Those who have already all that they can enjoy, must enlarge
their desires. He that has built for use, till use is supplied, must
begin to build for vanity, and extend his plan to the utmost power of
human performance, that he may not be soon reduced to form another wish.
"I consider this mighty structure, as a monument of the insufficiency of
human enjoyments. A king, whose power is unlimited, and whose treasures
surmount all real and imaginary wants, is compelled to solace, by the
erection of a pyramid, the satiety of dominion and tastelessness of
pleasures, and to amuse the tediousness of declining life, by seeing
thousands labouring without end, and one stone, for no purpose, laid
upon another. Whoever thou art, that, not content with a moderate
condition, imaginest happiness in royal magnificence, and dreamest that
command or riches can feed the appetite of novelty, with perpetual
gratifications, survey the pyramids, and confess thy folly!"
CHAP. XXXIII.
THE PRINCESS MEETS WITH AN UNEXPECTED MISFORTUNE.
They rose up, and returned through the cavity, at which they had
entered, and the princess prepared for her favourite a long narrative of
dark labyrinths, and costly rooms, and of the different impressions,
which the varieties of the way had made upon her. But, when they came to
their train, they found every one silent and dejected: the men
discovered shame and fear in their countenances, and the women were
weeping in the tents.
Pages:
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448