It would be endless to select every passage or paper which treats of life and its events in the same strain of dolorous declamation. Yet I will present my reader with a few more, and passing all others till we arrive at the history of Abouzaid, the son of Morad, which is, indeed, rather too much an echo of Almamoulin, Here the perfidy of friends, the inefficacy of benevolence, and the baseness of acquaintances, are the subjects of his descriptions. But here I shall transcribe the author's own words. "Morad lived many years in prosperity; every day encreased his wealth, and extended his influence. The Sages repeated his maxims, the Captains of thousands waited his commands.-Competion withdrew into the cavern of Envy, and Discontent trembled at her own murmurs. But human greatness is short and transitory as the odour of incense in the fire. The sun grew weary of gilding the palaces of Morad, the clouds of sorrow gathered round his head, and the tempest of hatred roared about his dwelling. "Morad "Morad saw ruin hastily approaching. The first that forsook him were his Poets; their example was followed by all those whom he had rewarded for contributing to his pleasure, and only a few whose virtue had entitled them to favour were now to be seen in his hall or chambers. He felt his danger and prostrated himself at the foot of the throne. His accusers were confident and loud; his friends stood contented with frigid neutrality; and the voice of truth was overborne by clamour. He was divested of his power, deprived of acquisitions, and condemned to pass the rest of his life on his hereditary estate. "Morad had been so long accustomed to crowds and business, supplicants and flattery, that he knew not how to fill up his hours in solitude; he saw with regret the sun rise to force on his eye a new day, for which he had no use, and envied the savage that wanders in the desert, because he has no time vacant from the calls of nature, but is always chasing his prey, or sleeping in his den. "His discontent in time vitiated his constitution, and a slow disease seized upon upon him. He refused physic, neglected exercise, and lay down on his couch peevish and restless, rather afraid to die than desirous to live. His domestics, for a time redoubled their assiduities; but finding that no officiousness could soothe, nor exactnes satisfy, they soon gave way to negligence and sloth, and he that once commanded nations, often languished in his chamber without an attendant. "In this melancholy state he commanded messengers to recal his eldest son, Abouzaid, from the Army. Abouzaid was alarmed at the account of his father's sickness, and hasted by long journeys to his place of residence. Morad was yet living, and felt his strength return at the embraces of his son; then commanding him to sit down at his bedside, Abouzaid,' says he, thy father has no more to hope or fear from the inhabitants of the earth, the cold hand of the angel of death is now upon him, and the voracious grave is howling for his prey. Hear, therefore, the precepts of ancient experience, let not my last instructions issue forth in vain. Thou haft hast seen me happy, and calamitous; thou hast beheld my exaltation and my fall. My power is in the hands of my enemies; my treasures have rewarded my accusers; but my inheritance, the clemency of the Emperor has spared, and my wisdom his anger could not take away. Cast thine eyes round thee, whatever thou beholdest, will in a few hours be thine apply thine ear to my dictates, and these possessions will promote thy happiness aspire not to public honours, enter not the palaces of kings; thy wealth will set thee above insult; let thy moderation keep thee below envy. Content thyself with private dignity, diffuse thy riches among thy friends let every day extend thy beneficence, and suffer not thy heart to be at rest, till thou art loved by all to whom thou art known. In the height of my power, I said to defamation, Who will hear thee? and to artifice, What canft thou perform? But, my son, despise not thou the malace of the weakest, remember that venom supplies the want of strength, and that the lion may perish by the puncture of an asp'. "Morad "Morad expired in a few hours. Abouzaid, after the months of mourning, determined to regulate his conduct by his father's precepts, and cultivate the love of mankind, by every kindness and endearment. He wisely considered that domestic happiness was first to be secured, and that none have so much power of doing hurt, or good, as those who are present in the hour of negligence, hear the bursts of thoughtless merriment, and observe the starts of unguarded passion. He therefore augmented the pay of all his attendants, and requited every exertion of uncommon diligence, by supernumerary gratuities. While he congratulated himself upon the fidelity and affection of his family, he was in the night alarmed with robbers, who being pursued and taken, declared that they had been admitted by one of his servants; the servant immediately confessed that he unbarred the door, because another not more worthy of confidence, was entrusted with the keys. "Abouzaid was thus convinced that a dependant could not easily be made a friend, |