mands, no man can now lead me as chief mark of mean spirit and of a slave. I have a proper person to cowardice is not death, but rather assert my freedom; I have proper the fear of death. Against this fear judges. I advise you to exercise yourself:

12 Are you the master of my to this let all your reasoning tend, body? What, then, is that to me? your exercises, and reading: and Are you the master of my property? you will thus know that by death What, then, is that to me? Are only are men made free. you the master of my exiles or of my chains? Well, from all these things and all the poor body itself I depart at your bidding, when you please. Make trial of your power, and you will know how far it reaches. Whom, then, shall I fear.

17 Birds when they are caught and are kept shut up, how much do they suffer in their attempts to escape? Some of them die of hunger rather than submit to such a kind of life. And as many of them as live, hardly live, but with suffering pine away; 13 For the sake of that which is and if they ever find any opening, called liberty, some hang themselves, they make their escape. So much do others throw themselves down preci- they desire their natural liberty, and pices, and sometimes even whole to be independent and free from cities have perished. And will you hindrance.

not for the sake of the true and un- 18 And what lesson is there for assailable and secure liberty give back to God when He demands them the things which He has given? Will you not, as Plato says, study not to die only, but also to endure torture, and exile, and scourging, and, in a word, to give up all which is not your own?

14 In the first place you must make your ruling faculties pure, and your mode of life also.

you in this? Let us hear it. It is this, I am formed by nature to fly where I choose, to live in the open air, to sing when I choose: you deprive me of all this, and say, What harm is it to you? For this reason we shall say that those animals only are free which cannot endure capture, but as soon as they are caught, escape from captivity by death.

19 So Diogenes also somewhere

15 But the body is nothing: the says that there is only one way to parts of it are nothing. Death? freedom, and that is to die content; Let it come when it chooses, either and he writes to the Persian king, death of the whole or of a part. Fly, You cannot enslave the Athenian you say. And whither? can any state any more than you can enslave man eject me out of the world? He fishes. How is that? cannot I catch cannot. But wherever I go, there is them? If you catch them, says Dithe sun, there is the moon, there are ogenes, they will immediately leave the stars, dreams, omens, and con- you, as fishes do; for if you catch a versation with the Immortals. fish, it dies; and if these men that are caught shall die, of what use to you is the preparation for war?

16 Consider also this, that the chief of all evils to man and the

20 These are the words of a free mayest choose; for Thine were all man who had carefully examined the things, Thou gavest them to me. thing, and, as was natural, had discovered it. But if you look for it in a different place from where it is, what wonder if you never find it?

21 What, then, do you wish to be doing when you are found by death? I, for my part, would wish to be found doing something which belongs to a man, beneficent, suitable to the general interest, noble.

24 Is it not enough to depart in this state of mind? What life is more becoming than that of a man who is in this state of mind? and what end is more happy?

25 Do you not know that both disease and death must surprise us while we are doing something? the husbandman while he is tilling the ground, the sailor while he is on his voyage? What would you be doing when death surprises you for you must be surprised when you are doing something? If you can be doing any thing better than this when you are surprised, do it.

26 I, for my part, wish to be surprised by disease or death when I am looking after nothing else than my own will, that I may be free from

hindrance, free from compulsion, and in a state of liberty.

22 But if I cannot be found doing things so great, I would be found doing at least that which I cannot be hindered from doing, that which is permitted me to do: correcting myself, cultivating the faculty which makes use of appearances, laboring at tranquillity of mind, rendering to the relations of life their due. If I succeed so far, also I would be found advancing to the third topic, safety perturbation, that I may be free from in forming judgments about things. 23 If death surprises me when I am busy about these things, it is 27 I wish to be found practising enough for me if I can stretch out such things that I may be able to my hands to God and say: The say to God, Have I in any respect means which I have received from transgressed Thy commands? have I Thee for seeing Thy administration in any respect wrongly used the of the world, and following it, I have powers which Thou gavest me? have not neglected; I have not dishonored I misused my perceptions or my Thee by my acts: see how I have preconceptions? have I ever blamed used my perceptions; see how I have Thee? I have been sick because it used my preconceptions. Have I was Thy will, and so have others, but been discontented with any thing I was content to be sick. I have that happens, or wished it to be oth-been poor because it was Thy will, erwise? have I wished to transgress but I was content also. I have not the established relations of things? filled a magisterial office, because it That Thou hast given me life, I thank was not Thy pleasure that I should: Thee for what Thou hast given: so I have never desired it. Hast Thou long as I have used the things which ever seen me for this reason disare Thine I am content; take them contented? have I not always apback and place them wherever Thou proached Thee with a cheerful coun

tenance, ready to do Thy commands semblage of men, and to see Thy and to obey Thy signals? Is it now works, and to comprehend this Thy Thy will that I should depart from administration.

the assemblage of men? I depart. I

28 May death surprise me while I give Thee all thanks that Thou hast am thinking of these things, while I allowed me to join in this Thy as

am thus writing and speaking.

ARABIAN SCRIPTURES.-GENERAL SELECTIONS.

SELECTION I.

God-the Almighty, the Eternal, the Wise, the Merciful One; the Protector of the Universe, the Helper of Mankind.

ΤΗ

HERE is no God but God, the ever-living. He sleepeth not, neither doth He slumber. To Him belong the heavens and the earth, and all that they contain.

knoweth all things. He will bestow upon you light to walk in.

7 God is the light of the heavens and of the earth. His light is like a niche in which is a lamp; the lamp encased in glass; the glass as it were a glistening star.

8 It is lighted from a blessed tree, which is not the olive, either of the East or of the West; its oil would 2 Who shall intercede with Him, wellnigh shine out though it were except by His permission? He not touched by fire: it is light upon knoweth the past and the future; but no one comprehends any thing of His knowledge, except that which He revealeth.

3 His sway extends over the heavens and the earth, and it is no burden to Him to sustain them both. He is the High, the Mighty One.

light.

9 Hast thou not seen how all in the heavens and in the earth uttereth the praise of God?-the very birds, as they spread their wings? Every creature knoweth its prayer and its praise.

10 The East and the West are 4 With God are the keys of the God's; therefore whichever way ye secret things. He knoweth what- turn, there is the face of God. He ever is on the land and in the sea. will guide unto Himself all who turn No leaf falleth but He knoweth it; to Him; those who believe, and neither is there a grain in the dark-whose hearts rest securely on the ness of the earth, nor a green thing thought of God. or sere, but it is noted in His decree. 5 Thou needest not raise thy voice; He knoweth the secret whisper, and what is yet more hidden. No vision taketh Him in, but He taketh in all vision.

II Thou art the Eternal One, in whom all order is centred. Thou art Lord of all things, visible and invisible. Thou art the King of mankind, the Protector of the Universe.

12 From Thee doth wisdom de6 All that is in the heavens and scend upon the rulers of the earth. in the earth praise God. He is the Thou dost embrace all things. Thou mighty, the wise, the seen, and the art the Infinite and Incomprehenhidden, the first and the last. He'sible, who standest alone.

He is our Lord and your

13 Thou art the Ruler of the eter- any of them. And we trust in God. nal fountains of light. From Thee 3 Will ye dispute with us about all light cometh. Thou art the God? Ordainer of all good things, who Lord. givest inspiration and guidance unto all.

14 O thou Merciful One, who art exalted above all imperfections, descend into our intellects, and purge us from every ill! Turn our sorrows into joys. To Thee do we cling.

15 From Thee all things seek their light. Thou art the Helper of mankind, one and all. Thou art the Hope of the worlds.

16 In the name of God, gracious and merciful! Praised be God, gracious and merciful, King of the day of judgment. Thee we adore; from Thee we implore help.

17 Guide us in the right way; in the way of them Thou hast blessed, with whom Thou hast not been displeased; and we shall not be misled.

18 Moses cried, O Lord, where shall I find Thee? And God said, When thou seekest me, thou hast already found me.

SELECTION II.

The one God of whom all holy and wise men are prophets. The good among men are all brethren and fellow-believers.

WE

E believe in God, and in that which has been sent to us; also in that which has been sent to Abraham, and Ismael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Tribes; and in that which has been given to Moses and to Jesus; and in that which was given to all the prophets from their Lord.

actions,

yours.
liance.

We will answer with our and you shall answer with In God we place our re

4 All have a quarter of the heavens to which they turn. Both the East and the West belong to God; therefore, whichever way ye turn, there is God.

5 Nothing has been said to thee which hath not been said of old to apostles before thee. Thou wilt see every nation kneeling. To its own Book shall every nation be summoned.

6 Mohammed is no more than an apostle. Other apostles have already passed away before him; If he die, will ye turn back? He who turneth back shall not injure God at all.

7 The Jews and Christians say they are sons of God; that they are His beloved Nay, they are but a part of the men whom He hath made. To every one has been given a rule and a beaten road.

8 If God had pleased, He would surely have made you all one people; but He would test you by what He has given to each.

9 Wherever ye be, prove yourselves emulous in good deeds. God will one day bring you all together. To God shall ye all return, and He will enlighten you concerning the subjects of your disputes.

10 Jesus came and abolished the law of Moses. Mohammed followed him, and introduced his five prayers a day. The followers of both these

2 We make no difference between say that after their prophet no other