breed. But I am wrong to interrupt the ftory.
The bird carried off the girdle: The damfel inftant-
ly gave the alarm, to the guard: and a number of
borfemen were dispatched to keep the kite in view:
who dropt it after a long purfuit: when it fell
into a well. A man was immediately let down;
who difcovered in the fide a large cavity, where
a vast number of chefts had been lodged, which proved
to be the very treasure, which the emir had been in
queft of; and amounted to four millions fterling.
This is the first time, I believe, that a body of
horfe was fent after a kite: and though the horses
of Perfia are very fleet; yet it is extraordinary in d
long purfuit that they fhould be able to keep up
with a bird fo fwift, which had likewife got fome
minutes the start of them. But the most furprifing
circumstance is, as the aperture of a well cannot
be above a yard or two in diameter, that in so wide
a range the kite fhould fo exactly hit this mark:
and of all places in fo large a circuit let the gir-
dle drop into this well. And last of all, which
crowns the whole, that here fhould be the long
fought for treasure, worth four millions fterling.
We fee here a wonderful concurrence of circum-
ftances and there are people, who will think, that
they approach very near to the marvellous.

The ftory, p. 5. concerning the envoy, who was
fent to the Tobba of Arabia, is equally extraordina-
ry and entertaining. The prince, it feems, upon the
envoy being introduced faid to him, T'heb, be
feated. But this, in the dialect of the person spoken
to, unluckily fignified-precipitate yourself which
proved an unfortunate circumftance. For the poor
envoy, with a fingular deference for the orders of
bis fovereign, went and threw himself from the
wall of the castle, and broke his neck. Now the
commands of princes ought without doubt to be

heeded:

༽

heeded: yet I believe in this cafe few would have fhewn fuch fingular deference at fo fudden warning. One should think, that a person would have hefitated a little, and made some small inquiry have before he had ventured all for nothing. In later, times a fenfible man may have fhewn a mistaken regard; and have been led into an errour: but hardly into one so fatal, as that mentioned above. However there have been facts fomewhat fimilar: and as nothing fets off a history to fuch advantage, as its parallel, accept what follows by way of illuftration: for the precife truth of which I will not vouch but give it you as I receive it. The perfon concerned is fuppofed to have been, like the man above, an envoy: one, who refided here in the reign of Queen Elizabeth: but of what country is not faid: though from his great politeness fome judgment may perhaps be formed. He is represented as very infirm, and gouty: and at the fame time troubled with a painful retention. The MSS. in which he is mentioned, defcribes him in the following manner. He was a very aged, and a very coftive Lord: and fo marred in his knees and in bis ancles with the gout, that he could fcant ftond. One day, when he was in Privy Chamber, the Queen's Majeftie noting his infirmities, fayd unto him: Good my Lord, I wish, that you could procure yourself a fool. He not truly apprehending her Grace's meaning through default of language, but thinking of his private malady, went incontinent home: and took fo many laxatives, enemas, and cathartics, that he was well nigh killed. And though they gave him Hippocrafs, and many cordial apozems, yet from Allhallowtide to Saint Swithin his bowels were like a bladder. Nor did they recover themselves in a year, they were fo angered and aggrieved. Whatever mistake may have been made, we fee here the utmost complaiH fance:

fance and this too, let me tell you, in very critical
circumftances. Nothing could be more proper,
than the regard shewn to the fuppofed good wishes
of a princefs; whofe withes were esteemed equal to
commands. But I must confefs, when a regard of
this fort is extended to hanging or drowning, or
to breaking one's neck, it seems to be carried ra-
ther too far. And whatever fenfe of duty a per-
fon may entertain, yet I fhould imagine, that he
would think twice, before he implicitly obeyed :
for a leap down a precipice is no jefting matter.
In good truth, if I may be allowed to speak freely,
hiftories of this fort are very little fuperior to those
of that refpectable lady, Mother Goose. On this
account I fhould imagine, that in your future pub.
lications they had better be omitted, left the Per-
fians fhould be esteemed as great fablers as the
Greeks. As to the account (p. 147. notes) of the
Nim luzé, this I allow to be curious; and it is of
a different caft. I beg therefore to repeat it in
your own words, for I am far from having any
thing to fay to its difparagement. One of the most
fingular creatures (in Arabia) is the Nim Iuzé, or
Nim Cheir. It is fuppofed to be a human figure fplit
in two: the male being the right half, and the female
the left. They have of confequence half a face, one
eye, one arm, and one foot on which they run with
incredible fwiftnefs. There is humour in this: and
I only with, that one of the halves had been fent
after the kite, that ftole the maid's girdle; it
would have beat the Perfian fcouts all hollow.

And now, good fir, give me leave in the most amicable manner to conclude. You took notice în a particular paffage, that you thought it your duty to defend the merits of the Perfian and Arabian languages. You cannot but think me under an equal obligation to ftand up for my own writings.

3

I hope