Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath
Rides on the pofting winds, and doth belie

All corners of the world. Kings, queens, and states, Maids, matrons, nay the fecrets of the

This viperous flander enters.

THERE is a tide in the affairs of men,

grave,

Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune:
Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows, and in miseries.

TO-MORROW, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty space from day to day,
To the last fyllable of recorded time,
And all our yefterdays have lighted fools.

The way to dufky death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking fhadow, a poor player,
That ftruts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more! It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of found and fury,
Signifying nothing.

BOOK II.

NARRATIVE PIECES.

CHAP. I.

THE DERVISE.

A DERVISE, travelling through Tartary, being arri

ved at the town of Balk, went into the king's palace by miftake, as thinking it to be a public inn or caravanfary. Having looked about him for fome time, he entered into a long gallery, where he laid down his wallet, and fpread his carpet, in order to repofe himself upon it after the manner ́of the eastern nations. He had not been long in this pofture, before he was difcovered by fome of the guards, who afked him what was his bulinefs in that place? The Dervife told them he intended to take up his night's lodging in that earavanfary. The guards let him know, in a very angry manner, that the house he was in was not a caravanfary, but the king's palace. It happened that the king himself paffed through the gallery during this debate, and smiling at the mistake of the Dervife, asked him how he could poffibly be fo dull as not to diftinguish a palace from a caravanfary Sir, fays the Dervife, give me leave to ask your majesty a question or two. Who were the perfons that lodged in this houfe when it was firit built? The king replied, his anceflors. And who, fays the Dervife, was the last perfon that lodged here? The king replied, His father. And who is it, fays the Dervife, that lodges here

at

at present? The king told him, That it was he himself. And who, fays the Dervife, will be here after you? The king answered, 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 guests, is not a palace, but a caravanfary.'

SPECTATOR.

WE are told that the Sultan Mahmoud, by his perpetual wars abroad, and his tyranny at home, had filled his dominions with run and defolation, and half unpeopled the Perfian empire. The vifier to this great fultan (whether an humorist or an enthusiast, we are not informed) pretended to have learned of a certain Dervife 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 faid. 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 saying to one another; liften to their discourse, 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 converfation, but dare not tell you what it is. The fultan 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 these owls has a son, 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 confent to this marriage, provided you will fettle upon your daughter fifty

ruined villages for her portion. To which the father of the daughter replied, Inftead of fifty I will give her five hundred, if you please: God grant a long life to Sultan Mahmoud; whilst he reigns over us, we shall never want ruined villages.

THE ftory fays, the fultan was fo touched with the fable, that he rebuilt the towns and villages which had been destroyed, and from that time forward confulted the good of his people. SPECTATOR

CHAP. III.

AVARICE AND LUXURY.

THERE

HERE were two very powerful tyrants engaged in a perpetual war against each other: the name of the first was Luxury, and of the fecond Avarice. The aim of each of them was no less than universal monarchy over the hearts of mankind. Luxury had many generals under him, who did him great fervice, as Pleasure, Mirth, Pomp, and Fafhion. Avarice was likewife very strong in his officers, being faithfully ferved by Hunger, Induftry, Care, and Watchfulnefs: he had likewife a privy-counsellor who was always at his elbow, and whifpering fomething or other in his ear: the

name of this privy-counsellor was Poverty.the

con

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 minifter 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 conquests were very various. Luxury got poffeffion of one heart, and avarice of another. The father of a family often range himself under the banners of Avarice, and the fon under thofe 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,

would

and

and revolt to the other in his old age. Indeed the wife men of the world flood 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 reprefented the endless state of war. in which they were engaged, told his enemy with a franknefs of heart which is natural to him, that he believed they two fhould be very good friends, were it not for the inftigations of Poverty, that pernicious counsellor, who made an ill use of his ear, and filled him with groundless apprehenfions and prejudices. To this Avarice replied, that he looked upon Plenty (the first minister of his antagonift) to be a much more deftructive counsellor than Poverty, for that he was perpetually fuggesting pleasures, banishing all the neceffary cautions against want, and confequently undermining thofe 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 fhould immediately difmifs his privy-counfellor. When things were thus far adjufted towards a peace, all other differences were foon accommodated, infomuch that for the future they refolved to live as good friends and confederates, and to fhare between them whatever conquefts were made on either fide. For this reafon we now find Luxury and Avarice taking poffeffion of the fame heart, and dividing the fame perfon between them. To which I fhall only add, that fince the difcarding of the counsellors above, mentioned. Avarice fupplies Luxury in the room of Plenty, as Luxury prompts Avarice in the place of Poverty.