The History of the Caliph Vathek by W. Beckford [Tr. by S. Henley]. Also Rasselas Prince of Abyssinia by S. Johnson

<p>This volume presents two significant works of 18th-century literature: William Beckford's The History of the Caliph Vathek and Samuel Johnson's Rasselas Prince of Abissinia. Beckford's Vathek presented here in translation by Samuel Henley is a cornerstone of Gothic literature blending exotic Oriental settings with dark fantastical themes. The tale follows the decadent Caliph Vathek on a quest for forbidden knowledge leading him down a path of damnation.</p><p>Rasselas by Samuel Johnson offers a contrasting yet complementary narrative. It is a philosophical exploration of happiness and the human condition following Prince Rasselas as he ventures out of the Happy Valley to discover the world and its discontents. Together these works provide a rich tapestry of 18th-century thought and imagination exploring themes of ambition morality and the search for meaning.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>