Here Abudah was seated on his throne; and, the nobles having done obeisance, Abudah commanded all but the grand vizier to depart.

The rest being gone, the grand vizier again prostrating himself before Abudah, cried out, " May my lord, the Sultan of Tasgi, ever rule over Harran his slave."

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Harran," answered Abudah, " arise, and declare to me the cause of this encampment, and why the armies of Tasgi are thus scattered on the plains."

"Our renowned Sultan Rammasin," replied the vizier Harran, "made it his custom to take the field in summer, to terrify his foes; but, in Ithe midst of this campaign, it pleased the powers who preside over the mountains of Tasgi, to call him from us, and bless us with the presence of my lord, before whom I stand. For, since the time that the descendants of Mahomet involved our kingdom in perpetual bloodshed, we have been warned by the oracles of Tasgi to expect a king from the womb of the mountain, that no division of families, or contention among brethren, might disturb the peace of these happy kingdoms."

"And who," said Abudah," are the neighbours of my kingdom beyond these mountains?"

"They are," replied the vizier, "O Sultan, an harmless inoffensive race which was the cause that the Sultan Rammasin would not make war upon them, although their territories extend to the sea-coast, and would be a noble addition to the kingdom of the Sultan of Tasgi."

"Rammasin, then," answered Abudah, "wanted a nobleness of soul, to sit down contented with less than he might have enjoyed: but Abudah, your present Sultan, will give their lands to the slaves of Tasgi, and extend his dominions even over the waves and the tempest." "My royal master will thereby," answered the vizier, "gain the hearts of his soldiers, who have long pined in the inglorious lethargies of peace."

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"Go, bid the trumpet sound then," said Abudah, "and let it be proclaimed in the camp, that your Sultan, Abudah, will revenge the injuries which the inhabitants of Tasgi have received from their perfidious neighbours. Go, Harran, and denounce war against the

"Shakarahs," said Harran, bowing, "who have insulted the mountains of Tasgi."

Abudah was going on; but his pains and weakness obliged him to order that an inner tent might be prepared for him.

While the eunuchs and slaves were attending their new Sultan, his vizier Harran caused the royal mandate to be proclaimed about the encampment, and commanded the leaders of the army to be assembled together, to deliver to them the orders of the Sultan Abudah.

The whole kingdom of Tasgi was rejoiced at the news of their

Sultan's expedition against the helpless and innocent Shakarahs; so little do subjects weigh the merits of war! and the old and decrepit parents stirred up their children to engage in a service, where cruelty and destruction were honoured with the titles of virtue and the love of their country.

Ere the sun began to smile upon the harvests of the Shakarahs, the tents of Abudah were moving to destroy them; the loud cymbals were clanging in the air, and the brazen trumpets, with their shrill notes of liveliness, seemed to inspire the armies of Tasgi with a thirst of glory, and not of blood. The order and discipline of the troops, the regularity of their march, and the sprightliness of their looks, utterly disguised the rapacious purposes of the royal plunderer; who, though but just master of one kingdom, was so eager to get possession of a second, that he destroyed many of his men in forcing a march over the mountains, which nature had placed as the boundaries of their nation.

The Shakarahs, having notice of their motions, sent an embassy to meet the Sultan of Tasgi, beseeching to know the cause of his coming; making the humblest professions of peace; and offering, if any thing had offended him, to make the fullest satisfaction they were capable of; and imploring him, that he would not make war upon a nation who were ever the friends of the Tasgites, and to whom that kingdom had never declared any hostile intention.

To these humble remonstrances Abudah replied, that he was not to be taught and directed by such base slaves as the Shakarahs, and that, whatever intention he might have had originally in entering their kingdom, he now declared he came to punish the insolence of that people, who dared send such dictating embassies to the Sultan of Tasgi.

He then commanded the ambassadors to be driven from the encampment, and ordered his army to begin their hostilities on the presumptuous Shakarahs.

The leaders of the armies of Tasgi being ignorant and imperious, every kind of tyranny and cruelty was practised, till, the wretched Shakarahs being made prisoners, and their wives and families outraged or murdered, the Sultan Abudah returned to the kingdom of Tasgi, with the spoils of the conquered country, amidst the acclamations of the army and its leaders; who were so lavish of their praises and adulations, that Abudah esteemed himself at least equal to the Prophet of Mecca.

After Abudah arrived at the metropolis of Tasgi, his viziers came to inquire of him, where he would bestow the miserable Shakarahs, most of whom they had led home in chains. Abudah was for some time doubtful of their fate; and was at last going to order a general execution, when he recollected the iron chest which was buried in the mountains of Tasgi.

"Let the Shakarahs," said the Sultan Abudah, "be condemned to

work in the mountains of Tasgi, till they find an iron chest with fifty locks."

At these words, the grand vizier Harran bowed before the Sultan, and said:"Will my lord dare to send the Shakarahs into the womb of Tasgi, which his own subjects are forbidden to approach.”

"Take the rebel Harran," said Abudah, in indignation, "and let his head be severed from his body, and his tongue let the dogs devour.”

The other viziers gladly saw this execution performed on Harran, and returned to the Sultan, and said:-" Far be it that a monarch of the East should be governed by his slaves. Be the will of the Sultan Abudah for ever obeyed, as it is in the destruction of the traitor Harran; as it is in the labours of the Shakarahs in the mountains of Tasgi.”

Abudah hourly sent his viziers to inspect the miners in the mountains, who returned with accounts of the death of thousands, over whom the mountain crumbled, and smothered them in its caverns.

The Tasgites, jealous of their mountain, which they supposed was somewhat divine, began to murmur at the impiety of their Sultan; which when Abudah knew, he commanded the leaders of his army to chastise them, and to put every tenth man throughout his kingdom to the sword.

At length the fainting Shakarahs dug out the chest of iron, and brought it to Abudah, who commanded every engine of force to be applied to it to break it open; but in vain; the chest resisted all their endeavours, and would not yield to the utmost force the art of man could bring against it.

Abudah then published a reward to any that should make keys to fit the locks. This, several undertook, and succeeded; but as soon as one lock was opened, it shut while the artificer was employed about the second.

Abudah, puffed up with pride, was enraged at this disappointment, and commanded fifty men to take the fifty keys, and all attempt it at once; which they did, and were all immediately struck dead; he then commanded a second fifty; but none but his army were near him, for the rest were fled from the tyrant's presence.

Abudah now ordered fifty soldiers to approach; when the leaders of the army, moved by his cruelties, and seeing he was about to sacrifice his army as well as his subjects, uniting together, came toward him in a body; which Abudah perceiving, and expecting no mercy, leaped on the chest, and trusted himself to its saving power.

Immediately the chest moved aloft in the air; and Abudah being stupified and giddy, fell into a deep sleep, and was wafted far from the army and kingdom of Tasgi.

[The Merchant's Fourth Adventure is among the Sages of Nema. He there beholds the insufficiency of Science, and the weakness of Philosophy. The Chemist perishes in his attempt to regulate the powers of nature; and the Metaphysician, who boasts of his triumph over all physical evils, finds a violent and sudden death.]

"Alas!" sighed the Merchant Abudah, "how vain is it for weakness to boast of strength; or for man who is infirm, to deny the reality of what he must hourly feel! To boast of a power over nature is, I see, the end of philosophy, which should only with wonder contemplate what it cannot scan; much less ought the reptile man to vaunt itself superior to the blessings or scourges of Him who is the ruler of the universe."

With these reflections Abudah arose and advanced up a lawn, which, winding between two mountains, brought the Merchant into a spacious plain, where he beheld innumerable flocks feeding upon its surface, and shepherds and shepherdesses tending their innocent charge.—" Here," said Abudah to himself, "here is neither pomp, nor luxury, nor vanity; here is rural peace, and quietness, and tranquillity, which knows no sorrow."

As thus Abudah mused within himself, he advanced towards the shepherds and their flocks; when one passing near him immediately ran, with the utmost precipitation, among the rest, crying aloud: "Fly, fly, O my wandering and distressed friends; for the tyrant of Tasgi, not content with driving us out from the land of Shakarah, is come down to bereave us of our flocks and herds!"

Abudah was touched to the soul at this scene of distress and confusion, which his former passions had occasioned, and called to the poor wanderers to stay: but they, fearful and lamenting, drove their flocks along the plain, and with dread looked back, expecting to see again the cruel armies of the Tasgites.

One old venerable bramin alone, unable through age to follow the Shakarahs, whom he had for many years instructed, sat, with a majestic composure, on a square stone, which stood at the entrance of his cell. As Abudah advanced, he rose, and made obeisance, saying: "Know, O Sultan, I rise not to the tyrant of Tasgi; but I bow before him whom it has pleased Alla to set over his people. But wherefore shouldst thou seek to do evil, that thou mayest reap good? Are then bad actions capable of salutary ends; and is evil predominant, that purity may triumph? Alas, O Sultan! not such are the means of obtaining the talisman of the great and perfect Oromanes: purity and perfection, such as man may attain unto, true virtue and benevolence, and a faithful religion, are the means of possessing that treasure.-Hasten, therefore, O man, to the tomb of the Prophet, and there confess the follies and iniquities of thy researches and learn, from that fountain of purity

:

and truth, the will of Him who ordained you to this hitherto ineffectual toil."

“Good and pious bramin,” replied Abudah, “much have I abused both the gifts of Providence and you, and your poor innocent and distressed nation: but direct me in my journey to Mecca, for I seem hitherto to have trodden on enchanted ground.”

"The chest of adamant will convey you to Mecca,” answered the bramin.

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"I left it,” replied Abudah, “in the mansions of Philosophy, which may not be found without crossing the brook, and risking the fury of the tiger."

"There is," answered the bramin, “a path that leads hence, round the brook, to the back of that mansion, into which a small bridge will carry you over the brook: and may Mahomet prosper your undertaking.”

Abudah then took leave of the sage, assuring him that the Tasgites knew not of his place of retreat; and that he might rest with the Shakarahs safely there, for no evil was intended them. The bramin blessed Abudah as he parted.

The Sultan-Merchant hastened to the seminaries of learning; where, taking possession of the chest, he threw himself on it, in full assurance that he should awake in the temple of Mecca.

In a short time, the Merchant Abudah found himself in an awful mosque, reclining on the chest of adamant: on one side stood the box which used to haunt his chamber with the diminutive hag; and on the other, a large cistern of water. In a moment, with mildness in his aspect, stood the Genius Barhaddan before him.

"At length," said he, "Abudah, receive the true keys of the adamantine chest."

At these words, the Merchant Abudah approached the Genius; and, having prostrated himself before him, received the long-expected keys. "Begin," said Barhaddan, "O Abudah, and search for thy treasure.” Abudah obeyed; and in a moment the locks of the chest flew open.

Abudah, with a consciousness and dread, lifted up the lid of the chest; when instantly flew out a thousand feathers, so that they covered the whole pavement of the mosque.

"Now," continued Barhaddan, "put in thine hand, and draw forth the contents of the chest." Abudah obeyed; and first he took up a beautiful but bleeding hand, with a curious bracelet of diamonds.

"That hand," said Barhaddan, "was severed from the body of a fair sultana, by a slave, who could not unlock the bracelet. Dost thou think, Abudah, the wearer was the happier for that ornament?"

As Abudah was going to draw again, out stepped a poor wretch, laden with his bags of gold, trembling and looking behind.-Next, on a sudden, a gay youth, with a poniard, stabbed the miser to the heart; upon which several women, in loose attire, came and shared with him