are very strong, but too short to raise from the ground with these they beat and fpur their heavy bodies forwards, and catch the wind as they run. Mr. Adanfon in his description of Senegal gives an entertaining account of two oftriches he faw there, which we here tranfcribe: "July 5th 1749, (fays he) two oftriches which had been bred two years in the factory, afforded me a fight of fo extraordinary a nature, as well to deferve a place in this narrative. Thefe gigantic birds, I had seen only by the way as I travelled over the burning fands on the left of the Niger, but now I had a full view of them at my ease. Tho' they were but young, ftill they were very near of an equal fize with the largeft. They were fo tame that two little blacks mounted both together on the back of the largest. No fooner did he feel their weight, than he began to run as fast as ever he could, till he carried them several times round the village; and it was im poffible to stop him, otherwife than by obftructing the paffage. This fight pleafed me fo well, that I would have it re. peated and to try their strength, I made a full grown negro mount the smallest, and two others the largeft. This burthen did not feem to me at all difproportioned to their ftrength. At first they went a pretty high trot; when they were heated a little they expanded their wings as if it were to catch the wind, and they moved with fuch fleetnefs that they feemed to be off the ground. Every body muft fome time or other have seen a partridge run, (continues Mr. Adanson) consequently, must know there is no man whatever, able to keep up with it; and it is easy to imagine, if the partridge had a longer step, its fpeed would be confiderably augmented. The oftrich moves like the partridge, with both these advantages; and I am fatisfied that those I am speaking of would have distanced the fleeteft race-horfes that were ever bred in England. It is true they would not hold out fo long as a horse; but without all doubt, they would be able to perform the race in less time. I have frequently beheld this fight, which is capable of giving one an idea of the prodigious ftrength of the oftrich, and of fhewing what use it might be of, had we but the method of breaking and managing it as we do a horfe."

Their flesh, which is forbid by the Mofaic law, is 'faid to be offensive both to the

tafte and fmell, and of a vifcous nature, yet it is commonly eaten by the Africans and Arabs, especially in Numidia. They are most fond of the young ones, which they catch as foon as hatched, and breed up for food, by letting them rove about in droves, till they are fat enough to be killed, and falted for use. The Arabs have a way, before they cut off their heads, to tie aftring or tape about their necks, a little below it, by which a kind of oily greese is gathered above the ligature, and is esteemed among them not only as pleafant and agreeable to be mixed with their food instead of oil or butter, but as a fovereign ointment against bruises, achs, fprains, and fuch like diforders. The Arabs are not only fond of riding down the wild oftriches, as a diverfion, but becaufe they derive a confiderable profit from thence; for they have a method of fhaking the dead body of an oftrich, fo as to make the fat diffolve into a fort of oil, which they carry to Alexandria, where it is ufed as an ointment, and fometimes taken inwardly, for disorders arising from a cold constitution.

It is faid that the oftrich hath neither tafte, fmell, hearing, nor memory; which if true, will account for the strange food it devours, and for that fupidity commonly attributed to them; that in time of danger they will endeavour to hide their heads in the fand, among weeds and brambles, or behind trees, and imagine, that as they no longer fee their purfuers, the danger is over, and they have nothing to apprehend, tho' all the while their great bodies are expofed to view. Claudian thus elegantly expreffes it:

Stat lumine claufo
Ridendum revoluta caput; creditque latere
Quæ non ipfa videt.

We are even told they will fuffer themfelves to be approached, and caught by a man covered with an oftrich's fkin, and who can imitate fome of their motions. The oftrich's feathers are so well known, that it is needlefs to defcribe them. Their natural colour is a mixture of white and black in the males, with an additional mixture of grey in the females. As for that beautiful variety of red, crimson, blue, yellow, green, and other colours, in which they are brought over to us, they are the effects of art, and chiefly known and used X X 2 amongit

amongst the Arabs, who buy them of the natives in their natural colour, and dye them for foreign fale, in that variety of colours in which we see them. They were formerly much more ufed than they are at prefent, by way of ornament on beds, canopies, and in rooms of state. Our thea

trical heroes owe much of their grandeur to the plumes of this animal.

An oftrich was brought over into this kingdom fome years ago, and, being prefented to his late majesty, was kept in the Tower of London.

О Peace! amiable peace! benevolent divinity, daughter of harmony, and mother of pleasures, why do you continue ftill in heaven, whilft the diftreffed inhabitants of the earth daily fend forth their fighs to thee? If banished from earth by fierce ambition, you think your hatred due to those who profane you; what complaint have you against innocence unjustly punished for the inhumanity of your perfecutors? Goddefs benign, give ear to our plaintive cries: look upon thefe ravaged fields, these burning temples, thefe crowds lamenting their cruel lot, these matrons betaking themselves to flight, with their flaughtered infants in their bloody arms. When did the earth behold its plains more fattened with inundations of blood, and when did rivers ever fee their banks loaded with fuch dreadful heaps of dead and dying men? Thus pale and livid death, in Ilion's plains, fwept away the warriors of Argos, and of Phrygia, in those dreadful combats when the god Mars himself beheld his immortal blood flow forth in floods, and ftain the field of battle. With a cry equal to the shouts of an invincible army, just preparing to engage in a furious combat, he shook the inacceffible vault of heaven, and carried his complaint to the father of gods and men. But the great Jupiter, whofe auguft prefence can ftrike with awe the most audacious, and make them return to their duty, interrupted the fpeech of the unjuft warrior, and with thefe terrible words confounded all his hopes. "Hence, tyrant of mankind, barbarous and deftructive god, make your complaint elsewhere: of all the inhabitants of high Olympus, none is more odious in my fight than thee. Tyger, whofe heart of steel soft pity ne'er could touch, your horrid joy is murder; you delight to fee towns in a blaze; ramparts deftroyed, and palaces reduced to ashes are the favourite monuments of your cruelty. Terror and

death march always in thy retinue: monfter, nourished with blood, whofe heart overflows with gall, thou art fitter to reign upon the banks of Cocytus, than to hold a place amongst the assembled deities. Ah! wherefore, when thy pride once languished in the chains into which the fons of Alous had caft thee, wherefore did Mercury, too infenfible to human mifery, against my orders fet you at liber, ty? Had it not been for that, Difcord with thee dethroned, had been for ever banished to the infernal shades, and proud Bellona being condemned to repofe, would not have driven peace out of the univerfe. The empire of amiable peace is bleffed by all, the good of her subjects is her chiefeft care; but thou, oh son of Juno, art by her inspired with the frantic defire of governing by fire and sword !"

Chafte peace, 'tis thus the fovereign of the universe knows how to distinguish between thy merit and that of the warlike Mars. Thy fcepter fills the earth with joy and pleasure; his rod of iron makes it an abode of horror and desolation, Wherefore then do you refuse to remove, by your divine affiftance, the misfortunes of the afflicted earth? Why, tho' beloved and protected by the King of heaven, do you yield to your rival the empire of the earth? I understand you, our unanimous wishes, in vain, call down the wrath of angry heaven; till divine juftice has expiated our crimes, you must not hope to dwell among us. And what age ever deserved the hatred of heaven more? When did prefumptuous impiety ever lift its audacious front more freely? The dread of divine vengeance is looked upon as weaknefs; blafphemy is confidered as a noble freedom; double-faced fraud is looked upon as prudence, and the contempt of laws as magnanimity. This, oh you nations, this is what has brought upon you the inexorable rigour of heaven! It is for

this reafon the Deity has put the thunder into the hands of fo many princes! An irrevocable order determines the choice, both of the sweets of peace and the horrors of war: it is the anger of kings which caufes mortals to rife in arms; it is the wrath of heaven which makes kings wage war. It is by their means that heaven's high vengeance vifits us, with the fcourge of its severity, when after a long and fruitless indulgence, our monstrous wickedness has at laft wearied out its goodness. Oh! awful heaven, if the rigour of thy just judgments is not yet fatif. fied, after so many punishments inflicted; if so much blood spilt, so many illuftrious victims have not yet made us fhed tears enough, vouchsafe, at least, to inspire us with that fincere repentance, that refignation, and that humble forrow, which is the only homage that can now foften the aufterity of thy juft decrees! Invigorate our zeal, foften our hearts, and raise our fpirits to thy celeftial abode; fill our minds with those ardent flames which are kind

led by duty, respect, and love. A youthful monarch upon whom the balance of Europe depends, and Pruffia's victorious king, wait but the moment to lay the thunder-bolt of war afide, and caufe the ills we groan under to ceafe. What do I say? Each day the wifhed-for moment draws nigher; the gods are appeafed, our wishes are heard, the happy care of a beloved minifter watches over our fafety; he lives. It is enough; peace shortly will revifit us; Oh! nations, Bellona, by him fubdued fhall be bound in an eternal chain, to your happiness he devotes his life, he facrifices his repofe to yours. Return then, O peace! It is time that his wishes should be granted, return and receive this great man into thy luminous car; let the god that conducts him conduct you. thus by his care reinstated in the favour of heaven, may we find our pains changed to pleasures, our tears to rejoicing, and our obfcure night to a day both bright and ferene.

Being

H

[AZIKIN king of Gazna had long

reigned in profperity: he was beloved by all his fubjects, but one thing was wanting to render his happiness complete; he had no fon to inherit his kingdom, and this confideration was a fource of conftant inquietude to him. He every day importuned heaven with prayers, to grant him a fucceffor of his own begetting, and his prayers were at last heard. The prince Nourgehan was born, and his birth was celebrated by rejoicings, which furpaffed, in magnificence, all that had ever been Teen in Gazna before. The king, whose cares all concentered on his fon, got a certain Coja, deeply verfed in the science of aftrology, to caft his nativity. But how great was the grief and furprize of the monarch, when he was affured by the Coja, whofe fkill he had often experienced, that this fon, whom he looked upon as the best gift of heaven, fhould one day dethrone him! Hazikin was thrown into the utmost confternation upon hearing this, and immediately resolved to take the best measures, to prevent the misfortune with which he was threatened. He could

not, however, fo far furmount the instincts of nature as to refolve upon the death of his fon; but he caufed a report to be fpread that the angel of death had called upon him; and immediately an univerfal mourning and forrow fucceeded to the joy and exultation which had a fhort time before been manifefted by people of every rank. Hazikin, in the mean time, fent the prince to Haffan, a poor fhepherd who dwelt upon the borders of Gazna, to be brought up in poverty and obfcurity. The fecret of the birth of Nourgehan was concealed even from Haffan himself: for the perfon who brought the child amused the peafant by an invented story; and to engage him to take care of it, paid him fix fequins, promifing to fupply him with an annual fum more than fufficient to defray the charges he might be 'at. 'Hazikin now thought himself in perfect fecurity, but it is in vain that weak mortals attempt to controul their destiny; what is written in the book of fate will come to pafs, notwithstanding all their care to avoid it. Nourgehan being brought up among thepherds, and inured to exercife

and

and labour, acquired a most vigorous conftitution. His limbs were equally robuft and active, and his afpiring mind was well fuited to a body which feemed to be framed by nature for enterprize. Growing weary of the mean occupations of a fhepherd, he left the place where he had been brought up, and, after having wandered fome time, was received at length in the troops of the king of Deli. There he foon diftinguished himself upon many occafions; infomuch that he was promoted to a confiderable post, and acquitted himfelf fo well, that every body concluded he would in a short time arrive to the highest military dignities. The expectations he had excited were not difappointed; for in an engagement upon the borders of Deli, he faved the life of the king's fon, and as a reward for fo fignal a fervice, was invested with the command of his troops. He went by the name of Calaf; and, notwithstanding all the honours conferred upon him, ftill thought himfelf the son of the poor peasant Hassan. A difference foon arifing between the king of Deli and the king of Gazna, the former fent Nourgehan, at the head of a puiffant army, to invade the territories of the latter; and Nourgehan, having defeated the troops of the king of Gazna, poffeffed himself of his capital city, and having caufed him to be caft into irons, carried him captive to Deli. The king of Deli, who was greatly irritated against him, formed the cruel refolution to deprive him of fight, and detain him prifoner for the remainder of his days. This inhuman purpose was juft going to be put in execution, when the Coja, who had calculated the nativity of Nourgehan entered, and taking him afide, addres

fed him in the following terms. "Oh, prince! know that Hazikin is your fire; you have already dethroned him. For this you are not to be blamed, as you were ignorant that he was your father, and as that event was predefined by the unalterable decree of fate but ftrive to preserve him from the misfortune which now impends over him, or the black angels Zoubanya, and their chief Dabekh, will torment thee for ever in the other world." Nourgehan, being equally furprifed and terrified at receiving this information, went to the king of Deli, and proftrating himself before him, intreated him in the most pathetic terms to spare the captive prince. The vindictive monarch, notwithstanding his great efteem for Nourgehan, pofitively refused to grant his request. This refufal occafioned a struggle in the breast of Nourgehan, between gratitude and filial piety; but the latter foon furmounted the former, and the prince, who was idolized by the army, eafily found means to make a party, and having rescued his father, retired with him to the capital of Gazna. The virtuous Nourgehan would have reinstated his fire in his former dignity; but the old monarch, who was convinced by experience, that the decrees of fate are not to be reversed, configned the reins of government to the abler hands of his fon, and paffed the rest of his life in tranquillity and retirement. Nourgehan long reigned over the people of Gazna in prosperity, and advanced the experienced Coja to the dignity of prime vifir, in which important place he acquitted himself equally to the fatisfaction of the people, and of his fovereign.

HOW unhappy is the man who founds

his hopes of future profperity upon the present hour, and suffers himself to be lulled afleep by the deceitful zephir of fuccefs! Never did adverse fortune appear at a greater diftance from me, and never did I form more flattering hopes of happinefs. Whilft I was plunged in thefe pleafing reveries; whilft my mind was filled with vifionary scenes of felicity, the

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direful goddefs Nemefis had prepared the pit into which I fell, without even seeing it open before me. As the strongest tree, when the feverity of winter has destroyed the fap which fupports it, must fall and drop its withered boughs upon the plain; in like manner when the force by which my body is fuftained, fubfides, and leaves my heated blood to govern one half of the machine, the other half being quite overwhelmed,