by tlje pro-
penfity of his nature to a moral condu6h And if pro-
vidence has thought fit to make the welfare of fociety, the
political happintfs of mankind, the fate of empires, and
the courfe of baman contingencies, altogether independ-
ent of the fublime truths of revelation, my <jueftion is,
why Hiould not the civil m.agiflrate imitate the difpenfa-
tions of the Supreme Being ? The fovereig-n fhould inquire
difpaflionatclv whether, by believing or not believing any
particular fpcculative point, mankind would in a moral
lenfe be better or worfe, and in a political view moie va-
luable citizens, or more faithful fubje^s. This I will
take upon me to fay fhould be the rule of Ibvereign au-
thority J and, in confcquence of it, you fee what a num-
ber of ingenious difputes would be excluded from civil
government.'

* I obferve,' faid the emperor, * that you leave nothing
to the fu per intend ance of the magiftrate but what efien-

tially

EELISARIUS. 135

tially concerns the Interells of lociety : and yet among all
the important duties otioveieignty, the moll lacred of-
fice lurely confilts in being the vicegerent of heaven, for
the purpofes of enforcing the difpenlations of the eternal
will/ — < Ah ! let them be vicegerents of ahnighty good-
neis,' faid Belilarius, * and they will do well to leave the
miniltry of vengeance to the demons ofhe 11. ^ — ' That the
darkneis of ignorance fliould be dilpelkd, and tliat truth
fhould have its triumph throughout the world, muft be
allowed,' faid the emperor, * to be co-incident with the
plan of infinite goodnefs.' — * Truth cannot fail to tri-
umph,' faid Belifarius, ' but it muft not be by the arui
of flcili. Do you not perceive that, by putting the fword
of vengeance into the hand of truth, ycu entruft error with
it alfo ? The very poffelTion of that fword will be ever
deemed a fufficient authority to wield it without mercy j
and, let me add, perfecution vv'ill always be on the fide of
the ftrongeft, and will there ere6t its banners according to
the prevalence of opinion, and, as thatfuggelh, willglut
itfelf with the blood of the unhappy victims. In this
manner, we know, Anafthafius perfecuted that mode of
faith which JulUnian now prote6ls. The defcendants of
men, who were formerly murdered by the fpirit of into-
lerance, have now reverfed the fcene, and in their turn
commit a daily maffacre upon the pofterity of thofe who
not long fince butchered mankind for the fervice of ano-
ther religion. Behold thofe two princes who thought to
render themfelves acceptable to God by piouily murdering
their fellow-creatures ! Suppofing the principle to be right,
can either of them be fure that the blood he fpilt was that
with which God defired to fee his altars imbrued? Error
has an immenfity of fpace, and truth is like a mathemati-
cal point in the prodigious void. And who has hit that
point ? Each man affumes thathappinefs to himfelf; but
upon what proof? If there be the cleareft evidence that
he is right, can that evidence authoril'e iiim to infift, and
to infift fword in hand, that mankind fhould be convinced
by it ? Perfuafion comes from heaven, or it is the work
pt nian» If from heaven, it will bring v/ith it the ere-
M 7- dential?

13^ BELISARIUS.

dentials of its miflion j if it be of human origin, it can
only claim the authority of reafon over the faculties of
the underftandiiig. Each man is anfwerable for his own
foul. It is his bufmei's, therefore, and his only, to de-
termine the choice upon wiiich the happinefs or mifery
of his future exiftence depends. You would compel me
to think as you do j and if you are mittaken, you iee how
dear it colts me. As to yourfclf, the error might have
been innocent; will it be innocent to work my ruin ?
Alas 1 why is man fo arrogant to fet up his own reli-
gious creed as a law toothers? Ivlililons, who had enter-
tained a rational lyftem of belief, have been feduced and
impofed upon. But let it be even fuppolcd that the zea-
lous religionift is infallible : is it my duty to attach in-
fallibility to any human opinion ? God, he will fay, en-
lightens him } let him then charitably pray, that God
will favour me in the fame manner. But, atter all, if
this infallibility be alfumed upon human evidence, what
fecurity has the zealot for himlelf or for me, whom he
has forced into his I'tci ? The only point upon which all
the theulogilts agree is, that they do not comprehend the
very myileries they dare to pronounce upon with fuch pe-
remptory decifion : andlhallit be a crime in me to doubt
where they do not underltand ? Let pure and fimple faith
defcend from heaven, and it will be fure of gaining pro-
felytes : but decrees and penal edi6\s will give two things
only to the world, rebels and hypocrites. The brave will
rebel, to vindicate the rights of the free born mind, and
they will be martyred j cowards will wear the malk of
dilfimulation j while the fanatics of every le6l will be fo
many tigei->i let loo fe upon mankind. Call an eye upon
TiieodoriCjthat wife king of the Goths, whofe reign(if we
except the latter end of it) was not inferior to the admi-
niitration of our moft virtuous princes. He was of the
Arian perfuafion , but fo far from defiring to plant his
own laith by the deltru6\ion of mankind, that he punilhed
the occafional conformity of his favourites with death.
*' How can Ithink,"he ufed to lay,"that you will not be-
tray me, fmce with a fpirit gf the baled complafance you

betray

BELISARIUS. 137

betray him who was adored by your forefathers.'* The
emperor Conltantius thought the lame. With him it was
never a crime in the iubjecl to be Heady in his religious
tenets ; on the contrary, it was in his eyes a fm of the
deepeft die in any courtier to adjure his faith for tempo-
ral motives, and betray his foul for the fake of court fa-
vour. Would to heaven that, like them, Juftinian had
never bent himlelf to enflave the privilege of thinking •
But, alas ! he fuftered himfelfto be involved in controver-
fies which can never be ended, and which gave him more
trouble than all his illuftrious labours. For what vvere
the confequences ? Seditions, revolt, and maHacres. His
own quiet and that of the ftate was undone.

* The tranquillity of the ftate,' faid the emperor, ' de-
pends upon unity of fentiment.' — ' The exprefiicn is
equivocal,' replied Belifarius, ' and theconitant fourceof
miftake. The minds of men are never in better harmony
than when each individual is at liberty to think for him-
felf. Do you know whence it is that opinion is jealous,
arbitrary, and intolerant ? It is ov^'ing to the fatal error of
fovereigns, in thinking the fpeculatlve opinions of man-
kind of high importance to the ftate, and diftinguiniing
one dogmatical party with the moft partial favours, in pre-
judice and total exclufionof all the reft. No man is wd-
ling to be marked out for contempt, profcribed, and fti ip-
ped of all his civil rights. Whenever a ftate is divided
into two factions, and one of them engroftes all the ad-
vantages of the community, the other, whatever be the
caufe of diffenfion, will think itfelf aggrieved, and the
love of their country will give way torcfentmentand four-
nefs offpirit. The moft frivolous obj eel will become
grave and important, as foon as It influences the peace of
ibciety. It is that influence, and not the thijig itfelf,
which inflames the temper of party. Let a controverfy
be railed concerning the grains of fand on the fea-ftiorc;
to that controverfy annex a degree of Influence upon the
condition of the fubjecl, and it will be managed with as
much heat and animofity as any other queftion. Reli-
giojis fury is, foi the moft part, compounded of envy,
M 3 flsrcs

tjS EELISARIUS.

fierce defire, ambition, pride, hatred, and fanatic Ven-
geance, that tyrannizes with zeal, as if it were conimif-
fioned by heaven : and all thefe complicated paflions are
the gods of which fovereigns are made implacable dele-
gates. Were there nothing to be gained on earth by
waging war tor heaven ; wtre zeal for truth to be deprived
of a pious licence to murder all who differ about an hy-
pothcfia j were religious enmity no longer allowed to rife
upon the rums of the man it hates j were it retrained
from enriching itfelf with the Ipoils of the oppofite left,
and gaining undue hor^ours and preferments j the fpirits
of mankind would foon becompoied, and all the various
parties would be left to dogmatile after their own fafhion.'
* And fo the caufe of God would be abandoned,' faid
Juftinian. — ' The caufe of God," replied Belifarius,' wants
no enrhufialts to iupport it. Is it owing to polemical di-
vinity that tiie I'un riles, and the ftars glitter in the fir-
mament ? Truth (hines with its own pure genuine luftre,
and the underftandings of men are not enlightened by burn-
ing the faggots of perfecution. The a6fionsof mankind
are committed by heaven tothejurildi61ion of fovereigns ;
but to judge of the inward fentiment is a right rcferved
for the great fearcher of hearts. That truth has not cho-
fen princes for its arbitrators will be perfe6lly plain, if we
confider that not one of them is exempt from error."

' If the liberty of thinking,' faid the emperor, ' muft
not be limited, the liberty of a6f ing will loon claim the
lame immunity."'

* There can be no danger of it,' repliedBelifarius : * It
is in that refpe6l that man is under the immediate con-
trol of the civil power j and while that power confines it-
felf within the limits of law and natural jullice, it will
have the lefs occafion for force to m.aintain its own dig-
nity and the good order of fociety. The bafis of authority
is jultice i remove the latter aijd the former falls to the
ground. I want to know by what artsof illufion is mor-
tal man to deify himlelf, and induce his fellow creatures
to be duped by the monilrous apotheofis to fuqh a depth
of infatuation, as to ict him, iword in hand, coir.mand

mankind

EELISARlUS. 139

mankind to believe what he believes, and think what he
thinks ? Alk the commanders of the army, whether the
logic of the i'word has ever convinced the world ? Bid them
tell vou what were the effects ofviolence and rigour againll
the Vandals ? I was in Sicily j Salomon arrived in the ex-
tremity of defpair : " All is over in Africa," laid he J **the
Vandals have rtvoited ; Carthage is taken, and they have
committed the viktf ravage; within the walls and round
the country all is a deluge of bicod j and this horrible
confufion is owing to certain polemical zealots, who do
not underftand themfclvesjandofcourfe never can be recon-
ciled. If the emperor will mix himfelf thus in abitract
fophilfry, and publifli his edicts in fupport of ilibtilties
which he does not comprehend, let him put his irrefraga-
ble doctors at the head of his arm.ies : for my part I re-
fign 5 they have driven me beyond all patience." Thus
that brave man declared his tentur.ents : between ourfelves
he was in the right. There are palFions enough incident
to human nature for the dilquiet of the world, without
havine the torch of difcord lighted up by fanaticifm.'

* And who,' inquired the emperor, * ihall quench the
flames of difcord ?' — ' The nature of the human nv.ndwill
quench the flame,' returned Belifarms : ' for cafuifts will
grow tired at laif of fkirmilTiing about proportions mea
cannot underftand, and cavilling about dKtinftions none
have leifure ro attend to. At hrft, indeed, new-fang^ied
opinions excited curiofity, and that curiufity encouraged
the eagernefs of dliputation. Takeaway from contro-
verfy all importance in the eyes of the world, and it will
ibon be out of fartilon : men in that cafe wiil endeavour to
diftinguifli themfelves by fomething different from an idle
hypothecs. I compai-e thei'e polemical bigots to a fct of
champions in the public games, who would embrace one
anothirr in perfe.51 good humour if left to themiclves ; but
bemg gazed at by the multitude, they cut one anotiier's
throats.'

* To avow the truth,' faid Tiberius, * his reafonings
have almolt convinced me.' — * What troubles me,' laid
the emperor, < is, that upon this fyftem the zeal of a
prince can render no fervice 10 religion.' * Heavtn

140 RELISARIUS.

* Heaven preferve me,' returned Belifarius, « from do-
ing that mii'chiet". I leave him the iureft means of referv-
ing the intereft of religion, by making the foundnefs of his
faith appear from the purity of his morals ; and by hold-
ing forth the tenor of his government as an evidence, and
indeed as a pledge, for the truth that governs his a6lions.
By making men happy it iseafy to make profelytes. A
good and upright king has a more powerful empire over
the hearts of men than all the pious friends of perfecution
collefled together. It is indeed eafier and more expedi-
tious to cut men's throats than to perfuade them : but if
bigot kings were to raife their voice to t!ie Moft High with
this qucltion, " What arms would youhave us employ to
make you adored upon earth r" and ifGod would deign to
make himfelf heard, the anfwer would be, *^ display

YOUR VlRTUf.S."

As foon as the emperor's fpirlts, whlcli had been much
agritated by this inquiry, grew calm again in the filence
of rctrtat, he recalled to mind the maxims and thecoun-
fc'i's of the religious feclaries that furrounded him j their
enthuiiaflic violence, their pride, and unrelenting animo-
iity. ' What a contraft,' laid he, < has Belifarius exhi-
bited ! A man grown grev in battle, and yet breathing the
iweetnefs of humanity, meeknefs, and benevolence ! where-
as the niinillers of the God of peace preach nothing but
imperious arrogance and implacablerigour ! The old hero
is at once pious aiul juft : he loves his God, and wiflies
to fee him adored by all ; he only requires that the ado-
ration offered upfliould fpring from fentiment and free-
will. Alas ! I have given way to a falfe zeal, which, at
the bottom, was no better than a rage to tyrannize over
the human underilanding.''

CHAP. xvr.

S the emperor and Tiberius went the next day to

A

je-vifit the hero, they encountered a danger which
they had not forefeen ; and the glory of delivering them
was rel'eivcd bv heaven as one triumph more to crovvji
the fame of Belifarius. The

BELISARIUS. I4.I

The Bulgarians, who had been chafed no farther than
the foot of the mountains in Upptr Thrace, no fjoner per-
ceived their country free from th^ir purfuers, than they
fpread themfelves again over the face of the land. One of
their detached parties was prowli'^g in quell of prey n:ar
the retreat offiiiifarius, when a carnage appeared nnd pro-
mifcd a rich booty. They immediately hemmed it in ; in-
tercepted the two travellers, and made them prisoners. As
they furrendered all they had witiiouth;:htating, the plun-
derers fpaied their lives. But for their liberty a ramom,
not in their power to pay down, was expc6led, and there-
fore they were led along in captivity.

But one way ofefcaping ou" or tneir hands without be-
ing known occurred to the erap-ror. — ' Conducl us,' laid.
he, ' to the place whither we were going : taere wc fliall
be able to procure the ranfom you rcqu'.re. I will an-
fwer with my head that you have no lurpri/e to appre-
hend ; and if I break my word, or give you reafon to re«
pent confiding in me, I agree to forfeit my life.'

The air of candour and m\iefty with which thefe words
were uttered made an imprelfion upon the Bulgarians —
* Whither would you have us lead you?' inquired the Bul-
garian chief. — ' About fix miles off,' anfwered the em-
peror, ' to the retreat of Bciifarius.' — * Of Bclilarius 1
what ! do you know that illullrious hero ?' — ' Molt af-
fuiedly I do,' faid the emperor, ' and I dare coun: uson
him as my friend/ — ' If that be thecafc,' replied tac Bul-
garian, ' you need be under no apprchenlion : we ^vUl ac-
company you thither.'

Belifanv's, on the firit notice of tlieir arrival, imagined
they came to carry him ofFafecond time 5 and hisaaugh-
ter, with tears, with Ihrieks, and the utmoll conftei nation,
clafping him in her arms — « My father,' faid ihe, ' on ! my
father ! muft we part again ?'

In this inftant vv^ord was brought that the court- yard
was filled with an armed force that ftood in formidable
ranks round a carnage. Beliiarius m^de his appearance :
and the chief of tne Bulgarians immediately accoitmg hinw
— ' Iliuftrious hero,' Taid he, * here are two men who

claim

142 EELISARIUS.

claim an acquaintance with you, and call you their friend.'
— ' What are their names ?' laid Belil'arius. — * I ani
Tiberius,' faid the young man ; ' and my father is made
arprifoner with me.' — • Oh, yes, I know them,' exclaimed
Belifarius ; they are my neighbours, and my good friends.
But you that lead them hither, by what right have you
laid hands on them ? VVhoand what are you ?' — * We are
Balgaiians,' laid the chief, * and the right of war is our
claim. But every thing gives way to the efteem we liave
for you. We lliould but ill ferve a prince who honours
you, if we tailed in refpeft to thofewhom you acknow-
ledge. Thou wonderlul man ! your friends are free, and
to you they are indebted for their liberty,'

At thele words the emperor and Tiberius made an ef-
fort to raile their arms and embrace Belifarius : the hero
felt the chains which reftrained them. — ' And how,' faid
he, * your hands bound in captivity l' and he unfettered
them immediately.

Aftonifliment, joy, furprife, and wonder together loCs
and throbbed wildly in the bofom of Juftinian. ' Oh, vir-
tue!' laid he to himfelf, * powerful virtue! what an ir-
refirtible empire is thine ! A poor blind old man, lurround-
ed with wrctchednefs, ccmmands refpe6f irom kings !
wrefts the fword from the hands of barbarians, and frees
from chains the man who — Gracious God ! if the uni-
verfe beheld the fliame that covers me ! Alas I it would be
too mild a punilhment.'

The Bulgarians were defirous to return the booty they
had feized. — ' By no means,' faid the emperor j * keep
it all as a gift, and reft allured that I (hall alio add the
ranfom we had ftipulated.'

The Bulgarian chief, in taking leave of Belifarius,
aflced if he had any commands for the king his mafter.'— -
* Ttll him it is my conltant prayer to heaven,' faid Beli-
farius, ' that fo valiant a prince may be the ally and the
friend of my Ibvereign.'

' Oh, Beliiariusr exclaimed Juftlnian, * now recovered

4|^omhis cunfulionand furprife ; Oh, Belifarius ! what an

aic^ndancy have you gained over the hearts of men J Tl"ie

very

EELISARIUS. 143

^-ei^ enemies of die empire efteem and love you !' — • Do
not wonder,' laid the hero with a I'mile, * at the interelt
I have with the Bulgarians. I am upon good terms with
their king} and but a few days fmce we fupped together.*
— ' Where was that,' faid Tiberius ? — 'In the king's
own tent,' replied the hero 3 * I forgot to menlion tkit
adventure. As I was on my journey hither I was, like
you, made a prifbner, and conducted to the Barbarian
camp. Their king gave me a generous reception, enter-
tained me handfomeiy, and lodged me for the night un-
<ier his own pavilion : the next day I obtained from him
a guard to convey me fafe back to the place where I fell
into the hands of a roving party.' — ' How P i'aid Juitl-
nian, the king of Bulgaria know you, and not detain you
with him !' — * He was inclined to do it,' returned the
hero, * but his defigns and my principles did not correl-
pond with each other. He talked to me of taking my
revenge. Who? I revenge myfelf? a mighty caui'c indeed,
for involving a whole country in flames ! I jeturned him
thanks, as you may imagine, for the offer of his alliliancc ;
and now, you fee, he has conceived an efteem for me !'

* Oh ! what remcrie, what eternal bitter remorfe for
the foul of Juftinian,' faid Juftinian himfelf, ' fhould he
ever know to what a cruel excels his ingratitude has been
carried ! Where fliall he find a friend like you whom he
habi thus bafcly injured r Alas ! he is unworthy of any
man's regard after this outrage, this horrible injufticeT

* Do not exaggerate the matter,' returned Belifarius j
* fefter not the wounds of an aged emperor, but rather re-
i\)t6i his years and his misfortunes. He was furprifed in-
to that proceeding againft me, and 1 will give you a lit-
tle hirtory of that bufinefs. There are tliree remarkable
aeras in the progrefs of my ruin. The firit was myen-^ry
into Carthage. Being mailer of Gilimer's palace, the
ufe I made ot his throne was to convert it into a tribunal
of juliice. In lo doing, my intention was to give weight
and dignity to the laws : my inward fentiment was not
legible to common eyes ; and when a man fees himlelf on
a throne, iie will naturally enough have the appearance of

trying

14-4 BELISAP-IUS.

trying how he likes it. That v/as an indircretlon: but
it was not the only one I committed. A very vvhim/Ical
kind of cui iolity prompted me to dine at Giiimer's table,
a:ier thet'sihion ot the Vandals, and I was lerved, in tlie
\mud manner of that court, by theofficers ot the king. It
v/as concluded that I had a mind to luctced to the vacant
throne, snd appearances gave Icme colour to it. A re-
port of this loon reached the imperial palace. In order
to counterwork the efted of it, I defired to be recalled,
and Juftinian rrcompenlcd my fidelity by a magnificent
triumph. Gilimcr, with his wife and children, together
with ail the acci-irailated treafiue which for a feries of
years rhe Vandals had raviihed from the nations round
them, adorned the fplendid pomp. The empercr.'reccived
me in the circus, and when trom the throne, on which he
was eievatttj aii.idft the acclamaticns of a people almoft
without number, he firetched forth his hand to his liib-
jtii v'ith that air of majefty and fweetnefs, my heart ex-
ulted within me, and I faid to myfelf, " This day's ex-
ample will be produ6l;ve of many heroes :" Juftinian
knows the rt of kindling emulation and inflaming the
mind to glory ; the honour of ferving him will now be a
prize contended for. But, alas! the triumph which was
to cnfure profperity to the prince, began already to pre-
pare for me a reveife of fortune 1 From th.at very moment
envy ftocd with her bow bent againfi: me.

* A courle of victory for five yeais togellier, it is true,
made it necefi'ary even for envy to keep fome meafuie of
decency j but, piovoked at jalt beyond all patience by the
fuccels that attended me, Hie dared to fliew herfelf openly
wi'hout a^iy fcnle of fiiame.

* The Goths were chafed out of Italy, and had thrown
themlelves into Ravenna : I laid fiege to the place. It
was their only reluge ; and there pent up, it was im.pofilble
for them to eicape. Envy whifpered to the emperor that
Rivenna was impregnable, that his army would all perifli
before the town, in purfuit of my fchemes of vain-glory ;
and in coniequence, when the Goths were upon the point
of furrendering, ambafladors from Juflinian arrived with

proffered

EELISARIUS. I4.5

proffered terms of peace. I law that the emperor Kadbeeii
impoi'ed upon, and I thought it would be treachery ou
my part to lole the opportunity of making Italy our own :
I therefore declined to ratify the conditions of peace; th?
town capitulated, and I was accufed of trealon and re-
Volt. The charge had forte foundation, as you perceive,
ior I had been guilty of difobedience ; and there was ftill
ifomething more in It. The enemy were difaffefted to
the king, and made me a tender of their crown* A pe-
renriptory refufal might imbitter their minds j I returned
a flattering anlwer, and that feeming acquieicence was
deemed fmcere at court. I was recalkd, and the prompt
obedience with which I laid down the command difcon-
certed my enemies. To the emperor's feet I led that Very
Gothic king whofe crown I was faid to be ambitious of.
This time a triumph was not allowed me. I i'elt myfelf
forely mortified on the cccafion. I do not mean to fay
that I was humbled in the light of the people : far from it;
my retinue had fufficlent pomp, and the acclamations of
the public, who prelfed in crowds about me, would have
fatisfied a more afpiring vanity than mine. But the cold
recepcion I met with from the emperor more than hijited
to me that he was not undeceived, and that a latent fuf-
picion was in fecret ftill at work againftme. Unluckily
the impi.eflion made upon his mind was not a little aggra-
vated by the enthufialHc admiration ot the people, whofi
idol I had the misfortune to be.

* And now, in adifpaflionate manner, put yourselves in
the place of the emperor; ccnfider the prejudices that ha i
been ini'ufed into his heait. Should not you have bee.i
piqued at the praile which reproached yourlelf r Do you
think the fuppofed ambition of a fubje6t, extolled to the
very Ikies, would not have given you umi^rage? Should
you not have itcn with fpleen andreientment a whole peo-
ple, wild with joy, and in the tranlbort of their hearts rak-
ing revenge agaiuil yourielf , even to a malice of enjoyment,
by giving me a popularity fupenor to the triumph that
had been refufed ? Could you have fliult your ear to the
whii^evs of a court t;ommcnting upon the inliik otl'ercd
N t©

14^ BELISARIUS.

to majeft)', by the tumult ci appiaufe that followed Ec-
lilaiius ? My good neighbour, the greaufl prirxe is but
mere man j the) are all jealous of their power and their
fpicndour j and it Juftiniin had not had vigour enough
to lubdue the little paffions of his heart, and to paidon
the merit which provoked him, it would have been by no
means a matter of wonder. And yet the emperor did
conquer his jealoufies . he controUed the weakneflcs ofva-
rii'y and lulpicion, and orct more confided to me the com-
mand of hU armies and the defence of the ftate. But ano-
ther incident occxuTcd, which gave a bias to his judgment,
and made me the object of his fixed averfion .

* 1 had finiflied my career; and Narfes, whofucceeded
file in Italy, alleviated all the pains of my own inactivity
by thevidlories he obtained over the enemies of my coun-
try. In this fituation, I imagined I had nothing left but
to clofe the laft fcene of life in tranquiility ; when of a lud-
den the Huns made an irruption mto Thrace, and ravaged
all the country round. The emperor deigned to recolleft
that I was Itill in being, and in my old days I was charg-
ed with the command of an expedition, by the event of
which the empire was faved Irom ruin. I covered my
grey hairs and the tuirows of my forehead v/itli an hel-
met crulled over with ten yeais re(t. Fortune proved fa-
vourable, and I repul ed the Huns, who were advanced
vvithin a few miles of tl.e capital. 1 laid an ambufhfor
the enemy, and it lucccedea i'o well, that I was re-
garded by the people as a guard. £n god. The whole
city at my retuin was one wild uproar of joy and exul-
tation, to luch a degree, that I was much alarmed at
the fatal conlequences which I then forelaw : but how
to ippeale the violence of the populace? The emperor
was old, and age brings infirmities with it. The ho-
h'.urs paid me by the muliitude, and the excefs of ap-
plaule that run throughout the city, were underftocd by
Jultinian as marks of difaffeftion, plainly indicating
that his iubjefls were tired of his reign, and wiHied to
fee him abd.cate his throne in favour of the general who
defended it. Millruft andjeaiouiy took poffeffion of
2, him}

BELISARIUS. 147

Llm; and, without ailedging any thing agalnft me, he
judged it light to remove lb dangerous a man tVoni his
preience.

' While Tpafled my time in obicurity, a plot agalnft
the crown was dilcovered, and the cuni'piratcrs, without
detefting their principal, died in the agony ot torture.
But the filence ot" thoie unhappy men was interpreted by
my enemies, and calumny turnlfhed out a copioua lup-
plement. I was ordered into confinement 3 diicontent
fpread among all ranks of men, till at length, touched
with comp iffion for all my lufferings, the people expi cfied
their feelings without referve. Pity was ibc n inflamed
to indigni'lon, and, by a general revolt, the emp-ror
was ccmpelied to give me up to the clamours of my
country.

< In depriving me of my eyes I am perfuaded he thought
he was difarming an enemy. That I was never dilaf-
fefled to him ..e iVen can bear me witnefs j but heaven,
that reads the hearts of men, has not given that power
to princes. You accufe the emperor of ingratitude and
injuftice, but it xas his misfortune and net his crime to
believe appearances, whxh perhaps would have mifled
your judgment in the i'ame manner.'

* Ycs, he is miferable, tne moft miferable of men T
faid Julliaian, throwing his arms about the hero, and
ciafping him in his embrace.

' Wnat means this burll of angulHi?' inquired Be-
llfarius. — ' It is the agony of a heart ready to break.,^
laid Juftinian. * Oh, Beliiarius! that unjuft mailer,
that barbarous tyrant, who rent your eyes from their
lockets, and reduced you thus to mifery and want, in
bitternefs of forrow and repentiace now embraces you,
and throws himfdl thus upon you with all the compunc-
tion o'' fenllbility. and love.'

' Thou my IbvereignT excb.imed Belifarius. — 'Yes,
I am he! Oh, my friend! my deliverer! my proteclor!
Yes, thou belt of men, yes, I am that unhappy prince,
who has let the world an example of the baiclt cruelty
and ingratitude. Let me thus, proftrate at your feet,
N z be

?4-8 BELISARIUS.

be humbled to that depth ot" lownei's which my gulh de^
ftrves. I here forget my crown, diftionoured as it is by
the vileft crimes ; I am unworthy to wear it longer,
l^othing nosv befits me, but thus to bathe the duft under
your feet with my tears, and hid^ my opprobrious head
thus overwhehned with fhame and infamy.'

* And will you thus,' faid the hero, fupporting his
mafter, who was almoft fuffocated witii fighs and tears^
* and will you thus,' faid Belifarius, folding the em-
peror in his arms, * abandon yourfelf to defpair ? Shall
the fenfe of a paft error take away the power of atoning
for it ? Oh, my matter, you are plunging yourfelf in
iiiam.e and diftradion, as if you were the firft man de-
ceived by appearances, and feduced by calumny 1 Tho*
your error were even a crime, yet why degrade yourfelf
thus ? Wherefore be humbled to an abjcft wretch, a
thing vile and abhorred ? You are my Ibvereign ftili ;
refume your ftrength, nor let the recolleflion of an un-
guarded moment rob you of a due reverence for yourfelfj,
and the true fpirit of virtue, In this confternation ot*
30ur heart, reflefl upon all the good you have done man-
kind befcue that unhappy moment, and let the remem-
brance of that fuppart you. Belilarius is indeed blind;
but twenty nations by you are delivered from the yoke of
barbarians ; the calamities of the empire are all repaired
bv your princely beneficence j and thirty years of glori-
ous itruggle for the good of mankind have proved to the
univerfe that Juftinian was not a tyrant, Belifarius is
blind ; but he forgives you : and if you defire to repair
the injury you have done him, the means are eafy and in
your power. Grant me only one of the many prayers^
and vQw§ J offer up for the peace of the world, and I am
more than indemnified.'

* Come then,' faid the emperor, fnatching him again
to his heart, ' come and teach me to expatiate my guilt!
Come and exhibit it to my perfidious court in all its
ftriking colours : and let your prefence, while it is a liv-
ing memorial of my crime, be a proof of my repentance
alio.' " In

BELISARIUS, -i^,9

In vain did the hero uk every intreaty to be left in la-
litude : to appeafe the anguifh of the emperor's mind, he
was obliged to comply with his requeft, and promiied to
accompany him.

Then Jultinian, adrefling hlmfelf to Tiberius — * Oh!
what a debt, what an unlpealcable debt do I owe thee,
my friend ? What recompenfe can equal the fignal fer-
vices thou haft done me ?' — ' It is true» my fovereignj
you are not rich enough,' replied Tiberius, * to recom-
penfe me. Leave it to Belifarius to make me retribution.
Poor as he is, he is yet mailer of a treafure which I pre-*
fer to all yours.'

' My only treafure is my daughter/ faid Bellfarlus>
* and I cannot difpofe of her better.'

At thefe words he called for Eudoxa. * My daughter,*
faid he, < fall on your knees to your fovereign, and fo-
licit his approbation of your nuptial union with the vir-
tuous Tiberius.'

At the name and fight of Juftlnian, the firft emotioa
of nature in the heart of Belifarius's daughter was mixed
with dread and horror. A fudden fhriek burft from her 5
(lie ftarted back, and turned afide.

Juftinian advanced towards her — * Condefcend, Eu^
doxa,' faid he, * to iiAen to me ; deign to look upon me,
and you will fee me ahnoft drowned in tears ; in tears that
gufti from the keendl anguifh, and will never dry till I
d^fcend to the grave. Not this copious ftream, not all
the good I have done, can blot out the memory of my
guilt : but Belifarius has pardoned me j and now Eudoxa,
row prove yourfelf his daughter by following his ex-
ample.'

To fee the lovely Eudoxa given in marriage to Tibe?
rlus was a degree of confolation to the emperor ; and from
that moment he felt his heart warmed with the foothing
pleafures of innocence.

A more unexpe6f ed revolution $ever difeonceited the
intrigues of a court. The arrival of Belifarius threw
them into trouble and conftcrnation. * Behold,' laid
Juftinian to his courtiers, < Ice here again the hero ; be-
hold

150 EELlSARIUSi

hold this upright man whom you made me condemn. —^
Tremble ye cowards ! his innocence and his virtues are
now manifcft to me, and your lives are at his difpofal.'
Palenefs, grief, and fhame, covered every vifage. In
Beliiarius they thought they beheld an Inexorable judge j
they dreaded him as a vindi6live and terrible god.

The hero continued to I'upport the lame modeft re-
ferve that adorned him in dilgrace. He never deigned
to recognize any of his acculers ; and, honoured to his
death with the emperor's confidence, he made it his Itu-
dy to obtain an aninefty for the pall:, and to infpire his
mafter with a vigilant attention to the prefent, and an
awtul feverity to control all future crimes.

But he did nor live long enough for the good of man-
kind and the glory of his mailer. The emperor, quite
enfeebled and dilpirited, contented himfelf with (hcdding
a few tears to his memory, and the counfels of Beliiarius
died with himfclf.

FINIS.