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the spoil, and began dancing and singing.-These were followed by a crowd, among whom was a crowned head, who ordered his soldiers to fall on them and destroy them: then came a superior force, and put a bowstring around the neck of him that was crowned: and another stripped the crown from his head.-After these came several madmen; some with wings on their shoulders; some with wheels, which they strove always to keep in motion; some looking unto the skies, some drawing circles in the air with straws, some jabbering ridiculous notions, that the same quantity was both more and less than itself.

When these were passed, Barhaddan asked Abudah, "Dost thou understand these things."

"I understand by them," answered the Merchant, "(and also by my travels), that neither riches, nor gaiety, nor honour, nor power, nor science, nor learning, nor obscurity, is free from the common accidents of life; and that, therefore, these can never lead us to the perfect talisman of Oromanes."

"What didst thou understand by the feathers ?" said Barhaddan. "I knew not their meaning," answered Abudah.

"They," continued the Genius Barhaddan, "were the thousand light, airy, inconsistent hopes and wishes, which lie on the top of every man's heart; which have some kind of tendency to the talisman, and so they are the first on the top of the chest.

"And now, O Merchant Abudah," said Barhaddan, "art thou convinced that the talisman of Oromanes could not be treasured among such refuse as these? Shut down, therefore, the chest, and attend with silence to the scene which will follow."-Abudah obeyed, standing like a mute with his hands before him.

"Now, thou wicked hag," said Barhaddan, "thou evil genius, who lovest to torment and mislead mankind, come forth." At these words, the little box fell to pieces, and the hag came trembling out on her crutches before Barhaddan.

"I know," said the pure Genius, "thy implacable nature, and that thou delightest only in mischief and evil; but, that you may have some awe for those who regard mankind, stand here, and see me purge the man whom thou hast enslaved with worldly thoughts and desires."

Barhaddan then commanded Abudah to wash himself in the cistern; which having performed, he ordered him a second time to open the chest of adamant.—Abudah, obeying, looked in, and saw only a little book, which Barhaddan bade him read, and he read these words aloud :Know, O man, that human nature, which is imperfect, cannot attain to perfection: that true happiness, which is the real talisman of Oromanes, being immortal, can be enjoyed by immortals alone: that man, being a creature, is subject to the commands of his Creator; and, therefore, a knowledge of His will, and a faithful obedience to it, should

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be the first and last pursuit of mortality, till it may please the Eternal Power to remove him from trial to perfection, from earthly misery to the eternal happiness of a glorious paradise.”

As he ended these words Abudah fell prostrate in the mosque, and adored the Eternal Power above; which the Genius seeing, commended him. Then Barhaddan, turning to the hag:-"Go," said he, "false and wicked genius, into that chest, and there, for fifty years, contemplate the happiness thou art so anxious to recommend."-The hag trembled and obeyed; the chest closed with violence, the locks fastened themselves on, and the whole was taken up like a whirlwind, and vanished away.

Abudah then looked around to thank the friendly Genius; but he was gone and, what surprised him more, he found himself on his bed at Bagdat, and his wife and family weeping around him. As he moved, Selima in transport ran to him, and asked him if the life were in him?

"In me!" said Abudah; "why, woman, I have been travelling these three months: I have seen various countries and kingdoms; I have (but would I had not!) been crowned a Sultan!"

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"O," interrupted Selima, my lord raves again. Thy children and servants know, O Abudah! that for four days thou hast slept upon this sofa, and we feared thou wert dead."

"Is what I have seen, then, a dream?" cried the Merchant Abudah: "then blessed be the Prophet, who has added unto me knowledge without guilt!

"But now, my lovely Selima," said Abudah, "I am released from those terrors and uneasinesses, which have made me a burthen to thee and to myself. Yes, Selima, I have learned to be content; the utmost man must expect upon earth: and I have learned to be obedient to Alla, to love and cherish my family, and to do good to mankind."

At these words, he again embraced his wife and children; and the day was spent in decent endearments: nor lived there a happier or more resigned and cheerful family in Bagdat than in the house of the Merchant Abudah.

[graphic]

ALLA AD DEEN;

OR, THE

WONDERFUL LAMP.

(From the Arabian Nights.)

IN the capital of one of the large and rich provinces of the kingdom of China, the name of which I do not recollect, there lived a tailor, named Mustapha, who was so poor, that he could hardly, by his daily labour, maintain himself and his family, which consisted of a wife and son.

His son, who was called Alla ad Deen, had been brought up in a very careless and idle manner, and by that means had contracted many vicious habits. He was wicked, obstinate, and disobedient to his father and mother, who, when he grew up, could not keep him within doors. He was in the habit of going out early in the morning, and would stay out all day, playing in the streets and public places with idle children of his own age.

When he was old enough to learn a trade, his father, not being able to put him out to any other, took him into his own shop, and taught him how to use his needle: but neither fair words nor the fear of chastisement were capable of fixing his lively genius. All his father's endeavours to keep him to his work were in vain; for no sooner was his back turned, than he was gone for that day. Mustapha chastised him, but Alla ad Deen was incorrigible, and his father, to his great grief, was forced to abandon him to his idleness: and was so much troubled at not being able to reclaim him, that it threw him into a fit of sickness, of which he died in a few months.

The mother, finding that her son would not follow his father's business, shut up the shop, sold off the implements of trade, and with the money she received for them, and what she could get by spinning cotton, thought to maintain herself and her son.

Alla ad Deen, who was now no longer restrained by the fear of a father, and who cared so little for his mother, that, whenever she chid him, he would abuse her, gave himself entirely over to his idle habits, and was never out of the streets from his companions. This course he followed till he was fifteen years old, without giving his mind to any useful pursuit, or the least reflection on what would become of him. In this situation, as he was one day playing according to custom, in the street, with his vagabond associates, a stranger passing by stood to observe him.

The stranger was a sorcerer, called by the writer of this story, the African magician: and by that name I shall call him, with the more propriety, as he was a native of Africa, and had been but two days arrived from thence.

The African magician, who was a good physiognomist, observing in Alla ad Deen's countenance something absolutely necessary for the execution of the design he was engaged in, inquired artfully about his family, who he was, and what were his inclinations; and when he had learned all he desired to know, went up to him, and taking him aside from his comrades, said, "Child, was not your father called Mustapha the tailor ?" 66 Yes, sir," answered the boy; "but he has been dead a

long time."

At these words, the African magician threw his arms about Alla ad Deen's neck, and kissed him several times with tears in his eyes. Alla ad Deen, who observed his tears, asked him, "What made him weep?" "Alas! my son," cried the African magician, with a sigh, "how can I forbear? I am your uncle; your worthy father was my own brother. I have been many years abroad, and now I am come home with the hopes of seeing him, you tell me he is dead. I assure you it is a sensible grief to me to be deprived of the comfort I expected. But it is some relief to my affliction, that, as far as I can remember him, I knew you at first sight, you are so like him; and I see I am not deceived. Then he asked Alla ad Deen, putting his hand into his purse, where his mother lived? and as soon as he had informed him, gave him a handful of small money, saying, “Go, my son, to your mother, give my love to her, and tell her that I will visit her to-morrow, if I have time, that I may have the satisfaction of seeing where my good brother lived so long, and ended his days."

As soon as the African magician left his newly-adopted nephew, Alla ad Deen ran to his mother, overjoyed at the money his uncle had given him. "Mother," said he, "have I an uncle?" "No, child," replied his mother,

"you have no uncle by your father's side, or mine." "I am just now come," said Alla ad Deen, "from a man who says he is my uncle by my father's side, assuring me that he is his brother. He cried and kissed me when I told him my father was dead; and to show you that what I tell you is truth," added he, pulling out the money, "see what he has given me; he charged me to give his love to you, and to tell you, if he has any time to-morrow, he will come and pay you a visit, that he may see the house my father lived and died in." Indeed, child," replied the mother, 'your father had a brother, but he has been dead a long time, and I never heard of another."

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The mother and son talked no more then of the African magician ; but the next day Alla ad Deen's uncle found him playing in another part of the town with other children, and embracing him as before, put two pieces of gold into his hand, and said to him, “Carry this, child, to your mother, tell her that I will come and see her to-night, and bid her get us something for supper; but first show me the house where you live."

After Alla ad Deen had showed the African magician the house, he carried the two pieces of gold to his mother, and when he had told her of his uncle's intention, she went out and bought provisions; and considering she wanted various utensils, borrowed them of her neighbours. She spent the whole day in preparing the supper; and at night, when it was ready, said to her son, “Perhaps your uncle knows not how to find our house; go and bring him if you meet with him."

Though Alla ad Deen had showed the magician the house, he was ready to go, when somebody knocked at the door, which he immediately opened and the magician came in loaded with wine, and all sorts of fruits, which he brought for a dessert.

:

After the African magician had given what he brought into Alla ad Deen's hands, he saluted his mother, and desired her to show him the place where his brother Mustapha used to sit on the sofa; and when she had so done, he fell down and kissed it several times, crying out with tears in his eyes, "My poor brother! how unhappy am I, not to have come soon enough to give you one last embrace." Alla ad Deen's mother desired him to sit down in the same place, but he declined. "No," said he, "I shall take care how I do that; but give me leave to sit opposite to it, that although I am deprived of the satisfaction of seeing the master of a family so dear to me, I may at least have the pleasure of beholding the place where he used to sit." The widow pressed him no farther, but left him at liberty to sit where he pleased.

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When the magician had made choice of a place, and sat down, he began to enter into discourse with Alla ad Deen's mother: "My good sister," said he, "do not be surprised at your never having seen me all the time you have been married to my brother Mustapha of happy

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