their lives in tuning one unvaried series of sounds. I likewise



can call the lutist and the singer; but the sounds that pleased me

yesterday weary me to-day, and will grow yet more wearisome to-



morrow. I can discover in me no power of perception which is not

glutted with its proper pleasure, yet I do not feel myself



delighted. Man surely has some latent sense for which this place

affords no gratification; or he has some desire distinct from



sense, which must be satisfied before he can be happy."

After this he lifted up his head, and seeing the moon rising,



walked towards the palace. As he passed through the fields, and

saw the animals around him, "Ye," said he, "are happy, and need not



envy me that walk thus among you, burdened with myself; nor do I,

ye gentle beings, envy your felicity; for it is not the felicity of



man. I have many distresses from which you are free; I fear pain

when I do not feel it; I sometimes shrink at evils recollected, and



sometimes start at evils anticipated: surely the equity of

Providence has balanced peculiar sufferings with peculiar



enjoyments."

With observations like these the Prince amused himself as he



returned, uttering them with a plaintive voice, yet with a look

that discovered him to feel some complacence in his own



perspicacity, and to receive some solace of the miseries of life

from consciousness of the delicacy with which he felt and the



eloquence with which he bewailed them. He mingled cheerfully in

the diversions of the evening, and all rejoiced to find that his



heart was lightened.

CHAPTER III - THE WANTS OF HIM THAT WANTS NOTHING.



ON the next day, his old instructor, imagining that he had now made

himself acquainted with his disease of mind, was in hope of curing



it by counsel, and officiously sought an opportunity of conference,

which the Prince, having long considered him as one whose



intellects were exhausted, was not very willing to afford. "Why,"

said he, "does this man thus intrude upon me? Shall I never be



suffered to forget these lectures, which pleased only while they

were new, and to become new again must be forgotten?" He then



walked into the wood, and composed himself to his usual

meditations; when, before his thoughts had taken any settled form,



he perceived his pursuer at his side, and was at first prompted by

his impatience to go hastily away; but being unwilling to offend a



man whom he had once reverenced and still loved, he invited him to

sit down with him on the bank.



The old man, thus encouraged, began to lament the change which had

been lately observed in the Prince, and to inquire why he so often



retired from the pleasures of the palace to loneliness and silence.

"I fly from pleasure," said the Prince, "because pleasure has



ceased to please: I am lonely because I am miserable, and am

unwilling to cloud with my presence the happiness of others."



"You, sir," said the sage, "are the first who has complained of

misery in the Happy Valley. I hope to convince you that your



complaints have no real cause. You are here in full possession of

all the Emperor of Abyssinia can bestow; here is neither labour to



be endured nor danger to be dreaded, yet here is all that labour or

danger can procure or purchase. Look round and tell me which of



your wants is without supply: if you want nothing, how are you

unhappy?"



"That I want nothing," said the Prince, "or that I know not what I

want, is the cause of my complaint: if I had any known want, I



should have a certain wish; that wish would exciteendeavour, and I

should not then repine to see the sun move so slowly towards the



western mountains, or to lament when the day breaks, and sleep will

no longer hide me from myself. When I see the kids and the lambs

• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)


• description [di´skripʃən] n.描写 (初中英语单词)


• emperor [´empərə] n.皇帝 (初中英语单词)


• succession [sək´seʃən] n.继任；继承(权) (初中英语单词)


• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)


• residence [´rezidəns] n.居住(期间)；住宅 (初中英语单词)


• valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)


• stream [stri:m] n.河 vi.流出；飘扬 (初中英语单词)


• extensive [ik´stensiv] a.广阔的；大量的 (初中英语单词)


• circuit [´sə:kit] n.环行 v.(绕….)环行 (初中英语单词)


• monkey [´mʌŋki] n.猴子 v.乱弄；胡闹 (初中英语单词)


• annual [´ænjuəl] a.每年的 n.年刊 (初中英语单词)


• contribute [kən´tribju:t] v.贡献出；投稿；捐献 (初中英语单词)


• harmony [´hɑ:məni] n.调合，协调，和谐 (初中英语单词)


• luxury [´lʌkʃəri] n.奢侈(品)；享受 (初中英语单词)


• security [si´kjuəriti] n.安全；证券；抵押品 (初中英语单词)


• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)


• communication [kə,mju:ni´keiʃən] n.通信；通讯联系 (初中英语单词)


• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)


• marble [´mɑ:bəl] n.大理石 a.大理石的 (初中英语单词)


• utmost [´ʌtməust] a.最大的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• frequent [´fri:kwənt] a.常见的，频繁的 (初中英语单词)


• bestow [bi´stəu] vt.(把…)赠给；使用 (初中英语单词)


• withdraw [wið´drɔ:] v.收回；撤销；撤退 (初中英语单词)


• abruptly [ə´brʌptli] ad.突然地；粗鲁地 (初中英语单词)


• hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)


• sleeping [´sli:piŋ] n.&a.睡着(的) (初中英语单词)


• humour [´hju:mə] n.幽默，诙谐 (初中英语单词)


• formerly [´fɔ:məli] ad.从前，以前 (初中英语单词)


• creation [kri´eiʃən] n.创作；作品；创造 (初中英语单词)


• thirst [θə:st] n.渴，口渴；渴望 (初中英语单词)


• hunger [´hʌŋgə] n.饥饿；渴望 (初中英语单词)


• series [´siəri:z] n.连续；系列；丛书 (初中英语单词)


• singer [´siŋə] n.歌手，演唱者 (初中英语单词)


• distinct [di´stiŋkt] a.清楚的；独特的 (初中英语单词)


• peculiar [pi´kju:liə] a.特有的；奇异的 (初中英语单词)


• instructor [in´strʌktə] n.教师；指导者 (初中英语单词)


• counsel [´kaunsəl] n.商议；劝告；律师 (初中英语单词)


• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)


• offend [ə´fend] v.犯错误；违犯；犯罪 (初中英语单词)


• lately [´leitli] ad.近来，不久前 (初中英语单词)


• lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)


• miserable [´mizərəbəl] a.悲惨的；可怜的 (初中英语单词)


• convince [kən´vins] vt.使确信；使认识错误 (初中英语单词)


• procure [prə´kjuə] v.获得；完(达)成；实现 (初中英语单词)


• complaint [kəm´pleint] n.抱怨；叫屈 (初中英语单词)


• excite [ik´sait] vt.激动；引起，招惹 (初中英语单词)


• endeavour [in´devə] n.&v.努力，试图，尽力 (初中英语单词)


• eagerness [´i:gənis] n.渴望；热忱 (高中英语单词)


• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)


• spacious [´speiʃəs] a.广阔的，宽敞的 (高中英语单词)


• cavern [´kævən] n.大山洞；大岩洞 (高中英语单词)


• outlet [´autlet] n.出口；出路；通风口 (高中英语单词)


• species [´spi:ʃi:z] n.(生物的)种，类 (高中英语单词)


• fruitful [´fru:tfəl] a.成功的；丰富的 (高中英语单词)


• lessen [´lesən] v.减少；缩小 (高中英语单词)


• captivity [kæp´tiviti] n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 (高中英语单词)


• novelty [´nɔvəlti] n.新奇(的事物) (高中英语单词)


• perpetual [pə´petʃuəl] a.永恒的；终身的 (高中英语单词)


• massive [´mæsiv] a.厚实的；魁伟的 (高中英语单词)


• cement [si´ment] n.水泥；接合剂 vt.粘结 (高中英语单词)


• discontent [´diskən´tent] n.&a.不满(平)(的) (高中英语单词)


• repose [ri´pəuz] v.&n.(使)休息；安息 (高中英语单词)


• fragrance [´freigrəns] n.芬芳，芳香 (高中英语单词)


• enlarge [in´lɑ:dʒ] vt.扩大，增大；详述 (高中英语单词)


• solitary [´sɔlitəri] a.独居的；孤独的 (高中英语单词)


• secretly [´si:kritli] ad.秘密地；隐蔽地 (高中英语单词)


• gloomy [´glu:mi] a.昏暗的；忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• quicken [´kwikən] v.加快；加速；鼓舞 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• shrink [ʃriŋk] v.收缩；退缩；畏缩 (高中英语单词)


• consciousness [´kɔnʃəsnis] n.意识；觉悟；知觉 (高中英语单词)


• delicacy [´delikəsi] n.精美；娇弱，微妙 (高中英语单词)


• cheerfully [´tʃiəfuli] ad.高兴地，愉快地 (高中英语单词)


• lament [lə´ment] v.哀悼 n.哀悼；恸哭 (高中英语单词)


• loneliness [´ləunliniz] n.孤独，寂寞 (高中英语单词)


• morrow [´mɔrəu] n.翌日 (英语四级单词)


• policy [´pɔlisi] n.政策；权谋；保险单 (英语四级单词)


• antiquity [æn´tikwiti] n.太古；古代；古迹 (英语四级单词)


• precipice [´presipis] n.悬崖；危急的处境 (英语四级单词)


• magnificence [mæg´nifisns] n.壮丽；宏伟；豪华 (英语四级单词)


• calamity [kə´læmiti] n.灾害，大灾难 (英语四级单词)


• merriment [´merimənt] n.欢乐 (英语四级单词)


• meditation [,medi´teiʃən] n.熟虑；默想 (英语四级单词)


• delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)


• corporal [´kɔ:pərəl] a.肉体的，身体的 (英语四级单词)


• tedious [´ti:diəs] a.冗长的；乏味的 (英语四级单词)


• seeming [´si:miŋ] a.表面上的 n.外观 (英语四级单词)


• perception [pə´sepʃən] n.感觉；概念；理解力 (英语四级单词)


• intrude [in´tru:d] v.闯进；打扰；强加 (英语四级单词)


• composed [kəm´pəuzd] a.镇静自若的 (英语四级单词)


• impatience [im´peiʃəns] n.不耐烦，急躁 (英语四级单词)


• unwilling [ʌn´wiliŋ] a.不愿意的；不情愿的 (英语四级单词)


• credulity [kri´dju:liti] n.轻信 (英语六级单词)


• overhang [,əuvə´hæŋ] vt.悬于…之上；逼近 (英语六级单词)


• fertility [fə:´tiliti] n.肥沃；多产；繁殖力 (英语六级单词)


• browse [brauz] vi.浏览 n.放牧 (英语六级单词)


• sprightly [´spraitli] a.活泼的；轻快的 (英语六级单词)


• festivity [fe´stiviti] n.节日；喜庆日；庆祝 (英语六级单词)


• eminence [´eminəns] n.杰出；重要人物；高处 (英语六级单词)


• discord [´diskɔ:d] n.不一致；不和谐 (英语六级单词)


• heighten [´haitn] v.增高，加强 (英语六级单词)


• felicity [fi´lisiti] n.幸福；(措词)适当 (英语六级单词)


• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)


• biting [´baitiŋ] a.刺痛的；尖利的 (英语六级单词)


• intermediate [,intə´mi:diət] a.中间的 (英语六级单词)


• latent [´leitənt] a.潜在的，潜伏的 (英语六级单词)


• gratification [,grætifi´keiʃən] n.满意；喜悦 (英语六级单词)


• equity [´ekwiti] n.公平；公正 (英语六级单词)


• plaintive [´pleintiv] a.表示哀怨(悲痛) (英语六级单词)


• solace [´sɔləs] n.&vt.安慰(物)；缓和 (英语六级单词)


• pursuer [pə´sju:ə] n.追赶者；追求者；从事者 (英语六级单词)