with a delirium, which made it neceffary to acquaint his friends. His fifter Leonora hastened to his relief. At the end of fome weeks, his health was fo far re-established, that the ventured to propofe his undertaking a journey to Scotland, -to which he at laft confented, but not without reluctance. He learned, by degrees, that the money he received for the last two years he refided in London, had come from Leo. nora; that he had paid all his debts there; and, with the fmall remains of her fortune, had purchased an annuity of one hundred and fifty pounds for his < and her own life. In a fhort time, they retired to a village, not far from my father's refidence, who had been an early acquaintance of Antonio's. My father' joined his endeavours to those of Leonora to recover, him from that depreffion of fpirits into which his misfortunes, and the reflection on his paft conduct, had thrown him. They at laft fucceeded; and faw him, with pleasure, regain thofe mild and engaging manners which they had formerly admired. But his fpirit and vivacity could not be restored. feemed to engage in the ufual paftimes and occupations of a country life, rather with patience than fatisfaction; and to fuffer fociety as a duty which he owed to a fifter who had preferved him, and to thofe friends who shewed so much folicitude for his happiness, rather than to enjoy it as a fource of pleafitre and entertainment to himself. If ever he was animated, it was in the company of a few young men who looked to him for inftruction. He entertained them, not with murmurings against the world, or L He complaints of the injuftice or depravity of mankind. His pictures of fociety were flattering and agreeable, as giving the most extensive scope for the exercife of the active virtues. • My young ⚫ friends,' he was wont to fay, carry with you into the world a fpirit of independence, and a proper refpect for yourfelves. Thefe are the guardians of virtue. No man can trust to others for his fupport, or forfeit his own good opinion with impunity. Extravagant defires, and ill-founded hopes pave the way for disappointment, and difpofe us to cover our own errors with the unjuft accufation of others. Society is fupported by a reciprocation of good offices; and, though virtue and humanity will give, juftice cannot demand, a favour, without a recompence. • Warm and generous friendships are fometimes, nay, I hope, often, found in the world; but in thofe changes and viciffitudes of life which open new views, and form new connections, the old are apt to be weakened or forgotten. Family and domestic friendfhips, would he add, with a figh, will generally be found the most lafting and fincere: but here, my friends, you will think me prejudiced; you all know my obligations to Leonora.' Antonio and Leonora are now no more; he died a few days after my last vifit. His fitter he had buried about a twelvemonth before; and I have often heard him mention, with a kind of me. lancholy fatisfaction, that to her other diftreffes there had not been added the regret of being left behind him. ORMAH. AN ORIENTAL TALE. BY THE REV. MR. MAVOR. ET pride be humbled in the duft! let the arm of Omnipotence be univerfally acknowledged to over-rule the actions of men! and let every murur at the difpenfations of Providence, filenced at the reflection of their justice! Ormah, the fon of Coulor, the fovereign of nations, was very early one of the most accomplished young men of the Eaft: he was born to the expectation of wealth, and the exercife of power; but his heart was foon elated with the consciousness of rank, and the pageantry of fhew; and he forgot that authority is no longer defirable than while it is obeyed through love; and that no ftate is lefs enviable than that which excites at once fear and contempt. No fooner was be feated on the throne of of his paternal dominions, than he affumed an air very different from that which is the refult of true dignity. His commands were delivered in, menaces, rather than in words; his edicts were thundered with the awe of irrevocable feverity; and every appearance he made in public was only a prelude to violence, rapine, and murder. Reftrained by no ideas of justice, and controuled by no advice, he fought for gratification only from the difplay of arbitrary power; and dreaded nothing fo much as the imputation of pufillanimity and irrefolution. The prime vizier was difgraced and banished, for daring to open his lips in defence of an innocent perfon, whom Ormah had condemned to death, without offering even a thadow of reafon for the feverity of fuch a decree; and every good, and every conscientious man, under his government, either deplored in private the mifery of his fituation, or met inevitable fate in daring to oppofe it. Such was the unhappy difpofition of the fovereign whom Providence had placed at the head of millions of fubjects, that in a few years after his affuming the reins of government, he had not a man in his dominions whofe heart was warm in his intereft through love, or attached to his perfon through gratitude. His palace was only filled with the abandoned minifters of his vengeance, and the abject vaffals of his power. He beheld with horror the defertion of his court; and uttered menaces of revenge, and denunciations of the fevereft wrath, at being prevented from the exercife of his former power; and, as fovereign fway was in his eftimation of no value, without being difplayed in acts of tyranny and defpotifm, he iffued an order for every minister under his government to attend his perfon on an appointed day, on pain of the utmost severity that offended majefty could inflict. The orders at firft were heard with terror; and irrefolution feized on every dependent on the throne. In a fhort time the confternation which they had occafioned funk into fettled deliberation; and as the tranfition from fear to hate is only a natural confequence, a confpiracy was formed against the Sultan Ormah, and refiftance to his commands refolved on by the unanimous concurrence of thoufands whom only the fame of his cruelty had yet reached. To ftrengthen their hands, and enture fuccefs to their undertakings, they applied to a neighbouring prince to efpoufe their caufe, and to lead them on to deliverance or death. Between-regal powers, jealoufy and fecret hate generally fubfit: an occafion to weaken or to enfnare one another will always be eagerly fought; and honour, which ought to be more facred, and more binding, in the higher ranks of life, will be often facrificed to party revenge, perfonal pique, or selfish and interested views. His neighbour Abdallah thought this a valuable opportunity of aggrandizing his power, and extending his dominions. He embraced with eagerness the execution of the plan which was offered to him; and before Ormah could be apprized of the revolt of his subjects, he had marched an army of a hundred thou fand men into the heart of his kingdom. The fervile attendants on the perfon of Ormah dreaded to inform him of an event fo fatal to his authority, and so dangerous to his perfon; and although rumours were spread abroad over all the imperial city and palace, that a confpiracy was formed, and ripe for execution, they tried to amufe him with a belief that these reports were groundlefs, and that they were well affured he might expect to see his officers appear on the day appointed for their attendance, to court his smiles, and acknowledge an implicit obedience to his will. Mankind are eafily induced to believe what they wish. The weary traveller of the defart thinks at the utmost extent of vifion he can discover the rifing grove, or the winding ftream: he proceeds in his journey, and is difappointed; yet hope again relieves him, and amufes him with furer belief. Such was the mind of Ormah: he could not fhut his ears against the voice of truth, and the warnings of approaching danger; but he endeavoured to fupprefs their operations, by in dulging the delufions of hope; and rested his confidence, when he could no longer exert his power, on those whom he only regarded as the flaves of his will; and who, in their turns, defpifed him, as the object of their terror. Abdallah, by hafty marches, in a few days reached the capital; and Ormah, in confufion and defpair, the very next morning, on which he expected to receive the homage of his fubjects, and the adulation of his court, faw it compleatly invested. A heart confcious of it's own demerits on fuch fuch an occafion muft fuffer every pang. Bravery never affociates with cruelty, nor can refolution be united to tyrannic oppreffion. Ormah neither tried to divert the storm by activity, nor to combat it with compofure. He neither expoftulated with his attendants, who were about to defert him, for their deceit, nor did he confult with them how to act: he was distracted, and unrefolved. He knew that his commands would carry no weight with them; that it was in vain to attempt to arm men who owed him neither allegiance nor regard. He ran raving round the palace; and bewailed his fate, with expreffions which denoted the most abject debasement of mind: at laft he refolved to change his dress, and to attempt his efcape. Without making a fingle perfon privy to his defign, he fallied out of his palace in the habit of a peasant; and, by the infignificance of his appearance, attracted no notice, and underwent no examination from the foldiers of his enemy, through whofe ranks he was obliged to pafs. Without any particular road in view, he travelled on with the utmost fpeed, till the darkness and fatigue obliged him to look about for a place to reft in. As fearful of feeing the face of a fubject as of an enemy, he ftudiously avoided their dwellings; and fubfifted on the fpontaneous produce of the earth, which luxury had before taught him to defpife, but were now rendered delicious by neceffity. To exceed the bounds of his own dominions was his only fixed object. ed the juftice of the Eternal. He beheld, in it's proper light, the nature of that authority he had been born to, and with the deepest humility confeffed the unworthy use he had made of it; and though he knew it was now too late either to prove the fincerity of his reformation, or atone for the tyranny of his oppreffion, he refolved, by a life of aufterity, and the fervice of Alla, to fhew his contrition, and to regain the favour of Heaven. For feveral years he continued in the practice of every religious duty, and the mortification of every luft. The rifing fun heard his fupplications to the Prophet, and the twinkling ftars at night bore witness to his contrition. One morning, as he rofe unusually early, and was offering up his adorations with all the fervour of penitential devotion; on a fudden, an old man, of a most venerable appearance, whofe filver beard defcended far on his breaft, ftood before the aftonished Ormah, and thus addreffed him. Son of the duft! though born to the fovereignty of nations, the Prophet has feen your contrition, and has accepted your prayers. You have found the fallacy of the maxims by which you formerly ruled, and experience will teach you wisdom. Your 'neighbour Abdallah, after ufurping your government, and committing a feries of cruelties, in which he but too nearly refembled yourself, is now removed to the banks of the eternal ftream; and the chiefs of your dominions are earnest in their enquiries after you, that the crown may not defcend to the family of the ufurper, but ftill remain in the regal line of · your ancestors. I will conduct you this inftant to your palace, and replace you on the throne.' Before the confounded Ormah could make any reply, he found himself seated on a fofa in the midst of his palace, and furrounded by his nobles, whom his venerable companion thus addressed: For many days he allowed himself but a fhort time to reft; till at length, certain that he must have far exceeded the limits of the kingdoms he had once ruled, and at the fame time being exhausted with unremitted fatigue, he made up to a cave which he faw on the fide of a verdant hill over which he was travelling. He found it by nature formed as a convenient retreat to conceal mifery and fallen power, and there he determined to take up his abode. The herbs and the roots which the vicinity of the cave afforded, fupplied him with food; Behold, in your fovereign Ormah, a and a chrystal fpring at a small distance memorable inftance of the justice of flaked his thirft. In fuch a fituation, the Eternal, and of the omnipotence the paffions of malevolence could not be ' of his power! He has been tried and exercifed, nor the heart elated with pa- approved by the immortal Alla, and geantry and grandeur. The mind of will be no longer your tyrant, but Ormah retired within itself; he faw it's · your father.' Then turning to Or deformity, and blushed: he thought of mah- Remember,' faid he, and let the power he had loft, and acknowledg-it be engraved upon the crown of eveVOL. I. 2 S ry W doms very remote. Yet, amidst the applause he received, and continued to deferve, he fcrupled not to acknowledge that his hours of folitude and humiliation were the moft glorious parts of his life, fince in them he had learned to know himself, and to be ferviceable to mankind. After many happy years, he died univerfally lamented and refpected; his body was embalmed, and placed in the tomb of his ancestors; and the name of Ormah is still famous in the East, and never mentioned but with respect, veneration, and regret. HAMET AND SOPHONISBA. AN ORIENTAL TALE. HEN Sultan Ibrahim led his victorious army along the banks of the rapid River Tigris, the great men of the adjacent country flocked to his camp with their wives and daughters, either to grace his court, or to enliven his pleasures. Among the reft, Abeg, one of the defcendants of Mohammed, came with a numerous retinue of fervants and concubines, and made an offer both of his fervices and poffeffions, to a monarch who, he knew, had it in his power to compel him to implicit fubmiffion. Among the female flaves of this prince was one of peculiar beauty, whofe name was Sophonifba, born and bred a rigid Chriftian, and formed, by principle, to deteft an unbelieving inafter. Abeg had frequently tried to bend her fixed piety and refolute virtue to his will, but without effect. Not only her belief, but even her paflions, were averfe to his defires; for her heart had long been given to another. The perfon happy in her affections, though long perfecuted by fortune, was the son of a Chriftian general, who had taken up arms against the Turkish invaders, and who died in the defence of his religion and his country. This youth had taken refuge in Sophonisba's palace, after the conqueft of his native place; and only left it when the enemy had fo nearly approached, as to lay all in ruins, and carry off Sophonifba, with her attendants, into hopeless captivity. The fate of this unhappy woman may be easily conceived. Torn from her native home, a wretched furvivor of her friends and family fallen in battle; carried five hundred miles from her own country to that of an imperious lord; confined to a feraglio among a number of women, incapable, either from nature of education, to entertain or amuse her; and ftill more fubject to the daily addreffes of a man fhe had learned to deteft and defpife. Such was her fituation when the was prefented to the Sultan, who had been conqueror of the Eaft, and had been but little used to refiftance in female beauty. Her beauty, modefty, and even diftrefs, had charms for this voluptuous monarch; rejecting the numerous offers from the reft of his fubjects, he fixed only on her, and demanded her from her mafter with the moft-earneft entreaties. Abeg, though he had himself long entertained a fruitlefs paffion for his beautiful captive, now refolved to facrifice his love to his ambition; aud accordingly ordered her to be conducted to the Sultan's feraglio, adorned with all those elegant additions of dress with which the Afiaticks are fo fkilful in fetting off female charms. On her leaving the houfe of Abeg, her former companions, who had heard of her prefent promotion, and who confidered her fituation as the utmost pinnacle of a woman's happiness, offered her their fubmiffions and refpects. She alone, however, no way touched with the fuppofed honour intended her, but rather rather dreading the impetuous temper of her new lord, went filently forward, with a melancholy, though refolute air, ftedfaftly determined not to furvive her honour, or fupport life when the could no longer live to virtue. Ibrahim was in his ufual manner pro'ceeding to entertain her, as a lady from whom he expected an eafy compliance, when he found himself mortified by a determined refufal. He repeated his folicitations without effect; even his commands were received with contempt and fcorn; and a month elapsed in vain courtship and unavailing affiduity, when the monarch at last determined to use compulfion. There was a young man, a flave, in his train, in whom he had placed much confidence, and who was appointed to deliver the tyrant's harfh commands: for the favage cuftom of being attended by eunuchs had not yet been admitted into the Ottoman court. This youth had some time before been taken prifoner in an engagement; and, from his great fkill in every fcience, and all the arts of war, was chofen as the favourite of the barbarous Sultan. The young man approached the lady's tent, to deliver his meffage; but judge his amazement, when in her he perceived the miftrefs of his affections! After the furprize and tranfports of this firft interview, they continued a while in filent diftrefs, at the peculiar unhappiness of each other's fituation; but a confultation for their mutual fafety foon fucceed. ing, Hamet, (fo was the youth named) entreated his mistress to affect a compli ance with the Sultan's will, and leave the reft to his own addrefs and direction. It may be easily fuppofed that Ibrahim was in tranfports at the favourable accounts brought him from his beautiful captive; and appointed the enfuing even ing for his vifit to her at her own private apartment. But what was his furprize, when, instead of finding the beautiful maid, Hamet, his favourite flave, food with a poignard at his breaft, and demanded, in the most peremptory manner, his fignet for fetting the young lady free, and delivering him up two frontier towns that lay within three days journey of the camp! Ibrahim at firft offered to refift; but feeing no affiftanee near, he reluctantly complied; and Hamet, poffeffed of the royal fignet, flew with the utmost dispatch from the camp, to But fortune feemed refolved to perfecute thefe lovers in every part of their lives; for Sophonisba was known, feized by a fraggling party of foldiers, and brought back to the Sultan's tent, before Mamet's arrival at the place where he ex cted to meet her. All arts for her relief proving now ineffectual, he refolved to avail himself of the fhort-lived power with which he had procured himself to be entrusted, and to put himself at the head of thofe troops he knew his promifes of reward and victory would allure to ferve him. In the mean time Ibrahim, recovered from the terrors of immediate affatfination, fet no bounds to his refentment. He vowed the moft fignal vengeance againft his disobedient flaves; and even ordered three or four of his attendants to immediate execution, for not being in the way when his life had been in such imminent danger. He was in this favage difpofition when the unhappy Sophonifba was brought into his prefence, threatened on every fide with death, yet refolved to do nothing that could purchase life at the expence of her honour. Great as her offence might have been in the eyes of the tyrant, he could not, however, help being foftened at her diftrefs; and his former paffion again kindling in his bofom, he offered her life in cafe of a compliance. But his offers were vain, the rejected both his love and promised life with fcorn: fo that, in a fit of jealousy and rage, he gave orders for her immediate execution. Pity, however, foon operating, his orders were foftened; inftead of being strangled, she had the choice of her manner of dying, and her death was put off for three days longer. The appointed time being now arrived, the Sultan fent her once more an offer of his heart; which was again rejected, and the chofe to die by poison, as being a death the most private, and confequently the leaft dreadful. The fatal draught was now produced, which was to end a life of fidelity and mifery. She took the cup in her trembling hand, and was just going to drink it off, when Ibrahim entering, ordered her to fu fpend her purpose. Hamet had taken poffeffion of his beft fortreffes, and was now inarching forward to give him bat2 S 2 tle: |