graded his reputation as the first dramatic writer of the country, and funk himself to a level with the play. wrights of the day, to whom profit is every thing, and fame nothing. It remains for him to thake off that indolence, which appears to have be come conftitutional, and make a fatisfactory atonement, by fome work of genius, for his mercenary conduct in confirming the vitiated ftate of public tafte, against which he contended, in 1779, with fo much energy and fuccefs. THE PRINCE OF GEELAUN AND THE KING MOUSE: A PERSIAN TALE. From Mr Scott's Tranflation of the Bahar Danush. ANCIENT hiftorians have related, humility to your authority, your majefty that in paft times, owing to the viciffitudes of fortune, and the revolutions of the fkies, in a wilderness on the confines of Geelaun, a moufe being feated on the throne of empire, extended his command over all the wild beafts and reptiles of the vicinity. A fox being entrufted with the important office of his prime minifter, exerted the utmoft activity in conducting and regulating the affairs of his kingdom. By chance, a caravan paffing through the wilderness, a camel belonging to it, very much fatigued, funk under his burden, and was left behind in the defert. When he had forgotten the ftrokes of his driver, and the painfulness of his pack-faddle, he began to graze, and in a fhort time became fleek and fat. The fox having obtained intelligence of his fituation, reprefented it to the monarch moufe, faying, "In the dominions of your majefty, a camel of broken mahar*, delivered from the burden of the packfaddle, has taken up his abode; and in that part of the wood, particularly appropriated to the royal ufe, commits depredations on the trees and fruits of which your majesty delights to eat. What ever pleafes his tafte, without fear or dread, he devours. Without your ma jefty's permiffion, his eftablishment in thefe dominions cannot accord with the rules of policy; because, if such a ftrong and bulky animal fhould long roam thus at his pleasure, in procefs of time he will grow powerful, and may entertain the rebellious defign of wrestling the empire from your majefty. It is therefore advifeable that your majefty fummon him to the presence, that he may be deterred from fuch conduct. If he fubmits in may admit him among your dependants, and confer favours upon him, and it may be for your intereft to draw into 'the royal fervice fuch a powerful animal; but if,proud of his bulk and strength, he refufes liege obedience, it will be proper, before he has acquired much power, or confpired with the factions, to prevent his defigns by fome ftratagem." The king moufe, approving his prudent vizier's advice, commanded the attendance of the camel, and the fox undertaking the bufinefs himself, by art and cunning drew the mahar threw the nofe of the camel, and conducted him to the imperial court. The camel, when he faw only a moufe, was not impreff d with his dignity, and paced off again without notice; upon which the little king, feeling this affront as a caufe of degradation in the eyes of his courties and dependents, thus addreffed the fox: "O loyal vizier, although thy advice is doubtless always founded on fidelity and attachment, yet notwithstanding thy wifdom and fage policy, this affair has turned out contrary to the laws of propriety. As the form of our gracious perfon is fomewhat diminutive, though those who have penetrating minds, and are judges of intrinfic worth, may conceive the dignity of our nature, yet those who judge only from appearances have not that happinefs. The ftupid camel was not worthy of the honour of adffion to our prefence, and the bringing of him to our court was departing from the circle of prudence. Perhaps if he had not seen us, he might have had fome dread of us in his mind, but now it is vanifhed, he is become proud, and the unreflecting partizans or faction have now A mahar, is a bridle formed of a flick paffing through the noftrils, to each end of which a cord is tied, now the means of disturbance and rebellion." The fox replied, "Let not your majefty be alarmed by this unlucky accident, for though this beaft is ftrong, and from his crooked nature has ftrength in his neck, yet, agreeably to the maxim, that every overgrown body is a fool, he is not endowed with wifdom. Hence it is that an infant, putting the mahar through his noftrils, leads him where he picafes. With all his firength, he is a coward at heart. I will therefore fpeedily fubject him to your majesty's authority, and make him fubmit to rank among your dependants." In the mean time, the camel, with a contented mind, roamed through the wilderness, and lived in perfect ease and fatisfaction, while the fox was daily contriving expedients, and laying fnares to entangle him. At length, the camel one day, out of greediness, the vileft of all faults, lifting up his head, brow fed the branches of a tree, and, the ftring of his mahar entangling in them, his head remained hanging. The unfortunate beaft began to cry out; when the fox, learning his condition, acquainted the monarch moufe, who, rifing from his throne, advanced with joyful exultation. Afcending the tree, and fitting on the branch near the camel, he vauntingly addreffed him, faying, 66 Happy beaft! that feafteth thus on delicious fruits!" The fox next exclaimed, "Ignorant wretch, fuch is the confequence of thy difobedience. Hadft thou bowed thy head in fubmiffion to his majefty, and fought an afylum under the fhade of his protection, thou hadft not this day, with fuch difgrace and helpleffnefs, been taken captive in the fnare. There is now no other alternative but to refign to thy fate." The camel now, from his great folly and cowardice, began to cry out, and faid; "Though great crimes have been committed by me, yet I now afk pardon for my faults. With inward fidelity, I proftrate myself at his majefty's throne, and feek refuge under the fhade of your lordship's bounty. If, forgiving my errors and offences, you will deliver me from this calamity, and receive me under the fhadow of your mercy, it will not be deviating from your auguft virtues." from his diftrefs. The ftupid long-necked animal, having returned proper thanks, bowed his head to the authority of the little long-tailed, fhort-necked sovereign, and, with all his bulk and fuperior fize, fubmitted to the mouse; who, fweling with exultation, could scarcely contain himfelf in his hole. He ordered the camel to graze all day at his pleasure, and at night attend at the prefence, to guard the royal apartments. Some time after this, the wood cutters of the prince of Geelaun, feeing the ca mel in the foreft without an owner, feized and conducted him to the prince's ftables; of which the fox being informed, represented the affair to the fublime audience. The moufe king was enraged at the occurrence, and the next day, when the wood-cutters returned to work, addreffed them from his hole, faying, "It is unbecoming a noble mind and a generous foul to lay the foundation of enmity and contention, without any caufe of difpute. Widom dictates that your mafter return me the camel, and avoid fhedding the blood of the innocent. If this is not done, let him prepare for war, for I will not by any means depart from my claim." The woodcutters were overwhelmed with aftonishment at this terrific addrefs from the moule, which had not the leaft accordance with his nature; and, as a miracle, reprefented it to the prince; who laughed at it as ridiculous, and forbad his courtiers to talk of it." When intelligence of this reached the king of the mice, he addreffed the fox, by way of learning his opinion, faying, "It cannot be any ways confiftent with dignity and empire to fubmit to these affronts; therefore, our wife refolve is taken, to call together the commanders of our forces, and prepare in the best manner for this important undertaking. Having collected the requifites for warfare and defence, we will march to battle." The vizier agreeing in opinion with his majefty, an army so vast, that the most fubtile arithmeticians confeffed themfelves incapable to count its numbers, foon furrounded the imperial throne. The whole plain of the country was covered with mice. First of all, by direction of the vizier, he was refolved to undermine the treafury of the enemy, and carry off all his money. This was effected in a fhort time; fo that nothing remained in the vaults of the prince of Geelaun, but torn bags, and mouse-eaten chefts; while the Se The moufe, having agreed to the camel's requeft, tore in pieces with his teeth the rope of the mahar, entangled among the branches, and relieved him treasures treasurers had not the leaf fufpicion of the theft. This important object being happily attained, the king commanded his vizier to look out for fome of the fons of men graced with ability, who might take upon him the further operations of the war, and raise an army of mortals for his majesty's fervice. By chance, a diftreffed foldier of fortune, with his brethren and dependents, having left his home in fearch of employment, paffed through the defert, where he beheld numbers of mice skip ping about, and playing, with golden coins in their mouths. The officer, much diftreffed, and fo poor that he would have let fly his arrow at the small morfel of a cat, longed vehemently to feize the money from the little animals. Suddenly, a venerable moufe popping his head from his hole, addreffed him, fay. ing, "My lord, if you defire to enjoy the goods of the world, in fpite of tortune, and acquire much money, enter into our fervice, and at once be rich in filver and gold." The young captain, regarding the opportunity as moft happy, now found his far fortunate. Through the mediation of the moufe, he was introduced to the whiskered monarch; who agreed to allow him a fum, far exceeding his hopes or deferts, for which he figned an immediate order on his fecret treafures; and having conferred upon him the important station of generaliffimo, recommended the utmost speed in levying forces, and collecting ftores of war. The officer immediately wrote to all his friends and comrades of his wonderful adventure, obferving, that at a time when virtue and liberality had deferted from among mankind, encouragement and generous treatment were only to be found in the fervice of the king of mice, who poffeffed immenfe fecret treafures and buried hoards of wealth. Bafely minded men, who are naturally the faves of money, regarding the opportunity of acquiring it as moft precious, now col lected from all quarters; to that in a fhort time a great army was embodied, and all the requifites for offenfive operations in readiness. The king of the mice, attended by his motley hoff, now marched from his fubterraneous capital, and founded the drums of valour in the field of war. The prince of Geelaun, roufed by the alarm, fummoned his minifters and generals to an affembly, and confulted with them, laying, that "though in this world of vi ciffitudes frange events occur, yet fuch a ridiculous one as the prefent is very vexatious. To be engaged against a moufe is truly difhonouring. However, having confidered well what is neceffary to be done, let us form our plans." The council reprefented, that fince the enemy had commenced hoftiliies, there was no remedy but to give them battle. Upon which the prince, ordering out his troops, commanded his ftores to be opened, and the fums neceffary for warlike difbursements to be iffued: but when the gates of his treafury were unlocked, not a veftige of the flolen money remained. In this dilemma, the prince for the prefent fatisfied his troops with promifes, and marching from his capital, planted his ftandard in oppofition to that of the enemy, on the field of battle. At fun fet, the king of the mice commanded his body-guards to execute a fecret expedition which he had committed to them. The army of mice, more numerous than fwarms of pifmires, or flights of locufts, having in the night entered the enemy's camp, gnawed to pieces with their teeth the leathers of the firrups, the reins of the bridles, the parchment of the drums, the bow-ftrings, and, in like manner, whatever they found made of leather or cloth. Having completely finished their defigns, they returned triumphant to the camp of their fovereign; who, at this important crifis, drawing out his human allies in line of battle, marched at their head, and com. manded them to display their valour like heroes. The fpies of the prince informed him of the motions of the enemy to furprize his camp; upon which he commanded the heralds and generals, to prepare the various divifions of the army, and make ready for battle. The troops, on haftening to form, were confounded at the damage done to their faddles and weapons, and panic-ftricken at their forlorn condition. The bands of the fovereign moufe, regarding the confufion of the enemy, as the forerunner of victory and fuccefs, charged with furious valour, and in an inftant made whole fquadrons a merciless facrifice to their fharp fabres. The furvivors made their efcape. The prince, with much difficulty and disgrace, having efcaped from the field, fhut himfelf up in his citadel; leaving all his effects, tents, and royal equipage, an of. fering to the plunder of the conquerors. The prince next difpatched an ambasfador, and requested that, without the feizure feizure of his country, he might be received under the fhadow of his protection; and the king of mice, notwithstanding the meannels of his nature, agreeably to the axioms of the liberal, prac tifing the laws of generosity, and difplaying magnanimity, fent back all the plunder, and faid, "Our motive for kindling the flames of flaughter was not the conqueft of your dominions, but the reftoration of our camel." The prince efteeming this demand as moft aufpicious, having caparizoned the camel in gorgeous houfings, trappings fet with jewels, and a fiken mahar, difpatched him to the prefence of the king of mice, and offering many apologies, had a pardon granted him. The king of mice, having returned victorious and triumphant to his fubterraneous capital, difmiffed his human auxiliaries with fatisfactory rewards; and the camel, as before the war, was allowed to forage at large in the wildernefs, having the higheft rank of nobility conferred upon hm by his fovereign; who, from his unexpected fuccefs, exalted his head to the fummit of the fkies, and notwithstanding his fhortness of neck, acted as if cats were not in existence. If the prince of Geelaun, inftead of contemning the moufe, had prepared to repel the enemy, by a very little attention, all this difgrace and humiliation might have been prevented. Had he preferred èonciliation, that depended only on a fingle camel; or if he had bent his attention properly to the deftruction of his enemy, one cat would have effected the object. The prince, however, deviating from the maxims of the prudent (who advise that an enemy fhould never be defpiled } and purfuing the paths of negligence and felfconceit, he fuffered the evil confe quences of fuch conduct. POETRY. Introduction to the Tale of the Dark Ladie. When midway on the mount I fat, And now a tale of love and woe, But most, my own dear Genevieve, Few forrows hath fhe of her own, All thoughts, all paffions, all delights, O ever in my waking dreams, I dwell upon that happy hour, Befide the ruin'd tower. The moonshine ftealing o'er the scene, She lean'd against the armed man, 1 play'd a fad and doleful air, She liftened with a flitting blufh, I told her of the knight that wore I told her how he pin'd; and ah! She liftened with a flitting blush, Bat when I told the cruel fcorn, And how he croffed the woodman's paths, How fometimes, from the favage den, There came and look'd him in the face, And how unknowing what he did, And fav'd from outrage worse than death, And how the wept and clafp'd his knees, And how the nurs'd him in a cave, His dying words but when I reach'd, All impulfes of foul and ferfe, And hopes and fears that kindle hope, She wept with pity and delight, She blush'd with love, and maiden fhame, I faw her bofom heave and fwell, Her wet check glow'd, she stept aside, She half inclos'd me with her arms, 'Twas partly love and partly fear, I calm'd her fears, and fhe was calm, When laft I fang the cruel fcorn, That craz'd this bold and lovely knight; And how he roam'd the mountain woods, Nor reked day or night. I promis'd thee a fifter tale, Of man's' perfidious cruelty;' Come then and hear what cruel wrong, ODE FOR THE NEW YEAR *. INC By H. J. Pye, Efq. Poet-Lauret. [NCESSANT down the stream of Time, And days, and years, and ages, roll, Speeding through Error's iron clime To dark Oblivion's goal; Loft in the gulf of night profound, No eye to mark their fhadowy bound, Unless the deed of high renown, The warlike chief's illuftrious crown, Shed o'er the darkling void a dubious fame, And gild the paffing hour with fome immortal name. Yet, evanefcent as the fleeting cloud,' Driv'n by the wild winds o'er the varying fkies, Are all the glories of the great and proud, On Rumour's idle breath that faintly rife A thousand garbs their forms affume, Woven in vain Conjecture's loom; Their dyes a thoufand hues difplay, Sporting in Fancy's fairy ray; Changing with each uncertain blaft, Till, melting from the eyes at last, The fhadowy vapours fly before the wind, Sink into view lefs air, nor leave a track behind." Introductory ftanzas of the Carmen Seculare. But |