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| Lichfield, England: the birthplace of Samuel Johnson |
In his 18th Century book, The History of
Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, Samuel Johnson whisks us off to the Happy Valley. This virtual Eden
boasts all the varieties of plants, fish, birds, and animals known to Man.
There is one way in or out: a gated and guarded tunnel. It is opened
once each year, when the king visits to hold a grand celebration. Those who have petitioned to serve the royal household—servants, entertainers, and
teachers—arrive at this time. When the king departs, these remain behind, and cater to all the needs and desires of the royal family.
When Rasselas is twenty-six, he grows bored of life in the
Happy Valley. Pleasures that formerly
delighted his senses or inspired his mind no longer satisfy him. A former instructor
notices him withdrawing into himself, and asks him what's wrong.
“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.”
“Sir,” said he, “if
you had seen the miseries of the world, you would know how to value your
present state.”
“Now,” said the Prince, “you have given me something to
desire.“
This is not a desire that can
readily be fulfilled. The king has placed his heirs here to
preserve them against any future need to rule Abyssinia.
The prince spends over a year musing on the idea of escaping the
Happy Valley. In the meantime, he attempts to enjoy life as best he can. Then he
realizes that he must work hard if he is to discover a means of escape that
the king and his advisors have not yet conceived.
After searching out all conceivable means of escape, Rasselas visits an accomplished
master of the mechanical sciences, who has brought running water, air conditioning, and recorded music to every room in the palace. The mechanist dreams of inventing a sailing chariot, and convinces Rasselas that his theories regarding flight are sound. As he's accomplished nothing on his own, the prince prompts the man on, hoping that this theorist and dreamer can help him escape the Happy Valley. One year later, the
mechanist completes his first attempt at flight: a set of wings. Rasselas rejoices at the man's invention, and accompanies the man up "a little promontory." He watches eagerly as the mechanist straps on his newly designed wings.
"He waved his pinions awhile to gather
air, then leaped from his stand, and in an instant dropped into the
lake."
While Rasselas is disheartened, he's not ready to give up. Still, he recognizes that he needs a partner if he is to escape. This time, he turns to an old man named Imlac, a poet and educator whose ideas have impressed him. Imlac
tells him about his childhood. His father "was honest, frugal, and diligent, but of mean sentiments and
narrow comprehension; he desired only to be rich, and to conceal his riches,
lest he should be spoiled by the governors of the province. When I had once found the delight of
knowledge, and felt the pleasure of intelligence and the pride of invention, I
began silently to despise riches.”
Eventually, Imlac's father handed him ten thousand gold pieces. Imlac could regard this as a gift, or an investment in his future. If he wished to help run the family business, he must return
within four years and with twenty thousand gold pieces. Imlac uses his father's money to travel, see the world, and increase in knowledge and
wisdom. By the time he returns home, he finds his father dead, and the
family business defunct. So he plies his knowledge as an educator, and
eventually petitions admittance to the Happy Valley.
In Imlac, Rasselas finds a mentor, someone who knows what
the world has to offer. He advises the prince: “Human life is everywhere a
state in which much is to be endured and little to be enjoyed.” But Rasselas will not be put off, and Imlac, who petitioned to enter
the Happy Valley because he was worn out by traveling, has now grown weary of this gilded cage.
Rasselas has not yet discovered a means of escape, but now
he has a worthy partner who can help him look for one. Should they escape,
Imlac can then serve him as an expert guide, having toured all regions of the
globe. Thus Samuel Johnson reminds us that desire alone is not enough. We must seek out expert assistance, and find someone with the right kind of real
world knowledge. Lacking those, our efforts are destined to fall flat, just like those of the gifted mechanist.
Dragon Dave
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