was alfo feated by him. It happened that the portrait of a handfome young man appeared among others. The princefs, the form of whofe perfon had been impreffed on the journal of existence in characters of art and deceit, and whofe compofition was formed of the mixtures of diffimulation and the leaven of hypocrify, inftantly threw her veil over her face. The king, upon this circumftance, being filled with surprize, faid, ' In this palace, where no ftranger is prefent, and the admiffion of an unentitled perfon cannot be fuppofed, what can be the reafon for drawing the veil over thy countenance? The cunning dame replied, O beloved of Egypt, my bashfulness arofe from the picture of this ftranger, whofe glotting eyes you might fancy are on the gaze. Modefly feized the vefture of my heart; impulfively I hid my face, and was not willing that even the femblance of a ftrange man's eye fhould prefent itself to mine.' The king, on beholding the purity and chastity of his wife, being pleafed beyond measure, became entirely confident in her virtue, and his reliance on her fidelity and innocence, from one,grew to a hundred fold.

When fome time had paffed in this manner, the king, one night, as ufual, was reclining on the pillow of repofe, but in a dozing manner, with his eyes half clof ed, and the gentle queen fitting on a corner of the bed. Suddenly, a tabby cat having entered at the door, and made two or three fprings near the bed, rose up in the form of a beautiful woman. The queen, pattern of virtue, having embraced her with great ardour, uttered many compliments, and feated her by her fide. Suppofing the king overcome with the fumes of fleep, without delay opening the lock of fpeech, fhe en quired the reafon of her coming? The dame, after the manner of ambaffadors, fharpening the tongue of meffage, faid, Thy fifter, after expreffing the ufual defire and affection, reprefents, that tonight thy niece, quitting the chamber of celibacy, will with good luck and felicity be ushered on the bridal throne. Though all the requifites of feftivity have been prepared, and the affemblage of good fortune with all auspiciousness and joy, has found a happy connection; yet, without thy eftimable prefence, they can have no brilliancy, and all the ladies being defirous of thy fortunate interview, wait thy honouring arrival. If, obferv. ing your former kindnefs and ufual fayour, you will bind them in obligation,

it will be highly acceptable; if you will illume the gloomy chamber of the wishes of expectants with your mirth-conjoined. approach, it will be eficemed of importance. The youth alfo, in the bond of whofe love is the heart of the queen of the world, and concerning the taming of which wild one of the foreft of affection and regard, before this, the hint was given, has to night fallen into the fnare. The fparkling wine, rofy-coloured, which gives the crimson tinge to mirth, is eager to be poured out. The melodious gurgling, like the nightingale, fits upon the chrystal branch.

The angel-refembling queen placed the finger of compliance on her eyes, and fhewing much delight and fatisfaction, exclaimed, Since a night which I have fought for in a thousand mattin prayers has arrived, the dawn of wakeful profperity has gleamed from the horizon of my defires, and the garden of my friend's wishes has received freshness from the wavings of the gale of enjoyment; nergus-like (a flower) fhould I haften on the foot of my eyes, it is allowable. Added to this, the attainment of the aufpicious company of the glorious youth, who has plundered the wealth of my heart, and to whofe amber locks my foul is captive, will be a caufe of twofold happiness. How acceptable will it be for two objects to be attained by one smile!-As, on account of the king's fleep my heart is at reft, I will by the affiftance of my wakeful fortune, convey myfelf in the twinkling of an eye to the paradifical affembly. Having faid this, the difmiffed the meffenger.

As the place to which the queen intended going was diftant fix hundred miles from the king's palace, he became involved in the depth of aftonifhmen, how this demon in anger's form, in one night's journey, could travel such a diftance beyond the reach of human abili ty, and how return. Even allowing that fhe could mount the charger of the weftern breeze, ftill it could not be conceived accomplishable. At all events, refigning his foot to the path of discovery of this myfterious bufinefs, and the developement of fuch a ftrange miracle, he guarded his limbs from motion, and nike one in found fleep, began to fnore. The queen, from whole hypocrify the devil himfelf would have run a journey of a hundred years, forthwith dreffed herself in royal robes and princely ornaments, and took uncommon pains in adjufling them. Then calling the vizier's wife te

her,

her, they both together tumbling a little upon the carpet, became transformed into tabby cats, and leaping out of the palace, haftened from the city. The king alfo at the fame inftant, having rifen from the bed, followed the cats.

In the environs of the city, was a tree of wonderful fize and height, its foliage thick, and its branches as it were touching the sky, into which the two cats afcended. The king, embracing the trunk, fixed his feet in the upper fibres of the root. All at once the tree began to shake, and moving from its place, mounted rapidly into the air; then, in the twinkling of an eye, becoming fixed again, ceafed from motion. As the found of trumpets, drums, and flutes, now reached the ears of the king, he fuppofed that the marriage-feaft and affembly of joy was here prepared. Inftantly quitting the trunk of the tree, he retired to a little diftance. The two cats, having defcended, ran towards a city, and the king followed; till at length they reached a palace, where all ranks were affembled in numerous crowds. The cats went into the haram, and the king fat down in the affembly on a corner of the carpet, where no one, from his being a ftranger, took notice of him. His at tention was wholly bent toward the return of the cats left they should efcape, and he become a wanderer in a foreign country, and on account of the want of a conveyance or guide, reach not again his own dominions.

When half of the night had elapfed, a young man, bearing a wreath of flowers in a tray fet with jewels, entered the affembly; for fuch was the ufage in that country, that they firft caft a garland of flowers over the fhoulders of the bridegroom, and then taking him into private apartments, performed the mar riage ceremony. It happened that the bridegroom was deformed and ugly. The youth entrusted with the wreath, not thinking it fit to introduce fuch a miffhapen wretch into an affembly of Hoories, and to feat him on the throne with the angel-formed bride, intended, that having chofen a handfome youth from the company, he would throw the wreath upon his fhoutders, and, having introduced him into the angel-like affembly, perform the customs and ceremonies. It happened that the elegant form and beautiful countenance of the king ftruck his view; and without hefitation, cafting the wreath upon him, he took him by the hand, and begged him to arife. The

king, who from fear of the efcape of the cats, trembled like a moufe, regarding the wreath of flowers as a coil of blooddevouring fnakes, was confounded, and overwhelmed in the abyss of aftonish ment. As, however, he had not power to refufe, he arose and entered the royal apartments.

Here he beheld a concourse of Hoories and Peries met together; on every fide heaps on heaps of the flowers and shrubs of beauty blooming, and smiles and glances, like the leaves of the rofe in spring, waving over the furface of the carpes. In fhort, they feated the young king on the throne of honour; and, according ta the cuftom of the natives of Hindooftan, resembling paradise, tied round his arms a wreath of pearls and jewels, like the chain of the Pleiades. All the Hoori and Peri-like ladies formed a circle around him, as clusters of ftars round the moon, and performed the cuftomary ceremonies, according to the rules and ufages of their tribes.

The king fat in perfect filence. In this fituation, his eye fell on his own chafte wife, who in a retired part of the room,. with the vizier's lady and fome other rofe-cheeked dames, quaffed goblets of brilliantly sparkling wine, and in the intoxication of the grape and the rapture of delight, clafped her lover in embrace. At length arifing, the advaneed near, and looking at the king earnettly, faid to the vizier's lady, The eternal has fo formed alike the countenance of this young man with that of the king, that you would fancy he was my hufband. However, from the fumes of intoxication, fhe did not perfectly recog nize him, and the great diftance of her Own country was alfo the means of doubt and caufe of difbelief. Satisfied with this expreffion of wonder, the retired again toward the youth who was the fovereign of her heart.

The king on hearing her exclamations, with all his valour and fortitude, from dread of his wife, had nearly quitted his mortal frame. Being at laft difmiffed from the private apartments, he haftened into the affembly of the men, and employed himself in thanksgivings to the divine preferver; refolving, fhould he arrive safely from this danger in his own dominions, that he would without delay difpatch his wife to the pit of the lower regions. When the blush of earlieft dawn had appeared, the two cats having come from within, paffed fwiftly by, and the king hastily followed

them

lowed them. As before by means of the magical tree, he reached the environs of his own capital; and with the utmost fpeed, having gained his palace before the arrival of the lightly-minded cats, affected to flumber upon his bed; on which the queen, foon after, alfo lay down toward the edge.

In the morning, the vicious wife employed herself in the ufual household affairs; but fleep overpowered the king, as the fatigue of being awake all night, and the ftretch of watchfulness on the proceeding of the cats, had wearied him out. From the neglect of precaution and forefight, the chain of pearls remained upon his arm. Accidentally, the queen's eye fell upon it, and the gueffes of the night were changed into certainty. His having been at the affembly appeared beyond a doubt; she became furious, and faid to the king, What means this bracelet of jewels on thy arm? Perhaps thou haft, unknown to me, afcended the marriage throne with a new bride?

The imprudent prince inftantly light, ed up his countenance with wrath, and faid,A truce with affected forrows. Whine not; fwallow thy grief; and, preparing for hell, expect the recompence of thy actions." The infamous woman, when he heard thefe exclamations, becoming thoughtful on her own condition, and imagining delay in this matter would be the cause of her own deftruction, breathed a charm over a handful of pebbles, and with haftine's threw them into the king's face. Immediately upon this tranfaction, becoming deprived of human form, he was changed into the fhape of a peacock with golden wings.

When those who were entrusted with the offices of ftate were not for two or three days honoured with an audience, they made a remonftrance on the tubject by means of the confidential persons admitted to the Haram. The queen, as from the king, pleaded his majefty's indifpofition, and requested their prayers for his recovery. The loyal fubjects and well-wishers to the king, on hearing this event, becoming involved in forrow, returned home; but the vizier, faithful and attached, was grieved above all. As he intimately knew the difpofition of the king, he by his penetration divined, that the king had been deprived of under-. flanding. At all events, having return ed home, out of policy, he flattered his Ed. Mag. Jan. 1800.

wife with foft fpeeches, and prevailed upon her that the fhould go to the Haram, obtain a knowledge of the king's fituation, and inform him of it without difquifing any particular.

The vizier's lady inftantly repairing to the palace on account of the confi dence fhe held in the esteem of the queen, was informed of the myftery, and acquainted her husband. The minifter was much afflicted, and determined to release the king; and having, by the guidance of inftructive policy, procured a peacock, went to the palace-gate, and fent in this petition:

66

"At this time, when the enemies of this profperous houfe are afflicted with bodily fickness, I have heard, that a peacock is the meaus of amufing the auguft mind of the king, &c." Then the vizier prays that he may kiss the foot of that peacock, which is the cause of recreation to the exalted mind, if for an inftant they would fend it out. The queen paying refpect to the rank and high office of the vizier, at the inftigation of weak policy, and without forefight and caution, fent the peacock to the vizier. He inftantly fent in that he had brought with him, and conducted the transformed king to his houfe, intreated his wife, with large promises, to reftore him to his shape. The wife, though tempted by fuch promises, yet as he was a confident in the fecrets of the queen, wished not to give up the claims of friendship. She therefore said to her husband, "I will undertake this affair, on condition that, after the attainment of thy object, having again clothed the king in the likeness of a peacock, I may deliver him back to the queen." The vizier, rejoiced at thefe tidings, apparently confented to the terms of his wife, but within himself refolved to feat the king on the throne of fafety, when once delivered from the defert of enchantment. Accordingly, at the inftant when the fovereign was freed from fuch a calamity, he, with the utmoft celerity, having drawn his keen fabre, separated the head of his wicked wife from her body, and firuck her dead on the ground.

The king, who, like one afflicted with a fit, had recovered, having opened his eyes, gazed round on all fides, and flood aftonished. The wife vizier informed him of the circumftances of affairs from beginning to conclufion, and advised him

to

to retire to a place of fafety to prevent coming again into the queen's power. Travelling, accordingly, by night, accompanied by the vizier, he paffed his own dominions, and fixed his abode in a certain capital, and clothed himself in the habit of a devotee. After fome time, the ruler of the country having learnt his rank and condition, fought his aliance, and gave him his daughter in marriage. Though the king had a great diflike to a fresh connection with women, yet from the impulfe of divine will and the eternal decree, the affair was completed.

Some time after the marriage, the king was fitting with his princefs in a court of the palace, playing at dice, when fuddenly a kite hovering in the air began to defcend directly over his head, and fluttering its wings, began to scream. The new wife having looked at the bird, faid, " Ought knoweft thou, O king, who this kite is, and what is her meaning in this fluttering?" The king replied, "I know nothing, but that it flies as birds ufually do in the air." The lady exclaimed, "This is not a kite, but thy former queen, who, having difguifed berfelf as a bird, is come with defign to kill thee, nor is there any how an escape for thee, but by my means.' The king at this event becoming over whelmed in the abyfs of aftonishment, trembled with fear, and calling his vizier, acquainted him with the circumftance. The vizier faid, " Do not in the leaft, O my fovereign, admit alarm or dread into thy mind; but afk the princefs' aid to destroy the kite." The queen now faid, "O wife vizier, it is incumbent upon me to accomplish this bufi

33

nefs, for the who defigneth the king's death is alfo my noft inveterate enemy. Speedily, I alto having afcended in the form of a kite, will convey myself to her, when, after contending with our beaks and talons, we fhall fall to the ground close to the king, who then exercising the umoft agility, muft beat her to death with a club; but that he may not through mistake injure me, know that the diftinction between us will be a difference of colour in our wings and feathers. She is all black, and I fhall be mottled with black and white." The king efteeming this as an unexpected bleffing, feized a club, and ftood in ambush waiting the opportunity. At length, the queen, being transformed, attacked the kite, and, in the manner above mentioned, fell with her to the earth. The king with great joy arofe, and said to the vizier," Muft I ftrike the black or the mottled?" The vizier replied, "Haft thou not heard, that the fandy-haired cur is brother to the jackall? Though thou haft efcaped the jaws of the crocodile, ftill thou haft fallen into the fangs of the wolf. The wifeft meáfure is, to kill them both, iu order that thou mayeft be wholly fecure from the villany of a race more revengeful than the wolf or the ferpent." king, accordingly, from the hint of the minifter, difpatched both the impure wretches to the lower regions; and having escaped fuch dangers, for the future refrained from the fociety of women. He fat down in the cell of refignation, and the recess of abftinence; and, during the remainder of life, having employed himself solely in the worship of the moft high, by means of pennance gained future felicity, and true glory.

FOR THE EDINBURGH MAGAZINE.

Advice to a Friend on a Melancholy Occafion.

F, my lov'd friend, you fill may hope to IF, I

fave

Your darling Edward from th' untimely grave,

Oh! ere too late, to warmer climes repair, And leave a while this chilling, northern air:

But if, alas! fuch fymptoms fhall appear,
As tell too plain that death approaches near,
Then fondly try, by every foothing art,
To calm the forrows of the victim's heart.

The

For fay, though Providence indeed is kind, And oft to ficknefs fuits the pliant mind, Can youth life's gay and glitt'ring fcene' refign,

Nor once look back, and leaving it repine? No, no; too plain the speaking eye reveals, The keen regret the dying fuff'rer feels. Wait not for death in home's endearing shade,

Where oft, ere while, in happiness he ftray'd, For change of scene will raife the languid

eye,

And ftilla while life'squiv'ring flame fupply:
Distress him not by efforts to amufe,
All pleasures now their wonted relish lose,

Then