ARCADIA. 309 



" receive great pleafure from hearing you. I have 

 " never quitted my own country, but I love and 

 '* honour travellers. They are under the protec- 

 " tion of Mercury and of Jupiter. Something ufe- 

 *' ful may always be gathered from them. As for 

 ** yourfelf, you mud certainly have experienced 

 " great diftrefs in your own country, having, at fo 

 *' early an age, feparated from your parents, with 

 '* whom it is fo pleafant to live and to die." 



*' Though it is difficult," replied the young 

 man, *' to fpeak always of ourfelves with fincerity, 

 " yet, as you have given us fo kind a reception, 

 ** I fhall candidly relate to you all my adventures, 

 *' both good and bad." 



My name is Amafis. I was born at Thebes, in 

 Egypt, the fon of an opulent father. He had me 

 educated by the priells of the Temple of Oliris. 

 They inftrufted me in all the Sciences upon which 

 Egypt values hcrlelf: the facred language by 

 which you may converfe with ages paft, and that 

 of the Greeks, which enables us to hold converfe 

 with all the Nations of Europe. But vvhat is in- 

 finitely fuperior to Sciences and Languages, they 

 taught me to be jufl, to fpeak the truth, to fear 

 the Gods only, and to prefer before every thing 

 eUe, that glory which is acquired by virtue. 



X 3 <* This 



