Ah, wretched Zoraide!' cried fhe, weeping, where are now all thy hopes ⚫ of being bleft in the fight of thy two children? Perhaps those two children are no more; or, if they ftill live, it is • in hourly expectation of dying with the rest of their fellow-citizens. Perhaps at this moment they begin to ficken, and want the care of their mother to tend upon them, when they abandoned by every other friend.' Thus did the torture herfelf with dreadful apprehenfions; and, often turning her eyes towards Aleppo, gave herfelf up to all the agonies of grief. are I faid every thing I could think of to relieve her, but he would not be comforted. The next morning the fervants I had put about her came and told me that the was not to be found: they alfo brought me a letter, which informed me, that, not being able to endure the uncertainty fhe was in about her children, the had ftolen away by night, and gone to Aleppo to fhare their danger with them; that, if the and her family efcaped the fickness, I should hear from her again; but that, if they died, fhe was refolved not to furvive them. She added, that fhe had left me a box of diamonds worth two thoufand piftoles, being a fourth of the jewels which he had part brought from Malta by my affiftance. Abdallah,' faid he, I am rich enough in what I inherit from my father and Zoraide. But these riches cannot ⚫ comfort me for her death, nor any ⚫ time wear out of my remembrance the uncommon affection which occafioned it. O, Abdallah! what a mother have I loft, and what a friend are you. deprived of! When fhe came hither," continued he, from Scanderoon, my fifter and I believed we had feen a fpirit: but when we found it was really Zoraide, our hearts melted with tenderness and joy. That joy was foon over; for, the third day after her arrival at Aleppo, I found myself feized with the diftemper. She never quitted my bedside during my illness; and to the care fhe took of me I owed my life: but it proved fatal to ber and my poor fifter, who both caught the infection by nurfing me; and, having weaker conftitutions, were not able to ftruggle with it fo well. My fifter died first, and Zoraide quickly followed: when the perceived herself juft expiring, the called me to her, and bade me endeavour to find you out at Scanderoon, and let you know, that the bequeathed to you the portion the had intended for my fifter, amounting to five thousand pieces of gold, as to the man in the world the moft esteemed: fhe added, that to you she recom mended me with her latest breath, her fake, and the fake of her fifter Zelis.' The poor boy was not able to go on with his ftory any further. I accepted the legacy, and did my utmost to difcharge worthily the trust conferred upon me: but my first care was, to bury Abderamen with all the pomp that our cuftoms will admit. After fome time spent in fettling the affairs of my pupil, and my own, I took a paffage on board an English fhip, and arrived happily in London. You may imagine how deeply I was affected at reading this letter. I refolv-imploring you to take care of me for ed to stay at Scanderoon till I had fome news of her, notwithstanding my paffionate defire to return to Zelis. I had waited five weeks with great impatience, when we received accounts that the infection was ceafed, and the commerce with Aleppo restored again. I immediately went to vifit my native town; but, alas! I had little pleafure in the fight of it, after fo difmal a calamity, My firft enquiry was about Zoraide and her children. They carried me to her houfe, where I found her fon, a youth of fixteen, When I made myself known to him, he fell a weeping, and told me his mother and fifter were both dead. I very fincerely joined with him in his grief, and offered to restore to him the jewels fhe had given me. No, I am now poffeft of a fortune that is fufficient to maintain Zelis in the manner I defire; and have nothing more to afk of Heaven but an opportunity of repaying you, O Selim, the friendship and goodness you have thewn me. LETTER LETTER LXXVII. SELIM, TO MIRZA AT ISPAHAN. Am going, in the confidence of friend- nefs of human nature, and the unaccountable capricioufnels of our paffions. Since I delivered up Zelis to her husband, I have not enjoyed a moment's peace. Her beauty, which I faw without emotion, while the continued in my power, now he is out of it, has fired me to that degree, that I have almoft loft my reafon. I cannot bear to fee her in the poffeffion of the man to whom I gave her: if fhame, if defpair, did not Hinder it, I fhould ask him for her again. In this uneafinefs and diforder of my mind, there remains but one part for me to take: I must fly from her charms and my own weakness; I muft retire into Perfia; and endeavour, by abfence and different objects, to efface the impreffions fhe has made. Alas! what shall I find there? a feraglio compofed of beautiful flaves; the mercenary proffitutes, or reluctant victims, to grois and tyrannical luft! What rational commerce can I hope for with theje? what true affection, what folid peace, what heart-felt delight? But, were Zelis my wife, in fuch a wife I should find the mott endeared, molt pleafing, moft faithful friend. All the precautions of eaftern jealoufy would then be unneceffary; thofe wretched precautions which, while they bar the door against difhonour, shut our esteem, the life of friendship; and confidence, the foul of love. Thou wilt be furprized at my talking thus: but what I feel for Zelis, and FROM LONDON. what I have feen in England, has overcome my native prejudices: I have feen here wives, over whole conduct, though perfectly free, religion, bonour, and love, are ftricter guards than legions of eunuchs, or walls of brass: I have seen, by confequence, much happier bufbands than any Perfian can poffibly be. We will difcourfe on this fubject more fully when I am with thee: and it will be my greateft pleasure, to try to remove out of thy mind all thofe prepoffeffions of which my own has been cured by my abode in this country. If I bring thee home truth, I am fure thou wilt think that I have travelled to better purpose, than if I came back fraught with the gold of Peru, or the diamonds of Golconda. I have more than compleated the four years stay I propofed making in England; and am now determined to país through France as far as Marfeilles, and embark from thence for the Levant, as foon as the bufinefs with which I am charged on the put of fome of my friends, with the Turky merchants there, will permit. It is my fixed refolution to go away without giving Zelis the leaft intimation of the cause of my departure. Abdallah fhall never know that I am his rival; it would take too much from the character of a friend. Thou art the only one to whom I dare confide my folly; and fince it has hurt nobody but myself, I hope thou wilt rather pity than blame me for it. 1 too much at the expence of other virtues more folid and effential. Of their in duftry, their commerce is a proof; and for their valour, let their enemies declare it. Of their faults I will at prefent fay no more, but that many of them are newly introduced, and fo contrary to the genius of the people, that one would hope they might be eafily rooted out. They are undoubtedly, all circumstances confidered, a very great, a very powerful and happy nation; but how long they fhall continue fo, depends entirely on the prefervation of their liberty. To the conftitution of their government alone are attached all these bleffings and advantages: fhould that ever be depraved or corrupted, they must expect to become the most contemptible and most unhappy of mankind. For what can fo much aggravate the wretchedness of an 1 oppreffed and ruined people, as the remembrance of former freedom and profperity? All the images and traces of their liberty, which it is probable no change will quite deftroy, must be a perpetual reproach and torment to them, for having fo degenerately parted with their birth-right, And, if flavery is to be endured, where is the man that would not rather chufe it under the warm fun of Agra or Iípahan, than in the northen climate of England? I have therefore taken my leave of my friends here, with this affectionate, wellmeant advice, That they fhould vigilantly watch over their conflitution, and guard it by thofe ftrong bulwarks which alone are able to fecure it, a firm union of all honeft men, juftice upon publick offenders, national and private frugality. FINI S. |