When they came near I rose up, and laying my hand upon my lips, I bowed myself with reverence before them. Rhedi faluted me by my name, and presented me to his companion, before whom I again bowed myfelf to the ground. Having looked ftedfaftly in my countenance, he laid his hand upon my head, and bleffed me: 66 Heli," "faid he, "those who defire Know-"ledge that they may teach Virtue, fhall not be dif "appointed: fit down, I will relate events which yet "thou knoweft but in part, and disclose fecrets of Pro"vidence from which thou mayeft derive instruction." We fat down, and I listened to the counsel of an Angel,. or the mufic of Paradise..

Amana, the daughter of Sanbad the fhepherd, was drawing water at the wells of Adail, when a caravan which had paffed the defart arrived, and the driver of the camels alighted to give them drink those which came first to the wells, belonged to Nouraddin the merchant, who had brought fine linen and other merchantdife of great value from Egypt. Amana, when the caravan drew near, had covered herself with her veil, which the fervant of Nouraddin, to gratify a brutal curiofity, attempted to withdraw.

Amana, provoked by the indignity, and encouraged by the presence of others, ftruck him with the staff of the bucket; and he was about to retaliate the violence, when Nouraddin, who was himself with the caravan, called out to him to forbear, and immediately hasted to the well. The veil of Amana had fallen off in the ftruggle, and Nouraddin was captivated with her beauty; the lovely confufion of offended modefty that glowed upon her cheek, the disdain that fwelled her bofom, and the resentment that: sparkled in her eyes, expreffed

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a consciousness of her fex, which warmed and animated her beauty: they were graces which Nouraddin had never feen, and produced a tumult in his breaft which he had never felt; for Nouraddin, though he had now great poffeffions, was yet a youth, and a stranger to woman: the merchandise which he was transporting, had been purchased by his father, whom the angel of death had intercepted in the journey, and the fudden acceffion of independence and wealth did not difpofe him to restrain the impetuofity of defire: he, therefore, demanded Amana of her parents; his meffage was received with gratitude and joy; and Nouraddin, after a fhort time, carried her back to Egypt, having first punished the servant, by whom she had been insulted at the well, with his own hand.

But he delayed the folemnities of marriage, till the time of mourning for his father should expire; and the gratification of a paffion which he could not fupprefs, was without much difficulty fufpended now its object was in his power. He anticipated the happiness which he believed to be secured; and supposed that it would increase by expectation, like a treasure by ufury, of which more is still poffeffed, as poffeffion is longer de-layed..

During this interval, Amana recovered from the tumultuous joy of fudden elevation; her ambition was at. an end, and she became fufceptible of love. Nouraddin, who regretted the obfcurity of her birth, only be cause it had prevented the cultivation of her mind, la boured inceffantly to fupply the defect: the received his inftruction not only with gratitude, but delight; while he fpoke, fhe gazed upon him with esteem and reverence,

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reverence, and had no wish but to return the happiness which he was impatient to bestow..

At.this time Ofmin the Caliph was upon the throne of Egypt. The paffions of Ofmin, thou knoweft, were impetuous as the torrents of Alared, and fatal as the whirlwind of the defart: to excite and to gratify, was the whole purpose of his mind; but his wish was still unfatisfied, and his life was wretched.. His feraglio was filled with beauty; but the power of beauty he had exhausted: he became outrageous to revive defire by a new object, which he demanded of Nardic the eunuch, whom he had not only fet over his women, but · his kingdom, with menaces and execration. Nardic, therefore, caufed a proclamation to be made, that whoever should produce the most beautiful virgin within two days, fhould ftand in the prefence of the, Caliph, and be deemed the third in his kingdom.

Caled, the fervant who had been beaten by Nouraddin, returned with him to Egypt: the fullen ferocity of his temper was increafed by the defire of revenge, and the gloom of difcontent was deepened by defpair: but when he heard the proclamation of Nardic, joy kindled in his afpect like lightening in the darkness of aftorm; the offence which he had committed against Amana, enabled him to revenge the punishment which it produced. He knew that she was yet a virgin, and that her marriage was near; he, therefore, hafted to the palace, and demanded to be brought before Nardic, who, in the midst of magnificence and fervility, the flattery of dependent ambition and the zeal of unli-. mited obedience, was fitting pale and filent, his brow. contracted with anxiety, and his breast throbbing with apprehenfion.

When

When Caled was brought into his prefence, he fell proftrate before him: "By the fmile of my Lord," faid he, "let another be distinguished from the flaves "who mingle in obfcurity, and let his favour elevate "another from the duft; but let my fervice be ac "cepted, and let the defire of Ofmin be fatisfied with "beauty. Amana will fhortly be efpoufed by Nou"raddin; but of Amana the fovereign of Egypt only "is worthy. Hafte, therefore, to demand her; she is 66 now with him in the house, to which I will conduct "the meffenger of thy will."

Nardic received this intelligence with transports of joy; a mandate was inftantly written to Nouraddin; it was fealed with the royal fignet, and delivered to Caled, who returned with a force fufficient to compel obedience.

On this day the mourning of Nouraddin expired; he had changed his apparel, and perfumed his perfon; his features were brightened with the gladness of his heart; he had invited his friends to the festival of his marriage, and the evening was to accomplish his wishes: the evening alfo was expected by Amana, with a joy. which she did not labour to fupprefs; and she was hiding her blushes in the breast of Nouraddin, when Caled: arrived with the mandate and the guard.

The domeftics were alarmed and terrified; and Nouraddin, being inftantly acquainted with the event, rushed out of the apartment of Amana with disorder and trepidation. When he faw Caled, he was moved with anger and difdain; but he was intimidated by the appearance of the guard. Caled immediately advanced, and, with looks of infolence and triumph, prefented the mandate. Nouraddin feeing the royal fignet, kneel

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ed to receive it; and having gazed a moment at the fuperfcription, preffed it upon his forehead in an agony of fufpence and terror. The wretch who had betrayed him enjoyed the anguifh which he fuffered; and perceiving that he was fainting, and had not fortitude to read the paper, acquainted him with the contents: at the name of Amana he started, as if he had felt the fting of a scorpion, and immediately fell to the ground.

Caled proceeded to execute his commiffion without remorfe; he was not to be moved by fwooning. expoftulation, entreaty, or tears; but having conducted Amana to the feraglio, presented her to Nardic, with exultation and hope. Nardic, whofe with was flattered by her ftature and her fhape, lifted up her veil with impatience, timidity, and folicitude: but the moment he beheld her face, his doubts were at an end: he proftrated himself before her, as a perfon on whofe pleasure his life would from that moment depend. She was conducted to the chamber of the women, and Caled was the fame hour invested with his new dignity; an apartment was affigned him in the palace, and he was made captain of the guard that kept the gates.

Nouraddin when he recovered his fenfibility, and found that Amana had been conducted to the feraglio, was feized by turns with distraction and stupidity: he paffed the night in agitations, by which the powers of nature were exhausted, and in the morning he locked himself into the chamber of Amana, and threw himfelf on a fofa, determined to admit no comforter, and to receive no sustenance.

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