in which he gives an account of the wretched fituation of the Sicilians, and prophefies a revolution which he judged would happen in confequence of the oppreffions impofed on that unfortunate people, "The difficulties under which the poor Sicilians labour, from the extreme oppreffion of their govern ment, obliges them fometimes to invent branches of commerce that nature feems to have denied them, as they are not allowed to enjoy thofe fhe has bestowed. The fugar-cane was very much cultivated in this ifland, but the duties impofed were fo enormous, that it has been almost abandoned. But their crops of wheat alone, were they under a free government, would foon be fufficient to render this little nation one of the richest and most flourishing in the world; for even in the wretched state of cultivation it is in at prefent, one good crop, I am told, is fufficient to maintain the island for seven years. You will be a good deal fuprized, after this, to hear that the exportation of this commodity has been prohibited for these feveral years past; at leaft to all fuch as are not able to pay most exorbitantly for that privilege. The confequence is, that corn has become a drug. The common price of the falma, which is two loads, was about thirty-one fhillings; at prefent it is reduced to five fhilling and fixpence, and there is a probability that it will still fall lower. of their mafters must inevitably fol low. This is the method the miniftry of Naples, or rather that of Spain, has taken to humble the pride of the Sicilian Barons, whose power they pretend is ftill very extenfive, and their jurifdiction ab folute; moft of them poffeffing a right of life and death in their own domain. However, there is a probability that they will foon be obliged to relinquifh their privileges. The complaint is univerfal, and if the Miniftry prefevere in thefe rigorous measures, there muft either be a revolt, or they muft foon be reduced to a ftate of poverty, as well as of fervitude. I believe indeed most of them would readily embrace any plaufible scheme, to fhake off their yoke; as in general they appear to be people of great fenfibility, with high notions of honour and liberty. Talking of the natural riches of their ifland, Yes, fay they, ifthefé were difplayed, you would have reafon indeed to speak of them. Take a look of these mountains,—— they contain rich veins of every metal, and many of the Roman mines still remain ;-but to what end should we explore them ?-- It is not we that fhould reap the profit. Nay, a difcovery of any thing very rich might poffibly prove the ruin of its poffeffor. No,-in our prefent fituation the hidden treafures of the ifland must ever remain a profound fecret.-Were we happy enough to enjoy the bleffings of your conftitution, you might call us rich indeed. Many hidden doors of opulence would then be opened, which now are not even thought of, and we fhould foon reaflume our antient name and confequence; but at prefent we are nothing." The The Records of Cambaya. From an Abyffurian Manufcript. (concluded from our laft) HE Combayans who had with fome reafon concluded themfelves happy in the reign of their of laftQueen, were not entirely fatisfied with their next prince,though he joined another realm to theirs, which had formerly held perpetual wars with them. His fuccefs though poffeffed of more abilities and more virtue, pleased the bulk of the peo, ple yet lefs; he lived at an unhappy period, he did fome thingswhich he ought not to have done; they were exafperated, a civil war took place, and notwithstanding almost all the nobility affifted him he loft his crown and life and left his king. doms immersed in civil difcord and confufion.-A bold ufurper fucceed. ed who effectually fubverted the liberties of the Combayans during his fhort reign; though for ages af ter a great party among them affected to revere his memory. Soon af ter his death, however the lawful heir was restored without bloodshed. He was reputed wife yet he led alife of folly and diffipation and dying left the people difpofed to a fecond revolt, which happened accordingly in his brother's time, who was named Abazai, a weak and obftinate prince and bigotted to the ancient idol worship of former ages.--He was chaced from his throne and his offspring declared incapable of ever filling it he faw however his daughter and his daughter's hufband Zoba advanced to the dignity he had loft. The great king of Pegu endeavoured to reflore him, but in vain. He took the habit of a Taquir, and died as he lived a bigot. His fecond daughter afterwards reigned gloriously, but her brother, at her death in vain endea voured to recover his kingdoms, a foreign race fucceeded and notwithftanding all the attempts of the exiled prince the very name of Abazai and his family grew at length to be held in the utmoft contempt and deteftation-They had now loft all hopes, the eldest branch of the family lived obfcurely at Siam, and his brother imitating the examples of his great grand father took the habit the Taquire, and defpifed or affected to delpife, the world and a!! its vanities. While these things were paffing in Cambaya, Pegus and Siam; the kingdom of Abyffiria rofe by degrees to a pitch of eminence which once it was little expected ever to arrive at One of their princes having caufe of difference with the king of Cambaya had threatened to refiore the exiled family, though many concurring circumftances prevented him from ever putting his menace in excution; but in proces of time the infult was forgotten, an d in the reign of king Zaffar they' were reckoned the best friends and great allies of theCambayan monarchy; it was indeed an alliance not fought by the prince, and fuch as ended in the total fubverfion of the goverment. Zaffar was a prince poffeffed of good heart but not remarkable for great abilities; he came to the throue at a critical time when the nation was engaged in a war with the peopleof Pegu.The minifter whowasthe chief inftrument of carrying on this war having loaded the people with expences quitted the directions of affairs, and his fucceffors adviled the king (confidering the exhaufted revenue) to a peace-this he con fented 6 The Records of Cambaya. fented to, and from the moment he did fo, every title of his conduct was conftrued wrong-the Combayans loving liberty, it was for ever in their ears, and made use of to excite them to faction-fome weak and ill advising minifter by their counfels widened the breach they ought to have healed.-All this paffed only amongst the great; but in the interim the bulk of the people whom the princes of Cambaya had the moft caufe to regard, fuffered much from a kind of artifical famine in the land and ftill more from those burdens which the revolution in favour of Zobor at the exclufion of Abazai' had caused to be laid upon them, and which it was now impoffible to take off, nor did the minifters of Zaffar know even how to elleviate them. In confequence of these things,the reign of this prince was one continued fcene of confufion, to which those who called themselves the lovers of liberty chiefly contributed. Dying, at length, he left his crown to Seffan, the eldest of twelve fons. During his father's life, he had promised much to the patriots of Cambaya, on his afcent to the throne, he was not quite fo well difpofed to gratify them. A rebellion enfued; Seffan might had affiftance from the Peguan monarch but he fcorned it -battles were fought, and the king of Cambaya was unfortunate; his fubjects triumphed. There was one among them whom they called Aff. he had been the chief actor gar; in the troubles in this and the former The Character of CLELIA. TH pectations, the difappointment fomewhat perplexed her; nevertheless the never fufered her embarraffments to appear, but on the contrary gave out, that the was poffeffed of a good fortune, as he had the policy to guefs that by fuch means the might fecure a good match, which was the Character of Clelia the principal aim he had in view-Having therefore easily impofed upon a gentleman who had too good an opinion of her, to fulpect her veracity in any thing, the got married, and obtained a fettlement equal to ten times as much as all fhe could call her own in the world was fufficient to raise. diffipation of high life. Since his death which happened but lately, she has proved the ruin of a young gentleman who deeming fuch a woman to be of very eafy virtue as it called fpent, his fortune in endeavouring to attain to her embraces, but in vain, when he had no more to beftow, the left him every way difappointed, and he is retired into the country where it is reported he has fallen into a kind of melancholy madnefs. Since this Clelia has been fo fortu nate as to be fancied by a nobleman; he could not think of taking her for a wife, but made her offer as a mistressClelia equally indifferent to reputation as to love and fentiment, complied on condition of extremely large fettlement Her confort even when he found the deceit that had been practifed never murmured at it; he told her that as all he wanted was the poffeffion of her heart, if he would give him that he would be fatisfied; but alas, Clelia had not a heart to give him it was fixed-not indeed upon another lover, but on other objets diverfions, gaiety and fplendor engroffled all her attention, and this in dulgent husband notwithstanding he al--the nobleman complains now, as did lowed her an ample provision, suffered her alfo to involve him in numerous debts before he complained, and even then it was only in the manner of a friendly remonttrance, till at last her extravagance growing beyond all fufferance and her levity, the faults of the town, he was obliged to think of a fepatation which was effected after he had confented to a great enlargement of her fettlement. During this feperation, while her hufband vet li ved, Clelia was engaged in all the C Alan and Cafmer. A Tartarian ASMER had no fooner entered this retreat, then by the moon light he perceived feveral men retreating with great expedition, (the glimer ing of whole arms notwithstanding difcovered them) af er they had left a female to all appearance dead beneath a tree. At tentive as he was, to the misfortune of his friend, could not refift a curiofity which incited him to examine whom it was that thofe ruffians had left in fuch a condition; accordingly he advanced, and bending over the body, found it no other than the princefs of Aftracan. It is impoffible, to defcribe his horror at the fight divided as he was between his concern for his mistress and his friend, and unable to fuccour either, his heart was torn with a thousand tortures: the princess was not dead, as it appeared, but in a condition fimilar to that of Aan, while Cafmar was reduced to a fi her husband formerly, of her want of affection-fhe has been falfe to neither, but it is because her defires centre in other engagements than thofe of love or any of a focial nature. If her paramour however repents his bargain the lady is fatisfied with hers, and cares not for all the world's knowing that the is destitute of fentiment fo the finds that he is not deftitute of money wherewith to pursue her favourite pleafures. M. Tale (concluded from our laft) tuation that was little better than that of either of them. While he stood in fufpence a party of the foldiers of Rhublais retreating from the conqueror entered the wood thefe foon recognized him and informed him of the attempt of Temir, against his father, in which being betrayed by fome of his own adherents he was defeated and flain. In the prefent of state affairs, advifed him to retire to his ancient habitation where the people were as yet strangers to thefe events, and where he might and Afan him felf be received without fcruple into the very palaces of Genghis, till other measures might be concerted for their fafety and convenience. Accordingly Calmer kept on his way towards his native feat, not fo much encouraged by any other hope as by theirs of confulting the fage who had already told him fo much of his fortunes. His mittrefs's and his friend's condition much retard ed 8 Afan and Cafer. ed his fpeed; however, he had the fatisfaction during the courfe of his journey to obferve that they recovered daily and great was the fuprize of both to find how fate had difpofed them; but both were refigned to the will of heaven in regard to their future fortunes.-They were no fooner arrived at the place of dettination then Cafmer took his woun ded friend with him, and fought out Sergeftan.-Him he found bufied in explaining the fecrets of nature in his tranquil retirement. At their approach he arofe and before either of them could begin, he thus addreffed them Friends and favourites of heaven! Afan and Calmer, welcome! The hand of the higheft has been upor you, and you have tatted of the cup of affliction. But adverfity has its ****ufes, and yours may teach you lef fons of prudence and refignation;your lot indeed has appeared hard yet had you not met the misfortunes you have experienced, worfe had certainly attended you; had Temir lived and reigned, Afan who was fo fuddenly engaged on his fide would have fallen the victim of their fufpicion, "that prince entertained of him, and "expired by torture.-Had it not been "for the alarm of war, the princefs "would have been forced by Octor to "his detelted bed; had not a band "of robbers met her in her flight from that favage prince, he would i have ended her own life in defpair.-- Tartarian Tale. «Those things being known, and the "decrees of destiny fulfilled, go Alan, go Cafiner and then the light of Calimer's eyes, go princefs live and "be happy-enter without hesitation the palace of Genghis, and whatever you meet with there, quite it not till "fate confirms your felicity. So faying, the fage difmiffed them and they obeyed him, they went to the palace of Genghis, but had not long remained there, before they were put in chains by one of his officers, who had heard of the infurrection of Temir, and the part Afan had taken in the rebellion --this however, thofe hapless fugitives bore with fortitude, the confequence was that they remained prifoners for feveral moons, till Genghis returning at the interceffion of Khublais his kinfinan whom he had now received into favour, pardoned them and reftored them to their honour and property. Cafmer then wedded his princefs, and the three illuftrious perfons enjoyed as much happinefs as falls to mortals on this fide paradife. When the angel of death at the laft removed them from this world their afhes were deposited in one tomb; and over them raifed a monument which bore this infcription-" Cafmer and his "confort rest here with the valiant A "fan, they owed happiness to affli&tion "son of the duft! adverfity is the "touch tone of virtue." Au Obfervations Strange and Singular (continued) DELF love is one of the ftrongest principles of human nature, when it leads not by an abufe to the injury of others, it is certainly also one of the leat, We do but love ourselves in a more refined manner when we love our parents and friends-The mott innocent perfons often exhibit the greatelt figns of it, because they are generalby the most artlefs.-Nothing appears more selfish than a young infant, yet we all agree that nothing is more inno cent. It may be well aflerted that the greatet Kings and Emperors have fidoi proved the best of men, the greatest itatefinen and politicians never; conquerors are mostly unjust, and patriots partial-what is the amount of all this but refined policy is in general incompatible with tri&t juftice? Modern Philofophers are very fond of telling us, that no man chufes evil as evil; which is a circumstance that is underflood in their fenfe throws back all crimes upon mere error in judgment.But this is falle reasoning; for though we may well allow that none chute evil as evil for themfelves, yet they often chufe what they know |