The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia · Chapter
The Prince Enters, and Brings a New Topic explained
The astronomer shares his relief at having confided in Imlac, who reassures him.
What happens
The astronomer shares his relief at having confided in Imlac, who reassures him. Rasselas, Nekayah, and Pekuah join them, and the conversation turns to the necessity of variety and the monastic life. Imlac contrasts the disciplined life of monks with the idle luxury of the Happy Valley, and debates the merits of monastic retreat versus active worldly virtue. The discussion ends with Rasselas proposing a visit to the catacombs, which they undertake the next day.
Themes in this chapter
The Choice of Life
The debate between monastic retreat and active worldly virtue highlights the central question of how to live a meaningful life.
The Vanity of Human Wishes
The discussion of variety and the dissatisfaction with both luxury and hardship reflects the futility of seeking lasting contentment.
The Limits of Reason and Imagination
The astronomer's confession of being subjugated by chimeras illustrates how imagination can overwhelm reason.
Characters to notice
- The Astronomer
Expresses relief at having shared his troubles with Imlac and hopes for peace.
- Imlac
Reassures the astronomer and engages in a debate about monastic life versus worldly virtue.
- Rasselas
Enters with the Princess and Pekuah, proposes a visit to the catacombs, and reflects on the need for variety.
- Nekayah
Questions the superiority of monastic life and expresses a desire to see something new.
- Pekuah
Wishes for a life of pious abstraction and decides to join the descent into the catacombs.
Key passages
“Such is the state of life, that none are happy but by the anticipation of change; the change itself is nothing; when we have made it the next wish is to change again.”
People are only happy when they expect a change; the actual change brings no satisfaction, and they immediately desire another change.
Nekayah expresses the restless nature of human desire for novelty.
“Those men are less wretched in their silent convent than the Abyssinian princes in their prison of pleasure.”
The monks in their quiet monastery suffer less than the Abyssinian princes trapped in their luxurious valley.
Imlac contrasts the disciplined hardship of monks with the idle luxury of the Happy Valley.
“He that lives well in the world is better than he that lives well in a monastery. But perhaps everyone is not able to stem the temptations of public life, and if he cannot conquer he may properly retreat.”
A person who lives virtuously in society is superior to one who does so in a monastery, but those unable to resist worldly temptations may rightly withdraw.
Imlac offers a balanced view on the relative merits of active and contemplative life.