Ma nazir with a more tender affection than ever fifter had for a brother, and was by him loved with an equal warmth of affect.on, was attacked with a diforder which none of the physicians that attended the court of Carizme could poffibly account for. The youthful bloom of her cheeks was fucceeded by a languid palenefs, and the luftre of her eyes, which fparkled like thofe of the houries of Paradife, was changed into a constant gloom and heaviness, which indicated the internal diforder which preyed upon her foul, and wore away the fprings of life. licknazir in the utmost affliction, at feeing one whom he tenderly loved in fo deplorable a condition, ordered a proclamation to be made, not only in his capital, but in all the confiderable towns of his dominions, that whoever should give the princefs Farzana any relief, might afk of the king whatever reward he thought proper. Incited by this offer, multitudes of cojas, physicians, and pretenders to profound fecrets, flocked every day to court, but their remedies had a bad effect npon the health of the princess, and their cabaliftical as well as aftrological talifmans, the former of which operate by the means of letters, words, or prayers, and the latter by the relation which the planets have to human bodies, had upon this occafion, entirely loft their efficacy. The king, however, difmined none unrewarded, left others fhould be difcouraged from offering their fervices. The indifpofition of the princefs ftill continuing, an Arabian chec repaired to the court of Carizme, relying fo much upon his fkill, that he thought himself already poffeffed of the promised reward. He had indeed made a great progrefs in the occult fciences, and was in a fair way of difcovering the virtues of king Solomon's ring, and the philofopher's ftone. Being introduced to the princefs, he examined her countenance with great attention, and with a view to difcover the cause of her diforder, gave her an elixir which was endued with a virtue capable of thewing whether a difeafe had its fource in the body or mind. Finding by the operation of this medicine, that the diftemper of his patient had its first rife in the mind, he informed the king thereof, and told him, that the princefs could be cured by no one, but a perfon capable of penetrating into the moral caufe of her mental diforder. This, added he, is beyond the power of my knowledge. May the Holy Prophet fend hither fomebody possessed of that divine fcience, to restore the princefs to herfelf, and to you. The thec, after fpeaking thefe words departed the court, having received from the king a thousand fequins, and a diamond ring of a prodigious value. The health of Malicknazir himself began to decline continually, and the people who fympathized with their monarch in every thing, were now as fad and dejected as they had before been chear ful and gay. Malicknazir, however, foon after, re covered his health by the affiftance of a phyfician, who was a native of Perfia, and one of the fect of the Guebres. Upon this phyfician he fettled a confiderable penfion, and affigned him a magnificent apartment As he had a great opinion in his palace. of the skill of Abumazar, for that was the phyfician's name, he defired him to visit the unfortunate princefs, whofe diforder had encreased to such a degree, that she feemed fitter to be numbered amongst the dead than the living. This the Perfian physician modeftly declined, alledging, that it was in vain for him to attempt a cure, where men of abilities and learning, fo much fuperior to his, had already proved unfuccefsful. However, as the king perfifted to urge him, he could not avoid obeying, and after having visited the princefs, and maturely confidered her disorder, he declared that it was not in his power to give her any affiftance, as no cafe of the like nature had ever occurred to him before. Thus, Malicknazir, finding all human means fail him, had recourfe to a fanton named Padmanaba, whofe prayers for the fick were of fuch efficacy, that they were feldom offered up without procuring their recovery; nay, the holiness of his life had often been confirmed by miracles. The fanton being brought to court, was by the king given to understand upon what ac count he had been fent for, and immediately conducted to the apartment of the princefs, whofe palid complexion, and melancholy vitage, at firft truck the reclufe with furprize; but as he was an adept in the fcience of Mechacha, by which the fantons are enabled to penetrate the most fecret thoughts of those they behold; he foon dived into the cause of the long indifpofition of Farzana, and having retired with Malicknazir, addreffed "Oh king! him in the following terms; Mmm a may may the Prophet prolong thy days, and diftinguish thy reign with his choiceft bleffings, be not offended at what thy fervant fhall unfold: the difeafe with which the princess Farzana languishes, proceeds from love for thee, and nature has laid an unfurmountable obftacle against her recovery." Thunderstruck at this intelligence, which Malicknazir was induced to give credit to by the known character of Padmanaba for piety, he haftily retired, after having offered the fanton a rich prefent, which he excufed himself from accepting, alledging that he had entirely dedicated the remainder of his life to the fervice of God, and his holy prophet Mahomet, and had utterly renounced the world, with all its riches and grandeur. This difinterestedness of the fanton confirmed Malicknazir in the belief of his veracity. Some time after, as the king was walking upon a terrace in one of his gardens, wrapt up in melancholy and contemplation, his Perfian phyfician Abumazar met him, and proftrating himself on the ground before him, humbly requested to know the cause of his grief. Sorrow is naturally communicative: tho' Malicknazir had formed a refolution, never to disclose the melancholy fecret of Farzana's paffion for him, he could not refift this opportunity of unbofoming himself, and giving a loose to complaint; for those who labour under any affliction, feldom fail to receive some relief from their tears and lamentations. Abumazar heard the king, without teftifying the leaft furprize, as marriages between brother and fifter are customary amongst the Guebres, and used his utmost rhetoric, and all the arguments of his fect, to prove that the paffion of the princefs for him was entirely innocent, and that he might lawfully marry Farzana, and at once gratify his own affection for her, and fave her from the jaws of death; but Malicknazir, who had been educated in the pureft doctrine of the khoran, was not to be moved by fuch fophiftical arguments; but having enjoined Abumazar the profound eft fecrefy, immediately put an end to the conversation. Malicknazir, despairing of Farzana's recovery, yielded himself up a prey to his grief, and neglecting the administration of public affairs, left it almost entirely to his viziers. The fatal effects of this change in his difpofition were foon felt by the state; justice was no longer adminiftred with the fame equitable impartiality as before, and the people being oppreffed with grievous taxes, could not help murmuring in fecret, for the viziers were wholly intent upon aggrandizing themfelves, and accumulating wealth, but totally regardless of the welfare of their country. The fufferings, however, of Carizme, and its monarch, at laft had an end. Malicknazir, whofe cares generally kept him waking, funk one night into a profound fleep, and the angel of marriage appeared to him in a dream. His eyes fhone with a dazzling luftre; he wore on his head a crown of myrtle, in his right hand he held a torch, the fymbol of marriage, and his ermin robes feemed to fparkle with the most precious diamonds of Golconda. Malicknazir, whilft ftill asleep, was addreffed by the angel in terms like thefe: "Oh king of Carizme! make no fcruple of espousing Farzana, she is not your fifter; your late father going upon an expedition, gave his daughter to Dilaram to be nurfed, as the was in her infancy; the faithless Dilaram found it an easy matter to substitute her own in its place; this he did in hopes of one day aggrandising her family; and the monarch never once fufpected the impofition. Your fifter has ever fince lived with her as her daughter, in a caftle not far diftant from your capital. Doubt not my words; but as foon as the white sheep has chafed the black one to the bottom of the western earth, repair to the caftle, and question Dilaram concerning her fraud, he will not have the prefumption to perfift long in denying it." The next morning Malicknazir reflected with amazement upon the vifion of the preceding night; and refolving to do as directed by the angel of marriage, affembled his viziers and courtiers, and repaired to the castle, He called for Dılaram, and having questioned her concerning the fact above related, the confeffed every circumftance of it, and falling proftrate upon her face before him, implored his forgivenefs. He affured her of his pardon and protection, and immediately returned to court with her and his fifter Zulima. The report of this furprifing difcovery was foon spread all over the kingdom, and caused an universal aftonifhment amongst the people of Carizme ; but their astonishment was converted into joy, when they heard that Farzana was perfectly recovered, and that the king in tended fended in a short time to espouse her publicly. The nuptials were accordingly celebrated with an unparalelled pomp and fplendor, and every fubject seemed to fhare the happinefs of his fovereign. MaJicknazir being thus freed from the anxiety which had fo long preyed upon him, refum. ed the reins of government; commerce began again to flourish; plenty returned to blefs the land; and all murmuring and discontent amongst the people ceased, du ring the remainder of Malicknazir's life. He lived long and happily with his confort Farzana, whom he loved with the utmoft tenderness, and by whom he was equally beloved. At length the angel of death called upon them both in the fame hour; and thus their mutual happiness was complete, for either of them would have thought it worse than death to have furvived the other. SIR LAUNCELOT GREAVES. In which Capt. Crowe is fublimed into the Regions of Afrology. 'HREE whole days had our adventurer profecuted his inquiry about the amiable Aurelia, whom he fought in every place of public and of private entertainment, or refort, without obtaining the leaft fatisfactory intelligence, when he received one evening, from the hands of a porter, who inftantly vanished, the following billet: "If you would learn the particulars of Mifs Darnel's fate, fail not to be in the fields by the Foundling Hofpital, precifely at feven o'clock this evening, when you fhall be met by a perfon who will give you the fatisfaction you defire, together with his reafon for addrefling you in this myfterious manner.--" Had this intimation concerned any other fubject, perhaps the knight would have deliberated with himself in what manner he should take a hint fo darkly communicated but his eagerness to retrieve the jewel he had loft, divefted him of all his caution; the time of affignation was already at hand; and neither the captain nor his nephew could be found to accompany him, had he [Continued.] been difpofed to make use of their attendance. He therefore, after a moment's hefitation, repaired to the place appointed, in the utmost agitation and anxiety, left the hour fhould be elapfed before his arrival. Crowe was one of thofe defective fpirits, who cannot subsist for any length of time on their own bottoms. He wanted a familiar prop, upon which he could difburthen his cares, his doubts, and his humours: an humble friend who would endure his caprices, and with whom he could communicate, free of all refervé and reftraint. Though he loved his nephew's perfon, and admired his parts, he confidered him often as a little petulant jackanapes, who prefumed upon his fuperior understanding; and as for Sir Launcelot, there was fomething in his character that overawed the feaman, and kept him at, a difagreeable diftance. He had, in this dilemma, caft his eyes upon Timothy Crabfhaw, and admitted him to a confiderable fhare of familiarity and fellowhip. Thefe companions had been employed in fimoaking a focial pipe at an alehoufe in the neighbourhood, when the knight made his excurfion; and returning to to the house about fupper-time, found Mr. Clarke in waiting. The young lawyer was alarmed when he heard the hour of ten, without feeing our adventurer, who had been used to be extremely regular in his œconomy; and the captain and he fupped in profound filence. Finding, upon enquiry among the fervants, that the knight went out abruptly, in confequence of having received a billet, Tom began to be vifited with the apprehenfion of a duel, and fat the beft part of the night by his uncle, fweating with the expectation of feeing our hero brought home a breathlefs corfe: but no tidings of him arriving, he, about two in the morning, repaired to his own lodging, refolved to publish a defcription of Sir Launcelot in the newspapers, if he fhould not appear next day. Crowe did not pafs the time without uneafinefs. He was extremely concerned at the thought of some mischief having befallen his friend and patron; and he was terrified with the apprehenfion, that in cafe Sir Launcelot was murdered, his fpirit might come and give him notice of his fate. Now he had an infuperable averfion to all correfpondence with the dead; and taking it for granted, that the spirit of his departed friend could not appear to him except when he fhould be alone, and a-bed in the dark, he determined to pafs the remainder of the night without going to bed. For this purpofe his first care was to vifit the garret in which Timothy Crabfhaw lay faft afleep, fnoring with his mouth wide open. Him the captain with difficulty roufed, by dint of promifing to regale him with a bowl of rum punch in the kitchen, where the fire, which had been extinguished, was foon rekindled. The ingre he dients were fetched from a publichouse in the neighbourhood; for the captain was too proud to use his intereft in the knight's family, efpecially at thefe hours when all the reft of the fervants had retired to their repofe; and he and Timothy drank together until day-break, the converfation turning upon hobgoblins, and God's revenge against murder. The cookmaid lay in a little apartment contiguous to the kitchen; and whether difturbed by thefe horrible tales of apparitions, or titillated by the favoury fteams. that iffued from the punch-bowl, fhe made a virtue of neceffity, or appetite, and dreffing herself in the dark, fuddenly appeared before them, to the no fmall perturbation of both. Timothy, in particular, was fo ftartled, that in his endeavours to make an hafty retreat towards the chimney-corner, overturned the table; the liquor was fpilt, but the bowl was faved by falling on a heap of afhes. Mrs. Cook having reprimanded him for his foolish fear, declared the had got up betimes, in order to fcour her faucepans; and the captain propofed to have the bowl replenifhed, if materials could be procured. This difficulty was overcome by Crabfaaw; and they fat down with their new affociate to difcufs the fecond edition. The knight's fudden difappearing being again brought upon the carpet, their female companion gave it as her opinion, that nothing would be fo likely to bring this affair to light, as going to a cunning man, whom he had lately confulted about a filver fpoon that was miflaid, and who told her all the things that the ever did, and ever would happen to her through the whole courfe of her life. Her Her two companions pricked up their ears at this intelligence; and Crowe asked if the fpoon had been found? She answered in the affirmative, and faid, the cunning man defcribed to a hair the perfon that fhould be her true love, and her wedded husband: that he was a feafaring man; that he was pretty well stricken in years; a little paffionate or fo; and that he went with his fingers clinched like, as it were. The captain began to fweat at this defcription, and mechanically thrust his hands into his pockets, while Crabshaw, pointing to him, told her he believed the had got the right fow by the ear. Crowe grumbled, that may hap for all that he fhould not be brought up by fuch a grappling neither. Then he asked if this cunning man dealt with the devil, declaring, in that cafe he would keep clear of him: for why? because he must have fold himself to old scratch; and being a fervant of the devil, how could he be a good fubject to his majesty? Mrs. Cook aflured him, the conjurer was a good chriftian; and that he gained all his knowledge by converfing with the stars and planets. Thus fatisfied, the two friends refolved to confult him as foon as it should be light; and being directedto the place of his habitation, fet out for it by feven in the morning. They found the houfe forfaken, and had already reached the end of the lane in their return, when they were accofted by an old woman, who gave them to understand, that if they had occafion for the advice of a fortuneteller, as he did fuppofe they had, from their ftopping at the houfe where Dr. Grubble lived, fhe would conduct them to a perfon of much more eminence in that profeffion; at the fame time fhe informed them, that the faid Grubble had been lately fent to Bridewell; a circumftance which, with all his art, he had not been able to forefee. The captain, without any scruple, put himself and his companion under convoy of this beldame, who, thro' many windings and turnings, brought them to the door of a ruinous house, ftanding in a blind alley; which door having opened with a key drawn from her pocket, the introduced them into a parlour, where they faw no other furniture than a naked bench, and fome frightful figures on the bare walls, drawn, or rather fcrawled with charcoal. Here the left them locked in until she should give the doctor notice of their arrival; and they amufed themselves with decyphering these characters and hieroglyphics. The first figure that engaged their attention, was that of a man hanging upon a gibbet, which both confidered as an unfavourable omen, and each endeavoured to avert from his own perfon. Crabfhaw obferved, that the figure fo fufpended was cloathed in a failor's jacket and trowfers; a truth which the captain could not deny; but on the other hand he affirmed, that the faid figure exhibited the very nofe and chin of Timothy, together with the hump on one fhoulder. A warm dispute enfued; and being maintained with much acrimonious altercation, might have diffolved the new-cemented friendship of these two originals, had it not been interrupted by the old fybil, who, coming into the parlour, intimated that the doctor waited for them above. She likewise told them that he |