ay; and hope to
possess, in a better state, that happiness, which here I could not find,
and that virtue, which here I have not attained."

He rose and went away, leaving his audience not much elated with the
hope of long life. The prince consoled himself with remarking, that it
was not reasonable to be disappointed by this account; for age had never
been considered as the season of felicity, and, if it was possible to be
easy in decline and weakness, it was likely that the days of vigour and
alacrity might be happy; that the noon of life might be bright, if the
evening could be calm.

The princess suspected that age was querulous and malignant, and
delighted to repress the expectations of those, who had newly entered
the world. She had seen the possessours of estates look with envy on
their heirs, and known many who enjoyed pleasure no longer than they
could confine it to themselves.

Pekuah conjectured, that the man was older than he appeared, and was
willing to impute his complaints to delirious dejection: or else
supposed that he had been unfortunate, and was, therefore, discontented:
"For nothing," said she, "is more common than to call our own condition,
the condition of life."

Imlac, who had no desire to see them depressed, smiled at the comforts
which they could so readily procure to themselves, and remembered, that,
at the same age, he was equally confident of unmingled prosperity, and
equally fertile of consolatory expedients. He forbore to force upon them
unwelcome knowledge, which time itself would too soon impress. The
princess and her lady retired; the madness of the astronomer hung on
their minds, and they desired Imlac to enter upon his office, and delay
next morning, the rising of the sun.

CHAP. XLVI.

THE PRINCESS AND PEKUAH VISIT THE ASTRONOMER.

The princess and Pekuah having talked in private of Imlac's astronomer,
thought his character at once so amiable and so strange, that they could
not be satisfied without a nearer knowledge; and Imlac was requested to
find the means of bringing them together.

This was somewhat difficult; the philosopher had never received any
visits from women, though he lived in a city that had in it many
Europeans, who followed the manners of their own countries, and many,
from other parts of the world, that lived there with European liberty.
The ladies would not be refused, and several schemes were proposed for
the accomplishment of their design. It was propose