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of them are let down at once, and I these containing ten men each with arms and baggage: this is done quickly and without the leaft per plexity. The inhabitants of the country, for twenty miles round, are fo terrified at this fhew of armed men, that they bring their tribute to the foot of the mountain, and fill the baskets with great readiness.

hunting through his grounds. Any other perfon would have found them invincible. But he made his men furround them, and while Zanhadib had knocked down a good number of those, and Senboulade had made them feel the, wondrous force of his jaws, Bigftaf came up himself, and knocked down both the heroes with his club.

Zounds! (cried captain Raggado) I will avenge their caufe; your story makes my blood boil, as if he had affaffinated my brothers. I

By my beard! (faid the captain) I will either lofe the little renown I have earned, or put an end to this matter. But who is this Bigftaf you fpeak of? Is he a cham-am impatient to know those friends pion of a certain force? Would he of yours. Let us go fleep, for I gallantly accept a challenge to try know no other means to cool my his prowefs against mine? paffion.

His ftature is fomewhat gigantic: he is clad from head to foot in iron, which however encumbers no more than if it were feathers: befides, he fights only with his mace which is gilt bronze, feventy-five pounds in weight; this he plays as lightly as if it were a twig of the aloe-tree, and I hardly think he would accept a challenge from any one who could not oppofe him with an appearance equally formidable.

Ballayah was equally difposed to reft; fo they both lay down on fome leaves and fkins in the grotto. They were awakened by the firft rays of the morning light, and had gone out to waik, when the dervife faw three perfons approaching at a distance.

Here come our friends.
How call you them?

Their names are expreffive of their abilities; the foremost is called Guillarich (Quick fight) :-he can perceive a needle on the ground, at forty leagues diftance; he is our fpy. The name of the fecond is Nadhertavil. (Straight to the mark): and, he could cleave an apple with an arrow at the fame diftance. And Karaamek, (Cut the air) who follows, would pick it up in five minutes. They fhall difplay their abilities before you; and you may then judge to what advantage you can employ their fervices. In the mean

Ah! (replied Raggado) let me only meet him at arm's length! I fhould only thruft my blade into the point of his nofe, that I might have the pleafure of feeing him gnafh his teeth before I killed him. But, I was born to conquer, or die with my fabre in my hand. I leave the ufe of the club to those who are called to knock down oxen.-Befides, does this man never go out by himself? Cannot one meet and attack him, without giving him time to take his ufual ad-time the three wights came up. vantage?

He always keeps within doors, (replied the dervife) unlefs when he knows that fome one is at work within his territory. Alas! he has already coft us the lives of two of our comrades, Zanhadib and Senboulade, who had adventured out a

Rejoice, my comrades, faid Ballayah. Fate has brought us, in the perfon of this brave knight, a comiade, much fuperior to both those whom we have loft. This is the invincible captain Raggado, whofe head, arm and fabre, fhall enable us to avenge ourselves on

Our

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our cruel enemy, and to live henceforth in peace and jollity. But we muft dine to-day, you know ;— have you brought us no provifions?

IBN-HUSSEIN,

A PERSIAN TALE.

We thall not fare ill, (replied HUSSEIN, labouring under and

Nadbertavil) if you have cakes; Bilamich (Stout-back), is coming with a calf fix months old on his fhoulders, and two calks of wine under his arms;--he would go into a garden to gather a falad; but he walks at a good rate, and will foon be here if no accident befalls him.

not likely to recover from a contagious disease that had fpread itself through the city of Tauris, dispatched a meflenger to bring to him a fage who lived retired in the mountains. This fage had been formerly his intimate friend. He conjured him to take upon him the care of his fon, as much to fave him from the danger of remaining longer within the walls of a defolate city, as to procure him fuch inftruction as might fecure his future happiness. That awful moment when man, forgetful of time, advances towards eternity, changes commonly all his ideas, and he can fee no real treasure but that of virtue.

As he ended speaking, Bilamich entered with the falad hanging by his neck; it confifted of three cauliflowers, bound in a cord, and covering his body all over. With all this load, he walked as nimbly, as if he had nothing but a bag of nuts on his back. He laid down his burden. Ballayah prefented him to Raggado. General, (faid he, clapping on Bilamich's fhoulders) here is our chariot of war. Déftroy Ibar accepted with pleasure the towns, rout, armies, take booty; care of educating the fon of a friend, this back fhall bear ali;-it would of whofe end he perceived the near not fail under the weight of So- approaches in the fudden change of lomon's treasures. his former opinions and in the As yet, (faid Raggado) my plun-contempt of the fortune he had but der has never been long burden- too much loved. fome to any of my attendants. When I can catch any booty, I fit down in a corner, eat it up, and there's an end of it; were you to see me devour what I lay, hold on, you would fuppofe that I am ever pursued by robbers, or incendiaries; this bitch of a star of mine keeps me in almost constant want of The culture of fruits, and the art every thing, that I may never be of combining and bending rushes able to do any thing great. But, into different forms, were bar's thanks to you my dear aftrologer!occupation, as they had hitherto I hope to get the better of her ma- been, and they became that of Ibnlevolence. But hold; here is a Huffein. little calf of an hundred and eighty pounds weight; I wish it were eaten up

Behold then Ibn-Huffein removed, in early life, from the capital of Aderbijan, that great province of Perfia, and placed under the guidance of a reclufe, who conducted him to the top of a mountain, on which he had fixed his habitation.

Perfia, fertile in fpeculative reafoners, had many treaties, on edu-, cation, wonderful in theory, and It is intended to be eaten. Bila-infipid in practice. Ibar formed a mich, flay the calf and make a fpit. plain method, and no way compliGuillarich! Haraamek! Where iscated. "Be beneficent, and thou our cook? fhalt be happy," was what he repeated

(To le continued.)

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peated constantly and inculcated to his pupil.

It is true that when they went down to the towns and villages to fell their fruits and baskets, they did not return without seeking after fome poor people, to diftribute to them part of the produce of their fale. So true is it that a precept enforced by example is eafily engraven on the mind of imitative youth.

Ibo-Huffein conceived fo deep a fenfe of that manner of making himself happy, that he defired each day to continue longer at work, in order to make a better fale, and thus enable them to relieve a great er number of poor.

When Ibar had affured himself of the difpofition of his pupil, which he was likely to continue all his life after: Son," faid he, "if providence now fhould throw in your way a greater fortune than that produced by our art and joint. labour, fhould treafures unexpected. ly fall into your poffeffion, what ufe do you think this Providence would prefcribe to you to make of them?"

"That of helping and ferving my diftreffed brethren."

"And what would you do for yourfelf?"

"What more have I to wish for but health, and the delicious pleafure of faving to the indigent, Here, take this benefaction, be induftrious, labour with thy hands, and be contented and wife as' Ibar."

Huffein lives near you; he has watchful eyes over diftrefs; he is the friend of him that falls, and the comfort of every thing that fuffers."

In fact, the facred hymn of birds fcarcely began to rife towards the ftar of day, when Ibar led his pupil towards the fhattered remains of an antique tomb. He had no fooner lifted up a pretty large stone, by the help of a lever he had brought with him, when they perceived a winding ftair-cafe, which conducted them under a vault that received a glimmering light through fome fiffures made in a rock which it fupported.

Some coffers, filled with gold duft and ftones of ineftimable value, were opened and delivered to IbnHuffein, who exclaimed, feeing the riches they contained: "O fatal principle of the ills of this globe; furious tyrant over weak human nature, be confounded.! wherever I can penetrate I fhall chain down the minifters of thy mad defigns; they shall make my brethren fhed

no more tears.

Satisfied with the young man's noble enthufiafm, Ibar felicitated himself on having fucceeded fo well in the education he was. about to finish. He waited upon Ibn-Huffein to Tauris, and, took leave of him in a close embrace, much affected with his preffing instances to divide with him his treafures, and to engage him not to quit him.

"Well then, dear fon, to-mor- Already was Ibn-Huffein comrow, fo foon as the god of light modiously lodged in the place of fhall difplay in the field of the air his birth; already was his table achis bright colours of purple and fire, ceffible to many, who thought themI will procure you the means of felves happy in partaking of the multiplying thofe pure pleafures fare with which it was covered, and your foul fo much defires. Happy these were commonly facetious pa, the poor, the weak and the oppref- rafites, or petty rhymers. Already fed innocent, whom your steps may the indigent furrounded his houfe; meet! You may fay to them: and every day he enjoyed the hap "Banish your fears, O my bre-pinefs of putting an end to fome, thren! dry up your tears; Ibn-body's troubles.

A circumstance more flattering in appearance to his heart ftill added to his pleafures. Chance threw in his way, as he believed, a young Venetian woman in tears, who faid the was deferted in the country by her father. She knew enough of the lingua Franca to make herfelf understood. Her figure, rather embellished by her misfortune in IbnHuffein's eyes, was graceful enough to please him. With the true fpirit of generofity he made ample provifion for all her wants, but was afraid to fpeak to her of the regard the infpired him with, left he might be fuppofed by her as intent on repaying himself for his benefactions. Lauretta foon after related to him the misfortunes of her brother Claudio, who was detained in flavery under the most brutal of mafters; and Claudio was immediately free, and made Ibn-Huffein's steward. Lauretta, hofpitably entertained in his houfe, appeared ftill more beautiful to him; and the charm of feeing her conftantly triumphed over his delicacy, relative to mingling lefs virtuous defires with his beneficence. He dared to speak, to figh; and Lauretta promifed to give him a favourable hearing: but in a few days after, Claudio and his pretended fifter difappeared. The departure of a caravan had facilitated their flight and their horrid ingratitude, for they had robbed their benefactor of all they could lay their hands on.

Utterly aftonished at this behaviour, he was informed by one of their country, that different ties from those of blood had occafioned an intimacy between them, that Lauretta had been a flave as well as Claudio, but gained her freedom by complaifance for the merchant who had brought them to Tauris.

Humbled, confounded, pierced with grief, Ibn-Huffein wifhed to tranquillife the perturbations of his mind by a prompt opportunity of

VOL. XXVII.

doing good. He was told that a merchant, his neighbour, was greatly embarraffed, and that his effects were going to be fold at confiderable lofs to him. He went directly to fee him, and the fame day put him in a condition to fatisfy fuch of his creditors as were most intent on ruining him.

Ibn-Huffein, who, under the infpection and by the care of Ibar, was become one of the moft ableimprovers of land in Perfia, wifhed alfo, to divert his thoughts from Lauretta, to enlarge his garden. A piece of uncultivated land laynear his walls, and he was defirous to inclofe it. He knew alfo that this field belonged to the merchant he had just affifted. He went with confidence to ask him for it; but, though he offered to pay him double its value, numberless frivolous reafons were alleged to the contrary;. and he could not procure this piece of ground without remitting to the merchant all he had lent him, without any intereft, and which was more than a hundred times the proper equivalent.

Almost at the fame time, fome defamatory fongs had a run in the town to the difgrace of Ibn-Huffein, and every one was fure they were the compofitions of his ingenious guefts. But what truck deeper was the envy excited by his fumptuous fortune, which made people imagine that it was fupported by a prohibited commerce. This unju report gained credit to fo great a degree, that one day he found himfelf laid under an arreft, and dragged before the cadi, where almost all his neighbours and friends depofed to facts against him which proved the accufation. All IbnHuffein's defence was to entreat the cadi to have the strictest search made in his houfe, while he remained in the audience chamber. This was accordingly done, to the confu. fion of his bafe accufers.

F

The

The humiliation he had just undergone, of feeing himfelf dragged as a criminal before a judge amidst a crowd of needy people whom he had relieved, prevented his enjoying the fatisfaction of having conquered calumny. He loft his cheerfulness, and almost instantly the exercife of his virtues. The mifanthropy into which he fell, made. him fhut his door indifcriminately: in fhort, he became wretched, and living at Tauris feemed infupportable to him.

In one of the fits of his deep fadness he fet out to fee Ibar.

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ers of the body and faculties of the mind is obvious in many inftances. The eye cannot furvey a great space with the fame accuracy with which it views a fingle object at a nearer diftance; it takes in the coarfer parts indeed, but com

"Thou fenfelefs and ftupid being," faid he, " doft thou know the men thou haft made me to love? dost thou know that they are ungrateful traitors, and per-prehends not the more minute verfe? Why didft thou infpire me with fentiments for them of which they are fo little worthy?"

For thy happiness." "For my happiness! and I am the most unfortunate of all the children of Ali."

"Let me know then, fon, what has happened to you," faid Ibar. Ibn-Huffein related the ftory of the merchant, that of Ciaudio and Lauretta, and the base and atrocious affront he had received before the cadi.

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Young man," faid Ibar to him, "have I laid á tax on virtue ?--Did I lay you were to expect a due return for all your good actions?Why did you think of making a traffic of good actions ?-Go, return to Tauris, and make ingrates. The only reward of virtue is virtue herfelf: nothing on the earth can be her reward. Yet ftudy men for your private fatisfaction; and expect nothing, efpecially from the praifes of fycophants and poets, the tears of a woman, and the opinion of the

multitude."

Ibn-Huffein returned to Tauris, made a better choice of thofe with whom he affociated, continued to

though not lefs beautiful appearances. Thus, too, the mind, when attentive to every part of knowledge, feldom attains to perfection in any fingle fcience; and daily experience evinces that the belluo librorum, or devourer of books, who, is more ftudious of quantity than quality, and is led on by the love of novelty rather than of excellence, is rarely learned in an eminent degree.

Adages are commonly true because founded on experience. "The rolling ftone gathers no mofs," fays the English proverb.-To carry on the allufion, one may add, that while the rolling ftone is traverfing the whole garden, the fpade, in the fpace of a few yards, may gather the valuable produce of a year.

Pliny the younger, who is as remarkable for the juftnefs of his fentiments, as for his elegant manner of expreffing them, has given a hint on this fubject, which, though comprifed in few words, may be

more inftructive than volumes of advice. After fome remarks on curfory and fuperficial reading, he fays, we fhould be content with few books, and fludy them perfect

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