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The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia, by S. Johnson. Almoran and Hamet, by Dr. Hawksworth
The History of Rasselas Prince of Abissinia by S Johnson Almoran and Hamet by Dr Hawksworth Author:Samuel Johnson General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1820 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: They stared a while in silence one upon another, and at last drove him away by a general chorus of continued laughter. The consciousness that his sentiments were just, and his intentions kind, was scarcely sufficient to support him against the horror of derision. But he recovered his tranquillity, and pursued his search. CHAPTER XVIII. The prince finds a wise and happy man. As he was one day walking in the street, he saw a spacious building, which all were, by the open doors, invited to enter: he followed the stream of people, and found it a hall or school of declamation, in which professors read lectures to their auditory. He fixed his eye upon a sage raised above the rest, who discoursed with great energy on the government of the passions. His look was venerable, his action graceful, his pronunciation clear, and his diction elegant. He showed, with great strength of sentiment, and variety of illustration, that human nature is degraded and debased, when the lower faculties predominate over the higher; that when Fancy, the parent of Passion, usurps the dominion of the mind, nothing ensues but the natural effect of unlawful government, perturbation and confusion ; that she betrays the fortresses of the intellect to rebels, and excites her children to sedition against Reason, their lawful sovereign. He compared Reason to the sun, of which the light is constant, uniform, and lasting; and Fancy to a meteor, of bright but VOL. XXVI. F transitory lustre, irregular in its motion, and delusive in its direction. He then communicated the various precepts given from time to time for the conquest of passi...« less