because they delighted to find me weak."

"Proceed," said the Prince; "I doubt not of the facts which you
relate, but imagine that you impute them to mistaken motives."

"In this company," said Imlac, "I arrived at Agra, the capital of
Hindostan, the city in which the Great Mogul commonly resides. I
applied myself to the language of the country, and in a few months
was able to converse with the learned men; some of whom I found
morose and reserved, and others easy and communicative; some were
unwilling to teach another what they had with difficulty learned
themselves; and some showed that the end of their studies was to
gain the dignity of instructing.

"To the tutor of the young princes I recommended myself so much
that I was presented to the Emperor as a man of uncommon knowledge.
The Emperor asked me many questions concerning my country and my
travels, and though I cannot now recollect anything that he uttered
above the power of a common man, he dismissed me astonished at his
wisdom and enamoured of his goodness.

"My credit was now so high that the merchants with whom I had
travelled applied to me for recommendations to the ladies of the
Court. I was surprised at their confidence of solicitation and
greatly reproached them with their practices on the road. They
heard me with cold indifference, and showed no tokens of shame or
sorrow.

"They then urged their request with the offer of a bribe, but what
I would not do for kindness I would not do for money, and refused