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majefty a question or two. Who were the persons that lodged in this house when it was first built? The king replied, His ancestors. And who, fays the Dervife, was the laft perfon that lodged here? The king replied, His father. And who is it, fays the Dervife, that lodges here at prefent? The king told him, That it was he himself. And who, fays the Dervife, will be here after you? The king anfwered, The young prince his fon. Ah, Sir,' faid the Dervife, ⚫ a house that changes its inhabitants fo often, and receives fuch a perpetual fucceffion of guefts is not a palace, but ' a caravanfary.'

SPECTATOR.

CHA P. 11.

TURKISH TALE,

E are told that the Sultan Mahmoud, by his perpe

WE are told thread, and his tyranny at home, had

tual wars abroad, and

filled his dominions with ruin and desolation, and half unpeopled the Perfian empire. The vifier to this great Sultan (whether an humorist or and enthufiaft, we are not informed) pretended to have learned of a certain Dervise to understand the language of birds, fo that there was not a bird that could open his mouth, but the vifier knew what it was he said. As he was one evening with the emperor, in their return from hunting, they faw a couple of owls upon a tree that grew near an old wall out of a heap of rubbish. I would fain know, fays the fultan, what thofe two owls are faying to one another; listen to their difcourfe and give me an account of it. The vifier approached the tree pretending to be very attentive to the two owls. Upon his return to the fultan, Sir, fays he, I have heard part of their conversation,

but

but dare not tell you what it is.. The Sultan would not be fatisfied with fuch an answer, but forced him to repeat word for word every thing the owls had faid. You must know then, faid the vifier, that one of thefe owls has a fon, and the other a daughter, between whom they are now upon a treaty of marriage. The father of the fon faid to the father of the daughter, in my hearing, brother, I consent to this marriage, provided you will fettle upon your daughter fifty ruined villages for her portion. To which the father of the daughter replied, instead of fifty I will give her five hundred, if you please. God grant a long life to fultan Mahmond ; whilst he reigns over us, we shall never want ruined villages.

THE ftory fays, the Sultan was fo touched with the fable, that he rebuilt the towns and villages which had been deAtroyed, and from that time forward consulted the good of his people.

SPECTATOR.

CHA P. III.

AVARICE AND LUXURY..

THERE were two very powerful tyrants engaged in a perpetual war against each other: the name of the firft was Luxury, and of the second Avarice. The aim of each of them was no less than universal monarchy over the hearts of minkind. Luxury had many generals under him, who did him great fervice, as Pleafure Mirth, Pomp, and Fafhion. Avarice was likewise very strong in his officers, being faithfully served by Hunger, Industry, Care, and Watchfulnefs he had likewife a privy-counfellor who was always at his elbow, and whispering something or other in his ear: the name of this privy-counsellor was Poverty. As Avarice con

ducted

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ducted himself by the counfels of Poverty, his antagonist was entirely guided by the dictates and advice of Plenty, who was his first counsellor and minister of state, that concerted all his measures for him, and never departed out of his fight. While these two great rivals were thus contending for empire, their conquefts were very various. Luxury got poffeffion of one heart, and Avarice of another. The father of a family would often range himself under the banners of Avarice, and the fon under those of Luxury. The Wife and Husband would often declare themselves on the two different parties; nay, the same person would very often fide with one in his youth, and revolt to the other in his old age. Indeed the wife men of the world ftood neuter; but alas, their numbers were not confiderable. At length, when these two potentates had wearied themfelves with waging war upon one another, they agreed upon an interview, at which neither of their counsellors were to be prefent. It is faid that Luxury began the parley, and after having represented the endless state of war in which they were engaged, told his enemy, with a frankness of heart which is natural to him, that he believed they two should be very good friends, were it not for the inftigations of Poverty, that pernicious counsellor, who made an ill ufe of his ear, and filled him with groundless apprehenfions and predjudices. To this Avarice replied, that he looked upon Plenty (the first minifter of his antagonist) to be a much more destructive counsellor than Poverty, for that he was perpetually suggesting pleasures, banishing all the neceffary cautions against want, and confequently undermining those principles on which the government of Avarice was founded. At laft, in order to an accommodation, they agreed upon this preliminary, that each of them should immediately dismiss his privy-counfellor. When things were thus far adjusted towards a peace,

all

all other differences were foon accommodated, infomuch that for the future they refolved to live as good friends and confederates, and to share between them whatever conquests were made on either fide. For this reafon we now find Luxury and Avarice taking poffeffion of the fame heart, and dividing the fame person between them. To which I shall only add, that fince the difcarding of the counsellors abovementioned, Avarice fupplies Luxury in the room of Plenty as Luxury prompts Avarice in the place of Poverty.

SPECTATOR.

CHA P. IV.

PLEASURE

AND PAIN.

HERE were two families which from the beginning

TH

of the world were as oppofite to each other as light and darkness. The one of them lived in heaven, and the other in hell. The youngest descendant of the first family was Pleasure, who was the daughter of Happiness, who was the child of Virtue, who was the offspring of the Gods. Thefe, as I faid before, had their habitation in heaven. The youngest of the oppofite family was Pain, who was the fon of Mifery, who was the child of Vice, who was the offfpring of the Furies. The habitation of this race of beings was in hell.

THE middle ftation of nature between these two oppofite extremes was the earth which was inhabited by creatures of a middle kind, neither fo virtuous as the one, nor fo vicious as the other, but partaking of the good and bad qualites of these two oppofite familes. Jupiter confidering that this fpecies, commonly called man, was too virtuous to be miferable, and too vicious to be happy; that he might make a

distinction

diftinction between the good and the bad, ordered the two youngest of the above-mentioned families, Pleasure who was the daughter of Happiness, and Pain who was the fon of Mifery, to meet one another upon this part of nature which lay in the half way between them, having promised to settle it upon them both, provided they could agree upon the divi. fion of it, fo as to share mankind between them.

PLEASURE and PAIN were no fooner met in their new habitation, but they immediately agreed upon this point, that Pleasure should take poffeffion of the virtuous, and Pain of the vicious part ofthat species which was given up to them. But upon examining to which of them any individual they met with belonged, they found each of them had a right to him; for that contrary to what they had feen in their old places of refidence, there was no perfon fo vicious who had not fome good in him, nor any perfon fo virtuous who had not in him some evil. The truth of it is, they generally found upon fearch, that in the most vicious man Pleasure might lay claim to an hundredth part; and that in the most virtuous man, Pain might come in for at least two-thirds. This they faw would occafion endless disputes between them, unless they could come to fome accommodation. To this end there was a marriage proposed between them, and at length concluded: by this means it is that we find Pleasure and Pain are fuch conftant yoke-fellows, and that they either make their vifits together, or are never far asunder. If Pain comes into a heart, he is quickly followed by Pleafure; and if Pleasure enters, you may be fure Pain is not far off.

BUT notwithstanding this marriage was very convenient for the two parties, it did not seem to answer the intention of Jupiter in fending them among mankind. To remedy therefore

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