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Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson
page 45 of 139 (32%)
employments. Their dress was such as might not bring upon them the
suspicion of having anything to conceal; yet the Prince, wherever
he came, expected to be obeyed, and the Princess was frighted
because those who came into her presence did not prostrate
themselves. Imlac was forced to observe them with great vigilance,
lest they should betray their rank by their unusual behaviour, and
detained them several weeks in the first village to accustom them
to the sight of common mortals.

By degrees the royal wanderers were taught to understand that they
had for a time laid aside their dignity, and were to expect only
such regard as liberality and courtesy could procure. And Imlac
having by many admonitions prepared them to endure the tumults of a
port and the ruggedness of the commercial race, brought them down
to the sea-coast.

The Prince and his sister, to whom everything was new, were
gratified equally at all places, and therefore remained for some
months at the port without any inclination to pass further. Imlac
was content with their stay, because he did not think it safe to
expose them, unpractised in the world, to the hazards of a foreign
country.

At last he began to fear lest they should be discovered, and
proposed to fix a day for their departure. They had no pretensions
to judge for themselves, and referred the whole scheme to his
direction. He therefore took passage in a ship to Suez, and, when
the time came, with great difficulty prevailed on the Princess to
enter the vessel.

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