opinion, that this diforder may eafily be fubdued by plentiful fweats and copious bleedings, which would carry off the peccant humours and these vio• lent inflammations, would purge the blood, calm it's emotion, and re'eftablish it in it's former natural state. This is not merely groundless conjecture, it is an opinion founded on f experience. A great prince, with whom I was intimately acquainted, having conceived a violent paffion for a young lady of exalted merit, was obliged to leave her, and to take the field with the army. During this abfence, his love was cherished and kept alive by a very frequent and regular intercourfe of letters to the end of the campaign, when a dangerous fickness reduced him to extremity. By applying to the most powerful and efficacious drugs phyfic could boaft of, he recovered his health, but loft his 'paffion, which the great evacuations he had ufed had entirely carried off unknown to him. For imagining that he was as much in love as ever, he found himself unexpectedly cold and indifferent, the first time he beheld again the lady of whom he had been fo paffionately fond. The like acci'dent befel one of my moft intimate friends, who recovering from a long ' and ftubborn fever by falling into copious fweats, perceived at the fame IN thor. Your's, N° LXXII. SATURDAY, JULY 14, 1753. Πόλλα μεταξὺ πέλει κάλυκος καὶ χείλεος ἀκρῦ. PROV. GR. THE DOST thou afk a torch to discover the brightnefs of the morning? doft thou appeal to argument for proofs of Divine Perfection? Look down to the earth on which thou standeft, and lift up thine eye to the worlds that roll above thee. Thou beholdeft fplendor, abundance, and beauty; is not He who produced them Mighty? Thou confidereft; is not He who formed thy understanding, Wife? Thou enjoyeft; is not He who gratifies thy fenfes, Good? Can aught have limited his bounty but his wisdom ? or can defects in his fagacity be discovered by thine? To Heli, the preacher of humility and refignation, let thine ear be again attentive, thou whose heart has rebelled in fecret, and whofe with has filently accufed thy Maker. I rofe early in the morning to meditate, that I might without prefumption hope to be heard. I left my habitation; A a and, and, turning from the beaten path, I wandered without remarking my way, or regarding any object that I paffed, till the extreme heat of the fun, which now approached the meridian, compelled my attention. The weariness which I had infenfibly contracted by the length of my walk, became in a moment infupportable; and looking round for fhelter, I fuddenly perceived that I was not far from the wood in which Rhedi the hermit investigates the fecrets of nature, and afcribes glory to GOD. The hope of improving my meditation by his wifdom, gave me new vigour; I soon reached the wood, I was refreshed by the fhade, and I walked forward till I reached the cell. I entered, but Rhedi was abfent. I had not, however, waited long, before I difcovered him through the trees at fome distance, advancing towards me with a perfon whofe appearance was, if poffible, yet more venerable, and whom before I had never seen. When they came ncar I rofe up, and, laying my hand upon my lips, I bowed myfelf with reverence before them. Rhedi faluted me by my name, and prefented me to his companion, before whom I again bowed myself to the ground. Having looked ftedfaftly in my countenance, he laid his hand upon my head, and bleffed me: Heli,' fid he, thofe who defire Knowledge that they may teach Virtue, fhall not be difappointed: fit down, I will relate events which yet thou knoweft but in part, and difclofe fecrets of Providence from which thou mayeft derive instruction.' We fat down, and I littened as to the counfel of an angel, or the mufic of paradife. Amana, the daughter of Sanbad the fhepherd, was drawing water at the wells of Adail, when a caravan which had paffed the defart arrived, and the driver of the camels alighted to give them drink: thofe which came first to the wells belonged to Nouraddin the merchant, who had brought fine linen and other merchandize of great value from Egypt. Amana, when the caravan drew near, had covered herself with her veil, which the fervant of Nouraddin, to gratify a brutal curiofity, attempted to withdraw. Amana, provoked by the indignity, and encouraged by the prefence of others, ftruck him with the staff of the bucket; and he was about to retaliate the violence, when Nouraddin, who was himfelf with the caravan, called out to him to forbear, and immediately hafted to the well. The veil of Amana had fallen off in the ftruggle, and Nouraddin was captivated with her beauty: the lovely confufion of offended modefty that glowed upon her cheek, the difdain that fwelled her bofom, and the refentment that sparkled in her eyes, expreffed a consciousness of her fex, which warmed and animated her beauty: they were graces which Nouraddin had never feen, and produced a tumult in his breaft which he had never felt; for Nouraddin, though he had now great poffeffions, was yet a youth, and a stranger to woman. The merchandize which he was tranfporting had been purchased by his father, whom the angel of death had intercepted in the journey, and the fudden accession of independence and wealth did not difpofe him to restrain the impetuofity of defire : he therefore demanded Amana of her parents; his meffage was received with gratitude and joy; and Nouraddin, after a fhort time, carried her back to Egypt, having firft punished the fervant, by whom he had been infulted at the well, with his own hand. But he delayed the folemnities of marriage till the time of mourning for his father fhould expire; and the gratification of a paffion which he could not fupprefs, was without much difficulty fufpended now it's object was in his power. He anticipated the happiness which he believed to be fecured; and fuppofed that it would increase by expectation, like a treafure by ufury, of which more is still poffeffed, as poffeffion is longer delayed. During this interval Amana recovered from the tumultuous joy of fudden elevation; her ambition was at an end, and the became fufceptible of love. Nouraddin, who regretted the obfcurity of her birth only because it had prevented the cultivation of her mind, laboured inceflantly to fupply the defect: the received his inftruction not only with gratitude, but delight; while he spoke the gazed upon him with esteem and reverence, and had no with but to return the happinefs which he was impatient to bellow. At this time Ofmin the caliph was upon the throne of Egypt. The paffions of Ofmin, thou knoweft, were impetuous as the torrents of Alared, and fatal as the whirlwind of the defart: to excite and to gratify, was the whole purpofe of his mind; but his with was ftill unfatisfied, and his life was wretched. His feraglio was filled with beauty; but the power of beauty he had exhausted: he became outrageous to revive defire by a new object, which he demanded of Nardic the eunuch, whom he had not only fet over his women but his kingdom, with menaces and execration. Nardic, therefore, caufed a proclamation to be made, that whoever fhould produce the most beautiful virgin within two days, fhould stand in the prefence of the Caliph, and be deemed the third in his kingdom. Caled, the fervant who had been beaten by Nouraddin, returned with him to Egypt: the fullen ferocity of his temper was increased by the defire of revenge, and the gloom of difcontent was deepened by defpair: but when he heard the proclamation of Nardic, joy kindled a bis afpect like lightning in the darkses of a form; the offence which he had committed against Amana, enabled in to revenge the punishment which it produced, He knew that she was yet a gin, and that her marriage was near: be therefore halted to the palace, and demanded to be brought before Nardic, who in the midst of magnificence and vility, the flattery of dependent amtion, and the zeal of unlimited obeence, was fitting pale and filent, his stow contracted with anxiety, and his raft throbbing with apprehenfion. When Caled was brought into his prefence, he fell proftrate before him: By the fimile of my lord,' faid he, let another be diftinguished from the flaves 'who mingle in obfcurity, and let his favour elevate another from the duft; but let my service be accepted, and let e defire of Olmin be fatisfied with beauty. Amina will fhortly be Cooled by Nouraddin; but of Amana the fovereign of Egypt only is worthy. Hate, therefore, to demand her; he is now with him in the house, to which I will conduct the meffenger of by will.' Nardic received this intelligence with trafports of joy; a mandate was inany written to Nouraddin; it was healed with the royal fignet, and deliSerad to Caled, who returned with a force fufficient to compel obedience. On this lay the mourning of Nourad. inexpiret: he had changed his apparel, and perfumed his perfon; his features were brightened with the gladnefs of his heart; he had invited his friends to the fetival of his marriage, and the evening was to accomplish his wishes. The evening alfo was expected by Amana, with a joy which the did not labour to fupprefs; and fhe was hiding her blushes in the breaft of Nouraddin, when Caled arrived with the mandate and the guard. The domeftics were alarmed and terrified; and Nouraddin, being instantly acquainted with the event, rushed out of the apartment of Amana with diforder and trepidation. When he faw Caled, he was moved with anger and difdain; but he was intimidated by the appearance of the guard. Caled immediately advanced, and, with looks of infolence and triumph, prefented the mandate. Nouraddin feeing the royal fignet, kneeled to receive it; and having gazed a moment at the fuperfcription, preffed it upon his forehead in an agony of fufpence and terror. The wretch who had betrayed him enjoyed the anguifh which he futtered; and perceiving that he was fainting, and had not fortitude to read the paper, acquainted him with the contents: at the name of Amana he started, as if he had felt the fting of a fcorpion, and immediately fell to the ground. Caled proceeded to execute his commiffion without remorfe; he was not to be moved by fwooning, expoftulation, entreaty, or tears; but having conducted Amana to the feraglio, prefented her to Nardic, with exultation and hope. Nardic, whofe with was flattered by her ftature and her fhape, lifted up her veil with impatience, timidity, and follicitude; but the moment he beheld her face, his doubts were at an end; he proftrated himself before her, as a perfon on whofe pleasure his life would from that moment depend. She was conducted to the chamber of the women; and Caled was the fame hour invefted with his new dignity; an apartment was affigned him in the palace, and he was made captain of the guard that kept the gates. Nouraddin, when he recovered his fenfibility, and found that Amana had been conducted to the feraglio, was feized by turns with distraction and stupidity: he paffed the night in agitations, by which the powers of nature were exhaufted, and in the morning he locked himself into the chamber of Amana, and threw himself on a fofa, determined to admit no comforter, and to receive no fuftenance. N° LXXIII. A a 2 N° LXXIII. TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1753. -NUMINIBUS VOTA EXAUDITA MALIGNIS. Juv. PRAYERS MADE AND GRANTED IN A LUCKLESS HOUR. HILE Nouraddin was thus DRYDEN. to gratify his wishes, he would caft the Wabandoned to delpair, Nardic's head of the flave for whom he was re defcription of Amana had rouzed Ofmin Of When he was alone, he remained a few moments in fufpence: but the paffions which eloquence had repreffed foon became again predominant; and he commanded Amana to be told, that if within three hours fhe did not come prepared jected at her feet. The eunuch by whom this meffage was delivered, and the woman who had returned to Amana when the Caliph retired, were touched with pity at her diftrefs, and trembled at her danger: the evils which they could scarce hope to prevent, they were yet folicitous to delay; and therefore advifed her to request three days of preparation, that the might fufficiently, recover the tranquillity of her mind, to make a just estimate of her own happiness; and with this request to fend, as a pledge of her obedience, a bowl of fherbet, in which a pearl had been diffolved, and of which the had first drank herself. To this advice, after fome throbs of defperation, the at length consented, and prepared to put it in execution. At the time when this refolution was taken, Nouraddin fuddenly started from a reftless flumber; he was again ftung by an inftantaneous reflection upon his own mifery, and indulged the difcontent of his mind in this exclamation: If wisdom and goodness do indeed prefide over the works of Omnipotence, whence is oppreffion, injuftice, and cruelty? As Nouraddin alone has a right to Amana, why is Amana in the power of Ofmin? O that now the justice of Heaven would appear in my behalf! O that from this hour I was Ofmin, and Ofmin Nouraddin!' The moment he had uttered this with, his chamber was darkened as with a thick cloud, which was at length diffipated by a burft of thunder; and a being, whofe appearance was more than human, stood before him. Nouraddin,' faid the vifion, I am of the region above thee: but my bufinefs is with the children ⚫ of the earth. Thou haft wished to be Ofinin; and as far as this wish is poffible it fhall be accomplished; thou ⚫ fhalt be enabled to affume his appearance, and to exercife his power. I know not yet whether I am permitted ' often as this bracelet,' faid he, fhall be applied to the region of thy heart, thou shalt be alternately changed in appearance from Nouraddin to Ofmin, and from Ofmin to Nouraddin.' The Genius then fuddenly disappeared, and Nouraddin, impatient to recover the poffeffion of Amana, inftantly applied the ftud of the bracelet to his breaft, and the next moment found himself alone in an apartment of the feraglio. During this interval, the Caliph, who was expecting the iffue of his meffage to Amana, became reftlefs and impafient: he quitted his apartment, and went into the gardens, where he walked backward and forward with a violent but interrupted pace; and at length stood fill, frowning and penfive, with his eyes fixed on the clear furface of a fountain in the middle of the walk. The agitation of his mind continued, and at length broke out into this foliloquy: What is my felicity, and what is my power? I am wretched by the want of that which the caprice of women • has bestowed upon my flave. I can gratify revenge, but not defire; I can withold felicity from him, but I cannot procure it to myfelf. Why have I not power to affume the form in which I might enjoy my wifhes? I will at least enjoy them in thought. • If I was Nouraddin, I should be clafped with transport to the bofom of Ama'na.' He then refigned himself to the power of imagination, and was again filent: but the moment his wifh was uttered, he became fubject to the Genius who had juft tranfported Nouraddin to his palace. This with, therefore, was inftantly fulfilled; and his eyes being fill fixed upon the water, he perceived, with fudden wonder and delight, that his figure had been changed in a moment, and that the mirror reflected another image. His fancy had been warmed with the ideal careffes of Amana; the tumult of his mind was increafed by the prodigy; and the gratification of his appetite being the only object of his attention, he hafted inftantly to the palace, without reflecting that, as he would not be known, he would be refused ad mittance. At the door, to which he advanced with eagerness and precipitation, he was ftopped by a party of the guard, that was now commanded by Caled: a tumult enfued, and Caled being haftily called, believed that Nouraddin, in the phrenzy of desperation, had fealed the walls of the garden to recover Amana; and rejoicing in an opportunity of revenge that exceeded his hope, inftantly ftabbed him with his poniard, but at the same time received that of the Caliph in his heart. Thus fell at once the tyrant and the traitor; the tyrant by the hand which had been armed to fupport him in oppreffion, and the traitor by the fury of the appetite which his perfidy had excited. In the mean time, the man who was believed to be flain, repofed in fecurity upon a fofa; and Amana, by the direction of her women, had prepared the meffage and the bowl. They were now difpatched to the Caliph, and received by Nouraddin. He understood by the meffage that Amana was yet inviolate: in the joy of his heart, therefore, he took the bowl, which having emptied, he returned by the eunuch, and commanded that Amana should be brought into his prefence. In obedience to this command, fhe was conducted by her women to the door, but the entered alone pale and trembling; and though her lips were forced into a fmile, the characters which grief, dread, and averfion, had written in her countenance, were not effaced. Nouraddin, who beheld her diforder, exulted in the fidelity of her love; and, fpringing forward, threw his arms about her in an extafy of tenderness and joy; which was ftill heightened when he perceived that, in the character of Ofmin, thofe embraces were fuffered with reluctance, which in his own were returned with ardour: he therefore retreating backward a few paces, applied the talifman again to his breaft, and having recovered his own form, would have rushed again into her arms; but fhe started from him in confufion and terror. He fmiled at the effect of the prodigy; and sustaining her on his bofom, repeated fome tender incidents which were known to no other; told her by |